Cee-Jay

I'm so pumped to announce that I've not got a band. My good buddy Charlie and I have become Cee-Jay (a band name surely going to change), an artsy, coffee house group who has just released their first single on Bandcamp! You can download the song for free, but we would greatly appreciate it if you put some money towards our group. Here's the link, and soon we'll have Charlie's solo EP, Distance, up in the site too. 

https://cee-jay97.bandcamp.com

Thanks a ton. We really hope to go places with this, and we really appreciate your support. 

5000. Wow.

If you haven't been on here for a while, (and neither have I, so it's no big deal) you may not have noticed that the pageview count has reached over five thousand, and that is not including my own views. To me, that's nuts. It is also the anniversary of my blog. That's weird. That my work has been viewed 5,160 times, that I've been doing this for a year, it just baffles me that people are actually interested in what I write, or what I have to say about stupid things. I have to thank you, my readers for taking an interest in what I've developed. Thank you so very much. And to celebrate here is an excellent Nick Cage doge meme.

Tan Jacket: A Short Story

The brisk wind blew over the bench, sending a shiver down my spine. I pull my jacket tighter over my shoulders and put the Styrofoam cup of hot cider to my ever-chilled lips. It’s March, yet it’s still freezing. It shouldn't be this cold anymore. Weather in the thirties is for January, not March. That train of thought quickly derailed as soon as she sat down. She was gorgeous. Light blonde hair that fell in a slight curl to her sides, though her deep blue eyes met only the concrete. She was without a jacket, wearing only a black and white striped long sleeve shirt with a very thin floral scarf to match. She looked absolutely freezing.

                “Hi.”

I barely uttered the word, almost as if I had surprised myself. Her eyes met mine meekly, finally breaking their gaze held by the ground.

“Hi.”

She responds with an almost sad smile. I muster up the courage to say, “You uh… You seem pretty cold. Would you like my jacket? It’s rather warm.” Her gaze said she wanted to, but was afraid to accept. Her eyes met the stone once more, “Oh no, I couldn't do that. Then wouldn't you be cold?” She was as humble as a scared child, wanting to know that the nightmare was all over. It made me pity her. Not in the selfish kind of way, but the way that makes you want to help.

“No it’s alright, see, I have a second jacket in my backpack, so it’s really no trouble to me at all. Are you sure you don’t want it?” She looked at me again. Her cold blue eyes matched her frigid body language as she shivered. She uncrossed her arm and began to reach for it, but then stopped. She looked back at the ground, shook her head, and crossed her arms again in a futile attempt to keep warm. I retreated back to myself, and we sat there for a few silent moments. I decided to do something bold. I picked up the jacket and slid down to the middle of the bench. She jumped a little, startled at my sudden movement. I reached my arms around her, laid the jacket on her shoulders, and slid back to my original spot.

She sat there for a while, looking at me, beautifully confused.

“Thank you.”

I had let my gaze fall to the ground, afraid to see her take it off in rejection. I looked up, and she smiled at me again. “No problem,” I say softly. The jacket looks quite good on her. My slim build helps match hers so it doesn't look super baggy, but baggy enough that it’s kind of adorable. The light tan coloring helps accent her scarf, making the whole ensemble just work, like she had been obviously missing the coat the whole time. We sit in silence as the cars zip by, in all shapes and colors. I wish I owned a car, but I don’t, so that’s why I’m sitting here at a bus stop alone with this gorgeous woman. My apple cider is gone by now, leaving me with a warm mouth, and a sweetly sour aftertaste. Wanting to continue the conversation, I break the silence.

“I uh… never quite caught your name.” Her eyes return from spacing and refocus on me and my question.

“Oh. I’m… Jenna.” Jenna, a beautiful to match a beautiful girl.

“Hi Jenna,” I extend my hand to shake, “I’m Mark.”

She reaches for my hand and grasps it with a surprising firmness. Her hand is cold, pale, and peeling a little. “Are you still cold?” I ask, still holding her hand. After a quick moment, she nods, almost reluctantly. She pulls away. “Would you like me to get you a hot chocolate or something? There’s a Starbucks just across the way, and my bus doesn't get here for like twenty more minutes.”

“Are you sure? You really don’t have to.”

“It would be my pleasure Jenna.”

She blushed as I said her name; I think I saw the hint of a smile as well. “Thank you Mark,” she said, “you’re a nice man.” I must have blushed as well, because as I turned to walk away I heard her giggle a little bit. Her laugh was adorable. I think it warmed my insides with joy.

Ten minutes have passed and I’m back with the hot chocolate, but there’s a bus there, and she looks to be standing. I rush over there just in time to catch her before she takes of my jacket. “Is this your bus Jenna?”

“Yeah,” she seemed disappointed, “yeah it is. Here’s your jacket back.” I stopped her while she was halfway done with taking off the coat. “Keep it. I think you need it more than I do. Oh and here’s that hot chocolate.” I handed her the cup and then slid the coat back on her. She looked up at me, and we stared in to each other’s eyes for a moment, then she pulled my head down to her level and she whispered,

“Thank you, Mark. I won’t ever forget what you've done for me today.” She kisses my cheek, and then walks quickly to the bus. I stand there, mouth agape, in awe of what just took place. My eyes follow her as she crosses the bus and finds a seat. I wave semi-awkwardly as her bus rolls off.

The rest of the day I could focus on nothing but Jenna. My boss yelled at me for getting behind today, I nearly got hit by a car walking home from the bus stop, and I almost forgot to feed my pug, Gerald, but I didn't really care. I was infatuated with this woman I had only met once, and was dearly hoping I’d see her again soon. The next day I wake up normally, and I had finally gotten her out of my head, convincing myself that I may never see her again. I turn the corner to the bus stop, and see my bench, and my jacket, and my blonde. I’m not sure I've ever smiled bigger.

The Last of Us Review

It's a Long Way Down

I'm going to cut right to the chase. The Last of Us is the greatest game I have ever played. Not only that, but the greatest story I've had the chance to follow from beginning to end, as well as introducing me to my favorite character duo of anything I've ever seen, played, or read. The Last of Us is a master blend of intricate storytelling, technically excellent gameplay, and an immersive atmosphere.

The Last of Us tells the story of An older man named Joel, and a fourteen year old girl named Ellie, following their journey across the country twenty years after a virus outbreak ravages humanity. Watching their relationship grow from a mutual dislike to a loving father-daughter relationship.  For the longest time, I thought Nolan North (who is also in TLOU) was the king of voice acting ranging from Nathan Drake, Deadpool, and a fantastic optional voice in Saints Row IV. This is no longer the case. The new king and queen are Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson. When you listen to their conversations, you cannot help but be engrossed in all of Ellie's witty quips, and Joel's evasive answers. Ellie quickly becomes the star of TLOU, and her questions about what the world was like before the outbreak, her sarcastic remarks, and her loyalty to Joel make her an incredibly in-depth character unlike any other I've ever seen in a game. Much of this effect is thanks to excellent sound design; guns have a satisfying kick and pop, the sound of a looming clicker in the dark is rightfully terrifying, and realistic voice effect across rooms make everything feel real. 

TLOU's graphics are also unparalleled, showing us once again that no one has better graphical chops than developer Naughty Dog. Textures are incredibly detailed, character models are the most realistic I've ever seen, lighting is hauntingly real, everything is just... Real. That's the best word I can use to describe The Last of Us, real. 

The Last of Us doesn't feel like a game, it is an experience. I didn't want it to end, just before the credits rolled I was hoping so dearly that there was more of Ellie and Joel for me to experience. This review is shorter than they normally are, but there is absolutely nothing to critique about this game. I find no flaws, and that is immensely for someone with a critic's eye, such as myself.
 If you own a PS3, there is absolutely no excuse for you not to own this game. It's a ride unbelievably worth taking, and once I get a PS4, I will have no problem getting the Remastered edition. 

Well...

Hey. 

It's been a while. 

I've taken a long, needed, break from writing. 

But now I'm back, so it's ok. 

Within the next two days I'll be releasing two reviews:

1.) Titanfall

2.) The Last of Us

Maybe one for Guardians of the Galaxy, but I have to see it first.

I'm glad to be back!

Mario Kart 8: Review

Ultimate Fun for Everyone

Mario Kart has been around for a VERY long time; it first released in 1992 on the SNES. It was an instant hit, and 22 years later, we've been blessed with the existence of Mario Kart 8, my favorite in the series so far. 

Everyone likes Mario Kart. No matter how old you are, what era you played, ya like Mario Kart. And it's easy to understand why! Charming visuals, high-speed thrills, beating your friends, bragging rights, tight controls, chaotic, Mario themed antics; it's a blast! Everything is accessible to players of any age, with four buttons for use. It's fun! So many other games now are so focused on having a hardcore, dramatic experience, and that's great. Games like The Last of Us, and the Fallout franchise have become huge successes from this mindset, and that's great, and I love those games. Though so many now forget that games are meant to entertain, and that's what Mario Kart does best, letting you sit down with a group of buddies and spend hours tossing shells and bananas at each other, and it never gets boring. 

Now that I'm done ranting about the excellence of Mario Kart as a whole, let's focus on Mario Kart 8. Now I know what you're thinking non-Wii-U-owners, is it worth buying a Wii U for Mario Kart 8?

I'm happy to say that yes, Mario Kart 8 made owning a Wii U worth my while.

When you first open up Mario Kart 8, any fan of the series will sense the familiarity of it, though the streamlined menus make getting ready to go race simple and fast. There's a large roster of characters to choose from, now introducing people like Metal Mario and the Koopalings. Characters unlock quickly, and so do kart customization items. Taking Mario Kart 7's great kart customization system, feeling like a cartoonish vehicle engineer is a great joy. Mixing teddy bear bikes with sponge wheels is funny, and actually effects how your kart handles. It has tons of categories and sub-categories on how your kart handles, whether it's what character you choose and their weight class, or the kart, wheels, and glider you use and their stats. It's a simple concept that's more complex than at first glance,

When I opened up the very first track of Mario Kart 8, I was taken aback at its gorgeous visuals. The game uses the Wii U at full power, and it looks stunning. I can't think of a more colorful and vibrant game I've ever played. Once I started driving, the first thing I realized is that there isn't an automatic drift option anymore, now you have to learn how to jump/drift and learn to experiment with that for each of the different customized karts you create. The controls are tight, on both the Gamepad and the Wii remote and Nun-chuck. The gamepad itself, pretty much does nothing besides basic controls. On the screen, there's a horn button, a list of race standings.... and that's about it. But, you can't really touch the Gamepad anyways while your driving with both hands anyways. There is a gyroscopic function for motion steering, but I preferred using the analog sticks and buttons to kick my rivals butts.

The tracks, new and old, are some of my favorite of Mario Kart ever. Most of the tracks are just so outstanding, the ones that would shine in previous versions, feel like a letdown because all the others feel so polished and fun. A few that stick out to me: Donut Plains 3, Royal Raceway, Bowser's Castle, both the new and N64 versions of Rainbow Road, and Sunshine Airport. Most tracks feature zero gravity sections, but they are used so little, and so interestingly, that zero gravity never becomes a bore. 

The soundtrack is incredible. If you have the option, pump your surround sound to listen to this jazzy soundtrack and experience it's awesomeness fully. All old themes have been revamped to a new jazzy style set. The Royal Raceway track really stood out to me due to the brilliantly subtle guitar and ever present drum solos. It's beautiful overall and to nothing but make a great experience even more memorable. 

Now, all good things must come to an end, and such is so with Mario Kart 8's online features. Social restrictions are ever present in Nintendo mama bear style of online play. Group chat is only available when playing in a friends-only lobby, and in the lobby alone. You can't hear your buddies scream angrily at you hit them with a red shell and over take them, and they can't hear you laughing maniacally at their pain. Also, in my experience, connection was spotty all the time. I play with one buddy online, and there were times where we could rave multiple times, and then there were times that we couldn't even finish races due to connection errors. Another thing that bugged me was the amount of baby sized racers. They almost outnumber the normal sized people and it's weird. 

Mario Kart 8 is a prime example to non-believers that Nintendo can still create things original on tried and true experiences. The graphics are absolutely gorgeous, the game play is masterfully done chaos, it's an unparalleled party game, and the soundtrack is one of the best I've heard in a video game. Though the online features are restrictive, it can't hold this polished kart racer back. Mario Kart 8 exceeded my expectations, putting it just under the N64 version in my mind. 

Score: 9

+ Awesome Racing

+ Stellar Track design

+ Customization options

+ Incredible Soundtrack

+ Stunning Visuals

- Restrictive online features

- Little Gamepad use

The Shadow that is the Tree

The darkness consumes the life around me

For why? It's easy to understand

A tree isn't really a tree

While the stars sit in my hand

These trees are really just shadows

That's all there is to see

Or that's all the darkness shows

The darkness consumes the life around me

The stars repel the night around me

The ones that sit in my hand

Reveal what there is to see

Through the darkness over the land

Which is true? A matter of perception

The darkness, the light

Not the eyes, the mind of reception

The brain wrapped quite tight

The darkness consumes the life around me

The stars repel the night around me

Which one can it be?

I can only see

The shadow that is the tree