I had never made a website as a joke before. And while I was never against the idea, I couldn’t have guessed that the thing that drove me to do it would be something as strange as Blaseball.
Category: Feature
Not long ago, game developer Scott Cawthon released Ultimate Custom Night, an upexpected new game in the Five Night’s at Freddy’s franchise. While watching Markiplier play through it as best he could, he mentioned that Scott Cawthon didn’t think anyone would be able to beat 20/20/20/20 mode in the original game, until Twitch streamer BigBugz and Markiplier did so on August 21, 2014. He thought it was humanly impossible. This sparked a thought.
“What if it wasn’t a human playing?”
Excited by this idea, I got to work.
Dubbed the Animatronic, this is a Java-written piece of software that does two things: Analyzes areas on the monitor and assume control over the cursor. Technically speaking, this is all I wanted it to be able to do.
I’ve seen that video where an AI tries to play Super Mario Bros. While it’s cool, it uses the games hexadecimal data to parse out what it’s doing. While that’s quite fascinating, it’s not something a person can do. I wanted the Animatronic to have the same limitations we as the player had. All it can do is look and react. Though it is deaf, I suppose.
When Activated, the Animatronic will “look at” certain sections of the screen. What it sees will determine how it will react. Does it see Bonnie in the doorway? Better close the door. Is there a shadow in the window? Better keep the door closed.
I’m starting with the first Five Nights at Freddy’s game as a proof of concept. And with Bonnie first. While I’d love to try against Ultimate Custom Night, I figure it’s better to crawl before I start breakdancing.
Development will be slow as well. I work a lot, after all.
Next up, Part 2: Chica
It was that time of year again, where talented musicians from all over the globe gather to perform the breathtaking melodies for The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, a traveling orchestra. Not only did the instruments of various sorts take you on a journey, but the atmosphere made the experience stunning as well. From the high golden pillars and statues to the red velvet carpets that cover the entire theater, everything was perfect for a night out on the town. Performed at the Ohio Theatre on November 5, 2018, hundreds gathered to listen to the heavenly sounds from the soundtrack of several of the games in the Legend of Zelda series. There were even fans in ‘cosplay’ as their beloved character Link, as well as many other characters. Even now I still find myself reminiscing over the truly magical night of this true piece of art.
For those of you who have never seen or even heard of this game, it is literally a game of the ages. A game that has stood the test of time for the past 30 years just gets better after each new level, storyline and concept. What the Zelda Symphony has managed to accomplish is they have compiled the score of all these games with various songs, from the very famous series, the Legend of Zelda. They performed music from Majora’s Mask, The Wind Waker, A Link Between Worlds, Breath of the Wild, Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess. It has brought Zelda fans and symphony goers alike to enjoy a whole new multimedia experience, celebrating over 30 years of games!
As these very talented musicians were playing the timeless music of Zelda, there was a screen playing all the scenes from the actual game. These scenes were crystal clear and mesmerizing as they played in HD across the screen in front of us. It was just so exciting and nostalgic watching and listening to all of the songs from these beloved games. Fortunately enough, I just so happened to have the pleasure of going to this legendary symphony with my Fiancé. Zelda is his number one game in his life and it was so exciting to be able to treat him to this kind of experience.
It was a truly breathtaking experience, to say the least. From the atmosphere to the sounds, and of course the video that danced in front of us, it was just all so memorable and precious. The funny thing is I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised with all of the talent and eye candy that I experienced that night. It was just so much fun watching my favorite characters come alive once again surrounded by the music we all grew up with. It was absolutely over the top for me, and I couldn’t have bought tickets for a better show.
As the show went on, the pieces of music got more and more elaborate and felt more enticing with each note they played. Some of the more elaborate pieces include Majora’s Mask, Breath of the Wild, and even Skyward Sword. I personally felt Skyward Sword was one of the most difficult pieces. The real focus of the music seemed to be on the most popular games, like The Wind Waker, Majora’s Mask, and Breath of the Wild. They even had little inserts with the creators of the game in between the songs. These creators include Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, who both spoke several times during the symphony. They also had the franchise producer Eli Aonuma, and Nintendo composer and sound director Koji Kondo speak during the performance as well.
They basically told us a little bit about the games and their original goal for the overall tone of the series. They wanted a game about a boy who would grow with each adventure, and learn more about himself along the way. They also wanted the players to be able to relate to this Link character and grow in their own lives as well. I felt this was a beautiful way to construct a game. The heartfelt intentions behind the game brought it all together. They also had 30 years of games to cover, and I think they did a spectacular job of giving us a variety of all the games. There were even games I hadn’t heard of before, so they definitely covered a wide spectrum. It is just such an iconic franchise that it really has gone far in the gaming, even the music industry. Even Jason Michael Paul, the producer of The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of Goddess backs this statement up during an interview he had with GamesOctane.
The more and more we sat and enjoyed the show, the more I was just in so much awe over the beauty of the video and sound. They even had T-shirts, posters, music books, and Wind Waker batons available. With The Wind Waker being one of my favorite Zelda games, I bought one of the batons myself. I even showed it off at work the next day, because that’s the kind of dork I am. I was just sitting there at my desk waving it like such a fool, pretending to hear the symphony once more over and over again in my head.
So speaking of that Wind Waker baton, the symphony decided to get a little creative when it came to the famous prop. It was after the intermission and the director Amy Andersson, was now conducting with a Wind Waker baton instead of her regular one. It was simply magical when she revealed the new baton she would be using for the next designated piece of alluring music. It also just so happens that the next piece she conducted was, in fact, from the game Wind Waker. It was a very fun experience, and the surprises just kept getting better. As the show came to a close, they played what we thought was the last piece, but instead, they played an encore! It was about three encores, in fact, they just kept coming. When the show finally did come to an end, I just wanted to restart and experience it all over again. It was just so enjoyable and truly relaxing to listen to that I just wanted to start again. I didn’t realize just how much I was going to enjoy this event, and to say the least, I was pleasantly surprised. I just wanted the encores to never ever end. It was a night well spent with my Fiancé, and at the start of the night, I wasn’t even a huge Zelda fan. However, I can now say after this concert I am definitely a die-hard fan, and I couldn’t be happier.
This was a guest article written by Sara H.
More information about the Symphony of the Goddesses can be found at their website.
Interested in writing a guest article? Contact us at the Contact page. We pay.
Being a freelance journalist, I write longform articles for other sites more often than my own. I don’t want to make whole posts about these, but I do want to have them easily accessible from my site. This is my solution. Simply click the titles to go to the articles on the site they’re on.
Star Wars Battlefront II Is the Game I Will Hate to Love
This was a review of the Star Wars Battlefront II open beta that took place before the game’s launch. Now this was before the whole lootbox controversy, but I do comment on my concerns for such. Comes with accompanying video.
How To Make Your Own Pokemon Mega Bracelet
This was an instructional video on how to make a Pokemon Mega Bracelet from home. Its a simple design, not meant for high detail. Comes with accompanying video.
The Mummy Demastered Review
A review of the 2D platformer by WayForward.
Perfect: When It Doesn’t Need to be a Game to be Good.
A review of the VR environment simulator by nDreams Studio.
Video Games are the Greatest Art Form
One of my favorite articles of all time, Its about how video games didn’t start out as an art form, but grew to become the strongest one in the modern age. This is a topic that means a great deal to me.
Genetic Disaster is Good, But it isn’t Done
A review of the top down rouge-like by Team8 Studios.
Video Game Life Organizers Take Chores to the Next Level
A feature about mobile apps that are personal organizers stylized after common video game design.
Accounting+ is Good, If You Like This Kind of Thing
A review of the VR adventure game by Crows Crows Crows and Squanch Games.
Overgrowth: an Amazing Combat RPG With a Few Problems
A review of a fighter/platformer about anthropomorphic animals.
The Truth Behind The X-Files: Deep State? It’s Great
A review of the official X-Files mobile game
OPUS: Rocket of Whispers
A review of an indie adventure game. Primarily story driven, surprisingly influential.
The list will expand as I continue to write more. So check back often.
The idea of video games as art has been a minor topic of discussion for over a decade. As the capabilities of video games expanded, so have the ideas of what constitutes a video game. For years, video games have been used not as an entertainment medium, but as a creative one. Where does that line stand? At what point can you call a video game “art?”
You can read the full article at the other site I write for, gamerzunite.com, just click here.
Sorry for the bait and switch, but paid writing jobs are a priority, all I can do is link you to them. Personally, I think this is one of my favorite articles Ive written yet. It’s something I very strongly believe in.
As I had settled in one Sunday evening, preparing to cooperatively play Minecraft on the Xbox 360 with my girlfriend, We were delayed due to a needed update. To pass the time, we browsed her game selection when something interesting caught my eye. “Doritos Harm’s Way” overlaid an image of a dusty canyon environment with a mad max style truck being shot at by a large mechanical turret. The idea of a Doritos sponsored game excited me: an advergame designed by a corporation to appeal to target markets. I was ready to criticize it to the very core — until I played it.
When I say Harvest Moon, most will know what game series I’m referring to; a casual and relaxing farm life simulator. However, the name “Harvest Moon” doesn’t mean what it once did, and that transition will be the demise of the title in these coming years.