kurtless

The Semester is Finally Over...

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 06:09:27 GMT

The Semester is Finally Over...

It's been a bit, between a vacation and studying for multiple python tests, as well as finishing my University's semester, I felt the newsletter as well as my author group needed to take a backseat. My next semester starts on January 6th, and I’m sad to say, I might have to retake my python class. If I do take it a 2nd time, I will 100% pass with a decent grade. On to the writing updates.

The Halloween chapter of Ghost Boyd is nearly done, and I’m excited to continue the tale. Again, the real challenge is figuring out what to do next as I've kind of run out of detailed outline. Thank you for being patient with me, I know its going kind of slow, but I really am excited for ya’ll to read it one day. That's every author though, probably.

Currently, my mind is filled with how to make more money, family to-do’s, and putting time into personal projects I haven't been able to do because of school. All this, before the next school semester. Having time away from school reminds me that there are so many things to accomplish or do outside of school, I might as well be working, just in a different way. Adulting is the term, I think.

If you’ve kept on with this newsletter for a while, you've noticed I have a personal blog and website on kurtless.com, a YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@kurtless64, a newsletter at kurtless.substack.com/ , and I'm working on a novel that will eventually be turned into an indie video game. A lot of different creative works for sure! I would like to spend more time writing, making videos, creating my game, etc , but sometimes it's hard when I have to spend my time making income from different avenues that are merely jobs to make money, but don't necessarily fuel my creativity.

That's where you can come in! You can donate either one time, or on a monthly basis to me so that I can spend more time doing content creation! All you need to do is visit my Ko-Fi site here and look down and to the right under "Support Kurt Jensen" , and choose either a one time donation or a monthly payment that goes straight to me: https://ko-fi.com/kurtjensen

I appreciate even $1, anything helps in supporting my creative works, thank you!

Until next time,

Kurt Jensen

A Critical Analysis: the nearly virtue-less Grand Theft Auto series

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 07:21:44 GMT

A Critical Analysis: the nearly virtue-less Grand Theft Auto series

Videogames are a form of escapism that offer interactivity, producing a more immersive experience than other forms of media. Some games let the player escape to roles and worlds beyond their usual, everyday life. The Grand Theft Auto series (Games, 2024) , from Rockstar Studios purposefully leads players from the role of a petty criminal, to the rank of a crime lord. This critical analysis is not, as Garry Young who wrote the paper entitled, “ Violent video games and morality: a meta-ethical approach ”, explains “a direct causal link between video game content and violent (real-world) behaviour…[as this is] overly simplistic, largely uncorroborated, and ultimately contentious.” This analysis rather is to show that the Grand Theft Auto series undermines positive values, morals, and glorifies close to virtueless individuals in a world plagued with illegal actions, and the criminal underground. Using Santa Clara University's page on various types of lenses, the university explains the virtue lens of this critical analysis,

“[the virtue lens is a] very ancient approach to ethics [that] argues…ethical actions ought to be consistent with certain ideal virtues that provide for the full development of our humanity…[h]onesty, courage, compassion, generosity, tolerance, love, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control, and prudence are all examples of virtues. Virtue ethics asks of any action, “What kind of person will I become if I do this?” or “Is this action consistent with my acting at my best?”(University, 2023).

The Grand Theft Auto series is an interesting game series to look through a virtue moral lens, because of its blatant virtue-less choices players can make throughout the game. Beyond the law-breaking practice the game is literally named for, the game gives the player the potential to rob, exploit other people for their own personal gains, and overall participate in other law-breaking circumstances.

In 2006’s critical essay collection bound in one volume named “ the meaning and culture of grand theft auto CRITICAL ESSAYS ” various authors from multiple essays tackle topics researched about the game series and its influence and effect on the gaming industry, and society at large. In one essay entitled, “ Spilling Hot Coffee? Grand Theft Auto as Contested Cultural Product ” by Aphra Kerr, Aphra explains the general history of the series, and the moral landscape it portrays, “they are action games that include racing and shooting. The player’s avatar can take control of any vehicle in… [the]...game…as the player attempts to take on the role of a petty criminal who tries to complete a number of missions in order to work his way up the ladder of the criminal world…” (Garrelts, N. 2006, p.28).

Each game in the Grand Theft Auto series focuses on some aspect of the criminal underground. Starting with Grand Theft Auto I and II . The official Rockstar studios website describes “I” partly as “[o]nly the toughest will be able to take on the world and finish the job like a professional…”, the series’s debut may not sound like a criminal focused game, but the series finds its identity with Grand Theft Auto II’s , whose synopsis is, “[s]even ruthless gangs are involved in a ruthless power struggle and it is up to you to make a name for yourself.”

Grand Theft Auto III is described as putting , “[you in] the center of the criminal underworld…if you have enough guts to take it” ‌(GTATrilogy, Games, R. 2024) . Grand Theft Auto III’s successor, Grand Theft Auto Vice City follows in the same vein, putting you in a fictional city, and as the site says “a tale of betrayal and revenge”. In Vice City’s follow up, Grand Theft Auto SanAndreas , there is a slightly different focus, as the plot revolves around a protagonist that wants to prove his innocence and “save his family”, but also take control of the crime laden streets, in a not so positive way. This shows how the series can have virtues, but few and far between when it comes to the series as a whole.

The series goes back to its mostly criminal lined storyline in Grand Theft Auto IV as the protagonist and his cousin learn the false ideology of the american dream and “slip into debt and are dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves, and sociopaths” (IV, Games, R. 2024). The latest game in the series, Grand Theft Auto V , stays again true to this vein of the series, the official Rockstar website describes the game as a story revolving around,

“... a young street hustler, a retired bank robber, and a terrifying psychopath find[ing] themselves entangled with some of the most frightening and deranged elements of the criminal underworld, the U.S. government, and the entertainment industry, they must pull off a series of dangerous heists to survive in a ruthless city in which they can trust nobody — least of all each other”(GTA-V, Games, R. 2024).

GTA V also blatantly begins in a bank heist with one of the main characters and his friends, murdering countless cops in order for an attempted escape. Values of strong brotherhood with other people may be present, but these relationships are between individuals who lack some core positive values, like compassion or prudence, shown by the mindless killing of law enforcement personnel. Analyzing the storylines of the various games in the series, all of them push you in the direction of becoming a criminal to be reckoned with. It is true that the player could simply walk around, and obey any and all laws, but the game’s narrative pushes the player into a life of crime, and thus a lack of positive virtues and morals.

The Grand Theft Auto series undermines positive values, morals, and glorifies close to virtueless individuals in a world plagued with illegal actions, and the criminal underground. Playing the very beginning of its last iteration, as well as reading the synopsis of every one of its games in the series, make this point very clear. And though some titles in the series like Grand Theft Auto SanAndreas may begin with a positive message, with an individual that merely wants to set things right for himself, and his family, the way the game pushes the character towards the eventual criminal path undermines ultimately whatever positive values the game may have had. When it comes to positive morals and values, the Grand Theft Auto series simply isn’t concerned with this aspect of the human psyche.

Bibliography: APA 7th Edition

Games, R. (2024). All Games - Rockstar Games. Rockstar Games. https://www.rockstargames.com/games

Games, R. (2024). Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition - Rockstar Games. Rockstar Games. https://www.rockstargames.com/GTATrilogy

Games, R. (2024). Grand Theft Auto - Rockstar Games. Rockstar Games. https://www.rockstargames.com/games/gta

Games, R. (2024). Grand Theft Auto 2 - Rockstar Games. Rockstar Games. https://www.rockstargames.com/games/gta2

Games, R. (2024). Grand Theft Auto IV - Rockstar Games. Rockstar Games. https://www.rockstargames.com/games/IV

Games, R. (2024). Grand Theft Auto V - Rockstar Games. Rockstar Games. https://www.rockstargames.com/gta-v

Garrelts, N. (2006). The meaning and culture of Grand theft auto : critical essays .

‌University, S. C. (2023). A Framework for Ethical Decision Making. @SantaClaraUniv. https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/a-framework-for-ethical-decision-making/

Young, G. (2015). Violent video games and morality: a meta-ethical approach. Ethics and Information Technology , 17 (4), 311–321. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-016-9386-0

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The Backlog: Professor Layton and the Curious Village HD

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 04:58:04 GMT

The Backlog: Professor Layton and the Curious Village HD

I chose to play Professor Layton: and the Curious Village HD this time around because I had a handful of games I bought on my phone that I haven't gotten around too. That, and I was interested in finally playing a Professor Layton game.

Professor Layton: and the Curious Village HD is an adventure puzzle game. In it you play as the titular Professor Layton, and sometimes as his assistant Luke. The game plays like an old point and click adventure, with a world laden with puzzles that you can explore. Almost every NPC has a puzzle they have kept in their cupboard until the very moment they meet you. This very aspect shows both the quirky humor and how the game pushed you from puzzle to puzzle. Not every puzzle is needed to continue the story, and all are kept for you if you want to do them later.

A story of mystery and murder propel you forward, meeting NPC, after NPC, exploring and clicking on the screen, going from inside buildings, to out in streets. Sometimes you are literally tasked with fetch quests, for example, looking for a missing cat.

The character designs are simple but beautiful to look at. Everyone has a caricature quality to them, making each feel unique. The backgrounds also feel very painterly.

Something I wanted to mention was how I noticed the Nintendo DS origins of the way the game is displayed. The top and bottom screen are obviously represented like the ds would be. The touch controls are also all there, but I did notice how much more precision they require. Using a stylus is much better than my Vienna sausage sized fingers. The touch screen puzzles are super different and enjoyable.

I haven't played any Professor Layton games before. But I have played a Phoenix Wright game on the Nintendo DS. The Professor Layton game series began on the DS. And although I heard it was good, I had never approached it. Both series have a point and click adventure control scheme to them. And looking where I'm at in the Layton game, both have mystery type events to solve, though the Phoenix Wright games focus more on legal cases than this series. Different flavors, kind of same games.

While playing, I focused on how Professor Layton made me feel. That may sound vague, but just like how a food recipe's ingredients combine to make something unique, games also follow the same idea. Except, one you can eat, and the other you experience as a videogame. When every aspect of the game, music, gameplay, art style, come together, I know if I'll like it or not. And I do indeed like this Professor Layton game.

The Backlog: Slap City

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 06:07:23 GMT

The Backlog: Slap City

Slap City is a platform fighter akin to Super Smash Brothers , Multi-Versus , or Nickelodeon All Star Brawl . You choose from a roster of characters, and in this game specifically from Ludosity studio, and fight on various stages with the goal being to hit other players off the level. The more damage you take, the easier it is to knock a player off. Unlike other platform fighters there are no items players can pick up and use on opponents.

The game has the usual modes, last man standing, team battle, free for all, and a story mode. But one mode is unique, called slap ball, which has players working to hit a beach ball into each other's goals to get points within a time limit. Each time a player hits the ball the potential points for the goal goes up, but if the ball hits the ground the point total goes back to 1. There weren’t as many stages to pick from compared to the other modes, but each one was also different when it came to where the goal was located, requiring a different strategy for each. I liked this mode as it serves up something unique players don’t usually see in platform fighters.

I originally asked one of my best friends from Oregon to play with me, but to our surprise the online functionality didn’t work on both ends, so I needed to make a last minute change and asked my wife to play with me. We played a lot of slap ball and team battles, I couldn’t tell you exactly how many. But each match can be from 2-8 minutes depending on the mode. We both won most of the time, however we found there is a computer difficulty that is extremely hard, that, no matter how many times we tried, even if a level 9 computer helped us, we failed to win. I’d say the most memorable gameplay experience was whenever my wife got excited about doing anything in the game. She doesn’t play video games that much so it's always fun to see her enjoying them.

The mechanics themselves are really fun, and though I’ve only really played Super Smash Brothers , I’ve heard this game is really good compared to other platform fighters. There isn’t a huge roster, but all of the characters feel unique and fun to play as, for example, a girl with watermelons for boxing gloves. I wasn’t able to play the story mode as I thought it would be a single player experience only, but I could see myself going back and playing alone just because of how fun the gameplay is.

The Backlog: HoB

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 05:42:11 GMT

The Backlog: HoB

Hob is a slightly tilted top down (think The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds ) action adventure puzzle platformer from Runic Games. The player controls a humanoid robot that wields both a sword and a gigantic fist. Upgrades to the main character enable you to traverse large vast puzzle stages. As for the reason why, I couldn’t tell you as the game’s story is very, very unknown, at least in the 2 hours I played. All I know is that my arm got chopped off because of an evil purple goo plant, and was replaced with a bigger arm, and now I can punch stuff, use it to activate switches, pull levers, and solve puzzles. Other bigger robots, both friendly and not, exist in the world. And everything bad seems to come from the purple goo. That's something I wish I knew, why I am even going through this world and solving its puzzles. Everything from the gameplay, the character movement’s feel, and graphics are amazing, I just want a little reason for doing it all.

The Gameumentary “Runic Games Documentary - The Story of Runic Games, Torchlight & Hob“ provides a synopsis of the creation of Runic games, their development on Torchlight 1,2, and Hob . Runic was made after a bunch of staff got laid off from a previous gaming company, and one previous staff member asked if any of them would be interested in making a new studio where they could make a Diablo -like. Since they all had been working on one previously, they said yes, and used their previous knowledge, to make a game all their own. After Torchlight 1 and 2 were released, they set out to make a different type of game. They started off making a game resembling The Legend of Zelda , then decided to make a Zelda -like, named Hob.

The focus on this documentary wasn’t just the story of the studio though, it also gives viewers a snapshot into the studio’s culture, creators, and stories behind each of the games made. A standout from the documentary was their first game, Torchlight , being created under a heavy crunch because of the limited funding available for the studio at the time. Instead of the usual hate filled crunch though, it seemed because the staff were more or less in total control, and had a desire to make a studio all their own where they could create and not be limited by their vision, they were able to pull it off and garner success.

Watching the documentary definitely changed my perspective of the game. I would think back to the film and see the people who made it, and know the game was made with love. Everyone working for the studio seemed overjoyed to be there and liked working on a project they all agreed on, instead of being told what to make by corporate overlords. That's something an indie studio has more of compared to their big gaming companies usually, more passionate people as a whole who are happy to be working on a game they like.

The Backlog: Mini Metro

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Sat, 26 Oct 2024 03:20:38 GMT

The Backlog: Mini Metro

Mini Metro has you placing tracks between different train stations that are shown as basic shapes (starts off with squares, circles, and triangles). Each track line has its own color. The goal of the game is building your metro as big as you can. Each of the passengers are also basic shapes, and represent what station they need to get to. If the waiting line at each station gets too big for long enough, you lose the game. Because of this whole game being one big simple gameplay loop, it feels very much like an arcade game rather than a full-fledged puzzle experience that it's marketed as. With the number of passengers you've transported sort of being the high score within each playable map. The maps are real life locations, and are shown by simple visuals. Blue on the screen being rivers, and land usually being just green or brown. There are no roads shown like with real-life navigation software, akin to google maps.

I applaud the developer for making the graphics so minimalistic but understandable. This is a showcase for a well designed layout. There aren’t too many icons shoved in your face, it's very simple and clean.In terms of poorly designed elements, the only one that comes to mind is the instructions. I think it is powerful to have a game that doesn't overload you with tutorials on how to play it, but there's something to be said with no upfront tutorials being shown. Figuring out how to play this game is simply clicking and pulling on symbols until something works. For example, if you guide your mouse to the bottom of the screen you're represented with various colors, which are the railroad tracks, and also other icons that show you if you can build a tunnel under a river. Each usually shows a number that tells you how much of a tool you have left. The longer your game lasts, you are awarded with building tools for your metro. Sometimes it's more underground tunnels, or making one of your station’s capacities bigger. Unfortunately, it does seem randomized. At times I was waiting a while, or never got the upgrade I needed to continue my game. And unless you go to the instructions themselves and look up how to play, it's a bit tough to understand every tool on screen.

There are little clips of information that pop up from time to time but I would have liked it if I had made constant mistakes playing, that Mini Metro would show me brief reminders that would tell me how to play better. I understand this could be annoying for some people, but it would have been welcome because I wanted to get better at the game, but didn’t really know how. The game is really easy if you just want to connect a bunch of railroads together and hopefully they work, but I was constantly wondering if I was actually putting down a railroad line in a good or bad place, I would have just liked a little more guidance.

The Spooky Writing Season has Begun

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 05:26:18 GMT

The Spooky Writing Season has Begun

After finishing the previous chapter of my next novel, I had the thought of looking for the chapter themed around Halloween. To my surprise I went back to see that I had started, but not finished it. So I will be working on that wonderfully around the Halloween season. I promise I didn't plan that, but maybe I subconsciously did. The spooky season isn't just great for writing, one day before Halloween is my birthday, so I have a strong affinity for this time of year.

In the Halloween chapter of the novel, one of the main characters is a girl that appears young, but is actually 150 years. Because she hasn't actually been trick or treating before, it’ll be really fun to see through her perspective. When she was first alive in the United States the holiday didn't exist, so having her react to all these weird kids in costumes is going to be a lot of fun.

I've also been thinking about other book signings or events where one could sell a book. A lot of these types of events are going to be around the winter holiday season, but I haven't heard many happening in the fall. I'm always looking for places to sell my wares. If any of my readers know of any places please let me know at my email address, kurtless64@gmail.com

My next novel, code named Ghost Boyd, is very episodic and I'm hoping to do well with this take on storytelling in book form. I haven't written in this unique style to this extent before. What I mean by that is, there are large time frame jumps sometimes, depending on what chapter you're reading and each chapter is in itself a self-contained story. I'm trying to think of how I can make these littler stories connect to a much large story in such a way that feels complete and impressive.

Other writing projects I've written these last couple weeks revolve around video games. Like I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m taking a survey of games class and every week I get to write about a game that I'm playing from a list that they usually provide. One that I wrote about in these last two weeks was a Super Nintendo game titled Pilot Wings. If you're interested in the history of 3D graphics for consoles I recommend checking it out here . I also have written a retro review for one my favorite games of all time, Shadow of the Colossus , found here . When it comes to reading any of my previous gaming posts blog or newsletters, you can find them at my official website Kurtless.com

Recently I’ve been playing this really great Halloween themed game called Costume Quest by Double Fine. I started it a while ago, but never finished it. For a family-friendly fun Halloween game that is single player, I would definitely recommend it. You're basically a kid on Halloween night that needs to trick or treat around the neighborhood while also saving your brother or sister from some evil Halloween monsters. You go from your neighborhood, to a mall, and then to country town. Fighting occurs in turn based battles. You transform into whatever costume you’re wearing.

I like to play spooky themed games around Halloween time, and this is definitely going to be one I go back to. There is a sequel to the game that I will play eventually, but I'm currently on the first game’s DLC, Grubbins on Ice. I am also trying to have a Halloween themed author group meeting. We are trying to find a place that is supposedly haunted nearby. If we have any spooky experiences I’ll let y'all know. But until next time, have a wonderful next two weeks! You can always contact me by looking up my contact information placed on my website in the far left corner, happy haunting!

Retro Review: Shadow of the Colossus

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 07:04:44 GMT

Retro Review: Shadow of the Colossus

Everyone has their favorite game series or genre. I found out after two or so decades that I like third person, goreless, melancholy adventures with great gameplay, music, and themes of life and death. Team Ico’s 2005 masterpiece, Shadow of the Colossus released originally for the PlayStation 2, is one of these games.

During Shadow’s release I subscribed and read various video game magazines and websites. When I read reviews for the game, they had me very curious and excited to try out Shadow of the Colossus for myself. At the time of its initial release I didn't want to pay full price for the game, but when the price for a new copy hit twenty dollars, I ran to my local super outlet store and got a copy. Video game reviewers back then described how it was amazing climbing on and destroying a Colossi. In my mind it was like fighting a mountain, but once I played the game the main enemies, the Colossi, were more like large hills. Even with this caveat I had an amazing time playing it.

The story of Shadow starts to roll out in the opening cinematic as a bird passes by a lone man riding a horse by a razor’s edge of a cliff face. The horse carries what looks like a large sack of supplies on its back. You follow the wanderer from the cliff, through a forest, across a gigantic arched bridge, which leads him to some type of temple. The music’s tone changes to ominous as the wanderer enters the edifice. The forgotten temple is made of gray and white stone; the wanderer sees a stone altar near the end of the structure. From the player's perspective we are shocked to see, as the wanderer unwraps the sack on the back of the horse, that the contents therein are not supplies, but the human body of a young woman. He holds her in his arms and places the corpse on the altar. The wanderer speaks to the air, “[p]lease, I need you to bring back her soul”. And the God of this land, Dormin, replies in voice only, “[t]hat maiden's soul? Souls that are once lost cannot be reclaimed. Is that not the law of mortals? With that sword, however, it may not be impossible.” The wanderer responds quickly, “really?” Dormin is just as quick to talk back, “That is, of course, if thou manage to accomplish what [w]e askest…[b]ut heed this: the price you pay may be heavy indeed.” The wanderer, strong in his resolve replies, “It doesn't matter”. Dormin then responds, “[v]ery well. Raise thy sword by the light, and head to the place where the sword's light gathers” (to, Contributors. 2010).

From here the player finds their first Colossus by following the game’s compass; the light from the wanderer’s sword as it is held to the sky. The story doesn't give you all the answers in the beginning and that's something great about it. We learn that this land the wanderer has arrived at, is forbidden to enter by his people. This basic outline is all the game needs to push the player to their next destination.

Controlling the wanderer is almost as good as Shadow’s story. The wanderer can run, jump, roll, swing his sword, hold or grab onto ledges, shoot arrows with his bow, and ride on horseback to encounter the game’s only enemies, the Colossi. Colossi are giant monsters made out of stone and dry gray hair. Each Colossus has a different design and are in themselves puzzles. The goal of each Colossus is to somehow get on them, navigate to the vulnerable spot on their body, and plunge your sword into it. The vulnerable spot is shown as a glowing white insignia spouting a small fountain of black mist. Once the Colossus receives enough damage from this method of attack, the monster moans, hits the ground, and turns into rubble. Large black tendrils erupt from the Collossus’s remains and look to stab themselves into the wanderer’s body, causing him to faint and return back to the temple where he gets yet another command from the God Dormin to fight his next Colossus.

At the time of its release Shadow of the Colossus’s visuals were stunning for the PlayStation 2. And every time the game has been re-released, first with HD graphics for the Playstation 3, and then for the PlayStation 4, the same sentiment remains, it's simply gorgeous to look at. From the dark mosses, to the subtle hints of green on the grassy field you navigate, everything feels intentional to the game’s themes.

The music is one of the strongest characters in the games. Whenever a track plays, it sets the stage for what is about to happen. There are themes for entering the Colossus’s den, the fight itself, when you are gaining an upper hand in the fight, and when the wanderer defeats each boss. And sometimes there is the absence of music, especially when you are traveling. The quiet sequences are tastefully chosen, and elevate the loneliness you feel in this abandoned land.

The fun of the game comes from going against each Colossus as they are completely different in how you find their weak spot. One may require a simple climb up the leg, back, and get to the head strategy, while another is in the sky and needs to be shot down with arrows before it can be climbed and ridden in the sky. The two nic-picks I have with the game is the control of the wanderer himself, and some of Dormin’s advice to defeating a Colossi being too vague. Though the animation of the character is fantastic, controlling him feels a little unresponsive at times when you are trying to climb a Colossus. That said the controls are very tight, it just might be discouraging for new players to get used to them while they try to scale a giant beast quickly. Dormin’s advice is always welcome, but I found myself stuck on one or two fights because I just couldn’t understand what he was wanting me to do. But other than those two tiny gripes Shadow of the Colossus is a complete joy to play. I give it three thumbs up, and a welcome recommendation to anyone who loves third person, goreless, melancholy adventures with great gameplay, music, and themes of life and death.

Works Cited:

to, Contributors. 2010. “2005 Video Game.” Wikiquote.org. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. March 13, 2010. https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Shadow_of_the_Colossus.

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The Backlog: Pilotwings

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 04:54:52 GMT

The Backlog: Pilotwings

I decided to play Pilotwings for the Super Nintendo this week for the backlog blogpost. Pilot Wings is a flight simulator of sorts. Planes are not the only vehicle here, the player can also skydive, use a jetpack, paraglide, and even use a helicopter. At least that is as far as I've gotten when it comes to the machines you can use. The first 4 levels of the game have you basically going through obstacle courses with these flying machines and methods, trying to get the highest score possible. The player’s score is calculated depending on how closely they follow the instructions from the instructor assigned to you. The tasks range from going through rings, hitting floating structures, or getting hot wind updrafts. After a given task is completed, there are targets or runways the player uses to land, this is easier written than performed.

Each vehicle or mechanism handles differently, right when you feel comfortable with one they throw another unfamiliar one at the player to master. After the fourth level the game’s narrative changes dramatically. Each of the previous four levels are merely obstacle courses, with an instructor that lets you know if you passed certain flight rankings. The 5th level has you rescue your instructors in a real in-game war with a helicopter that shoots missiles. You use these missiles to shoot down anti-aircraft guns.. For the longest time I thought Pilotwings was mainly a showcase game, something that Nintendo released in the Super Nintendo’s early life cycle to demonstrate the system's abilities. But after the 5th level, it appeared much more than that.

The Super Nintendo launched with five games, Super Mario World, F-Zero, SimCity, Gradius 3, and Pilot Wings. Most of these games showcased the upgraded 2D visuals of the system but F-Zero and Pilotwings showed the potential 2D plus potential. I say 2D plus because mode 7 graphics aren't exactly 3D but they're close enough that when the Super Nintendo launched, if you saw Pilotwings in action at home, your mouth would drop at just how interesting and third dimensional it looked. Matt, from Mean Machines , a UK based video game magazine, said in 1991 that, “Pilotwings offers 3D graphics unparalleled on any other games system outside of the arcades. The effect is truly stunning, with a full rotating landscape that will astound and amaze you” (“Pilotwings - Super Nintendo - Mean Machines Review”).

F-Zero, with its mode 7 attributes, was slightly different from Pilot Wings, as its showcase was more about speed and the flat, 3rd dimensional-like tracks. Pilotwings used both the vertical and horizontal area potential, even showing a bit of draw distance above and below you. When traversing with a light plane, going through rings, it feels like you’re playing a 3D game even though it really wasn't 100%. There wouldn’t be a complete 2D plus game that would even reach its heights until Starfox, also made by Nintendo, would hit the system in 1993. And I say that Starfox was only able to beat its graphics because it was a true 3rd dimensional game for the Super Nintendo.

Anything that Nintendo creates and wows their audience, always influences games that come after it. Though there hasn’t been a modern take on Pilotwings, its effects are surely still felt today, as its feel and navigation can surely be seen in other air flying games, though I can’t name them off the top of my head. But surely it has had an impact, I would be surprised if it hasn't.

The game mostly holds up to modern game standards, the only part that may not, surprisingly, are the once declared amazing graphics. With historical context in mind, the game is a great time and you admire how much it pushed the system. But if you directly compare it to more modern games, it may feel a bit aged, with the environments looking flat, being merely small pockets of land, and the sprites looking silly in a near 3D environment. The gameplay however, still feels tight and enjoyable to play.

Works Cited:
“Pilotwings - Super Nintendo - Mean Machines Review.” Archive.org , 2024, web.archive.org/web/20100715055813/www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/review/138/pilotwings.php. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Public Appearances Give Opportunities

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 20:59:33 GMT

Public Appearances Give Opportunities

Song in Head: orchestral theme for the movie "Encanto"

After my last Barnes & Noble book signing in American Fork, I was able to go to another one in Orem the following weekend. I’ve requested to be at B & N in such a way that I basically go to both stores every 4-5 months. It's not a crazy amount of time, but it's definitely worth it when I can go. The last visit in Orem showed me how getting yourself out there can give you great opportunities that you just wouldn't have gotten otherwise. For example, a professor from a college approached me to speak in front of her writing class sometime next semester. I’m grateful for that. And then there was a local writing group that came in for a meetup, I was able to talk to the group and even join it!

For those who weren’t able to come to the signing in Orem Utah, my book will be available there for a few more months to buy! Come on in and get a copy, the pic of the book's location is above.

I don't expect people to believe that I’m the next best author, in fact I feel like my writing skills are lacking compared to a lot of professional writers. But the very thought that I'm out there trying my best to show people that I’m at least more serious about my writing, while going to school, and being a parent, counts for something. I've noticed that last week I was able to talk and transcribe my next novel to my phone a few times. I actually got through and finished a chapter. Now I’m thinking, oh I have to write beyond this part. I didn't have anything planned as of yet after this chapter, so what do I write now? I mean, I have a tiny outline, in terms of the location, but not much else.

My brain has been focusing so much on my python college class that I've barely thought about a crazy amount of other things, besides the one other gaming class that I have which has me basically playing a game for 2 hours and then writing about it. That is actually one of the activities I enjoy doing a lot, writing about games. I've tried to get myself to write for gaming websites, but whenever I've applied for positions, I've always got the email back saying that basically I wasn't good enough. One day I'll write well enough that I could potentially write for those websites, I know it. If anyone is interested in reading what I think about certain games, you can go to my blog at: www.kurtless.com/blog

I want to be in the game industry, I want to have jobs that are in the industry, even if it isn't paying me a whole lot of money. Sometimes I worry I may never be good enough, the key is always trying to get better, slowly but surely. My wife is the one that is working full time for our family right now, and I hope one day that I'll be able to take those reins over. In the past my wife didn't know what was more enjoyable or harder, staying at home with the kids, or working a full-time job. I think she's at the point now that she would actually like staying home with the kids, and I feel like I would actually like to work more. This is the case for my family. I know that a lot of families are different in regards to who works, sometimes one spouse enjoys being with their kids during the day more than the other.

I'm happy that the next novel I'm writing is going along. Every month I'm getting down one chapter in a super rough draft form. I’m more than halfway done with the 1st rough draft, it feels kind of strange. The last couple chapters are foreign thoughts to me. I'm not quite sure how the confrontation between the big bad and our gang of heroes will play out. I want to make sure that there is a real payoff, not just after the big bad could potentially be defeated, but stories that happen to the characters afterwards as well. Having a big payoff is something I've been pondering about because I want to make sure the reader gets what they deserve by the end of the book, a satisfying ending. I'll still be focusing on my python class, but I'll let ya’ll know about any future updates that will be forthcoming. I hope you are doing well and that ya’ll have a great two more weeks, until we meet again!

Sincerely,

Kurt Jensen

The Backlog: Sonic the Hedgehog 2

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 05:10:33 GMT

The Backlog: Sonic the Hedgehog 2

I chose Sonic the Hedgehog 2 from my backlog because it was the only Sonic game available through the Nintendo Switch’s Sega Genesis’s online catalog of games. Sonic the Hedgehog is a platformer where you play as the blue blur, Sonic, zipping through loop-de-loops and various hazards in different biomes, each lasting two levels or acts as the game calls them. At the end of each second act you have to defeat Dr. Robotnik in a boss battle where he pilots various pieces of machinery. After defeating him, there is a capsule where you release various animals that Robotnik has supposedly captured (there's basically no storyline, maybe there was in the manual back in the day, but nothing here). Players start with three lives but can earn more either through collecting one-hundred rings or finding a life-up box in the level. Players can also get game over continues if their lives drop below one, by getting ten-thousand points by the end of each level. As long as Sonic has one ring, even if he gets hit by an enemy, he will not die. However when he does get hit, he will drop his rings, but be able to collect them in a small time limit as they bounce around the stage. If he gets hit with no rings, he will lose a life and start at the last checkpoint he came by. .

My experience with Sonic began with Sonic Spinball, as it was the first time I had seen Sonic in a game, or played a Sega Genesis. Both the game and system were at a friend’s house. I got most into Sonic when I played Sonic Adventure 2 Battle for my Nintendo Gamecube. I lost part of my childhood to the chao garden for sure.

I had high hopes for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 as I had heard it's the best of the three mainline Sonic games for the Sega Genesis. And to a point I did enjoy it, but after playing it for two hours I realized that I enjoy 3D Sonic games more than his 2D counterparts. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has a look, sound, and vibe all its own. Seeing Sonic blaze from one end of the screen to the other made me question if the Super Nintendo would even have been able to run it even with F-Zero in its catalog. The ring collectable as a sort of health bar was unique and enjoyable, as it had me wanting to collect them not just for points, but as a way to stay alive.

Because of Sonic’s rivalry with Mario, I couldn't help but compare this game with Super Mario World. Compared to Mario, Sonic just does not provide great platforming. Even if Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is technically a platformer, it feels more like if a hotwheels car had legs, and was in an ice level as Sonic feels a little slippery when he starts speeding up. Because of the way he feels when being controlled, the platforming isn’t exactly a great feeling. I died so many times in act two of the chemical plant zone because Sonic was a few pixels from a platform.

In today’s landscape, I’ve heard various reviewers and players complain when Sonic isn’t running, for example he might be going fast but an obstacle is placed in his path that intentionally stops or damages him. I had thought this critique was only true for modern Sonic games, but surprisingly this critique originated here. I wondered why people don’t talk about the problem here in this game as well. Is it nostalgia? Probably yes.

There were so many times when I was going fast, only to have a robot or enemy block my path and hit me, destroying the momentum. And I knew it wasn’t just me playing bad because where I needed to go was plainly where the enemy had been planted. It just isn’t fun to be running fast and be stopped purposefully, destroying my potentially high ring count.

The Sonic the Hedgehog series is still relevant today because I think Sonic still sells. Whether his games are great, or not, just like Mario, there is a huge fan base and nostalgia for the series. So much so that Sonic is now on his third live action movie, and has games come out every so often for him and his friends. His relevance continues to exist also because of his comic books, being one of the few older video game characters with a better than average lore assigned to him. Unless Sega stops making games and other media featuring the titular hedgehog, I don’t see him going away anytime soon.

The Backlog: Dig Dug

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 05:34:45 GMT

The Backlog: Dig Dug

I chose to play the game Dig Dug from my backlog this week.I like arcade games and I hadn't played Dig Dug so I thought, why not give it a try. Dig Dug is a classic arcade cabinet type game with pixelated graphics and levels that have you going from one level to another akin to Pac-Man. You control a little digger that for some reason has a harpoon. The goal of the game is to pierce all the monsters that are underground with your harpoon by pumping them up like a balloon until they explode. While you do this you are digging your way underground vertically or horizontally within a single screen level to reach these enemies. There is also a small surface ground level platform above where you dig. The overall setting is kind of strange but interesting enough that it has an image all its own.

There are two types of enemies, these dragon lizards that breath fire and then these little goggled ball characters. They can traverse the environment but not like you, all the time. If there's, for example, a tunnel you have dug, they will be able to walk in it. Otherwise they can turn themselves into either goggle eyes or eyes with smiles and, sort of like a ghost, go through the dirt to where you are and transform back and get you. Once you have destroyed all the enemies on screen the game will go to the next level. Each level has a different number of the two enemy types, as well as their placements within the screen. I forgot to mention there's these rocks that smash you, or the enemies, if you dig right underneath them and stay for a second. I was only able to get to level seven without losing all my lives. The further underneath the ground you destroy the enemies, the higher the number of points you obtain from them. There is a score that constantly goes up when you destroy the enemies. Also, even when you are digging around, the score increases.

The first thing I thought was unique was the music in the game, it's only heard when the character is moving. Another unique trait of the game is the way the character interacts with dirt. I hadn't looked at the instructions when I first played, at first I thought the reason for the game was to get rid of all the dirt. The idea that the dirt itself is also a gameplay mechanic is interesting to me, as the very area you move around it can be limiting or not, depending on if there's dirt in your way.I wanted to also mention the harpoon again, no other game has me piercing my enemies and popping them like a balloon. Dig Dug has an identity all its own. For innovation, I’m not sure if this is the first instance of “dig-like” games. If so it is the grandfather of the digging genre we still enjoy today in games like SteamWorld Dig, and Minecraft.

Since I wasn’t alive when this game came out, I needed to look into how this game stood apart from its competitors. Looking on Wikipedia it seems like the games around this time were more like Pac-Man, with the character eating pellets as they move around, here's a quote from the page:

“In 1998, Japanese magazine Gamest called it one of the greatest arcade games of all time for its addictiveness and for breaking the traditional "dot-eater" gameplay used in games such as Pac-Man and Rally-X .”.

Wikipedia also reports in its reception section that, “ Dig Dug was a critical and commercial success upon release, and was praised for its gameplay and layered strategy.”

Site URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dig_Dug#cite_note-38

I think the game is still really fun to play today. I kept going back during my 40 minute play time. Repeating the same levels was enjoyable because of the sounds the character makes, and the animations of the exploding enemies, as well as the gameplay loop of digging, destroying enemies, and running away from them.

Another Barnes & Noble Visit + Python()

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 07:22:57 GMT

Another Barnes & Noble Visit + Python()

Song in Head: Shuffle or Boogie from Final Fantasy 8

It's been an interesting couple of weeks, here's why.

I was able to do a book signing at another Barnes & Noble, this time, however, they were able to buy my books from draft to digital .com, they bought ten copies from me to sign and sell during a 2 hour signing session. I had some wonderful friends and family come see me and grab a copy of Rye's Rite. This made me reflect on when I did another book signing at a previous Barnes & Noble.

One of the main differences from the previous book signing was that again, my books were sold on consignment, so 60% went to me, and 40% went to them. If I were to choose one or the other, I think I would go with the consignment route, only because buying my book through any online store that isn't Amazon nets me only a dollar of profit from the sale. The benefit, though, is that my book appears on Barnes & Noble and dozens of other websites. Just a thought I had.

School is going well, sort of. My python class is definitely a challenge. I have been studying since last week for a test I took on Wednesday, 9-18-2024 . There were a few moments while studying that felt like I just wasn't getting some concepts and that I desperately needed a TA or someone to help me. Though the first test is now done, I do feel the need for some TA help, and so going into test 2, I hope to visit and get more help from TAs so that I feel a bit more confident in my answers.

Beyond this, the 2nd book is coming along slowly but surely. I'm really trying to make each chapter very different from the last, hoping not to make certain aspects of the story too similar or rote, even though most have the main character collecting various pieces of armor. The author group I attend really helps me make the storyline the best it can be, and I couldn't write this story without them. Writing these days mainly consists of me using my talk to text app on my phone while driving back from college.

I wanted to introduce a product I am starting to sell that I have sold in the past, it's a Ink and Feather Pen Set, if you're one for calligraphy or know someone who is, it makes a great gift for this holiday season . They come in blue or pink, and can be bought locally in Pleasant Grove Utah by contacting me at 385-450-9450, or online via eBay , and soon will be available on Amazon.com

Wrapping up, I wanted to announce another book signing I will be having, this time at the Orem, Utah, Barnes and Noble this coming Saturday, 9-21-2024, from 1-4 pm . That's right. If I get the chance, you bet I'll be doing a signing or trying to sell my book where and when I can. If you can come, it would be great to see you.

Sincerely, Kurt

The Backlog: Beatstar

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 05:50:12 GMT

The Backlog: Beatstar

I chose to play Beatstar for mobile devices in this edition of the backlog. Beatstar is a rhythm game for select popular songs. You try to get through the song without making any mistakes akin to Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Bust a Groove, or Dance Dance Revolution. The difference from those popular franchises is that in Beatstar, if you miss only one beat, which are represented by these gray tiles that slide towards the player, you will need to pay a certain number of gems to continue the song. Depending on how often you have messed up in each song, the gem amount for continuing will increase. You do get some free gems when you start playing the game, but some songs are difficult to play perfectly.

If players manage to get perfect beats by pressing the tiles at the right time, their score will increase. The higher the score, the more coins you get, which can be turned into music genre cards. If you get a full deck, which could be, for example, four cards, ten cards, or more, you get the chance to unlock a song that you either have wish listed or that exists in a genre you like, chosen at random. Every action in this game unlocks or gives you something. You're really incentivized to keep playing to unlock that one more reward. I was only a few coins and cards away from getting a song pack at the end of my two-hour game session, so I stayed on a little longer to unlock it. There is another task that needs to be completed though before unlocking more, a playable mobile game ad. For example, you'll be playing a song, and finishing that song will get you some music genre cards. But before you get those cards, you'll need to go through a tiny gameplay demo ad, and it will ask you if you want to download it, sometimes two or three times on different screens.

I was close to engaging with the games gambling mechanics as there are different phases in each song and usually the final phase is much harder. There were many times I was so close to finishing a song, only to have missed one beat, making my desire to spend gems and finish it higher than normal. I could just replay the song and try to finish it, which I can totally do, but just being able to continue where I was, was tempting. It's kind of unfortunate, if for example, you get three-hundred beats right, but you miss one tile, you must either spend gems or start the song over again. Dance Dance Revolution this is not. The game also encourages you to pay for a premium version that gives you songs I believe everyday out of a curated list. Beatstar constantly puts things in front of the user’s face, saying pay for this, or download that, and it's on the cusp of being very obnoxious

if you do want to put money into the game either for those gems as mentioned before, or for more songs, you can. I'm also not sure if you could play any song for free forever as an early game pop-up appeared saying I had free play for up to three days because of their 3rd anniversary. So, I'm guessing after that timeframe I might even have to pay real money, gems or some other in-game currency to continue playing. But in the beginning, they try to lure you in by making things pretty free.

The game's gambling mechanics I feel are not gambling per se because there are no loot boxes, besides receiving songs in a random fashion, even when paying. The player, mostly, knows what they are going to get if they pay using real world money. It only feels like gambling when the game prevents you from continuing and a screen pops up saying pay $2 for a hundred gems if you want to continue this song. Knowing what players are going to get, for the most part, I think disqualifies this game from having real gambling mechanics, but the game is one step away from it, if let’s say they wanted to make gem loot boxes instead of buying a certain number of gems.

The Backlog: NBA 2K 2024

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 05:10:17 GMT

The Backlog: NBA 2K 2024

I chose to play NBA 2K 2024 from my backlog because it was the cheapest game I could find on the list of all the sports games that we could choose from for a college class assignment. And also, I have a brother who plays basketball and I remember watching him play NBA Street volume 1 and 2 back in the day, and those looked really fun.

The game is essentially a NBA basketball simulator. You create a character from a few options, and either play virtual NBA matchups, or interact with career mode, which has you playing for one of your favorite teams with that character you made earlier in an actual NBA season. For a newcomer like me though, in a yearly serialized video game franchise, I felt completely lost.

The first thing that would be smart to do, I thought, would be to go into practice mode and potentially get a tutorial on how to play. Unfortunately there is no mode titled practice mode. After looking in the menus, for over ten minutes I found out that the actual practice mode was called NBAU. It basically came down to going through some videos on the left side of the screen while you're in a court by yourself, and then the game telling you what moves you can do as a member of a team. This practice mode still was a little confusing to me because when it told me to, for example, press R, I didn't know if that meant the bumper or the control stick, and when I did both, nothing really happened. It's almost like this game was made for those that buy it each year more than people that are just joining its community.

When I tried really playing the game outside of practice mode, I thought it was only doing those virtual stadium quests I wrote about earlier, as the game didn’t really explain all the modes I could do. I focused most of my time trying to win virtual three on three matches, and I failed most of them. I found it pretty discouraging as it felt like the characters around me had higher stats and could shoot three-pointers, while I could only do close-up shots. There is a leveling system here, but as a level one you can barely play well. There's a weird juggle of trying to practice the moves and actually doing them, kind of like a fighting game, except if all the fighters started at level one and had to be played with for long periods of time to get good enough to beat their opponent. When I finally figured out that I can play a NBA season through the career mode, playing became a bit more entertaining as the animations and close-ups of the characters as they walked about in between playing sessions, made it feel like a real basketball game.

In terms of the sport of basketball being translated into a video game, I think they did a really good job with all the nuances that come with basketball, like shooting, blocking, dribbling, and running with a stamina bar. These aspects of the game are basically what the sport is all about, I noticed though while playing on a controller that just like basketball, the tiniest flick or being in the wrong direction could be everything from getting the ball, and then it being taken from you. When I sort of figured out after playing many matches what each button did, I felt that even if I did press the button I wanted, I was usually off a little bit, and it would mess up everything that I was doing. This is great for a simulation game, but because the controls are so touchy it makes it difficult to steal the ball or dribble around opponents. I kind of wish that there was sort of a handicap for those that are newer to the game though, as I was on the rookie difficulty and I still found it difficult to learn to play correctly.

I've had a little bit of experience with basketball. I’ve participated in some random matches within my local Boys and Girls Club in Oregon, and a little bit of church ball. Playing real games influenced my strategy when it came to passing in NBA 2K. If you’ve ever played basketball, hogging the ball and going straight for the basket doesn’t work, and it didn’t here either. I needed to strategically pass the ball until one of the players was closest to the hoop to get points.

Life, and Creative Project Updates

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 03:03:18 GMT

Life, and Creative Project Updates

Song in head: Clint Eastwood, by the Gorillaz (Clean Version)

The last couple of weeks have definitely been an adjustment. Going back to school after graduating in the year 2020, feels strange as everyone around me is 10 years or so younger. Paying out of pocket for all my classes now, I hope will push me to get even better grades, my GPA wasn’t bad for my first bachelor’s degree, but I can improve.

I also wanted to remind everybody that I do have a book signing this Saturday, September 7th, at 3- 5 PM at the Barnes & Noble in American Fork Utah. I hope to see some of you there if you’d like to say hi, even though you might’ve seen me before. I am reading a few writing books, one is called story engineering. I already feel like I’m learning a lot from these books, in terms of main story, how the idea of your book needs to be good before you actually write a large majority of it. I mean by that is, having a good synopsis or thesis for your story because if there isn’t a good starting point, it might not end up very well. I understand that, and I’ve been trying to do better with that.

The writing group has been changed to once every two weeks as that is best for the members of the group at the moment. I will make these newsletters also once every two weeks as well. I’ve been excited to continue writing my new book. But I’ve also been excited to write, and edit my own Youtube videos again. I spend a little time each day editing my newest video. I feel like I’d be able to finish a video once every month, and that’s a video that is 15 to 20 minutes long. I can’t express how much time YouTube videos take to make, I can barely get done a minute or less each day. I understand a bit more why youtubers take a while to make videos now. It opens my eyes knowing that one YouTube video can take hours upon hours to make.

If you are interested about any video game related videos I make, here is a link to my youtube channel . Other creative endeavors I have been undertaking have to do with a college class that has me play videogames, and then write about them. Let me know if there’s anything that you would like me to cover. I hope if you’re able to make it to see me at the American Fork Barnes & Noble this Saturday and I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Kurt Jensen

The Backlog: Gorogoa

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 06:18:40 GMT

The Backlog: Gorogoa

I chose Gorogoa from my gaming backlog this time because I haven't really been into a lot of puzzle games besides Tetris, Pokemon Puzzle League, and a few others (Dr. Robotniks Mean Bean machine anyone?) I wanted to force myself to play something different.

Gorogoa's core idea is basically, what if puzzle pieces could be zoomed in, and out, and connected to solve a puzzle? The pieces themselves aren't shaped like conventional puzzle pieces with different curves and edges, but rather are four square sections that connect into one big square. The location of the piece, and what you are zoomed into or out on, interacts with other squares of artwork. Sometimes they connect, making two locations exist into one another, while other times they are merely to be zoomed in on and then separated from their own piece into a kind of cut out of a certain object that needs to be placed over a different square. For example, one puzzle piece might have me zooming in on a star in the sky while another one has a cutout of a lantern or a light bulb. If I put that cut out over the star it makes that light bulb turn on. These connections make something happen to progress the story, which is basically, a young boy trying to collect various fruits in his basket.

I like that it doesn't start with a lengthy tutorial of what to do or how to do it but rather just by clicking around you discover how you can interact with the different squares and play the game, this is a fun aspect of the game for me. With that, Gorogoa is fun to play when you know what to do, and aren't confused on what to connect next. The fun also comes from any typical puzzle game’s enjoyment, which is when you figure out what goes where, solving a piece of the puzzle.

My enjoyment of the game stopped when I was stuck on a certain puzzle not for 10, or 20 minutes, but for more than 30. The same strength of the game not giving you a whole lot of clues is nice when you know what to do in under 5 minutes, but when you get stuck somewhere and there are no hints on how to progress, the enjoyment really comes crashing down and you wish you could just stop playing. The only hint system is, when you click outside of the puzzle area, it will shimmer expanding white circles on the object you can interact within the individual squares, but beyond that, if you're stuck you might need to look up a guide to fully enjoy this game. That was the only thing I can really complain about when it came to hard to enjoy moments.

If anyone doubts that Gorogoa is in fact a game, I do think this computer program does classify as one, though, as it feels more like a game genre that already exists; point-and-click adventures. But rather than it being just one giant room where you have to take a character and get them to interact with different objects, the character progresses from four different square panels in a unique gameplay hook. Jesper Juul said, “a game is a rule-based formal system with a variable and quantifiable outcome”. There are definitely rules in Gorogoa, and the gameplay does obtain an outcome (collecting all the fruit).

It also meets Sid Meier’s definition of a game, when he said games are “a series of meaningful choices”. The game constantly has you making meaningful choices by connecting the puzzle pieces in the right way. The player gets a sense of enjoyment when they complete a puzzle, or progress the story while interacting with the game world. While sliding or zooming in to certain locations and combining puzzle pieces, there is a strong sense of progression.

Just because an executable program is on Steam doesn't make it a game per say, but Gorogoa is indeed one.

Smells like, a New Newsletter

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 05:54:47 GMT

Smells like, a New Newsletter

I have to say, these talk to text programs I'm using have really helped me. Otherwise, I'd be quiet or listening to a podcast while driving. Which is fine sometimes. I’m really excited to meet a daily or weekly quota while driving to school or dropping off my kids. In fact right now I'm writing this newsletter as I drive to the University of Utah. I've actually put down some words I needed for the last couple of chapters in my book as well and I'll be now working on some newer chapters I thought I wouldn’t see for a while. For the longest time I just haven't been able to finish the chapters I've been on. Now that I have, to a point, I will be able to focus on other chapters, that 's great in my mind.

This semester at school I have a coding class for a language called python and also an easier class called survey of games which I think is just looking at different game genres but I'm not quite sure what it is yet. I will let you all know once I actually go to the classes. What I've been wanting to do more often now is make Youtube videos. That's right I actually have a YouTube channel but it's more about video games and my thoughts on them. If that is something that you're interested in you're very welcome to subscribe. This last week I did a video called “Smells Like: Dragon Quest 8”.

These videos are a way that I can talk about a game that I'm either playing or that I finished. Kind of focusing on what makes every game itself. Each game has a feeling to it and I'm trying to get down to what specific games smell like, but then also talk about what I enjoy about them, or don't. If anybody has any other ideas for types of gaming videos I can do that they haven't seen on YouTube yet, that they would like to see, let me know!

When it comes to video games, there are a lot of YouTube channels about every little niche of every single thing one can think of, so the only other thing I can think of when it came to YouTube videos was my idea of smells like videos. And obviously putting my own personality into it as this is something that no other creator could do anyways. Personalities are something that will always be an evergreen thing that you can focus on when it comes to videos on YouTube.

Here's the latest video that I did and also here is the link to my YouTube channel if you'd like to subscribe. Beyond that there won't be a whole lot of time for other creative endeavors. It'll literally just be homework, writing a book and possibly editing YouTube videos while making the script for those YouTube videos. I want to get better at editing, this is the way.

The last two chapters of the book that I wrote basically focused on our main character Boyd getting captured by a ghost frog king who wanted to eat him because of how he accidentally murdered a bunch of frogs that he had captured in a frog pond and put in a jar. The chapter is about him escaping the stomach of the Frog.

The other chapter is about Boyd going to a playground and getting a certain spirit power that morphs the playground into a maze. This helps get Boyd into a laboratory of a kid scientist who is studying how to travel between the mortal and spirit worlds.

I want to make each of these chapters interesting and different. They're more episodic than they are one continuous story, even though they do all happen right after each other. I hope one day soon that I will be able to finish this first draft so that I can throw in some tidbits and maybe even put some chapters into these newsletters. So that you all can get to know the feeling of the book. Once I get there I'm open for beta readers to help me out with this new book, I'll need at least a couple because after all is said and done, what I've written might be better after people have read it.

Let me know if you're interested in this by emailing me at my email address kurtless64@gmail. I'll let you all know how this new schedule is for me going forward for reading and feel free to always email me if there's something that you'd like me to write about, let me know! I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Being a Stay at Home Dad Again…

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 07:13:34 GMT

Being a Stay at Home Dad Again…

Song in Head: To Zanarkand from Final Fantasy 10

As promised from the last newsletter, here is a video of me taking a spoonful of extremely hot, hot sauce for not writing for two weeks straight, in front of my writing group. Notice that I only recorded the beginning and when I was drinking various glasses of milk. That was because I was in agony, pounding my feet on the floor. It was bad, I drank ⅓ gallon of whole milk and ⅕ of an ice cream tin. We all decided to just do a few drops on a chip when it came to THAT hot sauce, for future punishments (click on the newsletter sign up box to see the video in the post on substack).

Being a stay at home Dad again feels strange for me after 2.5 years working full time for the Forest Service. Granted, I will be going back to school in a week or so and won’t be home all the time, but for this short period, I am back to being at home. Being a Dad to 2 girls, 1 in diapers, and the other getting potty trained, is no easy task. Actually, it's harder than working the front desk at the Forest Service. It's definitely fulfilling though, seeing my kids grow and getting the usual Dad love from them is great, for example. I definitely need my sleep though just to keep up with them, as I’m doing chores, cooking dinner, making sure the kids get at least one outside fun event a day (park, bounce house place, splashpad, etc).

I would like to say that the doordash/lyft, voice to text writing life hack works! I was out for a couple hours this last week, and when I was going from place to place, either picking people or food up, I had a bluetooth headset synced up to an ipad. I used a voice to text program and was able to get a decent amount of writing done. Granted, sometimes the program didn’t get the right words written, but the goal is to write, and that I did. I can always go in and edit everything afterwards. I will definitely be doing this even while I’m watching my girls, a sentence here or there is going to do wonders in getting my next book done.

My anxiety at the moment comes from getting into school this fall semester as an in-state resident. The bureaucracy of the school I’m going to is valid, but it just takes a while to get my application in because of short staff, I’m guessing. The short version of the story is, I put in an in-state application, out of state, a little over a year ago, but didn’t know I needed to do another once I lived in the state for over a year. And well, I just put it in a few weeks ago. I am hoping I can get in this fall semester because doing 6 credits every semester is going to take a while to get my bachelor’s degree in game design, even with previous credits from a former bachelor’s degree ( I don't have to do many generals, thank goodness).

Here's to hoping you, and I, have a great week in the near future!

Sincerely,

Kurt Jensen

Majora’s Mask Fan Creates 4K Textures for 3DS Game

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 05:27:29 GMT

Majora’s Mask Fan Creates 4K Textures for 3DS Game

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask for 3DS has a fresh new 4k look, all thanks to fan and patreon creator Henriko Magnifico. Everything from the character models to the brick and grass textures have been reworked in 4K. The continuing texture project has reached a new milestone, with a recent email from the creator reaching patch 2.0 reporting to have 300 new 4k textures on top of what Henriko already has uprezed to the 2015 3DS remake of the 2000 N64 classic. One look at Henriko’s screenshots, and the critically acclaimed 3DS port looks to be muddy in comparison.

But you won’t find this texture pack available or playable on Nintendo’s original 3DS hardware. Interested parties will have to rip their own rom of the game and play it with 3DS emulators, which are available on a multiple of platforms, including PC and Steamdeck. In the same update email Henriko’s mentions a forewarning, that “all 3DS texture packs will no longer include emulators. You will need to provide your own emulator from this point onward”. This is most likely due to Nintendo’s recent crackdown on users playing the company’s classic and new titles for free on programs such as the infamous Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu, which Nintendo shutdown further development on this year.

With a whopping 2,714 paid patreon followers, Henriko has no plans of slowing down despite Nintendo’s leering eyes to those making money off its IP. The creator has produced texture packs for many other beloved Nintendo classics such as the 3DS version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and non 3DS titles like , Twilight Princess, A Link Between Worlds, Skyward Sword, Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi’s Mansion , amongst a myriad of other titles. Whatever the outcome of Henriko’s future Patreon work, other fans worldwide have a lot to experience and enjoy in Henriko’s recent Majora’s Mask texture pack update.

Life is Changing

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 05:15:37 GMT

Life is Changing

Music in head: Battle Music from FF7: Advent Children

The turning a page in one's life is kind of a cliché saying, but as cliché as it may be, I really feel that way, for a variety of reasons that have happened in the last few weeks. Recently I have ended my job with the Forest Service to go back to school, half time as well as finishing a gaming creation pre req class. The plan now is to watch my kids part time, attend classes in the fall, and find a graveyard shift job to make the money I’ll need to pay for those classes. Preferably a job with down time for doing homework and writing. A high order to be sure. These jobs do exist though, I only know this because of famous author Brandon Sanderson’s author bio talking about him having a security job in the past that allowed him to write while working.

If you're reading this, maybe you’re feeling a little of my stress. Sorry about that. On another note if you have any part time jobs like the one described above, send me an email at kurtless64@gmail.com

In terms of some creative endeavors I’d like to share a couple, first is some work from that gaming pre-req class called content creation. We learned a few few programs I have had experience in, and some I had not. The above slidshow has a Pokeball inspired by the Megaman game franchise done in Maya that I made, as well as another project we did, which was to recreate some monster artwork provided to us in class inside a 3D modeling program called zbrush.

I am still participating in an author support group weekly, here are the last two writing warmups we had, having to choose 3 words at random, and make a quick story out of them within 5 minutes:

#1. Words: Circulate, bubblicous , bonfire

The wild man flung his body in front of the bonfire, the shaking shadows moving with the flickering of the flame. Circulating the fiery mass, he pointed his feet into the warm dry soil around him. Suddenly, a round object moved with the rhythm of the man, the reflection of the bottle of bubblicous showing the inferno clawing itself out of the pile of wood and ash. The being stood on two stump like feet, it's heat intense as it looked down at the man, it waved its forearms which came out of its torso, presenting the man with the opportunity of a wish.

#2. Quagmire, vacuum, yellow

Lindsey had vacuumed up the various piles of filth that had accumulated during the day. Tired from various chores, she sprawled down on the couch underneath the yellow light bulb that flickered every ten seconds. "How did I get myself into this Quagmire? I don't want to live this life, I just work all the time. Life isn't about just cleaning up others messes. I wish I could leave something for someone else to do". But then she thought of the custodians, who, like her, would be exactly as she was at that moment. "This is a job meant for robots, I don't get any fulfillment in this. We have dishwashers and machine learning vacuums”. Something boiled over in her and she broke the mop she was holding in half, and walked out the door.

I have written part of my novel within the last week, so no adding upon my hot sauce debt with the author group. If you didn’t know already, if any of us don’t write within the last week, before the writing group meets again, they have to take a baby’s spoonful worth of very hot, hot sauce, and not be able to drink anything for 2 minutes. Unfortunately, there was a two week sprint where I hadn’t written anything, so I got two spoonful’s to take for our next week. I’ll probably post a video of that here in the near future for your entertainment.

More updates to come in the near future, thank you for reading this week!

Book Support Groups Rock

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 15:20:30 GMT

Song in head: Clock Town Theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

The book support group this last week was a success! Here was the agenda in case you want to make your own:

[ ] Welcome

[ ] Write up story practice

[ ] How is our writing time going this week? Good excuse or no?

[ ] Good books we are reading beside our novels, what we like about them

[ ] Anything you have learned from that book?

[ ] Name of our novel and premise

[ ] Share premise with family or friends and see if it's something they would like

[ ] Progress of our novels

[ ] Questions or help that the group could provide?

To be honest, the meeting went a lot longer than anticipated, but like the creation of a book, we will focus on the best parts next time, and probably cut some of the introductory points. For this next week I think the support group agenda will look more like this:

[ ] Welcome

[ ] Write up story practice

[ ] How is our writing time going this week? Good excuse or no?

[ ] Premise honing

[ ] Questions or help that the group could provide?

As you can see, it's literally just taking past points away. I’ll report next week on if this helped. I really want to discuss the second point, write up story practice. One of our group members suggested we try a write up, which is kind of like a writing practice game. We decide on three words we have to use in a mini story, and make it happen within 5 minute! Our words this week were, float, wrestle, and break. Here is what I came up with:

The balloon floated above the crimson sky as it wrestled the wind, breaking the streams of air forcing its inevitable accent. “How am I alive?” It thought, “I’m just latex and string, with a bit of helium inside, I haven’t even been to kindergarten!” Its invisible synapses fired as it went, higher, and higher. Looking around, it saw the small Earth beneath and the now appearing sea of stars. “Where is the top of everything?” He wondered, until it felt a strange sensation, its head was boiling, its body was ripping. It died.

I think the game does start to get the writing motor running, and so I appreciate the member that suggested it. What helped me the most was when we got to the last few points of the meeting. And I think the other members might agree with me. Just talking about our novels, what they are about, and being vulnerable for help with them, was a great moment. I had been stuck on a story beat for weeks, and bringing it up helped me to finally decide on what should happen next.

It also helps us because the meeting is almost like a checkpoint for the week. It's saying to ourselves, "by the next meeting I need to write past what we discussed, and if I don't, I won't be able to use this great resource of multiple minds helping me out". It forces me to write, and that is never a bad thing in my mind.

Another subject I brought up was pen names. A lot of authors have them, it makes sense why they would want to change their name slightly or majorly. Take my name for example, Kurt Jensen. You know how many Kurt Jensen's exist in the world, and specifically Denmark, where my name comes from? A boatload of immigrants worth, that's how many. And so I've been thinking about making a pen name for myself. Kurt Jensen, or KJ is fine, but very generic. Like John Smith for Danish people. My middle name is Douglas so maybe Kurt Douglas? Since it sounds like Kirk Douglas, the famous actor? I'm not trying to steal the man's popularity, but I could see it attracting some eyes and minds. I imagine people being like, "Kurt Douglas, I've heard that name before...he is someone famous, is that the same guy? He wrote books?" That wouldn’t be the reason for that specific pen name though, it would just, as they say, roll off the tongue a bit better than Kurt Jensen. A pen name could also not relate to my actual name at all, for example, I could use the name Trevor Inkwell.

Here is a small poll to vote for some potential pen names for myself. And if you have a good one, please let me know in the form (there will be an option for it): https://forms.gle/WCiaTKGyA3mFcFdy5

I know it's a bit early but I wanted to mention a couple of my future book signings coming in September at both the Utah, Orem Barnes & Noble, and the American Fork store. The book again is Rye’s Rite. The times and dates are below:

September 7th, 3 pm, at the Barnes and Noble in American Fork, 773 Grassland Dr, The Meadows, American Fork, UT 84003
September 21st, 1 pm to 4 pm, 330 E 1300 S, Orem, UT 84058

If you want to meet me again, get a copy signed of Rye's Rite, or just chat, please do! Speaking of Barnes & Noble book signings, I wanted to mention something about them that maybe not a lot of people know about. There usually isn't an online form you simply fill out to get a book signing there. Instead, you will need to call each store for a very specific email that only they know. You send that email a message, and wait for a response. As far as I know there isn't a way for you to find it easily online, perhaps this is intentional, I could see spam emails flying through that address like birds at a nightcrawler convention.

And now, a non-writing update from me, starting this August I will be leaving the Forest Service front desk to go back to school for game design, at the University of Utah. Having a permanent Forest Service job was a dream come true, but after looking and imagining myself in current, and different positions within the organization, I have determined that the potential jobs wouldn't be conducive to the skills and future I want in my life long career. The Forest Service has been great to work for, and I invite anyone that loves the outdoors, and conservation projects, to apply at usajobs.gov . I truly feel loved and wanted in the organization, so no hard feelings from me.

I am open to any creative endeavors within or out of a gaming company. I definitely want something more creative, writing jobs included. I will most likely go into a job that helps with tuition, but I'm open to any part time gigs. If any of the readers of this newsletter have any job offers or connections, let me know at my email, kurtless64@gmail.com

Thanks for the few new subscribers that have been trickling in, I hope you find this newsletter helpful and interesting. Let me know if there's any subjects you would like for me to cover in future publications. And as always, thank you for reading!

Sincerely,

Kurt Jensen

What motivates me and other updates

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Sat, 06 Jul 2024 19:44:27 GMT

What motivates me and other updates

Song in head: Uptown Funk

I've been pondering this past week about motivation. Different people are motivated by different things. When it comes to writing, I think I'm motivated by a couple sources:

1. Guilt of not writing

2. My need for creativity

3. Reading a book about writing

Guilt only works for a little but, as I feel more pressured by not being good enough to write everyday. Its like a teacher who keeps telling you, you aren't up to snuff. I think we need to be honest with ourselves for sure, but not so much that we feel, down.

My need for creativity seems to exist earlier in the day, it's like a force that pulls me to create. It's part of what makes me, me. Unfortunately I'm usually at work most of the day, and by the time I can write at night, my excitement for writing usually wanes. It happens all the time, I’m on way to work, and I talk to myself about how I’m going to do this and that when I get home, and when my kids are asleep. But when it actually gets to the end of the day, I’m kind of done, and just want to go to bed. Sometimes I can force myself to do some creative acts, but, ask anyone who works late after a full day of being awake, things start to slow down.

I've noticed whenever I read a book about something I'm interested in, I get really motivated to do that thing. For example, I might be reading a comic strip that I love, and then I get an idea of a comic of my own, an overwhelming feeling of creativity springs up in my mind, and I want to start drawing! I don't know if that's how it is for others. But to get the motivation to write, reading about writing, really helps me. I have already bought a couple books to help me with story construction, I seem to get ideas while reading on how to progress my own story.

What motivates your creativity? Here's a questionnaire I've made for you to let me know (results will be shared in a future newsletter, you will remain anonymous): https://forms.gle/m7JRkRSyndtuZ8qm8

Beyond thoughts on motivation, I'm about to experience a new writing goal of mine, having a writing group! I wanted to form one after reading Anne Lamott's book, Bird by Bird. The book itself is essential for any writer, as it gives tips about the reality of writing commercially, and for one's self. The author herself is a writing teacher (or was, I'm not sure of her current situation). At a certain point in the book she mentions how some of her students formed writing groups.

The idea is that a small group of authors can talk about how they're are doing, discuss the stories they are making, and get some help and support. It keeps authors accountable for the weekly writing work they are doing, and provides a sort of check in with others that are rooting for them. We should be having our first in person meeting this week, I'll let you all know how it goes.

One of my group members had an interesting and great idea for getting book groups to read our books, this is what he said:

"Kurt, I don't know if you'd be interested in this, but I've been floating around a marketing idea where I put twenty or so copies of my book aside as loaner copies for book clubs in the area. Basically, any local book club could borrow enough copies for their group on the condition that they return them or pay for any copies that are lost or destroyed (insanity happens). I figure people who read and discuss books are the most likely group to buy any books that they especially like after the fact or, at the very least, recommend them to their friends.

Anyway, if it sounds like something you might be interested in for Rye's Rite, I added a page to my website where I can list local authors' books and emails as a central database for book club members to find good local reads. Fair warning, I'm planning on doing a review with each book listing. I've liked what I've read of Rye's Rite from the Amazon preview, but that's all I have read, so all I can guarantee for the review is that it will be honest. I will always be absolutely honest in any book review that I do for my website (or anywhere else, but especially there), but I will also not post a negative review without authorization from the author. Also, fairer warning, I have the page set up, but this is the first time I've ventured to test the waters on the author side, so it will still be a while to get it going...if it ever gets going at all."

I agreed to this marketing endeavor. I like the thought of lending copies of my book for others to read. More people reading my book is never a bad thing. To those who have bought a copy of my book again, thank you. Please leave a honest review once you have finished it. I know I may not have the elegance or poise of a best selling author, and my rhythm and pacing could be a little off. But for someone who is learning as I go, I feel it an accomplishment to have written a book that has a cohesive storyline with character growth, set in an era that I'm interested in.

Remember you can always send me an email at kurtless64@gmail.com if you have any thoughts, questions, or just wanna talk.

Sincerely,

Kurt Jensen

Shocker: I don't write all the time

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 08:52:30 GMT

Shocker: I don't write all the time

6/29/2024, 1:52 AM

Song in head: Chocobo Theme from Final Fantasy 7 (the OG one)

After last week’s newsletter I got a question from a family member, Britney, that proceeded like this:

Britney: Between all that you're doing, do you get any sleep?

Me: HAHAHAMWAHAHAHSGINFFLHFXJ UT CJBYH... yeah I do. That's why sometimes I uh, don't write as much as I want to.

Britney: how do you fit it all in? How much sleep are you getting? I'm "just" a full time mom and homemaker, and I'm still not writing much.

Me: woah woah, don't say just, both those activities combined is like working an overtime job as it is. Sometime[s] I get 6 hours, sometimes less. If I'm really tired I get 8, I just gauge how much energy I have left for the next day. Alsooooooo, I wrote Rye's Rite with a goal of 300 words a day, which is like two paragraphs. So even just that much writing you can have a book done. I believe in you!

Britney: how long did it take you to write Rye's Rite?

Me: probably like 5 years, but I stopped and started a lot, sometimes for years so, definitely writing every day, even that little, would have sped things up.

Responding to myself today, yeah, after school, family, and my full time job, sometimes I don’t write. Granted, I am only taking 1 class at college, but after doing chores, I just want to lay in bed and feel bad that I’m scrolling on social media and not writing.

Being a writer isn’t always writing a ginormous amount of words each day. I remember seeing this tweet on social media the other day, showing Neil Gaiman, which I would consider a very good writer, writing so slow on one of his novels, that he literally moved at the speed of molasses, its the picture above.

I am not suggesting you always write at such a snail’s pace, but a good novel can come slowly, too. On the other hand I feel like professional writers do have a deadline for their next project, or book, especially if it's financial independence that they are after. Author success will never be an easy horse to straddle, and I barely understand that metaphor because I myself have not seriously ridden one.

I want to be honest with ya’ll, I think this week I have sat down to work on my latest project once. I feel disappointed in myself, but I hope to gain more time now that I feel a little more confident in the chapter I’m writing. You see, some chapters I know the direction I’m going, while others it feels like I start crossing my eyes, drooling profusely, while yelling yee-haw as I spout nonsense. I have been feeling like this for the past few weeks.

I finally snapped out of this jack-assery this week, by figuring out the area where my motley crew is headed was placed at the wrong part of the story. I copy and pasted the ill fitted story beat into a different chapter, and thought back to the beginning of the chapter, where there was a hint of what needed to be at the end of the chapter once the gang solved a puzzle.

What I’m trying to say is, sometimes it's not writer's block, I’ve learned that it simply was not the right plot point for the story. I had to remove it, put it somewhere else, and make the chapter ring true with a previous plot point in the beginning of the chapter.

Again you are welcome to ask me questions through my contact info below, your question might even appear in the next newsletter for readers to enjoy, if you want it too, I’ll always ask beforehand. My contact info is:

1-385-450-9450

kurtless64@gmail.com

I’ll see you all next week!

The Barnes & Noble Bonanza

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 08:22:12 GMT

The Barnes & Noble Bonanza

6/19/2024, 1:30 AM

Song in head: Bowser’s Rage (Paper Mario)

You read that right, I am making this newsletter at 1:30 AM. And I just want to say, thank you for signing up!

In terms of news, I was able to go to the Orem, Utah, Barnes & Noble and have a book signing event on 6/15/2024. I was there from 1 pm to 4 pm. After talking with a manager, it sounds like I did pretty good, selling a total of 16 books. Talking with other authors, this amount does seem to be unusually good. I’m grateful to everyone that bought a copy of Rye’s Rite, or stopped to talk with me.

Now to let you know a little inside baseball.

Barnes and Noble had me on a consignment contract, basically that means I keep 60% of the profit, and they keep 40%. After I subtracted the cost of printing each book, which came out close to $5 per book, I made…

Drum roll please…

$46.82! Not a crazy amount huh?

That amount reminds me how many books an author needs to sell in order to make any livable wage. It also brings to mind two other reasons why authors have these types of public events:

To simply have people get to know them, and…
Getting their published works out there in the world!

It's definitely not all about the money, especially starting out. And what a ride it was getting into Barnes & Noble to sell my wares!

Some advice to those who only publish their books on Amazon.

Make sure you go through another publisher if you want to sell at Barnes & Noble, because if your book is only on amazon, they won’t accept you in the store. The route I went was being self published through a website called Draft-to-Digital. Once I mentioned this publisher to Barnes and Noble through email, I was able to appear in front of their beautiful bazaar. I will definitely be appearing there again, so be on the lookout for me at some point in the future!

In terms of current projects, between my full time job, going to school, and being a Dad, I haven’t worked much recently on my next novel, Ghost Boyd. And as you can tell, when I do have time, sometimes I’m writing a newsletter. But I hope to work on it a couple days this week. Word count wise, I am only 10,000 words or so away from Rye’s Rite’s length. This next novel does feel like it's going to be a bit longer, but I always remember that Rye’s Rite was close to 100,000 words during its first drafts. A lot had to be cut and rearranged to make each chapter matter, and to tell the story in the way that fit it best.

For the novel Ghost Boyd, I’m currently writing a chapter where our slew of good guys enter a world full of rolling green hills from a deranged, maze-like playground. They spot an old timey stone cottage in the distance. The resident inside turns out to be quite strange, but progresses the story.

For those that haven’t heard the synopsis for this new novel, here is what I have cooking up so far:

“For Boyd, a young boy with a negative outlook, life is only full of people who get in his way. His views change however when he accidentally dies and becomes a warrior of light. He is then tasked with finding all 9 pieces of armor and spiritual relics that derive from the stars, the moon, and the sun. For the creator of the universe, he is one of a select few tasked with preventing the leader of the unborn from rising and destroying his precious mortal offspring.”

I hope to share more about Ghost Boyd when the time comes. For the moment, the novel’s 1st draft is almost 50% done.

I know there are some reading this newsletter who are either writing stories of their own, or are interested in the authoring process. You're welcome to either text, call, or email me your questions. Your question might even appear in the next newsletter for readers to enjoy. My contact info is:

1-385-450-9450

kurtless64@gmail.com

I’ll see you all next week!

Independent Book Store Signing Experience - Pioneer Book

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Sun, 12 May 2024 07:53:38 GMT

Independent Book Store Signing Experience - Pioneer Book

I have never had a book signing before. May 11th 2024 was my chance to try one out for my novel Rye’s Rite . Pioneer Book in Provo Utah, graciously welcomed myself and friend Erin, author of The Legends of Elmra Earth , for a 3 hour period where we could sell our wares in the 2nd story of the bookstore. Two tables were set and a counter space was provided where we placed our refreshments. Being in the back of the bookstore, I didn’t have high hopes for the foot traffic we would receive. Thankfully it was better than I thought.

I sold 4 books, and though the store contractually received 40% of that amount, the sheer opportunity to talk about my book and sell it to someone, made the whole experience worth it. Erin was very nice and answered all my questions about these types of events and let me use some of her props she had procured beforehand (fairy lights, electronic candles, and holders for her books to be displayed in). We started with a reading of our own novels, and then played some book games that Erin introduced me to,

The feeling of someone truly being interested enough in your novel to buy it, is a wonderful thing. I have heard stories of author alleys, and launch parties also being great places to sell books. And without large amounts of capital, or marketing budget, indie authors like myself rely on these events to get noticed. Just being on Amazon and posting on social media, though important, just doesn’t drive enough people to my book. I could imagine those with moolah up the yin yang being able to be quite successful without going to dozens, if not hundreds of events. But for Indie authors like Erin and I, this is what is required to get noticed.

Now that I’ve done a book selling at a store, I wonder what going to a festival or any other author related event will be like. I will be sure to comment and report on how each is different, and the same.

Sincerely,

Kurt Jensen

Is Ghostwire: Tokyo Good Enough to be its own Series?

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 09 May 2024 04:26:02 GMT

Is Ghostwire: Tokyo Good Enough to be its own Series?

Bethesda Softwork’s announcement at E3 2019 of what we now know as Ghostwire: Tokyo gave the idea to critics and gamer alike that the future product would be a game that could potentially reach the heights of other triple A action adventures. As the game is now released and Critics have had their time with it, the Metacritic score for the game sits at a reasonable 76%, with many reviewers praising its atmosphere more than its gameplay. But unlike Pokémon Legends: Arceus that gave us a revolutionary way to play the monster catching genre, does the gameplay in Ghostwire: Tokyo stand enough out of the first person action adventure space to merit its continuation within the gaming industry? No matter how great a game is, it will all come down to interest and money. And for this game being not quite amazing as the scores denounce, will it be economically viable to make another?

Is there potential expansion for more to be told within its universe? Without revealing the endgame story, the public does know what the official website for the game says with, one of the first tag lines on the front page being, “FACE THE UNKNOWN, UNCOVER THE TRUTH AND SAVE THE CITY”. With this detail of the city needing saved, the players know they will be probably be saving the city in the end. When that does happen, where can the universe of Ghostwire: Tokyo go?

If there ever is a sequel, there would need to be more intrigue than simply saving the city again for a narrative heavy game such as this series is. Unless more originality is injected into the future of the franchise, there won’t be much left to make a game out of. This is not saying that it is not possible, but in order to continue as a series, it makes sense that the sequel would have to evolve in more ones than one to stay relevant and popular.

What do players think of the game since release? Players have been more positive in their reviews, having their Metacritic score at 81%, 6 points higher than the critics. The difference of view basically coming down to many players liking the gameplay more than official gaming industry reviewers, while also still praising its atmosphere and story. Will Ghostwire: Tokyo be one of those games that the public loves immensely more than the critics? It very well could be looking at the review percentages at the time of this article being written.

Though the game is now available to those with a PlayStation 5 digitally, many players around the world without a PlayStation 5 are unfortunately out of luck. Thankfully, once the physical copies come out on March 25th 2022 and will then be available digitally and physically for PC, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, the world will definitely have a more sure opinion of what Ghostwire:Tokyo will become, and what they really think about it. New onslaughts of players will hopefully lift the title up if the publisher plans on making future installments within the series.

I'm also open to work in the gaming editorial space. Send me a message at kurtless64@gmail.com if you are interested in hiring me.

Psychonauts 2 is One of the Best Games of 2021 and Forever

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 09 May 2024 04:20:14 GMT

Psychonauts 2 is One of the Best Games of 2021 and Forever

In 2021 the long-awaited sequel to the original Psychonauts hit Xbox game pass, providing the service with an unforgettable platforming adventure that received rave reviews from gaming publications the internet over. Playing it myself, I completely agreed with many reviewers' sentiments. Though there are many who still haven't played this delightful brain romping adventure, those who have, including me, plead with all gamers everywhere to not forget about Psychonauts 2. The game deserves the respect, praise, and attention it rightfully deserves. To me, it's 2021's game of the year. I haven't enjoyed a game this much in a very long time.

There are games that are masterpieces, and though Psychonauts 2 isn't quite there, it gets as close to one as possible. The game surrounds Raz, the the 10-year-old protagonist who is part of the Psychonauts, an FBI-like organization that enters the mind worlds of its targets. As a result of this mind hopping, Raz goes on an amazing journey, jumping from one mind to the next. The player is presented with creative mental worlds that represent the characters beautifully, and deeply. The imagination that was put into every level is truly breathtaking, and many indeed feel like entering into the mind of someone. For example, in the level Bob's Bottles, you start out on an ocean but then use a raft to go to various islands that house huge bottles that you can enter. Each is a memory "bottled up" by the character's mind. The levels are deep, varied, and incredible.

Gameplay

How Raz moves around with his psychic powers always brings a smile to my face. Whether it's using his levitation ability, which lets him essentially go into running mode and also gives him the power of gliding down objects or simply jumping from place to place with his acrobatics, controlling Raz is simply a treat. I had gotten stuck in the architecture once or twice, but it felt more like a cool, funny bug than an impediment. The rail grinding is as fun as ever, and I can't get enough of exploring the mental worlds that I come across with all these abilities. The addition of badges also adds a fun alteration for all of Raz's abilities, making them stronger, or outright expanding them to do more than they could before.

The Amazing Script

Psychonauts one had a great script with hilarious jokes, and the 2nd is better than the first. Finishing Psychonauts one also gave players a real cliffhanger, and boy oh boy was it worth it now. The story picks up mere days (or less) from the first game. We are given fun new and returning characters to interact with like Agent Forsyth, the psychic seven, and all the interns. Looking into the memory faults of many of them, the player gets to know them more deeply and understand why they are the way they are. Each character's dialogue is distinct and entertaining, making the script worth its merit.

Representation of Mental Illness or Disorders

At the startup of the game, there is a disclaimer that speaks of the representation of mental illnesses in the game, hoping not to offend anyone. And after playing the game, they certainly didn't offend, but rather communicated through a video game how some mental illnesses look on the inside of a person. For example, Panic Attacks in the game are 4th-dimensional enemies that move so fast that Raz needs the ability to slow them down before he can defeat them. Topics of anxiety, fear, loss, and the like are represented beautifully.

Don't Sleep on this Game

If what was written before this hasn't won you over, you probably won't be. But at least give the game a try as it contains some of the most interesting gameplay, writing, and level design produced in all gaming. This isn't just an amazing game for 2021, but a game that should always be remembered fondly till the end of time, because it definitely deserves it.

I'm also open to work in the gaming editorial space. Send me a message at kurtless64@gmail.com if you are interested in hiring me.

Who is the Nintendo Online Expansion Pass for?

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 09 May 2024 04:13:56 GMT

Who is the Nintendo Online Expansion Pass for?

The New Expansion Pass for Nintendo Switch Online is for those who have never played the library of N64, and Genesis Games. At the same time, the pass is for those who also want to buy the Animal Crossing DLC as it adds value to the already slightly high $79.99 Family Membership plan. If you want all of that for one person, you will pay $49.99. So you might as well just get a few friends or like-minded family members to go in with you (if they again care as much about ALL the add-ons the Expansion Pass gives).

The announcement of the Nintendo online Expansion pass flustered and delighted fans of the Japanese gaming company Nintendo. While watching the presentation of its addition to the online membership plan myself the question came to mind, "who is this for exactly?" Those I know who were on board the moment it was announced seemed to be extreme gaming or Nintendo junkies, while those who didn't grow up with an N64 were left bewildered. And then there was me, also an extreme Nintendo fan. But looking at the price increase and the titles I had played many times over beside a few, I didn't feel inclined to actually pay the fee and get these classic N64 and Genesis games. And though the new Animal Crossing DLC was a nice addition, I felt inclined to just buy that separately when I want it in the indefinite future. In short, Nintendo's package for this service focuses on an obscure small demographic, and though many Nintendo fans will buy it other fans like me will be sitting on the sidelines not desiring in the least to partake in the offering. I would actually like to buy some individual games like Sin and Punishment, but it seems I am blocked from even doing that without paying the $49.99 fee a year.

Are you or have you bought into the expansion pass? If so or not, why did you make that decision you did? Let me know in the comments below.

I'm also open to work in the gaming editorial space. Send me a message at kurtless64@gmail.com if you are interested in hiring me.

5 Major Wii U Titles that still haven't come to Switch

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 09 May 2024 04:09:29 GMT

5 Major Wii U Titles that still haven't come to Switch

Some may argue that all the big Wii-U titles have now come to the Nintendo Switch. Indeed, titles such as Pikmin 3 , Super Mario 3D World , New Super Mario Bros U , and Bayonetta 2 are examples of this idea. They would be right if it weren't for five titles that still haven't gotten the re-release treatment:

The Legend of Zelda: The WindWaker HD

Those who have played the original Gamecube classic got a real treat when Windwaker HD was released. Not only were the graphics vastly improved, but also some of the more tiresome aspects of the game were as well, like the faster sail, and the reorganization of the Triforce piece quest. For many Zelda fans, WindWaker is a favorite. Nintendo could release this game for close to full price and could sell it yet again to Nintendo fans. Why hasn't it been released then? Perhaps Nintendo is still planning some big classic Zelda Game bundle reveal, or they have something else in mind.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

Yet another HD remake of a Gamecube game that is loved by fans who liked the gritty adult style of Zelda to WindWaker's more cel-shaded graphics. Twilight Princess HD even included Amiibo support in the Wolf Link Figurine that can famously be used in Breath of the Wild. This classic can't be forgotten by Nintendo, something is afoot, yes definitely. One can guess that Nintendo has this game and WindWaker in the same pocket, waiting for...something to happen.

Nintendo Land

Here's a title that used the Wii U Gamepad in interesting ways, and maybe that is exactly why it hasn't come to the Switch . Looking at Nintendo's recent reformatting of Skyward Sword by making the Wii Motion controls translate to control sticks, and knowing the creative methods Nintendo has invented in the past, they are more than capable of translating this Wii U classic to the Switch .

NES Remix 1 & 2

If you have ever played a Warioware you know that they include little snippets of classic Nintendo titles in their microgame gameplay. The NES Remix games were kind of like that, but with a twist. For those that have played them, the games were a blast. It could be so easy to make a deluxe bundle that has 1 and 2 together. They brought Pikmin 3 over already, the Remix games can't be out of the question, and with the NES branding included it could be a secret cash cow for Nintendo.

What other Wii-U games should be on the Switch that aren't already? Let me know in the comments below.

I'm also open to work in the gaming editorial space. Send me a message at kurtless64@gmail.com if you are interested in hiring me.

The Backlog #3- Grim Fandango Remastered

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 09 May 2024 04:02:21 GMT

The Backlog #3- Grim Fandango Remastered

You should play Grim Fandango Remastered, it's a really fun game to play, with a guide. Once you start playing you can tell it's a product of yester-year point and click adventures, graphics aside, some of the logic is kind of strange, thus the "with a guide" rule in the first sentence of this article. For example, one of the puzzles was me filling a ship in a bottle full of a liquid, then giving it to my friend who drank it, then vomiting it up on a pile of booby trapped dominoes. The barf filled the room, not knocking over the dominoes. Then I had to use a can of liquid nitrogen to freeze the barf to walk across it, freezing the booby trap made earlier. I love the creativity of it, but I couldn't have figured that out myself, not in a million years. I probably just would have to guess until the end of time. But with a guide, the game gets way more fun.

I read somewhere that this game got awards for its writing, and I understand why. Tim Schaefer, the gaming legend himself, wrote this game. It's got a lot of ups and downs, and the story of a land of the dead travel agent unraveling a mystery is a unique one. The characters range from a motor head demon to fire beavers. It's kooky and interesting, you never really know what is going to happen next, which is what good writing is, to a point. The game usually goes on sale on steam for cheap, so pick it up and be patient with yourself. By all means try to figure out the puzzles yourself, but try twice, and if you haven't figured it out, just look up a guide. You are going to have a lot more fun that way, trust me.

The Backlog #2- Earthbound

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 09 May 2024 04:00:20 GMT

The Backlog #2- Earthbound

Gamers tend to stop playing a game or not even start one because of one reason or another. Many times these games sit quietly in the backlog. These backlog blog posts are meant to record my journey as I go back and finish games that I have started but never finished, or just have, and I've never played them. Here are my thoughts on games in my backlog after I've finally finished them.

Earthbound and Earthbound Beginnings are now available for Nintendo Switch for the SNES and NES online service after an announcement from the Nintendo Direct on the 9th of February 2022. Earlier this year, I finally finished Earthbound for the Super Nintendo after starting it multiple times, and I'm so glad I did. I never expected so many interesting locals and mechanics through my play through.

For those not in the know, Earthbound is an essential RPG for any and all video game fans. It is amazing because it's simply weird, wacky, hilarious, and fun. Unlike many other RPG's that are either set in a medieval or fantasy world, Earthbound is set in a stereotype of 80's, 90's America. Similarities are obvious, but the characters themselves are the stars here, Ness who you might have seen in the Super Smash Brothers series is a normal kid, who just happens to have psychic powers.

Besides Ness, many if not most of the other characters you meet are unforgettable, like a Blues Brothers imitation band called, "The Runaway Five", a monkey that chews and blows bubblegum to fly, kids named after fruit, a Flying Amish man who before taking a picture of you blurts out, "say, Fuzzy Pickles!", among others. The game is bursting from the seams with personality, and how you get from one local to another is unique and not like any RPG you've played.

The combat is like older Dragon Quest games, in which a battle screen where you only see the enemy pops up if you run into one on the area in front of you. Many differences from JRPG's start with your health being on a rolling counter, meaning if you can heal yourself before it hits zero, you can save yourself from dying. There isn't a traditional over world like in Dragon Quest, but rather a string of connected cities and towns that appear fully before you. It's little gameplay

differences like this that make this game truly unique and special.

This has been in my backlog for a while, and I'm so glad I finally finished it. If you haven't played it all the way through, I would recommend you do so. You will be glad you did, trust me.

I'm also open to work in the gaming editorial space. Send me a message at kurtless64@gmail.com if you are interested in hiring me.

The Backlog #1- SteamWorld Dig 2

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 09 May 2024 03:56:37 GMT

The Backlog #1- SteamWorld Dig 2

Steam World Dig 2

I hadn't played the original SteamWorld Dig but after hearing some fellow Nintendo Switch fans loving SteamWorld Dig 2, I bought the sequel on the eshop early in the Switch's lifespan. I understand what they loved about it, the game loop was simple yet insanely fun, and how you control your character with grappling hooks and rocket packs, made traversal so much fun. In the game, you play a western-style robot who digs underground for different ores you can bring to the surface and exchange for money. With this money, you can upgrade your body with weapons and tools that make exploring the underground caverns easier. That simple loop of digging deep and returning to the surface is what makes SteamWorld Dig 2 enjoyable to play.

The game is akin to many exploratory 2D side strollers, think Metroid, Castlevania, Hollow Knight etc. It's those games, but with resources you dig up, like in Terraria or Minecraft. What's not to love? The story leads you along as well, making you go to all the digging zones that exist in the game. The mystery and intrigue of the tale really take you on an enjoyable video game story ride. The art is unique and pretty, the aesthetic nails what the developers wanted the game to be.

Verdict:

I'm so happy I finished SteamWorld Dig 2. If it's still in your backlog, don't hesitate to finish this beauty of a game. It's definitely worth your time. The atmosphere and gameplay really draw you into a wonderful game. If you haven't played it, and you want an exploratory side stroller that isn't crazy long, this is the game for you!

I'm also open to work in the gaming editorial space. Send me a message at kurtless64@gmail.com if you are interested in hiring me.

Opinion: Why Megaman Legends Rocks

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 09 May 2024 03:48:48 GMT

Opinion: Why Megaman Legends Rocks

The late 90s had given almost every video game character a 3D world to run around in. Mario, Sonic, even Bomberman. And though Megaman games were still rocking the 2D pseudo 3D plane, no one could deny the question coming, why not Megaman? Enter the game Megaman Legends or Megaman 64 for those with an n64. Compared to other 3D action platformers of the day Mega Man Legends wasn’t the prettiest and was made for the bad d-pad of the original Playstation fame. But despite all these design flaws, I want to convince you why the Mega Man Legends series is underrated and mega awesome.

The world created within the Legends series was made around the story which I think is the preferred way to do it. Everything made within the environment has a reason for being there which gives meaning to each and every structure. For example the first rune you find outside the town market was placed there because it’s a remnant of a highly technological civilization. People called diggers go down to explore them in order to obtain energy to fuel their ways of life up above. Watch the enormous introduction in Mega Man Legends if you want to know more about that, or better yet play the game. With that cool sci-fi background Capcom, as usual, developed a killer soundtrack for all the Legend series games. While also sounding different to other Mega Man titles the emphasis on different brass instruments and international variation keep the games upbeat and exciting. Besides the music being great, the side characters also tend to shine.

The Servbots for example, or as some call them “Lego Men” have been in many other games like Marvel vs. Capcom or as a mask accessory in Dead Rising. By being in many other games, it shows the fan favorite status of these little yellow and blue dudes. In Legends 2, the villain Glide and his bird-bots have so much personality and thought put into them. Even the common enemies called Reaver-bots are deep and perplexing with their background story being robots working out of energy stored for thousands of years underground, protecting, something. There isn’t just a few robot masters there are hundreds and each proved to be a unique challenge. Not only does Mega Man and his enemies have personalities but also the supporting cast.

Instead of Dr. light and Roll being static non-helping individuals after each level, we get some really interesting supporting characters that actually serve a purpose. Mainly professor Barrel or Gramps, data the, uh, eccentric monkey who also is used for a save point of sorts (monkeys in diapers dancing around just makes me happy) and certainty not least Roll. She is so much more important here then in other Megaman games. She’s a mechanic and upgrades your weapons and oversees repairs of everything that Megaman and the crew uses. No longer does she stay in the lab doing, something, but she’s out on the frontlines making machine guns, landmines and rocket launchers. That’s the Roll I know.

Speaking of awesome artillery, the weapon upgrade system in the Legends series is akin to synthesis or alchemy pot mechanics of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest game fame. The only difference is there are fewer of them which I really don’t mind and there are usually only one of that ingredient or part in the overworld so when you find one it’s like you found a diamond. It’s awesome how versatile and different each weapon is from land mines to mid and long-range weapons. Long gone are the robot master’s leftover cogs. Another great thing about these weapons is that they are cosmetic and not just additional numbers attached to your character, which is above many classic RPGs these days. You actually need to find Megaman’s classic helmet, he doesn’t come with it. You can also find parts that upgrade his jumping height and, skate shoes everybody, skate shoes! Megaman did it before Jet Set Radio, minus the funky tunes.

But it’s the side quests with the main story that make the series a worthwhile romp. From buying Megaman Buster parts armor and all kinds of upgrades to aesthetics and various pieces of weaponry the side quests are awesome. One of my favorites is completing the various minigames within the broadcasting building in Legends 1 because it tests my control of Megaman. But my most favorite minigame is, wait for it…kick the can! In another game a can is either stuck in one place or has no purpose but in Legends 1 in the shopping district if you kick the can into a trash can or a specific shop area you get money, somehow, this is all possible because of a superpower Mega Man has never had before, drumroll please…Mega Man, can, kick! He has a designated kick button that is from what I know meant for six things. One kicking cans, two kicking serve-bots, three kicking rabbits, four kicking pigs, five kicking dogs, and six kicking soda machines. Mega Man doesn’t seem to like animals in this series…

Besides kicking the literal daylights out of stuff, side quests also involve repairing a town, filling a museum full of reaver-bot artifacts, backtrack treasure hunting, and finding parts to upgrade your weapons. Something to be noted that I like, the side quests aren’t just reskined fetch quests, they bring various activities to the table like license exams, quizzes and so on. Again, the side quests work because of the continual emphasis on the story which to me is a good post-apocalyptic story that was akin to Zelda the Wind Waker way before Windwaker. I say this because of the endless ocean aspect, with a few islands existing that people live on. I don’t want to spoil any major story elements but for those who haven’t played the games yet you’re in for a treat. The hope I have is not just to prove to you that Megaman Legends is a great series, but to show you all that Megaman Legends is awesome and definitely a game series every gamer should play. Of course there are aspects of the game that aren’t great, but that’s not the point of this article. I hope you will play the Megaman Legends series and think fondly of it as I have.

P.S. Readers:

Mega Man Legends 3 is still in the forefront of my gaming mind. I was devastated when it was canceled. If you are like me and are still sad over this decision tell Capcom your desire for Legends 3 to come back into the forefront. Nothing is certain but we have to try, my Mega Buster salutes you.

Sincerely, Kurt Jensen

Opinion: Animal Crossing New Horizons isn’t THAT Amazing

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 09 May 2024 03:42:12 GMT

Opinion: Animal Crossing New Horizons isn’t THAT Amazing

A few months ago Gamers couldn’t go anywhere on the internet without hearing something about the New Nintendo Switch title, “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”. Celebrities played it, your friend was playing it, and reviewers well it seemed like they loved it. With a 91 metacritic score currently it feels like this game was everything everyone wanted from an animal crossing game.

The game had updated visuals, crafting systems, an endless potential for events and happy home designer’s placement system, what couldn’t the game do? However, if one but looks next to the 91 score they will see that the user score is 5.2, much lower than what the critics say. Why were normal not critic people giving it far fewer marks? I, too, am one of these “normal people” with a itty bitty blog, but for what I’m worth I wish to look at the game now that the hype has dropped, though still present, for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This article is to show what I liked and what wasn’t actually that great. If you to have an opinion of the game please comment down below. But enough with formalities, lets get this after hype review started!

What I Liked

The island setting, improved HD visuals, and dollhouse like gameplay is wonderful. Initially I was really excited for the implementations of Happy Home designer for the rotating of objects inside your house, I was not disappointed in this mechanic. I also enjoy the randomization of the nook mile ticket islands that you can visit, and on that note the nook mile system is wonderful. As I feel my tasks I would do anyways actually reward me for something. The calm relaxing music that plays in the background as you fish, dig, catch bugs, and plant helps me relax and enjoy more of my actual real life. It makes me want to get outside and do some construction myself. I also enjoy the quirky fun humor of all the island’s inhabitants.

What I Disliked

Making Money in this game is harder than it was in New Leaf which makes getting every house upgrade and civil project a long endeavor. I understand this is a game to play slowly, but selling literally tons of fruit and anything I can take days if not real weeks to achieve. You have a loan of over 500,000 bells? You won’t be able to pay that off unless you play the turnip stalk market. There is no rare bug and fish island here as there was in New Leaf as well.

And as I said before I really did not like the crafting mechanic in this game, as I desired for tools that lasted forever, not only for a handful of times. I didn’t mind this idea in Breath of the Wild as I was always feeling the sense of adventure. But here in animal crossing it feels just another way for the game to slow you down.

As good as the hype was and is?

Though a great game, no, I don’t think the game has lived up to the hype. It’s a good animal crossing game for sure, but the repetitiveness that comes with crafting and breaking tools makes the game unnecessarily stretched. I would rather just be able to buy tools that never break, and buy items that are already made aka the in game store. Instead, I need to farm to get all the pieces to make an object, it may work for Minecraft but here I think it needs to go. I would give it a 7.5 out of 10 after spending a good amount of time with it. What do you all think?

Kingdom Hearts 3-Review

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 09 May 2024 03:36:11 GMT

Kingdom Hearts 3-Review: There is a Light in this Darkness

Kingdom Hearts 3 is everything Kingdom Hearts Fans wanted from the final chapter in the dark seeker saga, unfortunately it doesn’t live up to the hype it created and teased for so many years. Though I start this review with a downer I don’t mean that Kingdom Hearts 3 is a bad game at all, in fact I think its a very good game, but much less than what it could have been. For example, each world is beautiful and represents each type of film or movie really well, treasures are placed in smart sections to fuel exploration and to use your various abilities in interesting ways. But because these areas are so big finding the treasures are more of a chore then a fun experience when your trying to find each and every one. I scaled the Frozen World’s mountain at least a dozen times trying to find each nook and cranny for treasure, when ultimately because everything looked the same it was hard to remember exactly where I had explored. I wish there was some kind of treasure notification that would go off to show when I was getting closer or farther away. Because of this, beyond the story beats, the worlds get really tedious to enjoy.

The Worlds on the positive end are gorgeous, the forest in Tangled’s world is beautiful, and the scale that the Toy Story world gives is very engrossing.

The one thing that Kingdom Hearts 2 did that I felt was one step back in the series was the linear quality of each area, while Kingdom Hearts 3’s worlds are more literally mini open worlds, whether its exploring the Pirates of The Caribbean’s sea Windwaker style, jumping off your boat to explore new islands, or scaling skyscrapers in San Fransokyo to see the neon lights above the city at night. Most of the worlds are fun to explore but others feel like they were placed in for either only a hub to buy items, do mini games at, or are less glorified versions of their former selves in past iterations. It seems in some areas Kingdom Hearts 3 does really well, there is also a step backwards. Another example of what has been done in the past with these hub worlds well was in Kingdom Hearts 2, where in places like Radiant Garden or Disney Castle. What these worlds lack in area or space, they make up with hidden secrets and worlds within the worlds. Disney Castle had the old School Mickey World, while Radiant Garden had two itself, Winnie the Pooh, and Tron. It seems Kingdom Hearts 3 has replaced these more interesting injections with lackluster food placements for a ratatouille mini game. So though the worlds are great, they really differ in how great they are. They range from blah to very good.

But what really keeps me coming back even after beating the game is the battle system, some may think of it as only a less then lovely smashed conglomeration of gameplay elements from all of the Kingdom Hearts Games, which it is, but I found it the most fun part of Kingdom Hearts 3. In fact I wanted to play the game again on a harder difficulty mode after I beat the game because I had got a handle on fighting. Like previous kingdom hearts games you have slots to attach items, upgrades, and weapons, but this time the key blades aren’t just key shaped metal bats, they have special abilities that are not just in your stats but are seen to fantastical effect. Each world’s keyblade has special attacks corresponding with their worlds. The Monster’s Inc world is more playful with your Keyblade turning into deadly yo-yos while Big Hero’s 6’s key blade, which was my favorite, uses Hiro’s Nano bots to cause huge damage. Sadly it looks like the drive forms that we were used to in Kingdom Hearts 2 are not here which is a bummer because though the key blade forms are cool, I really felt better floating with two key blades strapped to my back with black and white clothes.

Flow motion from Dream Drop Distance has been carried over and feels oh so good. It makes traversing some of these empty worlds exciting and fun, while also making it possible for Sora to fight and explore in ways he never had before. Cliffs are now just another floor to be ran on, and caves are ladders used to reach new and hidden areas. Though not every environment is made for flow motion in mind, there are enough to make it feel special. The shotlock command from birth by sleep is also applied here, and is yet another layer to an already delicious battle cake. In short battling heartless never gets boring or repetitive, and will keep me coming back to this game for years to come.

What might not keep me coming back is the story to Kingdom Hearts 3 which, do not get me wrong, is not bad, but again after the hype of all the previous games for this one, the game’s story kind of falls flat. Now saying that, I feel many resolutions have been met in regards to what fans were expecting and to me that is the sweetest piece of the story. I will avoid spoilers but I want to say, many good things happen in the last worlds you visit. There has been controversy about some parts of the story, like in the Frozen world’s story progression, which is evident once you play through it, but besides that unfortunate telling of Disney’s triumphant film the rest of the worlds are what you would expect from the story at this point. You’ll find popular characters being attacked by heartless which then make Sora and the gang jump into saving them. Usually Sora, Donald, and Goofy introduce themselves, and the characters from the world you visit do likewise. From here there is a quest to reach some part of the world or obstacle.

To say that this format of fatigue from the Kingdom Heart’s story is hard to swallow is an under statement, though if its your first time with Sora and friends you will probably be able to muster through it fine. Kingdom Hearts 3 is a triumph when it comes to combining battle systems from the whole Kingdom hearts series, tying up some loose ends in an already tangled story, and reciprocating Disney Movies into full explorable worlds with applicable gameplay that fits each one. But the short falls of hard to find treasure, off beat story points, and abandoning systems that were better in the past than what now exists in the current iteration keep it from greatness. Kingdom Hearts 3 does well in some points, but not in most. Fans will probably be sad but not disappointed. Everyone else will have an alright if not good time. Because of these reasons, the score I give the game is an 7.5 out of 10 for “Very Good”.

Barnes and Noble a no go, Book signing prep is hardish

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 05:17:04 GMT

Barnes and Noble a no go, Book signing prep is hardish

Song in head: That youtube Canva commercial music

Simply, if you sell your book on Amazon directly through Amazon KDP, Amazon’s publishing company, you don’t get to do a book signing at Barnes and Noble. This is because B & N deem Amazon competition, and a direct threat. But, if you publish your book through companies such as Ingram Spark, or Draft2Digital, B & N will be ok with holding a book signing for you. Which is confusing, because these services also publish to Amazon. But they also publish your novel to other large retailers, making your book available or usable in their system. I don’t know how this all works, I feel like I’m drooling at a math equation.

So I’m on a quest to get Rye’s Rite, and my future novels, potentially published through Ingram Spark, so that I can have a wider distribution. However, I have received an email from Ingram this week, saying my novel isn’t approved, but not specifically telling me why. It's all a big hullabaloo, but I’m trying to navigate this crazy self-publishing landscape. And hopefully one day, a traditional publisher will swoop in and adopt me as their child, stuffing me with various amounts of love and care. Besides looking into wider distribution, I have also been preparing for book signings, and festivals.

On May 11th, from 1- 4pm, my friend Erin and I will be having a book signing at Pioneer Book in Provo, Utah. You should all come, I would love to meet you. We have also applied for Orem Fest, but an approval is yet to be seen. I am just now discovering the amount of prep one needs for a book signing. Before you even sell author copies of your book, you should have a banner advertising your novel, and then a paper board introducing you as an author. On top of that, free goodies like bookmarks advertising you, are also essential. It's the classic phrase come to life, you gotta spend money, to make money. And just finding the right print shop for the banner, paperboard, and bookmarks takes a lot of time. Most of this week after everyone is asleep, I’m up making images and orders for all these advertising whatchamacallits. I feel bad not working on my new novel, Ghost Boyd, but I know I need to do everything possible to advertise myself, and my books. And so I will continue on this path, and thankfully most of the prep for the book signing and other events is nearly done. Thank goodness for exit doors.

Sincerely,

Kurt Jensen

Book Signing for Rye’s Rite, Update #2 , plus Ghost Boyd Novel Progress

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 06:02:49 GMT

Book Signing for Rye’s Rite, Update #2 , plus Ghost Boyd Novel Progress

Song in Head: A generic funky beat from a youtube ad, I don’t remember the company

Getting a signing event at Barnes and Noble is actually a lot more complicated than I realized. You may have noticed that I got an author signing event approved at a Barnes in Noble, as mentioned in my last blog post. Unfortunately, it may have been a mistake on their part, as when I got another Barnes and Noble email from a different store (I emailed two different stores close by to hopefully get two signings on different dates) they rejected me, and this is what they said:

“Hello Kurt, Your book is not in my system and since you have used Amazon to publish your book, we unfortunately cannot schedule a signing in our stores or carry your book in store.”

When I asked what I needed to do to get a signing and my book in their store they responded with:

“You would need to switch to a different publisher and then you email the store again and we will look into setting up a signing with you.Thank you…”

The other Barnes and Noble I had emailed and confirmed a signing with hasn’t responded back to me from my last email, making me think that the signing initially planned for that store is now off the table. This was strange, as I clearly sent the exact same email to this Barnes and Noble, including the Amazon link. But that Barnes and Noble said they did in fact have my book in their system. We had even set a time and everything! Maybe they didn’t read the fine print.

I should have seen this coming.

My friend and I will still be at Pioneer Book though in Provo Utah at the below time and date:

Book Signing #1 (with refreshments):

Location: Pioneer Book, 450 W Center St, Provo, UT 84601.

Date: May 11th

Time: 1 pm- 4 pm

I’ll continue trying to message bookstores to do other signings, as well as apply to a traditional publisher, of which I have tried, but haven’t got the best results (I got a hybrid contract offer once). One thing I’ve learned as an author is there is so much to learn in every aspect of writing and marketing. But if I don’t learn by doing, I won’t learn at all.

On writing news I think the 1st draft for Ghost Boyd is now at 35% completion. Going in and adding character introductions and new story beats to my outline has proven to help me progress. Sometimes I get stuck, and it's nice to have an outline to help things move along. It almost feels like I have directions from google maps, where at least I’m going in a direction and not just swerving and getting lost with no destination in sight.

Sincerely,

Kurt Jensen

Photo “Berlin Wall” by diaan11 on Pixabay

Book Signing for “Rye’s Rite” Update #1

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 04:10:05 GMT

Book Signing for “Rye’s Rite” Update #1

Song: Numb by Linkin Park

I’ve never done a book signing before, even when my first novel Rye’s Rite came out a few years ago. But the wait is over because I have planned two book signings within the coming months! Come and say hi and get your book autographed, hang out with me, and if you haven’t bought the book yet, grab a copy! The details for each visit are below:

Book Signing #1 (with refreshments):

Location: Pioneer Book, 450 W Center St, Provo, UT 84601.

Date: May 11th

Time: Still deciding, probably in the early afternoon.

Book Signing #2:

Location: Barnes and Noble, 330 E 1300 S, Orem, UT 84058.

Date: June 15th

Time: 2 PM - 4 PM (potentially will be longer).

As the dates get closer I’ll have more to post about them. I’m also working on custom bookmarks you can get for free. This is very exciting for me, and I hope to see you there!

Writing has been slow the last couple weeks, but my next novel Ghost Boyd is still progressing along. I feel like I have writer’s shame at the moment. Basically, I'm feeling bad because I haven’t written in a while. And I have had time to write, but I’m throwing it away to social media.The worst kind of writing sin.

Darn you Tik Tok.

But a newer outline has helped know what to add to the book and keep me focused. I’m combining chapters because of how similar they are in terms of location. I’m also trying to make the characters deeper and give them motivation for what they are doing. The usual writing, things. I know the first draft is always the worst, but I’m trying to make it the best first draft it can be, if that makes sense.

Keep on, keeping on.

Kurt Jensen

Image: Mayor signature sign by epicioci on Pixabay

Next novel Ghost Boyd thoughts

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 06:56:19 GMT

Next novel Ghost Boyd thoughts

Song: Peaches by The Presidents of the United States of America (The OG Peaches song before The Super Mario Brothers Movie)

If you have visited my website kurtless.com (please check it out), there is a tab entitled “projects in progress”. The first project you’ll see after my awesome progress bar that I love dearly, is my Ghost Boyd YA Novel . I named the project this because the main character’s name is Boyd, and throughout the novel he can travel from the mortal world to the spirit world in an instant. This is the project I am currently focusing on. Even after writing 25% of the first draft, I am constantly thinking about what the novel is about, how I can make it even more interesting and readable. And of course I’m thinking these things, I can hear you say, it's only 25% done! And on the first draft no less! You are right, I think.

The idea for writing this novel came as I was working on pixel art for my indie videogame, with the exact same title. Basically I’m making this video game, and thought, why not get the story down first, and make it great, by writing a novel version of it! That way I’ll know what art assets I need to do because the story will already be written. I guess one doesn’t need to write a whole novel for their script that is meant to be a videogame, but in this case, I think it would.

My thoughts surrounding this project are currently on the themes. One I was thinking would fit is “belief isn’t weakness”. And while that theme is good for what this novel will be, I understand it might change, blah blah blah. But one thing I know I want to be part of this book is the sense of childhood. I mean the familiar places in your neighborhood, the way a child looks at the world, the stories that you and your friends told each other that turned out to be false, etc. The whole book will take place close to the main character’s home. Their school, a church, an abandoned mill, a nearby frog pond, streams, everywhere a 4th grader could go. Or rather, the places that were important when one explored during summer, or after school. I’ve heard this type of video game is called “a slice of life”, and yeah I can see that. But it's also a combination of some of my favorite action RPGs, so it won’t just be a slice of life.

Incorporating these childhood wonders into a coherent, interesting, and well thought story is the task at hand, and I feel a little stuck on how to accomplish this. I’m trying to also make sure it reads like a novel, and less a video game. But I hope to incorporate all the places, characters, and themes back into its intended videogame form after the novel is done. I want the novel, and the videogame to be amazing. Stay tuned as I try to cobble all these words and characters into something coherent.

Sincerely,

Kurt Jensen

Photo that isn't pixel art by sunrisepohtam on Pixabay

Time for Almost Nothing 3/5/24

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 03:54:00 GMT

Time for Almost Nothing

Song: Nothing (cause some days, you’re not singing inside your brain lobes)

It is now 11:07 pm as I start to write this post. Today was a usual day at work, nor overly stressful, which is nice. I had planned to make dinner when I got home and eventually work on a video edit about a videogame I had played. As well as read a book about making stories, as I feel a little stuck on my next novel “Ghost Boyd”, which again is still a working title. Unfortunately none of that happened, and that was OK for today.

Part of loving someone is, as you may have heard, putting them in front of yourself. This sentimental phrase has become sort of a cliche’. But be that as it may, it's true. The moment I got home my wife said she needed help at her job. I obliged and did just that. By the time the necessary tasks were complete, I was home at around 9:30 pm. I still had to put the kids to bed and do some dishes etc., adult, parent things. And after those tasks, it was 10:30 pm.

Sometimes it's OK to not have time for creative endeavors, if the reason is proper. I remind myself on days like this. Showing love to one’s partner should never be a backup plan. Certain days do not grant you the wish of writing or video editing time. Maybe it's a sentence's worth, or one second of footage to edit only. And sometimes it's a blog post reflecting on all these ideas.

Life happens, beating ourselves up for not writing 2,000 words a day is never going to make us improve. Beating someone I would think never makes a person want to do something, instead they will despise it. There's a lot to do, always. Let's do what we can, even as time passes on without us. That was supposed to sound smart, but it wasn’t actually.

Sincerely,

Kurt Jensen

Photo by: Ri_Ya on Pixabay

Creative Project Thoughts 2/26/2024

kurtless64@gmail.com (Kurt Jensen) — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 02:46:21 GMT

Song in Mind: Stickerbrush Symphony, Donkey Kong Country 2- SNES

Finally everyone in the family is asleep and I can share some of my thoughts on the projects I’m currently creating. I put time into my creative projects usually at night when my kids are asleep. I have time to focus without being distracted, or needing to respond to someone who needs my help. And to be frank, some days I don’t even want to put time into these projects as by the time I have finished what I need to do around the house, I’m exhausted, so I just want to go to sleep. I bet a lot of parents and people can relate to that.

Like many creatives, I feel the need to put my fingers in multiple pies. I like to write, but I also like to video edit and draw. And because of this at the moment I am writing my young adult novel, Ghost Boyd , while also making a video for my youtube channel titled “ Smells like: Dragon Quest 8 ”.

If you’ve read my projects page you know that the novel Ghost Boyd is the script for the videogame it will be used for. You see, I had the game in mind before the book. But I decided to make a book because I thought it would be good to get the story correct first before making all the game assets. I could also have two products based on each other instead of just one. I could imagine myself making a lot of pixel art or 3D models and not using them. I understand there are always going to be assets on the cutting room floor, I just want to minimize the amount of it.

About the novel, I’ve been wanting to push the narrative a bit. Right now I have listed all the dungeons or places that will be the main quest of the story, but I’m trying to add snippets of story in between them to make it more cohesive. From the beginning I knew if I made a novel first, it would not suffice to just be a description of gameplay and dungeons, it needed to be an actual story one would follow. And though the game itself will be based on the book, I’m doing my best to make sure the book, and the game, will have strengths pertaining to the medium in which it will be created.

I’ve gotten the narrative with a couple of the dungeons, but I’m not even done with half of them. I know what they are, but I’m finding I need more companions the hero meets, and more villains or adversaries that block his way. Each one of these needs to have some backstory and reasons for existing. And then I also need to intertwine them throughout the narrative in a way that makes sense and is interesting, basically writing a good book.

But like I’ve said, I’m also putting my creative energy into making a video.

I like to play videogames, I find the medium so creative, literally almost every creative process is rolled into a video game. Music, story, gameplay, artistic vision when it comes to visuals, it's all there. I’m a fan of gaming youtubers, and I’ve wanted to make a good gaming channel myself for some time now. I have a couple uploads, but by watching others I realize I need to edit differently, better even. So I’m making a youtube series entitled “Smells Like: (whatever the game is)”. It's basically a series trying to pinpoint what makes certain games what they are, and entertainingly talk about them. Looking back on youtubers in the early 2000’s, I think it was so amazing that people could actually record gameplay from the games they were playing. At the time I had a gateway windows 98 computer, which with more ram, became a windows XP machine. I had no idea how to capture gameplay footage. But now as an adult, I have a Steamdeck which can basically record everything I’m playing and stream it at the same time! I now record what I’m playing so, these smell-like videos are basically me talking about what I’m playing. I want to get my thoughts about them out, so I thought this would be a good way to do that. I want to get better at editing and making videos entertaining to watch, so look out for that video on my youtube channel.

I try to work on the novel and the video everyday but sometimes I can only do one or the other, stay tuned for more updates and let me know if you have anything else you would like me to write about.

Sincerely,

Kurt Jensen