Warp Drive

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Farewell, Satoru Iwata

I, like many others, was shocked to learn of Satoru Iwata's sudden death. Yet another tragic victim of cancer. He was Nintendo​'s chief executive officer. But he was so much more to the fans; more than a mere businessman. He himself was a gamer. He touched so many with his Iwata Asks and Nintendo Direct initiatives.

IGN's tribute illustrates the man far better than I can put into words...


IGN's A Farewell Tribute to Nintendo's Satoru Iwata

Monday, June 29, 2015

To the Moon Review

I just happened to see a Twitter message by Josh Henry​ a few nights ago about a game titled To the Moon by Freebird Games​. He was wondering how it was. I then realized I already possessed the game in my Steam library. Yet another one of those Steam games I had never touched. I probably picked it up via a Humble Indie Bundle and forgot all about it. On a whim, I decided to give it a shot. My first thought was Chrono Trigger. Something about the 16-bit graphics and the accompanying music score. As I entered the big house and found a man on his death bed, I shivered for a moment before pressing onward. I was taken aback to something I hoped I had blocked out for good. Which is, coincidentally enough, the very essence of this game. Repressed memories. To the Moon takes place in an era in which scientists can link up with dying patients and retrieve memories digitally from their unconscious minds. Think Inception or Psychonauts. As such, the game turns out being a rather emotional journey! As we begin to piece together the life of that man, Johnny, we uncover his deepest secrets. We then meet the love of his life, River, and come to understand the relationship they share. As I wrote in my Steam review, "Chrono Trigger with even more emotion and intrigue." I made note there how To the Moon is quite linear with only bits of exploration here and there. The only real puzzle is a match game completed at the end of each memory. If you enjoy rich stories, however, it is definitely worth checking out. It is a heartfelt experiment in human feeling! As one final note: You will cry!

Monday, March 16, 2015

The Grig Saga (Work in Progress!)

The Grig Saga is a *work in progress* origin story and potential reboot to Space Ruckus. I, however, have no intention of developing this into a video game. It is merely a story; a work of fiction. Try not to take things too seriously.



Table of Contents
- Chapter 1: Worlds Divided
-- Act 1: Pride of the Galaxy
-- Act 2: Rogue Inquiry
-- Act 3: Basic Training
-- Act 4: Storm of Storms
-- Act 5: The Great Confrontation
-- Act 6: Goodbye Orthian Pie
-- Act 7: Heavens Above



Act 1: Pride of the Galaxy

Orth, fifth planet of the lonely Zeboran system. Home to a relatively peaceful race of bipeds, having only recently begun to harness the power of the universe for their enrichment and evolution. The proud Orthian race has established orbital bases in neighboring systems, and even colonized a few previously inhospitable planets. Their mission is one of exploration, growth and sustainability.