Monkey Island Wednesday
Hey folks! Just a couple of quick things to entertain you - I just don't think a full post is in me for today.
I've probably mentioned in the past that one of my favorite video games of all time, if not my actual favorite (which is possible), is The Secret of Monkey Island. SMI was one of a number of now-classic games by Lucasfilm Games, now LucasArts (the computer games division of George Lucas' movie empire), using the original game engine developed for Maniac Mansion (another great game). When I was a kid, I played a number of LucasArts games, notably Star Wars: X-Wing; Monkey Island was, in my opinion, the best of the bunch. What made it great wasn't the graphics or effects (particularly since I didn't get a hold of it until games like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom had already been released), but the comedy aspect - the jokes are still hilarious to this day, and they drive the game. I also loved the games that used the Maniac Mansion engine because, with few exceptions, you couldn't actually die, and there were multiple solutions to a lot of the puzzles. Where am I going with this?
Booyah! The entire game, played and recorded by some nerd on the Internet and presented like it's a full length feature film, almost. There are a couple of great, and only semi-defunct, websites dedicated to the game: The Legend of Monkey Island, World of Monkey Island, the Monkey Island Wiki, and the SCUMM Bar. Having recently gotten a bit interested again in refreshing some of my nerd skills from middle school and high school, it was inevitable that Monkey Island would come up. I hope that anyone of you who actually takes the time to watch the video enjoys it.
Also, a handful of you may actually remember Tactical Decision Game #1, which used the map of Monkey Island from the game to simulate the island of Saint Michelle. I swear, one of these days I'm going to finish up a campaign-level TDG series and go through it with you folks.
Here's a satellite image of the the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station outside Chernobyl, Ukraine. While the Chernobyl disaster was terrible, it's worth noting that fewer people died or were affected than is normally believed, and the Chernobyl area has become a thriving ecosystem once again. Most of those who believe that the United States shouldn't go nuclear cite Chernobyl as an example without much understanding of the actual situation and history there. American reactors employ more sophisticated controls, and are operated by more qualified technicians, than the old Soviet-era reactors ever were. (Even so, the various spots on the Chernobyl satellite map are still pretty fascinating to look at!)
Right then, folks, time for me to keep moving. Have a great Wednesday!
UPDATE: I considered pulling this post a few minutes ago when I learned of the death of one of my all-time favorite authors, Arthur C. Clarke. (BBC, CNN, Times Online, Guardian Unlimited) I don't have the time at the moment to do a tribute article, so I'll plan to save that for tomorrow. Suffice to say, though, I'd read a number of his books, and absolutely adored them. More on that tomorrow morning.
TSTF
I've probably mentioned in the past that one of my favorite video games of all time, if not my actual favorite (which is possible), is The Secret of Monkey Island. SMI was one of a number of now-classic games by Lucasfilm Games, now LucasArts (the computer games division of George Lucas' movie empire), using the original game engine developed for Maniac Mansion (another great game). When I was a kid, I played a number of LucasArts games, notably Star Wars: X-Wing; Monkey Island was, in my opinion, the best of the bunch. What made it great wasn't the graphics or effects (particularly since I didn't get a hold of it until games like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom had already been released), but the comedy aspect - the jokes are still hilarious to this day, and they drive the game. I also loved the games that used the Maniac Mansion engine because, with few exceptions, you couldn't actually die, and there were multiple solutions to a lot of the puzzles. Where am I going with this?
Booyah! The entire game, played and recorded by some nerd on the Internet and presented like it's a full length feature film, almost. There are a couple of great, and only semi-defunct, websites dedicated to the game: The Legend of Monkey Island, World of Monkey Island, the Monkey Island Wiki, and the SCUMM Bar. Having recently gotten a bit interested again in refreshing some of my nerd skills from middle school and high school, it was inevitable that Monkey Island would come up. I hope that anyone of you who actually takes the time to watch the video enjoys it.
Also, a handful of you may actually remember Tactical Decision Game #1, which used the map of Monkey Island from the game to simulate the island of Saint Michelle. I swear, one of these days I'm going to finish up a campaign-level TDG series and go through it with you folks.
Here's a satellite image of the the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station outside Chernobyl, Ukraine. While the Chernobyl disaster was terrible, it's worth noting that fewer people died or were affected than is normally believed, and the Chernobyl area has become a thriving ecosystem once again. Most of those who believe that the United States shouldn't go nuclear cite Chernobyl as an example without much understanding of the actual situation and history there. American reactors employ more sophisticated controls, and are operated by more qualified technicians, than the old Soviet-era reactors ever were. (Even so, the various spots on the Chernobyl satellite map are still pretty fascinating to look at!)
Right then, folks, time for me to keep moving. Have a great Wednesday!
UPDATE: I considered pulling this post a few minutes ago when I learned of the death of one of my all-time favorite authors, Arthur C. Clarke. (BBC, CNN, Times Online, Guardian Unlimited) I don't have the time at the moment to do a tribute article, so I'll plan to save that for tomorrow. Suffice to say, though, I'd read a number of his books, and absolutely adored them. More on that tomorrow morning.
TSTF
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