genoboost's blog

It has been raining most of the day today, which seems to have ratcheted up my productivity a notch. I got a good chunk of writing done, listened in to KyleJCrb’s new radio show, and have now finished up a bit more of that World game map I have been working on. Still no new dungeons, but did work on some transition pieces. Check it out.

Here we see the northern river going from ice into a free flowing river. I don’t think I made the transition as smooth as I would like, But I still think it looks pretty good. This is of course the Northern part of the map,  and just east of where the snow dungeon resides.

And to the East the gentle grass slowly turns into a harsh magma filled hellscape. This will be the location of the fifth dungeon as well. Though I am still not sure exactly what my plan is for that dungeon. Perhaps it will come to me in a dream?

Also big plans for a very special Ballad of The Wind Fish tomorrow! On that note I should mention that the last weeks episodes are available to listen to on the appropriate GM4A page. I look forward to tomorrow afternoon’s show, so with that I am off!

Oh yeah, before I go, we also have a cool contest announcement coming up soon on GM4A, keep an eye out for that one!

So what if we like to do what we do?
It’s not like we’re gonna stop any time soon.

First thing is first, brand new article on The Start Screen! Check it out!

Hey! Listen! The Megas Get Equipped

The article was admittedly a rush job, but when talking about a great band like The Megas, it’s not hard to find things to say. I am thinking my next article will cover Doctor Octoroc’s 8 Bit Jesus album, as a bit of thanks for the work he is doing for me lately. Not to mention more Christmas posts are necessary all around.

No new dungeons to report today, I know all one of you were looking forward to it but oh well. I did name the water dungeon “Phreatic Caverns” after a bit of looking at synonyms of water. I like the sound of it, plus it’s all science-ish. Everyone wins! I have been thinking about how I should set up the names of landmarks and stuff. Hopefully I can come up with science names for the dungeon. It would be awesome though to use plays on names from VG inspired music things (albums, band names, songs names, etc.) for landmarks, items, and weapons. Just a thought, but I am liking the idea more and more. Perhaps a temporary defense spell called Temp Shield Solution?

It should be noted, that as an inside joke I was going to call this post “Stinkpot” but lord knows what kind of attention that might get me.

Well I have written a good bit, and even squeezed some scribblenauts into the day. I would say it was a success. Now to wait for my next paycheck so I can rock that new Zelda DS game. Color me excited!

Zelda
Is such a happy game
But Link really looks
A lot like my groin, you know

As jazz bands have standards, the types of songs many musicians rearrange and make their own, the video game inspired music world also has their standard video games which everyone covers.  It seems one of the most often rearranged, remixed and recreated soundtrack is the NES classic Mega Man 2. That is surely not to say that the game is overdone. There is one band though, who has not only taken Mega Man and created something new, but just as much, have given something back to the game. Musically they have infused the game with a new background, depth, and mentality that should have never existed in the minimalist colors and dimensions of a humble platformer from 1989.

The Megas (themegas.com) are that band. A combination of rock aesthetics mixed with nerdery, storytelling, and a sometimes tongue in cheek attitude create a stand out band in and out of video game music circles. Forming in 200X (or 2004 for non robotic readers) things started slow as a side project, but things have heated up significantly since the release of their debut album Get Equipped.

The debut album focuses on the story of Mega Man II in both song and lyrics. The concept doesn’t stop there though. On closer inspection you learn that each robot master’s theme is accompanied by lyrics from that robot masters perspective. So each song has a distinct mindset and feeling, from the loneliness turned anger of Airman in his song The Annihilation of Monsteropolis (which is also available at OCReMix) to the earnest struggle within Bubbleman in Promise of Redemption.

There are also the requisite epic battle songs like the searing Man on Fire, which looks at Heatman’s perspective of his showdown with Megaman, and the western style duel between Megaman and Quickman in the song The Quick and the Blue, which sees Quickman’s final demise at Megaman’s hands (or hand and cannon, if you want to be literal about it). There are even some unexpected twists to the supposed villians in Megaman II like anti-hero Crashman in his song Programmed to Fight. In which we see his struggle between what he is programmed to do, and what he knows is right, even if it means his own death. We also get a glimpse into the disturbingly obsessed Flashman in the track Blue Like You.

Metal Dance is of course the track for Metalman (which was also used as a remix by Mega Man influenced rapper, Random). This song gives Metalman a pompous and fight obsessed nature. How the fight turns out though, the music never seems to let on. This leads right into the near opposite of Metalman. Megaman is up against the all natural Woodman. In Carved from Mighty Oak we learn about why Woodman will defeat Megaman and “avenge the death of his robot brothers.” These are all bookended with the songs from Megaman himself. The opening track I Want to be The One introduces us to who Megaman is, and why he is fighting. The final track, Lamentations of a War Machine, is a reprise. Megaman is now reflecting on the war he fought and the decisions he has made. After fighting first hand, it seems like Megaman’s determination has begun to waver.

Will this new side of Megaman be explored in the upcoming Mega Man 3 project which is supposedly in the works from The Megas? I am as in the dark about you as that one I am afraid. For MM2 completionists, The Megas also released another single from the game after the release of their debut album, and from an unheard perspective. This is The Message From Dr. Light and in it we hear from Megaman’s very creator in an epic preamble to everything before the robot war. The song appeared on the Game Music 4 All album Welcome to World 2.

After all this hubbub about the classic Megaman 2, The Megas started to hear shouts of “But what the heck about the first Megaman!?” Those shouting loudest were East coast VG rockers, Entertainment System (myspace.com/entertainmentsystem), whom The Megas had toured with briefly around 32 Bit Genocide. Unlike most shouting on the internet though, this actually helped something. Specifically the Megatainment EP. This was a four track EP wherein Entertainment System brings in their own brand of hard rocking to team up with The Megas vocal proficiency to create a prequel to the acclaimed Get Equipped. That album, which is just as amazing, and with it’s own rougher but just as catchy style will be the focus of another article though.

The debut album from The Megas also create a great introductory album to VG Rock, as well as Mega Man in general, with it’s catchy, genre fusing style and pop sensibilities. That isn’t to say that the songs do not rock though, as anyone who has been to a Megas show can attest to. Be sure to check out their music at themegas.com. Any fan of rock music will not be disappointed with the musical abilities they bring to the table. And with a brand new acoustic album on the horizon, as well as the previously mentioned Megaman 3 project, it is certainly a good time to be a Megas fan.

Quickman and Dr Light Artwork by Rocco D. Commisso

So I had one awesome nice day off today, which has to keep me prepared for a few straight days of work. I was able to finish off a nice article about The Megas for The Start Screen, which I hope is posted soon. Only a day or two now before the redesign as well, I plan to be plugging that a bit of course. You know, more than I have been already here. I ended up focusing solely on the Get Equipped album, both for brevity, and because I was simply burnt out. Also with a full review of Megatainment being an eventuality, seems kind of redundant to cover it twice.

In GM4A news I have nailed down the layout I think I will be sticking with for the now titled Week in VGIM post I hope to be doing every sunday now. I think that is a good way to link to folks, and hopefully get some reciprocal links back as well. I am already worrying about the ability to find new videos and artwork every week though, so hopefully I can gather up some back up stuff to get me a few weeks ahead, just in case. Although if folks send me more links in the comments, that may remedy the problem as well.

Other than that, I took it pretty easy today, which is probably a bad call since I will be so busy over the next few days. Well hopefully when I wake up tomorrow I will be willing to focus on, and write up a good few articles.

Last night I worked a little more on the world map I am creating. Not as much as I would have liked, but I did finish the area containing the second dungeon as seen below.

The idea is, that the pond in the middle of the lake is supposed to be drained, and the entrance to the dungeon is underneath. Yeah I kind of stole the idea a little from Link to the Past, but so what! You also get to the small lake within a lake from the strip of land just to the east of it. I want to think of names for the dungeon, lake, and river all, but am terrible with names. Something should come to me though. This will be the second dungeon in the “game” though, with the first being a kind of “beginner” dungeon to learn the ropes and get your first real weapon. I am putting far too much thought into this, but I have this thing about adding backgrounds to and personifying everything I can wrap my brain around.

Right now though, it is Saturday night, which means I am going to fall asleep to a brand new episode of Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe, and what is this? … there is also a new Skeptic’s 5X5!? SWEET!

Danny, however, was a unique creation.
Endowed with both purpose, and destiny.

So I know that my blog posts on here have been hovering all over the “wow can this guy be any less interesting” map. Hopefully that will start to shift now that I am done launching the site, and I am back to writing full time. I starting two new articles, one is a review of Jay Tholen’s new and amazing album Danny’s Incredible 8-bit Voyage. Also doing a good write up on The Megas for TSS. I have to shoot some questions their way to make a good article though, since I can’t wing it on facts like when the band formed and stuff like that.

That reminds me, much as this blog, and of course GM4A got some sweet redesigns, The Start Screen should be getting one as well! It should be pretty epic I think, seeing as how they have a team of several people adding, creating, and suggesting designs and ideas. I wonder if a multitude of people is good. With me, I don’t know, as I can be stubborn and bossy when it comes to my site usually. Well either way I am excited to see what the redesign looks like. Especially the forums, since they have been incredibly dead ever since this second redesign. I have no idea why though. I think the forums load a little slow, plus there are so SO many topics. I tried to go the opposite basic route on my forums, and hope it works out. I think they should do the same. There are many topics on TSS that are just completely empty and useless. I think it makes people think the forums are dead, and in turn decide not to join or post. Once they trim and recreate the boards and website I think things will pick up in there again. Also, the redesign of the main site should get a fair bit of attention.

I am sad to say that TSS is not as far along as I imagined after one year, but it seems to be a learning experience for everyone involved. I have never been part of a more mainstream site and had “coworkers” if you will. So getting used to that idea is still taking some work, even this far in. Mostly because of staff changes and what have you. If you have read older entries on this blog, you will know that I am glad to see one person gone and into the abyss of the internet.

I must say that I am amazed it has been one year since the site started though. I am glad to be a part of it through the ups and downs, and do have a certain pride being part of the site now. I hope this is just one of several years to come for the site, as it finds it’s place and style in the overpopulated (and mostly pointless) world of VG news.

Also this!

That is just a taste of the enormous overworld I am trying to create using the talented Nyno’s awesome tileset she created. I am making a few edits (which I am sure will make it look crappier, sorry!) but all the hard work is hers. I am merely slapping things together like a bunch of Lego. Anyway, that up there is the Snow Mountain Dungeon. I will think of a name for it soon. I am thinking it will be the 2nd or 3rd dungeon, depending on how many I decide to make. It will get a cooler name and a dungeon boss as well I think. I don’t know why, but I like coming up with these sorts of scenarios and backstories. I guess that is the “writer” part of me, yearning to be free. Anyway, that’s it for tonight. Hope this blog post has been more interesting than the other most recent ones. Goodnight.

My circuits slow.
My moment has come.
Your speed means nothing if it’s death that you’re running from.

But I did get GM4A up and launched! Woooooooooot, that is a load off. Many little things to be done, but check out the site, and the sweet background, header, and layout, and forums, and everything else. FUCK YES! I should have been asleep a while ago though. It is one hell of a long week, and shall only become worse as this month goes on. Tons of new music to go through as well. Radio show tomorrow too. things just keep happening, but that is a good thing.

Read it on the internet, chip music is dead.
Gonna pack my bag, and move to New York City.
Read it in Wired magazine,
there’s a whole new kind of scene.
I know it must be true, they interviewed someone famous.