vili's recent activity
-
Comment on CGA-2026-01 š¹ļøāµš”ļø INSERT CARTRIDGE š¢ The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in ~games
-
Comment on Stranger Things finale discussion in ~tv
vili LinkI thought season 5 was an improvement over seasons 3 and 4. While the storyline was predictable and quite bloated, and things seemed to move on rails, I still enjoyed the ride. Kudos to them for...I thought season 5 was an improvement over seasons 3 and 4. While the storyline was predictable and quite bloated, and things seemed to move on rails, I still enjoyed the ride. Kudos to them for concluding the story and wrapping things up to the extent that they did. I particularly liked the coda, seeing how life went on with everyone.
The last episode could perhaps have been shorter. I agree that it was disappointing that they didn't do more with the army and Dr Kay. I was also hoping that El's sister would have made a more meaningful impact. But I must also say that I lost any real interest in the central conflict already a couple of seasons ago, so I guess I was just happy that things came to an end.
During this whole season, and in the finale in particular, I felt like the producers had been buried under song offers from artists and estates after the show catapulted Kate Bush's song back into the charts in a previous season. Some songs worked better than others. I love Prince but I'm not sure the two song snippets that they chose were particularly suitable for the scenes in which they featured, although I suppose Purple Rain is at least in some sense about the end of the world (the titular purple rain is supposedly blood raining from the sky: red and blue make purple).
While watching, I was thinking that I wouldn't mind a spin-off series with Dustin and Steve running a paranormal investigation agency in the early 1990s, with Nancy making appearances in her full-on Rambo mode and Rockin' Robin providing commentary.
-
Comment on Histories of the Nintendo Entertainment System and a lost communist game console in ~games
vili Link ParentPerhaps. I just didn't think either video would really generate discussion here, while I the contrast between the two might.Perhaps. I just didn't think either video would really generate discussion here, while I the contrast between the two might.
-
Histories of the Nintendo Entertainment System and a lost communist game console
Here's a a double feature about game console history: two YouTube videos that were released in the past few days. While the videos are unconnected, both are great quality little documentaries and...
Here's a a double feature about game console history: two YouTube videos that were released in the past few days. While the videos are unconnected, both are great quality little documentaries and I think when watched together offer an interesting contrast between the two worlds that existed at the time.
The Untold History of the Nintendo Entertainment System (45 min) by The Video Game History Foundation documents how the NES was launched in the US 40 years ago. While I was familiar with the main story, many of the details were totally new to me, including the prototypes and the initial ideas of what the NES might have been, and could well have been had the market and initial test audiences reacted differently.
The Hunt for the Lost Communist Console (18 min) by fern looks at the BSS-01, a video game console manufactured in East Germany in 1979. It was the only game console released in the country and I think somewhat similar to the Soviet console Turnir, as both used the same AY-3-8500 chipset imported from the West and offered a collection of Pong clones.
11 votes -
Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
vili LinkAs I was brewing my morning tea today, a thought popped up into my head: how's @tomf doing with their tea journey? Are you a tea person yet?As I was brewing my morning tea today, a thought popped up into my head: how's @tomf doing with their tea journey? Are you a tea person yet?
-
Comment on CGA-2025-12 š“āā ļøšļøš REMOVE CARTRIDGE āļø The Secret of Monkey Island in ~games
vili Link ParentThere is clearly traffic to Monkey Island, not only with LeChuck's ship, but also with the sheriff and the navigator. The number of skeletons and human skulls in the cannibals' village also...So where did the second ship come from?
There is clearly traffic to Monkey Island, not only with LeChuck's ship, but also with the sheriff and the navigator. The number of skeletons and human skulls in the cannibals' village also suggests that they likely haven't been the only visitors. Maybe that could explain an additional ship or two?
If I had written the game, I might have leaned on using the row boat and Stan's compass as a solution. Although now that you suggested it, I do prefer the visual image of a fancy high-tech yacht sailed by the cannibals!
-
Comment on CGA-2025-12 š“āā ļøšļøš REMOVE CARTRIDGE āļø The Secret of Monkey Island in ~games
vili Link ParentThe game has two different endings. If you don't sink the ship, you leave the island with the three crew members (and your ship) and get a cutscene at the end where Guybrush wonders about what...though I have a question: how DO Guybrush and the others leave Monkey Island without the ship??
The game has two different endings. If you don't sink the ship, you leave the island with the three crew members (and your ship) and get a cutscene at the end where Guybrush wonders about what happened to Herman Toothrot. If you do sink the ship, you leave the island with Herman instead (he has a ship), and get a cutscene at the end showing that the three crew members have been captured by the cannibals.
-
Comment on CGA-2025-12 š“āā ļøšļøš REMOVE CARTRIDGE āļø The Secret of Monkey Island in ~games
vili Link ParentI actually think that it's not just humour, but that the secret of Monkey Island is, or was at least at some point meant to be, that it is a video game. (I also believe it is contractually...Even many of the fourth wall breaks felt well-done ... There was a lot of self-aware humour, and many cute references to other LucasArts games too.
I actually think that it's not just humour, but that the secret of Monkey Island is, or was at least at some point meant to be, that it is a video game. (I also believe it is contractually obligatory for any respectable discussion of The Secret of Monkey Island to have at least one fool who confidently claims that they have solved the secret.)
The first game is full of pointers that suggest this, but to put together a coherent argument why I think this is the case, I would also have to discuss Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge, Return to Monkey Island, and Ron Gilbert's 2017 adventure game Thimbleweed Park. And perhaps this is neither the time nor the place for that discussion.
But if anyone here is considering playing those titles in the future, perhaps do so with the thought that the Monkey Island games might be video games about video games and video game making.
By the way, have you played Loomā¢?
I have. It is absolutely magical. In my head, it kind of exists outside of time and genre lines, as an experience more than a video game. It is very unique in that way.
Now, I know that I've been the annoying weirdo who insists that the best version of The Secret of Monkey Island is the original EGA version, but with Loom this is especially true. If anyone here is considering playing Loom, please for the love of dogs, seek out the original EGA release. I think it's one of the best examples of a remaster of a game turning visual art into "game graphics". Here's a comparison, and here's the game's creator agreeing.
-
Comment on CGA-2025-12 š“āā ļøšļøš REMOVE CARTRIDGE āļø The Secret of Monkey Island in ~games
vili Link ParentSome fun trivia: the term "cutscene" as used in gaming today was (or so they say) coined by Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert for his first adventure game, Maniac Mansion. I believe the SCUMM...The cut-aways to LeChuck
Some fun trivia: the term "cutscene" as used in gaming today was (or so they say) coined by Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert for his first adventure game, Maniac Mansion. I believe the SCUMM engine that both that game and Monkey Island use refers to these sequences as "cut-scenes" in the script. The concept of non-interactive sequences in games is older of course, but the term apparently was coined by Gilbert.
Your background and latest reaction to The Secret of Monkey Island sounds very similar to mine. The game still holds up really well, but is not quite perfect.
I actually played through Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge as well this month, and I must say it felt a bit worse than I remembered. I remembered it to be objectively the best game in the series, even if the first one is my personal favourite, but somehow Monkey 2 didn't quite click with me this time around. I mean it's not bad by any means, but felt a step down directly after Monkey 1. It could of course be just a case of too much of good stuff in one go. These games were not meant to be played with the speed that I went through them this time around. I had actually planned to play through Return to Monkey Island as well, but decided to take a break before I jump into it again, as I don't want to ruin the experience.
-
Comment on In most countries, imports from China account for less than 10% of GDP, even where China is the top partner in ~finance
vili LinkTo be honest, I donāt really know what this actually means beyond the surface level, or what the actual macroeconomic implications are. I just found it interesting.To be honest, I donāt really know what this actually means beyond the surface level, or what the actual macroeconomic implications are. I just found it interesting.
-
In most countries, imports from China account for less than 10% of GDP, even where China is the top partner
14 votes -
Comment on I don't care much for symbolism in ~creative
vili LinkThere is an Akira Kurosawa quote that I quite like. In discussion with Donald Richie (quoted from Akira Kurosawa: Interviews, p. 8), he says: āIf I could have said it in words, I would haveāthen I...- Exemplary
There is an Akira Kurosawa quote that I quite like. In discussion with Donald Richie (quoted from Akira Kurosawa: Interviews, p. 8), he says: āIf I could have said it in words, I would haveāthen I wouldnāt have needed to make the picture.ā Elsewhere (same book, p. 185), he has also expressed that "If I had a message or thesis to express, I could do so in words, and it would be much cheaper and quicker to paint those words on a sign and carry it around for all to see."
The way I see it, in a good piece of art, representation of things through non-literal constructs like symbols and metaphors is not used to hide things or to make puzzles out of them, but to convey complex ideas and feelings that would be difficult, time-consuming, or perhaps impossible to just plainly āsay in wordsā.
If you have ever read philosophers like Hegel, Heidegger, Kant or their kind, you have probably learnt how extremely difficult it is to put across even the simplest ideas, if you aim for unambiguous precision. Some have fared better at it than others.
But metaphor and symbolism is not restricted to just artistic expression. Much of our day-to-day human language actually operates in a very similar manner. In your post, for example, you write that āwhen dissected, fiction tends to dieā, but as fiction is not a living being, it cannot really die. You talk about an āelevated way to read thingsā, but you surely do not mean putting the reading material to a higher vertical position. According to you, āpeople have built interesting symbolism from [your] writingā, but again, I doubt anything is literally built in the sense of physical construction.
Iām not criticising your choice of words, of course. There is nothing wrong with them. Instead, Iām pointing out that this is how language fundamentally operates. The more abstract the topic we discuss, the more language needs to lean on metaphorical mappings, borrowing the vocabulary of one concept to discuss another. Through this process, inanimate ideas can be seen as living things that live and die (or āthriveā, āflourishā, āsufferā, etc.), the concept of vertical position can mark success or abundance (prices āriseā, you can take the āhigher groundā, when you are not doing too well you are ādownā, perhaps even ādepressedā, etc.), and abstract ideas can be a little like buildings (you āconstructā arguments, they have āfoundationsā and if those are āweakā, the whole argument can become āshakyā, so you need good āsupportsā, etc.).
Some argue that this is not just a linguistic feature, but a more fundamentally cognitive one. If this sounds interesting, check out the theory of conceptual metaphor.
In any case, I would take the view that when good art uses metaphor or symbolism, it does so by using a somewhat similar process in an attempt to grasp and represent thoughts or feelings that go just beyond the capability of language or logic. It gives us access to something that we cannot (yet) quite talk about or rationalise, but which we can understand and relate to through other means of representation. And if done successfully, that access can become more easily available to us, perhaps even develop into a common metaphorical mapping in the same way language has mapped things between domains and standardised many such borrowings. If that happens, others can later build on top of the bridges that an artist built and continue to reach even further towards the unknown through processes like reuse, reference, reinterpretation and recalibration, whether in a modern, postmodern, metamodern or whatever manner.
I know that this is a very romantic, somewhat anti-rationalistic, perhaps even mystical take on the role of arts, and I donāt claim it to be the only valid use for things like symbolism and metaphor. Sometimes itās fun to just try to crack open a narrative puzzle, too. But in many ways, I do agree with you that oneās raw visceral response is often more important, or at least more immediate, than the need to logically puzzle out details. And I totally share the view that @CannibalisticApple expressed in another response here -- pieces that work on multiple levels are also my favourite. Which reminds me that the works of Akira Kurosawa, with whose thoughts I kicked off this comment, tend to do exactly that, managing to be both hugely entertaining as well as full of social, philosophical and personal commentary.
That said, I also think that itās valuable to self-reflect, ask the question why something affects you in some way, and why something else doesnāt. Perhaps vital even, if you want to develop as an artist or just understand yourself better. So in that sense, trying to figure out the magic trick can be quite useful.
-
Comment on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 becomes first indie game to win Game of the Year at The Game Awards in ~games
vili Link ParentAs with indie films and music, it's indeed a good question what is an indie game and what isn't. The Game Awards have certainly got it wrong before. I got curious, so I dug into this a little bit....As with indie films and music, it's indeed a good question what is an indie game and what isn't. The Game Awards have certainly got it wrong before. I got curious, so I dug into this a little bit. Perhaps their reasoning here could be:
It has a publisher, Kepler
Wikipedia notes that Kepler was set up by seven independent game studios and that "Kepler itself will not interefere [sic] with the operations of each studio, allowing them to stay independent".
This year, I believe Hades II was the only game in the indie category that was self-published by the company that developed it. All others had publishers.
and a budget that dwarfs any other indie that was nominated
Reportedly, the game's budget was under $10 million. I don't know what the other games have cost to make, but Hades II is estimated to have had a budget similar to the first game, which was around $15 million.
"Indie" games are getting expensive to make.
But personally, I still see games like Hades II, Blue Prince, Hollow Knight: Silksong and Clair Obscur as indies, just they are different kind of indies than something like a single-developer shoestring budget game. Maybe there should be more categories. In a perfect world, one for each game, so that everyone could be a winner? (Making games is hard. If you manage to get something out, I think you are already a winner.)
-
Comment on Order of the Sinking Star | Official announcement trailer in ~games
vili LinkThis is the announcement trailer for a new game by Jonathan Blow, the mind behind Braid and The Witness. I think it's now my most anticipated game of 2026. That said, I'm a bit taken aback by the...This is the announcement trailer for a new game by Jonathan Blow, the mind behind Braid and The Witness. I think it's now my most anticipated game of 2026.
That said, I'm a bit taken aback by the "hundreds of hours of gameplay" claim. I like my games a bit more compact than that. But perhaps it'll be similar to games like The Witness and Blue Prince, where there are multiple levels of completion and challenge.
-
Order of the Sinking Star | Official announcement trailer
14 votes -
Comment on You're not crazy. The bugs are disappearing. in ~enviro
vili Link ParentI've used something called Maxforce ant bait gel for years. Bought a set of syringes a decade ago. The way it has worked since is that ants decide to come in once every spring when it starts to...I've used something called Maxforce ant bait gel for years. Bought a set of syringes a decade ago. The way it has worked since is that ants decide to come in once every spring when it starts to rain. I say no, put a few pea-sized nuggets of the gel around where they enter, they go wild about it, take it back to the nest and... uh... something happens that I don't really want to think about, and then no more ants inside the house until next spring, when the cycle repeats.
I still see plenty of ants outside of the house, so at least it doesn't kill everything everywhere. I can't say I'm particularly happy using the product, but it does keep the ants out for us at least.
-
Comment on How do you plan out your meals for the week/meal prep? in ~food
vili LinkFor dinners, we have a list of regular meals on our fridge door, in total currently about 80 of them that we rotate. They are divided into sections (meaty, fishy, vegetably). The lists are written...For dinners, we have a list of regular meals on our fridge door, in total currently about 80 of them that we rotate. They are divided into sections (meaty, fishy, vegetably).
The lists are written on magnetic fridge pads that allow easy erasing. Each item has a checkbox next to it. Once a week on the shopping day morning, we put check marks on the meals that we plan to cook during the next week, as we write down the shopping list. We aim to have two from each column, and then a third one from the veggies section. Checkmarks can't repeat from one week to another.
During the week, we know our "menu" and can pick whatever we feel like eating from the list on that day. But all dinners need to be cooked. Some dinners are planned for two days so that there is less cooking. Sometimes we make bigger batches (of casseroles, meatballs, falafels and such) and freeze things for future weeks.
As for lunches, we make salads, hummus, boiled eggs and such in the mornings. So, when shopping, we make sure that we have ingredients for those, including proteins like tuna, cheeses, eggs, beans and such. Some, like hummus, we make for two or three days in a row.
We also chop fruits into little boxes to remember to eat a variety of fruits every day. We tend to prepare those for three days at a time.
This may sound a lot, but it actually saves time and energy for us, as it works quite efficiently. For instance, since everything is kind of pre-planned, we can throw a lunch together while waiting for the morning coffee to brew.
-
Comment on The Charismatic Voice analyses Prince's Super Bowl halftime show in ~music
vili LinkPrince's 2007 Super Bowl halftime performance is often considered not only the greatest Super Bowl halftime show of all time, but also one of the greatest live music performances of any kind. Now,...Prince's 2007 Super Bowl halftime performance is often considered not only the greatest Super Bowl halftime show of all time, but also one of the greatest live music performances of any kind. Now, Prince has been a huge part of my life and identity and yet, for some reason, while I see merit in the performance, I have never thought of it being even among Princeās own best live shows. For me, itās just Prince being Prince on a particularly rainy night. Heās done better. I suppose it also matters that I have no emotional or cultural connection to the Super Bowl.
I donāt typically watch āreaction videoā type content on YouTube, but Elizabeth Zharoffās The Charistmatic Voice channel is an exception. She is not only educational and knowledgeable about vocal tracts and techniques, but also such a source of positivity and pure love for good music and vocal performance. She can make me smile and warm inside even on a bad day. Iāve often thought about sharing her videos here but never pushed the button until now.
Watching her react to Princeās Super Bowl performance actually made me tear up. Not only because I genuinely miss the guy, but also because Elizabethās analysis helped me understand what other people see in that performance and why so many consider it so amazing. I hope you will too.
-
The Charismatic Voice analyses Prince's Super Bowl halftime show
14 votes -
Comment on CGA-2025-12 š“āā ļøšļøš INSERT CARTRIDGE š¢ The Secret of Monkey Island in ~games
vili Link ParentYeah, I think Part One is the reason why people love the game so much. Certainly it is for me. If the first part was similar in quality to the later parts, I honestly don't think the game would be...Yeah, I think Part One is the reason why people love the game so much. Certainly it is for me. If the first part was similar in quality to the later parts, I honestly don't think the game would be such a classic.
Spending over half of your time in Part One is, I think, quite normal, even for speedrunners. The current world record spends about 13m 20sec on the first island, and about 11 minutes on the rest.
Speaking of speedruns, it's been three years since it came out, but I remember the mini documentary Secret of Monkey Island Speedrun History being really good. As was the channel's later interview with Ron Gilbert, where they talk about game design and the concept of speedrunning adventure games, which is sort of the exact opposite approach to what these games were designed for. The channel in question, OneShortEye, also has a lot of other adventure game speedrunning documentaries, including on Monkey Island 2. Highly recommended, if the topic interests any of you.
This raises an interesting (?) Ship of
TetraTheseus question that is often at the very heart of retro gaming: if we take an old game and apply a range of third party mods to it, at what point are we no longer playing the original game but something else? Or if you take a game that came out in 2002 but play a reworked version that was released with the gaming conventions and audiences of 2013 in mind, are you actually playing a "true retro game", or a modern one?I donāt mean this as a loaded question, just a thought experiment. Ultimately, the goal is to enjoy what you are playing. It would be interesting to hear though where everyone personally draws the line, if anywhere. When you play a retro game, what are you primarily trying to get out of it?
Naturally, the answer can be very game dependent. So, more concretely: what are you aiming to get out of The Wind Waker and how do you see the choice of mods or the remastered version helping you reach that goal?
I personally enjoy the archaeological aspect of playing older games and like to see what the original team put together, even if it hampers my enjoyment of the game itself. In the case of The Wind Waker, Iāve been playing the European GameCube version without any modifications, other than emulation and the save states that it offers. The camera controls took several hours to get used to, but they are now starting to become second nature. Other than that, I must say that the early game has held up exceptionally well.
I have tried The Wind Waker a few times before, but never progressed too far. Iām not sure Iāll complete it this time either ā there is something inherent about Zelda games that I donāt quite click with ā but there is an undeniable charm to this game that has maintained my interest through the first roughly five hours. So, thank you everyone who voted for this one! I wasn't too elated when I saw it on the schedule, but I had a similar initial reaction to Chrono Trigger's inclusion and that one pretty much ended up being my favourite game of 2025. I'm curious to see where the wind takes me this month.