In between DDR, organizing Aniwave, jobs, and superfluous things like eating and sleeping, I have somehow managed to read a bit of manga. My latest interest has been Q-Ko-Chan. It's a two volume manga with a very unique art style and thoroughly confusing storyline.

Q-Ko-Chan comes to us from acclaimed artist Ueda Hajime, who previously brought us the wonderful FLCL manga. True to his own artistic sensibilities, Ueda has created an original concept with all new characters and designs. Yet some similarities to FLCL are still evident with it all revolving around giant robot battles. Much as FLCL was not really about robots, so too Q-Ko-Chan focuses on the relationships between its characters.

Being such a visual person, I am most fond of Ueda's art. The plot and writing of the manga is not perfect to be sure. In fact, I intend on reading it again, now that I understand a thing or two about what's going on. Because the first time trough, especially in the first volume, very few things actually made sense.



When it comes to the art, however, I was very pleased with it from the start. One of Ueda's stylistic choices that particularly appeals to me is his sparse use of lines. At times his faces and characters are drawn so minimally that certain features are simply left out. There has been some criticism of this style as a result, though not from me. I find that it is simply beautiful how Ueda can convey the meaning of a cell with so few elements. This, perhaps more than anything else, demonstrates to me his aptitude for design in manga.



When it comes down to it, if you are more artistically inclined in your enjoyment of manga, then you would probably benefit more from this review [via Read About Comics]. On the other hand, if story is just as important to you, if not more so, then I might suggest the blasé review [via Prospero's Manga].

Let's face it. Whatever your take, it's hard to find a robot much more kawaii than Q-Ko-Chan!

For about a year now, I have increasingly found that there seems to be less time for physical activity. Sure, that's an excuse in itself. But whatever the reason, it feels like it's harder to get some exercise. I have been busier, there's no doubt. Yet even in my leisure time I am more likely to blog or play games and watch anime and the like. Such is the life of the otaku.

When I started playing Guitar Hero and Frets on Fire, more and more I felt the desire to play DDR again. That's when I realized that this was the solution to my physical activity dilemma. I could be playing a game, brush up on my DDR skillz for whenever other opportunities would present themselves (i.e. Animazement) and get this body in better shape at the same time! A winning combination all around.

These days it doesn't take much to get dancin' DDR style. All you need is a pad, PS2-to-USB adapter, and StepMania. So you don't even have to buy the game anymore. Now, I wanted to save a little more money, and found an additional alternative for your dance pad option.

Normally, you'd want to get a good quality foam pad, which can cost about $90 or so. Buying an inexpensive soft pad is not a recommended choice. That is, unless you're up for a little DIY project. I found an excellent guide for modding your soft pad. My version is what you see pictured above, and it works very well. Though I did use slightly different materials at three parts of the guide.


For the vinyl runner, I bought one which had a rougher surface for better traction. Also, I did not use clear tape to adhere my pieces of the runner, but instead opted for a liquid vinyl epoxy. This allows for much better longevity, as tape would eventually discolor and start to come off, in addition to being more slippery under foot. Here's a breakdown of the total cost for this project...

• USB Adapter: $18
• Softpad: $20
• Foam Mats: $17
• Black Duct-Tape: $6.50
• Carpet Tape: $9
• Clear Vinyl (8 ft.): $8
• Vinyl Epoxy: $10
• Plywood: $0
• DIY Satisfaction: Priceless!

The plywood was a scrap piece I got for free, and I wanted to make sure I used plywood because it is stronger than particle board. The guide linked above uses particle board, but I was worried that it would crack during more vigorous dance sessions. The total price of the project comes in just under $90, which actually means that I didn't save as much money as I had hoped. Nevertheless, the project was quite fun and I am glad to have done it.

The advantage to a modded soft pad such as this is that it's actually stronger than a foam pad for the same price. Also, if the pad itself ever wears out, I can take it apart and buy another soft pad to replace it with. That's much cheaper than having to replace the entire pad.

My previous USB adapter that I was using for the guitar controller did not support dance pads, hence the additional cost there. So I had to spend a little extra money to get a proper adapter from Play-Asia. I went with the StepMania recommended choice, the Dual Shooter EMS USB2. Not only does it support pads, but also light guns, and it has two controller inputs. That means you can even do two pads or guitars for some multiplayer action.

Since the completion of this project, I've been playing quite a lot. It feels good to get up and move! Now I just need to keep on practicing so I can hit those harder songs. Wish me luck!

Over the last several months, Nifflas' new project has been getting a lot of attention. Not that anyone found this to be a surprise, as the independent gaming community is well aware of his reputation. His previous games, most notably Knytt and Within A Deep Forest, are renowned for their unique style and high quality.

Knytt Stories is the next addition to his portfolio, and we have already previewed and praised it at Indygamer. I personally put WADF at number one in my list of art games, and was happy to receive word from Nifflas in regard to that post. Since then, I was given the opportunity to preview the game itself, and I would like to share my thoughts on it with you.


The most prevalent design element which I see in all of Nifflas' games is minimalism. This does tend to come in varying degrees, but each title that he produces seems to follow the old adage of "less is more." Knytt Stories continues in this vein in all aspects as much as its predecessor, and that is in no small part a contributing factor to its success.


Knytt Art

The art style of Knytt Stories is certainly the first indicator of its minimalist approach. It is after all the first thing that the player sees. The environments in the game are always clean and effective. Clean because of some good spriting work, often foregoing dithering techniques in favor of simple geometric patterns. This is true of most foreground elements, while background elements will more often utilize a monochromatic pallet.


The backgrounds themselves range from either flat colored monochrome scenes, or more subdued and ethereally soft gradations. In all cases, the graphical elements blend together and create a strong interactive composition.

What is also interesting to note is how much attention was paid to lighting in the construction of the environments. Areas which in reality would have limited natural light tend to exhibit more contrast in their color palette. Indoor areas are a good example of this, with the foreground and background colors being further apart in tonal value. On the other hand, outdoor scenes with unobstructed sky share similar colors and have a much softer appearance, almost as if some natural elements like sunlight or fog were washing over the colors to give them such a quality.


In essence, the artwork of Knytt Stories has impressed me even more than that of its predecessor. The simplicity and clean appearance of this game creates a powerful visual composition that is a delight for my eyes. It gradually undulates between gentle and strong colors that lend it just enough of the appropriate emotional quality in each scene. Yet there is never so much going on at once that it becomes occluded.

There is one danger that I have come upon in the game, which is a direct result of such beautifully crafted artwork. Many times as I ventured into an unexplored area I would be so taken by its new visual attributes that I just got lost in it and forgot where I was going. This is part of Knytt Stories' charm for me as an artist. I suppose many gamers won't have such a reaction to it, but some of you may. And allowing yourself to experience the game's art in this way can only enhance your overall enjoyment of it.


Knytt Sounds

The auditory stimulus of Knytt Stories is further proof of its minimalist design ethic. Naturally, all sound effects and music are in the style of electronica which Nifflas is already known for. I would say that much of the music is ambient, with a few exceptions in some areas which are distinctly different in visual style from the rest of the environments in the game.


When the player transitions from the less unconventional areas, if there is such a thing in Knytt Stories, to something like a snowy mountain top or a lava cavern, the music picks up in accordance with this change. Still electronic, it does at times bring in a little flare of Jazz into the mix. In the end, it always comes back to a more minimal and ambient melody or instrumentation.

One of my favorite audible experiences in Knytt has to be the occasional absence of all background music. A few areas will exhibit this, in which case the only sounds left are the pitter-patter of your Knytt's little feet. This, I have to admit, is quite adorable. Like a little church mouse, the Knytt scurries and pounces across the screen.


The reason for why this in particular has such a strong effect is because of that very absence of sound. When you remove elements from a design, whatever elements that are left gain emphasis, and their effect is that much stronger. This remains true throughout the game, as areas where there is little sound serve as a counterpoint for the areas where music does begin to play. Just as Nifflas accomplished this visually, so too the sounds of Knytt undulate in their intensity as you move through the game world. Ultimately, the auditory experience of this game is thoroughly enjoyable, no matter at which point in it's flow you may find yourself. And again there were times where I simply had to stop and listen to the music for a little while on account of its sheer artistry.


Knytt Play

The foundation for gameplay mechanics in Knytt Stories naturally stems from the preceding game, Knytt. At first glance, it behaves much like most platformers. There's running, there's jumping, and there's gravity to make it all work, etc. The primary difference between Knytt's gameplay and that of most of the genre is the ability to climb walls. This sounds very simple, but as I have said already, this is a game of effective simplicity.


This one seemingly minor addition to your available actions changes the way you play the entire game. Unlike a typical platformer, Knytt has you spending about as much time climbing walls and jumping off of them as running on the ground and jumping onto platforms. As such, the games design takes off in this direction with facilitating exploration on both axes. Granted, this is not a novel invention, but it is done in a unique way, because I cannot think of any other 2d platformers which make climbing walls such an integral part of the game (though there may be a few I'm simply not familiar with).

Knytt Stories takes this mechanic a little further by limiting your abilities to perform these actions initially. You start with just being able to walk and jump a little, and you must get powerups that will allow you to run, jump higher, and climb walls. Further additions to your repertoire of skills not present in the original Knytt include a double jump, an umbrella to slow your fall, and an eventual "holographic decoy" generator.


This set of abilities is also not a new invention, but they do complement the traditional gameplay of Knytt wonderfully. Once you obtain these abilities, new dimensions of gameplay become available which you must utilize to explore the game world. As expected, all game mechanics are highly polished and never feel out of place. I think it's easy to take for granted the simplicity of the actions you take in such a game, yet it should be noted that it is because they work so well and are so solid that we do not often notice them.


Knytt Close

Each of the artistic parts of Knytt Stories is certainly admirable in its own right. A screenshot of the game's art is appealing enough to me to hang on my wall at ten times its original size. Its music I will undoubtedly be listening to for months to come, and the gameplay itself is good enough to stand on its own.


However, that is not what games are about. Games are about the totality of all these elements which then culminate in the players experience. It is unfortunate that there are different approaches to experience which then result in the experience being more or less amicable, but such is the nature of things. I would like to propose that there is probably a better way to experience Knytt Stories. It's simple and perhaps an obvious way, but it has the potential of enhancing the game.

It is recommended that the game be played with the best possible audio equipment, and the volume turned up to a clear and audible, but comfortable level. Good quality headphones serve this purpose well. In addition, it has to be played fullscreen, of course. A bigger screen is probably better. Finally, it is important to come to the game with an open mind. To elaborate, if you've been playing WoW and Halo for months, you will probably not enjoy Knytt Stories as much.

The fewer preconceptions you can bring with you the better. Not because your expectations will not be fulfilled, but because this game is a different experience than much of your standard gaming fare. Come to Knytt Stories relaxed. Come to it as you would come to an old friend you have not seen for years, and it will treat you well. If you can manage to do all this, it is unlikely that you will be disappointed.

This morning I was able to publish the brand new Aniwave website, official home to the new series of anime events coming to Wilmington this fall. Just to update those who are unfamiliar with this project, Aniwave is currently comprised of two anime screenings and one tour of a large costume exhibition for cosplay enthusiasts. A few things have changed since my last post on this.

The first screening will take place at Jengo's Playhouse (part of the Independent Art Company) on September 22, and the second screening is going to be held at the Cameron Art Museum on November 2. The costume exhibit tour will also be at the Cameron Art Museum, but I have yet to finalize the date for that. An additional segment may be added to these events in the near future if I can make it happen.

Sponsorship is being graciously provided by Fanboy Comics and AnimEigo. Both are local businesses and have been enthusiastic in their support for these events. For further details on this, please visit the official website noted above. New information will be posted as it becomes available, and you also have the option of subscribing to the site's feed and be notified of updates.

Last night Nikki and I went to see a very powerful film. It was none other than The Devil Came On Horseback, a documentary about the atrocities occurring in Darfur. To describe the experience as gut-wrenching would be an understatement.

Three years ago I had no idea about anything that was going on in the Sudan. That is, until I watched an eye-opening episode of NOW with Bill Moyers on PBS. It had explained in vivid detail everything that had been going on in Darfur for many years, and I was surprised that I had not heard of this before. Why was the media so quiet on this issue?

I would like to think that since that day, things have changed a little. I would like to believe that the world is now much more aware of the genocide in Darfur, and that we all want to see action taken against these senseless killings.

The independent gaming community has also taken note of these events and as a result we have one creation which specifically deals with this issue. Darfur Is Dying was difficult for me play, especially after having watched the film last night. Yet it also helps to demonstrate not only the nature of the situation, but persuade the player to act on the experience this game provides. Additional games of a related nature are 3rd World Farmer, and Oil God.

To learn more, you can also visit Enough Project. Additional resources for what you can do to help can be found at Global Grassroots, Three Generations, and HOPE Artists. I know it seems like there is nothing we can do. But there is, just as these two women have proven.

I like this song very much; it's unfortunate that I know little Spanish. She conveys the feelings that I've been having lately. It's been very hot, and with such high temps and humidity, going outside is like going to the sauna. You can't help but sweat.

Perhaps because she doesn't go outside either, I empathize with her. The artist is JD Natasha; the song is Lagrimas.

Not too long ago I was honored with the opportunity to serve as a judge for the Arete II walling competition at Minitokyo. The restrictions for this contest were that artists had to use a specific Kunie Kanbara scan to create their walls with.

After all the submissions came in, which we had a total of seven, I could get to scoring each based on technical ability, aesthetic ability, and original quality. Once all the judges sent in their scores, the winners were determined to be as follows.

First Place: Naomi-chan2612


Second Place: Regenbogen


Third Place: Artgeek12


Please visit the competition results page for the rest of the submissions. Though they did not place in the top three, they all deserve recognition for their efforts. In addition, that page lists all of the judges' comments on each piece. Naturally I can't repost my comments here on account of such an act dissolving my anonymity as a judge.

Recently I’ve begun to ponder the meaning of art, and whether or not it is necessary or simply a luxury for me. For someone who claims to be an artist, I do surprisingly little art, and do not consider it a viable source of income. Michal sees art as a necessity, and as such, we argued over the true meaning of art one night. Seeing as I had so little backup for my argument, and never finished my reasoning for this belief, I'd like to take the time to write a little bit of my history with art and why I would say something like this.

Art has been a journey in my lifetime. I explore what it means to be a human, and to be a woman in this modern world. However, it is purely for my own pleasure as I do this. I've even said that I express myself better in my art than I do in any other means. Emotion plays a strong role, and therefore, several of my paintings range between ecstatic to morbid. I rarely show my work to the public. Even now, I have art hanging up unlabeled at a small local coffee shop; unknown and un-priced! Oh, the travesty. I keep telling myself that someday, I'll bring labels to hang up, but I know that I won't.

When Michal and I first met, he hung a student show containing nothing but my art. I believe I just turned 18. I was a very quiet person back then, and very content to remain so. During that first year of college, I painted like a madwoman. Some of my best works were made in that time. In fact, the painting which sparked Michal's first interest in me was made in that time. Here she is shown above, very small compared to the original, which is the largest painting I've ever made. (~5'x6') I still have mixed feelings about her, and about all my art. Sometimes I think about giving it up, along with all my pieces, donated to some charity or other.

I remember writing for one of my many, many college courses a paper on the philosophy of art. Not to bore you with mundane movements of recent past, art has been a long process over thirty thousand years old. That's how old they say the paintings in the French caves are. Who am I to debate carbon dating? Supposedly, everything in art revolves in a cycle, doomed to revolve around the fads and fashions as each era passes, and each generation of people adopts these elements as their own. To say my art is unique among thousands, where thousands of people have used the same instruments as I, and employ similar techniques seems absurd. In my paper, I attempted to describe what it meant to be an artist and the philosophy of creation. In essence, after many events, I now question if my passion for art is the same as it was five years ago, or ten, or fifteen. Ever since I was a young girl, perhaps as young as seven, I told myself that I would be an artist. Now that I am older, I doubt my reasoning for all my actions thus far in my life. "What the hell am I doing in North Carolina," is a frequent question that I ask myself. "What is next?"

While some may debate these vague thoughts of mine, I know that my pursuit of art is a luxury at this time and place. To be a successful artist takes great effort and communication, and these are things that I haven't done. This is not to say that I won't ever make the attempt, but so far, the time is rapidly ticking away, and the artist is lazy.

On Saturday morning I got up a little earlier than I would normally. I wanted to get started on my culinary contribution to the Coastal Cosplay Picnic first thing. Having made my choice to provide a vegetarian dish for this event, since I hadn't seen that addressed by anyone else, I kept it simple and made a pretty good tofu salad. Even though a total of three people actually ate any of it, and that's including myself.

We ended up with a ton of food, so there was plenty for everyone. Lots of cookies, cakes, chips, sodas, and a whole cornucopia of junk food was available. We even had hot-dogs, since no picnic would be complete without them, and there was a whole lot of Pocky, since no cosplay event would be complete without those. I actually enjoyed my own salad quite well along with the rest of the picnic food. After all, us "old" people need to heed our nutritional needs.

At one point we had an impromptu photo shoot, and soon thereafter a water-gun fight broke out. I managed to remain dry and got away unscathed from the cutely aggressive anime fangirls. Once things started to wind down, I had a chance to talk more with a few attendees and got to know some of them better. Of course I promptly forgot everybody's name right after leaving, but c'est la vie. They probably don't remember my name either, but at least I'm cemented in their memories as "the Polish guy."

I uploaded the photos I took to a Picasa album, though I somehow thought there were more pictures. Apparently I was too busy yakking it up and forgot to take shots during other times of the event. No worries, there were plenty of cameras present. Oh, and I did steal everyone's email address, leaving me the pleasure of spamming their inboxes. Er, I mean sending them information about upcoming events... and stuff. No really I'm kidding about the spam.

It was quite nice to actually meet with some local otaku, even if I was probably the oldest one in the group. Now I just need to get all the dates and such finalized for the anime screenings here in town so we can get together again. Right now, I got September 22 for the screening at Independent Art Company, and a possible November 2 for the Cameron Art Museum. I'll be posting and emailing everyone as soon as I know more.

As an afterthought, I would like to provide the recipe for my salad here, just in case anyone is interested. It's pretty simple, and needs the following ingredients: 1 head of red leaf lettuce, 1 white onion, 1 cucumber, 1 tomato, and 2-3 tofu packages. The tofu needs to be drained overnight, by leaving it inside a container in the fridge. Once drained, it should be cubed, and marinated with salt, pepper, oil, and whatever other seasonings you like (i.e. paprika, Italian seasoning, etc.). Distribute the tofu cubes evenly on an oiled pan, and bake in the oven at 450 for 30 minutes. Next, remove the pan, stir the tofu and put it back in the oven to broil for 10-15 minutes. Once done, let it sit out to cool fully.

The salad itself only involves chopping the lettuce, onion, cucumber, and tomato and combining all ingredients with the cooled tofu cubes. Then just toss the salad, and serve with an Asian dressing (i.e. sesame dressing or ginger dressing). I made my own using oil, vinegar, sake, soy sauce, ginger, and spices. So there you go. Take my word for it, it's good stuff!

Update: Yay, thanks to Pippin, we got more pictures... Picture 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. To those who weren't there, I bet you can't guess which nerd I am!

Update: More pics have come in. First, Sudanro posted his set in the forum thread here. Then there's another album from gmstrowabarton, via flickr. And, at last, a very nice photo of me in this set from kawaii-ness. Yes, she's now got my soul, but for a good picture it's a fair trade!

Update: Last but not least, probably the largest picture set yet comes our way courtesy of Quadrain. Check it!

Since posting the Art Games: Best Indy Titles list I have been the subject of much criticism and controversy. One may think that this is better than no response, yet I have to wonder. Still, it is an approximate 1% out of everyone who has looked at the list that took the time to respond. Not sure whether this means that the other 99% liked it or not. I suppose there's no way to tell.

Since I clearly missed some games, those who were not included would naturally be unhappy. On the other hand, those that were included didn't seem to have any objections to the list. More positive receptions came from the creators Raph Koster, Tale of Tales, and Xii Games.

I am debating a revision to the list, with additional games that have been suggested by some of the commenters. I wonder if time will permit more work on this, since the first list did take some time to compile and rate. I'll see what I can do.

I normally would say something about "I encourage you to comment," but I'm a little hesitant to invite any further wrath from gods of gaming. In the end, it's another testament to the old adage that "you can't please everybody."