Pages from Professor Gaffer’s Bestiary

Report #1: Vlad Tepes, The Evil Lord Dracula

Evening ladies and gents! In the spirit of Halloween, I figure its the perfect time to unveil a new series of articles in which I share with you pages from my own personal Bestiary. Do not discount any information given in these reports as hypothetical drama. Every ounce of knowledge has been gained through hard-won research, and experience. Historical data, lab experiments, field research, and eyewitness accounts have all served to create this Bestiary.

Lets begin with one of the most evil beings to have walked this earth shall we?

Halloween Activiteis (Updated)

So... Today's meeting was semi productive. Sort of. However there are some things that we changed that need to be covered in this post. Here is the updated list, everyone try to bring what you said you would

PS2 → Ronald
Wii →Michael
X-Box 360→Cesar
DS x4 →Ricardo, Micheal, Dalton, and Wenji
Gamecube →Ricardo

PS2 Guitars→Luis
X-Box 360 Remotes→Alex
Wiimotes → Michael and Manny
Gabecube Remotes - Ricardo→2, Michael→2, Manny→1

Games:
Alex→Halo 3→X-Box 360
Michael→Brawl→Wii
Dalton→Soul Caliber→Gamecube
Kim→Bleach→Wii
Sarah→Force Unleashed→360
Ronald→Guitar Hero III→PS2
Michael and Joshua→Mario Kart→DS

-Odrakyr

Pokemon Love

This is my very first post and i want to point out the original Pokemon was straight the best and had the best theme song since FOREVER!! We all got to agree in that. I bet even most of you guys memorize the song i know i did so did, Paulman, Steven, and probably Michael and Ricardo. So pay your respect to Pokemon and keep on singing this song.

-Manny

Irisu Syndrome

Irisu Syndrome is a Japanese freeware puzzle game, created by a small team. The game stars Irisu Kyouko, a mysterious girl dressed in a raggedy bunny costume.

The gameplay is a bit difficult to figure out at first glance, and if you don't know what you're doing, your game will end notoriously fast.

Shapes of various colors and sizes will fall into the center area. In order to score points, shapes of the same color must hit one another while it's active, after which they break apart and disappear. However, if they are set on the ground without being activated and touching a shape of the color, you will lose health, represented by the pink bar at the bottom. It's constantly draining, but can be refilled by scoring points. Once your health runs out, the game is over.

Using your mouse, you can shoot up white blocks to lift the shapes up. The left mouse button will shoot up a regular block; right mouse button will shoot a faster one, launching the shapes higher. Any shape hit by these blocks or by another shape will activate and fall to the ground at a faster rate, but you can only destroy shapes when they are active by having them touch another shape of the same color.

The learning curve can be a bit steep, but once you get the hang of it, you may find it difficult to put the game down. The BGM playing during the game (which can be changed at the main menu by clicking on the title of the game) are also excellent, giving off a haunting atmosphere, a melancholic mood, or even an oddly cheerful feel.

As you play through the game, you can unlock various scenes involving a trio of university students out on a camping trip. Depending on your final top score, you can earn one of two endings.

Irisu Syndrome is addicting, has great music, and a very interesting plot, if you can grasp what's happening from the pictures. It is highly recommended that you try and aim to see both endings. You will shit bricks.

The game can be found here.

NOTE: Some parts of the game may require you to change your Regional Settings to Japanese.

Not for the faint of heart. Seriously.

Touhou Music God

Hello fellow members, its been a long time since ive posted something that wasn't an agenda or an announcement, so its about time i did. I was surfing the web on all topics Touhou related and came across this video, perhaps one of the most amazing ive ever seen. What makes this great is that it's not a gameplay video, which as most of us acquainted with the Touhou series know are INSANE, but rather its a music video. If you read the Touhou Review then you know how i feel about the series' music, and how i feel about ZUN. But this man exceeds all possible expectations when it comes to fan made videos. Just watch and you'll understand what i mean




-Odrakyr

Animonday

Hello everyone, the anime poll has closed. From what i can see The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya won with 13 votes. Next place was Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood with 4 votes and in last place was Lucky Star with just 1 vote. This means that if there are no major complaints that on Monday November 2nd, the Monday after Halloween, we will watch The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Check out the new poll so we can determine what episode to watch. Remember, meeting on tomorrow!

-Odrakyr

Response to Ricardo

I heard that Ricardo said that he is not going to watch the horror movie
so if he isn't going then Kevin and I aren't going.

P.S. just for Michael

Hi!

How To Draw: Robin

The Tutorial i found in a comic changed my life forever i shall share with you my experience. After this you will see life differently.

Step 1:

• Start by drawing the basic oval for a head

Step 2:

• Lightly sketch the guide lines for the eyes, nose, and mouth

Step 3:

• Finish Sketch by adding the details

5 of the Worst Ways A Movie Can End

So over the past few years i have seen a lot of movies good and bad. These are some of the worst ways i have seen a movie end.

1. It was all a dream

2. Goes to cut scene, then says "To be continued"

3. Ending the movie with the main character saying "But the story wasn't over" (Lord of The Rings). The series was long enough.

4. The main character was the killer the whole time.

5. (Possible Spoiler if your ever going to watch I am Legend) Last, makes me angry. If you ever saw the movie "I Am Legend" you know why. Will Smith sacrifices himself in the end of the movie so he could save that woman and her son, when the whole movie was based upon him surviving in a world of zombie-like creatures.

-Steven

Zero no Tsukaima "Harry Potter?"

We have Louise Francoise de la Valliere, or better known as Louise the Zero, so named due to her lack of successes in casting any sort of magic spell. The students at the Tristein Magic Academy have a familiar summoning ceremony which she must attend. At the ritual Louise manages to defy the odds and summon a familiar. Only her familiar turns out to be Hiraga Saito, normal teenage boy from Japan. He's stuck here, and she's stuck with him, so it begins.

If the people who had not watched this i suggest watching this unless if you are one of the people who purely watch gundam, naruto, bleach, fullmetal, or katekyo hitman etc. This anime has a rating of 7.5 out of 10 from a rating of me.

Halloween Activites

Hello fellow Press Start Club members. Halloween is coming up, and we covered a lot of things in today's meeting. But in order to keep track of everything ill write it down on this post. If there are any changes the post can be edited

Systems that will be brought for sure:

64 → Eduardo
PS2 → Sarah
Wii →Michael
DS x4 →Ricardo, Micheal, Dalton, and Win Jay
Gamecube →Ricardo

Wiimotes → Michael and Kim
Gabecube Remotes - Ricardo→2, Michael→2, Yuichi→1

Games:
Michael→Brawl→Wii
Dalton→Soul Caliber→Gamecube
Kim→Bleach→Wii
Sarah→Force Unleashed→360
Michael and Joshua→Mario Kart→DS

*Anyone who cosplays during the Halloween activities plays for free*

Next Meeting:
Pokemon Theme Song

Thanks go out to Kim, our secretary


-Odrakyr

Hello! This is your Secretary!
Kim
AKA: Mexsas
^o^
Well.
Let me inform you guys about Hatsune Miku from Vocaloids - which is a singing synthesizer application software created by the Yamaha Corporation.

Well this isn't exactly a review, it's more of a notice of some sort.

Well basically Miku is the main character in the series and is the most known and the most popular as well.



I enjoy the music, the fan made flash videos, and the character.
<3333

So why not fall in love with Ms. Hatsune?

Touhou EoSD Download

Since this is a PC game anyone who wants to can download Touhou. You can find it at this link. The file is in WinRAR fromat so you'll need RAR. The English patch is th06. If you have any questions on downloading or setting it up you can contact me at the Club Email which is pressstartdmhs@aol.com

-Odrakyr

Touhou Embodiment of Scarlet Devil Review

Touhou- The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil is a PC STG, a Shooting Game or scrolling shooter, made by one man: ZUN. The game is an arcade style shooter with a couple of twists that make it one of the most original, and hardest, game of its kind available. Touhou is actually a series of games with EoSD being the first of the series developed for windows.

Video Game Myth Buster Vol. 1

So there I was, 5 years old, watching my brother play Super Mario Bros. 2 and the "World 1-1" screen shows up. Then we come to the start of the game, the character falling from a door in the sky and all. Being the curious little kid, I asked: "What's behind that door?" But of course, my brother being my brother, he ignored me and continued playing the game.

So my question is obvious. What's behind that door? It's been bothering me for 11 years now.Surely the developers placed something awesome back there?

Only one way to find out.

Moved the door downwards ,using an editor on an emulator,onto the platform.

LETS DO THIS

HERE WE GO

Entering the door just has you drop from the sky again.....

Well there you have it folks. No magical dimension, no super awesome item, no secret boss lying in wait....If you listen closely you can hear my hopes being shattered.

Well ladies and gents, with that off my chest, this has been your V.P with the first of hopefully many video game myths to be tested and tried.
Pretty random, I know.

Myth Busted.

.....we cant get sued for this right?
I suppose we could call it Legend Breakers....

Cave Story Download

For anyone interested in trying out Cave Story you can download it here along with the English patch
http://www.miraigamer.net/cavestory/downloads_1.php

If anybody needs help getting the game to work, please contact the club email

pressstartdmhs@aol.com

Cave Story Review

Cave Story is a freeware action/adventure game available for the PC that proves some of the best things in life really are free. The game was developed over the course of 5 years by the hard work of one man known as Pixel, and it was translated from Japanese to English by a devoted fan.

Make no mistake, even though this game is free the polish and quality of the game is just as good, even better than most games you would have to pay for.

Story 9/10

The action adventure genre rarely has a story one cares about, the only important part being told what to slaughter mercilessly.

Cave Story’s story is presented in a very lighthearted way, yet it manages to reflect very serious matters, including the cruelty of the world and how the weak are exploited. Very rarely does a game manage to make you seriously care about your character’s actions, but Cave Story does this magnificently. Should you get the bad ending, the player will feel remorse for what they failed to do and should have been able to do.

The basic plot is you, the character, are caught in the midst of a conflict taking place on a floating island. You must help the local inhabitants, Mimigas, against The Doctor who is seeking to use them as weapons. The characters are loveable, even the bad guys (who couldn’t love Balrog’s signature “Huzzah!”?). They’ll all grow on you, and when something bad happens to them in the plots, it’s hard not to feel bad for them.

Gameplay: 10/10

You begin the game with only the ability to move and jump. Soon enough though, you’ll acquire your first weapon a rather weak pistol. Throughout the game you get a variety of weapons, like a missile launcher, flame thrower, and even a sword you throw at the hoards of enemies. Sounds like basic stuff right? What sets it apart is the ability to level up a weapon, up to level 3, with experience points. You acquire these by defeating enemies and picking up the energy they drop. When a gun is upgraded, it gets stronger, the shooting animation changes, and some guns like the Bubbler just change the way you can use them. For example, at Level 3 the Machine gun is capable of letting you hover in the air should you shoot downwards. Adding to this, the player will lose experience points whenever they get hit, thus an incentive is made for the player to get better and learn enemy patterns.

Another plus is the fact that the weapons all operate differently, unlike other action games where the weapons are mostly the same, just having different strengths. The Bubbler really stands out, creating bubbles that eventually shoot out bullets when you let go of the fire button (Great for defensive purposes).

You begin the game with a mere 3 points of health, but as you progress thought the game you will find health upgrades, along with missile capacity upgrades, to beef up your strength. Some are somewhat hidden to reward curious players.

You progress through the game by passing areas that slowly open up to you, in a manner similar to the Metroid series. The game is mostly story driven, with your character being told where to go, so getting lost shouldn’t be much of an issue. You’ll usually be dropped in an area and be told to look for your objective, which leaves a sense of exploration for the player.

You’ll definitely need your platforming skills for this game. You’ll be jumping over spikes, landing on floating platforms, and be quick to avoid instant death traps. The game is very fair, never being too hard, and the traps will be obvious to anyone who is aware of their surroundings.

Graphics: 8/10

The graphics in this game are a hit or miss. I am personally judging it for its emulation of old school 8/16 bit graphics. The sprites in this game are wonderful, yet could be better by today’s standards. The terrain and backgrounds are lovely and extremely well done.

The weapon effects are done well. The lasers look like standard laser beams, the Fireball weapon’s fire gets more and more extravagant as it levels, and so on. The Player will have fun seeing what effects the weapons have when first acquiring them.

Lovers of retro gaming will adore the graphics, while those used to the new detailed 2-d sprites games use nowadays might be a little put off.

Music: 10/10

Another area where Cave Story excels. The soundtrack for this game is amazing, and should you download the game it already comes with it for free.

Like the graphics, the music is reminiscent of old school games, with each track complimenting its respective area greatly. This helps add to the atmosphere of the game, and draws the player in during important moments like the player’s return to the Mimigia village much later in the game.

Overall: 10/10 *

Cave Story is a game that excels in all areas. With the added bonus of being free, its very hard to argue for a reason not to at least try it.

The story’s subtle deepness will draw you in, and the gameplay will keep you alert and interested in reaching your next plot objective. The replay value of the game is really up to the player, especially if you want to go for the best ending, which is doubtful you’ll get on your own the first time around. After your first time, you’ll be able to go through the game relatively quickly, in about 4 hours.

So make your next game Cave Story. It’s truly a unique wonderful experience that wins on so many levels.

*not an average of separate scores*

Animonday and Game Friday

So I was informed that we have chosen our Anime and our Game for Monday and Friday. Gundam00 and GH3 Metallica right? However i don't know who will supply it. I was under the impression that Guillermo was in charge of anime, but he didn't put his email on the list so i don't know how to contact him. Same thing for the games. I will try to get the anime but i cant be too sure if i can. As for the game, we can discuss that on Monday. If you have any info or questions email it at the address (pressstartdmhs@aol.com) or post a comment. See you on Monday

-Odrakyr

Made myself an author.
Testing.
Huzzah!

It's the V.P by the way
ah, visit my blog if you get a chance
pressstartclub.blogspot.com

Reviews

So we should start choosing who'll review what, and we'll keep track of it using this page. I will edit it as soon as people start telling me what they want to do and add it to the list. Ill go first

Odrakyr- Touhou EoSD (I know I'm playing P4, but i wont finish in time and i don't want to rush it)

For those who don't know here's a preview of Touhou

Tomorrow's Agenda

All right, tomorrow we have another meeting for Press Start. But some items of importance have sprung up since the meeting last Wednesday. In order to make sure that all matters are attended I will post a draft of our agenda on the blog. Tomorrow will go something like this (hopefully)

1. The Ice Breakers- The drawing idea seems like a good one so well go with that. This has to go fast and shouldn't take more than 5-7 minutes.

2. Technological Acquaintances- We will introduce the blog and the twitter to the rest of the group. There will also be talk of a new position created, a technological designer. As you may have noticed both our blog and our twitter look BORING. Another thing that has to be done during this segment is the creation of the email list. In order to reach everyone, and have everyone reach us, we need to create an email list, its from this list that assignments will be turned in, agendas confirmed...

3. Halloween Activity- This will take up at least 20 mins and we need to kinda cut that in half. We know it will be a game room but we don't know what type. If any other ideas are brought up we'll take that into consideration

4. Reviews- First assignments will be handed out. Pick something that you know relatively well for your first review

5. Game/Anime Day- We should get started on deciding when our first, of many, game/movie/anime day will be. We should decide what game/anime to watch. I doubt well be able to see a full length movie during lunch

Hopefully we'll be able to get through all of this tomorrow

First Post

YEAH!!! First post of hopefully many. This post is just to test it out and not really 100% this will be the official Press Start Website. Still there's a pretty good chance it will, seeing as how Paulman's site sucked. Well its time for me to start looking for better templates, sharing site info with Exec. Council, and taking a crash course in editing Html