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Author: E. Zachary Knight

Valve Hates Me, It Really Hates Me

SteamValve really hates me. At least they hate the way I use Steam. They also hate others like me. It’s sad really, but that is the impression I have received from Valve’s recent changes to Steam.

So let’s explore who I am and why that means that Valve hates me. I am a gamer. I love to play games. I have spent many hundreds of dollars on games and who knows how much on consoles. I bought a $1,000 gaming computer four years ago that is still going strong. I have bought a few hundred dollars worth of PC games and play them quite often. The PC is probably my most played gaming system. I have 206 games in my Steam library.

Despite all the above, Valve hates me.

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A Month After Metroid’s 30th Anniversary, Nintendo Announces Zelda Anniversary Stuff

AM2R: Another Metroid 2 RemakeIt has been a month since Metroid’s 30th anniversary. People have been clamoring for something from Nintendo to acknowledge this paramount game.  Instead, Nintendo sent a DMCA to a remake of Metroid 2. So people were hoping that maybe Nintendo had something else up their sleeves.

Today, Nintendo held another of its Nintendo Direct press events. In this they announced a special anniversary product for a very special franchise. And you will never guess what that franchise is.

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Oh The Games We Could Have Had; An Ode To Cancelled Games

Infinity by AffinixLast week I played a short preview of a Gameboy Color game that was never released. Infinity is a Strategy RPG by game developer Affinix. It was a planned release for the Gameboy Color but was never finished and released because publishers refused to pick it up. They were much more interested in publishing games for the newly released Gameboy Advance.

It is a shame that the game was never able to be made. Infinity is a lot of fun. Its gameplay is excellent, if a little buggy (the game is incomplete after all). The story was engaging. I would have loved to see it completed. Sadly, it is likely to never be.

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My Pokemon Go Experience A Month And A Half In

Pokemon GoI have been playing Pokemon Go since the game launched in early July. The game has had numerous ups and downs, as can be easily read about on other sites. I am not here to give a review of the game or tell you about all that. What I want to do is document my experience playing this game.

When I say play, I mean that in the loosest meaning possible. There is little play to this game. You toss pokeballs at the mons, tap furiously at the screen in gym battles, spin pokestops, and select options from menus. Not much else. But that is not what makes the game interesting. It is finding the pokemon in your daily lives in real locations. That doesn’t work out for everyone though.

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Fan Games And Fan Art; The Greatest Expression Of Fan Love

AM2R: Another Metroid 2 RemakeFan art, fan fiction, fan films, cosplay and fan games. These are just a handful of the ways that fans of fiction franchises choose to express their fandom aside from passive consumption. Not all fans have the gumption and initiative to go beyond consumption but those that do, often go the extra mile and make something that can sometimes rival the originals.

Fan creations are somewhat of a grey area in copyright law. While a lot of it is openly created and distributed, the vast majority of it is done without the express consent of the copyright owner. However, most of those copyright owners look the other way, but not always.

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How Much Would You Have To Spend To Get All The NES Classic’s Games?

nes-classic-edition-boxA few weeks ago, Nintendo announced the NES Classic Edition, a small console with 30 built-in games. These games are some of the greatest games ever released on the NES. Since the announcement, I have mentioned several times how this is a truly great deal to get all these games and a console to play them on for only $60.

However, there are some people who don’t think that it is a great deal, that they could find a much better deal getting physical copies of all these games. To me, that is clearly bunk. However, I decided to take a look at how much one would have to spend to buy all these games and a console to play them on.

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Molehill Mountain Episode 11 – The Andrew-less NX Discussion

Hey folks, E. Zachary Knight here. For tonight, I will talk about the crazy rumors about the NX. I will also have some thoughts about Batman v Superman (I finally saw it). Also, the game engine I use to make games, HaxeFlixel, has a very successful crowdfunding campaign. You can also ask me some questions too if you want.

  • 23:23 – HaxeFlixel has a successful crowdfunding campaigns. Plus I talk about games I am making.
  • 34:25 – I address the latest Nintendo NX rumors.
  • 56:00 – Batman v Superman really does suck.
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No Sega Isn’t Firing Back At Nintendo’s Retro NES

Sega Classic Game Console released in 2014After Nintendo’s announcement two weeks ago on the retro NES Classic console, people woke up to the idea of classic gaming in the modern age on reproduction consoles. This week, stories started circulating that Sega is now firing back at Nintendo by not only releasing a retro Genesis console, but also a handheld. They make this claim by pointing out the release of a Sonic 25th Anniversary Sega portable with built in games.

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Molehill Mountain Episode 10 – Laughing At The AAP

Hey folks, E. Zachary Knight here. This is another somewhat casual episode. In this episode, I will talk about the crazy new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics and some of the responses to that. There is also some cool stuff coming out of ComicCon for comic book movies. You can also ask me some questions too if you want.

  • 17:00 – The AAP Complains About Video Game Violence
  • 48:32 – I geek about comic book movies and tv shows.
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American Academy of Pediatrics Pines For Video Game Legislation In New Policy Statement

American Academy of PediatricsThis week, the American Academy of Pediatrics, a psychology guild dedicated to getting money for its members, released one of the most ignorant and laughably bad policy statements on media violence and the supposed link between it and real world violence. I can’t emphasize just how laughable this whole thing is. Thankfully, the level headed and intelligent Christopher Ferguson has responded to this.

The AAP policy statement is a great read if you are looking for some major laughs. Ferguson’s breakdown of it is also a clever thrashing of the statement and is more than worth the read. Here are a couple of highlights from Ferguson’s analysis:

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