Bricked Up

 Among the New Year's resolutions I'm trying to keep is to cut my spending, which includes all the LEGO mini sets I've bought from Walgreens and elsewhere.  Actually, I was dead set on quitting LEGO's and other toys altogether to save money and legroom.  But something happened while spending the holidays with family, specifically when deciding the best Christmas gift for my nephew.

LEGO City: Construction Steamroller (60401)

Actually, it was recommended that I just get some putty for my nephew.  When all I could find was slime, I wound up grabbing this set from the pile and wrapping it.  But though the nephew was old enough, I found out firsthand that tiny building blocks were not his speed.  So long story short, I ending up building the thing myself and giving my family a neat little display piece for their kitchen.  Right after, I was asked a favor . . .

Opmind 5-in-1 STEM RC Robot Building Kit (Samurai/Ninja)

Front View with Remote Control

Rear View

Along with the retro gaming console from my last post, my relatives dug up this building set from the basement, hoping I could complete it for the nephew.  I didn't mind, as it give me something to do between eating, gaming, my phone and Netflix.  A very LEGO-esque off-brand toy, this had more than 100 parts, ran on both AA and AAA alkaline batteries, and even the thumb sticks on the remote control needed assembly.  It could also run on a phone app and assemble into multiple forms.

Though technically my biggest LEGO project to date, the hard part was finding all the batteries.  Much like how playing fewer video games made me love gaming again, actually working on the toys I have had also renewed my love for LEGO's.  Coming back to both hobbies refreshed, there's still one issue left to deal with.

LEGO Minifigures: Series 27/28 (71048/71051)

Series 27

Series 28

This is where it all started and, for a time, where it ended.  Since being able to buy the figures without having to buy the sets,  I've rounded up quite a few (duplicates) through the years.  Never having actually completed a set till I collected the 2nd round of Disney figures.  At which point I've quit LEGO's cold turkey.  But these latest collections have pulled me back.  I needed just 4 more figs to complete Series 27 before my local Walgreens stop selling that and now had Formula 1 Mini Race Cars in stock.  Then they put up Series 28 and against common sense and fiscal responsibility, I grabbed my first 2 (pictured above).  At this point, I'm now committed to completing one set of figures or the other; then, no more figures.  Though I'll keep building LEGO's in general.

While waiting to see how that goes, I've got more toys that I'm excited to unbox.  I hope you'll view my next blog as the Top of the Heap seems to keep stacking up.  See you next time.

Out of Pocket

 Spending the holidays with family, I was at a loss over which gaming handheld I should take with me.  Ultimately, I went with what could fit in my backpack along with a change of clothes, Christmas gifts for family, and my toothbrush.

NEOGEO Edition Super Pocket

Released by HyperMegaTech!, a subsidiary of Blaze Entertainment, the NEOGEO Edition Super Pocket is the latest in Evercade's ecosystem of consoles and handhelds.  With 14 NEOGEO games pre-installed, what really caught my attention was that the Super Pocket is an officially licensed NEOGEO console, making it the cheapest console from the brand at $70.  And Amazon's Black Friday sale was the perfect excuse to finally give in.

Though my biggest incentive for buying the Super Pocket was to bundle it with a game I've wanted forever (more on that in the not-too-distant future) . . .

I tried out the pre-installed games for a change of pace, and realized what I was missing.

I've played NEOGEO games before, with my biggest investment in the rebooted Samurai Shodown and both volumes of the NEOGEO Pocket Color Selection.  But without a multitude of other consoles distracting me, I could focus more on what I was playing at the moment.  So far I'm enjoying The Last Blade and Samurai Shodown II, but I'm blown away--so to speak--by the insanity that is Metal Slug X.  My one complaint is that the Super Pocket's namesake form factor's a little small for my hands (as are most portable systems in my collection).  So now I'm checking out the Evercade EXP line of systems for their bulkier design.

I'm fine with getting almost no gifts as I shop for myself all the time.  But then a relative gave me this, probably figuring I'd make better use of it than he ever did . . .

R36S Game Console

Housing over 22,688 emulated games (most likely copies), I've come across a few that don't appear on my own R36S.  I replayed Last Blade and Samurai Shodown to see whether they're easier to control than on the Super Pocket.  I've also tried the NEOGEO Pocket Color strategy game Faselei! along with Spyro the Dragon for Playstation 1.  I've even restarted Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones to see if I'd get different results than with Switch Online.

I still intend to replace the memory card on my old R36S and then, if successful, on this new R36S.  And if I wind up bricking the thing, at least I've got a replacement handy.  And speaking of Fire Emblem . . .

Fire Emblem Heroes (Mobile)

Since going back to work, I've found less time for gaming during breaks.  So I figured a mobile game like Heroes could scratch that itch.  I've left Heroes untouched for months, mostly cuz it's not a traditional mainline game.  That and I can't even download the newly released Fire Emblem Shadows on my phone.  With tons of missions and rewards left over, I'm breezing through the main game though I've got a ways to go before I'm up to speed.  Another resolution to go with curbing my spending and actually finishing a game.

We'll see next post whether I'll keep those resolutions, along with taking a toy or model out of a box for a change.  Till then, have a Happy New Year.

Barefoot Jim

 Taking a break from gaming, I've decided this was the time I was gonna finish my Gundam models--mostly cuz of the dozens and dozens of shipping boxes that have taken over my home.

1/144 HGUC GM II (Desert Type)

The latest in my backlog of unfinished models--also my second Premium Bandai kit--the GM II (pronounced by some as 'Jim') is basically a widely available product remolded in new colors, like the HGUC Zaku II FZ I've built months before.  I've actually thought about painting this in different colors, but at the rate I was working on the thing, that would've taken me much longer to complete.

The following pics show the complete set of runners, stickers and the instruction manual.  Like with the Zaku II FZ, surplus parts and additional instructions are thrown in.

An item I've bundled with something else so that my online order didn't feel too light, I didn't care much for the GM at first.  But by the time I've built most of it, the mix of scattered plastic, paints and tools had become a permanent decoration on my dining room table.  One day I got tired of that being the first thing I saw when I got home and was determined to finally complete the kit.

And I'm this close, but I've got a minor situation to take care of first, mostly to do with some painting you likely won't see on the finished product; that's more for completion's sake.  Pics of the completed GM II will be posted on both my Facebook and X page.

That about wraps up this post.  Till the next one, be good and stay safe.

Open Sesame!

With my older devises failing, I'm trying to save up for a new computer to 1) Continue running this blog cuz I won't write whole entries on my cell, and 2) Update my Chromatic and ModRetro games so I'm not stuck with any game-breaking glitches.  So I'm finishing the games I've already started to kill time till the big day comes.

Coincidentally, all the games mentioned each have a password system that lets the player pick up where they've left off.  In that regard, it's better to play on the R36S, which creates save states on the fly and likely has all these games emulated.

Sabrina: The Animated Series--Zapped! (GBC)

I was sure I mentioned this game once before but after so much time and so many unfinished drafts, not so much.  But just in case: Zapped! is one of 2 GBC titles based on the cartoon and developed by WayForward, the company behind personal favorite Shantae.  When Zapped! was rereleased by ModRetro, I tried it out on my R36S before I found the original cartridge for dirt-cheap.

The adventure begins when Sabrina's latest magical oopsie tranforms the entire student body into animals, and now she must sidescroll from school to the beach to the zoo to change them back.  Picking up power-ups to navigate each level, the player can switch from Sabrina to Salem the Cat to get to those hard-to-reach spots.   Short, easy to pick up, and having that colorful Shantae aesthetic, Zapped! is a welcome distraction from the rest of my backlog.

Wario Land II (GBC)

Having a backlit metal Game Boy like my Chromatic was the perfect excuse to dig my old cartridges out of storage, like this one.  Though already having Wario Land I-III on my 3DS and elsewhere, I love holding a physical product in my hands.  With that said, WLII comes in a black cartridge, meaning it's backwards compatible with the original Game Boy.  And because of that, I couldn't play on the Chromatic without first deleting the save data created while playing on the Game Boy.  Still with me?

Moving on, this is actually the first game in the series I've played up to the final level.  If I wasn't stuck searching for 4 specific baddies and beating them, I'm now stuck on the final boss, Captain Syrup (above), who drops enemies and bombs from above.  And the flames shooting up from the floor and sending me flying out of the room isn't helping.  Eventually, I did win.  What sucked the fun out it was that several secret levels were available to players who acquired pieces of a puzzle through minigames, which I failed to do.  And I'm not replaying the whole thing anytime soon.

Disney's Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers (GBC)

Developed by Ubisoft and Disney Interactive for multiple consoles, the Game Boy Color port marks my first unboxing of a game for that platform (if you don't count the Chromatic bundle).  Got it brand-new from eBay for cheap, still shrink-wrapped in its original, squished up box.

From the pic above you've got the game cart (sans the game case), the box, the instruction manual, a postcard with a survey from Ubisoft and a precautions booklet.  Though already having several ModRetro originals and Limited Run repro carts mint in box, opening this felt like digging up a time capsule whose contents come together to tell a story about a bygone era.  Had I dug up my original Game Boy Color and played some 90's tracks on YouTube, the vibe would've been perfect.

About the game: When Daisy is abducted by an evil wizard, Donald (left) runs all over the place chasing both with help from resident inventor Gyro (right).

An 8-bit port of a 3D game for PC and home consoles, of course Goin' Quackers was gonna have downgraded graphics and sound on the GBC, though I've seen and heard better on the same platform.  And I still haven't wrapped my head around the gameplay.  Apparently, the more Donald gets hit by enemies, the madder he gets, the stronger he becomes.  But get hit one time too many and you die.  Go figure.  I'll get back to this one in the foreseeable future.

Sabrina: The Animated Series--Spooked! (GBC)

That other game developed by WayForward for the same platform using the same IP, there's not much setting this apart from Zapped!  By comparison Spooked! feels like an unfinished version of the latter.  Instead of turning animals back to people, now you must search every corner of every level to recover the 3 gems needed to advance.  And if you lose a life, you lose said gems along with any power-ups.  That and I've missed every other jump in my time playing the game.  On the R36S, this is where those save states really come in handy.  In the end, I beat the game after a few sessions and I enjoyed it almost as much as Zapped!  This concludes my latest gaming blog.

Join me next time as I crack open another title that I've had my heart set on for a good long while.  If you've made to this point, thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day.  Till next time, stay safe.

Sun's Up, Swords Out

 As summer winds down along with the temperature, news and rumors continue to surround Nintendo's Switch 2.  But I'm too busy rummaging through the games for the Switch 1, in what's probably the biggest collection out of every other console I own.  But playing multiple titles across 3 Switch consoles, I'm frustrated with having to redownload games after linking and unlinking systems.  Adding to that is my fear of losing data in the shuffle, especially once the Switch family is officially phased out.

I'm able to forget my worries for the time being by revisiting some strategy RPGs left sitting in the back burner.  But first is the newest action/adventure title from the makers of Shovel Knight . . .

Mina the Hollower (Demo)

A new heroine created by Yacht Club Games, Mina swings her trusty mace against freaks and monsters wreaking 16-bit havoc.  A colorful "Zelda-Vania" of sorts, I'm lovin' it except for the occasional diagonal jumps over gaps.  But the game's healing system, involving vials of health that are lost when taking damage, is the most frustrating concept for me (and the folks on the Steam forums).  And I know I'll struggle with this all over again the next time I play--which will almost certainly be months after I download Mina on Day 1.

Monark (Demo Version)

Speaking of games from a favorite genre with pleasing visuals and questionable mechanics, here's a strategy RPG I started after vaguely remembering the trailer out of the blue, if that makes sense.  As a student in prestigious academy, you're trapped on campus by daemonic forces and you fight your way out using a manifestation of your ego.  It's not so much the gameplay--which includes the option to create your own techniques vs just learning them--that I take issue with.  But it feels like I'm sloshing through more dialogue than in other games with as much dialogue.  Maybe cuz I'm not playing the other games as often?  I do like that in actual battles, members of your party can attack enemies automatically if they're within your vicinity.

Dark Deity

The next best thing to Fire Emblem, but not quite it, Dark Deity's more my speed in the turn-based strategy department.  No mid-battle conversations and recruitments I might miss, no weapon durability issues, and no permanent deaths.  Basically Fire Emblem on Easy Mode.  And with Dark Deity's first and only DLC pack, the player can toggle between special swimsuit costumes for each character without having to complete the extra missions (above).

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (GBA)

Moving on, I'm also playing actual Fire Emblem on Nintendo's online service, though I've got the original game cartridge stashed somewhere; same with Fire Emblem '03.  Playing this takes me back to when I was playing Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade on emulation, which I intend to restart eventually.  Actually, all 3 games remind me of The Legend of Zelda's Oracle games and Link's Awakening, sharing the exact same graphics and gameplay.  After the other games, Link's Awakening felt underwhelming.  I'm rambling like this partly cuz I haven't written about my experience with The Sacred Stones while it was still fresh in my mind.  Unlike with my next game . . .

Metroid Fusion (GBA)

When I suddenly decided to start Metroid Fusion, I had 4 ways to play: On my fake R36S handheld with save states and no Internet required, through Nintendo's online subscription with saves states and rewind features, downloading the ROM onto my phone, or waiting days to have the original cart delivered to me from eBay.  After making it through the first few levels and bosses, thank God I went with the online subscription.

This the first Metroid title I've touched since Metroid: Zero Mission on the original GBA system way back when.  Though enjoying the latter game very much, I can't say what made me stop there, or what made me want to play Fusion now.  But I'm definitely out of practice with the challenge both titles offer.

In Fusion, a parasite infects bounty hunter Samus Aran and contaminates her suit before overrunning a research facility in deep space, leaving Samus to do some spring cleaning while in search of a cure.  Meaning the player runs around level after level to fortify Samus' suit from the ground up for the inevitable final showdown.  Ironically, the premise takes me back to when I played the isometric Metroid clone Scurge: Hive long ago and which I started playing again, though that's a blog for another day.

And we'll end it here.  For the next blog I'm actually getting some reading done, and I hope you'll read about it as I double jump my way up to the Top of the Heap.

Warm Melodies

 Usually when I'm working on a project, I'm listening to smooth jazz, pro-se court cases and most recently, police interrogations.  Mostly for background noise.  But I've just found lo-fi hip hop beats to be perfect for reading, having done more reading these past few days than I have in months.  The following material may not count because it's in another language, but I did look it over cover to cover.

DIME Magazine: September/October, 2025

Though not having studied Japanese since college, I've collected quite a few hobby magazines, mostly for the freebies thrown in.  And you pick up modelling tips from the pictures.  A variety magazine that usually covers upcoming TV/film projects, appliances and food products, this issue of DIME offers a crash course on Gunpla.  Covering a history of product advancements, sales data and special collaborations.  With 2 covers to choose from--the latter showing a Zaku--I picked up my copy from CDJapan when the Zaku cover sold out, cuz I just had to get my hands on one of the coolest freebies ever . . .

A USB-powered Dremel tool complete with sanding bits.

I already have a similar tool that hasn't seen much use, mostly cuz it had to be plugged into an outlet.  But this can plug into my USB power bank.

After testing on the plastic container holding the bits, then I used a wing from a 1/144 Epyon on which I've tried various techniques.  Even managed to drill a tiny hole in there.

Hobby Highlights: Vol. 21--March, 2025

Next up is a monthly publication from the staff of the Hobbylink Japan online store, which comes free with every shipment.  All about the products sold by HLJ, it covers modelling guides, upcoming products, staff picks and even recipes of food from such anime as Delicious in Dungeon.  Printed in both English and Japanese in an easy-to-follow format, I got more mileage out of this than just looking at the photos in DICE.  The highlight of the March issue is obviously Kaiyodo's Evangelion models from the company's ARTPLA Sculpture Works line; specifically the Mass Production type.  The included step-by-step guide covers everything from sanding to airbrushing to shading.  In addition, veteran hobbyists provide tips on touching up model tanks.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Ecole du Ciel--Vol. 2 by Harohiko Mikimoto

Localized and published by Tokyopop in the early 2000's, this 9-volume manga series is incomplete and has long since been out of print.  But that hasn't stopped me from hunting down the printed books, along with those of other Gundam series.  I could always save myself the trouble since everything's online, but I could also save myself the hassle of having to load and refresh page after page of loosely translated scans.

That said, Ecole du Ciel takes place 6 years after the original anime and follows the trial and tribulations of the students of the Earth Federation's military academy, specifically young underachiever Asuna Elmarit.  After a training almost turns deadly for Asuna, the students of Ecole du Ciel continue their training in space.  Behind the scenes, a shadow organization closely monitors Asuna, believing in her potential as a Newtype.  The story's really picking up in Vol. 2 and I can't wait to pick up Vol. 3.

Along with Ecole du Ciel, I'm also checking out a fully translated download of the one-shot manga  Turn A Gundam: Wind of the Moon by Akira Yasuda.  I'm also dusting off my Kindle app and reading the downloads and samples hoarded there.  But for now, join me next time as I continue making my way to the Top of the Heap.

Death by Degrees

 For the past few weeks, I've either been catching a cold from the excessive air conditioning at work, or baking at home from the lack thereof.  On top of that, my wifi has crapped out on most of my devices resulting in many sporadic connections.  Because it's too hot or cold for anything else, I've been playing games I planned to talk about here but never do.  Until now.

For this post, I'm trying out a new, shorter format with fewer pics so that I don't take too long publishing entries.

Front Mission 3: Remake--Demo (Switch)

After trying out the first 2 remakes, I jumped on the demo for the 3rd entry to get my fill of it while waiting for an eShop sale.  Featuring footage from the original Playstation game, it's your typical top-down, grid-based strategy RPG with the option of customizing your very own mech as much as in-game money and weight limitations allow.  Of course this just being the demo, you don't get to do much besides follow the story.  But what's interesting about that is that the choices you make while interacting with NPC's sets the tone of the rest of the game in one of 2 scenarios.  I enjoyed the ride while it lasted, but it'll be so long till I start the full game that I won't even use the save data.

Front Mission (Super Famicom)

The very first game in the Front Mission series, this version never saw an American release except through ports.  Luckily, after digging through multiple copies of the same ROM on my R36S console, I've found a near-perfect English translation.  Like the mainline games that would come after, your team builds and rebuilds their 'Wazner' combat units to fight across vast isometric battlefields.  I was breezing through the game until I started the 5th mission.  I've sold most of the tech won in past mission, blown all my money on new stuff, switched up my loadout and tried different tactics and I've still hit a wall.  After a while, I moved on to the next game to hopefully go back to FM with a clear head . . .

Sabrina: The Animated Series--Zapped (Game Boy Color)

Inspired by the cartoon of the same name and developed by WayForward, the team behind Shantae (one of my faves), this action platformer gets a new lease on life after getting repackaged and released for the ModRetro Chromatic.  To see if it's worth picking up, I tried out Sabrina on my R36S, expecting the addictive gameplay of Shantae.  What I got, though, was not exactly Shantae.

As the teenage witch herself, you've turned the student body into wild animals during a school talent show.  Now you must scour the school and beyond to find and change them all back.  While Sabrina navigates each level to do just that, you switch to her pet cat, Salem, to enter tight spots and clear obstacles.  While a neat mechanic on paper, it gets tedious after a while, on top of looking for every animal you have to change back to clear each level.  And then there's this password system--consisting not of letters or numbers, but teeny-weeny profile pics of the characters--where you can pick up where you've left off.  At the end of the day, I think I'll sit this one out; either that or I'll buy an original cartridge for cheap.

Pocket Bomberman GBC

Speaking of passwords, I've kept them taped to this cartridge for years, on the small chance that I'd start playing again.  And this was a good a time as any.  Much like with Sabrina, you wipe out enemies on different platforms in order to advance to the next level.  But unlike with Sabrina, I'm having a harder time putting this down.

Street Fighter Alpha: Warrior's Dreams (GBC)

Next up is an obscure port of a popular game I've must've played more often than anyone else.  It's visual presentation is probably the weakest I've seen in a Street Fighter game, and all the moves take half a beat to perform.  But I'm pulling off more Shoryukens on this than I ever did on the arcade games.

I said this blog would be brief, so that about does it.  I've cracked open some toys for the next blog, but a new item had just arrived that I'm dying to check out.  Come see what I decide on my neverending journey to the Top of the Heap.