Edward's May 2015 Mix

Old man winter has been put out to pasture, at least for a spell, anyway, and summer’s eve looms on the horizon. It’s the time all of us Hoosiers live for, driving by evening people sitting on their porches, the buzzing drone of distant lawn mowers, song birds adorning the power lines. I’ve gotten to go kayaking, and I’ve had the pleasure of sitting out at my neighbor’s firepit already this spring. I’m still coming to terms with working an off shift. I like my job, but I just don’t get anything done through the week. It seems I’ve become a vampire. I do most of my stuff late at night when I get home when the real world is asleep. I suppose I’ve always been a night owl at heart, and my computer has been my window out to the whole wide world.

 

1.      Train Simulator 2015 on PC: I spend too much time in this . . . game? Actually, it really is a simulator. I may not actually comandeer a freight train pulling seventy cars, but the feeling of doing it in a simulation like this has to replicate what it’s like to actually do it. I’ve been rolling a lot of stock on a Northern Ohio scenario pack I picked up a while back. Having lived so much of my life in the Midwest I’m impressed by the attention to detail in this pack. I almost feel if I look hard enough I can see boys pushing their bicycles along while carrying a bottle of pop down the town sidewalks or some old man in bib overalls leaving a barber shop. I pass by warehouses and see forklifts in action and it makes me feel as if I’m in a living breathing world that exists even after I exit the game.  

2.      The Witcher 2 on PC: I got to the first boss, and damn the bad luck (or am I just that bad of a gamer?) I died twenty times in a row. I can’t lie. I was tempted to ragequit/uninstall,but I looked over at my specially packaged extended edition boxset and just didn’t have the heart to do it. So I took the coward’s way out and simply started over again on a lower difficulty setting. There just comes a point where one has to kiss the chance to get 100% completion achievements and just enjoy the game. I really honestly, truly wish I wasn’t such a Steam achievement-holic. For the love of OCD!  Anyway, I’ve not progressed all that far, but at least I’ll have more fun this time around. I’ve talked to guys at work who are in love with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt but they never played the first two games. How is this even possible? How can these guys live with themselves?!!

 

3.      Toto IV on CD: I owned this on cassette when I lived in Yokosuka, Japan. It was a sort of departure from their previously recorded stuff, but it had a few radio hits and I liked it. I recently found this original CD pressing (made in 1982). I didn’t realize CDs were even out in 1982. But being this is original, there is no dynamic audio compression. It’s too bad CDs today aren’t made like this anymore. I’ve always thought Toto was an underrated band in spite of their fantastic musical range. I’m glad I can add this to my collection.

4.      Outlaws on PC: A recent score from the most wonderful, www.gog.com. I first played this back in 2001, but I never finished it. It just got too difficult, but as far as western FPSs go, it’s hailed as one of the best. So I had to go back and revisit this amazing game. The comedic element is “LOL” funny, and the cartoon graphics have definitely aged well. Unfortunately, I forgot how difficult shooters were back in the old days and this game is a real eye opener. I hope I can stay the course before I get ticked and uninstall it.  

5.      The Magnificent Seven on Blu Ray: I had never seen this movie, but as a fan of great westerns my life wouldn’t be complete without having done so. I watched it with my stepfather who introduced me to some of my favorite westerns of all time. This was cliffhanging, exciting and action packed. It had a great cast, and importantly, it helped to put Steve McQueen on the map. Yul Brynner was the star, but McQueen made it a point to draw the viewer’s eye to him in every scene they were in together (by adjusting his hat or his gun or his belt) and it worked. McQueen went on to become the 1960’s “King of Cool.” 

6.      Star Trek: The Next Generation Season One on Blu Ray: I’m still working my way through it, and yes, I’m taking my time, but the thing is, I’m just not wanting it to end. These episodes are so beautiful on Blu Ray. Since I have the first few seasons on DVD as well, I played a scene out of one episode on Blu Ray and DVD and I was appalled at how badly the DVD version looked. It made me think of a VHS tape that was recorded in extended play, and then watched a million times. Okay, it wasn’t THAT bad, but if you get a chance to add the Blu Ray version to your library I suggest you do so. Like I’ve said before, it’s like going to the movies to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation.