lete lyre@『働く喜び』

I know that objectively, "LSB" and "RSB" are completely sensible names for clicking the analog sticks of a gamepad.

But I grew up with L3/R3, and that's what I'll continue to call them out of habit.

Same goes for those wacky central buttons--they'll always be "Select" and "Start" in my heart.

it's quite a shame that games stopped including hardbound manuals

Four of those five games were Idol Janshi Suchie-Pai and the remaining game is the port of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night that nobody talks about because dithering frightens them

Which therefore makes the Saturn the best damn console to have ever existed

Ah, yeah. Being able to read cues in-person helps immensely.

I did have a lot of fun using an email-correspondence type language exchange service in the past. It's very useful in its own right but nothing really replaces real-time verbal communication.

Hey, that's awesome!

In my experience, finding material that matches your level closely can make a huge difference in how well you absorb stuff, and it makes the process fun, to boot.

But yeah, the conversation part... that's a toughie.

I'll let you in on a little secret: even back in my peak Anki days, I'd find myself in backlog debt more often than not. The cards can pile up very easily.

Today, sometimes I have an hour+ to read the newspaper. Other days, I skip completely. Finding the exact level to push is the trick, I think.

In my time I've seen 2 extremes: enthusiasm turning into burnout, & permanent procrastination (a paradoxical "I'll practice more when my skills get better")

Spend your limited free time wisely. But if you're serious about learning the language, you HAVE to hit the books regularly. I believe in you.

In my current situation, I use my language skills to pay the bills. Constantly polishing those skills is a necessity.

But I started studying Japanese as a hobby. And the benefit was being able to choose my own pace and explore areas that interested me.

If you can, take advantage of that freedom.

This is probably my 4th-5th rewrite of this post.

I've seen so many friends / peers get burnt out on learning Japanese.

It's a big undertaking: you're learning an entirely new language /and/ the culture that's inseparable from it.

I wish I could give one-size-fits-all advice or encouragement.

I nominate Nim as 1901 Game of the Year
(and it is videogame related 😁)

Nim is an ancient matchstick game; the modern form had a complete mathematical theory published by C.L. Bouton of Harvard University in 1901... which later was used in the first electromechanical and computer games!

I love this.

"There are many solid contenders for GOTY, but /this/ one has a JSTOR citation!"

white and red ship fires shots at fleeing bees in the infinite abyss of space // Galaga for Xbox 360, photography on CRT TV

"Funny hypothetical, Lete, but you could't expect someone to actually-"

yes I do
that person is me

it took me over three months to earn enough points from ads to play Sound Voltex a single time

I WILL DO IT AGAIN USING RAKUTEN POINTS, MARK MY WORDS

I WILL NOT BE STOPPED

I am excited to announce that my local arcade accepts Docomo dPOINT as payment.

Do you know what this means?

It means Taiko no Tatsujin, Sound Voltex, and freaking TEKKEN are all technically "free with ads"...

At the exchange rate of THREE HUNDRED 30~60 second ads per single credit.

ヤバいって思うくらいのクソデカニンニクマシマシラーメンを食べて、アイカツの藤堂ユリカ様に一歩でも近づいた気がする

実はさ、アイカツを観たあと、ああいうラーメンにずっと憧れてたんだ

つーわけで目標達成ってこと

Yeah, it's pretty great, and the NG+ letting you steamroll everything in your path is cozy in its own right, too!

For context, both Blue Reflection and its sequel, Second Light (aka TIE/帝) are set in summer. Hot, muggy summer.

With vignettes reminiscent of contemporary Japan, the games can hit a little too close to home during the summer rainy season.

I can hardly believe it, but I actually miss the heat now.

It's a small thing, but I like to play games with weather opposite of whatever's currently going on outside.

In the middle of summer, I was playing Xmas Doom. And now since it's freezing outside, I need a warm, summery game to match.

Good time to resume the Blue Reflection: Second Light new game+.

"Heh, I guess the light outside the proverbial cave can be blinding to those who are unprepared," I chuckle smugly to myself as I nod appreciatively at art of Kirby characters in joke swimwear.

I'm pretty sure someone unfollowed me because this post and I honestly can't blame them.

I commend you brave souls who choose to stay. You have my respect.

"If a shinobi slams his opponent in the forest, and nobody survives to tell the tale, does it a make a sound?"

The cold, lifeless term "UGC" will never truly capture the rebellious, indomitable spirit that drove the revival of Chef Kawasaki's Microbikini

Lake Victoria (Rally de Africa, PS1, Prism Arts, 1998)

One day, I hope to become even half as enthusiastic as the guy doing the pre-race countdown.

Another neat-looking rally game from Prism Arts, I see!

There is only so much I can say in Bluesky's 300-character chunks.

Bottom line: Ghost in the Shell is /par excellence/. If you're short on time, please at least watch the first film.

And then the second.

(And then Stand Alone Complex, because it's also fantastic.)

One of the myriad reasons why I love the original two Ghost in the Shell films directed by Mamoru Oshii is how they address our evolving relationship with technology, and how that can transition to more foundational questions about our own state of being.

Does tech dehumanize? What even is "human"?

Cover visual for Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, simply titled "Innocence" for its Japanese release. A fragmented gynoid lies on the ground, components splayed out, next to a basset hound named Gabriel.

It being the original GitS film's 30th, I'll take the opportunity to praise its controversial sequel—Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence.

Innocence is uncomfortable, experimental. At times it feels like it's intentionally obfuscating itself.
And in my personal view: it easily stacks up to the original.

LRP: I didn't quote because I have no words. It's perfect, just look at it.

Yes, please give us the little HOTAS gamepad. Bestow its glory upon us.

フライトシム専用コントローラー「Echo Aviation Controller」発表。ゲームパッドにギュッと凝縮、スロットルもペダルも“全部載せ” - AUTOMATON ゲーム周辺機器メーカーのHoneycomb Aeronauticalは11月18日、フライトシム用コントローラー「Echo Aviation Controller」を発表した。

フライトシム専用コントローラー「Echo Aviation Controller」発表。ゲームパッドにギュッと凝縮、スロットルもペダルも“全部載せ”
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