Abilitease

Abilitease (as defined on Gamespot: the Hotspot) is in a game when you start off super powerful and then pretty quickly, the story depowers you and then you have to build yourself back up. As seen in Castlevania: SOTN, Star Wars TFU, God of War 2 & 3. Also maybe Ridge Racer, where you start as a spaceship shooting lasers at an alien fleet, and quickly devolve into a car driving kind of fast.

Japanese crepes

This blog isn't entirely videogames, here's the first recipe I ever learned (3rd grade, srsly an 8 year old can make it).

Ingredients:

Milk 1cup

Flour 1cup

Sugar 1tbs

Melted butter 1tbs

1 egg

oil or butter for pan

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Spread butter or oil.

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.

Ladle about a 1/4 cup of batter into the pan at a time. Before the crepe hardens, roll the pan and let the batter thin out.

When the surface of the crepe dries, flip it and cook for about another 30 seconds. Done!

For dessert crepes, roll fruit and whipped cream.

For breakfast crepes, try rolling sausage or ham, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and Japanese Mayonnaise.

Experiment with your favorite ingredients!

Homogenous Protagonists

This is a video response to Leigh Alexander's Sexyvideogameland article "Privilege".

The videogame landscape has a pronounced lack of diversity. Street Fighter's over the top stereotype fighters don't cut it. Game heroes should be as diverse as the gamers who play them.

acclimation and nostalgia

Do you have fond memories of summers past? That time you went away to camp, a couple weeks at the lake, or your first semester at college in a new city? If you're a gamer you probably have a similar nostalgic memory of the summer you spent in Hyrule, Midgar, Azeroth, or Liberty City. What makes a game transcend playtime and become a time in your life?

invisible walls

Why is it that some games you never even notice an invisible wall and others you feel like you're being corralled by space ranchers with force fields.

Here's a link to the Gametrailers podcast of the same name:

invisible walls

Red Dead Tangent

This is something I just came across in Red Dead Redemption. It's kind of like coming across the climactic scene of someone's life story without getting the rest of the story. It's really excellent.

Earbreak

I named my Youtube channel Kitten Earbreak. Watch the video to find out about earbreaks. I chose the name because I think of it as an earbreak from me to you. Unfortunately that means movement speed will slow and all upper body functions will cease as your finger is glued to your headset.