September Loot Crate Unboxing!

Hey everyone!

I got my Loot Crate this past Saturday, but I'm only now uploading the unboxing video. In the video, I say that this is in my top two Loot Crates, or my second-favorite crate (one of the two), but I've changed my mind since then. This is definitely my favorite.

DIY: Tube Top Update

Hey everyone! I've finally made that addition to my Robin tube top, so I can finally add on to that DIY!

If you don't remember this DIY, you can either follow this link, or look at this picture:

I cut the t-shirt (from Threadless) across the top, just under the collar. I then cut off the sleeves, and made sure the side seam ran all the way up the shirt. I then folded over the top, hemmed it, and added in an elastic band. However, I wasn't completely happy with it. The print on the shirt was high, which meant that the I was forced to make the band small.

So here's where I updated the shirt: I added a thick black band to the top.

I began by cutting a strip off the bottom of a plain, black t-shirt. I like to use the plain t-shirts you can get at craft stores for my t-shirt alterations, since it's typically the same fabric blend. I cut off a strip about 3 inches thick.

I then wrapped the band around the top of the tube top, in order to match the size exactly. I pinned the strip where I wanted the center hem to be, and cut off some of the excess fabric.

I then sewed the ends together, once again taking time to trim off the excess.

With the strip now as a loop, I slid it around the top of the tube top. Since I was using the black t-shirts hem as the top hem (I suck at hemming sometimes, so I decided to make it easier on myself), I made sure it was facing the right direction (the "fronts" of each piece were touching each other). If you want to hem the top yourself, though, you don't have to be careful.

I pinned the fabric so that I could sew on the original hem, just underneath the elastic. The position of the band allows it to flip up and cover the original elastic, for extra support. Once the band was sewn on, it looked a little something like this:

Ta-da! This whole process took me less than twenty minutes, so I was able to do another t-shirt alteration! You guys can see it sometime next week. 

Here's the final product, hanging on my door. The pictures of me wearing it somehow were deleted from my phone (My camera is lost. Again.), and since I'm miserably sick today, I didn't want to post a picture of me. The quality of the last picture is a little meh, but you can tell what's going on!

The band makes the tube top look a lot better. It balances off the top, and makes it look more polished. I'm glad I finally took time to change the tube top. Tell me what you think in the comments! Am I right in thinking that it looks better?

See my other t-shirt alteration tutorials by following these links:

Tied Tank Top

String-Tied Tank Top

Flutter-Sleeve Tie Shirt

T-Shirt to Tank Top

Cross-Strap Tank Tunic

Tank Dress

Braided Halter Top

Injustice: Gods Among Us Unboxing Video

Hi everyone!

I only recently got on the Injustice bandwagon. I first played the game while at Chicago Comic Con at the Sugargamers booth, and I loved it. Loving it meant that I needed it, and needing it meant that I bought it as soon as I got my next paycheck (grad students are paid once a month). I ended up buying the Collector's Edition on Amazon (at $59.99), since the regular game was $45.00 for the Xbox 360. I did a little unboxing video for you, embedded below. I think my favorite part of the collector's edition is the statue (it would have been the comic if it had included all editions of the game's prologue). I'm super excited to play the single player campaign. It's definitely worth the money I spent, even it it was only a little more expensive than just the game.

I've been busy doing a bunch of stuff lately. I'm planning my Halloween costume, which will be improved upon to become a Con costume later on. I've also started writing for Junkies Nation, a really cool fansite that's just starting up. You should check it out! Here are links to my articles. You get internet cookies if you guess what my penname is referencing!

Top Five New Genre TV Shows to Watch

Opinion: The Fervor Over Game Reviews

Go there, read, comment, and help a new site grow!

The "Best" Video Game Vacation Spots

I haven’t been as active as I would like lately since the semester started out at a full gallop, but the past couple of days I have been coming down with a cod and have been reminiscing on the joys of summer vacation (where I never caught a cold from students, thank you very much). (That’s assuming the new cold is due to the thousands of students who have descended upon the university). So I decided to make a list I had been thinking about for a little while—here is it! The “Best” Vacation Spots in Video Games!

Why “Best”? Well, each location is included on the list for its idyllic environment. Outside of that, though, there are certainly downsides to each place, so I will also address that and then rate each vacation spot from least (1) to most dangerous (5). Because you should probably take those things into consideration before you call your travel agent.

1. Yamatai--Tomb Raider (2013)

The kingdom of Yamatai was established on a beautiful island. If it wasn’t for those freak storms, I’m sure the place would be covered with resorts and all-inclusives. The island’s home to a beautiful forest to hike through and explore, picturesque beaches (well, once you clear away the wreckage), and even a mountainous region that looks to have enough snow for skiing and other winter sports. It would be a great getaway for those who go on vacation to relax (sit on those sweet beaches with a good book!), and those who go to have fun (outdoor activities FTW. Hypothetically, of course. My transluscent geek skin can’t handle outside). It's also full of interesting ruins to explore for those who are interested in history--there are artifacts and buildings from Ancient Japan and World War II, to name just a couple eras.

Danger Level: 4 You can’t assume that the entire murder-cult was wiped out in Lara’s Girl Power Rampage, so those would certainly be enough to deter you from a trip to Yamatai. There are also wild wolves who want to eat you, an unhealthy dose of booby traps, and the island environment itself can be extremely unforgiving.

2. Peach’s Castle—Super Mario 64

I know, I know. You don’t think this should count. But hear me out. Peach’s Castle is a hub to tons of different worlds with tons of different environments. You can go to the beach. You can go swimming. You can go to a creepy haunted castle. You can go to…uh…fortresses…and volcanoes… The point is, there’s something here for everyone, and the fact that there are no travel expenses involved once you get here is a major selling point.

Danger Level: 2 I gave Peach’s Castle a 2 because there are still things actively trying to kill you—they just don’t really pose that much of a threat. If a stout little plumber (with no weapons!) can take them, I’m sure you can handle yourself.

3. Termina—The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

I wanted a good map of Termina, but it wasn't happening... so here's the Great Bay!

Why Termina and not Hyrule? I guess I’m getting boring here, because the justification for this pick is similar to those that I’ve already discussed: variety. You can go to the forest. You can go to the desert. You can go to the bay. You can go to the mountains. You can enjoy the local flavor in Clock Town, because we all know those people have personality. I promise that the next two picks will be more unique, but what is there not to love about Termina?

Danger Level: 3 This is assuming you have the good sense to stay out of dungeons. And that a certain pointy-eared hero is successful in keeping the moon from squashing you like a pancake. There are a few random baddies littering the landscape, but most of them aren’t that big of a threat. Maybe you can hire a local adventurer to be your bodyguard?

4. The Citadel—Mass Effect

The Citadel is an anthropologist’s dream and, as a political scientist, I’m greatly interested in it as well. The time spent people-watching alone will be well worth the trip. The Citadel has shopping, entertainment, aliens and, oh yeah, is in space. Sure, it’s nothing too interesting to those from the Mass Effect world, but that’s not us. Go and gawk and be utterly entranced by the promise of the future!*

*There’s an astronomically large chance that this is not the future.**

**That pun was a happy accident.

Danger Level: 1 There’s a slight change that THINGS WILL GO DOWN when you visit, but it’s only slight. Enjoy yourself!

5. Venice—Assassin’s Creed II

I picked Venice, but it could really be anywhere in this game. The second Assassin’s Creed game successfully gives off the vibe of Renaissance Italy—the beauty of the architecture, the grandeur and luxury of the noble homes, and just the wonder of history. I’m a big history buff, which is what gets Venice and Assassin’s Creed II on this list. It may be boring, but its history, and history is cool. The setting of the original Assassin’s Creed almost beat Renaissance Italy to this list, but then I got slapped around by lepers too much.

Danger Level: 1 If you’re not an assassin, or an assassin’s target—and you’re up to date on your shots—you should be fine.

Honorable Mention: Armadillo—Red Dead Redemption

PONIES!

Danger Level: 3 Between the outlaws and the cougars, you should certainly keep a look-out on this vacation.

Honorable Mention: Banoi—Dead Island

It’s a tropical paradise! There’s nothing to lose with this choice!

Danger Level: 4 Okay, there may be something to lose: your life. This place is infested with zombies, particularly fast zombies and dangerous mutates ones. And, no matter what you think, you’re probably not equipped to survive the zombie apocalypse. Especially if all you have a few mojitos in you.

Okay, so I always go into these lists with two or three things in mind, and find out that it’s a lot more difficult to choose the rest than I thought it would be! What locations do you think belong on this list? Is there something on here that just seems ridiculous to you? Let me know in the comments!

Also, I get paid on Monday, which means that I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO GO TO THE CRAFT STORE. So look for new crafts in the next couple of weeks.

Gamer Drama: A Story Critique of Tomb Raider

    I began to play Tomb Raider shortly after I finished Mass Effect, and I finished the game in three sittings. I really couldn’t put it down. Obviously, I really enjoyed playing the game. I did wait to write the Gamer Drama entry, though, because I really wanted to think about the game and the story line. So, without further ado, here is my story review of the newest Tomb Raider title. Per usual, I avoid big spoilers, but there could me some smaller ones littered throughout (Spoiler: you see most of the plot “twists” coming from miles away).

Synopsis

    In this reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise, Lara Croft is part of a research/videography team searching for the lost kingdom of Yamatai. When their ship strays too close, however, a huge storm strands the team on an island. Unfortunately, the island is already inhabited by a murderous cult—one lead by an unsettling man named Mathias and one that worships the long-dead Sun Queen Himiko. From the beginning, Lara seeks to help her and her friends get off the island, though she is initially unsure about her capabilities (though, really, since you can survive all of those falls and impalings, I’m sure nothing really stood in your way, Lara). Along the way she unearths some seriously supernatural goings-on and, more importantly, becomes increasingly confident in herself. It has everything an origins story needs, and you see the birth of Lara Croft as we know her today.

The Setting

    For a small island that few people have found in modern times, Yamatai has a diverse environment. Most of the island is covered by forest, but you spend a significant amount of time in the mountainous region. Which is important, because I guess you wouldn’t know where you were going if the trees didn’t start to fade as the altitude increased (also, there’s beaches because, you know, ocean).

    While the forest in Alan Wake was essentially a character and a plot device in and of itself, the island in Tomb Raider isn’t as successful in distinguishing itself as something beyond the backdrop for Lara’s character arc and tons and tons of murder. This is a little bit of an issue, because for a fairly large portion of the game Lara channels her inner Jack from Lost and claims that “the island” won’t let them leave. Of course, we find that this isn’t exactly the case, and the setting doesn’t bother to fully mature. Basically, the game could take place in any sort of environment and not be diminished. The setting’s biggest downfall, though, is that the island is fairly easy to navigate, and you rarely feel the frustration of someone outside her own element.

    It looks really, really pretty, though.

The Characters

    Tomb Raider is all about Lara Croft and her progression from archaeology student to professional bad ass. For the most part, it’s highly successful. Especially if you’re me, and the game sets the mood with a drowning scene because ohmygodIcan’tbreatheaaaahhhh. The tension is maintained as Lara washes ashore, is captured, narrowly escapes, and then sets out to find her friends. She meets up with some of her companions—setting up the damsel-in-distress and her wizened counselor. Lara knows that she needs to protect her friends, but initially it is only through Roth insisting that she can climb a mountain without safety harnesses or take out a wolf pack that Lara learns what she can really do. Lara tells us how she progresses, becoming more and more certain about what she can do and more willing to do the things she must. 

     Of course, the game leans more toward “telling” us that Lara doesn’t know what she is doing than “showing” us that we should be uncertain about her capabilities. Personally, when Lara walks away after being caught in a bear trap in the first twenty-or-so minutes of the game, I was thought “Alright, she’s got this.” There were a few times when I accidentally killed Lara where I wanted to stop and yell “I SURVIVED SOMETHING WORSE FIVE MINUTES AGO!” Lara has excellent aim, she can leap giant valleys in a single bound, and she has the upper body strength of Thor himself. She was going to be just fine.

Which really can’t be said for the rest of the characters. Lara’s friends are plot devices—she has to save them or she has to mourn them. Sometimes she sends them off to do their own thing, and then goes to save them later. Most of what you learn about supporting characters and their own back stories or personalities is found in documents hidden throughout the island. As I am not a strict completionist, and TOMB RAIDER TRIED TO MAKE ME FIND TOO MANY THINGS, I didn’t experience a lot of the minor character development. I don’t think it took too much away from the game, though.

     Another minor quibble comes from the obvious way that “bad” characters are portrayed. When you meet Mathias, you know that this is one shady son of a bitch. You also know that the character who betrays you is going to betray you. This isn’t the only way that the antagonists fall flat, though. Mathias doesn’t really progress beyond “crazy bastard.” He never really seems like much of a threat. The same is true with his henchmen. They’re only unsettling when they’re in a quick-time-event, or when they massively outnumber Lara. The “primary” antagonist (I guess that’s the best way of putting it) is only introduced late in the game, and really didn’t live up to the title. Basically, Tomb Raider feels more like a survival game than a “Lara vs. The Baddies” game. You’re not too concerned with the antagonists—no one’s a true nemesis—you just want to get off that damn island.

The Payoff

     You work hard and spend a lot of time saving and re-saving your friends. When you finally sail off into the sunset, you’re definitely relieved that you’ve escaped that island, with its tortuously frequent quick time events.

     In all seriousness, though, Tomb Raider makes you work hard each step of the way—at least, if does if you play it on a high difficulty level, like I did. The story line seems really drawn out near the end—I kept expecting it to be over soon for the last five hours I was playing the main story line. You relish the win when it happens, but it does feel a little underwhelming. This is largely, if not completely, due to the fact that there is no boss battle. There is no final, large fight to end the game. You have a quick time battle with Mathias that’s over so fast that you feel a little cheap, and then you “defeat” the Big Bad in a cut scene. Maybe I was spoiled as a child, with the likes of Ocarina of Time, but I expect to really DESERVE the end of a game through a boss battle. Or at least a lead-in that isn’t easier to survive than most of the rest of the game.

     So, does Tomb Raider provide a good payoff? If you’re focusing on game-play, I think it does. You work hard to get to the end, damn it. I’m less sure of the answer in regard to the story line, though. The plot twists and turns leading up to the end of the game are really formulaic. I didn’t find any of it surprising and, in a point where Lara experiences a key revelation I thought to myself “…wait. Didn’t we already know this?” If you’re alright with that, then there is definitely some great narrative payoff at the end of Tomb Raider. Everything’s wrapped up quite well. If you’re not alright with knowing what’s coming, well, then the story falls a little flat.

Grins and Gripes

• Was SquareEnix paid by the quick-time event? Someone needs to tell these guys that QTE does not equal gameplay.
• I was really entertained and intrigued by the seamless way that Tomb Raider moved from gameplay to cut scene to QTE and back to gameplay…for the first four hours or so. It became increasingly frustrating as time went by.
• I mentioned this earlier, but there is a RIDICULOUS amount of collectibles in this game. I was initially trying to find everything, but once I realized that nothing really happens when you do, I stopped.
• The voice acting is excellent, and Camilla Luddington’s performance as Lara Croft is probably the single best video game performance that I’ve ever experienced.
• With a bow, a handgun, a shotgun and a machine gun, you’re able to mold Lara’s action style pretty well. I found that using the bow was immensely satisfying, and I spent a lot of the game slowly picking off enemies, trying to see how many I could kill before the sounded the alarms.
• Surviving the island is abandoned in favor of surviving the crazy cultists pretty early on in the game. As a result, I found the Survivalist skill tree to be largely useless—I spent most of my skill points in the Brawler and Hunter skill tree.
• One of my favorite touches in the game revolves around Lara’s physical changes. As you make your way through the island, Lara’s clothes exhibit the wear and tear that you would expect from her adventures. Also, even if her injuries don’t slow her down much, the character design shows that they still leave a scar (or scrape, cut, or abrasion).

Rating: 8/10

August Loot Crate Unboxing!

I didn't film an unboxing video this month, due to the fact that I had guests when my Loot Crate came. I was too impatient to wait to film it, and I didn't want to film it in front of people--so, this month, we have unboxing pictures!

The theme for August was "Cake"--the box was a combination of Portal products and products celebrating Loot Crate's first anniversary!

Instead of a spoiler card, this month had a little Looter magazine with product descriptions and community news. It seems like this is going to be the trend from now on, which I like since I sometimes would accidentally spoil myself with the spoiler card.

This month's "big" product was a caffeine molecule power-up t-shirt. It's pretty cute, though it's not exactly my personal taste (I had the same issue with the Deadpool-Aid Man shirt a couple months ago). I'll probably alter it into something cool, though. Maybe a bag.

What was really exciting about the shirt, though, was that it came with $5 off a shirt from shirtwoot! I've been eyeing a couple designs on the site for a while, so I can't wait to use the discount!

The majority of the box was filled with Portal stuff. We have a cute Loot Crate/Portal sticker set, an Aperture Laboratories temporary tattoo, an Aperture lanyard, and an Aperture bracelet. All of which I thought were pretty cool, except maybe the temporary tattoo. I feel too old for those, especially since I have real tattoos.

They also included a Walking Dead Funko blind box, since the Walking Dead is the most often-requested theme for a box. I got the Tank Zombie, which is alright, but I would have loved the Merle figure (with his knife-hand), Daryl, or Bicycle Girl. He does look dapper, though.

That is everything in the box, except for a tiny package of jelly beans (which I didn't think was necessary to photograph. Also, they've been eaten.) This is my favorite box that I've received so far. I love all the Portal gear, the t-shirt coupon, and the blind box figure (I love anything Funko, to be honest).

Did you get a Loot Crate this month? What was your favorite thing in the box? If you're interested in signing up for Loot Crate, click this link! It's a great community, and a box of fun each month!

What? A TV Show About Cosplay?

Heroes of Cosplay has received a lot of flack on the internet from the geek and cosplay communities, even before the show aired. I avoided all the hub-bub until after the first episode aired, in order to go into the show with no preconceived notions or biases, in order to give you guys my own, truest reaction to the series. (Edit: This may seem a little thrown together, but there were a couple of things I really wanted to say as fast as possible after tonight's episode).

Spoiler alert: I think I like it.

I wasn't all that keen on the show when I watched the first episode (I saw it on Sunday, since I was on vacation for most of last week). I went into the show expecting something like Project Runway, or Face-Off (which is more apt, I guess, since it is also a Sci-Fi series). (NO, I WILL NEVER CALL IT SYFY). I was really disappointed with the processed drama, the cutting, and the reality showishness of the premiere episode. People made construction choices that looked really cool on camera, but would have been more successful through other methods. Delightful people seemed catty through editing (and also, because of stress--and rightly so!) People seemed to be working up to a punchline, and then cut off in a way that left off the elbow-rub and "haha!" and made them seen mean or petty. My first impression was less Face-Off and more of a...well, I can't think of an example because I don't watch them, but think of your traditional, catty reality show.

I returned to the solace of the internet, wondering what the cosplayers featured on the show thought about it. Since I follow many of them on Twitter, I was able to see their reactions quickly. I really have to thank them for reminding me that 1) Heroes of Cosplay is a reality show. It needs a little drama hype and tensions added in, and 2) no one's 100% pleased with the way they are edited on the show, but it doesn't diminish the fact that we have a damn television show about cosplay, guys.

There may be drama added it, some things may look goofily scripted, but after my time online I was able to appreciate the first two episodes a lot more. You know that Chloe Dykstra is going to have people show up to help her handle her sand snake, but does that make it less fun to watch? I'm not even sure that you can say it's completely predictable, because I was so sure Veronica was going to run into the competition with a finished Lulu costume at the last second. (Speaking of, does anyone know if that costume was finished? I would love to see it.)

That's something I really understood. I was working on my first cosplay until 2am the night before the Con. I even had to abandon some less-essential pieces in order to "finish" it. If you go on Twitter right before a big convention, it's full of people telling similar tales. Making connections like these helped me realize that some of this "drama" is only slightly amplified--and it helped me enjoy the show more.

The show takes geekdom and cosplay seriously. It doesn't poke fun at our little niche of life. It doesn't look at cosplay with underlayer of snark and "Haha, can you even believe these geeks?" Two women told everyone that they were cosplaying as their Dungeons and Dragons characters, and the response was a collective (though unspoken) "Sweet, and those costumes are totally awesome." Can we just take a moment to celebrate that? Names like Fiora are being tossed out like they're characters everyone needs to know, not just something that only "gamers who live in their parents' basement" recognize.

I would still like more in-progress shots of costumes. The editors just seem to want to show cool techniques--and I would prefer if they showed it in a "learn from it" way (though they do have Try This At Home shorts on the website, which is a step in the right direction). Maybe we'll get more of this in later episodes, once most of the cosplayers have been "established" as "characters" in previous episodes. Fingers crossed.

I was still very annoyed with one editing moment in tonight's show, about cosplay and body type. I forget what led to the conversation--I think it was a comment about embracing your body type in your costumes, and how that leads to some of the most successful cosplays. Chloe Dykstra then says that everyone should be able to cosplay as whoever they want--a sentiment I agree with 100%. The editors then set up Yaya Han and some of the other cosplayers as providing a counter-argument--that people who are overweight shouldn't cosplay, or shouldn't cosplay as think or athletic characters. But if you're really paying attention to the scene, and really listening to their words, that's not what they're saying. They are saying that, unfortunately, the internet and the cosplay community can be cruel. People who do this have to be prepared that they will receive cruel comments. They never say that they should receive these comments. They never say they deserve to receive this type of criticism for cosplaying against body type. It's just cut to make it appear that they hold these types of views. Which, if you've looked online, seems doubtful--Yaya Han in particular seems upset that it was edited this way and made people feel bad.

I recently put on a lot of weight, and I was very nervous about cosplaying at Chicago Comic Con this year. When the scene began, I was cheering on Chloe in my head. Then I realized that the others weren't arguing against her. They weren't even making an argument, they were just stating facts. People are often ridiculed online for their cosplays if they don't have the "right" body type. It's something that people should be ready for. It's just not something that should stop them from cosplaying as whoever they want to be.

I've gone off on a bit of a tangent, so I will wrap it up and get back to the point. It's definitely worth watching Heroes of Cosplay at least once. Start with the first episode, or start next week. It doesn't matter. I will keep watching, at least until I'm sure that they will not put a bigger emphasis on making the costumes. And, to be perfectly honest, I will probably be hooked and keep watching long after I reach that point.