Tag challenge: Day 06: retro gaming tickles my fancy

I've been a bit slack with this tag challenge so I thought I had better get back on track and talk about something that tickles my fancy. There are plenty of things that tickle my fancy (must keep a straight face) but none more so than retro gaming and with thousands of old titles lurking out there its an interest that will last a long time. I've been into video games since the early 80s with iconic games such as Pacman eating at my holiday money. Its nice to be able to play these games again through my PC and relive my childhood days of gaming fun without the need for a pocket full of 10p coins.

The games I remember the most are side scrolling Beat em ups, a breed of game that is now pretty much defunct. Notable beat em ups include the Double Dragon, a classic game and one that popularised the genre. This game impressed me at the time with its large detailed sprites, realistic sound effects and most importantly the memorable music. Final Fight is also considered by many to be the ultimate scrolling beat em up. This game improved upon Double Dragon with even larger sprites and more action. The genre started to disappear in the 90s but this is when my favourite beat em up hit the arcades. Cadillacs and Dinosaurs renewed my faith in the genre after a few years without a decent release. The title says it all really. I like cars and Dinosaurs so together they are an unbeatable force. Throw in a multitude of weapons including Uzi's and Grenade launchers and you have a beat em up to beat the rest, erm, up.

So you can now see that I kind of like retro games.

Hollywood films that use Cinema 4D

Cinema 4D has proven its versatility in the film industry many time in such films as District 9 and Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs. The latest film to add Cinema 4D to its arsenal of special effects software is Tron Legacy, the sequel to a film that needs no introduction. It's kind of nice to know that the software I use to create 3d models is used in big budget Hollywood blockbusters. So I just wanted to give this and some other films a quick mention. Quite often Cinema 4D is used for Matte painting but this time around the 3D applications spline capabilities are being used for the bike scenes.

District 9 took advantage of Cinema 4Ds Bodypaint 3D capabilities for the aliens. Cinema 4D has powerful tools that can help replicate smoke effects and these were used in the Bruce Willis film Surrogates. GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra used Bodypaint 3D to texture various models in the film. Here's hoping Cinema 4D continues to be used for future film releases.

Tag challenge: Day 05: favourite quote

I didn't have to think too long about this one. 'Here's another nice mess you've gotten me into'. This quote brings back memories of watching Laural and Hardy in my younger years so it is something that has stayed with me. This is one of the most enduring quotes in film history and is still remembered by many people to this day however it is often misquoted as 'Here's another fine mess you've gotten us into'. So there you go, a well remembered quote from a well remembered comedy duo.

Tag challenge: Day 04: favourite book

My favourite books are the Fighting Fantasy series by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. They are probably not considered to be classics in the same way as the Lord of the Rings books but to me and many other fan boys Fighting Fantasy was a great form of escapism. If I had to choose just one book in the series I would have to say Talisman of Death which also happened to be the first Fighting Fantasy book I ever read.

Talisman of Death really did make me feel like I was thrust in to a fantasy world with a range of characters to interact with and monsters to fight. Anyone who has ever read/played one of these books will remember rolling the dice to determine luck and the annoyance of rolling too high a number. Although I am sure many would admit to cheating here and there.

So there you go. There's not much more to say apart from happy reading and if you stumble across a Fighting Fantasy book you might want to give those dice a roll.

Tag challenge: Day 03: favourite TV show

It's so difficult to pick a favourite a TV show as so many spring to mind. For me the best way around this is to write about the TV show that is most prominent in my mind at the time of writing this bog. So before I change my mind I will pick Gamesmaster.

My interest in Video games began in the 80s with arcade greats such as Double Dragon and Final Fight, so I was over the moon when a show dedicated to my favourite past time hit Channel 4. I didn't think much to Gamemaster after watching the first episode but the mix of challenges and reviews grew on me. At first I didn't like the studio audience but after watching a few episodes it just felt right. And lets not forget the celebrity guests (Although most have been forgotten) from the likes of Vic Reeves (Memorable and still on TV) to Hacksaw Jim Duggan (Not so memorable and not quite probably not on TV).

The fourth season was my favourite as this saw the return of a more sarcastic Dominic Diamond which meant for some witty banter between him and the guests.

Tag challenge: Day 02: Favourite film

The task of choosing a favourite film is pretty much an impossible one given the amount of films that I have enjoyed over the years so I'm going to cheat just a little bit. What I am going to do is this; place each of my favourite films in a particular category, a category created by me. Right then, on to the first.

1) The film I have viewed more times than any other.

Terminator 2: Judgement day

This film is is easy to watch and it has a decent plot too. It expands on the first film with more action, bigger chase sequences and to top it off, two Terminators.

2) The film that had the biggest impact on my life

Star Wars: A New Hope

Star Wars changed the way I saw films and through it I enjoyed a whole universe of great toys. I first saw the film when I was 7 so the film certainly captured my imagination. I was amazed by the special effects and the characters found there way in to my toy collection via the action figure range. This film definitely brings back a lot of happy memories.

3)The film that got me thinking

Unbreakable

I have been a fan of marvel comics since the 80s so a film that delves in to the genre certainly gets my vote, particularly one that is as well made as unbreakable. All the way through the film I wanted to believe that David Dunn had superhuman abilities. The film had an excellent build up and the twist at the end truly blew me away. For me it was one of those films that doesn't come along very often.

4) The Batman film that I had been waiting a long time for

The Dark Knight

I don't know were to start with this film, it has so much going for it. I'll start with the obvious. Heath Ledgers performance of the Joker was first class acting. His version of the Joker was dark, edgy and above all believable. He felt like a genuine threat to batman. But there was so much more to this film; action, drama, suspense and a clever story.

So there you have it. Some choice films from my life.

Tag challenge: Day 01: Favourite song

I have put plenty of thought in to what my favourite song is and it has been a difficult question to answer. There are so many bands that have had an impact on my life particularly from the 80s electronic scene but I decided to go with a song from the following decade. The song in question is by James but its not one of there mainstream hits.

I bought the James B-Sides album back in 2000 not long after it was released and was impressed by many of the songs. I felt that some of the songs were of a similar quality to the best of their single releases but one song stood out for me over all the others and that song is 'I Defeat', a catchy ballad with just a little bit of angst. I like songs that create a mood and this one certainly does just that with an edgy guitar riff and lyrics to sing to.

Well there you go, that's my choice for favourite song. And a difficult choice it was too.