SBLPs Tales of Phantasia (GBA) Episode 5: A Little More Conversation

A little less action.

Tales of Phantasia (c) 1994, 1998, 2003 Namco (off by one previously)

Cheat-enabled run. Not intended to substitute for actual gameplay. Support the official release.

Note: again...I'm sorry about the sound issues.

SBLPs Tales of Phantasia (GBA) Episode 4: Ack!?

The jailbreak continues, now with questionable punctuation and violence inherent in the system.

Tales of Phantasia (c) 1994, 98, 2002 Namco

This playthrough is purely for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to replace actual gameplay. So please support the official release. Also, just a reminder: cheat-enabled run. By now, you know why.

Note: Alas, more ear-rapeyness. I still have no idea why that's going on, but hopefully I'll have that figured out by Ep 8. But at least it's not a complete loss of sound, right?

SBLPs Tales of Phantasia (GBA) Episode 3: How Not To Wield a Sword

A story of betrayal, family, and finding swords in macabre places.

Tales of Phantasia (c) 1994, 98, 2002 Namco

Cheats-enabled run. Focus is on storyline and gameplay, not my skill (or lack thereof.)

This playthrough is purely for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to replace personal gameplay. Please support the official releases.

Note: Yes, more audio issues in this. ...You know what, just roll with it. It could be worse.

SBLPs Tales of Phantasia (GBA) Episode 2: Emotional Moment Cliche

Let this be a lesson to you all. Emotions can turn a bright and sunny day into a thunderstorm at the drop of a hat.

Tales of Phantasia (c) 1994, 98, 2002 Namco

This LP is for entertainment purposes only and cannot replace actual gameplay. And good thing, too, because no one plays like me (not a boast).

Bottom line here: please support any of the official releases.

SBLPs Tales of Phantasia (GBA) Episode 1: Once More With Feeling

Got the bugs out of the system...and the woods.

Tales of Phantasia(c) 1994, 1998, 2002 Namco

This is a REBOOT of the Tales of Phantasia (SNES) LP (due to audio issues), and since I am using a different version, some content will differ.

Cheats enabled; this is due to my "gameplay and storyline take precedence" philosophy.

Release schedule is tentatively Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Subject to change relative to my work schedule.

Occasional coarse language and mature humor; viewer discretion advised.

SBLPs Tales of Phantasia (SNES) Episodes 4-6

Can't believe I forgot to post these up! Probably ashamed of the audio issues...

Episode 4: Silent Geometry



Episode 5: Tonight There's Gonna Be a Jailbreak



Episode 6: Herbal Addition



Tales of Phantasia (c) 1998 Namco

This playthrough is intended to show off this game and not to replace actual personal gameplay. In fact, I recommend you play this game yourself as well as watch this SBLP. Maybe you'll learn from my mistakes.

Note: Audio issues SHOULD *knocks on desk* be full-on fixed by Ep 13.

EDIT NOTE 2: nope. Planning a complete reboot. SMH

Shadow-Vlog Thanksgiving Special: NomsTV Pilot

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust ingredients:

• 1 package graham crackers
• 3 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger (or cinnamon)
• 1 stick butter, melted on medium heat

Filling ingredients:

• 3x 8 oz. packages of cream cheese
• 1x 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
• 3 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 to 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (alternatively:)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Procedure:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F (~177 Centigrade). Set cream cheese on counter to soften at room temperature.
2. Crunch up the graham crackers in the food processor until finely pulverized, then add the sugar, spice, and melted butter. Mix in food processor until thoroughly combined.
3. Press down crust flat into a 9 inch springform pan, making sure to cover the bottom evenly. Set aside for later.
4. In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with the beater/paddle attachment until smooth.Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add in the pumpkin, eggs and yolk, sour cream, sugar, spices, flour, and vanilla. Beat together until combined well.
5. Pour into the crust, then jiggle the pan to even it out and bring any air bubbles up and out. Place in oven and bake, checking on it at 50 minutes. Give the pan a little jiggle; if it's still a bit wiggly, remove from oven. Let cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Simple Vanilla Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1/6 to 1/4 cup sugar
• Vanilla (just a quick shot)

Procedure:

1. Pour cream and sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip until good and thick (when it makes a good-sized peak when you pull the whisk out of the bowl).
2. Pour into a resealable container and refrigerate.

SBLPs Tales of Phantasia (SNES) Episode 3: Complete Monster on the Loose

Tales of Phantasia (c) 1998 Namco

This video is for entertainment purposes only and cannot/will not replace actually playing the game yourself. In fact, I recommend you do play this one yourself as well as watching me play it.

Note: Audio issues continue, including a sound drop off late in the vid. ...I don't know why either.

SBLP Tales of Phantasia (SNES) Episode 2: Distant Early Warning

An episode with plenty of singing and music references.

Tales of Phantasia (c) 1998 Namco

Note: The game audio is loud enough to partially drown me out. It'll be this way until Episode 5, unfortunately.

SLPS: Tales of Phantasia (SNES) Episode One

And so it begins...



Note: For the first four episodes, you might be able to barely hear me. This has been fixed by episode 5. Also, the plan is to put out two episodes a week, and episodes will be recorded in batches.

Shadow-Vlog Special: Journeys Through Kentucky

A three-part vlog featuring scenery, science, and plenty of introspection. Also, irony.

Tribute to Libby Jaggers (1966-2011)

In memoriam of a friend, confidant, and soulmate.

Shadowbird's Pregame Discourse: 2011-12 Season Week 2

This week on the Pregame Discourse: a recap of Week 1. Who won, who lost, and who's eating humble pie? (Spoiler alert: it's me.)

Sources used for top story:
NewsOK.com: OU's sole focus now on joining Pac-12
ESPN: Oklahoma debating conference options

Games covered this week:
#25 TCU @ Air Force (9/10/11 3:30p EDT; Versus)
Norfolk St. @ #19 West Virginia (9/10/11 1p EDT; ESPN3)
Ball St. @ #22 South Florida (9/10/11 7p EDT; ESPN3)
#21 Missouri @ Arizona State (9/9/11 10:30p EDT; ESPN & ESPN3)

Shadow-Vlog 8-30-11: Game Over, NO!

A night-time stroll and vlog turns into an impromptu opinion piece. Oh, and college football has fallen to the Shadows.

Shadowbird's Pregame Discourse, 2011-12 Week 1:
http://shadowbirdsrandomcrap.blogspot.com/2011/08/shadowbirds-pregame-discourse-2011-12.html

Shadowbird's Pregame Discourse: 2011-12 Season Week 1

A new weekly series where Shadowbird briefly takes you inside college football.

Games featured:
Tulsa @ #1 Oklahoma (9/3, 8p EDT/7p CDT; FX)
#14 TCU @ Baylor (9/2, 8p EDT/7p CDT; ESPN & ESPN3.com)
Utah St. @ #23 Auburn (9/3, 12p EDT/11a CDT; ESPN2 & ESPN3.com)

Top story sources:
ESPN: Report: Texas A&M set to leave Big 12
SB Nation: SEC Expansion: Texas A&M May Announce Move Within The Next Week, According To Report

Shadow-Vlog 8-24-11: First Steps

A tour of Acme Brick Park and the first video from the new camera. (Or is it?)

Shadow-Vlog 8-23-11: Four Rounds of Championship Unboxing

It's upgrade time for Shadowbird Studios, and Jeremy goes through an unboxing of his new toys.

Supplemental vlog (first recording from the Handicam): coming soon!

Shadowbird Reviews Episode 3 Part I-A: Intro and Season 1 (Eps 1-17)

Transformers Month FINALLY begins with the first part of the double-length first season of Beast Wars.

Shadow-Vlog 8-12-2011 - So, About That...

Jeremy proves that when things get crazy, the crazy get pragmatic.

And Now For Something Completely Different

New Shadowbird Studios Youtube: http://youtube.com/users/shadowbirdstudios

Hail the new chatroom!

Available for livestreams as a suitable alternative to the screwed-up JTV chat, I have my own IRC chat!

Just go to https://cbe001.chat.mibbit.com/ or open your preferred IRC client and enter the following:

Server: naos.foonetic.net
Room: #sbstudios

Hopefully, THIS ONE won't FREEZE UP ON ME AT INOPPORTUNE TIMES!

ShadowVlog 07-25-2011 - Well, That's Just Prime

Jeremy gives some news updates while trying out a new technique to fix audio issues he's had in the past.

formspring.me

Leave me questions while I'm out working my tail off. http://formspring.me/SBStudios

News and Future Plans

This is going to be something a bit new for me: I'm actually making up a schedule set in stone! Why? Well, because I have come up with a wonderful idea for Shadowbird Studios' impending 1-year anniversary. I would like to now officially announce that August 2011 will HENCEFORTH be known as...

TRANSFORMERS MONTH!

What do I have planned for Transformers month? Well, first, we're going to kick it off with an extra special event. The first week in August, I will suspend my August 6th regular stream (there's a Good Eats special on Food Network at 8pm Eastern) and instead do a special stream on August 3rd. This special stream will be a live riffing on the G1 Transformers movie!

In the weeks following that special stream, there will be two special SRs covering Beast Wars and Beast Machines. One I love direly, the other I hate with a passion. Anyone who knows me already knows which is which.

And at the very end of it all, an extra special SR (possibly a shortie) or Riff of the first Transformers live-action movie!

So, just to break it down for the TL;DR crowd:

8/3 - Live riff of the G1 Transformers movie (Justin.tv with a Recap Darkside Riffs posted later)

Week of 8/7 - Beast Wars (SR)

Week of 8/14 -or- 8/21 - Beast Machines (SR)

Week of 8/21 -or- 8/28 - Live-action movie (SR or Darkside Riffs)

If any of you wonderful artists would like to make an awesome Transformers month logo for this for me and aren't worried too much about that fact that I probably won't be able to pay you (don't worry; I give credit where it is due), please email me at shadowbirdstudios@gmail.com and I'll give you a rough idea what I'm looking for. As for the rest of you, keep an eye out, and tell your friends about TRANSFORMERS MONTH!

Later, y'all!

Shadowbird

Geek Confessions Ep. 7 - More than the Sum

In this episode, Jeremy gets a little more personal in describing how the geekery of his past has shaped hhow he sees himself in the present and will continue to shape his future.

Reminder: Special birthday stream featuring the rom hack Pokemon: Chaos Black at 7pm-ish Eastern/6p Central at Justin.tv

In Case You Missed It: Stream Recap 7-2-11

In honor of the insanity that is S.978, we give you this edited recap of the 7/2/2011 edition of Shadowbird Studios Live on Justin.tv, minus the pre-show. Hilarity and tragedy ensue.

Visit Shadowbird Studios Live at Justin.tv

Follow on Twitter @shadowbird712 for special show announcements.

Sneak peek - Shadowbird Studios Live Intro Vid

The new version, as seen on Shadowbird Studios Live ( http://justin.tv/sbstudios )
Music used: "Break Down the Walls" - Chris Jericho WWE Theme
"Fire on High" - Electric Light Orchesta

Big apologies to the WWE and Chris Jericho for the gimmick infringement.

Also, the joke is that Mario pyro is all I can afford right now, but hey, I upgraded from 3 bursts to 6!

Geek Confessions Ep. 6 - Franchises and Fanbases

In this special episode, Jeremy kind goes off on a rant about franchises being rebooted, and discusses how to balance a growing fanbase.

Shadow-Vlog 5-29-11

Shadowbird's back!

Are there any shows that you've watched one episode of and then couldn't watch ever again?

Are there any shows that you've watched one episode of and then couldn't watch ever again?

Answer here

No, NO, Power Rangers!

Warning: the following rant is extremely likely to contain vicious language and intensely explicit imagery. So if you decide to read this, it's your own dang fault.

Oh, God...why, why, WHY did I ever let myself get hyped up for Power Rangers Samurai!? Why did I fall for the trap of raised expectations, and worse still, why did I let myself get suckered in by the facade of nostalgia? Why did I ever think Power Rangers Samurai was going to be any good?

Actually, a better question: how will I purge this completely horrific piece of shit from my mind?

For those of you who have no bloody idea what I'm talking about, allow me to elucidate. Tonight was the series premiere of technically the 19th season of Power Rangers, based on Samurai Sentai Shinkenger and back under the seemingly loving care of Saban (after 8 seasons of Disneyfication). Ever since Saban bought Power Rangers back, I'd gone through every stage imaginable regarding the prospects of a new Power Rangers series based on Shinkenger, including phases of uncertainty, dread, resignation, and finally hopeful anticipation. As the series got closer to premiering and more information came out, I liked what I saw. I even got suckered in by nostalgic moves, such as bringing back the beloved character of Bulk from the first 6 seasons. I even marked today's premiere on the calendar, ready to pounce over to Nickelodeon as soon as it came on.

This could have been the biggest mistake of my life.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Shinkenger, and I haven't even gotten to do my reviews of it yet. But as much as I loved the characters, storylines, and devices of Shinkenger, I ABHOR...no, that's not strong enough a word. I FUCKING HATE POWER RANGERS SAMURAI WITH THE INTENSITY OF 10 SEPTILLION BLUE SUPERGIANTS. As hilarious and serious as Shinkenger was, this pitiful excuse for a show is beyond terrible. It is the most rancid, liquidous shit I have ever had the misfortune of being forced to ingest.

"But Shadowbird," you may say, "you weren't forced to watch this. You watched it of your own volition!" And you would be correct, except I didn't force myself to watch this show thinking it would suck the soul out of me. I watched it under the expectation that it would be an adaptation not only worthy of the name Power Rangers but worthy of Shinkenger itself. Instead, from the first moments of the show proper, I was screaming at the television, "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!?"

The reason for this is because for a premiere episode, this was not an introductory episode. There was no building the team, no introduction of the villains, no explanation of everything. They jumped straight into about the second or third episode, relative to Shinkenger. And while the intro credits were pretty good, afterward, we go even further down the rabbit hole.

I won't go through the episode in depth, as I didn't think to document this act of first-degree murder, but I will enumerate all the things that either pissed me off or inordinately depressed me.

1. Again, we're thrown into the fire with no explanation why. The team is just...there, training under their master Ji. The personalities are kinda...sorta...almost correct, but not. The "lord" is by far the most off, as he doesn't have the same...regal bearing as his Sentai counterpart Takeru.
2. Bulk and Spike. Two things bothered me about this. 1) Why is Bulk there? The scene with him and his "nephew" Spike has no set-up and no pay-off within the episode's story. Secondly, I have a very bad feeling, by his demeanor and clothing, that Spike will end up being the Gold Ranger. Which is an insult to Genta, ShinkenGold. Bulk's appearance was pointless fan-service, playing to the nostalgia of Power Rangers fans like myself.
3. The villains. Oh, dear Primus, the villains. Serious, dark, and foreboding in Shinkenger. Silly, light, and annoying in Samurai. Even the wise advisor character now sounds and acts like Finster from Mighty Morphin. And to make matters worse, you know how much of their motivations we know? Not even a strange quark's worth. No explanation. No point. *sliding facepalm*
4. The transformation sequences. Where to begin...well, how about I break this one even further down?
• Go Go Samurai. *insert primal scream of infinite rage here* WHAT THE FLYING-ON-ONE-BURNING-ENGINE FUCK KIND OF MORPHING CALL IS THAT!? THIS ISN'T FUCKING INSPECTOR GADGET! IT'S POWER RANGERS! EVEN THE CHEESIEST POWER RANGERS MORPHING CALLS WERE BETTER THAN THIS! PUT SOME FUCKING EFFORT INTO THIS SHIT, FOR FUCKING OUT LOUD! Here, I'll give you a better one for free: "Samurai Spirit, Bushido!"
• Costume sidenote: the transformation sequence has the Rangers donning a ninja-style mask before the helmet comes on. A ninja mask. In a samurai-based show. And I thought Disney not allowing the Ninja Storm Rangers to use shuriken was fail...
• MegaMonsters and "Megamode" for the Zords. Why do you need a new suit design for the Zords; you never had one before in all of Power Rangers, and there wasn't one in Shinkenger! The only good thing here is the redesigned sword controller, which looks cool...but isn't the same as Shinkenger's.

I say this with no irony or jest: as both a fan of Power Rangers and Super Sentai, I feel as if I have been raped, and my beloved franchises have been raped and murdered. This attempt at a show doesn't feel like any effort whatsoever was put into it, except for some flashy effects here and there. This show doesn't even deserve to be called Power Rangers, because it shames, violates, and obliterates both Power Rangers and Shinkenger. I have never felt dirtier after watching a program in my life, and I watch TNA Wrestling almost every week, for God's sake. Something is incredibly, direly, infinitely wrong when I can watch a show and say to my love, "I can write a better screenplay than this!" And I haven't ever written one of any kind...yet, anyway.

I've cried more than once just thinking about this show. I've wished there was liquor in the house so I can drown away this nightmarish, demon-spawned crock of shit. Nickelodeon and Saban now owe me 30 minutes of my life, and sadly, I know I will never, ever get it back. And now...a part of my soul has been permanently destroyed. I can no longer enjoy Power Rangers without thinking of this, and my love of Sentai might end up suffering as a result as well. I will never watch another official Power Rangers product again, and I'm debating if I want to include Linkara's History of Power Rangers in that ban out of pure spite for what has become of the once-beloved franchise. I know I'm going to have nightmares, and I doubt I could wash the filth away even if I scrubbed myself into a bloody pulp.

Moving forward, I feel like the last survivor of a horror flick: lucky that I somehow managed to survive, but still permanently scarred in body and in mind. When a show is so terrible that you are seriously pondering trepanation to purge the damaged parts of your brain from your skull, you know something has gone horribly wrong. Saban, Nickelodeon, for the sake of Power Rangers fans the world over...how DARE you treat fans this way! This is a fail of infinitely higher proportion than Masked Rider; this is a fail on the level of 4Kids! You are guilty of the murder of one great show and one once-great franchise. May you forever freeze in the 9th Level of Hell for this treachery.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go chug down an entire bottle of mouthwash...

What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and walk out on me?

What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and walk out on me?

Answer here