Archive for: September, 2008

Looking back, I question some of my decisions, more specifically my choices whether or not to attend certain events.  Like the time I opted not to fly to Boston for Mike’s 30th birthday, or the time I didn’t join Dave and his closest on his three day bachelor party in Vegas.  I come up with logical excuses, like round trip tickets are over $500 now, or I got mid-terms on Monday, or I need to maintain employment.  Fuck that.  These things were once in a lifetime events.

Well, I just had another one of those moments.  My friends Brian Ashcraft and Jean Snow are throwing a release party for their book, Arcade Mania!, right now as I type this.  ¥500 drinks are being served at Cafe Pause in Ikebukuro, and music is being spun by Jason DeGroot (6955), whoever the hell that is*, but that’s not the point.  The people attending will be an eclectic mix of American expatriates, witty designers, and local hipsters who all share an interest in something I myself am passionate about: arcade games.  Luckily after they eat at MOS BURGER or Bape Cafe tomorrow, all nursing mild hangovers, they can hop a train headed to Electric Town and play the new Elevator Action game, Street Fighter IV, or the Castlevania arcade game that uses some sort of motion whip controller.

I’ll probably drive around dirty LA this weekend, apartment hunting.  But all the while I’ll be wishing it was Ebisu, Roppongi, or Shibuya.  Congratulations, Brian and Jean!

*I found out a little more about Jason DeGroot.  He makes chiptune music under the name 6955, and coaxes sound out of Famicom consoles.  He’s also part of the team working on the game, Fez.  Currently residing in Montreal with the rest of the development team, he wasn’t at the Arcade Mania launch party, just prepared a mix.

Check it! Friend of Meat Bun and co-host of Gametrailers TV Daniel Kayser spotted wearing one of my personal faves on last night’s episode. Not only is Daniel dripping with 99.44% pure high-grade “TV personality,” he’s a solid human being off-screen to boot. Plus he has the kung-fu grip of a man four times his weight. Big thanks to Daniel — and Jeremy Hoffman! — for the wardrobe credit. (Yeah, check the credits!)

Last night’s Geek Night was more fun than E3.

Bold statement if referring to, say, E3 vintage 2003.  E3 2008, on the other hand, was laughably poor.  I got to play more upcoming unreleased titles last night in my living room than I did at this year’s farce of an E3.  Rock Band 2 kicked off the set, setting the stage for an aural thrashing of my apartment.  Norman Greenbaum “Spirit in the Sky”, Talking Heads “Psycho Killer”, and Dinosaur Jr. “Feel the Pain” were all cranked to 11.  And what shambles were left were polished off by a couple of proton packs from Ghostbusters the Video Game.  If this game doesn’t get a publisher soon, and subsequently get released, streams will be crossed.  No amount of manual venting will keep me from over heating.

Portal: Still Alive was a crowd pleaser, as well as a MAME32 session that dug up arcade favorites like Hippodrome, Rolling Thunder, and Ninja Warriors.

The evening took a decidedly adult direction when Mike fired up some Gal’s Panic.

There is a chance next year’s E3 will be reincarnated into a grander version of Geek Night with the proposed changes the ESA is evaluating.  But until they start serving Newcastle, and allowing for decibel levels louder than a Prius, I won’t hold my breath.