He looked forward to this time of year, even though he hated it. When the weather changed, he was always itchy and uncomfortable, and his skin no longer felt like his own. He felt trapped within it, like a sausage with too much filling. But it was always a relief when he finally burst out and felt the cool air again. And he was always a little bit different. His limbs were longer, or bent differently, or he’d grown a new appendage. He was still a growing boy. The other children in his school always made such a fuss, though.
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Every night, she dreamed the same dream. But when she woke up in the morning, the memory of it vanished, leaving only a recurring sense of unease. She tried to explain to her therapist how certain she was that every night she was experiencing the same nightmare. But she could never remember a single thing about when she woke up, coloring her days with dread and frustration. That night, she found herself again trying to explain her dream, and realized, just like every night, that this was the nightmare. She was unable to tell if she was asleep or awake.
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“I know that she’s an angel,” I whispered into the phone. “I don’t think she knows I know.” My rabbi made a non-committal noise. “In some ways, anyone who does God’s work is an angel,” she offered. “I just hoped you’d have some advice.” “If you love this woman, you should tell her how you feel and trust in God.” “Thanks,” I said, not really meaning it. My girlfriend poked her head out of the kitchen. She was enveloped in holy radiance and ringed by burning eyes. “I don’t feel like cooking tonight. How does pizza sound?” “Good,” I sad.
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When his kitchen was infested with fruit flies, he was glad for the spiders. They resolved the issue in a matter of days, and he just had to sweep up the webs. But afterwards, the spiders seemed to be everywhere. They spread from the kitchen to every room in his house. He tried to catch and release them at first, but there were too many, and he just started squashing them. One morning, he woke up covered in spider silk. The room was full webs. The spiders had even spun a message into a web above the bedposts. ‘Union Now.’
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F-Zero 99Published by NintendoPlayed on Nintendo Switch The Skinny: A drop of water in the Sand Ocean
The original F-Zero was a launch title for the Super Famicom / Super Nintendo, showing off the system’s flashy Mode 7 graphics and faster processing. Over the subsequent console generations a few sequels and media tie-ins followed, but the series always seemed to be in the shadow of Nintendo’s more popular racing franchise, Mario Kart. While series characters and vehicles have made appearances in other games, Nintendo hasn’t released a new F-Zero game in nearly twenty years. Until earlier this month, when Nintendo announced F-Zero 99 as a part of the most recent Nintendo Direct. Like previous titles Tetris 99 and Pacman 99, the game is a reimagining of a retro classic as a multiplayer battle royale. And the chaotic, fast-paced gameplay makes F-Zero a perfect addition to the franchise. Unfortunately, I’m terrible at it.Each race opens with an expanded starting area to accommodate all 99 players. Only the original four vehicles are currently available, but players are able to unlock new color schemes and customize them as they gain rank and complete challenges. Hopefully, they will release more content to add the roster and tracks from later games in the future. Starting a race is lighting fast, possibly due to high interest at launch. All players vote on a track from the original game, and can get racing in seconds. This streamlining is a nice feature, as F-Zero 99 can be absolutely brutal. The game encourages aggressive driving by adding a spin-attack which charges over time, and changing the boost so that it depletes the life meter. These options create an engaging risk and reward mechanic that rewards players not just for using them, but for using them at the correct time. Hitting opponents causes them to drop little golden pellets of energy that charge a separate meter. When filled, it replaces the boost with a second, higher track that allows players to get ahead of the competition and avoid obstacles. In addition to individual races, the game has a Grand Prix mode where players race in predetermined cups requiring tickets, and Splatoon-like team battles. These extra modes are on a timer, and aren’t always available. It’s frustrating when the race you want to do isn’t available, but it also keeps the game balanced and prevents any one player from camping at the top of the leaderboards. While F-Zero 99 is an entertaining curiosity, using slightly updated graphics from the original, It mostly just whets my appetite for a fully-featured F-Zero game, which hasn’t appeared in Nintendo’s catalog since the days of the Game Boy Advance. F-Zero 99 is a fresh take on a classic that Nintendo seems to have all but abandoned since the days of the Game Boy Advance. It’s a tasty little snack, but here’s hoping that it is a hint of a more satisfying entree on the horizon.
Frank was a regular. The mean, ugly, bastard always sat in the corner and grumbled into his beer. I didn’t really like him, but he was seven feet tall, built like a linebacker and never caused any trouble.The other patrons avoided him, and he did the same. I tried to get him to open up, but he wouldn’t have it. He wanted to drink alone and be miserable, and who was I to judge?He did tell me once that he hated his father. When I asked him why, he just shrugged. “You think I’m a monster? He’s worse.”
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The medium sat in her parlor and waited. All her tricks and tools were ready, from the tilting table to the hidden ‘ectoplasm.’ But those were just icing, it was her patter that put her in demand. She gave the rubes a fright, or reassured them that their loved ones were in a better place. All this ghost malarkey was hogwash to her, but playing a psychic was a safe grift, and she was good at it. The kids stood outside, working up the courage to enter the abandoned house. They said a famous medium’s ghost still haunted the place
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In this episode, Domon can’t stand to stay in a hotel room, The Zeus Gundam is too cool to live, and the wander bug preys on insects several times its size, and usually wins. Plus, the Nostalgia Pilots consider the most powerful Gundam of all: The Bus Driver Gundam.
Birds of Prey #1 Written by Kelly Thompson Drawn by Leonardo Romero Colored by Jordie Bellaire Lettered by Clayton Cowles Published by DC Comics
The Skinny: A bold and intriguing first step for a brand new team. Plus Harley Quinn is also here.
Birds of Prey #1 by Kelly Thompson and (artist) is a delightful first issue for a new team book, and like many such books, the first issue is mostly centered around getting the team together. it’s a bit of a whirlwind tour of the DC Universe as Black Canary gathers a team for a dangerous mission to save her adopted sister. There’s lots of action while most of the plot is teased at as being off the page for now. The hook, and the engaging characters, keep the pace going. The team is one of contrasts, with Dinah not having her first pick of DC’s usual heroes. It’s a fun mix of characters that is appealing to long-time fans as well as newcomers such as myself. I never knew I wanted a scene of Cassandra Cain Batgirl and Big Barda fighting 4th World vampires, but it sings on the page. Harley Quinn is the anchor of the team in what feels like editorial reasons, but Thompson turns the unlikely recruitment around in an interesting way that builds up the characters.The art is the real MVP on this book. Romero delivers a clean, heavy-lined style that makes the action easy to follow, with a drop-dead gorgeous splash page early in the issue that I will not spoil. Along with Bellaire’s bold, solid colors, the art has a classic DC style to it that is very appealing. If they added some dot printing, it would feel like this book could have been picked up off a spinner rack in the ’70s or ’80s.This is still an early book, but this first issue delivers with a fun premise, an intriguing mystery, and a last-page reveal that made me shout out loud. I’m placing a large bet that this is going to be the DC book to watch going into the next year, and it is entirely my jam. I heartily recommend you pick up a copy from your local comics shop, or check it out digitally wherever you get your comics.
Bad Writer Developed & Published by Riddle Fox Games Available for PC and Nintendo Switch Played on Nintendo Switch
The Skinny: The Waiting Game (abbreviated) Created by one-man studio Riddle Fox Games, Bad Writer is a short game about short stories. This bite-sized pixelated story puts players in the shoes of Emily, an unemployed writer who sets out to follow her dreams of becoming a published author. Players will have a month to guide the character on the path to traditional publication. If she doesn’t get some sales, or becomes too depressed, she’ll go back to her old job and give up on her dreams forever.This simple, charming game only takes about a half an hour from start to finish and is laid out like Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley. The only stat players will have to manage is Emily’s happiness, which goes up when she talks to her wife or cat, or succeeds in her goals. It goes down when she gets a rejection or doesn’t write. If the gauge reaches zero, it’s game over.While simple and short, Bad Writer is very faithful to the life of a full-time author, and realistic in its depiction of the actual success rate of traditional submissions, even if it fast forwards through the actual writing and editing parts. It’s a wonderful, chill little gem to play if you want to learn what the writing life is like, or just want to procrastinate for an hour from your own writing.
Hugh J. O'Donnell 