Notre Dame de La Rue: Paris, France

Over the years, the famous Notre Dame of Paris has been captured at many different angles. There are various bridges spanning the length of the Seine throughout Paris – each offering their own unique advantage of composition. My most popular Notre Dame depiction was taken while floating upon the Seine, not at all uncanny. In this particular instance, however, I explored the “less pretty side,” viewing the Notre Dame from the streets of Paris on a very dreary and unabated rainy day.

The Crashing Waves

Over the course of a few days I developed a soundtrack for a mini-movie which I will be presenting before an English class representing the poem, Dover Beach. This is the soundtrack in question, with shooting for the video in progress:

This video is made legally using Apple Co. loops provided with the application, Garage Band, in accordance with Terms of Use.

Ever heard of the calm before the storm? Well this is the calm... AFTER the storm.

Kid Icarus: Uprising – Review

Kid Icarus: Uprising is the latest Nintendo 3DS game released by Nintendo and designed by Masahiro Sakurai, creator of the hit Smash Brothers series.

Introduction

You play as the angel Pit, following the orders of Palutena, the goddess of light and protector of

Kid Icarus: Uprising (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

humanity, as you fight against the resurrected Medusa. Your journey takes you from towns to spaceships, futuristic landscapes to ‘natural’ wonders – each equally captivating, with an added vibrancy due to the extra dimension of 3-D. The story, however, does not end after your primary objective, taking an unexpected turn and extending gameplay exponentially as a result. Chapters may also be replayed at different intensity levels, from practically effortless to an infernal onslaught which may pose a challenge for even the most experienced of players.

Gameplay

Ease of gameplay has been disputed among players, however, it is certainly do-able. Albeit more suited to right-handed players, lefty’s should by no means be deterred, as only simple swipes of the stylus are required of their right hand. As a left-dominant player myself, I found the game to be difficult at first, albeit much easier after the first few missions had accustomed me to the configuration – no adjustment of the controls was necessary, albeit Nintendo has provided that as an option in addition to the circle-pad pro.

Sound

The soundtrack of Kid Icarus: Uprising is incredibly beautiful and uniquely assorted. From soothing orchestral, violin accompanied tracks, to simple ditties which serve but a momentary purpose – all serve to heighten the enjoyability of the game and immerse the player within the world of Greek myth. Not to mention, each piece is made available as an unlockable, by the completion Treasure Hunt achievements (which also reward hearts, weapons, idols, etc).

Dialogue is a key characteristic of the game, seemingly present without ceasing. Albeit, it rather serves as a compliment to gameplay, once a player is acquainted with the controls and may appreciate the witty repartees and mindless jabber with comprehension. Otherwise, they are aggravations at best. Once, however, this condition has been met, the dialogue maintains interest in a seemingly empty world (aside from the attacks of underworld minions), where there is little character interaction, aside from these exchanges.

Content

Defeated! Visual depicts an AR Card idol battle captured with in-game camera applications.

The content of Kid Icarus: Uprising is truly abundant. With 25 chapters, unlockable back-to-back boss battles, dozens of weapons (to be bought with hearts, the KI:U currency) and power customizations (and a land + battle practice range to try them out on), three treasure hunts with one-hundred twenty achievements each, collectible in-game and paper-card “idols” (digital figures with descriptions and AR Card capabilities), streetpass-spotpass enabled, online / local multiplayer, and much more. Albeit some features are more engaging and useful than others.

Multiplayer is a competitive challenge, although there are no overall leaderboards, which is a letdown. Players accumulate points during the process of each match and are ranked according to their totals at the conclusion. Wins are saved and exchanged via streetpass.

Playable characters include:

• Pit (primary): chief angel of Palutena, the goddess of light and protector of humanity. He is persistent, passionate, and often quite silly.
• Pittoo: Pit’s Doppelganger, created by Pandora’s mirror, often an antagonizing force, albeit (highlight spoiler > ) linked with Pit in life force and becomes an ally due to necessity and a slight change of heart.
• Magnus: powerful human mercenary, dedicated to fighting against underworld forces.
• Little Girl: details unknown, resident of a ruined city.
• Dog: details unknown, resident of a ruined city. Can sniff out and locate food in garbage, runs without tiring.

Family Analysis (E10+ [ESRB])

The characters within KI:U aren’t exceptionally frightening, albeit some are notably grotesque, such as the lord of the Underworld – with pointy fangs, red eyes, and whatnot. There is no blood, and most combat is against the forces of the underworld, in the form of giant eyeballs, frog-like beings, and other odd but otherwise inhuman creatures. There are, however, a few human / god encounters where a character will make known they have been defeated and may even make a corresponding exclamation of defeat. However, deaths are seldom, often with enemies returning to fight again unscathed. Albeit, this does not dismiss the violence in itself. The game is likely more suitable for tweens, teens, and older, than ten year-olds, unless families take care to monitor their child’s gameplay and discuss plotline implications. There are a few  sexual references – in one instance, Palutena jokingly tells Pit she can read minds and that he “better not be thinking anything naughty,” to which he exclaims in surprise, as if he had been contemplating unsavory matters. Some characters, such as a Nature-Force leader is flirtatious, while Amazon Pandora takes it a step further, emphasizing her appearance and is overtly coquettish.

Christian Implications

The fact that there are collectible “idols” should be telling in itself of the game’s religious affiliations. Rape, murder, and other mature concepts of Greek mythology are not mentioned, however, spiritual references are made. Pit “prays” for Palutena’s safety, at which point another goddess remarks he is a very confused angel, since he has no god/dess to pray to at the moment. A reincarnation of Helios, Hades, Medusa, and Poseidon (as well as others) make appearances, with a few original gods and goddesses exclusive the Kid Icarus realm. Pit is the protector (by extension of Palutena) of the helpless humans who are referred to as selfish and greedy, the gods are also revealed in their folly (often warring against one another and causing trouble).

Point de la Mort: World War II

During World War 2, these cannons were more than menacing. Having significant range to fire upon the beaches a substantial few miles away, the man operating this machine of death could be almost completely disconnected from the battle at hand.

Tech (Pre)Review – Kid Icarus: Uprising

Kid Icarus: Uprising (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Kid Icarus: Uprising is the latest Nintendo 3DS game released by Nintendo and designed by Masahiro Sakurai, creator of the hit [Super] Smash Brothers series.

General Review:

• Graphics
  • Kid Icarus: Uprising has spectacular, immersive graphics which are heightened to their utmost by the extra measure of depth provided by the 3DS.
• Storyline
  • Simple and humorous, with a few twists and turns to keep things interesting.
• Music
  • As numerous modern video games, the soundtrack of Kid Icarus is a masterful, orchestral blend which may be enjoyed by even the most discerning listeners.
• Spiritual & Family
  • The world of Kid Icarus is loosely founded upon Greek mythology.
  • Mention of “empty souls”
  • Similar to Metroid & Zelda in that a battle is being waged against monsters, sometimes humans are involved, such as in one of the early battles. There is however, no gore or impact effects.
• Gameplay
  • A widespread complaint from left-handed users has been prevalent in discussions of the game and its criticisms. However, being left-handed myself, I find no problem with gameplay, except for a slight takeaway. The left hand controls the circle pad and L-button, while the right hand makes simple movements on the touch screen. Up, down, side-to-side – as this game does not require handwriting, and so long as one may move their hand in the proper direction, there shouldn’t be too much of a problem, only discomfort.

Full-Length Review Coming Soon…

Pick Your Favorite AW Blog Composition!

As the Adventure Writer’s Blog has progressed, it seems I’ve posted more photographs than anything

Here is yet another flower which may be found within Monet's Garden. It's colors are vibrant and add to the overall scheme of the garden.

else. Now, after a deal of consideration, I have decided to publish an eBook containing a portion of my photography collection, with individual commentaries and explanations.

However, before this, I would appreciate the feedback of my subscribers and of those simply perusing my blog: what is your favorite composition posted thus far on the AW Blog?

Please post the name or URL of your favorite in the comments below (you may alternatively indicate which is your favorite on the comments section of the corresponding photograph) – some or all of the chosen photographs will be featured in the eBook.

Passion: White Flag [Deluxe Edition] (Music Review)

Official Album Cover (Amazon)

Passion: White Flag is the latest installment from the Passion music series, recorded live at Passion 2012, and debuting commercially March 9th, 2012. During its first day, it climbed to the top of the Gospel Christian charts and achieved a high ranking overall.

It is a thoroughly diverse album, featuring the talents of such artists as Chris Tomlin, Kristian Stanfill, Christy Nockels, Charlie Hall, Matt Redman, and the recently retired David Crowder Band who made their last performance at the live event. Boasting [in Christ] an incredible seventeen songs, four videos (including a sermon by GA Pastor & Passion Pres. Louie Giglio), and song booklet –  the deluxe edition is certainly the best deal financially and in terms of quality content.

Its tone is vibrant – full of energy and passion. Its lyrics are not watered down, but beautiful, powerful, and pertinent. A common thread of surrender [and conformation] to Christ unites the album, hence the name, White Flag. 

The full content list reads as follows:

» Not Ashamed (feat. Kristian Stanfill)
» White Flag (feat. Chris Tomlin)
» Jesus, Son of God (feat. Chris Tomlin)
» How I Love You (feat. Christy Nockels)
» All This Glory (feat. David Crowder)
» Lay Me Down (feat. Christy Nockels)
» You Revive Me (feat. Christy Nockels)
» One Thing Remains (feat. Christian Stanfill)
» Yahweh (feat. Chris Tomlin)
» Sing Along (feat. Christy Nockels)
» The Only One (feat. Chris Tomlin)
» Mystery (feat. Charlie Hall)
» 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord - feat. Matt Redman)
» No Turning Back (feat. Chris Tomlin)
» Let Me Feel You Shine (feat. David Crowder Band)
» Who You Are (feat. Kristian Stanfill)
» Jesus, All in All (feat. Charlie Hall)
» Twenty Seven Million (feat. Matt Redman & LZ7)
» How Great Is Our God (World Edition - feat. Chris Tomlin)
» Fearless (Passion 2012 Talk - Louie Giglio)
» Passion 2012 Slideshow
» Digital Booklet

The Adventure Writer’s Blog Rating:

10/10 - Quality, diverse content with something for everyone.

Brief Review Summary on iTunes

Climbing the Peak: Surreal Twist

Among the Colorado mountains grand, lies this tiny little peak, overseeing prime grounds for picnicking. The photograph was taken in Colorado, then graphically altered with Mac's Preview Application and GIMP.

Abu the Cat

While at a Midwestern farm I met Abu the cat, a shy house-cat who was dropped off on the side of a country road as an unwanted kitten. Its current owners rescued it, after it wandered up to their house. I cut out the background of this photograph and replaced it with the current black background using the GIMP lasso (a tedious process to be sure).

Rolling Hills & British Isles

The gently curving hills of Normandy. Having visited Ireland prior to this trip, I found the captured scene quite nostalgic, with the same deep, green and brown hues of the British Isles.