About Me
Bio:
I'm a man of many hobbies and interests, from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. I've been a gamer since an early age, starting with Atari 5200, NES and on. My programming interests started a few years later then that, with Basic variations on TRS-80 dos computers. I enjoy being creative and learning creative arts and things, which is why I got interested in computer programming and electronics even back then. My interests only extend as far as being hobbies though, and I have no formal training in any sort of computer programming, electronics engineering, or arts. As such my skills in any such things would be considered intermediate at best, and below professional grade. Any project you see me work on, I do so purely because I'm having fun doing so.
RPG games have always been my favorites. Mostly turn based Japanese RPGs, with specific action adventure RPGs here and there. Ocarina of Time, A Link to the Past, and Chrono Trigger are tied for the 3 best games of all time in my book. I generally think games peaked with Super Nintendo, and seem to like less and less games from each newer generation. In part due to my view that starting with Playstation, and further continuing with xbox, that games have gone down hill and lost what they should truly be about. Gameplay over graphics, adventure over mindless violence, challenge over just killing time, etc. As you could expect, I have stuck with a following of Nintendo through the generations, but even they continue to disappoint me with poor design plans that alienate developers and even true hardcore gamers (I.E. not the ones that started with xbox and/or just play run of the mill FPS's, and sports games). Developers being those that could make quality games on their console. Still I always have hope from the next generation of Nintendo home consoles.
I got into PC computer gaming around 2000. Mostly with emulators of my favorite consoles of the past. I Soon found MMORPG's through the game EverQuest. I Enjoyed that game for the most part until 2005 or so, when Sonys changes to that game pushed it so far down hill, there was no hope left in it. I started World of Warcraft about 1 year later, but barely enjoyed it as it was to easy. The content, graphics and music are about all I enjoyed from it, as the gameplay was to watered down for an MMORPG, and I completely disagree with PvP in MMORPGs (at least to the extent WoW has supported it) as I regard it as encouraging immaturity, and going against the spirit of MMORPGs regarding working together with others. Since starting WoW, I have had a very inconsistent interest in it, often going months or years without playing it.
Other games I enjoy are puzzle games, visual novels, and a lot of various Nintendo first party games. Despite the nickname I've chosen to use, while I can enjoy fighting games, they only hold my interest for short periods of time. Outside of Goldeneye and Perfect Dark on the N64, I generally find FPS's boring, uninteresting and would even go as far as to claim most are the poorest examples of true video gaming.
I'm a fan of most music. Only things worth excluding are R&B, most Rap/Hiphop, and Pop music in general as I generall find those nauseating or just plain annoying. My favorite music is Punk Rock and Ska, with the bands NOFX and Bad Religion as my favorites. I myself have a musical background just limited to only various brass instruments which I played in middle/high school, played quite well, but have not retained since. I do however practice teaching myself Piano on infrequent occasion.
My imaging art abilities are very limited, and only retained to this day through graphics design through computers.
I'm mono-lingual, but off and on work on learning Japanese by teaching myself. Currently my abilities are still low, with me just being able to recognize and read most if not all Hirigana and Katakana, Maybe about 300-400 Kanji, and possibly about 500 words. I can slowly read enough to get the gist of something, at best, and have spoken or constructed my own sentences very little which has slowed my development.
Contact:
Email:
darkakuma [at] z-net.us
Twitter:
@DarkAkuma_ (There's an underscore at the end)
IRC:
irc.gamesurge.net: DarkAkuma
(A lot of these links will come up as errors, mostly because I haven't logged in the characters in awhile.)
WoW Retail characters:
Ubaest 110 Rogue (Hyjal)
Cleri 110 Priest (Baelgun)
Shibe 110 Druid (Baelgun)
Shiby 110 Mage (Baelgun)
EQLive characters (Karana Server):
Uberest 75 Rogue - Retired
Shibi 66 Wizard - Retired
Narcoleptic 60 Monk - Retired
ProjectEQ characters:
Uberest 65 Rogue
Shibi 65 Wizard
Narcoleptic 65 Monk
Enchanta 65 Enchanter
Wouldelf 65 Druid
Cleri 65 Cleric
Shiby 65 Magician
Shib 65 Warrior
Barde 65 Bard
Ranged 28 Ranger
Top 10 Favorite Games
T#1 - Chrono Trigger
T#1 - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
T#1 - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
#04 - Megaman X
#05 - EverQuest
#06 - The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening
T#7 - Super Punch-Out
T#7 - Shadowgate
T#7 - Goldeneye
T#7 - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
(I had a hard time coming up with #4-#10 as I've never really considered them before. So this list is subject to change,)
