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I got a new hand-me-down laptop! Linux Mint Macross desktop wallpaper

While staying at the in-laws’ place, I upgraded my mom-in-law’s Fujitsu laptop. I had set her up with Mint Cinnamon nearly 5 years ago and she needed a major update. Going from version 19 to 22, she remarked how nearly identical the versions are, unlike Microsoft where they reinvent the frickin’ wheel with every damned iteration of Windows and make it gayer with each release. “Hey, you got used to finding what you needed, huh? Well too bad! Now it’s all in different places. Go ahead and get tons of vaccines and eat bugs while you’re at it, too.” Go to hell, Microsoft!

I was hoping to find a used laptop on Yahoo Shopping or Rakuten or something, but the chances of getting some crappy refurbished laptop that will croak after the warranty expired is too high. Or having the keyboard not work properly, etc. The best scenario would be to obtain a laptop from someone who had taken good care of an old laptop, and that’s what happened! I’m glad I didn’t buy one because I got this for free. I had told myself that whenever I got a laptop that I’d install Zorin OS to try it out, but I ended up just going with Mint Mate, the same as my desktop computer. This laptop is about 12 years old. 750gb HD, 8gb RAM, and even a bluray drive. I can’t get it to play any bluray movies yet, but this is still good. It was designed for Win8, but Yukari had upgraded it to Win10. She said that it would take about 10 minutes just to boot up. Now that it’s running on Linux, it’s quicker, of course! Go to hell, Microsoft! Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Just go straight to hell and don’t come back with your totalitarian bullcrap. Eat a bag, Bill Gates!

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30 Minutes Sisters customized Luluce done

So last night I finished my Luluce model kit. I went back to the Sanyodo Bookstore I posted about in the previous post and bought optional hair and body parts to give her black pigtails and sexy tits. Luluce comes with a nice ponytail, but her hair is like a dark gray and I prefer black. I think I’ll paint the ponytail hair parts with Mr. Hobby Lascius black hair color. I might paint the pigtail parts to match.

I’m on vacation at the in-laws’ place this week. Here I have a modeling table with various modeling supplies I keep here to work on models whenever we stay here. What I need to do is pop the parts apart and sand down the gates better. When I get home, I plan to do a flat coat on the flesh parts. I can use a Faber Castel pencil to do some shading on her butt cheeks and underboobs, then give it another flat coat to seal it in. I think I’ll also do a wash of Tamiya panel line accent color on her hair to give it more life, then do a flat coat on that too. Maybe do a semigloss finish on her outfit.

After sanding work, I may need to use some plastic polish to smooth it, or just very high grit sanding sponges. After a clear coat, it should provide a painted look.

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A treasure trove of modeling stuff found at Sanyodo Bookstore

In Komagane City, Nagano Prefecture there is a bookstore called Sanyodo with a fantastic modeling section. There I spotted Aoshima’s new Back to the Future Delorean from the 2nd movie! The first Delorean was released earlier this year. This is the first time seeing this second kit at a store.

I went there to pick up the latest Modelgraphix magazine (featuring Votoms dioramas) and OH BOY they now have a HUGE plamo section! Tons of neat supplies and everything too. Not just Gundams, but plenty of Macross, Votoms, Crusher Joe, shmups game ships, cars, planes… wow. Several years ago I picked up the Bandai mini Millennium Falcon there, but at that time the model section was pretty limited to just some Gundams. So, I was very impressed to see that their modest modeling section has been expanded to a few aisles even.

And check this out. They even stock Vallejo acrylic paints there. You don’t normally see these paints at regular hobby stores in Japan.

So yeah, plenty of great modeling supplies to be found there. I’m very impressed.

I picked up a Bandai “30 Minutes Sisters” kit. Girl #3 named Luluce. She has such a pretty, dark skin complexion and a cute ponytail. She is the one I was interested in getting, but never got around to buying before she disappeared. Maybe these kits were repopped because that model store had tons of them in stock.

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Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth on PSP

Last week I was sick with influenza and stayed home. I stayed in bed for 5 days and slept. I also began playing Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth for the PSP and I really like it. I got about 4 hours in, realized I was not playing it right, then started over. It’s really not your typical JRPG in which every new town you visit you buy new weapons and armor for your characters at the armory shop and buy item supplies at the store next to that. In this game you must craft your own items and such. My complaint is that when I am creating new weapons and armor, it does not tell me which characters can use them, nor how much their stats would increase with the items.

I remember when this game first came out for the Playstation, at the end of the ’90s. It was refreshing to see screenshots of this game in magazines with its pixel graphics. At that time, nearly everything had to be 3D rendered and I didn’t like that. However, Valkyrie Profile came out late in the console’s life, and not many copies of the game were made. I was unable to procure one and before long, it had become terribly expensive. When it was re-released for the PSP as Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth, I definitely bought it.

The world in this game is rather dreary. So much death and betrayal. As Lenneth, you must collect the souls of people who’ve died and recruit them to fight creatures of darkness so that you can send them to Asgard to fight for King Odin. Lots of sad stories. “I promise you, I won’t die! After this war, I’ll return and marry you!” Sorry bud, you’re dead. Now you get to die again in Ragnarok. That sort of thing. Perfect game for this joyous holiday season.

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Screenshots of retro arcade games in Tokyo

We went on a family day trip to Tokyo today. I was able to go do my own thing in Akihabara and took some photos of game screens there.

These last few I took at the small game arcade on the top floor of Super Potato.

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blink blink

The PC-98 must have been quite a computer to have experienced it at the time in Japan. Unfortunately, a lot of it was just adult titles. The last one seems at first to be a promising game with obviously Blade Runner-inspired graphics, but it turns out to be raunchy lez-rape crap.

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Crystal Breaker: a new PC-Engine-style shmup on Steam!

Tonight I bought a new shmup called Crystal Breaker. It really hearkens back to the TG-16/PC-Engine days! You take no damage from collisions and it rewards you for getting up close to enemies by releasing gems when you destroy enemies at close range.

Choose between two characters: Layla with short, auburn hair who has a standard shot, and Jenny with long, dark hair who has a shorter attack reach, but has stronger firepower.

Your powerups max out at the 3rd level, in which you shoot five ways. There are no bombs, but only a dash that can allow you to dodge bullets (however it’s not as easy as you’d think).

Crystal Breaker is made by Terarin Games, who also released the Gunhead/Blazing Lasers-inspired Raging Blasters and Layer Section/Rayforce-inspired Moon Dancer. Terarin’s definite Compile and Hudson influences are seen here, following their retro shmup style. They do well at capturing that ’90s shmup aesthetic. As with prior games, Crystal Breaker also has a selectable chiptune music option. This game is hard, and I still haven’t cleared the second boss yet. Nice neo-retro style game!

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Mega R-Type: a fan/doujin R-Type game on the Megadrive!

Last night I played the demo of the fan/doujin port of R-Type on the Megadrive that shmuppers were deprived of back in the day! The Master System and PC Engine got ports of R-Type, but not the Megadrive… until now! It’s actually not a “port” per se, as it is being built ground-up by an Italian family guy living in China who goes by “TheRoboz” on YouTube. The MD-generated music is fantastic! I paid for the demo rom and gave it a shot. You go from stage 1 to stages I’ve never gotten to before. The game isn’t complete and it seems to be a bit too liberal with the 1UPs for some reason. You can play as the standard R-9 Arrowhead, but also the “Leo Prototype.” Don’t get too excited about the Leo though… it doesn’t have the dual force orbs that R-Type Leo has, but rather no force orb and each powerup gives you the instant special weapons. You can shoot the powerups to change their color, like a Cotton game does. It’s definitely the Leo though, as you can tell by the sprites that it’s a rendering of the ship from R-Type Leo, but on the Megadrive. Neat gimmick, but I think I prefer having the force orb.

R-Type Leo (Arcade)
Leo Prototype (Megadrive)

I used SimpleScreenRecorder in Linux to record playing as both ships. I did better the first try, but then I realized that it was recording audio from my webcam’s mic and not the actual game. So I re-did the video all over again and I ended up not doing as well. That’s what you see here. Stick around to the end… the music for the ranking screen is a fantastic MD chiptune!

(Gosh, it is a pain in the ass to embed Odysee links in WordPress!)

The site to buy and download the rom: https://theroboz.itch.io/mega-r-type

The creator’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@theroboz