Links: Gaming Blogrolling

Hard Drive - This is basically The Onion or The Babylon Bee of video game news. Like most satire sites, it's very hit-and-miss, but when it hits with stories like "Spirit Halloween Moves Into Former Nintendo eShop Space on 3DS" or "REVIEW: ‘Mortal Kombat 1’ on the Switch is Held Back by Subpar Graphics" (complete with screengrabs from the original 1992 fighting game), it's a riot. Hard Drive also runs non-gaming satire posts, but I find other places do that better.

Rock Paper Shotgun - Now part of the sprawling Eurogamer network, RPS brings a decidedly British take on gaming to the table. Their reviews are fairly reliable, and I especially like their Steam Curator page for finding good indie PC titles.

Tech: Apple Watch Series 8 review

With the release of the Apple Watch 9 yesterday, I thought it might be time to do an update review on the Apple Watch 8 that my folks got me for Christmas last year:

What does the Series 8 do well?

The Apple Watch executes on the main things I wanted from a smartwatch - a GPS/heart rate monitor for tracking my runs, a cellular radio that can take calls and send texts even when away from a phone, and a voice-controlled smart assistant that can set timers and look up trivia on the go.

What does the Series 8 do poorly?

Most of the apps for the Apple Watch are either gimmicks, or poor substitutes for the smartphone versions. I never found any use for the decibel monitor or temperature sensor. Apple Maps and Google Maps rarely work. Spotify randomly refused to download workout playlists. There are apps to browse the web and watch YouTube, but they're finicky and limited by the tiny screen. Finally, while the device itself is pretty tough and resists water well, the screen scratches more easily than I'd like.

Is it worth it to spring for the Apple Watch Series 9?

With the new model out, you can now find the Series 8 on sale for well under $300, which is not a bad value for something that literally provides 98% of the functionality of the latest version.  For me, the only things the Series 9 brings to the table are a faster processor and a brighter display, neither of which are problems in the old model. If it were my money, I'd save the 120 bucks and get the Series 8.

TV: One Piece (2023 Netflix series)

Netflix has had a pretty spotty record with adapting anime into live-action, and it's not hard to explain. In addition to the inherent challenge of modifying Japanese IPs for a global audience, the jump to live action imposes budget and performance constraints that require a lot of skill to overcome. When you don't, you get lifeless adaptations of beloved classics like Death Note and Cowboy Bebop.

One Piece seems like it would be the toughest ask yet - a fantastical, effects-heavy pirate world filled with zany characters and a meandering plot (both the manga and the anime have run for over 25 years, with no signs of stopping).

But somehow, miraculously, One Piece is good:

How did One Piece succeed? Well, unlike other ill-fated adaptations, the show enlisted the help of the original creator, Eiichiro Oda, to make sure things didn't go too far off the rails (plotwise, the first season is a fairly faithful adaptation of various arcs from the beginning of the manga/anime). Perhaps more importantly, the showrunners absolutely nailed the casting, especially for the happy-go-lucky-yet-roguish protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. When you have a group of likable actors playing charming characters in madcap situations, you have a great show.

Tech: Arcade Paradise review

Arcade Paradise, a game from Newcastle-based developer Nosebleed Interactive, tasks you with running your own '90s arcade: 

You start with a few pitiful arcade cabinets tucked in the back closet of a struggling laundromat. As you earn money from customers doing laundry and playing your games, you can afford to buy more machines, renovations to your game room, and even RPG-like upgrades to maintain and grow your business.

Of course, you can play all the arcade games, too, and doing so is virtually required in order to progress, since the "currency" for permanent upgrades comes mostly from earning achievements in the games. Arcade Paradise features over 30 games, including parodies of titles like Pac-Man, OutRun, and Mr. Driller. They're generally fun, but not as compelling as the original classics, and some of them are a downright slog to get through.

While playing Arcade Paradise, I found myself wishing that the business management sim aspects were more fleshed out. Your arcade never faces any competition or catastrophes, and as far as I could tell, there were no fixed expenses and no way to "fail" and go bankrupt.  Adding more arcade cabinets or demoing the building for more space never had any risk or downside. I suppose it's ironic to want more virtual "work" in a game that's about using games to escape work, but it is what it is.

Rating: 80/100

Guns: S&W SW22 Victory review - Turn of the Screw

Introduction

For decades, .22 target pistols all had one thing in common: a complex, difficult takedown procedure. It didn't matter whether you had a Ruger Mark II or III, a Browning Buckmark, or a S&W 41 - all of them were a pain in the butt to field strip and reassemble.

Smith & Wesson's SW22 Victory changed the game in 2016. The gun featured an innovative system that allowed you to disassemble it with the turn of a single 1/8" hex screw, and to remove the barrel from the upper receiver by loosening another screw. 

Since then, Ruger redesigned its .22s to use an even simpler tool-less push-button takedown system, nullifying the Victory's primary advantage.  Does the SW22 still hold up in 2023?

Sights and Trigger

Out of the box, the Victory feels heavy and solid, with an ergonomic textured polymer grip that should fit most hands. The controls are in logical places, and the rear of the slide has unobtrusive grasping grooves for easy racking.

My model came with excellent fiber optic front and rear sights. The green dots absolutely pop, even on an indoor range. The SW22's trigger was also great, with a light, clean break. Unless you are a serious target shooter, I can't imagine having to upgrade these parts.

Takedown

It's been years since Ruger stole the Victory's thunder, but back in 2016, the one-screw takedown system was a huge advance. No more fumbling with levers and springs that required three hands; all you had to do to disassemble the Victory for cleaning was remove one screw at the front of the trigger, using any 1/8" hex wrench.

The downside to this system is obvious - over time, the screw works itself loose and allows your slide to rattle on top of the frame.  Now, I never had the screw back completely out, and all it takes is a hand tightening after each range session to get the gun good as new, but it's still an annoyance.

Range Report

The SW22 is easily one of the most accurate mass-market .22 handguns ever. The heavy weight, good sights and trigger, and heavy stainless target barrel produce fine groups, even when shot standing offhand.

Here's 20 rounds - two full magazine - of bulk Federal AutoMatch at 25 yards:

20 rounds of CCI standard velocity 40 gr. at 25 yards:

20 rounds of Blazer Value Pack at 25 yards:

Stepping up to better ammo gave better groups. Here's 20 rounds of CCI Mini Mags at 25 yards - this is almost my maximum accuracy when shooting a pistol, standing offhand with iron sights:

Conclusion

There's not much to complain about with the S&W SW22. It's accurate, reliable, comfy to shoot, and easy to trick out with new barrels, optics, etc. (thought such things are not at all necessary).  If you're looking for a dedicated .22 target pistol and you don't mind carrying a spare 1/8" hex key in your range bag, the Victory remains an excellent choice.

Music: I'm a Believer

Smash Mouth's lead singer Steve Harwell passed away recently, and it brought to mind the one time I saw the band play live - after a 2007 Florida Marlins game in the dog days of summer.  At the time, it seemed like a sad performance due to the sparse crowd and awful acoustics:

Looking back on it after 16 years, though, I realize that there was a sort of beauty about that night.  Life is made up of moments like that - part of boring, average grinds. It was one of many in my life, and one of many in Steve Harwell's life.  But we got to share that night together in some small way, and I do feel grateful for that.

Music: Jimmy Buffett - Live by the Bay

My enduring memory of Jimmy Buffett is his 1985 Miami concert video. That was after Buffett scored his biggest hits, but before he became a billionaire from cashing in on the "Margaritaville" name. It was a time when you could listen to "Cheeseburger in Paradise" unironically, floating on a surfboard with a beer in your hand:

In the ensuing decades, Buffett and his music would become ripe for parody, but even then, the music was undeniably catchy:

I hope wherever he is, he found his shaker of salt.