INsanityDesign

Finally, after years of blogging (and month of !blogging) I decided to show myself to my humble but crowded community. As a friend of mine and me myself were playing around with Gravatar we portrait ourselves. He used the commonly known South Park Studio and I made a copy of my first and best Mii Character. So…

Here I am! Here it is! My full body portrait!

I take requests for life-size poster prints through the comments. Costs vary by service and postal rate to your location.

PS: Even if this happens to be my Mii Character I ensure (and many friends will too) that this is very accurate. If you think this is a hoax, rest assured IT IS NOT!

A Happy New Year to everyone reading this (Yeah, you two! [Damn, worst joke ever!!!]). I hope you enjoyed your New Years Eve, had much fun and are eager to read much more stuff I’m writing about. For me myself I just got smoothly into the new year as I have a cold and far to many things to think about!

Two of those things that troubled me the last weeks (besides Christmas and New Year) were the announcements or better first/new materials of Street Fighter IV and Duke Nukem Forever (And YES! I always believed it will be released…).

Street Fighter IV
First of all Street Fighter IV was announced some weeks ago with a very stylish trailer.
After much speculation about which dimension Street Fighter IV will conquer (3D like Street Fighter EX3 or 2D like the old Street Fighter World Games, which we liked so much) two weeks ago 1UP (better EGM) had an exclusive first look at an early development stage of the game… and damn, it looks very very good.

It will be a 2.5D fighting game as the whole graphics are 3D (not really classic Cel-Shading but very pastel like texturing and colouring) but the fighting will be on a traditional 2D layer with some additional special effects and environment interaction. Not much is known at this moment as the Capcom states that the development has just started, so the release won’t be before the end of 2008 (and a new “Happy New Year” post ^^’) but EGM managed to get some information out of the developers.
The characters of Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Dhalsim are already somehow integrated. No final word on the character selection later on. Additionally to classic “Hadokens” and fighting there will be Ultra Combos integrated (probably known from games like “God of War”) and a “Rescue System” that will allow players on the edge to come back with some kind of blowout. For the whole story (I am too lazy to retell it here) have a look a the 1UP Feature.

Besides a new game in the franchise the rumour about a new movie (after the disaster movie with Jean-Claude) was spread month ago and they came out true. With “Street Fighter - The Legend of Chun-Li” Andrzej Bartkowiak (director of DOOM and respected for his camera work) will helm a new movie starring Chun-Li (hard to tell). Less than for the game is known what the movie will deal with (but Chun-Li) but what is known already is that the main actress will be Kristin Kreuk. Most people probably know here as Lana Lang from the Superman-Series “Smallville”. And actually as much as I think she looks lovely I cannot really think of here as Chun-Li.
But until we know more, see the first trailer and watch the final cut we can kill time by watching the hilarious Later Years of Street Fighter!

Duke Nukem Forever
Another bit news story made our Christmas more wonderful than the last 6 years. As Broussard lashed his men to finalize the first trailer since E3 2001 Duke Nukem Forever lives again. Declared dead by many, honoured with a Vaporware Lifetime Achievement Award but the Duke IS Forever.
Much could be said to this achievement, a recap of the last ten years with Duke Nukem Forever has been summed up by Shacknews so I let them do the writing and just give you the trailer.
But remember: Broussard once declared on the 3DRealms Board that the first new material will be shown if the release is within the next 12 months. So let’s hope he is right and is true to his words!

I prepared the Duke Nukem Forever Trailer from ‘98 and ‘01 for your pleasure after the jump!
Thanks to 1UP/Gamevideos, Gametrailers and the developers for those great resources!

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Let’s make it quick: I AM ALIVE! I am still bloggin’ and I will still share my mental constitution with you!

But first: I wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I’ll be back with new posts, new nonsense and many MANY links to click on! First new entry tomorrow!

Long time, no see! Your hopes and prayers have not been heard by the lord itself as I am still blogging and blogging on. But first and foremost I wish every reader (yes, you two) a Happy New Year and a wonderful 2007. That your finest hour may come.
I know I haven’t posted something for a long long time but I was somehow distracted (and as the title of this blog suggests, gone far beyond INsanity). From now on I will try to keep up a regular post frequency (at least this is my New Year’s pledge ^^’).

I don’t want to make this very long as the new year has just started and should not be filled with that much stupidity right along but what troubled me the last weeks:
I got my Wii as the countdown suggested and I am very happy. It is a good and solid console with more good games to come. The control works great as if you have never used anything else before. The Party Games like Wii Sports and Wii Play are pretty good. Much fun with some people and some beer ^^’. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is just terrific, great, best game from Nintendo ’till this day. Most other games don’t work as they should but time will tell if Nintendo can keep up some more good games, as every console has a hard game start. Red Steel should have been the new experience in the Ego-Shooter genre but it did not quite work out. Most reviews rated it pretty bad. I tested it for 2 days and I must say: The controls could be better but are easy to adopt. After some hours you will know how to fight, how to move. From then on it is a funny and cool game with intermediate graphics and a very nice Arcade-Feeling like House of the Dead with your Lightgun. A sequel is already in the work so I hope they learn from their mistakes and will make a great next-new-gen-Ego-Shooter ^^’. And as NexGen Wars shows I am not alone with my positive thinking.
Two things could be better. First the Virtual Console. Itself is just a great idea and works great but the prices for such old games like the first Sonic, the first Legend of Zelda or R-Type are with 5€ to 10€ just by far too much. And the overall internet capability of the Wii is pretty limited. Currently no game can be played with others online, not even Red Steel and things like the WiiShop are pretty slow. Everything requires reload. I hope Nintendo will improve and focus their work on these two things.

Everything else just somehow goes and goes on. University sux as always, still no very concrete diploma thesis. Life itself is the hell of a burden ^^. Some good movies have been released. Apocalypto by Mel Gibson. Maybe controversial but I pretty much liked it. It was true and strong with great stills. The newest James Bond… long story short, best Bond movie with the second best Bond actor. Now I am looking forward to Babel and Pan’s Labyrinth, two very promising movies and I will tell you about as soon as I have seen them.

For now… the end is near… the year is over… another one just started… 2007… The End!

…this week was my 24th birthday. Yep, twenty-four! 20 + 4! Some will say: “Damn young lad! Has to grow up yet!”, others will get corny about their mid-twenties: “Oh yeah… 24! I remember… she even had no teeth!” Tscha, that’s it. I am getting old. Older every year and I damn you, whoever you are that figured this out!
I begin to feel like I have a Startlife-Crisis. Everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Murphy’s Law is all over. Every time I see this young folk party, getting drunk and speak with a funny accent I start questioning myself: When will I die? Is an upper power watching over us? Will there be a life after this hell? And did I look as stupid as these kids when I was drunk? Who knows… I do not care any more!

What’s to sum up of the last twenty-four years I spend living… at least more or less. Prepare for fast-forward. Prepared for fast-forward? Fast-forward… Now: Born on the 17th of November in Bremen, Germany I started to puke all over this world. Lived in three different locations till now. Did nothing else but went to school. Damn it! That’s pretty much it! I went to school! I go to school for 19 years. NINETEEN!!! OK, the schools changed but always school. Elementary school, grammar school, college-preparatory and nowadays I study at the University of Bremen, trying to get my degree in Computer Science. Since I am 16 I work additionally to my school. And do not forget my 9 month with the German Bundeswehr as military service is duty in Germany (at least for the cool guys ^^’).

That is my life until this day in fast-forward. Nothing special as you can see. Nothing big that I have achieved. Just living and trying to get along. And if I have a look at other people my age or born at the 17th of November I get headache. Christopher Paolini, born November, 17 in 1983. Has written Eragon and Eldest. Great books, at least Eragon. Haven’t read Eldest yet but Eragon will be a major movie this December in cinemas all around the world. Or Jessica Biel. Born March, 3rd in 1982 she performs since she was 14. Next big movie will be The Illusionist with Edward Norton. Also in 1982 William DeVries transplanted the first artificial heart. Barney Clark was his patient. ICQ, Carl Zeiss, Danny DeVito, Martin Scorsese, Phrack and so many more have their first appearances, inventions, downloads et cetera on a November, 17.

Conclusion
What’s to conclude here? I am getting older but on the other side I still have so much time and so much to do. At least I have a blog. An achievement I… ahem… I… jeez, every idiot has a blog. But we had our little party this Friday with some good beer and fun (at least I think so). We will back us, anyone each other while we are getting older and someday we will look at the blogs of the future on our fluid displays and we will laugh at all those young internet freaks that have to share their life with the internet because they have no friends… ahem… I… think I have to go ^^

Movies, Movies, Movies
I have one more. A lot of movie news came up the last week. Many new facts and many new trailers. First of all I am looking forward to the Casino Royale start. I had my doubts but Daniel Craig seems to prove that a new, rough and emotional Bond has been born. The best of both worlds (Connery and Brosnan) from what I saw and read. I hope I won’t be disappointed.
I watched Children of Men this week because of the good reputation of Alfonso Cuarón and I liked it very much. It was a realistic look at a future filled with emotions that has become quiet. A very touching and emotional film that also was very brutal. But Alfonso Cuarón showed his expertise in filming. Great single shot sequences that will blow even those away that just want some action movie.
Two important trailer found their way into the net. Spider-Man 3 and The Simpsons Movie. After a good first comic adaptation the second Spider-Man got me kind of disappointed. To heroic, bad Octopus, worse love story between Peter and Mary-Jane so I was pretty happy to find out that the third one will be darker, has Venom in it and takes up the moral of the comics. And The Simpsons Movie… yeah, its The Simpsons so it will rock ^^’
I eventually wanted to give you a peek at Grindhouse, the new (two) Movie(s) by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez but The Weinstein Company don’t want us to see it. I watched it and I must say: This movie will kick ass and chew bubblegum. Horror-, suspense-, splatter-movie with a 70’s atomic cataclysm style! One hell of a movie with Rose McGowan and her M16 as leg ^^’
Another big event this weekend was the After Dark Horrorfest. After Dark shows 8 films to die for in selected theatres in the United States. Only this weekend from November, 17 to 19. 8 movies that would not have been released! There are six trailers at Apple.com and they look good. At least for people that like such freakin’ fuckin’ movies. I do!

Dark Ride

by Craig Singer

The Gravedancers

by Mike Mendez

The Hamiltons

by The Butcher Brothers

Penny Dreadful

by Richard Brandes

Reincarnation

by Takashi Shimizu

Unrest

by Jason Todd Ipson

The Abandoned

by Nacho Cerda

Wicked Little Things

by J.S. Cardone

So that’s it from me for this week. I will go take my drugs and cuddle myself into my rheumatism blanket. Until next week folks!