Hey Tumblr! Just thought I'd break the silence to announce my new personal blog: https://sertimus.xyz/blog
Don't worry, this one won't be going away; in fact, I'm thinking of publishing entries weekly on here, especially since the entries will all be written in Markdown, which will allow for easier crossposting.
Those who visit my personal site are getting first dibs; no catches, no nonsense, no paywalls, anyone can access the blog. Just click that link and you'll be seeing the latest entries as I publish them.
Hey Tumblr! Just thought I'd break the silence to announce my new personal blog: https://sertimus.xyz/blog
Don't worry, this one won't be going away; in fact, I'm thinking of publishing entries weekly on here, especially since the entries will all be written in Markdown, which will allow for easier crossposting.
Those who visit my personal site are getting first dibs; no catches, no nonsense, no paywalls, anyone can access the blog. Just click that link and you'll be seeing the latest entries as I publish them.
Just so you all know I have not forgor about this, just been thinking about how I want to publish my entries.
There are some that might not make it on here, especially ones that are more specific to that site or entries that feel too personal for me to publish on here.
In any event, I've put 'em on here already; because I've added some date metadata to them it might seem they've came before this post chronologically, and that's because they technically did, but I've actually published them to this blog not too long ago.
Thanks and hope y'all are having a lovely night tonight~
No, I'm not talking about the first Sonic The Hedgehog video game for the Sega Genesis. I'm talking about that one game where he appeared as an air freshener inside the cockpit of a race car! Yeah, that game! So, apparently there was another version of this game that was demonstrated at AOU Show 1991 and was also being location-tested at an arcade in Shibuya.
A YouTube member who goes by the name 'Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon' uploaded a video of their walkabout from Harajuku to Shibuya in Tokyo in 1991, who also happened to come across this game. I've clipped the moment this game appears in the video. Enjoy~
Good evening all, I seem to be kind of treating this like a diary, aren't I?
Well, today was kind of weird. I woke up at 9 today feeling a bit melancholic, right? Then I drove to work as usual but maybe about an hour in my shift I started feeling a bit of an oxygen rush in my head, which eventually turned into me feeling a bit disoriented and fatigued. Even with a snack I'd brought with me and a bottle of water, that feeling has not went away. So then I have late lunch after work. Feeling a little better, but it's still there.
Out of abundance of caution, I decided to take a rain check from the gym today and have a two-hour-long rest. I'm feeling alright now, though I think that may be because I didn't have as much of a filling breakfast today; in fact, I've only had honey-toasted oats cereal and milk, but mostly because I woke up later than I wanted to and was in a hurry. Kinda goes to show how a balanced meal will do you wonders, huh?
Anyway, I've been contemplating implementing moods into this blog, especially with the customizability the generator offers. However, I feel like I could also make some mood emotes for it too, but also, art is hard. Adulting is hard. Life is hard. I'll probably do that though; either that or I could commission someone to make some emotes.. 👉👈 I'll see what comes of it.
That aside, I've been contemplating an eventual return to streaming on Twitch. I haven't forgotten about my channel, oh no! It's just been difficult to return to especially with my job taking up a lot of my time and how I haven't really had much of a social life outside of my work connections like I'd mentioned in my previous entry, 'Post-con thoughts'. As a result, my social skills had declined to some extent.
So I feel like if I'm going to return to streaming, it'll have to be a gradual process so I can avoid burnout like I'd experienced with vtubing back in late 2021. That's not to say I didn't have any fun with it, in fact I did. Lots of fun. I was even investing in various equipment so I can accomodate multiple setup positions in my room. I would even post pictures of my setup on my Twitter from time to time, which I'm sure some of you were around to see. Either way, I'll leave one of those here.
For the time being, there are no concrete plans as to what I'll do with the streaming thing yet. If there is, I'll make a blog entry about it in some distant future, but for now it's up in the air. I do miss it very much and would love to return to it someday, though.
That is all I have in mind for today, hope you all are having a blessed night tonight.
Let's just say I've been thinking about a certain arcade game I came across on YouTube recently which I may or may have not came across in my childhood but it certainly feels nostalgic enough to show off. 'Super deluxe' arcade cabinets with curved projection screens like this were very commonplace back then! Kudos to Vectrex4Life to recording this rare look at the game.
Super Mario Bros. Movie 4DX Thoughts + Review (SPOILERS)
Oh gosh, where do I begin.
Let me just preface this by saying that this was my very first experience with a 4DX film. I'd learned that there's a cinema that opened near me which is a much more affordable drive compared to traveling over 100mi just to catch a single showing. I'd actually long sought after a presentation like this since Promare made its limited release in US theaters back in '19 and '21 and, at that time, the new cinema hadn't even opened yet. So I'm not only glad I got to catch the Super Mario Bros. Movie's theatrical release, I'm also glad I now get to experience 4DX closer to home.
I've watched some demonstrations of the technology in action and it speaks to me especially as a thrill ride enthusiast. It reminds me a lot of those 4D theater-style rides that usually operate in theme parks, so I went in with that expectation in mind but for feature-length films. Well, this experience brought a lot more than I expected, in a good way. I will elaborate more on this shortly.
The one thing I will probably say is that the motion seats will violently heave and rock during certain action scenes to the point where the backrests will slam your back and, in some cases, you will be bouncing off your seat briefly, so if that's not your thing or if you have certain sensory/health issues which may be agitated by the motion seats and/or environmental effects (air/water jets, wind, rain, occasional scents, vibration, lumbar kick, etc.), then 4DX Mario might not be for you, even 4DX presentations in general. The manufacturer of 4DX has a safety guidelines page you can read before considering attending a presentation like this.
Of course, this goes without saying that this post will be full of spoilers. You're probably better off not reading beyond this point if you plan on watching this movie in the near future or even plan on experiencing it in 4DX just like I did.
That said, thoughts! This was actually a pretty fun watch. It prefaces with Bowser anchoring his floating fortress in front of the Penguin King's castle and the Penguin King's army getting a taste of Bowser's fury. From there he claims the Super Star being held there and imprisons all of the Snow Kingdom's inhabitants. The 4DX effects, including motion, were fairly mild but provide a little taste of what's to come further into the movie. There was especially some use of fog and air to provide atmospherics, including forced air that occurs as Bowser uses his fire breath to destroy the Penguin King's castle.
With that, the movie starts out fairly relaxed with a completely normal day in Brooklyn with the Bros. starting out with their plumbing business. Then everything starts to ramp up steadily with their first job and then the manhole leak, which they find the pipe which transports them into the Mushroom Kingdom. During those parts of the movie I felt a little bit of the action from the Mario Bros. including their jumps and parkour-like maneuvers. This is also where the 4DX effects start to slowly build up in intensity and prepare the audience for the more brutal parts of the film.
However, this is also where I felt like the world building could've been improved. There seemed to be some missed opportunities to further develop his character. I especially felt like I only got to see to a glimpse of his family, too. His life in the Mushroom Kingdom was no different either, as a lot of his run-ins with the Kingdom's denizens seemed rushed. I might not have so much of an issue with it especially as a Mario fan/vet but it might be confusing to those completely new to the franchise. Though, there could be a reason for this too, especially with Nintendo's preference to stray from vivid backstories in Mario's universe.
With that said, I'd like to talk about the fun parts of the film, but mostly the action-y stuff; from Princess Peach's training regimen, to Donkey Kong's challenge, to the karting on Rainbow Road, eventually leading up to the showdown with Bowser. But especially Donkey Kong's scene, holy moly. Let me tell you about it. It's a trip—actually no, it's a roller coaster. The 4DX editors for this film really made sure you felt Mario's pain in the form of violent seat motions. They're pretty much a combination of sudden tilts, rolls and heaves every time Mario gets beaten up and thrown around.
It's especially to the point where the seat hit my upper back and even gave me brief airtime. It is peak whiplash. I think there may have been some use of forced air and water jets too, but it feels somewhat insignificant compared to how the seats move during the fight. It's nuts and it's very effective at actually making me feel bad for Mario here. Eventually, Mario does come across the cat power-up and overpowers DK through his enhanced agility and you also feel DK get a beat-down in the process.
I enjoyed the kart scenes especially, where it is a slightly smoother experience. It isn't until the Koopa army starts rolling in on Rainbow Road and defeating the Kongs that the motion starts ramping back up in intensity, though not as much as the aforementioned scene. There is some use of atmospherics in play, including wind, fog, air/water jets and strobes. After the blue shell of the Koopa General destroys part of the road, both Mario and DK fall into an ocean where they are eaten by a Maw-Ray which, if I remember well, is where the rain effect comes into play. There has been very occasional use of 4DX's rain effect throughout the film, though my memory has not been the best since watching through some parts of this film in 4DX were sensory overload for me, heh.
So then Bowser. He attempts to marry Princess Peach but his plans are briefly thwarted when Peach finds an opportunity to freeze Bowser and Mario + DK make their way to the wedding via a turbo jet from DK's kart. Lots and lots of action from there, which then ramps up in intensity when Bowser breaks free from his ice prison and sends a Banzai Bill toward the Mushroom Kingdom in a fit of rage. Mario then knocks it off course and sends it into a warp pipe, averting imminent destruction of the Mushroom Kingdom; but then Bowser's castle gets teleported to Brooklyn where the showdown continues. This is where the seats start to move violently again as Mario receives a beat-down from Bowser, feeling seemingly defeated but was reminded of his very mission—to save not only the Mushroom Kingdom, but Brooklyn too. Mario jumps back into the fight alongside Luigi to help him too, and eventually the two grab the Super Star, become invincible, knock Bowser out, shrink him to the size of a pet rat and trap him in a jar, ending his stranglehold on the Mushroom Kingdom and saving Brooklyn from a similar fate.
So, what do I think of this movie? I think it is very fun with a classic 'Mario saves the Princess (and the world)' plot that leaves a little more to be desired. I think most Mario fans will be able to enjoy it. I think the 3D + 4DX features make this an especially very fun watch and they don't distract a whole lot from the actual movie; the effects feel very relevant to what goes on in the movie and are not too gimmicky. However, I'm a bit on the fence on possibly recommending the Super Mario Bros. Movie as a first-time 4DX movie due to the intensity of certain scenes which may agitate those who deal with certain sensory issues like the sensation of bumping into cushions and strong movements of the seats in general.
This can depend on the feature that is being presented with 4DX, but it's always something to keep in mind going into a 4DX theater. Action movies are probably going to be common with most cinemas that offer such types of showings, so strong movements of the seats is a very common characteristic with them. However, if you're really into roller coasters or thrill rides in general as much as I am and you love to go into movies with a sense of adventure and a craving for immersion, I'm certain you'll have no problem breaking into the 4DX format.
Nonetheless I found the experience to be genuinely fun and unforgettable, especially for my first time watching a movie in this format. It's not something I'll be doing all of the time but I will definitely consider booking my next action movie screening in this format. In fact, I'm considering hitting up Across the Spider-Verse in 4DX in about a couple of months. :>
Adding onto this by mentioning that I watched Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in the same format this week and, well, boy do I feel like a fool for thinking this was intense! About 2 and a half hours of chaotic sensations. Not to say it wasn't a lot of fun though.
Super Mario Bros. Movie 4DX Thoughts + Review (SPOILERS)
Oh gosh, where do I begin.
Let me just preface this by saying that this was my very first experience with a 4DX film. I'd learned that there's a cinema that opened near me which is a much more affordable drive compared to traveling over 100mi just to catch a single showing. I'd actually long sought after a presentation like this since Promare made its limited release in US theaters back in '19 and '21 and, at that time, the new cinema hadn't even opened yet. So I'm not only glad I got to catch the Super Mario Bros. Movie's theatrical release, I'm also glad I now get to experience 4DX closer to home.
I've watched some demonstrations of the technology in action and it speaks to me especially as a thrill ride enthusiast. It reminds me a lot of those 4D theater-style rides that usually operate in theme parks, so I went in with that expectation in mind but for feature-length films. Well, this experience brought a lot more than I expected, in a good way. I will elaborate more on this shortly.
The one thing I will probably say is that the motion seats will violently heave and rock during certain action scenes to the point where the backrests will slam your back and, in some cases, you will be bouncing off your seat briefly, so if that's not your thing or if you have certain sensory/health issues which may be agitated by the motion seats and/or environmental effects (air/water jets, wind, rain, occasional scents, vibration, lumbar kick, etc.), then 4DX Mario might not be for you, even 4DX presentations in general. The manufacturer of 4DX has a safety guidelines page you can read before considering attending a presentation like this.
Of course, this goes without saying that this post will be full of spoilers. You're probably better off not reading beyond this point if you plan on watching this movie in the near future or even plan on experiencing it in 4DX just like I did.
That said, thoughts! This was actually a pretty fun watch. It prefaces with Bowser anchoring his floating fortress in front of the Penguin King's castle and the Penguin King's army getting a taste of Bowser's fury. From there he claims the Super Star being held there and imprisons all of the Snow Kingdom's inhabitants. The 4DX effects, including motion, were fairly mild but provide a little taste of what's to come further into the movie. There was especially some use of fog and air to provide atmospherics, including forced air that occurs as Bowser uses his fire breath to destroy the Penguin King's castle.
With that, the movie starts out fairly relaxed with a completely normal day in Brooklyn with the Bros. starting out with their plumbing business. Then everything starts to ramp up steadily with their first job and then the manhole leak, which they find the pipe which transports them into the Mushroom Kingdom. During those parts of the movie I felt a little bit of the action from the Mario Bros. including their jumps and parkour-like maneuvers. This is also where the 4DX effects start to slowly build up in intensity and prepare the audience for the more brutal parts of the film.
However, this is also where I felt like the world building could've been improved. There seemed to be some missed opportunities to further develop his character. I especially felt like I only got to see to a glimpse of his family, too. His life in the Mushroom Kingdom was no different either, as a lot of his run-ins with the Kingdom's denizens seemed rushed. I might not have so much of an issue with it especially as a Mario fan/vet but it might be confusing to those completely new to the franchise. Though, there could be a reason for this too, especially with Nintendo's preference to stray from vivid backstories in Mario's universe.
With that said, I'd like to talk about the fun parts of the film, but mostly the action-y stuff; from Princess Peach's training regimen, to Donkey Kong's challenge, to the karting on Rainbow Road, eventually leading up to the showdown with Bowser. But especially Donkey Kong's scene, holy moly. Let me tell you about it. It's a trip—actually no, it's a roller coaster. The 4DX editors for this film really made sure you felt Mario's pain in the form of violent seat motions. They're pretty much a combination of sudden tilts, rolls and heaves every time Mario gets beaten up and thrown around.
It's especially to the point where the seat hit my upper back and even gave me brief airtime. It is peak whiplash. I think there may have been some use of forced air and water jets too, but it feels somewhat insignificant compared to how the seats move during the fight. It's nuts and it's very effective at actually making me feel bad for Mario here. Eventually, Mario does come across the cat power-up and overpowers DK through his enhanced agility and you also feel DK get a beat-down in the process.
I enjoyed the kart scenes especially, where it is a slightly smoother experience. It isn't until the Koopa army starts rolling in on Rainbow Road and defeating the Kongs that the motion starts ramping back up in intensity, though not as much as the aforementioned scene. There is some use of atmospherics in play, including wind, fog, air/water jets and strobes. After the blue shell of the Koopa General destroys part of the road, both Mario and DK fall into an ocean where they are eaten by a Maw-Ray which, if I remember well, is where the rain effect comes into play. There has been very occasional use of 4DX's rain effect throughout the film, though my memory has not been the best since watching through some parts of this film in 4DX were sensory overload for me, heh.
So then Bowser. He attempts to marry Princess Peach but his plans are briefly thwarted when Peach finds an opportunity to freeze Bowser and Mario + DK make their way to the wedding via a turbo jet from DK's kart. Lots and lots of action from there, which then ramps up in intensity when Bowser breaks free from his ice prison and sends a Banzai Bill toward the Mushroom Kingdom in a fit of rage. Mario then knocks it off course and sends it into a warp pipe, averting imminent destruction of the Mushroom Kingdom; but then Bowser's castle gets teleported to Brooklyn where the showdown continues. This is where the seats start to move violently again as Mario receives a beat-down from Bowser, feeling seemingly defeated but was reminded of his very mission—to save not only the Mushroom Kingdom, but Brooklyn too. Mario jumps back into the fight alongside Luigi to help him too, and eventually the two grab the Super Star, become invincible, knock Bowser out, shrink him to the size of a pet rat and trap him in a jar, ending his stranglehold on the Mushroom Kingdom and saving Brooklyn from a similar fate.
So, what do I think of this movie? I think it is very fun with a classic 'Mario saves the Princess (and the world)' plot that leaves a little more to be desired. I think most Mario fans will be able to enjoy it. I think the 3D + 4DX features make this an especially very fun watch and they don't distract a whole lot from the actual movie; the effects feel very relevant to what goes on in the movie and are not too gimmicky. However, I'm a bit on the fence on possibly recommending the Super Mario Bros. Movie as a first-time 4DX movie due to the intensity of certain scenes which may agitate those who deal with certain sensory issues like the sensation of bumping into cushions and strong movements of the seats in general.
This can depend on the feature that is being presented with 4DX, but it's always something to keep in mind going into a 4DX theater. Action movies are probably going to be common with most cinemas that offer such types of showings, so strong movements of the seats is a very common characteristic with them. However, if you're really into roller coasters or thrill rides in general as much as I am and you love to go into movies with a sense of adventure and a craving for immersion, I'm certain you'll have no problem breaking into the 4DX format.
Nonetheless I found the experience to be genuinely fun and unforgettable, especially for my first time watching a movie in this format. It's not something I'll be doing all of the time but I will definitely consider booking my next action movie screening in this format. In fact, I'm considering hitting up Across the Spider-Verse in 4DX in about a couple of months. :>
