Tag Archives: Nintendo

Outside Memories of the 2015 Sakura-Con..

Photo Apr 07, 7 07 52 AM

I love these fandom gatherings.

Recently, I joined among the many in colorful costumes for the celebration of an interesting sub-culture. Here, together to celebrate their love for the Japanese anime/manga; including related games, art and lit. The  grand show inside (of which I was unable to attend) was the great Sakura-Con, held annually in Seattle’s downtown convention center. The outside show in the back park area stretching some blocks, is a fan driven compliment to the event.

I spent good time outside the event in the back park area, there to meet up with old visiting friends. While around, I had great fun, cheering on the celebrated icons of Japan’s contributions to pop-culture, and learned much on the new popular trends of today’s “otaku” faire.

I took some pictures with two cameras. The sunny weather was perfect for that, adding vividness to the amazing array of colorful attires. Here below, with notes:

Photo Apr 04, 12 11 42 PMDressed as characters from an anime/manga TV show, Cardcaptor Sakura.

Photo Apr 06, 5 57 16 PMA giant handmade Pokemon creature, made by the mohawked person in the back. Many cheered on this giant creature.

Photo Apr 04, 2 17 58 PMLink and a fairy (from a later game I think, of which I have yet to play)..from the Legend of Zelda series

Photo Apr 05, 7 26 39 PMWaLuigi, brother to Wario. Not sure who the other us.

Photo Apr 05, 7 29 05 PMVegeta and Piccolo perform the fusion dance. I am not a big fan of Dragonball Z, yet have been enough of the fandom to pick up on this stuff.

Photo Apr 05, 7 27 05 PMGodzilla!!

Photo Apr 04, 5 02 52 PMFrom the worlds of the Walter Robot studios, of which I know very little. I know for sure, this make-up job is awesome.

Photo Apr 07, 7 10 25 AMJokers and Harley Quinns. They are not of the Japanese culture origins, but they fit well as the anime/manga altpop culture welcomes all fantasy, sci-fi, superhero, etc genres of creative storytelling.

Photo Apr 07, 7 14 27 AMNot sure who she is from but that makeup job and costume detail is phenomenal.

Photo Apr 07, 12 40 52 PMVash the Stampede and Wolfwood, crossplayed from the classic Trigun anime series. This brings love and peace to my heart, to see fans bring life to one of my fav series of years ago.

Photo Apr 07, 7 12 09 AMThese players are from the Yu-Gi-Oh game and anime franchise. Well done!

Photo Apr 05, 7 39 06 PMI think she is from a newer show called RWBY. Not sure, but nice detail.

Photo Apr 05, 7 30 48 PMAn odd traditional game played every year here during the show. This involves a large circle, where those inside the circle kick around a bottle. The bottle points to someone in the circle, signalling for a walk and a hug to that person. That person replaces and fronts to the middle of the circle, to repeat the circle. There are some various chants and songs that sometimes happen.

Photo Apr 04, 1 18 17 PMCharacters from the long-running One Piece anime/manga series. The fandom of this was so huge, that a separate gathering far in the back of the park happened; where fans put on their own cosplay show.

Photo Apr 04, 2 04 58 PM Photo Apr 04, 2 03 10 PMA small portion of a massive League of Legends gathering (based on a very popular video game). The fandom and dedication to this astounds me.

Photo Apr 05, 7 34 17 PMSome fun under a bridge, which I helped with for a friend (in the bunny suit). Here, many enjoyed a hop scotch game for to promote her Android dating/social meet-up app, Cuddli..

Photo Apr 04, 2 10 14 PMAnother character from League of Legends, I think. I like this shot.

Photo Apr 05, 7 40 55 PMA wild Pokemon spotted!

Photo Apr 07, 7 06 34 AMFrom the anime series, RWBY. Note: Monty Oum, the animator and creator of RWBY and many short films I admired, passed away last year at the age of 33. His work lives on with the fans.

Photo Apr 05, 7 36 01 PMNot sure on this series..but I like the craftsmanship.

Photo Apr 04, 4 59 19 PMA lady adorned with many Moogles (from the Final Fantasy video games). I hope they are clingy, and not dead..heheh.

Photo Apr 06, 5 51 20 PMLara Croft, as portrayed in a recent and very gritty retcon of the Tomb Raider game franchise.

Photo Apr 07, 7 20 17 AM

Well, that’s all for now. I had a huge blast for the one day of three  (I only had the time for, and why I didn’t go for a pass to the grander show inside). I give a huge thanks to all those who shared the joys of their fandoms, with the cosplay and cheers. Good times shared, are the best times.

– Orion T

Picture of Today 3/8/15, Time out for Player 1



Oh, how time has changed, to one hour forward. That means more light to enjoy on a lazy Sunday, and more to come afterwards.

We here also got warmer weather, to the point of leaving sweaters and heavy coats back in the closets (for sure in Seattle). This also meant no mud or water puddles upon the local grassy knolls. So, I lied down upon one and stared up.

Then, I ran around for a bit. Wha..hoo!



8-bit adventuring in the old Nintendo land..

I present two pieces of vintage digital art, from an aged, underrated Nintendo video game. 

Faxanadu, for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in 1987 in Japan, 1989 in North America, and released recently for the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console.

The is the end, after completing the game. You have restored nature and beauty to your hometown and surroundings.

"Daggers and wingboots, mantras and monsters await you" - Faxanadu game box box cover tagline

This is in contrast, to its beginning.. See, one person can really make a difference!

Faxanadu opening

This was an excellent game, of which I and many others enjoyed. The game was developed and imported/translated from Japan by Hudson Soft, a third-party company known, for being lesser known. This game was often found in discount bins later on, which got my attention. I was a sucker for action games with role-playing elements. But wow! I loved the look, the gameplay, the music. The story, not so much. It was simple, but enough to keep me going. I felt the visuals told their own story through progression.

Here are some further notes on the two shots, and the game itself:

  • In both shots, our unnamed protagonist walks alone on the road. In the ending, he walks away from the castle. In the beginning, he walks towards the castle. Both acts, done in an odd shuffling, crudely animated fashion.
  • Most of the game is up and through that gigantic tree in the background. It’s the World Tree. The huge tree is home to many townsfolk and evil monsters. This is fantasy of the best kind, where one must expand their imagination to accept the unbelievable.
  • Like most games of that era, Faxanadu had a very fixed color palette. Only 64 (56 unique) colors were possible, and on-screen only 25 could be used. Such limitations led to some brilliant thinking on selection and style. For Faxanadu, we have tones of browns, greens, tans, blue, etc, perfect for setting the tone of this great game. 
  • Pixellation is beautiful, when done right.  It takes skill to produce more from less, especially in complex settings like this.
  • I can not find the game artist for this. There are no credits in the ending (the usual place) for the game, unfitting for this epic game. I found nothing on the Internet. Hopefully, I will get back to this someday with an update.

Here is the text from the back of the game packaging:

“You are the elves’ last hope. Outside the town walls lurk monsters with the power to destroy anything in their path. Inside the walls, water and time are running out. Soon the ancient elf town of Eolis will vanish into eternity. Only you can save Eolis. No one else dares to venture beyond the walls, onto the World Tree, where towns and fortresses precariously await the whims of fate at the hands of the Evil. You are searching for the water source and for an antidote to the poison that makes the water undrinkable. To find them you’ll need gold and food and magic, speed with a sword… and luck. Every town holds a new mystery, every fortress a new danger. Merchants will sell you magic and valuable tools, but it’s up to you to figure out what you need. Long, secret mantras help you slip through the mists, but will you survive the next challenge? This is Faxanadu, the legend, the adventure – the incredible journey on the World Tree!”

Sometimes, I like to think my day is this exciting.