Where Have I Been? Announcement 02-20-2015

If you've been following along, I haven't updated this blog since September. I hope to end that dry spell now.  I have a new announcement.

I am leaving my medical coding and billing career.

It was a hard decision to make. I spent two years preparing for that career. It became a problem when I realized that if I were to continue and get a job in that field, my writing would suffer. It has been suffering long enough. For months I was depressed about it and wondered if I should stay in that path.   As I tried to prepare for a certification exam, the career was suffocating my writing and creativity outlets and I was losing sight of who I am and what I truly wanted.  I know now that medical coding and billing is not the right career for me.

Writing is.  I am good at typing/word-processing, and I love the computer. I love being expressive and creative.  My writing may not be at its best now, but I am willing to learn more and improve my writing skills so as to write for professional purposes. I can exercise my curiosity more often now and not feel like they are distractions.  I should still have a day job, but in the long run I would like to write for a living.

So on that note, I am going to attempt to keep Cyborg Haven going.  I am sorry for those who thought I gave up on it.  I simply was letting life take control of me, when I needed to take control of my life.  It's time to move on and be happy.  Look forward to the future instead of dread it.

Happy belated new year, and welcome to more possibilities!

Regarding plans for Sonic Fan-girl Chronicles, + My Love for Video Games

It is just as I feared.  I have become ambitious in trying to finish My Sonic Fan-girl Chronicles and just didn’t get back to putting up new chapters for quite some time.


As I may have said before, pursuing this My Sonic Fan-girl Chronicles project was a way for me to heal after I watched that video about the Sonic.exe computer game.  I wanted to rebuild my appreciation of Sonic—not that I didn’t have it already but, just to strengthen it I guess.  I had chapters of different points in my life where I first played a new Sonic game, and I looked forward to updating Cyborg Haven with these posts.  But lately this project didn’t seem so important to me.  I hate to say that.  And what’s worse:

I haven’t played a console Sonic game in months. Not even Sonic Rivals 2 on the PSP.

This year, new priorities came up that are related to my new career, and for that my Sonic writing project suffered. I still want to continue writing it.  I really want to write about how I got interested in Shadow the Hedgehog and what I thought was so cool about him back then, in 2001.  Shadow still deserves a special post about him from me because though I love all three hedgehogs to pieces—Sonic, Shadow and Silver—Shadow is ultimately my favorite.  I at least want to do that before I stop writing more chapters.

Maybe it won’t necessarily be part of the project, but since I haven’t been playing any other video games lately, then from time to time I would be writing mostly about my memories playing Sonic games.   I still have games like Prince of Persia (2008) and Devil May Cry 4 that I can return to playing and write about when I do.  And I can’t forget NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, because  I love NiGHTS as well and still vow to someday get the NiGHTS into Dreams HD on Steam (I don’t have a Steam account; I plan to get one after being a little more financially established).

Perhaps along the way I can also share links to YouTube videos that contain content from video games I’ve enjoyed, or soundtrack songs from games I appreciate the music from.  Sonic Unleashed has plenty of that. I love the soundtrack to Sonic Adventure 2 as well, especially Shadow’s stages, Knuckles’ stages, and even the music for Rouge’s stages too.  OMG, I can’t forget Final Fantasy VII too!!  Maybe also I might share links to music tracks from video games I haven’t played but have heard some of the music and appreciate the musical score, like from Journey or Assassin’s Creed.  And of course, if there is news about any new video games coming up such as Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts 3, or a new Sonic game (or even the Sonic Boom cartoon, y'all!), I'll write my thoughts on those too.

No question I still appreciate video games. Even though I am not playing them as much as I used to before I changed my career, I want to share the joy video games give me with their gameplay, their stories, their music and their characters.

CYBORG HAVEN: 5 Years On The Internet!!!

Well guys,

I can't believe it's been 5 years since I started writing this blog.

I want to make a proper celebratory post on Cyborg Haven 2.0, but it will have to wait a bit longer.  For now, I at least have a new cyborg drawing to go with a much-needed revamp of this blog.  Either a revamp, or a bit of some changing up to refresh it's novelty.

Still wanna keep this baby alive.  :)


EDIT:  It seems I am  having trouble customizing this simple template.  Maybe it is something to do with my Internet browser?  It if comes to it, I may just have to change the entire template itself, and I don't wanna do that because I like how simple the layout is and where I can find everything.  Bummer, man!

SONIC’S 23rd ON THE 23rd OF JUNE!!!!

Wow, so it’s Sonic’s 23^rd on the 23^rd of June!  How does that happen?!  It’s happening.  As I’m writing this I am listening to Sonic Radio on iTunes.  As long as I am home on the 23^rd of June, each time I will celebrate part of the day by listening to Sonic Radio on iTunes to some favorite remixes, favorite OST tracks, and new ones I’ve never heard before that make the experience such a treat.  I get so many smiles from this pastime.

I did this last year too.  Last year it was an event called Project 24, where several SEGA online radio stations were scheduled to host a radio show each hour playing specifically remixes of music from Sonic video games.  I was able to listen to a lot of Sonic music remixes that I’ve never heard before.  It was an amazing experience, so amazing that I tried to find some Sonic-related podcasts that contained a lot of those remixes.  I was on a crazy search for really cool Sonic remixes.

I am still collecting remixes. Mostly from iTunes podcasts, OC Remix and the Sonic Stadium Music Depository of remix albums.

Lately I’ve been distracted with another fandom: Transformers.  I have been neglecting my Sonic games for the last few months.  But seeing as it is Sonic’s 23^rd, I am brought back to appreciating my favorite childhood video game character again.  Sonic the Hedgehog has been a big part of my childhood and I don’t want him to stop being a part of my life.

Last year I was playing Sonic Rivals 2 at least two times a week.  I always played as either the three hedgehogs Sonic, Shadow and Silver, or Espio the Chameleon.  It is a nice escape.  But I haven’t touched my PSP for quite a few months now.

Ah…!   Gamma E102's theme song is playing now!!! Yay!!!

Sorry, I had to say that.  I love that robot.

I’ve tried to get back to Sonic Unleashed.  I didn’t earn any new medals for daytime or nighttime.  I played “Dragon Road—Day” a few times and had fun, but didn’t improve score by too much.  The music track for this Day Stage always makes me smile through my fails.  Hah hah. 

I’m listening to Sonic Radio now, and then I’ve got other things to do, then later in the day I’ll log in and listen to it again.  And I may visit some of the Sonic websites to see what other people say about Sonic’s 23^rd.

Oh, "Symphonic Ruin" is playing now!!  This is the remix that made me want to collect more Sonic remixes!! (see post here to read more...)

Well Sonic, it’s your 23^rd birthday/anniversary today, so Happy Birthday, I love you, and keep on runnin’!

After thought: a link to the post about my first true encounter with the Sonic the Hedgehog video game.

1991—Sonic the Hedgehog
http://cyborghaven.blogspot.com/2013/09/my-sonic-fan-girl-chronicles-chapter-1.html

My Anniversary of Beating the Game: Sonic Adventure 2

I meant to post this on March 22, but life got in the way.  So here it is,...the beginning of a thorough reminisce of my favorite Sonic game of all time, Sonic Adventure 2.

May 22, 2002.  So this was…12 years ago!  Man, I feel so old.  I was in 11^th grade.  It was on a Friday night, and for dinner I had buffalo chicken wings and the “Mr. X” episode of The Simpsons was on.  What time did I start?  My spring break was starting the next Monday and I was looking forward to basking in the joy that is beating the game, but I ended up being depressed not only because I beat this game.  I was depressed because Shadow’s story ended in Sonic Adventure 2.

Or so we thought!


I still think about it every once in a while.  It was probably one of the most triumphant—and bittersweet—finishing of a Sonic game I’ve ever experienced. 


The reason why I am posting this little bit of my memory about the night I finished the game, is because I am going to refer to my diary and document my writings about what I thought or liked about Sonic Adventure 2.  Of course, Shadow the Hedgehog is the #1 reason why I needed the SEGA Dreamcast in the first place—the reason why we got one at all, thanks to Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog #98..  When the TV ad for SA2 aired, we didn’t have a Dreamcast.  It was then we realized we needed to upgrade from SEGA Genesis.
 
“Throw It All Away” is still my favorite theme song for Shadow.  It was different from the usual rock music that would be associated with Sonic. The first part is not sung, it is said, and it made me nervous…but like a good nervous?  I don’t know what to call the genre/style of Shadow’s theme here… a cross between electronic and eclectic?  Techno mix?  I dunno.  But it certainly was a different mood you don’t get with theme songs of other characters. 


I am also watching the cut-scenes again from the game to have a direct refresh of memory, since I haven’t touched this game for um…about 10 years. I can watch them knowing now that Shadow is okay (at least maybe 75% of Sonic fans think so) but I will also be reminded of how shocked or surprised I was when I witnessed what was in my opinion the biggest moment for me in SA2: Sonic and Shadow joining forces and turning Super together!

[Sigh]…so the last two weeks of March always feel different because Sonic Adventure 2 was the video game that changed me the most as a Sonic fan-girl.  It is significant to me in the fact that this was around the time I finished the game.  And I don't think I shared a lot of my feelings or experience about this game because I wasn't presently playing it.  Plus there were other games I was playing.   But I have to share them soon, because SA2 is an important part of my gaming history, my gaming experience.


Should I make this part of the Sonic Fan-Girl Chronicles?  I probably can.  I meant to do it as part of the series anyway, but it's just been delayed for a long while.  It's finally coming.  Too bad I couldn't post it toward the end of March.   It will have to be in April, then.  I have to still document and collect some more memories/journal entries about my time playing Sonic Adventure 2.


Come back again soon!  I'll have some treats to share.  ^__^

My Sonic Fan-Girl Chronicles, Chapter 9—2001, Sonic Adventure

A long time coming but here it is, the next main chapter to my chronicles as a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog (and Shadow the Hedgehog, as you shall soon see...)

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness Sonic Adventure.   I was blown away by the beginning intro movie.   And jeez the rock music! There’s singing in it!  Singing!!  The graphics were so amazing and fluid and Sonic was…Sonic was uh…different.  Very different.  I mean I knew for a couple of years, but…dayum, Sonic’ s longer quills, green eyes and…yeah, I’ll stop right there before it gets weird.  I was fifteen years old, and then sixteen years old when I got the SEGA Dreamcast.  So there.

This excerpt is from July 4, 2001.  Hah, an Independence Day!  I didn’t remember!

★4^th O’ July—Yeah, I played SA alright.  I began a little later than I [wanted to] cuz there was something extra needed to plug in the Dreamcast machine with (or into the TV).  I wanted to help Dad with it cuz I was definitely interested.  Oh, while Dad went to Best Buy to get the extra cable, I read the instruction manual for SA and I found out some cool stuff about the game—‘bout Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Gamma E-102, and Big the Cat.  I realized that this video game was more than just collecting 7 Chaos Emeralds, freeing animals and busting up RBNK.  In fact I think it was TOO MUCH!  I know I should be able to handle all of that, but boy is this game something or what?  There is actual dialogue in the game… unlike the games for the SEGA Genesis.  Okay, I’ll write more tomorrow…★

According to what I wrote the next few days after I started playing the game, I seemed to have been in love with Sonic.  At my age of 16, was that weird?  And with Shadow too.  I got a chance to play Sonic Adventure pretty much almost every day.  It helped me wait for the advent of Sonic Adventure 2.  This was before I had my own computer, let alone experience the Internet (except for a few weeks in 7^th grade computer class elective).  So I couldn’t learn too much about Shadow at the time.  But, as for Sonic Adventure, I needless to say started with Sonic’s story in the game, and then little by little tried out the other characters like Tails and Knuckles.  Knuckles’ story was especially interesting because of the past with the other echidnas.   There were other echidna characters appearing in a Sonic game, it was bizarre.  Supposedly Knux was the last of ‘em.  The best of them.  Tougher than lava!....See what I did there?  His theme song was a rap?  A rap?  Just cuz he has dreadlocks.   My sister was a big fan of Knuckles; she was happy to play through his story.  She enjoyed making m him run around in the Mystic Ruins.

And then…and then the robot Gamma E-102.   I still need to write about him for my other blog Cybernetic Dreams.   His story wasn’t very long, but it was a nice story; he worked for Dr. Eggman and then eventually turned good and helped out Amy Rose.  But…but his story is sad.  Gamma E-102 is one of the robot characters that led me to my fascination with robots.  But that is another story, maybe to be shared on Cybernetic Dreams.

Gosh, there are so many things to say about both Sonic Adventures, but I don’t want each game post to be a whole book!  So I‘ll mention some things, a few of which might have its own post: The NiGHTS Pinball game OMG... And of course…the new Super Sonic!  Yikes!   :O

My Sonic Fangirl Chronicles, Bonus Chapter: My Least Favorite Stages of Sonic Games

Ah, sorry guys.  The next main chapter of my Sonic Fan-girl Chronicles will have to wait a little longer.  For now, I’ll share the stages that I liked the least in the games I’ve played.   

• Sonic the Hedgehog (1991): Marble Zone
• Sonic 2: Aquatic Ruin, Wing Fortress
• Sonic 3: Carnival Night Zone (least favorite, not most hated—also, love the catchy carnival music, though!)
• Sonic & Knuckles: Sandopolis Zone
• Sonic 3D Blast: Spring Stadium Zone
• Sonic Adventure: Um…The Skydeck stage in Sonic’s story
• Sonic Adventure 2: Knuckles, Meteor Herd (love the music; hate the frustrating search for Master Emerald shards)
• Sonic Unleashed:  At the moment it might be Arid Sands (I love the music but I want to get an A or S rank in this stage so bad!!)
• Sonic Generations:  Crisis City Act 1 and Planet Wisp Act 1

Happy New Year! New Year, New Beginnings

Happy New Year, dear readers!!  It's a new year and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for reading Cyborg Haven and for those stopping by for the first time, thank you! 

 

Of course, I've still got a lot of my Sonic the Hedgehog history to share, but I'll see if I can fit in some other video game topics as well in the coming months.

 

I am looking forward to the new year!  Aren't you?

 

Is Mega Man X?  We'll see...he's getting comic book exposure very soon!  More on this later!

 

Art by AmethystAnne
Mega Man X belongs to CAPCOM

 

My Sonic Fan-Girl Chronicles, Bonus Chapter: Favorite Stages of Sonic the Hedgehog Games I’ve Played

 
• Sonic the Hedgehog (1991): Green Hill Zone
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2: TIE: Oil Ocean Zone and Metropolis Zone
• Sonic  the Hedgehog 3: TIE: Hydrocity and Ice Cap Zone
• Sonic & Knuckles: Lava Reef Zone for both Knuckles and Sonic
• Sonic 3D Blast: Diamond Dust Zone (the music makes me smile)
• Sonic Adventure: NiGHTS Pinball Game!!! (I know, it’s not a stage, but…it’s NiGHTS!)
• Sonic Adventure 2: TIE: Green Forest for Sonic; White Jungle for Shadow
• Sonic Unleashed: Dragon Road-Day (sometimes frustrating but the song makes me happy J)
• Sonic Rivals 2: TIE: Mystic Haunt Zone Acts 1 and 3 (and Act 2 is my favorite Battle stage in this game because I like the music; I often have Sonic, Shadow and Silver fight there.) And the Chaotic Inferno Zone because I like the level design and music there too.
• Sonic Generations:  Green Hill Zone Act 2 (gotta go fass!)

 

The next bonus chapter may be about my least favorite stages from Sonic games I've played.

Does anyone have a favorite Sonic stage they want to share and why?

My Sonic Fan-Girl Chronicles, Chapter 8—2001, The Dreamcast and Sonic Adventure: It’s Archie Comics’ fault!

In late June 2001 at the end of our tenth-grade school year, my sister and I received #98 of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic book from Archie Comic.   Issue #98 featured a tie-in with the story for Sonic Adventure 2.  We were very curious about this other male hedgehog that was added to the cast of characters.  Who is this Shadow?  Of course not all hedgehogs are blue (ha ha) but I wondered why Shadow was colored black and red.  Actually, in the comic book he was more like dark navy blue and red.  Oh no, an evil hedgehog who looked like Sonic!  Usually if there was any kind of Sonic doppelganger, it would be a mechanical version like Robo Sonic or Metal Sonic.  But this was a flesh and blood character, not a robot.

Issues #79-84 featured the tie-in with the first Sonic Adventure.  Of course, we read the comics before we got a SEGA Dreamcast, so we were already exposed to the new form of Super Sonic before playing the SA Last Story.   I wrote about my SEGA Dreamcast experience often in my diary—just those three Sonic games, because those were the only games we played for that console.  Now, I don’t have too good of a memory for what happened about getting the new Dreamcast and Sonic Adventure, Sonic Shuffle and later, Sonic Adventure 2.   Fortunately, those memories are kept secure in my diary.  I was able to find it, and I’m going to share an excerpt from it here…since I’m so brave ;)

★ July 3, 2001  OHMYGOD, I cannot sit still, in fact I couldn’t even eat my breakfast this morning.  Wanna know why?  I’ll tell you know I can’t contain myself…WE GOT DREAMCAST!!

Okay—it all began when Sunday [July 1^st], I saw this BestBuy sales papers thing and, I looked in it and saw a sale for SA2.  Then I looked above that, and I noticed something even bigger…a Sonic Pack, complete w/ the Dreamcast machine including SA and Sonic Shuffle, as well as a playable demo of SA2!!  Ahhghh!  The perfect opportunity!  I told [Sis] that perhaps if we put our own money into all that and ask our parents if we can buy it, maybe there’s a chance that…well…we can own the new Dreamcast system after all.  So [Sis] [and I] secretly talked to each other about any pros and cons of those games—a lot of pros, too.  It was decided that Monday would be the day to tell our parents about it, so yesturday (sic) right after dinner, I brought it up, and [Sis] and I told them about the stuff.  And guess what?  They approved!

[Sis] and I were absolutely overjoyed and excited.  We beamed “Oh my god, this is GREAT!  This is soooo cool!”  It was hard for me to sleep calm, keeping in mind it was really warm in my room last night, plus I was really excited ‘bout gettin’ Dreamcast and 2 ¼ Sonic games.  Think what kind of music/songs are gonna be heard, and everything.  I love Sonic.  Just knowing the fact that sometime this week we will own [the] SEGA Dreamcast [console] made me the happiest girl in the neighborhood.

Well, this morning didn’t start out so hot.  I was so nervous that when I started having cereal, I got gas that was bad enough for me to run to the bathroom.  It turned to an upset stomach and I was forced to vomit my breakfast—what little of it I ate.  I felt much better after that, and after a shower and clothes, I went with Mom and [Sis] to BestBuy to get the Sonic Pack.  ★

The next main chapter, Chapter 9, will be about Sonic Adventure.