Brian Riggsbee
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27 Game Boy Haikus

8/28/2020

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Recently I picked up a handful of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, as I was in need of games I could quickly pick up and put down while juggling a newborn. While I had an original Game Boy as a child I had only a couple of games, making this unexplored territory for me. After playing each I commemorated my experience with a haiku. Some snarky, some celebratory, and others simply about the mood and impression the game imprinted on me.
Picture
Tetris
Gravity fulfilled
Ephemeral compartments
Raining infinite


Centipede
Swirling insects bend
Rainbow mushrooms blooming bright
Illuminations


Metal Gear Solid
Cinematic charm
Infiltrate the base with stealth
My rank: terrible


The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
Duality blend
Masterful dungeon design
Ultimate puzzle


The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
Flowers blooming bright
Heat brings vines to fallen leaves
Frozen lakes shimmer


​Mario Golf
Crisp fairway stretches
Soothing peace of open space
Pierce the air soaring


Jurassic Park
Welcome to the park
Where dinosaurs drop ammo
Clever bazooka 


Star Wars
Float high in the air
Jawas explode by your hand
Han is not with you


Resident Evil: Gaiden
Horror repeating 
This series is boat obsessed
Save file lost at sea


Resident Evil
Boldly ambitious 
Dining without a table
Failed experiment 


Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
Old names and faces
Takes me back to a fond time
Skateboards roll through dreams


Donkey Kong 
How does it translate?
Broken copy of this game
Never to be played


Wizards & Warriors X: Fortress of Fear
The warrior returns
The cruelty of bad music
​And no continues


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan
All turtles the same
Zero unique qualities
Pizza lacking taste
Castlevania: The Adventure
Trudging through the mud
Impossible pitfall shame
Hunter is hunted


Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge 
Reborn in sequel
Demo wholly rectified
Revenge is attained 


Castlevania Legends
Respawns irritate
Ariel motion unnerves
Charmed by Alucard


Mickey’s Ultimate Challenge
String of baby games
Not what I was expecting
That’s on me I guess


Pac-Man
Reminds of pizza days
Binoculars isolate
A limited view


Bionic Commando: Elite Forces
A journey ends short
Item select glitch blocks path
Am I missing much?


Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare
Rub against the walls
Far from Resident Evil
Limitations felt


The Final Fantasy Legend
Built on sand and mud
Blind we walk through the dense fog
Forget this square world 


Final Fantasy Legend II
Better than before
Overwhelmed by endless rules
Our destiny lost


Final Fantasy Legend III
Flood of evil spreads
Future warriors embark
Rebuild history


Super Battletanks
Desert empty field
Nothingness meets fake 3D
Spinning endlessly

​
Milan’s Secret Castle
Like the N-E-S
Plus lag and a smaller screen
Never liked this one


Yoshi’s Cookie 
Sweet, sweet alignment
A factory of friendship 
Baking harmony​
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How to Make a Tiny Star Wars Dagobah Terrarium

4/25/2015

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Recently I created a mini Star Wars terrarium, complete with miniature Yoda, and these are the steps I took to make it. In the future I plan to create some other scenes, and I will be sure to post pictures of those.
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Step 1: Plan
I started by downloading a few references photos and rewatched the scene where Luke crash lands into the murky swamp planet. From there I made a list of the materials I would need. Here's a list:
  • Micro Machines X-wing and Yoda -- Luke and R2D2 would have fit well here too, but I didn't want to cramp the tiny space too much. You can find these toys fairly easily on eBay.
  • Glass container -- Mine is a cheap one from Ikea, minus the lid
  • Woodland Scenics Realistic Water -- Liquid modeling stuff that hardens after about a day
  • Acrylic Paints -- To tint your water
  • Glue -- I prefer gorilla glue, and it needs to dry clear
  • Sticks and roots -- A variety of brown shades to create your tree and some left over pieces to crumble into the swamp water
  • Moss -- I peeled my moss from our backyard, but you can also buy some on Amazon
  • LEDs -- I purchased all of my lighting material from this model train store and this lighting package had everything I needed, and was easy to assemble.
  • Electrical tape -- For wrapping up your LED wires
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Picture
Step 2: Water and Tree
With all of my materials ready, I began by mixing some acrylics and then painted the base of the glass container. While that was drying I bundled up my sticks (for the tree), tied them off with some twine, and then applied some gorilla glue (the twine is temporary while the glue sets). I placed the tree and the X-wing in my scene, and stuck a small piece of cardboard under one side of the ship so that it would be slightly at an angle, like in the movie.
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Picture
Using a small plastic container I mixed a tiny amount of acrylic paint (a swamp like color mixture) and then added in the realistic water. This water stuff will bubble if you shake it, so I was careful to instead stir it up, which took about 5 minutes. Next I took my mixture and poured it into my scene, about an 1/8 of an inch deep (as the bottle advises), spreading the thick liquid to the edges with a toothpick. 24 hours later it had hardened (this is the minimum amount of time it takes to dry). 

I repeated my mixture and pouring steps, this time tweaking the color a bit to be more in line with what I wanted, but this time I also dropped in some flakes of twigs and dirt in order to get some grimy texture imbedded into the water. With the second pour I waited 48 hours, in order to make sure it was fully dry before moving to the next step. At this point, it was safe to remove the twine from the stick bundle, as the glue and water held it firmly in place.
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Picture
Step 3: Moss and Lighting
I tore my moss into a few manageable chunks and then stuffed them into place, making sure to curve the pieces downward on the edges so that no matter what angle you looked at the terrarium it would still look good. I connected my LEDs, following the instructions that came with the set, and then used some electrical tape to bundle it into a tight fit. I squeezed the lighting set into place, tucking the bulk of the bundle under the moss patch, with the lights fitted under the wings.
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Picture
Step 4: Yoda
Lastly, I glued Yoda on top of the moss hill using some gorilla glue, and then turned on the lights to enjoy the final product.
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Picture
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    Brian Riggsbee lives in San Francisco CA. He enjoys gaming, writing, creating art, practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, chasing adorable dogs, and spending time with his wife and boy.

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