#zx nick

[zx-ta]

"Not the "Nick Alto life" I was hoping for..." part 2

Vita's face says it all...

[reportwire]

Billy Mitchell Says Doctor Won't See Him After Cheating Claims

Billy Mitchell Says Doctor Won’t See Him After Cheating Claims

2022-09-08 13:25:00 Image: MobyGames / Barry Brecheisen / Invision (AP) I think we can all agree that whether or not Billy Mitchell cheated at Donkey Kong that one time is basically the most important event in all of human history, and must be forensically dissected until the heat death of the universe. But in the latest round of the ongoing battle between this famed video game player and a…

[arconinternet]

Sorderon's Shadow: The Legend of Elindor (ZX Spectrum, Nick Eatock, Simon Welland & Denton Designs, 1985)

You can play it in your browser here, and read the manual at a text file here or a PDF here.

The 'keep you up after Midnight' quip is a reference to a very popular game of the time, Lords of Midnight, which you can obtain for free from GOG.com here.

[everygame]

Skool Daze (ZX Spectrum)

Developed/Published by: David Reidy, Helen Reidy / Microsphere Released: 12/1984 Completed: 18/07/2022 Completion: Went up a year! Trophies / Achievements: n/a

What I said a couple of weeks ago about Soccer on the NES being worse than a Spectrum game had me suddenly thinking if there was anything particularly important I’d missed as I work my way forward through the years, and while there are some things here and there I might go back to, one release caught my eye: Skool Daze, released at the tail end of 1984 and 15th on the Insert Credit Best British Games Spectacular.

Skool Daze is a game that–if I’m being completely honest–I’ve played more in its first retro remake, Klass of ‘99 (which is now older than Skool Daze was at the time of the remake, but let’s not think about that) because it’s one of the rare(-ish) games that was released on ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 but that never actually made it to Amstrad CPC. That means for me it was a game that (although it was well in the class of “crusty old budget games” even when I got my Amstrad) I simply pined after having read about it in multi-format magazines. In fact, I can literally remember looking at an advert for Alternative Software’s budget range of I think £1.99 games with each game with a wee checkbox for Spectrum, C64, CPC, and genuinely being disappointed about how unfair it was there was no checkbox for CPC next to Skool Daze. It’s funny the mundane things you remember.

Skool Daze is also one of those games that, in whatever format I’ve played it, I’ve simply messed around with, with no actual attempt to efficiently finish it, until now. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s an early school… simulator? Sandbox? It’s the kind of game that I think of as quite exclusively British, honestly–messy, over-ambitious, and not simply interested in using systems to create emergent play, but to do so in a way recognisable to its audience. I’d love to be able to pinpoint when this kind of game design went truly fallow in the face of more strictly narrative or linear experiences, or if it was truly always just the domain of the iconoclast, where it remains to this day.

(If you were to push me on it, part of me thinks the phenomenon of Doom was the end of any future where games could concentrate on being simulation sandboxes; for me, Doom was a step back from Ultima Underworld. Yes, I still want to talk to the monsters.)

Anyway, in Skool Daze, you play Eric (who can be named whatever you like, as with all of the other characters–a spark of genius allowing its schoolboy audience “recreate” their own experiences) who, aware his report card is a complete disaster, must steal it from the school safe in order to (I assume) doctor it. To do so, Eric has to first, uh, make all the shields that hang around the school start flashing by hitting them, which, uh, makes all the teachers reveal their secret code letter for the safe, apart from Mr Creak, who can’t be trusted with it (so was… um… hypnotised) and will only reveal it if he sees his birthdate drawn on a blackboard. Then you write the code on a blackboard, nick the report from the safe, and hit all the shields again!

What I sort of love about that completely deranged task list is how clearly it comes from the limitations of making a game on a Spectrum and also (honestly) the fact that the developers (David and Helen Reidy and Keith Warrington) were clearly more interested in making a school sandbox than a strict video game experience. Surprisingly (after playing things like the willfully obtuse Tower of Druaga) here they actually explain exactly what you’ve got to do in the cassette inlay–not so helpful if you’ve pirated it like everyone probably did at the time, admittedly, so I wonder how many players really did just play it as a sandbox survival!

What makes it actually interesting, of course, is that whether or not you’re actually interested in finishing the game is the simulation of a school day. You’ve got classes to get to, teachers and other students follow their own routines, and you can’t just do whatever–if a teacher sees you hit another student, or use a catapult, you’ll get lines, and if you try to skip a class they’ll pursue you doling out hundreds of lines what feels like every second. And in class, there’s often not enough seats, leading to yet more lines as students turf you out of your seat onto the floor.

It’s a fascinating experience, if a challengingly dated one. It’s honestly not any worse to control than Soccer on NES, but it does have its quirks–I remember playing games with QAOP movement, but it’s amusing to see how unintuitive the “intuitive” decision to place actions like jump on “J” and firing your catapult on “F” is. It’s just a bit… fussy. Going up and down stairs is a challenge, and your catapult is extremely temperamental–you can’t fire too close, or too far, and you miss sometimes anyway in a way that feels like a bug, but I suspect is some calculation being made that you missed instead of hit (though that’s pure speculation as there’s no feedback.) But the game is a clever take on a stealth genre that didn’t really exist yet–you can get away with stuff if a teacher’s back is turned, you’re far enough away, and especially if another (named) child is closer to the teacher as they’ll get the lines instead. Important, because you get expelled as soon as you hit 10,000 lines, which is honestly very easy as teachers randomly assign you between 100 and about 800 lines, making some mistakes very costly.

The game even has events, which is surprising–sometimes the swotty kid goes to tell on you and you have to stop him (by punching him a lot out of the view of teachers) to stop yourself getting lines; other times you’re stuck trying to avoid the bully who has mumps (annoyingly this causes an instant game over). Along with all the lessons having the teachers actually talk about stuff, there’s a surprising amount of stuff in a game intended for a stock 48k Speccy!

Actually completing it though… hmm. I’ll say here that you’re going to have the most fun with this just messing around with it or even treating it as a survival score attack; hit as many teachers and kids as you can, survive as long as possible. Completing it is simply a bit too exacting and I’m not going to lie that after a bunch of runs I gave up and started using save-states. You see, the game might allow you to really complete it in any fashion you want, but unless you want to poke the game’s memory to limit the number of lines you get (beyond me) you really have to complete the game quickly to not die from lines, making any completion feel like a very exactly speed-run. The school design doesn’t especially help–the top floor all shields can be hit by leaping but the bottom floor requires you hit teachers to bounce your catapult ammo off their heads to hit shields, and if you don’t time it exactly right you’ll get lines and no benefit.

Worst is the middle floor; you can hit teachers or punch students and jump on them to hit the shields, but the majority of them are in a dead-end exam room that is almost always empty. As a result you’re probably going to have to skive a class to get in while another class is in there, and because the school isn’t loopable, avoiding a teacher for long enough to get to the next period (at which point they lose interest) is next to impossible.

(My caveat here is it might be possible to play the game slowly, very carefully, but there’s so much simulation randomness that you can suddenly find yourself stuck getting knocked down by the bully in front of a teacher, getting thousands of lines…)

So the game does sort of devolve into a puzzle if you try to complete it, but I think in 1984 playing the game a lot, learning the timetable, seeing how teachers would move around, would have made this a perfectly enjoyable puzzle, and it’s simply that in 2022 I don’t want to have to restart the game again just because my stupid catapult missed or I was one nanosecond too early with my hit to actually get the shield meant I turned to the easy way out.

I won’t lie; this is a hard game to play now, but I also won’t lie that I played it for hours. Occasionally frustrated, but always entertained by the little school dramas being played out in front of me.

Will I ever play it again? No, but I’ll be checking out Back To Skool for sure and might even look at Klass of 99 again, which pretty heavily changes things in a way I didn’t even remember at the time (it might use the Back To Skool school layout? I’m not sure.)

Final Thought: Skool Daze has a modern remake as well that I didn’t know about until writing this up, Skool Daze: Reskooled, but it is absolutely horrendous looking, with horrible art and animation. Which probably sounds a bit rich considering I just spent hours playing something with four frames of animation and heavy color clash, but seriously, just look at it. Bleurgh.

Support Every Game I’ve Finished on ko-fi, either via a one-off donation (pay what you like) or by joining as a supporter at just $1 a month and get articles like this a week early.

[nickngreg]

CSI: S10Ep13 - Internal Combustion Nick: What is it, Greg? Greg: I was just thinking about the time I went joyriding. Nick: You? Really? Greg: I was 12. My, uh, Papa Olaf bought a red 280-ZX. Man, it was love at first sight. And I have no idea what made me think I could get away with it. But when Papa O went down for his afternoon nap, I swiped the keys and took it for a spin. Nick: Where did you go? Greg: Around the block – twice. And when I was rolling it back into the driveway, I almost ran over my foot. Papa Olaf woke up, had no idea. He never found out. Nick: Hmm…you’re a little car thief.

[thelostboys-rp]

Changes to characters

Please find a list of retired characters in the RP. 

https://schaven.blogspot.com/p/retired-characters.html?zx=93617a55e11696e3

The writers are making changes and having a look at characters who they will no longer write for due to various reasons. 

I’m under a lot of stress at work with rising COVID cases in my classroom and being heavily understaffed so I’ll be dropping some muses, allowing temporary take over, and having some muses temporarily inactive until I’m working from home at 28 weeks pregnant and some sanity will be restored in my life.

Temporarily inactive muses - Bonnie, Bernice, and Bridget.

Temporarily take over by other RP writers - Liam, Danielle, Nick

Dropping as official mun but allowing take over - Marko, Sam

Dropping altogether - Roman, Hannah.

[genderbenduniverse]

crossover villa template:

heres a character list you can use for crossover villa, my genderbending au for all fandoms!

Gender: Affiliations: Clothing: Hair style and color: Personality: Reaction to the Gender Swap: Gel usage: swimming/diving: wet hair: six packs:  yeah and of this list as well hmmm  zack  areis and tifa usagi ann rei  amy minako makoto michiru haruka alan mamoru zelda mipha revali link midna (all incarnations) elsa anna mulan belle nala simba fuli jasiri tiifu zuri vitani kiara kovu kion bunga rani belle adam gaston ashoka anakin obi wan padme leia han luke djn sabine ezra sakura ino mimi sora tai matt ash gary jessie james misty may serena cinderella auora phillip ariel eric aladdin jasmine hans kristoff  snow white scar merida tiana naveen tarzan jane sofia amber james naomi elena isabel hugo gabe mateo selina bruce dick tim jason clark diana Steve Bucky Natasha carol peter gamora rocket natasha steve clint peter p gwen wanda mj korra asami katara sokka nya skylor kai jay zane cole lloyd mario luigi rosalina peach daisy rouge  thor loki blaze amy silver sonic tails shadow  godzilla rodan gidorah mothra all the kaiju adora catra yugi mai joey kaiba tea  naruto sakura ino and sasuke cassandras varian marvel and dc gang a few more a bishohen world idea for a fanfiction and asuka mari shinji misato nick judy adrien marinette alix alya chloe nathaniel marc kim nino luka kagami lila draco harry hermione ron ginny  hiccup astrid dak and leyla lisst of characters to tg these people plus toku and its  a actual fic goranger jakq battle fever denziman sun vulcan goggle v dynaman bioman changeman flashman maskman liveman turboranger fiveman jetman zyuranger dairanger kakuranger ohranger carranger megaranger gingaman gogov timeranger gaoranger hurricanger abaranger dekaranger magiranger boukenger gekiranger go-onger shinkenger goseiger gokaiger gobusters kyoruger toqger nininger zyuohger kturanger lupat ryusoger kiramager zenkaiger ichigo nigo v3 x amazon stronger skyrider super-1 zx black rx shin zo j kuuga agito ryuki faiz blade hibiki kabuto den-o kiva decade w ooo fourze wizard gaim drive ghost exaid build zio zero-one and saber  and more!

[game-fixer]

Game Fixes Episode 1: Mega Man X7

I'm gonna start my tenure with one of the most notorious games in all of Mega Man, not just the X series. I have several ideas that can make the game feel more in line with characters and feel less forced.

Of course this will come with general polish in many aspects including a redone script and voice work. No disrespect towards any actors/actresses in the games, of course, but the presentation needs some serious work. Anyway, let's start with the first change

Axl

No, I'm not gonna get rid of him. I think he's a welcome addition to the cast and, if worked right, could be made to be even more beloved in the game he debuted in, despite being the Silver the Hedgehog of the X series.

First idea would be an overhaul in his move set. I say ditch the lame Copy Shot thing for his charge. Also have him function more like Bass from Mega Man and Bass/Mega Man 10, where he stands in place and you aim manually from the start. In 3D, (because I'm not getting rid of 3D) this could even include a first person aim function so you can be more precise. Also a light will shine to show your path so you're not relying on blind fire. Now, I'm thinking he could still charge a shot. What would he shoot? Well you could target multiple enemies at a time, release, and shoot a spread shot of small homing missiles at enemies or even Mavericks which can take a lot of these shots, of course. This feels more like a proper special ability and something that requires a meter for. So what do we do with that Copy Ability that makes him special?

Bio Metal

Yep, the special little MacGuffins from the ZX series. The very same. I'm thinking Axl would be the first Reploid to be made with an early version of Bio Metal, allowing him to change forms at will. This would be his version of X's Weapon Systems. Axl would gain new armor and abilities from the Mavericks he fights to boost his arsenal. A regular shot and a special shot. For example, with Ride Boarski, you'd shoot his regular weapon, but his Special move could be a Tackling Dash that would plow through enemies until the Meter runs out. Flame Hyenard could give a flamethrower for the main shot and his special could give you a clone that shoots for a few seconds. Tornado Tonion could give his leaf shot as a main, and his special lets you throw a tornado and damage enemies in a wide pattern. That sort of thing. The Mavericks aren't the only ones you're getting Bio Metal data from, though. Before I talk about that, let's bring up the main boy himself.

X

I'm thinking X would still be unlockable just like normal, but you'd play as him through an intro stage to feel the power you need to have back. Is he moping about violence and sitting on the couch like a lump like before? Yes and no. X, after causing a serious accident and putting innocent lives in danger, requests to be taken out of active duty until he can sort himself out, but he doesn't want to stop helping. Seeing how lousy X treated our new friend in the real story gave me an idea. Make X train Axl as his superior officer! Axl could be a trainee Hunter, still dealing with his checkered past with Red Alert and realizing they were no better than murderers, thus joining the Maverick Hunters to pay his dues to himself and prove to himself he isn't evil. X, seeing some of his own plight in his Rookie apprentice, starts taking a liking to Axl's ideals, despite his hot-headed, quick-to-the-trigger tactics and lack of professionalism. They butt heads through the intercom, with X saying this needs to be done by the book, but Axl wanting to show how he can take on any challenge no sweat and all that. X would be the Navigator for Axl, though Alia would aid as well.

Unlocking X

While saving Reploids will still be a thing, X will be unlocked halfway through the game. The whole thing would be integrated into the story. Axl defeats 3 or 4 Mavericks. All the while, X is still dealing with his fear of becoming a Maverick, fearing all he lost and hating his carelessness. Before your 4th fight, X will start getting more hostile and snappy at Axl, making Alia worried for X, since she's never seen him so worked up at himself. Axl begins to suspect X going Maverick to himself (he'd think "H-he isn't going...nah, of course not. Commander X is too strong for that...but...) Once the 4th stage is complete we get a midstage, like in Mega Man 7 or 8. A Mechanaloid is causing havoc in the city and Axl offers to go help. However, X sees that it's the same one that he caused the accident with and this sends him spiraling into anger.

"It's still out there?! After all I did, it wasn't enough?!? Damn it!!"

"Commander! Let me go take it out! Those people are in danger!"

"Why? So you can cause more damage with your recklessness?! You want to be a Maverick Hunter? Act like one and grow up!"

"...that's it... I'm not taking this from an old man that's crying about one little mistake he made!"

"...tch...you can't go anyway...you have your mission... just... stand down for now, kid."

"Commander X, what are you-?"

"You're right, Axl. I've been stewing about this for too long. This guy's mine. I have to prove this to myself."

That's how I think the scene would go. You go in as X and fight the Mechanaloid after a short stage rescuing plenty of civilians along the way. Alia and Axl are watching the events and communicating with X as well. X wins the battle, but suddenly his Buster goes off out of nowhere again, nearly destroying something that would put civilians in harms way. They are saved in the nick of time by Axl, who ports in anyway to try to help. X starts to doubt himself again, but Axl could see that it was something out of his control. The two go back to Hunter Base to run diagnostics and they find a bug in X's Buster systems, a lesser string of the Sigma Virus. X gets repaired after seeing this virus as a warning that Sigma might be back. This snaps him out of it and this gets him to go out and fight. You can now choose to go out as Axl, X, or as a team. If you go solo, your shots will be stronger, but without the backup, you'll be left with less defense.

Zero?

Nope, I'm not forgetting our favorite robot swordsman. At all. He will not make a physical appearance at all in the game. Why? Well...the Mega Man Zero series is still a thing. While I like the idea that Zero's ending in X6 being at the very end of the series, I'm trying to keep a stronger set of continuity here. Zero would still be in stasis, though he could communicate with X, since I'm thinking this could be a precursor to Cyber Elves, having Zero be something like a separate AI that can still communicate. As for playing as him? Oh he's still available...as a Bio Metal! I'm thinking after your first Maverick stage, a Zero spirit will appear in a level (kinda like the X Hunters in X2 but less stupid). Go find it, and Axl will be challenged to a fight against Zero, or at least a Reploid being controlled by his spirit. Before Axl finishes it off, X tells him to stand down, and Zero comes back to talk with X. The Spirit also leaves behind the Z-Saber, and thus infusing Axl with Zero's abilities, thus creating a prototype of the Z-Type Bio Metal from ZX.

Red Alert

So, get this. What if Sigma really WAS technically gone forever? I mean the bodies are all used up. The Spirit lives on, yes, but ol' Siggy ran out of his own bodies. Humor me here. What if Red Alert became the new villain faction full time? What if Red became the new face of Sigma? We'll call it...Red Doom or something. Sigma basically integrated himself into Red's systems and basically became part of his robotic code as thoughhe was always Sigma. This could also explain more why Axl needed to leave Red Alert, but it also shows how much in denial he was about Red going Maverick, since Red taught Axl everything he knows.

Script Changes?

I made my case about where the plot should go, but lemme try to work out personalities I think everyone could get down with in general.

Axl is the cocky, hot-blooded new kid who wants to prove himself to be better than where he came from. No petulant, childish talking or stupidity here. He'd be more like Sonic the Hedgehog but still acting just a little green. Still taking things just seriously enough for his quips to be endearing.

X takes his role as a CO very seriously. He's to the point and ensures that Axl is taught the way a situation must be handled. He hates how lax Axl is during his missions and tries to get him to focus. In combat, X is a no nonsense fighter who is ready to bring in the Mavericks, by force if need be. He doesn't try to get them to go peacefully considering his experience. (in fact he'll say once "I guess I can't expect you to come quietly?") No more "Why must Reploids fight each other" and blah blah blah. We all heard this. While he hates the fight, he knows at this point that the world needs a warrior, sort of like Gohan if that helps.

Zero is supportive of X and does his best to help keep his mind out of darkness. He'll even say "You were willing to stand by my side when I feared going Maverick, so I'll be here to do the same."

Red is a lot more cold at the start, outright insulting Axl, saying that he's no more than a worthless prototype, and the next generation of Reploids will be far superior to Axl's faulty design, or taunting X saying "How the mighty hath fallen. How does it feel, X? How does it feel to have to watch as the world crumbles to nothing through the eyes of your good for nothing amateur all because you couldn't keep a tab on your trigger finger?" Red will also be a boss at the end of Axl's first stage before the Maverick fights, and you're meant to lose it to show how powerful he is. You can see shreds of Sigma in there, but he is woven into Red's thoughts and personality in a way that makes Sigma and Red seem equal in the body, though a body can still be created (basically Red Sigma will be put in a more "Sigma appropriate" body with the bald head and big ass chin. Basically Sigma takes Red completely in a way. They're both in control, like their souls combined if that makes sense.

Everyone else is how they should be. Alia, for example is more like how she was in X8.

These are just a few changes that would make Mega Man X7 a much more plot centered game that knows how to work with it's characters. Other fixes like making it faster, tweaking the weapons, making Dr. Light stay as an AI, all that feels superfluous, because a lot of that just makes sense to change. Same with presentation, but with a new script, new lines are inevitable, so duh.

Stay tuned for more Game Fixes! If you want to request a game, lemme know!

[virtual-lara]

FHM - Rhona Mitra Interview

Interview appeared in the November 1997 issue of FHM magazine. Article was written up on fansite 'The Tomb Raider Archive'. VL Note: This interview is long and it is full of awful non-gaming questions with some cringey answers, but it was conducted in 1997 for a mens magazine.

Sex and videogames don't usually mix too well. Indeed, the popular view is that men who play them have such poor complexions and social skills that they've been forced to replace the pleasures of the flesh with bashing the hell out of pixellated monsters. In short, successful users of the chat-up line "I've top scored on Story Of Thor 2" are few and far between.

However, there is one exception to the rule. In November 1996, Tomb Raider appeared, featuring the adventures of Lara Croft. The premise of the game was that Lara, the daughter of an English aristocrat, had decided to forego her inheritance in favour of travelling around the world in search of ancient artefacts. As with most adventure games, this involved plenty of running, jumping, swimming and shooting. But unlike other games, its central character became the computer world's first sex symbol, and Lara Croft quickly catapulted Tomb Raider to the top of the games charts. With her ample chest and powerful thighs, Lara was created as the gamer's ultimate fantasy figure and the strategy worked.

Now, for the imminent release of the sequel, Tomb Raider 2, Lara is made flesh. And fortunately for us, it's in the form of 22-year-old actress Rhona Mitra, a woman sexy enough to equal the charms of the video character. As well as appearing in the press campaign for Tomb Raider 2, Rhona has recorded an album as Lara (produced by ex-Eurythmics guitarist Dave Stewart), from which the single, Getting Naked, is to be released next month. There is even talk of a Tomb Raider movie, for which Rhona ought to be a shoe-in for the lead role - a heady jump from her last big part, playing a teenage seductress in Jilly Cooper's The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous.

So, to celebrate the arrival of the new sexiest woman in Britain, what did we do? Take lots of fantastic pictures of her? Of course. Ask her a shed-load of questions about what it's like to play a character invented to satisfy the libido if a twenty-something programmer? Certainly. But first we took her to London's Trocadero centre to see if she could cut the mustard in the original gaming arena - an amusement arcade.

The truth is, she's pretty adept. She powers past three (male) opponents on an arm wrestling machine, gives a credible display at dynamo-hockey and is equally at ease bombing about on the virtual skate-boards. Her strongest suit, though, is the bowling range. After a slow start, three spares in a row see her powering into the lead as FHM skew another ball into the gutter.Only two consecutive(and highly suspicious) zero scores in the last two rounds barred the way to victory. And perhaps not surprising for a woman who's beaten stiff competition to play the most lusted after computer game character of all time, she doesn't accept second place for long. "I let you win, you know," she smiles triumphantly.

FHM:

Games fans are notoriously obsessive. Are you ready to be pursued by blokes thinking that you really are Lara Croft?

Rhona Mitra:

After The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous I had a lot of bizarre fan mail. I remember receiving a beautifully-typed letter from twelve boys in Exeter asking if I'd marry them all. Apparently I was supposed to be shared on some kind of weekly rota system. I was thinking, "Hmm, two a day. How am I supposed to manage that?" And I've already had people post notes on the Lara Croft website thanking me for improving their sex-lives.

FHM:

And how exactly have they done that?

Rhona Mitra:

They get their girlfriends to dress up as Lara, like I do. Apparently, it works wonders for them - maybe it's the rubber outfit.

FHM:

Do you think it's scary that there are men out there fantasising over a computer-generated character?

Rhona Mitra:

No, because men will fantasise about anything. Compared to a sheep or whatever, I think Lara's quite a healthy fantasy. What's wrong with wanting to sleep with a computer-generated character? She's got a perfect figure after all.

FHM:

Talking of perfect figures, there was a story in the tabloids about you having a breast enlargement operation performed by your dad...

Rhona Mitra:

That was rubbish. My dad is a surgeon and he does do cosmetic surgery, but he doesn't perform breast operations. I don't think he was too bothered about it, though - apparently a load of people phoned up the hospital where he works, the next day asking for tits like Rhona Mitra.

FHM:

But you have had your breasts enlarged.

Rhona Mitra:

Yes, but my dad had nothing to do with it.

FHM:

Where does the name Mitra come from?

Rhona Mitra:

It's Indian - my dad is from Calcutta. But I'm also part Irish. It's a confusing heritage. I never know if want to be running across fields with no clothes on or sitting in the pub drinking Guinness.

FHM:

The Lara Croft single is called Getting Naked. When was the last time you were naked in a public place?

Rhona Mitra:

I don't think going starkers in a public place is especially commendable. You can go to Stringfellow's for that. Although they don't get it all off there, do they? The song is really about one night stands and a woman saying that she'll go so far but not the whole hog. Why does all frolicking have to end in penetration?

FHM:

Does Lara have sex, then?

Rhona Mitra:

I should bloody well hope so. I'm sure she wouldn't be the woman she is unless she did.

FHM:

You recorded half the album sailing down the Amazon in Dave Stewert's boat. If the boat had run aground, would you have been prepared to eat him in order to survive?

Rhona Mitra:

Hmm, he hasn't really got enough fat on him...

FHM:

That beard might have been a bit tough to chew as well. Maybe you could have stuck it on your face when you'd finished eating the rest of him.

Rhona Mitra:

I would have worn the beard proudly. It's a fine feature.

FHM:

You were expelled from two boarding schools. Naughty girl, were you?

Rhona Mitra:

No, I just had a problem with complying with the rules. I went to convent school and it was totally ridiculous. We weren't even allowed to go into town at the weekend. So we used to nick holy wine from the church and drink it in the potato patch at the back of the school. I remember one time me and a few girls ended up dancing in the garden at four in the morning, wearing nothing but wellington boots.

FHM:

Is that why they kicked you out?

Rhona Mitra:

No, that was for taking a sixth former's car and driving it down to the local boys' school. I was only about fourteen. I'd left stuffing under my bedsheets but one of my friends told on me and the headmistress tracked me down. They put me in this room with bars on the windows to punish me. I was stuck in there for a whole week with just a rosary for comfort, having my dinner brought in on trays. The only time I got out was to say confession to the school priest. After that, they booted me out. Then at the next school the other girls used to blame me whenever they got caught for something, so all the parents wrote in and said they didn't want me at the school. I crammed my exams in London and did fine.

FHM:

You recently said that Lara represents the woman of the future. So what is the woman of the future going to be like?

Rhona Mitra:

She'll be more robust. In order to be strong in the mind, women are going to have to build up their bodies. Having a big arse will be alright, having a big pair of breasts will be alright, as long as they exercise as well.

FHM:

We had a discussion in the office about men of the future, and we reckon that evolution will make their heads and penises bigger.

Rhona Mitra:

Sounds good to me.

FHM:

Okay. Let's test your credentials for playing Lara Croft. To start with, when was the last time you raided a tomb?

Rhona Mitra:

Er, I haven't. I only raid my friends' wardrobes. And my dad's drinks cabinet when I was a kid.

FHM:

Would you take on a bear unarmed?

Rhona Mitra:

I'd probably try and cuddle and sweet-talk it. I've charmed men worse than bears.

FHM:

Can you handle yourself in a fight?

Rhona Mitra:

Absolutely. I had the whole Swiss army after me once. I was skiing with friends and we were getting hassled by some guys who wanted us to dance. They ended up calling us dykes and then turned nasty. I kicked one in the ribcage. It turned out that he was with a load of Swiss army guys and they chased us up the road. We ran faster than them, though.

FHM:

Some Tomb Raider websites feature a nude Lara Croft. Would you ever emulate them and do Playboy?

Rhona Mitra:

I'd never say never. But not right now. It's not even negotiable.

FHM:

What about the orgasmic noises Lara makes when she bumps into walls? Have you been perfecting those?

Rhona Mitra:

Oh yes, of course. Listen. [Makes weird orgasmic noise not unlike "Uuh!"]

FHM:

Lara spends most of her time in caves full of gun-wielding nutters. What's the most dangerous situation you've been in?

Rhona Mitra:

I got buried under sand in Tunisia. I've just shot a film there called A Kid In The Arabian Knights. We were supposed to be mocking up this sandstorm and I was buried right up past my head, but I couldn't breathe because the sand was so heavy. I had to breath through a bamboo straw for about twenty minutes. The crew were getting their cameras up and I was screaming "Hurry the fuck up, I'm dying under here."

FHM:

Did you used to play computer games when you were growing up? I remember getting hooked Jet Set Willy on the ZX Spectrum.

Rhona Mitra:

I had an Atari. I used to play that tennis game where you had two bats at either end of the screen and had to try and keep the ball in play.

FHM:

You mean Pong!

Rhona Mitra:

That's the one. But I used to do a lot of things to entertain myself. Do you remember those portable tape recorders that had flat speakers on the top? I used to put a piece of cellophane on top of the speaker and crumble biscuits on top of it. I'd then play Super Trooper by Abba at full volume and watch the crumbs jump up and down with the vibrations.

FHM:

Blimey. You were easily pleased.

Rhona Mitra:

That's not all. I loved pouring yoghurt all over my dog and watching him lick it off himself. And when my parents had dinner parties I'd chop up his dog food into chunks, put cocktail sticks in it and then walk around the living room in a sari asking if anyone wanted hors d'oeuvres.

FHM:

The guests must have loved you. Have you carried any bizarre habits or phobias into adulthood?

Rhona Mitra:

I can't sit still. That's why I'm very difficult in a relationship. Men get jealous of me travelling - they don't understand that just because I disappear on my own doesn't mean I'm going to shag someone else.

FHM:

Have you always been faithful?

Rhona Mitra:

Always. But I can appreciate why people wouldn't be. It's like ice-cream - you can really love vanilla, but you still want to try some other flavours just to make sure that you really do love vanilla best. I haven;t actually been out with that many men. I've been in two relationships which have taken up five years of my life. The second one of those recently ended and since then I've concentrated on my work.

FHM:

What kind of man do you go for?

Rhona Mitra:

I like healthy-looking guys with good, clean skin. And I like men who have brains but are still very childish. Immature guys.

FHM:

Are you actually any good at Tomb Raider?

Rhona Mitra:

Yeah. I finished it in about two weeks.

FHM:

I heard that Bruce Willis has bought the rights to the Tomb Raider movie and that Demi Moore is pencilled in to play Lara. Could you have her?

Rhona Mitra:

Oh yeah, of course.

FHM:

Be careful. After filming GI Jane, she's quite buff these days.

Rhona Mitra:

So am I. And I'm younger than her. The idea of her playing Lara is sacrilege. She has to be a posh English girl with a stiff upper lip.

FHM:

Finally, elsewhere in this issue we discuss the phenomenon of lesbianism. Have you ever been tempted by the charms of another girl?

Rhona Mitra:

Any woman who says she hasn't isn't truly a woman. Even if you don't go as far as doing something physical, you should be able to appreciate the female form. Men are beautiful too, though.

All rights belong to FHM and/or their affiliated companies. I only intend to introduce people to old articles and preserve them before they are lost.

[zx-ta]

I want them to struggle a little so no money cheat for them. I downloaded an empty starter, added some basic furniture and made them work hard for their future empire.

Nick and Vita are always sad, their relationship is terrible now and getting a promotion is a chore. As there is no couple therapy, I'm trying to save them with some woohoo, pillow figths and puzzles.

[thesimsblues]

-GET TO KNOW ME-

You have to make a simself and put whatever you wish there, traits, anything about you.  After the keep reading thingy are +100 questions I found that you can answer if you want, but you don’t have to.

tagged by @budgie2budgie

tagging: I'm not sure who's done this already? @simnels @missrubybird @pictureamoebae @zx-ta Who else wants in on this ridiculously long quiz? I tag you.

1. What is your full name? Kathryn. 2. What is your nickname? Kate. 3. Birthday? March 24 (Aries). 4. What is your favorite book series? The Alice in Wonderland books. 5. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts? I don't not believe in them, I guess. 6. Who is your favorite author? Jane Austen, E. M. Forster. 7. What is your favorite radio station? Local NPR. 8. What is your favorite flavor of anything? Mint, sage. 9. What word would you use often to describe something great or wonderful? Amazing 10. What is your current favorite song? Nick Hakim's "Bet She Looks Like You" 11. What is your favorite word? I don’t know if I have one! This is distressing! 12. What was the last song you listened to? "Sunsetz" by Cigarettes After Sex 13. What TV show would you recommend for everybody to watch? Black Sails. 14. What is your favorite movie to watch when you’re feeling down? A&E's Pride & Prejudice. 15. Do you play video games? Yep. Mostly PC games now. 16. What is your biggest fear? Dying, being in pain forever. 17. What is your best quality, in your opinion? I can make people feel comfortable. 18. What is your worst quality, in your opinion? Laziness, my aversion to confrontation. 19. Do you like cats or dogs better? I like them both equally, though I've owned more cats than dogs. 20. What is your favorite season? Autumn. 21. Are you in a relationship? No. 22. What is something you miss from your childhood? Having a lot of friends nearby. 23. Who is your best friend? My friends from undergrad! 24. What is your eye color? Brown. 25. What is your hair color? Brown that is increasingly gray. 26. Who is someone you love? My parents. 27. Who is someone you trust? My parents. 28. Who is someone you think about often? I think about my cats a lot. 29. Are you currently excited about/for something? Winter break! 30. What is your biggest obsession? Food. 31. What was your favorite TV show as a child? Something on Nickelodeon for sure. Maybe Doug? Or Rocko's Modern Life? 32. Who of the opposite gender can you tell anything to, if anyone? My dad, mostly. 33. Are you superstitious? No. 34. Do you have any unusual phobias? Not a phobia, but I HATE wearing wet clothing. Even a little wet, like from a spill. 35. Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it? Behind. 36. What is your favorite hobby? Reading, hiking, writing. 37. What was the last book you read? I finished Robin McKinley's The Hero and The Crown. 38. What was the last movie you watched?  I mostly watch TV shows. My activity list on Netflix says I watched Stardust last. 39. What musical instruments do you play, if any? I used to play the piano and the flute but no longer. 40. What is your favorite animal?  Bears. 41. What are your top 5 favorite Tumblr blogs that you follow? I can't pick favorites, c'mon. 42. What superpower do you wish you had? Healing powers. 43. When and where do you feel most at peace?  In my bed. 44. What makes you smile? My cats, flowers, kind strangers. 45. What sports do you play, if any? No sports here, no. 46. What is your favorite drink? Coffee, root beer, red wine. 47. When was the last time you wrote a hand-written letter or note to somebody? I scribble notes at work all the time. 48. Are you afraid of heights? Absolutely. 49. What is your biggest pet peeve? Rudeness. 50. Have you ever been to a concert? Yeah! Last one I went to was actually technically a ballet but I got to see Misty Copeland with a live orchestra! 51. Are you vegan/vegetarian? No, but love to eat vegetarian/vegan. 52. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? A writer. 53. What fictional world would you like to live in? Hyrule. 54. What is something you worry about? I worry about everything. 55. Are you scared of the dark? No. 56. Do you like to sing? I do! I wish I did more of it. Mostly I sing in the car. 57. Have you ever skipped school? Pfft, yeah. 58. What is your favorite place on the planet? The Rivera Court at the Detroit Institute of Art 59. Where would you like to live? I like where I live, but if I had to move out of the Detroit area, I'd move to Pittsburgh. I loved it there. 60. Do you have any pets? Two cats, Kitty and Wyatt. 61. Are you more of an early bird or a night owl? Early bird. But I hate it when I have to wake up to an alarm. 62. Do you like sunrises or sunsets better? Sunsets. 63. Do you know how to drive? I live in the Detroit area, so yes absolutely. 64. Do you prefer earbuds or headphones? Headphones. 65. Have you ever had braces? Yes and retainers, too. 66. What is your favorite genre of music? The most downtempo electronic you can find. 67. Who is your hero? Julia Child. 68. Do you read comic books? Yes! I started reading them a few years back. 69. What makes you the most angry? Not being listened to. 70. Do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book? Real book. 71. What is your favorite subject in school? English. 72. Do you have any siblings? I had one older brother. 73. What was the last thing you bought? New books! Shocking! 74. How tall are you? 5'2. 75. Can you cook? Yes, and I love to cook. 76. What are three things that you love? Flowers, cold rainy days, quiet. 77. What are three things that you hate? Willful ignorance, competitive attitudes, beets. 78. Do you have more female friends or more male friends? Women friends. 79. What is your sexual orientation? Queer asexual. 80. Where do you currently live? Metro Detroit, Michigan, USA 81. Who was the last person you texted? One of my college friends. 82. When was the last time you cried? Um, about an hour ago? I cry a lot. 83. Who is your favorite YouTuber? N/A 84. Do you like to take selfies? I do. I don't take as many anymore now that I'm off of Instagram. 85. What is your favorite app? New York Times Crosswords. 86. What is your relationship with your parent(s) like? Very close. 87. What is your favorite foreign accent? Scottish. 88. What is a place that you’ve never been to, but you want to visit? Montreal. 89. What is your favorite number? I don't have one. 90. Can you juggle? No. 91. Are you religious? No. 92. Do you find outer space or the deep ocean to be more interesting? Outer space, I guess. 93. Do you consider yourself to be a daredevil? Not even close. 94. Are you allergic to anything? No. 95. Can you curl your tongue? Yes. 96. Can you wiggle your ears? No. 97. How often do you admit that you were wrong about something? Ooh, I struggle with this. Usually in the moment I can't admit it, but I come back to redress it later. 98. Do you prefer the forest or the beach? Forest! 99. What is your favorite piece of advice that anyone has ever given you? My friend Jon encouraged me to depend on maps less if I ever wanted to get to know a city. 100. Are you a good liar? No, probably not. 101. What is your Hogwarts House? Ravenclaw. 102. Do you talk to yourself? Only if I'm alone. 103. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Introvert. 104. Do you keep a journal/diary? I keep a work bullet journal and I neglect the one I keep at home. 105. Do you believe in second chances? Mostly no. 106. If you found a wallet full of money on the ground, what would you do? I honestly don't know. Try to return it if possible, otherwise keep the money? 107. Do you believe that people are capable of change? Yes. 108. Are you ticklish? Yes. 109. Have you ever been on a plane? Yes. 110. Do you have any piercings? I have my septum pierced, as well as three holes in each ear. I've closed up all but the basic lobe piercing and the septum. 111. What fictional character do you wish was real? Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games because heart eyes. 112. Do you have any tattoos? Yes. I have one on each inner arm right above my elbows. They're a pair of wild flower bouquets in black ink. 113. What is the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far? I don't know if I can rank decisions like that. 114. Do you believe in karma? No. 115. Do you wear glasses or contacts? Glasses. 116. Do you want children? No. 117. Who is the smartest person you know? I have a lot of smart friends who are smart at different things. 118. What is your most embarrassing memory? Sorry no. 119. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter? Yes. 120. What color are most of you clothes? Jewel tones. 121. Do you like adventures? Only if I plan them, lol. 122. Have you ever been on TV? No. 123. How old are you? 30. 124. What is your favorite quote? "A party without cake is just a meeting." - Julia Child 125. Do you prefer sweet or savory foods? Sweet.

[nickadiguburke]

Love your lover And your love shall be strong Love yourself And your love shall be stronger ~ Nick Adigu Burke ~ #lovepoem #lovepoetry #lovingpoetry #poetry #poem #poeticheart #lovequotes #loveislove #poetcity #poetrycommunity #poetryforlovers #ManchesterPoet #fallinginlove #iloveyoupoetry #iloveyoupoetry (at Holmfirth) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSrhVAsq-Zx/?utm_medium=tumblr

[everygame]

Lords Of Midnight (ZX Spectrum)

Developed/Published by: Mike Singleton / Beyond Software Released: 5/1984 Completed: 12/11/2021 Completion: Destroyed the Ice Crown with Fawkrin on Day 12. 22 Lords under my command. Trophies / Achievements: n/a

It’s rare to say I’m stunned by something, and it’s pretty surprising to say I’m stunned by a ZX Spectrum game from 1984, but holy hell am I stunned by Lords of Midnight.

I’m so stunned by Lords of Midnight I immediately regret not playing it properly earlier (for reasons I’ll detail) because it absolutely deserves a place on the Insert Credit list of Best British Games. It actually gets a tiny mention (alongside Mike Singleton’s later game Midwinter) during our discussion of Damocles, but it deserved so much more. So let’s just all agree that Sonic R isn’t on that list any more and Lords of Midnight is.

So why didn’t I play it properly earlier? Well, because I’ve always been completely baffled by it. I was sure I’d played it on Amstrad CPC--and I may well have--but I can’t see it having been put on any Amstrad Action covertapes of the period where I was religiously buying Amstrad Action, so I am pretty sure it must have been put on a PC Gamer (maybe PC Format?) coverdisk (or coverdisc?) at some point in the mid-late nineties in the form of one of Chris Wild’s ports, either DOS or Windows. It made no sense to me then either.

So let’s discuss what Lords of Midnight is before we get to why it baffled me and why now it astounds me. Lords of Midnight is a big ol’ rip-off of Lord of The Rings, basically, where a “fellowship” featuring an Aragorn, Gandalf, Frodo and Legolas are tasked with two different possible solutions to defeating a Sauron: either by successfully attacking and taking the citadel his forces stream from, or by destroying his one ring analogue (the “ice crown”) which can only be done by the Frodo in combination with another character (possibly the Gollum that’s kicking about, if you can find him.) You lose if the Sauron takes the “citadel of Xajorkith”, or the Aragorn and Frodo are killed.

These characters all have their own names: Luxor, Morkin; the baddie is called Doomdark, but honestly, it’s quickest to make sense of it if you just think of it all via the Lord of the Rings. But here’s where things get crazy. The game begins and Luxor (Aragorn), Morkin (Frodo), Corleth (Legolas) and Rothron (Gandalf) are all standing about a tower on the east side of the map, and the game goes: ok, play me.

And you’re like “wait what?”

You see, Lords of Midnight comes from an era when no one really beholden to any genre, and, to be honest, probably didn’t know what else had even come out. So sure, by this point Wizardry’s come out; Ultima has reached it’s third instalment; but if you’re a guy like Mike Singleton working on the ZX Spectrum, you might not even know that, never mind be thinking “ok, well, I do dungeons like this and character development like that”.

Instead what you do is you decide every character will view the world in first-person, be able to turn in eight directions, ensure the graphics always show a relative viewpoint that extends as far into the background as possible, and design a huge open world with plains and mountains and nothing even slightly like a corridor to traverse.

It is, in its own way, a work of actual genius, it just works extremely differently from anything I experienced then and to be honest have experienced now. It has some echos of a board game: you move each character until they run out of movement/action points and “night falls” for them, once that’s done you end your turn and the forces of Doomdark move. And move they do! It’s a simplistic AI, but you’re in a race against time: either to move Morkin into position to nick and destroy the Ice Crown, or to get the other characters to recruit enough lords that you can defend and then push back Doomdark’s forces (or more likely, try to do both.) If you just stood still, you could literally watch the forces move across the map, sacking fortress after fortress.

Well, sort of. You see, the original Lords of Midnight only came with a paper map that roughly marked out where everything was, so you were forced to map something that (honestly) feels ten times more complex than a wizardry map even with warps and wrapping and all that shit. If you weren’t extremely dedicated, you’d just wander the map, get lost, and die--not helped by the fact that every screen had to redraw, meaning that you could quickly lose the sense of where you actually stood. So you had better get the graph paper out.

But of course, it’s 2021 and sack that. So I didn’t actually play this on the Spectrum, I played this via Chris Wild’s most recent build of his PC version, which is extremely faithful to the original though might have some bugs (there’s a GOG thread that claims that the battle calculations are off, and either it’s a bug or I missed something in the UI but I feel like there was more information available to me on things like the amount of enemies at a character’s location I could never find, which made the game a bit harder.). The reason to play Chris Wild’s version, bugs or not, is that it includes an amazing automap that fills itself in across successive games and means you can click about each character, know where they are and where they’re actually going.

I think there’s a really good argument to be made, however, that that’s actually a little unfaithful. You see, Lords of Midnight is very much about the experience of, I guess, “real” medieval warfare. A commander might have a crappy map, sure, but he sees the battle from the ground. He doesn’t look at a map and see an enemy approaching; he looks to the east, and tries to work out how many regiments are approaching.

I suspect that’s why the map doesn’t record where Doomdark’s regiments are (even if you can see them) and only tracks things like where wolves and horses are (which don’t move) and while I kind of wish I did, but I respect the decision to keep the thematic spirit of the original while updating it so looking around makes more sense.

That said, this game is taxing. Recruiting lords is as simple as meeting them with a character that they are willing to speak to, building their armies as simple as hitting “recruit” in keeps and citadels, and entering combat as simple as walking to face an enemy army and hitting attack--at which point the combat continues across days until you choose to run away or one side dies. If you’re playing for a military victory, you’ll be tracking the movement of up to 32 lords, each with individual numbers of warriors and riders, facing off against enemies that you also have to track mentally. In my winning game, I was tracking 22 lords and only a couple of active battle grounds, with the majority of my lords just retreating to the citadel of Xajorkith to defend it.

(Chris Wild’s PC version also doesn’t actually have an ability to save, too, increasing the absolute stress of a game where overnight an army can suddenly kill one of the two most important characters. You can restart a day, and take back a single move, but… woof.)

Alright, maybe I’m not selling this to you. Singleton positioned this as an “epic game” rather than something as simple as an RPG, and once you grasp the systems and understand how to navigate the world, it’s undoubtedly the best description. There’s something so much bigger to the story that you tell in a playthrough of Lords of Midnight than there is to (say) the average roguelike, where the story you tell often hews closer to diagetic (“I walked into a trap that spawned this enemy and I died”). Here, I failed loads of games trying to defend the mountain-ridged choke-point above the plains of Blood, but in my successful game I had my miltary forces withdraw to Xajorkith, keeping a secondary force at the Fortress of Kumar (yes!!!!) ready to strike. Morkin recruited Lord Shadows to defend him while Rothron went to recruit the legendary dragon Farflame. Lord Shadows got entangled in a battle in the plains of Ogrim, meaning Morkin had to wind his way around the mountains, eventually recruiting the skulkrin Fawkrin who followed behind him--close but not too close, much like Gollum. I intended Farflame to destroy the ice crown, but right before the tower of Doom Morkin found himself facing a regiment of Doomdark’s men; Farflame flew from Lord Shadow’s side to take them on, dying in the process but allowing Morkin to escape, get the ice crown to Fawkrin, who destroyed it.

Ok, look, it’s not Shakespeare; it’s not even Tolkien. But that’s not all to the story--I haven’t told you all about Corleths’ desperate flight to unite the Fey against Doomdark, ending in (likely doomed) battle of Kor keep, or… I’ll stop.

It’s wonderful. I’ve talked many a time on this site about how these early games are imagination engines, and I understand now why people obsess over this game still nearly 40 years later. It could desperately do with giving the player more information in a more succinct UI, but if you suddenly cluttered the main screen with all that info it wouldn’t just be these wild, spectrum vistas full of possibility. It’s a bit hard to recommend Lords of Midnight to any but the historian, but if you want to be amazed at what was possible, and imagine another future (imagine if this had become a huge hit in Japan instead of Wizardry?) you’ve got to experience this once. Just remember that it’s a first-person video game. I genuinely think that I couldn’t grasp that on that first screen you’re viewing the world through Luxor’s eyes back in the day!

Will I ever play it again? So, look, I’ll be honest: I probably won’t play this again, simply because as I said above trying for a military victory is so mentally taxing and also brutally long (I was amused to see the difference between an optimal ice crown victory and a completionist military victory youtube videos: fifteen minutes vs. over six hours) that unless a new version of this was to dilute the concept with a tactical map with full information I don’t think I’ll ever do it. However, Doomdark’s Revenge was out at the end of 1984, so I’ll play it, why not!

Final Thought: Mike Singleton very sadly passed away in 2012, and Lords of Midnight is another game with a complicated lack of a legacy, as a singular vision that broke the boundaries of its hardware to the point where no was really capable of ripping it off. I mean, it’s probably more sensible to just make an adventure game, or an RPG, or a war game. But here’s to a guy who went for it anyway and fucking smashed it. Support Every Game I’ve Finished on ko-fi, either via a one-off donation (pay what you like) or by joining as a supporter at just $1 a month and get articles like this a week early.

[sbknews]

Gagne Down But Not Out At BIR As He Wins 10th Straight MotoAmerica Superbike Race

Jake Gagne Crashes But Still Wins HONOS Superbike In Minnesota Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha’s Jake Gagne has now won 10 races in a row in the 2021 MotoAmerica HONOS Superbike Championship, but this one was different. On Saturday at Brainerd International Raceway, Gagne crashed and still managed to win the first AMA Superbike race held at BIR in 17 years. Leading the race on the second lap, Gagne crashed in front of the pack and was stuck in the middle of the track as the field motored by on both sides. He finally ran to safety and, with his bike still on track, a red flag was thrown, stopping the race. Fortunately for Gagne, his Yamaha suffered only minor damage and he was able to ride back to the hot pit for repairs prior to the restart. From there it was typical Gagne as he grabbed the lead and pulled away, ultimately besting M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bobby Fong by 4.675 seconds to win his 10th race of the year and extending his championship points lead to 74 points. The win, which was also the 10th of his career, moves him into a tie with Mike Baldwin for 19th on the all-time AMA Superbike win list. “That was the highest my heart rate has probably been in a while,” Gagne said of the crash and the panic that ensued while dodging his fellow racers. “We sat on the grid for a long time both times. I know we were all kind of wondering what was going on. I know there was a crash on the warmup lap or the sighting lap. I saw the guy right next to me in the grass go flying by. So, that was just a weird start. I know all our tires were a little cold there at the beginning. I think with that quick of a heat fluctuation, you put so much heat in these tires in turn one and two especially, so from going that cool… I even spun the tire off the line, which I’ve never done in my life. I just lit it up. So, it was just weird.” “It caught me by surprise,” Gagne said of the crash. “I went into turn three and was barely on the gas. The thing came around on me and I just kept going. I was wondering if it was going to highside me. Luckily, it didn’t. I just kind of lowsided and then I’m sitting there in the middle of the track watching Superbikes fly at me. Luckily, everybody is looking ahead. We can see something is going on, so nothing bad happened. I’m just fortunate that that Yamaha slid. We bent a little lever. We had to mess around with the bars. The only thing that was wrong, we were just a little tweaked during the race, but it was totally fine. Hats off to the team because they hustled. We got that bike together right in the nick of time to get back out for pit lane. Again, thanks to Alpinestars for protecting me. I had a long slide, and the bike was really just sliding on top of me, so it was like digging my butt in the ground. We got a new suit on and went out there and did it again. So, I’m pumped I got another good start. I knew these guys were coming. Tomorrow will be another show. I know it’s tightening up every time. We’ve just got to keep doing our thing and focusing on our part.” For Fong the race ended a podium drought that dates back to the very first race of the year at Road Atlanta in May. “I felt pretty good out there,” Fong said. “Before the restart, I felt like I had some pace, for sure. At least to try to see Jake (Gagne) from a distance, just to kind of latch onto him. I’m struggling pretty bad in turn two. I’m losing literally a half a second a lap just in that one turn. I felt pretty good through the infield, but I had a solid machine underneath me today. It was good. The pace was pretty good. I just tried to manage it at the end. I’m looking forward to tomorrow at least to try to be a little closer to Jake. I know (Loris) Baz will be there tomorrow. It was definitely slick out there the first few laps. It was weird because I was in the back of the train, and I just see everybody just coming out of the seat and tucking the front. I had my moments back there, too. It was really weird. But I’m happy to get second and move forward to tomorrow with a positive attitude.” The battle for third was fought out between the two South Africans – Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz and M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Cameron Petersen. At the completion of the 15-lap race it was Scholtz grabbing third for his seventh podium of the year, though it still allowed Gagne to pull farther away in the title chase. Gagne now leads Scholtz by a whopping 74 points, 250-176. Petersen, meanwhile, made a big move to third in the championship, moving past Josh Herrin, who missed the race after testing positive for COVID-19. Scholtz described what was a hectic race from start (and restart) to finish. “The first lap, I’m not sure,” Scholtz said. “I turned into the first corner. I got hung up with (Loris) Baz, with Jake (Gagne). Then I think through the first lap everyone was slipping and sliding. I know Baz had a couple highside moments. Then (at the) start of the second lap, Jake crashed coming out of corner three. It was just chaos from there. I think Baz kind of thought someone was trying to pass him into corner four and he braked super late and tucked the front there. I was behind Cameron (Petersen). He tucked the front, too. He ran wide, and we got up again to first. Then the red flag came out. So, I knew it was absolute chaos, but it kind of sucks when you get to the front and the two guys that are beating you in the championship… I mean, Jake. Obviously, lucky he wasn’t hurt, but I kind of knew that he was going to get back in there. But the start of the second race it was very slippery, and I didn’t have any grip on the edge of the tire. So, I just kind of struggled for the first five or six laps. Once Cam passed me, he’s a very, very smooth guy. Kind of helped me fix my lines slightly and focus on that more. I could see that the lap times dropped. Then maybe with five or six laps to go, I could see Cam started struggling with his grip out of the corners. I kind of just put my head down and turned a few quick laps so I got past him. Then tried to focus on catching Bobby (Fong), but kind of ran out of laps. The arm pump was getting severe. It’s kind of something we have to look at for tomorrow’s race. Try to make it easier to kind of hold on and not veer so much out of the corners. So, we kind of know what we have to do now. Hopefully, we can get up there and challenge Jake tomorrow.” Petersen held on for fourth, some 2.5 seconds behind Scholtz and 14.2 seconds ahead of fifth-placed Hector Barbera on the Scheibe Racing BMW. JD Beach battled early in the race with Barbera but ended up sixth on the second Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha in his replacement ride for Herrin. Altus Motorsports’ Jake Lewis was seventh and that put him at the top of the Superbike Cup, a class within a class for those riding Stock 1000-spec motorcycles in the HONOS Superbike race. Franklin Armory/Andrew Lee Racing’s Andrew Lee was eighth on his Stock 1000-spec Kawasaki ZX-10R ahead of FLY Racing/ADR Motorsports’ David Anthony and his teammate Bradley Ward with the Suzuki-mounted pair finishing ninth and 10th, respectively. Notable among the non-finishers was Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York’s Loris Baz with the Frenchman crashing out of the race on the second lap with his Ducati Panigale V4 R too damaged to repair for the restart. Superbike Race 1 - Jake Gagne (Yamaha) - Bobby Fong (Suzuki) - Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) - Cameron Petersen (Suzuki) - Hector Barbera (BMW) - JD Beach (Yamaha) - Jake Lewis (Suzuki) - Andrew Lee (Kawasaki) - David Anthony (Suzuki) - Bradley Ward (Suzuki) For more news checkout our dedicated MotoAmerica News page MotoAmerica News Or visit the official MotoAmerica website motoamerica.com/ Follow us on social media: Instagram: @superbikenews Twitter: @sbknews Facebook: @superbikenews SBN Directory - add your motorcycle related business here

(From left to right) Bobby Fong, Jake Gagne's crew chief Jon Cornwell, Gagne and Mathew Scholtz celebrate on the BIR podium. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

If you would like to receive our headlines daily to your email inbox then sign up to our newsletter: Here Subscribe to our news channels: Here

Read the full article

[nickngreg]

CSI: S10Ep13 - Internal Combustion Nick: What is it, Greg? Greg: I was just thinking about the time I went joyriding. Nick: You? Really? Greg: I was 12. My, uh, Papa Olaf bought a red 280-ZX. Man, it was love at first sight. And I have no idea what made me think I could get away with it. But when Papa O went down for his afternoon nap, I swiped the keys and took it for a spin. Nick: Where did you go? Greg: Around the block – twice. And when I was rolling it back into the driveway, I almost ran over my foot. Papa Olaf woke up, had no idea. He never found out. Nick: Hmm…you’re a little car thief.

:-D

[motoresclassicos]

🏎 Valtteri Bottas (foto Mercedes) venceu o GP da Rússia, hoje, em Sochi e se isolou na vice-liderança do Campeonato Mundial de F-1, atrás do líder Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) ficou em terceiro. Max Verstappen (2º, Red Bull-Honda) completou o pódio. O inglês sofreu penalização de 10” por ter ensaiado a largada quando se dirigia ao grid, algo proibido pelo regulamento. 🏎 O chinês Guangyu Zhou (foto Uni Virtuosi) obteve sua primeira vitória na F2 ao vencer a corrida 2 da categoria, hoje, em Sochi. Um acidente no início da sétima volta entre Jack Aitken e Luca Ghiotto interrompeu a prova, cujo resultado considerou as posições da quinta volta. Nikita Mazepin (2º) e Mick Schumacher, líder do campeonato, completaram o pódio. Brasileiros não pontuaram. 🏎 Caio Collet (foto Renault Sports) manteve a diferença de dois pontos para Victor Martins, líder do Campeonato de Fórmula Renault Eurocup ao vencer a prova de hoje na rodada de Zandvoort, Países Baixos. Espanhol David Vidales ficou em terceiro, atrás Martins. 🏎 A prova 24 Horas de Nurburgring, que terminou hoje, foi interrompida por cerca de 9 horas e meia por causa de fortes chuvas. Vitória do BMW M6 GT3 (foto BMW) do trio Alexander Sims/Nicky Catsburg/Nick Yelloly. O brasileiro Augusto Farfus dividiu carro igual com Jens Klingmann e Martin Tomczyk e ficou em terceiro, atrás do Audi R8 LMS GT3 do trio Bortolotti/Haase/Winkelhock. 🏍 O brasileiro Bruno Crivilin (foto Honda) conseguiu o terceiro lugar na categoria J1 (pilotos com até 23 anos e motos de 250 cm³) no GP da Itália de Enduro. Ruy Barbosa (1º, Suíça) e Roni Kytonen (2º, Finlândia), completaram o pódio. 🏍 Eric Granado (Foto BestPR, Honda CBR 1000 RR) manteve a invencibilidade na prova de Superbike Brasil que aconteceu hoje em Interlagos. Com três vitórias consecutivas Granado é líder absoluto com 78 pontos, 18 à frente de Pedro Sampaio (Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10). https://www.instagram.com/p/CFqCTHrhfaR/?igshid=awi6c7mfgk4z