MDTartist83

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the deed is finally done. We had Chulita finally put down. When I woke up at 6:30 this morning, it was dark and raining outside. And well, that sort of weather fits my mood right now, as it was kind of like a foreshadow for the loss I was about to endure on this day. We left at 9:00 this morning to bring Chulita to the vet. We signed all the papers and paid for the necessities needed to carry out the action. But I stayed with Chulita until the very end. And as I comforted her in her last moments of life, I said this to her;

"Thank you, Chulita, for staying with me for 15 long years. When I first got you, I was reluctant to accept you into the family. But with time, I came to love you the same way I loved my previous dogs. And you did your job well which was to be my companion. You were there for me when Chiquita passed away, and we both shared the pain of Muneca's passing. We have that in common. And we had good times together. But now its time you joined them in the afterlife. This is very hard for me. But this is the way it has to be. At least now, you will be reunited with them. Goodbye, Chulita. And God bless you. I will never forget you."

And with that, the doctor took her in back, and the procedure was finally carried out. We had her cremated, and I took her ashes to be spread out. But as I take this time to reflect on the memories I have of Chulita, from the time of her birth to the time of her death, I don't shed tears. Granted, I'm crying deep down inside. But on the outside, I retain my composure and I remain stoic. Because I have endured so many losses in my life that it no longer hurts as much as it used to. But still, I mourn and grieve silently. And this time, my mother was more sympathetic. Not like before with Muneca's passing when she was cold and indifferent. But that's beside the point. The thing is its done now. And though it was hard for me to do this, I did this out of love. And now Muneca is at peace.

Its ironic now that I think of it. Because back in 2009, Chiquita was giving into to old age. And we took her to the vet to have her humanely put down to ease her suffering. Then years later, Chulita died in the same way. But perhaps its only just that both dogs be put down in this manner. Because at least they felt no pain, and they both died peacefully. Honestly, I wouldn't prefer it any other way. Only when Chiquita passed away, I cried painfully, and it took me at least a year or so to finally get over it and accept her passing. But with Chulita's passing, I'm stronger and wiser now. Even though its not easy, and even though it hurts deep down. But still, the memories I have of my dogs will always be with me for the rest of my life. I shall remember you, Chulita. Rest in peace.

RIP:

2008-2024

I knew that this day would come sooner or later. But I'd better get this off my chest while I am still able to. My dog Chulita, who I have had since 2008, is succumbing to old age. In fact, since last year she's been feeling ill and not her usual self. Obviously a sign that she's giving in to old age like Chiquita before her. She doesn't seem to remember things very well, and she's lost control of some of her bodily functions. Lately she's been urinating everywhere, vomiting constantly, and has a decreased appetite. The same symptoms Chiquita displayed when she was dying. Just yesterday, on March 19th, my mom and my nephew have expressed that it may be time to put Chulita down soon. My nephew even stated "At this point, I feel bad for keeping her alive." To this, I reluctantly agreed, and I stated "You're probably right. After all, she's long past her expiration date. As much as it pains me, we may have to put her down so that she doesn't suffer." And not only that, but all of her siblings have died at this point. So we have arranged an appointment to take her to the vet to be put down tomorrow. So tomorrow, Chulita will die in the same way as Chiquita before her.

Now, to be perfectly honest, I am deeply saddened by this. But I knew that Chulita would be leaving me sooner or later. Ever since I lost Muneca back in 2019, I knew that it was only a matter of time until Chulita would soon follow. And that time is upon her now. Part of me aches deep down inside because she's going away. But the thing is this happened to Chiquita. Back in 2009 when I lost her, she succumbed to illness too before finally being humanely put down. And I still remember how I suffered then as I struggled to cope with her loss and continue with life. And she far surpassed her expiration date. Chiquita was supposed to die at age 12 from what I was told. But she lived to be 14. And 14 years is a pretty good life span for a dog. But Chulita has lived for 15, almost 16 years as of this year. And that's quite remarkable. But still, this is very hard for me. For many years now since Chiquita's passing, Chulita has been with me to cheer me up when my spirits were down. And we both endured the loss of Muneca back in 2009. So I made the best of the time she had left on this Earth. And not only that, but Chulita survived all the way to the end of my days in college. And that is truly remarkable. I will be very sad after she goes away. That is unavoidable. But now that time has passed, I'm stronger now. And I will keep pushing on no matter what comes my way. I do this not just for myself, but also for my friends, family, and my beloved pets. Be they living or dead.

Besides, I had Chulita for 15 years now. It's time that she joined my other dogs in the afterlife. But I will try not to cry too much when Chulita passes. Besides, I still have my own life to think about. And there's still a lot to do with my life while I'm still here on this Earth. But I do know Bruno is going to be very sad. Because he's been so close to Chulita. And up until this moment, he has never been without Chulita. So I will do my best to comfort Bruno after Chulita's death. But at least now, Chulita will be with Chiquita, Muneca, Rocky, and Baloo, who died years before her. That's looking on the bright side of things. Especially Chiquita and Muneca, since Chulita knew them in her life. So at least now they will be together again. And Chulita will become one of my guardian angels watching over me from the heavens. Right now I'm taking this time to comfort her in her last day on Earth before its time to finally put her down. Please pray for me, everybody.

RIP Chulita

2008-2024

Well, ladies and gentlemen, we're three months into 2024. And right now I just want to take this time to reflect on some old memories before I continue with my journey through this life. Its human for us to accumulate memories as we make our way through this life. Its part of what makes us well... Ourselves. We go through the stages of life, and we create memories that we hold onto, be they good, bad, or bittersweet ones. And there's no shame in being nostalgic so as long as you don't obsess over old memories, as that distracts from the here and now. But believe me when I say that I remember 1994 VERY WELL, despite the length of time that has elapsed since that year. Its been 30 years now since that time. But it all seems so brief to me. And speaking of which, 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of my arrival to the United States. I'll explain my history to you for those of you who have forgotten or who are just getting to know me.

As I mentioned in previous entries, I was born in Dhahran Saudi Arabia to a North American father and a Central American mother. And at one time, Dhahran was my home. It was all I knew at the time. And for a time, it was good. I lived there, and went to school there for the first 11 years of my life. And back in those days, it was the norm. But 1994 was when it all changed. By that time, I was 11 years old, and I had attended my last semester in Dhahran Hill School. Of course, I wasn't aware that 1994 would be a drastically different year for me. But there was no way to know because the future is often unpredictable. Up until then, I dealt with the routine of going to school Saudi Arabia. The year started out like any other year. But when I was informed that we were leaving Dhahran, I was at first confused and distraught. Because I didn't want to leave my neighborhood at all. Since I lived there for 11 years, I had an emotional attachment to that place. Saudi Arabia is not my country. Its not my place in the world. But its part of me in some way. Its part of my history and legacy. Mainly because it was the place where I was born. But then again, a person can't grow if they spend their whole time living in the place of their birth. After all, life is about self expansion. Its all about striving for advancement and fulfillment. How is one supposed to do that if they spend their whole time staying in one place? My mother even convinced me that we had no citizenship in Saudi Arabia. So we couldn't stay there. After all, its just one place in this great big world we live in. And in the words of Billy Zane "There's a great big world out there." And there are places that are worth seeing.

That all aside, I traveled here to Texas because I flunked the fifth grade in my previous school. So I had to continue my education here in America, which is where I grew up. And so I did. Granted, I wasn't always treated with respect or consideration by most of society. Even during my days in Saudi Arabia, I was always a social outcast. And it was difficult making friends there just as much as it is here in the United States. When I first came here to Texas, I had trouble adjusting to life here. In fact, I had a sense of homesickness because part of me longed for Dhahran. But as time went on, I slowly got used to it. But the important thing is I managed to adapt. The first school I attended in Texas was Cliffwood School. But I only stayed there for two semesters from late 1994 to early 1995. Because well... Let me just put it this way; Cliffwood was a toxic cesspit of prejudice and hate. The students and teachers there treated me horribly. So my mother made the wise decision to get me out of that place and put me in a different school. Thankfully, the next school I attended was a MUCH better place. And it was probably the most peace I had during my years in school in general. There hasn't been anything like it before or since. In First Colony Tigers, I had the most friends, and the fewest enemies. And the teachers there were some of the best I ever had the pleasure to attend classes with. Honestly, its a tragedy that I had so many toxic teachers and so few good ones. The world needs more good teachers. But enough of that. While I enjoyed my stay in First Colony Tigers, my time in that place was also short-lived, as I only attended that school for two semesters from late 1995 to early 1996. Because by 1996, I went straight to middle-school, which I would attend for the next 3 years. And those were three years of pure hell. And then in 1999, I attended high-school for four years until 2003. And well... If you have been following my posts, you know the rest; I went to college, and I eventually finished it despite that it took excessively long to complete. And that leads me to where I am today; still trying to find my place in the world if there is any.

But the thing is while my journey through this life has been mostly shitty and stressful, part of me is glad that I came here to North America when I did. Because there was nothing for me in the Middle East. But while the United States is far from an ideal place, and while growing up in this country was rather difficult, it was the only option I could go with. And the important thing is that I have traveled a great distance. Because what's really important in life is making good progress. It would have been most unfortunate if I spent my entire time sitting in that old house in Dhahran with absolutely nothing to do. So in that sense, I was a success. But still, I have a feeling that hard times are ahead of me. And its only going to get harder going forward. Because now that I'm done with school, I just feel more paranoid and weary than I was before. But even so, while I'm proud of myself for the progress I have made, I could never truly forget the day I left Dhahran and came here to Texas. I remember that day completely. Like it was only yesterday. And as I reflect on how I was back then, verses how I am today, I say that I have changed a lot in the last 30 years I have been here. Granted, I still have a lot of growing up to do. And I still need to learn to man up. But still, I have made tremendous progress. And that's something to be proud of. And with that, here's to celebrating 30 years since my arrival to this country. And thank you all for your love and support.

God bless.

3 days ago, I found a website where you can play old-school arcade games online. And it was from this site that I finally got back in touch with games that I haven't played in AGES, like Rastan, Double Dragon, Street Fighter II, World Heroes, Fatal Fury, Samurai Showdown, King of Fighters, The Simpsons, TMNT, X-Men, 8-Man, Marvel vs. Capcom, Capcom vs SNK, and other titles. And not only that, but this also gave me the chance to play games which I only heard about in recent years, but never had the chance to play them in the arcade. Hey, its a big world. And its a HUGE library of video games made by different companies. And the list goes on and on. But there were some games which I only saw speedruns of on YouTube, but never had the chance to play them when they were newly made. And the games I FINALLY got to try out were Mutation Nation, Power Instinct, Burning Fight, Haunted Castle, Metamorphic Force, Violent Storm, and Vigilante.

And I must say this; playing these old games again after so long is a breath of fresh air. But of course, beating them is not as simple as those speedruns on YouTube make them out to be. Even if you're a great gamer, the cheap enemy AI will always land its cheap hits on you no matter how hard you try to avoid taking damage. And I remember how stressful it was to play arcades for this reason; it was very easy to die in them. And you had to put in as many quarters or tokens that you had at your disposal just to keep on playing. But thanks to the modern convenience of the internet, we no longer have to worry about spending money or putting in tokens into the machines just to keep playing. And you can build up your credits simply by pressing the "coin insertion" button. Doing this repeatedly maximizes the number of credits you have. Its more convenient that way, and you don't spend money. Now don't get me wrong; I ALWAYS loved playing arcade games. Many of the games I grew up with are still fun and enjoyable, and they have retained their charm many years down the road. However, another issue with arcade games is that playing them out in public wasn't exactly the safest place you could enjoy them, as public places are always bound to attract unwanted attention from trouble makers and bullies. And believe me, I have had several encounters with bullies in public places. But that's why we have emulators and sites like the one I visited; so you can play your favorite games to your convenience and in the safety of your own house without having to worry about the dangers of the outside world. I mean after all, that's how it should be. Video games are made for us to have fun, and to offer us a temporary escape from the problems of the world. Not to create more problems.

Anyway, I remember playing games like Street Fighter II in the arcade, and getting my ass kicked by the AI repeatedly despite my best efforts to win against it. And I think this is one of MANY reasons why so many people played Street Fighter II in the arcades; not just for its impressive graphics, not just for its catchy and memorable soundtrack, not just for its addictive gameplay and controls, and not just for its variety of characters and deep lore, but also because of the difficult AI. The AI provides the player with a challenge. But in this case, I think Capcom went a little overboard with the difficulty level. Because the AI has bullied new players. And unless you were a master of the game, you won't stand a chance against the AI. Its nothing like the home ports of the game where the challenge is more balanced and the AI is not so cheap and unforgiving. In the SNES and Sega Genesis versions (both of which I played), the difficulty is not too hard or too easy, but is somewhere in between, which gives players a fair chance against the computer. But sadly, this is not the case with the arcade versions, which are much harder. Even in Super Street Fighter II Turbo, the computer is relentlessly difficult, and almost impossible to defeat. And not only that, but in the arcade versions, the special moves are much harder to execute due to the sporadic responsiveness of the controls, which adds to the frustration. I guess Capcom thought that retaining this level of difficulty would wear out fans. So they toned down the difficulty level in later entries in the series. But still, even though I get tossed around like a freaking basketball by the AI, Street Fighter II retains a special place in my heart since I'm a long time fan.

Now, I have said many times that Double Dragon is one of my favorite beat em up series of all time. And it still is despite some of the lows its had throughout the years. And for the record, I have played the arcade version of the first game when it was still new. But I also played the NES versions of the first three games in the series, which to my understanding are the versions that are the most remembered and played. And after playing the arcade version of Double Dragon II, I can see why most fans prefer the NES version. And that's besides the fact that the NES version has more levels, a more epic final boss, and a more satisfying ending. And that's because the NES version has much better controls than the arcade version does. The NES version has smoother and more responsive controls, and your character throws the attacks in the direction you're facing. You punch forward, and you kick backwards, which I was never a huge fan of. But to the NES version's credit, it implements this control scheme much better than that of its arcade counterpart. And this is my biggest issue with the arcade version of Double Dragon II; it does NOT have good controls. The hit detection is alright, but the placement of the attack buttons is very awkward. There's a punch and kick button (standard controls). Now this is all nice and all. But the problem is the directions where your character throws the attacks. Depending on which side of the screen you're facing, the punch button becomes the kick, and the kick button becomes the punch. Your character punches forward and kicks backward, but the functions of the buttons reverses when you change sides. And its hard to perform a spin kick. And trust me, when enemies swarm you, you NEED to use that spin kick, because its the most effective way you can get those bastards off your ass. But due to the stiffness of the controls, the spin kick only works when it wants to. This makes the game a confusing and frustrating chore to play because you can't adjust to its crappy controls. Because when enemies swarm you, they can easily gang up on you and beat the shit out of you. Bottomline, if a game does not have good controls, then its not a very good or polished game. Meanwhile, the NES version is a different story. Not only are basic attacks more responsive, but the special moves are easy to execute, and the punch button stays the punch button, and the kick button stays the kick button, no matter which side of the screen you're facing. The NES version is the superior version by far.

Now, the Simpsons is a game that I played in the arcade a few times with my brother in Florida. And we even played the 1989 TMNT arcade game in that very same place. Both games play similarly, which stands to reason since both games were made by Konami, and are both based on popular series. Anyway, I remember that my brother and I only got as far as the first level boss of the Simpsons. And with TMNT, we only got as far as the second boss. However, its worth mentioning in advance that I DID eventually beat TMNT many years later when I stumbled upon the arcade at my local burger restaurant. So I was more focused on beating The Simpsons. So I played as Marge throughout the game, and with perseverance and sacrificing a few credits, I was able to beat it and to see its ending. And its satisfying as hell. Then we have X-Men, another Konami arcade game based on a popular series. Now, I will do a full review of this game when I get the chance to. But as I mentioned years ago, this is the one X-Men game which I have the most fond memories of, even though I only got to play it once in the arcade and never again (because my parents only gave me 4 quarters). But I finally had the chance to play the game again after SO LONG. And this time I got to enjoy it in the manner I never could before. And let me tell you; the feeling was so exquisite. Its just SO satisfying to go around destroying armies of sentinels, fighting the bosses, and finally beating Magneto at the end to see the game's ending. Though one issue I have with this game is that you can use super powers (since the X-Men are a team of superheroes). This is nice and all because it deals a great bit of damage (especially when enemies surround you). And it also deals great damage to the bosses. But the problem with this is you can only use your super powers sparingly. Because using them depletes your health. Which means if you use them too often, your health drains to a dangerously low level, which gives the enemies the perfect chance to gang up on you and kill you. Now, I guess they had to make the game challenging somehow. But couldn't they give you a power meter that tells you your level of ammunition so that the special attacks don't drain your health? I mean this is a minor complaint I have. But still, I don't think using special attacks should affect the player's health. But that aside, the X-Men arcade is still a solid and fun game to play. And again, I'm so glad I finally had the chance to enjoy it in the way I wanted to when I was a child. I was deprived of that as a kid. But enjoying it as an adult brought out the inner child in me.

Now, as I mentioned in an earlier entry, 8-Man is a game that was made by Neo-Geo (who in the early 90s partnered with SNK to make games together). 8-Man is based on the manga and 60s animated series revolving around the titular speedy cyborg superhero. And to this day, it remains the only game that was ever given to him, as there have been no other 8-Man games before or since. Anyway, I remember playing the 8-Man arcade in the late 90s when I was visiting a shopping center in downtown Al-Khobar (a city in Saudi Arabia). But prior to when I first played this game, my friend Tommy informed me about it and its content. So as I played this for the first time, I was surprised to know that there was a game given to this obscure anime superhero. But I must admit, I did enjoy playing it, even though it was a coin consumer like all arcade games are. But I only got as far as the second level before losing all my lives, and using up all my tokens. But many years later, I returned to this game again. And after seeing all those speedruns of the game on YouTube, I was able to anticipate what was coming in each level, and I was able to beat this game with perseverance. Of course I did not do a flawless run like those players in those speedruns. Predictably, I kept losing credits to the enemies swarming me and the fact that 8-Man can only take so much damage before dying. So I had to build up my credits before I started playing this game. But in the end, I had the pleasure of beating this game at long last, and the satisfaction is exquisite.

The next game I played is "Mutation Nation", which is one game that I never got to play in the arcades when it was new, and only heard about when I saw speedruns on YouTube. The game was created by Neo-Geo, and released in 1992. In the game you play as either Ricky Jones or Johnny Hart, who are two superhuman badasses and vigilantes with super powers. Together, they fight hoards of mutant monsters, robots, and cyborgs in the desolate city ruins. Turns out, the outbreak is the work of an evil mad scientist who plans to conquer the world (classic villain trope). But ever since I watched speedruns of this game on YouTube, I was curious to try it out. Well, I finally got my chance to, and I DID NOT regret playing it. In fact, I enjoyed the hell out of this game. That's no joke. The controls are pretty smooth and responsive, and you can perform special attacks by pressing and holding down on the attack button, and releasing it to launch the attack. Similar to how Megaman charges up his buster. But of course, due to the problems I mentioned earlier (the cheap AI, how fast your health drains, and how easy it is to die), I kept losing lives and credits. But I was able to adapt to the game's controls, and I was able to plow through the enemies, defeat all the bosses, and see the game's ending. And I must say, Mutation Nation is a pretty fun game. Such a shame it was so rare and obscure though. And too bad there were never any sequels to it. This game deserved so much better.

The last game I played is one which I reviewed earlier, and one which I have developed a soft spot for, despite it being another title that I never encountered in the arcades. And the game in question is "Violent Storm", which was created by Konami, and released in 1993. Now, this is a game that caught my attention. And I wanted to play this game SO BADLY, even though we were long past the age of beat em ups by the time YouTube was launched. But still, as a retro gamer, I was very curious about this game. But since arcade games have become so rare to the point of being nonexistent, there was no way for me to play it. But after finally getting the chance to play this game, I enjoyed it with all my heart. I won't lie; I LOVE this game! I was able to adapt to its controls very quickly, and I plowed through the enemies and bosses to see the end. But of course my performance in this game was so-so due to the issues I mentioned earlier. Predictably, I kept losing lives and credits. So once again, I had to build up my credits just to keep on playing. And that's what I did. But still, despite dying to the harder bosses in this game (especially the final boss), I really enjoyed this game. And after finally getting to play it after years of first hearing about it, I can say without any shred of doubt that Violent Storm is a fantastic game. And that's saying a lot considering its age, and the fact that it was one of the last beat em ups that was made before the genre fell into obscurity by the mid to late 90s. But what I love about Violent Storm besides its characters, its graphical presentation, and its catchy groovy soundtrack, are the controls. Violent Storm has excellent controls, and it plays very similarly to Final Fight and Streets of Rage, where one button attacks, and one button jumps. But each character can perform special moves, which are done by inserting simple inputs, making them very easy to use. And that's how game controls should work; they must be fluid, smooth, responsive and easy to use. And not only that, but your characters throw the attacks in the direction you're facing. And it is essential for a good game to have good controls. Because the controls are a very important element in making a good game. For those of you who have never played Violent Storm before, I highly recommend it if you're a fan of beat em ups.

And that concludes this entry. I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts, and have a nice day, ladies and gents! Tootles!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Or at least to those of you who celebrate the holiday. Because its to my knowledge that not everybody celebrates such a holiday. But that's okay. For those of you who don't, I wish you well all the same. With love and sincerity. All the same, stay safe, eat well, and God bless.