SpeedSF @ Laguna Seca – 2024/11/30
On the Saturday after Thanksgiving this year, I jumped out of bed at the crack of dawn and headed down to the legendary venue known as Laguna Seca.
Nestled in the foothills near Monterey, California, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean, this track enjoys perfect weather on almost every day of the year. Even though it was the end of November, as soon as I stepped out of my car in the paddock at 9:30 AM my sweatshirt immediately came off as I bathed in the glorious warm sun and gentle cool breeze of this mid-60’s day.
(more…)Every PS1 game – Syphon Filter 2
Even though I played the original Syphon Filter a lot back in the day, for some reason I was never tempted by parts 2 and 3. They were both on the $19.99 Greatest Hits line, could be found used for under ten bucks at any Gamestop in town, and yet I never even considered them. After recently re-playing Syphon Filter, I decided to finally pick up 2 and 3 and see what they’re like. Let’s start with Syphon Filter 2.
The start is promising. This was the direct sequel, released one year after the original, and you can tell they were definitely going for “bigger and badder” with the opening cinematics.
(more…)Open Wheel Showdown 2024 at The Bullring
In the same way that engineers will succinctly refer to a tire locking up under braking as “under-rotation”, engineers will refer to an issue that stands in the way of accomplishing something as a “blocker”. Well, on this Friday at work I had a blocker–the engineering type–so I decided to wander over to the paddock next door to see what was going on.
For reasons of which I am unclear, The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is very rarely used. While there is constant action at the main speedway, the two road courses, the dirt oval, the dirt “cross” track, and other spaces around the speedway grounds, the 3/8th mile asphalt Bullring hardly sees any use.
(more…)Every PS1 Game – Syphon Filter
While playing Mission: Impossible recently, one game kept popping into my head: Syphon Filter. Even though they were produced by different teams in different countries, they’re both third person spy adventures that look and feel similar and were released at similar times. I played Mission: Impossible as part of a “Game of the Month” challenge, and it felt so rough. Did Syphon Filter, with its better reviews and my childhood memories, stand up better than Mission: Impossible? I had to find out.
It starts on a high note; the intro is just as cool as I remembered it. You start on surface streets and you’re soon in the subway surrounded by burning train cars.
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