Extra Life 2016 Recap

by on November 8, 2016 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, News
extra life 2016 award

I won an Extra Life fundraising award.

[dc]A[/dc]nother Extra Life weekend has come and gone. I played games for 16 straight hours on Saturday and into Sunday morning (9 AM Saturday to 1 AM Sunday).

I finished up my 24 hours of gaming for charity on Sunday, with two blocks of four hours each.

Final Numbers

My goal this year was to raise $300 for the Sparrow Children’s Center here in Lansing. I ended up raising $505 instead!

Once again I joined the Gravity Works team and as a whole, the entire team raised $1,525 (the team goal was $1,000).

Thank you again to Gravity Works for turning its Old Town office (here in Lansing) into a gaming space for the event.

Awards All Around

As the image above shows, I won the Gravity Works “top fundraising award” this year. I completely forgot about their annual trophy until I saw it shoved into my hands around 1 AM Sunday morning.

Dan at Gravity Works built the trophy and did an amazing job. (Dan actually raised $20 more than me, but since he built the trophy, he couldn’t win it)

Goals and Rewards

Like last year, I had rewards unlocked when I raised certain amounts of money. This year’s unlocked rewards were:

  • Wearing a cowboy hat.
  • Wearing a 3-piece suit.
  • Wearing cowboy boots.
  • Wearing my long Doctor Who scarf.
  • Wearing a wig.

Then, the big prize when I hit the $500 mark: I shaved my beard. Gaze upon me, if ye dare.

extra life 2016 outfit

HI KIDS

Stephanie was not happy: “I don’t even recognize you.”

Games Played for Extra Life

What did I spend my time playing this year? In no particular order because I sure as heck can’t remember:

Thanks again to everyone who donated and who played games with me! See you next year. There’s a bunch of more Extra Life photos on my Instagram feed. I thought of setting up a Twitch account, but it was too late in the day on Sunday. Maybe next year.

└ Tags: , , , ,

Resident Evil 4: The Unknown

by on November 4, 2016 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, News, Video Game Playthroughs
resident evil 4

Loaded for zombie bear.

[dc]I[/dc] have reached new territory in Resident Evil 4. Up until now, I was replaying the parts of the game I reached in the past. This week, however, I’m past as far as I ever got in those previous attempts.

Everything is new and scary going forward. Just like when I played Resident Evil 4 the first time around ten years ago.

Make My Day

I found the free Broken Butterfly magnum, which definitely makes tougher enemies easier to handle. I cannot stress enough how much of a difference the ‘only upgrading ammo capacity when a gun is empty’ strategy helped this time around (the Merchant fills up an empty weapon with each ammo upgrade). It’s a must-do tactic when it comes to the Broken Butterfly, because the ammo is very rare.

Good-bye Shotgun, Hello Striker.

I traded in my trusty pump-action shotgun for the Striker shotgun. It is different, that’s for sure (it fires from the hip, not the shoulder). But, I’m liking it so far. Its size and ammo capacity helps free up a bunch of storage space, which is always nice.

However, I’m not crazy about the Striker’s shorter range. The pump-action shotgun was great for knocking down groups of enemies at a fairly safe distance. The Striker does the same, but much closer. However, it does more damage and has a faster firing rate.

Ditman Glitch

Another reason I went with the Striker was the infamous Ditman Glitch. You can activate a game glitch using the Striker which increases Leon’s movement and firing speed (there are a few different actions which turn it off, however).

To activate the Ditman Glitch in Resident Evil 4:

  • Equip the Striker.
  • Aim.
  • Go to the inventory before the aiming laser appears.

It’s a bit tricky to do, and it’s all about timing. But, I’ve activated the Ditman Glitch several times. I have yet to use it in a fight, but I have used it to run somewhere faster.

Continue Reading

└ Tags: ,

Resident Evil 4: Get Me Outta Here

by on October 27, 2016 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, News, Video Game Playthroughs
resident evil 4 rocket launcher

Fitting a rocket launcher in a case makes total sense.

[dc]I[/dc] don’t know if my nerves can take much more of Resident Evil 4. It’s been a long time since a video game caused such reactions in me (panic, fear). Maybe the last game to do this was The Last of Us (a similar game, so this makes sense).

Resident Evil 4 Sound Design

As I wrote earlier, Resident Evil 4 excels in its use of sound effects and music to create atmosphere. Different enemies and scenes have their own creepy music and sound effects. It is meant to distract you, and up the tension.

It got to the point in the water room where I had to mute the sound. I could not focus, because the music (a chant of sorts), kept me on edge. After several failed attempts with the sound on, I got through the first time with the sound off.

Continue Reading

└ Tags: , ,

For Patrons: Behind the Scenes – Foxes and Boxes page 8

by on October 26, 2016 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Behind the Scenes, Blog, News
patreon behind the scenes

See the full scan at patreon.com/danieljhogan.

[dc]M[/dc]y Blog Buddy level patrons (and higher) can see a scan of my original drawing for this week’s comic.

I also list the changes between what you see in the scan and what ended up in the finished comic. For as little as $1 a month, you get to see all of my behind the scenes posts. I plan on starting to post my thumbnail sketches of comics soon too, which patrons will get to see.

For less than a cup of whatever-you-drink, you not only help support my comics, but you get a closer look at how I make my comics.

└ Tags: ,