That’s right, dear fellow gamers: my modest little blog hit the big 10 last december! I was planning to write a celebratory post at that time, while making my grand move to a different hosting site and launching thatextralevel.com. Unfortunately, life derailed that plan by throwing me not a curveball, but the frigging Demon Core itself. I won’t enter details; suffice it to say that late 2023 was nasty, and that dust is barely beginning to settle on the battlefield.
This made me realize something I may or may not have touched upon: that my gaming activities are a very telling barometer of my mood, and of whatever sh*t is happening in my life at any given time. Long story short: when I’m neck-deep into problems, I just cannot play games for the life of me, let alone write about games. And even if I force myself to play and write at such times, for the sake of escapism or not giving up on something precious to me, I cannot find joy in it — heck, I sometimes cannot even muster enough energy to focus on my playing and writing!
The reverse is also true: when things get better, my desire to indulge in all things gaming comes back, often with a vengeance. This is exactly why I’m posting this right now, and why I’ve been gaming again these last weeks. I played it safe at first, treading on familiar territories: a Pokemon Scarlet solo run, followed by a revisitation of Sonic Rush, Sonic Rush Adventure and Sonic Colours. I skipped the final boss battles in all these runs, because easy ride wanted — and very much needed.
Now I’m in the mood to get myself some meatier stuff, and to give That Extra Level! some TLC. Stay tuned for more gaming goodness, dear fellow gamers, and keep doing your thing! ^^
Congrats to you and That Extra Level for this milestone, Isleif!
ReplyDeleteIt's sad to hear that things aren't going your way, but hopefully everything will get better. Hang in there and best of luck to you.
Refresh my memory: did you ever gave a spin on the Metroidvania-type Castlevanias (Aria of Sorrow, Dawn of Sorrow, Order of Ecclesia, Symphony of the Night, etc.)? I seem to recall seeing one or another of those in your photos. Either way, I suggest you pick one of those. If you dislike one, you'll probably can just scratch all those from your "list".
Also, there are rumours that the upcoming (releasing 29th February, by the way) Riviera: The Promised Land Switch port is getting a worldwide release. As a fellow Riviera enjoyer, I just had to leave you this head-up.
Thanks a million for your continuous support and reading all these years, Sieg! 🥰
DeleteThanks also for the encouraging words ^^ Things are getting better indeed, and I'm hanging in there... In gaming as well as in the rest of my life 😉
The only Metroidvania-type Castlevania I played is "The Dracula X Chronicles" on the PSP. It was a tad too hard for my taste, and the clunky PSP controls didn't help matters. On the other hand, Limited Run Games just released the "Castlevania Advance Collection" for the Switch, and well... Four games for the price of one! That really makes me wanna give the series another chance. Ah well, we'll see ^^
Thanks for the head-up about Riviera! I'd like to replay it on the Switch, honestly.
Congratulations to 10 years, and here's to 10 more years! I totally feel you on the inability to play games when gnarly stuff is going on IRL. Take it easy and play whenever and however you feel like it!
ReplyDeleteThanks a million for following all these years, Kina! And thanks for the kind words 🥰
DeleteHope your own IRL projects are going well. Here's to many more years of blogging, for the both of us! 🥳