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Michael Molinari's Blog
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Currently a Computer Animation major at the Ringling College of Art & Design, and an Expert, if anything, in shoot-em-ups. Hobbies include, but are definitely not limited to indie Flash game development, video game research (playing, blogging, living), and music theory.
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Expert Blogs
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Ikaruga: Line Graphs Don't Lie |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:22:00 EDT in
Game Design,
Visual Art
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| An analytical look at Ikaruga's Xbox 360 leaderboard scores. Prepare to not be shocked by the results. |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
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The Blame Game: It's Not Me, It's You |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 07:53:00 EDT in
Game Design,
Visual Art
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| Do I like a challenge? Yes. Do I like an unfair challenge? Definitely. Do I like unfair? Well, of course not. |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
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Ikaruga: Practicing Faith |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on Sun, 07 Jun 2009 08:22:00 EDT in
Game Design,
Visual Art
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| An in-depth look at one level of Ikaruga, examining just what makes people love it (i.e. shmups) so much and keep coming back for more. Perfect for the curious. Even better for anyone who knows the game by heart. |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
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Where Have All The Shmups Gone!? |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on Wed, 20 May 2009 03:25:00 EDT in
Game Design,
Visual Art
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| A dying genre is kept alive, if only for one more moment, by a blog entry on Gamasutra. Clap if you believe in shmups! |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
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Boss Rush Mode: Boss Yes, Not So Much Rush |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on Wed, 13 May 2009 12:07:00 EDT in
Game Design,
Visual Art
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| You've played it before. Now find out why the joy you may have felt while playing it was all for nothing. Also: niche references to the Star Wars universe. |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
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Dual Play: When Playing With Yourself is a Gameplay Mode |
| Posted by Michael Molinari on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:50:00 EDT in
Game Design,
Visual Art
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| Twice the action. Double the stakes. Unfathomably more challenging. If I told you this existed, you'd say it was impossible for anyone to complete, let alone perform. And yet, this world in which we live houses some very talented people. |
| Read More... | 7 Comments |
[More Michael Molinari Blogs]
Michael Molinari's Comments
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Comment In: The Blame Game: It's Not Me, It's You [Blog - 06/18/2009 - 07:53]
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@Peter, Thanks for sharing I'd ... @Peter, Thanks for sharing I'd have to agree with most of that, but your mention of a game that you have to play 50,000 times in order to beat it reminded me of Syobon Action, which I embarrassingly admit to finding pleasure in completing. However, in this rare case, the ... |
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Comment In: Ikaruga: Practicing Faith [Blog - 06/07/2009 - 08:22]
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I definitely agree with you ... I definitely agree with you that chaining does not constitute the entirety of the game's excellence. It's a major factor, but there are definitely just simple scenarios that make playing the game a pleasure every time. We're on the same page, but I think I'll be saving other aspects for ... |
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Comment In: Where Have All The Shmups Gone!? [Blog - 05/20/2009 - 03:25]
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@ Greg I appreciate your ... @ Greg I appreciate your enthusiasm and links , but I question how many people who weren't hooked before are going to continually try these games out. I'm in hopes everyone out there at least tries out Everyday Shooter, but will they all go on to try and unlock every ... |
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Comment In: Boss Rush Mode: Boss Yes, Not So Much Rush [Blog - 05/13/2009 - 12:07]
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I totally agree MegaMan would ... I totally agree MegaMan would also fall into a category of successful boss rushes, as it is a section of the game that was designed to be in the entire storyline / gameplay. The contrast you mentioned goes right along with my connection with shmups, in that you need those ... |
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Comment In: Dual Play: When Playing With Yourself is a Gameplay Mode [Blog - 04/28/2009 - 02:50]
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Schizoid is indeed a giant ... Schizoid is indeed a giant step in the right direction. The amount of cooperation between the two players that's needed to complete missions is a fantastic balance between skill and problem-solving. Though there's nothing really wrong with the way the game works, I'm looking more towards a shmup that scrolls, ... |
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Comment In: Sinistar: Things I Just Can't Do. [Blog - 04/14/2009 - 05:55]
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Thanks, Ross That was quite ... Thanks, Ross That was quite thorough and informative. I doubt I'd be able to find a more friendly community out there than the people who pass through this one. : |
[More Michael Molinari Comments]
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