Author Archives: Peter

Links: Recap of the first 4 books of A Song of Ice and Fire

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I checked A Dance With Dragons out from my local library today and found myself struggling to remember plot elements from a book I read 7 years ago. (ADWD picks up where A Storm of Swords leaves off, but with a different cast of characters than A Feast for Crows.) Fortunately, I found this excellent 4-part recap of the first four books of the series:

Now I feel like I’m prepared to get back to reading the 1,000+ page behemoth that is A Dance With Dragons.

How to play Soma Bringer on the Nintendo DS in English–legally

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Want to play one of the greatest action RPGs ever but can’t read Japanese and don’t want to break the law? Then read on for instructions on how to play Soma Bringer for the Nintendo DS–legitimately.

Step 1: Buy a flashcart. If you have an original DS or a DS Lite, I recommend the R4 DS Revolution. If you have a DSi or DSi XL, I recommend the Acekard 2i.

Step 2: Buy a copy of Soma Bringer. You can purchase a new copy from Play-Asia.com (recommended) or a used copy on eBay.

Step 3: Back up your Soma Bringer cartridge. This step is a tad complicated, but there’s an excellent step-by-step guide over at RomUlation.

Step 4: Download the Soma Bringer Open Translation patch. You can read more about the patch at its official thread on the GBATemp Forums.

Step 5: Apply the patch to your Soma Bringer backup file. Instructions are included with the patch download linked above.

Step 6: Copy the patched Soma Bringer backup file to your flashcart.

Step 7: Insert the flashcart into your DS and play!

4 trouble codes on 97 Nissan Maxima: 0325, 0400, 0500, 0600

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Originally posted to Nissan Forums:

My check engine light recently came back on in my 1997 Nissan Maxima SE. I took it to AutoZone, an employee checked for codes, and found the following:

0325: Knock Sensor Circuit Malfunction

0400: EGR function – no/low flow detected

0500: Vehicle speed sensor circuit fault

0600: AT Communication error

I’ve seen at least 3 of these 4 codes previously (possibly all 4; my memory fails me) when dealing with a recurring issue: My speedometer would sporadically not activate (for lack of a better word) when driving. The issue started occurring more frequently until I finally took it to a mechanic, who gave me two options: A quick but likely temporary fix at a lower cost or a more expensive but permanent fix. I opted for the less expensive fix and didn’t experience the issue again for several months.

I started having the same issue again recently (speedometer not activating), but smacking the dashboard directly above the speedometer would sometimes temporarily force the speedometer to work again.

I haven’t noticed the car handling any differently and haven’t had the speedometer issue in the last week or so, but I’m concerned that the AutoZone employee found 4 trouble codes. I’m not that concerned about driving around town, but I sometimes visit family out of town and I don’t want to take my Maxima on the highway without first knowing that it’s safe.

As for many others in this economy (and terrible, terrible job market), money is tight right now, so I don’t want to spend more than absolutely necessary to resolve these issues once and for all; however, I also don’t want to neglect my or my family’s safety.

What would you all advise?

How I Spent Last Year’s Gift Money (2010 Edition)

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Merry Christmas, everyone!

I wanted to thank everyone for their wonderful gifts this year. I heard at least one family member express a desire to know how my wife and I spent our gift money, which reminded me to post how I spent the gift money I received last Christmas (2009) and on my birthday earlier this year.

Click past the break for a list of items I purchased with gift money this last year.

Critter Crunch (Playstation Network)

inFamous (Playstation 3)

Logitech Wireless Wave Combo MK550

Minecraft (PC)

Katamari Forever (Playstation 3)

Money Idol Exchanger (Playstation Network)

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time (Playstation 3)

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (Playstation 3)

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC)

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)

Super Street Fighter IV (Playstation 3)

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (Playstation 3)

Western Digital Scorpio Black WD5000BEKT 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache 2.5″ SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive

I found excellent sales that helped me stretch my gift money as far as possible. For example: I picked up 3 of the Playstation 3 games on the list for $10 each.

So thanks again to everyone who gave me gift money this year! I’m enjoying the gifts I purchased very much. 🙂

Japanese voice cast for Atlus’ Catherine

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The following voice actors and actresses have been confirmed to lend their talents to Atlus’ upcoming action-adventure game Catherine:

Koichi Yamadera – Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop), Ryouga Hibiki (Ranma ½), Togusa (Ghost in the Shell)

Kotono Mitsuishi – Misato Katsuragi (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon), Mink (Dragon Half)

Miyuki Sawashiro – Celty Sturluson (Durarara!!), Maria (Arakawa under the Bridge), Shinkurō Kurenai (Kure-nai), Jun Kanzato (Persona -trinity soul-)

Hiroaki Hirata – Sanji (One Piece)

Takehito Koyasu – Sister (Arakawa under the Bridge)

Kisho Taniyama – Falcon Lightwing (Basquash!), Kōichi Shidō (Highschool of the Dead)

Masaki Terasoma – Kambei Shimada (Samurai 7)

Junko Minagawa – Slash Keenz (Basquash!), Cornelia Li Britannia (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion)

Norio Wakamoto – The Emperor / Charles Zi Britannia (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion), Vicious (Cowboy Bebop), Narrator (Hayate the Combat Butler)

Hotel Dusk sequel Last Window released September 17

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I’m nearly a week late with this post, but better late than never, eh?

Last Window: The Secret of Cape West, the sequel to DS mystery game Hotel Dusk: Room 215, released in Europe on September 17.

First, the bad news: Cing, the developer of both titles, filed for bankruptcy on March 1, making a North American release of Last Window highly unlikely.

Now for the good news: The Nintendo DS is not region-locked. This means North American DS owners can import Europe region DS releases and play the import games in their North American DS.

Hotel Dusk holds the honor of being the only game that my wife completed before I did (which is high praise for the game’s design, story, and characters). The little I’ve seen of Last Window promises more of the same, which, in this case, is a very good thing.

So if you enjoyed Hotel Dusk, like old school adventure PC games like King’s Quest or Grim Fandango, or simply enjoy a quality game with a good story, you can’t go wrong with Last Window.

You can purchase Last Window: The Secret of Cape West from Play-Asia. If you decide to pick it up, please use the link in the previous sentence to purchase the game and help support Brainstorm Warning.