Greetings friends, this is Autumn Ni Dubhghaill from Forever Autumn. I have been asked to contribute my favourite video game, book, and movie to Alternative Control’s “nerd talk.” It’s a great idea and I jumped at the chance though now I find myself at odds. How can one choose one favourite for any of the above listed? I know it comes quite easy to some, but for me there is much indecision. I endeavor however to find those I would list amoung favourites and speak of them for you.
I am a big video game fan, mostly of what people like to call “retro” these days. Shining Force on the Sega Genesis is a great game and one that I have played over and over agayne, though never owned. My brother and I used to rent it from the local video store. When thinking on favourites Shining Force jumped to the fore, however I feel a little contention surrounding that immediate choice. Ninja Gaiden on the NES haes always been my go-to. It waes only in the past five years or so that I finally beat the game, to the awe of my siblings and friends; a feat that we could never imagine back in the 80’s. Ninja Gaiden is one of those games I could probably play in my sleep, up to a point. (those kite flying ninjas on the top of the tower always get me with their shurikens.) Recently, I have fallen in love with the original Phantasy Star on the Sega Master System and were I to choose, it may contend with Ninja Gaiden and Shining Force at this current period. Then there is the Saturn, and the Dreamcast too… I’ve always been more of a Sega girl myself, but there is always room for others. (Though not really, I have run out of space for my gaming systems, and there is no way I’m putting away my tiny black and white television). I nearly forgot: Yar’s Revenge on the Atari 2600 waes a constant companion in my early gaming days when just a wee lass.
The aforementioned video games can be considered amoung my favourites, but of course these choices subject to change. I have been a long tyme gamer and will always continue to remain such. When not composing new musique, creating new works of art, or gallivanting through the mountains and forests, I can oft be found with a controller in my hand, saving the world, or the universe or whatever needs saving at the tyme.
Books in many ways are akin to video games, in that one is always working through a book or a game with many in piles just waiting to be read. Recall that in days of schooling I did not enjoy reading, since it had always been assigned as a chore. Somewhere in there however, I discovered that there could be things that I enjoy to read as well. There is a large compendium entitled Sagas of the Icelanders which really blew me away. Here a collexion of rich history and lore, it waes amazing. That, my friends, sparked a revolution in reading. From then on there would be scores of Nordic sagas, Celtic Myth, Folktales, and Dusty volumes from Antiquity. Where I to choose a favourite based on impact to this life, I would have to go with that thick book of wonder, Sagas of the Icelanders. As with video games; others can rotate through favourite depending on mood, season and, well, a number of other factors. Amoung other favourites I would list: Beowulf, The Aeneid, and the Táin Bó Cúailnge. (Yes I like my ancient epics a great deal.)
Now we come to a favoured movie. In honesty, I do not watch many movies though I could boast a small collexion of VHS tapes and some DVDs. When I do watch a movie I often feel terrible about myself, thinking there is more work I can do, and shouldn’t I be getting something done? In the past, Star Wars waes a great favourite. I still have the original tapes, before they decided to make it “better” with digital nonsense. I am a big Godzilla fan and own a variety of tapes on the subject. To choose a favourite Godzilla movie, I would go with Godzilla vs. Megalon. Why? It waes amoung the first collected and waes often watched agayne and agayne, so by now it is a classic in my mind. I do too enjoy Braveheart and The Crow, though I have watched neither in the recent past. There is a German film I dig called Goodbye, Lenin which is always good and when ‘ere I am under-the-weather, a healthy dose of the original Karate Kid begins the mending process.
I have chosen these favourites, and those that rank amoung favourites in my indecision to give you a better look at the secreted life and tymes of Autumn Ni Dubhghaill. I do hope that you enjoyed your read and walk away with something of your own. Perhaps some of these you never heard of, by which I suggest you go out and read/watch/play some of the listed and open yourselves to new things. Of course, if you are already aware of these treasure, then you know of what I speak. Remember, Forever Autumn’s latest album Howls in the Forest at Dusk is available now. Where would we be without shameless self-promotion? Be good to yourselves. Hail Woodland Sorcery!!
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Boogerman