tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346625812024-03-08T05:28:49.356+02:00Concerning MJWeak and Shallow commentary by Africa's Worst StrategistM Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-88210496839531334902020-10-21T20:56:00.001+02:002020-10-21T20:56:00.309+02:00Concerning Milestones <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbcS0rvv9_SeqpvPZj9lWtj9fzzv37KSsgEUvilaOSfU0yUyYhACKr3JF-7DwkIc_utRKmeBLmKBgiKmJEKwTpyByRgBJ74ZaUaDLXtNCVKFKUuU_1fFnYx9B6KN-YUn3pK25/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1200" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbcS0rvv9_SeqpvPZj9lWtj9fzzv37KSsgEUvilaOSfU0yUyYhACKr3JF-7DwkIc_utRKmeBLmKBgiKmJEKwTpyByRgBJ74ZaUaDLXtNCVKFKUuU_1fFnYx9B6KN-YUn3pK25/w400-h209/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Really proud of this milestone! Thanks to all my fellow Sasolites who share their stories and help build this brand. Thanks to the LinkedIn team for the cool acknowledgement - first South African corporate to hit 500 000 followers! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl py34i1dx gpro0wi8" href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/sasol?fbclid=IwAR0fuGQkVm0vFnlz4IjOV8Z1o7d2h_RcVsOl6GwEFpVaBD8TTIe2y23a0Qk" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">http://www.linkedin.com/company/sasol</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl oo9gr5id gpro0wi8 lrazzd5p" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/wearesasol?__eep__=6&__tn__=*NK*F" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#WeAreSasol</a> </span></p>M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-38543435977954168852020-10-18T20:55:00.003+02:002020-10-18T20:58:50.004+02:00Concerning Privilege <p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">There's a scene in Long walk to Freedom that really crystallizes and brings home the idea of privilege: </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pI02SX_Lvpqr0jMsL1cs_rW5d9WtftUE5cyr3QtmR3nfe6RuRHEVx0N4kRh8So7IIcAqBCaGe8szmKpCnTTwMtOD0GaTB0rkyeHxFV3tTOaKrj6Dd4wVipMr1dLIh2wlrr9Y/s586/ahmed+Kathrada.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="586" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pI02SX_Lvpqr0jMsL1cs_rW5d9WtftUE5cyr3QtmR3nfe6RuRHEVx0N4kRh8So7IIcAqBCaGe8szmKpCnTTwMtOD0GaTB0rkyeHxFV3tTOaKrj6Dd4wVipMr1dLIh2wlrr9Y/w400-h225/ahmed+Kathrada.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"On the first day we arrived, I was issued long pants, because I am Indian South African, but my leaders, including Nelson Mandela, were issued short pants because they were black. At breakfast, I got more sugar than blacks with my tea, and I was issued a quarter loaf of bread daily, whereas Mandela did not receive any bread for the first 10 years of our prison sentence." - Ahmed Kathrada reflecting on his time on Robben Island. </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">No rational person can say that prison for Ahmed Kathrada was not difficult or that he did not struggle, but his skin colour afforded him advantages that were not extended to fellow inmates who were incarcerated for similar crimes. He didn't get long pants because of good behaviour, or sugar because he broke more rocks in the quarry, but simply because he was indian. </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I think about my privilege and the platform I have to discuss it. I think about power dynamics and how that influences my relationships, professional and personal. </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">One of my favourite sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is 'None of you [truly] believes until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself.' </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">That saying took on a deeper meaning after the birth of my son. I have to imagine that every parent wants the best for their child, just like how I want the best for Sami. Shelter, food, security. We do what we can with what we have. I have to keep checking my biases and privileges to ensure that not only am I grateful and keep working on humility, but I also recognise my role to support others and love for them what I love for myself.</div></div>M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-49121340302658620012017-09-12T11:38:00.000+02:002017-09-12T11:38:07.920+02:00Top 5 games of 1994<div style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Ruda, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26px; padding: 10px 0px;">
I’ve been a gamer for most of my life, having lived through the third generation of gaming (NES)</div>
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upwards. Over 25 weeks, I will list my top 5 games from 1990 – 2015. </div>
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Here's 1994</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Mega Drive)<img alt="sonic 3" class="alignright wp-image-7892 size-medium" height="210" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-3-300x210.jpg" srcset="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-3-300x210.jpg 300w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-3-768x538.jpg 768w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-3-1024x717.jpg 1024w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-3-250x175.jpg 250w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-3-950x665.jpg 950w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-3.jpg 1280w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: none; float: right; height: auto; margin: 20px -80px 10px 20px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: inherit !important;" width="300" /></strong></div>
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Instead of describing Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (which is basically a slightly less fun version of Sonic 2 – I found it to be too ‘busy’ at times, making it difficult to keep track of what’s happening) I’d like to share a story about the game – Not many know this but Michael Jackson was originally commissioned to compose the music for the game. Sega pulled out after his child abuse allegations came to the fore. Apparently the credit music was the inspiration for one of his songs, ‘Stranger in Moscow.’</div>
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<img alt="sonic 3" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-3-300x210.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sonic and Knuckles (Mega Drive)</strong></div>
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Sonic and Knuckles reads a lot like modern DLC. Originally developed to be included in Sonic 3, it didn’t make the cut because of time constraints. It released with a physical feature called lock-on technology which allowed you to play through Sonic 3 as Knuckles and to play as Tails in Knuckle’s game. For a kid like me, this was nothing short of pure magic, and breathed new life into my older games.</div>
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<img alt="sonic and knuckles" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-and-knuckles-300x210.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Earthworm Jim (Mega Drive)</strong></div>
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This is the second consecutive year that one of David Perry’s games made my list (he also worked on Aladdin the previous year). I got Earthworm Jim as part of a second-hand bundle (I can’t remember what the other game was). The game was unlike anything I played before. As a kid, you don’t really understand what ‘tongue-in-cheek’ meant, but you did recognize when something was trying to subvert the status quo… and Earthworm Jim did this in spades – you had to rescue someone named ‘Princess What’s-Her-Name’, who gets crushed by a cow as you approach her after the final boss. You also fight a goldfish and a conjoined monkey-headed scientist. To say this game was weird is like saying Max Payne liked the occasional swig. I also remember this game being really difficult. Did you find it tough?</div>
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<img alt="earthworm jim" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/earthworm-jim-300x262.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Donkey Kong Country (SNES)</strong></div>
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Part of Rare’s golden era, Donkey Kong was an important weapon in Nintendo’s fight against Sega and Sony’s fledgling 32-bit contender (more on this console in later years). Through the use of a silicon graphics workstation, Rare were able to develop a swansong for the then-dying console (think God of War 3 for the PS3). I’m a huge platform guy and big fan of the series (I am currently playing Tropical Freeze on the Wii U). Donkey Kong Country is to this day, the second highest-selling game for the console and a must-play for any avid retro gamer.</div>
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<img alt="donnkey kong country" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/donnkey-kong-country-300x262.png" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Lion King (Mega Drive)<img alt="lion king" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-7896" height="169" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/lion-king-300x169.jpg" srcset="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/lion-king-300x169.jpg 300w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/lion-king-768x432.jpg 768w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/lion-king-1024x576.jpg 1024w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/lion-king-250x141.jpg 250w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/lion-king-950x534.jpg 950w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/lion-king.jpg 1280w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: none; float: right; height: auto; margin: 20px -80px 10px 20px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: inherit !important;" width="300" /></strong></div>
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Lion King was my life in ’94. No other animated movie has since come close to dethroning it. I had the VHS, the song books, even those little white marbles with the cheap stickers that peeled off after a week. I remember seeing a review for the game on KTV (I might be wrong) and thinking, this game is legit (I didn’t have too much experience with games where your character evolved over time – in this case, from cub too hyena-slaughtering bad-ass). GamePro slated the game, saying it was too repetitive… but they were wrong (more wrong than when Colin Powell told the UN that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.</div>
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<img alt="lion king" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/lion-king-300x169.jpg" /></div>
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So these are my top five games that were released in 1994. Join me next Tuesday as I go through my favourite games from 1995. Leave a comment and let me know which were your favourite games from the nineties.</div>
M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-74059543601614916162017-09-05T21:54:00.000+02:002017-09-05T21:54:06.124+02:00Top 5 games of 1993<div style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Ruda, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26px; padding: 10px 0px;">
I’ve been a gamer for most of my life, having lived through the third generation of gaming (NES) upwards. Over 25 weeks, I will list my top 5 games from 1990 – 2015. To ensure consistency, here are the rules I will be following</div>
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<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">I will only write about games I’ve played (which means)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Even though I played most of these games a few years after they released, I will stick with the year they were released (otherwise this list will be all over the place)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Some games may have been released at different times for different regions. When this happens, I will use the year related to the version I’ve played</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Due to the second rule, it does mean I won’t be able to list gems like Super Mario Brothers and Circus Charlie</li>
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This week I will highlight 1993.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Battletoads and Double Dragon (NES/ Mega Drive)</strong></div>
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Videogame crossovers are very popular, with Smash Brothers, Marvel vs Capcom and Kingdom Hearts bringing together beloved IPs (usually to beat each other up). Battletoads and Double Dragon is widely considered as the granddaddy of crossovers and is probably the first major crossover game. Battletoads were created by Rare (of Goldeneye fame) as a response to the green behemoth known as TMNT, adding the two belligerent brothers to the mix (and their associated enemies) was like adding chocolate pieces to vanilla ice-cream. The more chocolate you add, the better it tastes.</div>
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<img alt="Battletoads-and-Double-Drag" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Battletoads-and-Double-Drag.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES/SNES/Mega Drive)</strong></div>
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So this is the third week in a row that I’ve highlighted a TMNT game, which is testament to what a huge fan I was. Perhaps it’s a generational thing. TMNT: Tournament Fighters was an above average fighting game (nothing spectacular like the game below). What was remarkable was that Konami developed three different versions (NES, SNES and Mega Drive) with different characters for each one. They didn’t call it console exclusives or anything – it was what it was. To be fair, this slot should have went to Mortal Kombat 2, which went on to become quite an iconic title in its own right. I just have fonder memories of TMNT: Tournament Fighters.</div>
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<img alt="tmnt-tournament-fighters" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/tmnt-tournament-fighters.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Super Mario All-Stars (SNES)</strong></div>
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Super Mario All-stars is an anthology of arguably the three best NES games of all time, and Super Mario Bros 2. The original Super Mario Bros is timeless. It’s the only game I’ve played every single year for the past two decades (It’s like Undertaker’s Wrestlemania streak before Brock Lesnar crushed our collective childhoods). Super Mario Bros 3 was voted the best game of all time by IGN, and Super Mario Bros: The lost levels added new levels that weren’t available outside of Japan. What made these games special was that they were remasters done right, upgrading the visuals for the 16-bit era. I have yet to meet a gamer who has not played Super Mario Bros, but if you are reading this, then it is absolutely criminal if you do not play this game.</div>
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<img alt="super-mario-all-stars" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/super-mario-all-stars.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><img alt="aladdin" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-5888" height="252" sizes="(max-width: 359px) 100vw, 359px" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/aladdin.jpg" srcset="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/aladdin.jpg 359w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/aladdin-300x211.jpg 300w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/aladdin-250x175.jpg 250w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: none; float: left; height: auto; margin: 20px 20px 10px -80px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: inherit !important;" width="359" />Aladdin (Mega Drive)</strong></div>
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By now you should have a fairly decent hold on what I enjoy, and it shouldn’t surprise you that a licenced platformer makes the list. I was a huge Aladdin fan growing up (well, huge Disney fan, but that’s about as remarkable as having an e-mail address so I shouldn’t bother highlighting it). You tend to overlook the stereotypes when you’re a kid (the pastiche of commodified cultures all thrown together like an oriental biryani). Aladdin was a great game that hit all the spots. Interesting fact – it’s the third-best selling mega drive game after Sonic 1 and 2.</div>
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<img alt="aladdin" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/aladdin.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Samurai Shodown</strong></div>
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Japanese fighting games were all the rage back in the early nineties. Street Fighter opened the doors for a multitude of variations on the old ‘beat someone to a pulp’ mechanic. Samurai Shodown stood out for me because it focused on weapons. Samurai Shodown was not only critically acclaimed (winning multiple ‘game of the year’ awards), it was also quite authentic (although now that I think about some of the characters, I’m not so sure). This was probably the spiritual ancestor to games like Soul Calibre. Like all fighting games, I completely ignored the main dude (I will cheer for my own guy thank you).</div>
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<img alt="samurai-shodown" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/samurai-shodown.jpg" /></div>
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So these are my top five games that were released in 1993. Join me next Tuesday as I go through my favourite games from 1994. Leave a comment and let me know which were your favourite games from the nineties.</div>
M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-68203403893726157592017-08-29T21:50:00.000+02:002017-08-29T21:50:12.270+02:00Top 5 games of 1992<div style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Ruda, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26px; padding: 10px 0px;">
I’ve been a gamer for most of my life, having lived through the third generation of gaming (NES)</div>
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upwards. Over 25 weeks, I will list my top 5 games from 1990 – 2015. To ensure consistency, here are the rules I will be following</div>
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<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">I will only write about games I’ve played (which means no Mario Kart)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Even though I played most of these games a few years after they released, I will stick with the year they were released (otherwise this list will be all over the place)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Some games may have been released at different times for different regions. When this happens, I will use the year related to the version I’ve played</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Due to the second rule, it does mean I won’t be able to list gems like Super Mario Brothers and Circus Charlie</li>
</ul>
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This week I will highlight 1992</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Mortal Kombat (Arcade)<img alt="mk" class="alignright size-full wp-image-3437" height="254" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/mk.jpg" srcset="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/mk.jpg 400w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/mk-300x191.jpg 300w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/mk-250x159.jpg 250w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: none; float: right; height: auto; margin: 20px -80px 10px 20px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: inherit !important;" width="400" /></strong></div>
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This list was quite easy to compile (1992 was a bit of a dud year it seemed). The five games highlighted here were all quite special to me (except Darkwing Duck – it wasn’t really that good but I liked the show). When you’re a kid and your folks don’t take an active interest in what you play, you tend to play anything that’s cool. And Mortal Kombat was cool (maybe that should read Kool). You know what’s kool, being the inspiration for the Entertainment Software Rating Board forming (which explains why no one cared about age-ratings before). One of the things I liked about Mortal Kombat is that the developers wanted you to root for Lui Kang (the John Cena of the series) but everyone loved Sub Zero (cheap ice-balls) and Scorpion (because he was awesome). It was also responsible for a half-decent movie adaptation (with arguably the best theme song of the nineties, and every period since).</div>
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<img alt="mk" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/mk.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Streets of Rage 2 (Mega Drive)</strong></div>
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Streets of Rage 2 is the pinnacle of side-scrolling beat-em-ups. It’s been downhill since then. Don’t take my word for it (although I would really appreciate it as it cements me as an influencer) but ask any 30 something gamer who played Streets of Rage 2 when it was released and they will swear by it’s varied combat, eclectic cast, and kicking soundtrack. I completed it about fifty times and I can’t for the life of me remember the plot, but like all good beat-em-ups, it doesn’t matter at all, seriously, you could be pummeling a bunch of scientists who are 95 percent of the way to curing AIDS and it wouldn’t matter. Do check it out if you get a chance (it was reently re-released on the 3DS).</div>
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<img alt="streets of rage 2" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/streets-of-rage-2-300x224.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sonic 2 (Mega Drive)<img alt="sonic 2" class="alignright wp-image-3439 size-medium" height="225" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-2-300x225.jpg" srcset="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-2-300x225.jpg 300w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-2-250x188.jpg 250w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-2.jpg 640w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: none; float: right; height: auto; margin: 20px -80px 10px 20px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: inherit !important;" width="300" /></strong></div>
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One of the biggest rivalries in the nineties was between two wrestling companies, WWF (now WWE) and WCW. The competition pushed them to upped their game every week and in so doing, create some of the most memorable television to date (think NOW and Stone Cold Steve Austin). Sega and Nintendo had one of these storied rivalries, with hit after hit being unleashed on our battered wallets. Sonic games were the Fifa titles of the early and mid-nineties as everyone seemed to have it (there was also a TV show where you barked orders over the phone while someone played it poorly (I can’t remember what this was so please remind me). Sonic 2 added Tails to the mix, in a half-baked mutliplayer mode that was perfect for when you had to play with younger siblings (You weren’t dependent on Tails keeping up and he never actually died).</div>
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<img alt="sonic 2" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-2-300x225.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Darkwing Duck (Golden China/ NES)</strong></div>
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Darkwing was a lesser-spotted duck of the nineties (it was actually a spin-off of talespin, which was a spin-off from Jungle Book – Disney Inception). As stated above, I was struggling to find a fifth game that I liked in 1992 and Darkwing Duck does tick all my low expectations (licenced platformer), yet I haven’t tracked it down since to replay it (something I’ve done with the other four? Perhaps because it felt too much like a mega man game, or it relied on me loving the source material more than I did. I think the actual reason I didn’t like it was because it was tough. Like darksouls duck tough.</div>
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<img alt="darkwing duck" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/darkwing-duck-300x281.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Mega Drive)</strong></div>
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This game was very similar to 1991’s Turtles in Time, but like a good cinnabon with tea, it always hits the spot. This was the first game ported to the Mega Drive and it was all the more beautiful for it. It was the first time I noticed more frames in the sprite animation. There were fewer levels (these games were churned out annually like Call of Duty), but they were longer, so that helped. The issue with beat-em-ups (including modern titles) is that as enemy types respawn, it becomes repetitive. This wasn’t really an issue in the TMNT games because the footsoldiers were these faceless entities anyway (stormtroopers of New York city) so it wasn’t too bad.</div>
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<img alt="tmnt hyperstone" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/tmnt-hyperstone-300x225.jpg" /></div>
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So these are my top five games that were released in 1992. Join me next week as I go through my favourite games from 1993. Leave a comment and let me know which were your favourite games from the nineties.</div>
M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-54164579857158643992017-08-22T21:44:00.000+02:002017-08-22T21:44:10.857+02:00Top 5 games of 1991<div style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Ruda, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26px; padding: 10px 0px;">
I’ve been a gamer for most of my life, having lived through the third generation of gaming (NES) upwards. Over 25 weeks, I will list my top 5 games from 1990 – 2015. To ensure consistency, here are the rules I will be following</div>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Ruda, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; list-style-type: square; margin: 20px 40px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">I will only write about games I’ve played (which means no Super Mario World today)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Even though I played most of these games a few years after they released, I will stick with the year they were released (otherwise this list will be all over the place)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Some games may have been released at different times for different regions. When this happens, I will use the year related to the version I’ve played</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Due to the second rule, it does mean I won’t be able to list gems like Super Mario Brothers and Circus Charlie</li>
</ul>
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This week I will highlight 1991</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Mega Drive)</strong><img alt="sonic" class="alignright wp-image-2766 size-medium" height="224" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-300x224.png" srcset="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-300x224.png 300w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-250x187.png 250w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic.png 643w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: none; float: right; height: auto; margin: 20px -80px 10px 20px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: inherit !important;" width="300" /></div>
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Part of my infamous 8-in-1 (you can read about it <a href="http://www.geeknode.co.za/2015/10/feature-top-5-games-of-1990/" style="color: black; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-in-out 0s;">here</a>), Sonic led the charge like a blue Aragorn storming into the Mushroom Kingdom, a shot of attitude to counter Nintendo’s saccharine franchises. ‘Attitude’ stood out in the little things, like Sonic tapping his foot impatiently if you didn’t touch the controller for a few seconds, coaxing you to get on with it. I dig the villain, Doctor Robotnik (proper doctor, not honorary). Sure the guy was evil, and turned critters into robots, but I got the sense he worked hard to build his evil empire. Let me know if my nostalgia-loving eardrums deceive me but I do think the theme music of Sonic is much more memorable than most games released these days.</div>
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<img alt="sonic" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sonic-300x224.png" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Street Fighter 2: The World Warrior (Arcade and Mega Drive)</strong></div>
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While not my favourite in the Street Fighter 2 series (that honour belongs to Super Street Fighter 2), Street Fighter 2 was my jam. That’s not to say I was any good at it (I was pretty much useless against anyone with working fingers). I didn’t let my countless defeats get to me, often blowing up to R5 at the arcade (I think It was 20 cents a go back then). Street Fighter was one of the first games to introduce me to lazy stereotypes (booga fire and all that), which was par for the course since it was published in the same era as Bloodsport.</div>
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<img alt="Street Fighter 2" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Street-Fighter-2-300x169.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Tiny Toon Adventures (NES)</strong></div>
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Keeping with the theme from last week’s list, platformers were a staple of my formative gaming years, with Tiny Toon Adventures being one of the stand-outs. A large part of the allure was that my friend had M-Net (which meant he had a lot of friends, most of who did not have M-Net…) so we would go to his place and watch it on KTV. I really liked that you could switch to another character when you picked up an orb, with each secondary character having their own unique skills (Plucky flew short distances, The Tasmanian devil broke stuff and the cat (Furball or something – not sure, limited exposure and all that) could climb walls. The only thing I could fault it on was difficulty – the game seemed a little tough. There were these stages where you were chased by this crazy person, and if she caught you, you had to start from the beginning (this is something Prince of Persia would try to recreate (unknowingly) with their Dahaka character in their not-as-great-as-sands-of-time sequel.</div>
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<img alt="Tiny Toon Adventures" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Tiny-Toon-Adventures-300x225.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><img alt="TMNT" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-2769" height="225" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/TMNT-300x225.png" srcset="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/TMNT-300x225.png 300w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/TMNT-250x188.png 250w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/TMNT.png 640w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: none; float: left; height: auto; margin: 20px 20px 10px -80px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: inherit !important;" width="300" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (Arcade)</strong></div>
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I was a huge TMNT fan back in the day, which of itself is not newsworthy because it’s like someone saying they’re a huge Lionel Messi fan (doesn’t raise any eyebrows). I remember the arcade set-up at the Durban Beachfront (a questionable establishment that smelled like bubblegum ice cream, salt and wet towel), providing four cabinets for unrivalled co-op action (a joy I would only taste again half a decade later with Goldeneye, and now with Rocket League). I’m only just realizing how much I liked licensed games.</div>
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<img alt="TMNT" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/TMNT-300x225.png" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sunset Riders (Arcade and Mega Drive)</strong></div>
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We end 1991 with another co-op game, and what might possible be the last time I reference my notorious 8-in-1 mega drive cartridge. Sunset Riders is a side-scrolling western shoot-em-up in which you play as a bounty hunter killing outlaws and avoiding stampeding bulls. These games were really popular back then (Double Dragon, Final Fight, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe and Cadillacs and Dinosaurs being among the more popular ones. Maybe not Cadillacs and Dinosaurs but that was pretty bad-ass). I replayed the mega drive version a few years ago – not too shabby.</div>
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<img alt="Sunset Riders" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Sunset-Riders-300x233.jpg" /></div>
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So these are my top five games that were released in 1991. Join me next week as I go through my favourite games from 1992. Leave a comment and let me know which were your favourite games from the nineties.</div>
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M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-45488667822399384602017-08-19T21:00:00.000+02:002017-08-19T21:00:27.275+02:00Top 5 games of 1990<div style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Ruda, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26px; padding: 10px 0px;">
I’ve been a gamer for most of my life, having lived through the third generation of gaming (NES) upwards. Over the next 25 weeks, I will list my top 5 games from 1990 – 2015. To ensure consistency, here are the rules I will be following</div>
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<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">I will only write about games I’ve played</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Even though I played most of these games a few years after they released, I will stick with the year they were released (otherwise this list will be all over the place)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Some games may have been released at different times for different regions. When this happens, I will use the year related to the version I’ve played</li>
<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 3px 5px;">Due to the second rule, it does mean I won’t be able to list gems like Super Mario Brothers and Circus Charlie</li>
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This week I will highlight 1990</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers (NES/ Golden China)</strong></div>
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As a thirty-something year-old man, I tend to be a little jaded when it comes to licenced games, but as an eight-year old kid hooked on Disney cartoons during M-Net’s Sunday evening open time slot, I couldn’t get enough of it. Chip ‘n’ Dale was a fun platformer, improved by the option to play two-player (loved chucking Dale onto enemies). I never actually owned a NES, and did most of my gaming on a Golden China (had no idea I was playing pirated software), so with no option to save my progress, it actually worked in my favour that the game could be finished in a single sitting.</div>
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<img alt="chip n dale" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/chip-n-dale-300x281.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Super Mario Bros 3 (NES/ Golden China)<img alt="supermario3" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-2562" height="188" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/supermario3-300x188.png" srcset="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/supermario3-300x188.png 300w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/supermario3-768x480.png 768w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/supermario3-1024x640.png 1024w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/supermario3-250x156.png 250w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/supermario3-950x594.png 950w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/supermario3.png 1440w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: none; float: right; height: auto; margin: 20px -80px 10px 20px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: inherit !important;" width="300" /></strong></div>
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You’re going to be seeing a LOT of Super Mario games in my lists. Arguably one of the greatest games ever made (having just been chosen as number 1 in IGN’s Greatest Games of all-time list), Super Mario Bros 3 was and still is an absolute joy to play. I recently booted it up for my nephew to play and within ten minutes I wrangled the controller from him and took over. A timeless game that every gamer should play.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (Sega Mega Drive)</strong></div>
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I never actually owned an original Mega Drive. I got a knock-off at a flea-market along with an 8-in-1 cartridge that had Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Flintstones, Columns, Mickey Mouse and a few more games. I did not know it was a knock-off at a time (8-in-1’s made sense compared to the previous 64-in-1’s I had in my previous knock-off). Like Chip ‘n’ Dale above, this was another Disney platformer I was really into in my youth. The game sees Mickey save Minnie from a witch named Mizrabel (ten points for name) who wanted to steal her youth (a theme we will see a few years later in a famous Rare game). The game was a mix of the first two Super Mario games, in that your attacks alternated between jumping on your enemies heads (like the first SMB) or throwing apples (like the second SMB).</div>
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<img alt="castleofillusion" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/castleofillusion-300x225.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Snow Bros: Nick and Tom (Arcade)<img alt="Snowbros" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-2565" height="225" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Snowbros-300x225.jpg" srcset="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Snowbros-300x225.jpg 300w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Snowbros-768x576.jpg 768w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Snowbros-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Snowbros-250x188.jpg 250w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Snowbros-950x713.jpg 950w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Snowbros.jpg 1440w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: none; float: right; height: auto; margin: 20px -80px 10px 20px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: inherit !important;" width="300" /></strong></div>
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The second co-op title in my list, Snow Bros was a spiritual successor to Bubble Bobble, and continued in its storied, manic tradition of encasing enemies and then killing them. I never thought I was actually killing them before I sat to type this piece. Games are simplistic like that, like old action movies. The game follows the exploits of these murderous siblings on their quest to save their girlfriends (I’m not sure if they were also siblings). These icy damsels happen to be princesses, and the bros happen to wear overalls. Coincidence? I replayed Snow Bros about six years ago, and it remains just as fun.</div>
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<img alt="Snowbros" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Snowbros-300x225.jpg" /></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><img alt="columns" class="size-medium wp-image-2566 alignleft" height="225" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/columns-300x225.png" srcset="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/columns-300x225.png 300w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/columns-250x188.png 250w, http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/columns.png 400w" style="border-radius: 3px; border: none; float: left; height: auto; margin: 20px 20px 10px -80px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: inherit !important;" width="300" />Columns (Sega Mega Drive)</strong></div>
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Confession time, I actually prefer columns to Tetris. This might seem blasphemous but some of my fondest memories of playing video games as a kid was playing columns while my granddad sat on the couch next to me, probably judging me for not using investing my time in better pursuits, like rubbing his feet or playing Carrom (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrom" style="color: black; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.5s ease-in-out 0s;">check it out</a>). For all the millenials reading this, Columns is the spiritual ancestor of bejeweled, or candy crush, without the annoying social media sharing.</div>
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<img alt="columns" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/columns-300x225.png" /></div>
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So these are my top five games that were released in 1990. Join me next Monday as I go through my favourite games from 1991. Leave a comment and let me know which were your favourite games from the past, and if you can guess the Rare game I referenced earlier.</div>
M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-28114180004780858922017-04-13T13:07:00.000+02:002017-04-13T13:07:02.349+02:00Video Game Review: Puzzle & Dragons Z Super Mario Bros. Edition <div style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Merriweather, Helvetica, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; padding: 10px 0px;">
“Match-three” games, in which you line up or three or more similar icons or shapes in order to clear them from a board, are one of the most popular sub-genre of puzzle games. <a href="http://www.htxt.co.za/2014/02/20/candyswipe-creator-pens-angry-open-letter-candy-crush-saga-owners/" style="color: #f37021; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Candy Crush Saga</a> was the most-played Facebook game of 2013. (Chances are, you probably got a Candy Crush Saga game request while reading this intro.)</div>
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Games like Chuzzle and Bejewelled – arguably the most popular match-three game on PC – from <a href="http://www.popcap.com/" style="color: #f37021; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">PopCap</a> have garnered over a 150 million downloads over the last 14 years. Columns was the first match-three game that hooked me, and I have fond memories of playing it with my grandfather on my trusty Sega Mega-Drive – he didn’t approve of Streets of Rage or Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, you see.</div>
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<img alt="PuzzleDragonMario" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-63063" data-attachment-id="63063" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="PuzzleDragonMario" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/PuzzleDragonMario.jpg?fit=660%2C388" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/PuzzleDragonMario.jpg?fit=511%2C300" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/PuzzleDragonMario.jpg?fit=921%2C541" data-orig-size="921,541" data-permalink="http://www.htxt.co.za/2015/05/18/puzzle-dragons-z-super-mario-bros-edition-reviewed-game-set-and-match/puzzledragonmario/" height="339" sizes="(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/PuzzleDragonMario.jpg?resize=660%2C388" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/PuzzleDragonMario.jpg?w=921 921w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/PuzzleDragonMario.jpg?resize=511%2C300 511w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/PuzzleDragonMario.jpg?resize=600%2C352 600w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/PuzzleDragonMario.jpg?resize=658%2C387 658w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/PuzzleDragonMario.jpg?resize=150%2C88 150w" style="border: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; opacity: 1; padding: 0px;" width="578" /></div>
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<a href="http://puzzleanddragons.nintendo.com/super-mario-bros-edition/" style="color: #f37021; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition</a> (a mouthful that is doing wonders for my word count) continues this fine tradition and adds three innovations to the mix, free-form version of the classic match-three format, RPG elements (with monster collecting) and Super Mario. It’s available on the Nintendo DS/3DS handheld now.</div>
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The original Puzzle & Dragons was a free-to-play mobile game, financed by micro-transactions. Would a handheld port offer as much value for the price-savvy consumer? Let’s find out…</div>
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The main game is familiar to those who’ve played any of the 3DS Pokémons, down to the visuals and the now-obligatory chat the hero has with his mum before beginning his quest. The story then takes a Game of Thrones turn, sans Red Weddings and questionable relationships, as you take possession of three dragon eggs that will eventually lay waste to the land of ‘I’m not actually sure’.</div>
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<img alt="puzzledrag2" class="wp-image-63064 size-full" data-attachment-id="63064" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="puzzledrag2" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/puzzledrag2.jpg?fit=646%2C485" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/puzzledrag2.jpg?fit=400%2C300" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/puzzledrag2.jpg?fit=646%2C485" data-orig-size="646,485" data-permalink="http://www.htxt.co.za/2015/05/18/puzzle-dragons-z-super-mario-bros-edition-reviewed-game-set-and-match/puzzledrag2/" height="434" sizes="(max-width: 646px) 100vw, 646px" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/puzzledrag2.jpg?resize=646%2C485" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/puzzledrag2.jpg?w=646 646w, https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/puzzledrag2.jpg?resize=400%2C300 400w, https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/puzzledrag2.jpg?resize=600%2C450 600w, https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/puzzledrag2.jpg?resize=150%2C113 150w" style="border: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; opacity: 1; padding: 0px;" width="578" /><div class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: right;">
Levelling up the Mushroom Kingdom.</div>
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The RPG elements remind me of career mode in fighting games, adding a layer of longevity to what is essentially a repetitive format (match orbs to defeat monsters).</div>
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<a href="http://www.htxt.co.za/2015/04/28/your-might-tested-mortal-kombat-x-reviewed/" style="color: #f37021; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Like Mortal Kombat</a>, I guess the developers realise you need a hook to extend the experience. I’m still on the fence whether I like it or not. I don’t think I played as strategically as the game wanted me, hardly ever augmenting my attacks with special items. On the plus side, unlike other retail games that have the chutzpah to hide large chunks of content behind various paywalls, Nintendo have assured consumers that there won’t be any micro-transactions in the game.</div>
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I was initially sceptical to the extent that Mario and co. will integrate with the classic Puzzle & Dragon experience having been disappointed with the Nintendo-themed extras in Tekken and Bayonetta 2 on the Wii U, but it was refreshing to experience a game that was so well-considered.</div>
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I shouldn’t be too surprised – the Mushroom Kingdom has a diverse range of hobbies and Nintendo protects its flagship IP from glitch half-baked games (Nintendo would have never allowed <a href="http://www.htxt.co.za/2014/11/27/ubisoft-apologises-for-assassins-creed-unity-with-free-stuff/" style="color: #f37021; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Assassin’s Creed: Unity</a> to be published if Mario was in it).</div>
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Removed from the higher-order RPG elements, the Super Mario version tells a simpler, familiar tale; one of kidnapping and rescuing. And yes, I can confirm that the victim was last spotted wearing pink.</div>
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Eskom gifted me with many opportunities to use the 3DS and I plonked many of those darkened hours in the Super Mario mode. Stripped of the RPG elements, the Super Mario mode gave me quick thrills as I lapped up the familiar comfort of Shigeru Miyamoto’s vision, ploughing through waves of goombas and koopa troopas on a rudimentary rock, paper, scissors turn-based format.</div>
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Half-way through the first world there was a considerable spike in difficulty. And I died. A lot. After two continues I breezed through the next few stages before facing another Brock Lesnar type Goomba.</div>
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If I have any major complaints, it’s that Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition is a lot like 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner. You’re getting two products in one handy package, which seems like great value for money, until you realise that you’re only getting half a bottle of each.</div>
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I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys puzzle titles, and is looking for a deeper alternative to Candy Crush Saga. The difficulty spikes are sometimes frustrating to the point that I rattled my 3DS like Homer choking Bart, so if you’re new to the genre, or have little patience, I suggest you start with something like Bejewelled instead.</div>
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This review originally appeared in HTXT</div>
M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-11943304868691915352017-04-10T11:15:00.000+02:002017-04-10T11:15:01.037+02:00Why 90's games are making a comebackRecently did a Q and A with the team at Fin24 on why Nineties games are making a comeback.<br />
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<img height="200" src="http://www.geeknode.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/supermario3-950x594.png" width="320" /><br />
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<b>1)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Have you noticed an increase in the number of older consoles being sold again and since when?</b><br />
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There’s a significant increase in the number of retro consoles that are being sold, with most targeting an older nostalgic market. The rise is probably due to a few reasons:<br />
The proliferation of emulators and the ease in which people can get older game files on mobile phones, single-board computers like Raspberry Pi, web browsers etc. One way to combat this as a manufacturer is to release your own version of the console<br />
New TV inputs and standards like HDMI present a challenge for those who have kept their older machines, hence manufacturers like Sega and Nintendo have released the retro consoles with HDMI.<br />
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<b>2)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Why do you think these consoles are being sold again? Do you think it’s a demand from customer or an attempt to draw nostalgia from customers by manufacturers?</b><br />
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A lot of the machines have added functionality and features. The Sega Mega Drive Arcade Ultimate Portable Player as the name suggests is portable, allowing the player to experience authentic 16-bit games on the move. The console comes bundled with 80 games, spread across a number of genres. It’s much easier to gauge demand from consumers, especially for nostalgia products like these consoles – manufacturers can analyse google search trends around specific titles and listen to social media conversation to determine and forecast success.<br />
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<b>3)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What consoles do you know of, are being sold now?</b><br />
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There are a few popular retro consoles available in South Africa at the moment – The Atari Flashback 6, The Nintendo NES Classic edition, the Sega Mega Drive: Arcade Classic and Ultimate Portable player. The Nintendo and Sega machines are easier to find (Nintendo does have a worldwide shortage at the moment)<br />
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<img alt="Image result for mini nes" height="197" src="https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6792875/CI_NintendoClassicMiniNES_PS_Announcement_MS7_image912w.jpg" width="320" /><br />
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<b>4)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A typically older console is now retailing for around R800, however a game for PS4 or Xbox One can exceed that amount – Do you think parents might see an older console as a cheaper alternative to keep their kids occupied?</b><br />
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While parents will undoubtedly see value in a 80-in-1 console, with the exception of a few games like Super Mario Brothers, most games are only fun to play for nostalgic value and little else. Chances are, if a kid wanted Fifa 17 for Christmas and got a retro console like the Atari Flashback 6, I imagine the kid will be disappointed.<br />
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Click here to read the <a href="http://www.fin24.com/Tech/Gadgets/why-90s-game-consoles-are-making-a-comeback-20161130" target="_blank">article </a></div>
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MJ</div>
M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-7058752560324525952017-04-09T10:40:00.000+02:002017-04-09T10:40:43.149+02:00Video Game Review: Mario Party 10<div style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Merriweather, Helvetica, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; padding: 10px 0px;">
Professional wrestling is often predicated on the notion that there’s a fan-favourite to cheer and a villain to boo. This age-old narrative is evident in all popular media, including video games; for every Ryu, there’s an M.Bison, for every Warden a broodmother and of course, for every Mario a Bowser.</div>
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<img alt="MarioParty10_5" class="wp-image-60473 size-full" data-attachment-id="60473" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="MarioParty10_5" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_5.jpg?fit=660%2C371" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_5.jpg?fit=533%2C300" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_5.jpg?fit=1280%2C720" data-orig-size="1280,720" data-permalink="http://www.htxt.co.za/2015/04/14/its-a-nother-outing-in-the-mushroom-kingdom-mario-party-10-reviewed/marioparty10_5/" height="325" sizes="(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_5.jpg?resize=660%2C371" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_5.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_5.jpg?resize=533%2C300 533w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_5.jpg?resize=1024%2C576 1024w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_5.jpg?resize=600%2C338 600w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_5.jpg?resize=658%2C370 658w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_5.jpg?resize=354%2C200 354w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_5.jpg?resize=150%2C84 150w" style="border: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; opacity: 1; padding: 0px;" width="578" /><div class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: right;">
It’s-a him, Bowser!</div>
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This animosity is usually so apparent that both sides don’t even share a locker room.</div>
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This is what makes the Mario games so perplexing: that Peach constantly gets kidnapped by Bowser, and then joins him for a four-ball, tennis match and a race at Mario Circuit (which is basically Zwartkop raceway with fewer questionable mushrooms).</div>
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<a href="https://www.nintendo.co.za/Games/Wii-U/Mario-Party-10-892779.html" style="color: #f37021; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Mario Party 10</a> at its core is a series of mini-games held together by a four-player virtual board game experience across a variety of Super Mario World locations. Each game requires four players, but not to worry, should you not have a full human team, the game supplies AI players.</div>
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Gold Reef City. We see you.</div>
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In Mario Party 10, there are three modes to play: Mario Party, Bowser Party (a new mode which added an interesting spin on the old mechanic) and amiibo Party, which incorporates <a href="http://www.nintendo.com/amiibo/what-is-amiibo/" style="color: #f37021; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Nintendo’s character figures</a>.</div>
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There are five boards in total this time around, so initially I felt a little cheated as the predecessor had seven. But a bigger issue emerged after two playthroughs: none of the stages were particularly memorable. There were different bosses, and small structural changes, but everything seemed like a chore, with the boss being nothing more than a delay to the end.</div>
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Eighteen hours in and I don’t have a favourite, compared to Super Mario World where I loved any level that kept me above water and away from those dreadful fish.</div>
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<img alt="MarioParty10_1" class="wp-image-60477 size-full" data-attachment-id="60477" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="MarioParty10_1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_1.jpg?fit=660%2C371" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_1.jpg?fit=533%2C300" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_1.jpg?fit=1280%2C720" data-orig-size="1280,720" data-permalink="http://www.htxt.co.za/2015/04/14/its-a-nother-outing-in-the-mushroom-kingdom-mario-party-10-reviewed/marioparty10_1/" height="325" sizes="(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_1.jpg?resize=660%2C371" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_1.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https://i0.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_1.jpg?resize=533%2C300 533w, https://i0.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_1.jpg?resize=1024%2C576 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_1.jpg?resize=600%2C338 600w, https://i0.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_1.jpg?resize=658%2C370 658w, https://i0.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_1.jpg?resize=354%2C200 354w, https://i0.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_1.jpg?resize=150%2C84 150w" style="border: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; opacity: 1; padding: 0px;" width="578" /><div class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: right;">
Watch out for the beep beep Cheep-cheeps!</div>
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I owned a copy of the original Mario Party back when people danced awkwardly to Eiffel 65’s Blue and no one really knew what the Matrix was about. Sixteen years on and not much has changed in those respects, but the world has moved on in other ways and Mario Party 10 – for all its charm and nostalgia – remains a relic of a time passed.</div>
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An area where the game suffers is that the game boards take, on average, half an hour to complete.</div>
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The original Mario Party never had to compete for attention against a huge selection of instant message services, social media networks and video-on-demand content providers. Half an hour might not seem like a long period of time, especially for those who emerge from <a href="http://www.htxt.co.za/2014/11/13/reviewed-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-not-your-dads-cod/" style="color: #f37021; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="[REVIEWED] Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare – Not your dad’s COD">Call of Duty</a> sessions after days, hiding from sunlight like unsparkly vampires, but I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a challenge. Perhaps this is due to the long loading times, the scarcity of actual mini-games and the inability to skip or speed up the computer’s turn.</div>
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In this way, Mario Party is a lot like riding the Cobra at Gold Reef City – lots of waiting around before a small jolt of fun. It didn’t help knowing that a vast majority of the game relied on luck, and I often felt frustrated with the balancing or rather, the lack thereof. And annoyingly, it’s very similar to Mario Kart in that the computer will just catch up towards the end to add some stress in a “weird fixed game show” sort of way.</div>
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<img alt="MarioParty10_2" class="wp-image-60476 size-full" data-attachment-id="60476" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="MarioParty10_2" data-large-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_2.jpg?fit=660%2C371" data-medium-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_2.jpg?fit=533%2C300" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_2.jpg?fit=1280%2C720" data-orig-size="1280,720" data-permalink="http://www.htxt.co.za/2015/04/14/its-a-nother-outing-in-the-mushroom-kingdom-mario-party-10-reviewed/marioparty10_2/" height="325" sizes="(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_2.jpg?resize=660%2C371" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_2.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_2.jpg?resize=533%2C300 533w, https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_2.jpg?resize=1024%2C576 1024w, https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_2.jpg?resize=600%2C338 600w, https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_2.jpg?resize=658%2C370 658w, https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_2.jpg?resize=354%2C200 354w, https://i1.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_2.jpg?resize=150%2C84 150w" style="border: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; opacity: 1; padding: 0px;" width="578" /><div class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: right;">
Hope you packed some Peaceful Sleep.</div>
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One of the bigger challenges I faced was that the game <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_Remote" style="color: #f37021; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">requires a Wii-mote</a> in order to play.</div>
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Long ago I gifted my Wii to undeserving niblings, leaving me with only one Wii-mote. I found this to be problematic, but also rather indicative of the machine’s shortcomings as it can’t seem to shake off its Wii legacy. This is perhaps a reason why the Wii U failed to take off; I’m sure lots of people still buy Wii U games and try playing them on their Wiis.</div>
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Perhaps I’m biased because the original N64 had four controller ports, and lent itself to local four-player split-screen action. I guess it’s a sign of the times that online play has eroded this previously-popular method of gaming.</div>
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<img alt="MarioParty10_4" class="wp-image-60474 size-full" data-attachment-id="60474" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="MarioParty10_4" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_4.jpg?fit=660%2C371" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_4.jpg?fit=533%2C300" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_4.jpg?fit=1280%2C720" data-orig-size="1280,720" data-permalink="http://www.htxt.co.za/2015/04/14/its-a-nother-outing-in-the-mushroom-kingdom-mario-party-10-reviewed/marioparty10_4/" height="325" sizes="(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_4.jpg?resize=660%2C371" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_4.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_4.jpg?resize=533%2C300 533w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_4.jpg?resize=1024%2C576 1024w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_4.jpg?resize=600%2C338 600w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_4.jpg?resize=658%2C370 658w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_4.jpg?resize=354%2C200 354w, https://i2.wp.com/www.htxt.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MarioParty10_4.jpg?resize=150%2C84 150w" style="border: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; opacity: 1; padding: 0px;" width="578" /><div class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #888888; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: right;">
Feed me Mario… and Peach… and Luigi… and Wario.</div>
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Mario Party 10 does continue a long tradition of first-party games on Nintendo’s Wii U console, in that the graphics are amazing. They have a sheen to them that rivals <a href="http://supermario3dland.nintendo.com/" style="color: #f37021; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Super Mario 3D Land</a> and <a href="http://www.smashbros.com/us/" style="color: #f37021; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Super Smash Bros for the Wii U</a>. The game really is a pleasure to behold, it’s just not a lot of fun to play.</div>
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I’m a huge Nintendo fan, but I can’t help but feel underwhelmed at this offering. Forgettable mini-games, poor pacing and no real memorable moments make Mario Party 10 the Hulk Hogan in a John Cena world, holding on to something past and being unable to evolve.</div>
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<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">This review originally appeared in HTXT.co.za</em></div>
M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-65816931915184852992016-07-08T11:05:00.000+02:002016-11-15T14:35:08.695+02:00Existential Angst<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYgSFkgDU07oKy2wVRhfQ_q5m1YHVd_ZHvDoD6vt6eeND0OM789goUNZVveADhvod8nCNaBND3wzMI0VEipaYaltzh6iYECTy0ozNXp86adkApCCpAI6SVTVpAq-Zu2Do34GU/s1600/existential+angst.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYgSFkgDU07oKy2wVRhfQ_q5m1YHVd_ZHvDoD6vt6eeND0OM789goUNZVveADhvod8nCNaBND3wzMI0VEipaYaltzh6iYECTy0ozNXp86adkApCCpAI6SVTVpAq-Zu2Do34GU/s320/existential+angst.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pic taken at Al Jazeera, DohaM Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-17455063167662807382016-07-05T13:49:00.001+02:002016-07-05T13:49:27.162+02:00Social Media Day 2016<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">I spoke to the inimitable </span><a aria-describedby="js_4x" aria-haspopup="true" aria-owns="js_4w" class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1143586254" href="https://www.facebook.com/Sabz.sheik.essop" id="js_4y" style="background-color: white; color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; text-decoration: none;">Sabera Sheik-Essop</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"> and everyone in </span><a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=115030949560" href="https://www.facebook.com/channelislam/" style="background-color: white; color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; text-decoration: none;">Channel Islam International</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"> world about the future of social media. Check it out </span><i class="_lew" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;" title="smile emoticon"><i aria-hidden="true" class="_4-k1 img sp_fM-mz8spZ1b sx_5371b4" style="background-image: url("/rsrc.php/v2/yx/r/pimRBh7B6ER.png"); background-position: 0px -340px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: auto; display: inline-block; height: 16px; vertical-align: -3px; width: 16px;"></i></i><br />
<i class="_lew" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;" title="smile emoticon"><br /></i>
<span class="_lew" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;" title="smile emoticon"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>http://www.ciibroadcasting.com/2016/07/04/interview-with-mj-khan-on-social-media-day-2016/</i></span></span><br />
<span class="_lew" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;" title="smile emoticon"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span class="_lew" style="background-color: white; font-size: 0px; line-height: 19.32px;" title="smile emoticon"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>http://www.ciibroadcasting.com/2016/07/04/interview-with-mj-khan-on-social-media-day-2016/</i></span></span>M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-43696396535115509522016-07-05T11:01:00.004+02:002016-07-05T11:01:55.413+02:00Concerning Proverbs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZciw9Li1kgvdUP8F7SZOUS-gi-529zaZPniHnsyrKDElkDjk05dSR9WMmIxHaguoVWB7b-u_Lvx-PnJyoWr9WV550Zlq9n6F54tMuekPAw9rz-0RoACSWZvv1Bniixmu7ZNsY/s1600/lion+proverb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZciw9Li1kgvdUP8F7SZOUS-gi-529zaZPniHnsyrKDElkDjk05dSR9WMmIxHaguoVWB7b-u_Lvx-PnJyoWr9WV550Zlq9n6F54tMuekPAw9rz-0RoACSWZvv1Bniixmu7ZNsY/s320/lion+proverb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">This resonated with me. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Whether a nod and a sigh to power and narrative, or a knowing glance at entrenched patriarchy. The one issue though was it is framed as an African proverb. I hear about Swedish proverbs, Norwegian proverbs etc but I hardly read 'European proverbs.' This just plays into the 'Africa is a homogenous place where cultures, values and identities can be swapped easily. It's like w</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">hen you travel overseas and after introducing yourself, someone says 'I know so-and-so in Nigeria. Do you know them?' Last month someone asked me earnestly if I was related to the new London mayor. Then again - maybe we should challenge the notion of balkanisation - the idea that nation-states are nothing more than social constructs, imposed upon us, fueled by nationalism and entitlement.</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">A third layer to this trifle is that perhaps we romanticise the construct of an African proverb - throw a lion in the mix and suddenly it's somewhat exotic, somewhat mysterious, somewhat simple...yet in the great urban/rural divide that is Africa and her people, Lions don't feature all that much in our daily lives (excluding the occasional rugby personality). I don't want this conjecture to soften the impact of the words, but I can 'have my cake and eat it' - European proverb.</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">MJ</span></div>
M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-75826065791556347382016-02-16T09:00:00.000+02:002016-02-16T09:00:15.719+02:00Concerning Equality<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;">We live in a time where we can determine if Mars has water, but my wife will probably earn less for doing the same job as a man.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;"><br /></span>M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-74460591492224205722016-02-11T07:30:00.000+02:002016-02-11T07:30:19.598+02:00Concerning Youth<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;">What were the brands of your youth? </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;">The ones you supported before the concept of 'brand loyalty' was imbibed, before status was the overwhelming deciding factor? I used to wear gotcha, island style and Brut. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;">My choices were largely a factor of circumstance (we used to get discounts on local surf wear brands). I liked Brut because it came in a bottle, and I could recreate that scene from Home Alone</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;">. I used to have one of those black Velcro wallets (it had a bright red and white gotcha shark on it). I never had an allowance, but used to get paid for helping my dad in the weekends. So every time I wretched that wallet open to pay for something (mostly KFC Hawaiian rounders, video game cartridges and movie tickets) it was like a part of me was being torn as well. Like an eighties horcrux.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;"> Now I have a 'grown-up wallet filled with loyalty cards (as opposed to that single see-through plastic area where I used to keep unpeeled stickers WWF trading cards). I miss that wretching noise sometimes. The feeling that I've worked hard for something. The euphoria of changing into my stonewashed hand-me-down denim jacket and white t-shirt and going to London House Arcade in town to get a new game cartridge. I don't feel I work hard for things anymore. I feel like I just work and buy things I want or need (more want really, we don't need Tin roof ice cream, although that's arguable). I've started believing that if i can't afford to buy something, then I convince myself I don't need it.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;"> I realize as I type all this, that I'm just highlighting various aspects of my privilege. It comes in many forms, the greatest being the privilege of being raised by my parents. And the gotcha wallet in times of rounder cravings. But mostly the being raised by my parents bit. If you've stuck it out to this point, I'd like to know - what were the brands of your youth? Was it similar to mine, with Dettol, Sunlight soap, telefunken and Toyota? Or was it something else?</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0D9L42HD6IJswafuFGMam5zAnS68aE4Sok5Tgx42QcufuKxs-TChovTKRX6SeuDgavYH89AkYl6NQNNNeGKHVLO7wXOdnUsnRpDCeMZX5-FlsPHgslSkg0QOJEKgpyh_X_kqA-A/s1600/Brut+ad.jpg" /></span>M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-83494462656247788262016-02-10T20:25:00.002+02:002016-02-10T20:25:32.827+02:00Mufti Menk loves to subtweet<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;">Is it just me or do all of Mufti Menk's tweets sound like subtweets?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;"><br /></span>M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-31832120916280437932015-09-29T18:07:00.003+02:002015-09-29T18:07:43.802+02:00MJ's Top 10 Muslim Proverbs<h4>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proverb" target="_blank">proverb</a> is a simple and concrete saying, popularly known and repeated, that expresses a truth based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity, hardly ever confused with a local hip-hop artist. Here are some of my favourite Muslim proverbs, adapted from common ones. None will make it into popular culture.Please add yours to the comments section</span></span></h4>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.32px;">Don't count your chickens before they're certified</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16.08px;">One man's treasure is another man's zakat.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16.08px;">A chain is only as strong as its weakest narrator.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-reactid=".4h.1:5.0.1:$comment10155326412960438_10155326416895438/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.0" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16.08px;"> </span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".4h.1:5.0.1:$comment10155326412960438_10155326416895438/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16.08px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".4h.1:5.0.1:$comment10155326412960438_10155326416895438/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".4h.1:5.0.1:$comment10155326412960438_10155326416895438/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end/=1$text0/=010">Don't put all your eggs in one biryani dhegg.</span></span></span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".4h.1:5.0.1:$comment10155326412960438_10155326416895438/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; line-height: 16.08px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".4h.1:5.0.1:$comment10155326412960438_10155326416895438/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".4h.1:5.0.1:$comment10155326412960438_10155326416895438/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end/=1$text0/=010"><br /></span></span></span></span>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16.08px;">Necessity is the mother of Tayammum.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16.08px;">If it ain't broke, don't fix it with a bid'ah</span></span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16.08px;">Actions speak louder than duas.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16.08px;">You can't make an omelette without saying bismillah.</span></span></li>
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<li style="color: #141823; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16.08px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 16.08px;">The early bird catches tahajud</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 16.08px;">The grass is always greener in the aakhirah</span></li>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16.08px;">MJ</span></span></div>
M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-20271301884491313952015-05-29T09:00:00.000+02:002015-05-29T09:00:00.523+02:00Concerning Haters<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/16.07px helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">Maybe the haters aren't hating, and that's just something we say to dismiss constructive criticism? Maybe haters gonna hate because they know you're capable of so much more. Or maybe haters gonna hate, because that's what haters do?</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/16.07px helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/16.07px helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/16.07px helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">I take my space seriously, doubly so as social media requires a level of professionalising - it's kinda different to other roles - no one who isn't a specialist reall</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/16.07px helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">y questions a chemical engineer (or an accountant for that matter). I sometimes come off as defensive or dismissive when people make suggestions, and it's never my intention. If I consider that it's enthusiasm towards shared success, it makes it easier for me to deal with. </span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/16.07px helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/16.07px helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">I guess it's about finding the balance between being possessive and being indifferent.</span>M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-11255681342642567522015-05-27T19:49:00.000+02:002015-05-27T19:49:05.321+02:00Clash of Civilisations<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/16.07px helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">What if the clash of civilizations was an internal struggle? What if peace simply stopped at making peace with oneself? Might be easier to cope with despondency, to rationalize hate. Hate from those you've never met, and those that share your beliefs. There's a problem when we frame beheadings as barbaric, but have no problem with drone attacks. Both are detestable. Both are worthy of contempt, ou</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 12px/16.07px helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">trage.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />I wonder what comes to your mind when you read 'beheadings'. Did you imagine Marie Antoinette, awaiting the guillotine, perhaps Ned Stark kneeling at King's Landing, or like me, you thought about the Egyptians, slaughtered by ISIS a few months ago.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />My fears are closer to home. I don't fear being attacked while I'm at the musjid, like so many in Pakistan do. I'm grateful for that. I fear smash and grabbers, robbers, remote jammers and a political machine twisted to protect one man, while being complicit in denying the rights of so many.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br /><br />I can switch on my playstation, and for a moment, make peace with the knotted, lashes of reality. Well, as long as loadshedding doesn't spoil my middle-class pleasures. It's hard to have faith in humanity. It's hard to imagine peace. Maybe I'll find peace in indifference. Or in the clutches of self-censorship, the force that compels me to wait before commenting, posting, committing. I haven't found peace elsewhere.</span>M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-67310260527250623862015-02-19T10:58:00.000+02:002015-02-19T10:58:00.517+02:00Tweets from January and February 2014 <div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
In an effort to blog more, and recycle, here's some of my tweets from January and February of 2014. Let me know if you like any of them, mum. Also, let me know if you don't get any of the references.</div>
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<strong>And I said 'what about Breakfast at Tiffany's?' She said 'I think that they're not Halaal.'</strong></div>
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Happy feet is 'step-up' for penguins.</div>
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<strong>Do people in Klerksdorp and Piet Retief feel lied to when the narrator in the movie trailer says 'Coming soon to a theatre close to you'.</strong></div>
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Yo momma's so fat her @<strong>JohnCena</strong> t-shirt says "You can't see anything else".</div>
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<strong>You know that Mecca has become too commercialised the day they start marketing it as 'bottomless zamzam'</strong></div>
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My timeline brings all the bots to the yard.</div>
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<strong>Proclaimers '500 miles' is like a Jamaat anthem.</strong></div>
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'Vorsprung durch Tabligh!' When Jamaat brothers appropriate brand slogans.</div>
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<strong>Do people who shop at 'plastic land' have a bucket list?</strong></div>
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What's up with muslim kids styling their hair like Guile from Street Fighter!</div>
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<strong>Chana magaj is the Timothy Dalton of sweetmeats.</strong></div>
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"She wants the deen" new age imam trying to connect with a younger crowd.</div>
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<strong>One thing about Hitler though - dude appears in a lot of moustache infographics.</strong></div>
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If you went to a bird park and all you saw were hadedas.... You lost!</div>
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<strong>Indians will store atchar in milk bottles if the mouth was big enough.</strong></div>
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Witch-hunts were usually a crowd-sourced affair.</div>
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<strong>Lion King is basically about the rise and fall of hyenas during the Scar administration.</strong></div>
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I'd be pissed if I was illiterate and someone handed me a fortune cookie.</div>
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<strong>The person who made up the ' We live in a society where pizza gets to your house before the police' joke probably never ordered Caminettos.</strong></div>
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Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will add that shit to his linkedin profile.</div>
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<strong>Here's a tip. Check which version of the Bang Bang Club you hired before watching it with your in-laws</strong></div>
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Treat your wife to a romantic dinner this valentine's. At your mother's house.</div>
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<strong>If you're buying valentine's day gifts from toys r us...#sheistooyoungforyoubro</strong></div>
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Nothing says friendzoned like an e-mail that starts with 'Slmz brother in Islam'.</div>
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<strong>Colour-blind people should not work in bomb disposal.</strong></div>
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Don't count your chickens before they are certified.</div>
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<strong>Samoosa runs are very different to chicken tikka runs.</strong></div>
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"PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWERS! Itty-bitty living space!" All townhouses in Fourways.</div>
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<strong>Deenyat kitabs are the only non-medical books in the world that refer to farting as 'passing wind'.</strong></div>
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Shouldn't it have been called 'murder she typed' ?</div>
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<strong>I have a dream, that one day, the guys at TRO will be exposed to a better range of chewing gum.</strong></div>
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'What I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career' - Liam Neeson's Linkedin Profile.</div>
M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-57268262085816516732015-02-17T09:04:00.001+02:002015-02-17T15:42:11.253+02:00Concerning Peace <div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; margin-bottom: 6px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What if the clash of civilizations was an internal struggle? What if peace simply stopped at making peace with oneself? Might be easier to cope with despondency, to rationalize hate. Hate from those you've never met, and those that share your beliefs. There's a problem when we frame beheadings as barbaric, but have no problem with drone attacks. Both are detestable. Both are worthy of contempt, outrage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wonder what comes to your mind when you read 'beheadings'. Did you imagine Marie Antoinette, awaiting the guillotine, perhaps Ned Stark kneeling at King's Landing, or like me, you thought about the Egyptians, slaughtered by ISIS a few days ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My fears are closer to home. I don't fear being attacked while I'm at the <span style="line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">musjid, like so many in Pakistan do. I'm grateful for that. I fear smash and grabbers, robbers, remote jammers and a political machine twisted to protect one man, while being complicit in denying the rights of so many.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">I can switch on my playstation, and for a moment, make peace with the knotted, lashes of reality. Well, as long as loadshedding doesn't spoil my middle-class pleasures. It's hard to have faith in humanity. It's hard to imagine peace. Maybe I'll find peace in indifference. Or in the clutches of self-censorship, the force that compels me to wait before commenting, posting, committing. I haven't found peace elsewhere.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">MJ</span></div>
M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-68879379256094228312014-11-11T08:03:00.004+02:002014-11-11T08:32:04.626+02:00My first Google Hangout<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm quite chuffed that the Chicky Lamba story has gone the way of Harlem Shake and fizzled out as it was equal parts funny and embarrassing. I tend to choose my battles on social, and actively avoid being part of the flavour of the month (or the day if our propensity for fickleness is acknowledged). I do this because emerging stories often lack enough context to allow one to communicate an informed comment. Maybe i'm 'doing social media' wrong. We tweet to stay relevant, but that sometimes comes at the cost of value (really adding something to the conversation). </div>
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Anyway, <a href="http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/" target="_blank">The Daily Vox</a> were kind enough to conduct a Google Hangout with me a few weeks ago on the chicky lamba story, but with a focus on how social media has changed the way we consume news, video content and memes. Here's the clip. Enjoy </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/h6RyZuqkiis" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Let me know what you think.<br />
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MJM Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-29213822328226257332014-10-20T08:53:00.000+02:002014-10-20T13:44:41.511+02:00Concerning Chicky Lamba<div>
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With a police investigation underway and one person
arrested, the #chickylamba incident has taken a serious turn. The viral video
and it’s accompanying meme may have provided many laughs for South Africa in
general and Muslim Twitter in particular but there are some serious lessons to
be learned from this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>1.</b> The assault on Aadil ‘Braazo’ Cassim needs to be
condemned in the strongest terms. Also, while it is a serious offence to
threaten someone with a weapon, our criticism should also include the slaps.
Perhaps we are conditioned to believe that a few smacks here and there are part
and parcel of the status quo or that it can be written-off as a business
expense claim for communicating with someone, but it isn’t. I fear that in all
the parody, we have lost sight of the fact that we have witnessed an assault.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>2.</b> We should be making a bigger deal about Shakeel Cassim
(aka Chicky Lamba) claiming that his fiancé is his property. Is she like an
expensive watch you remove to eliminate wind-drag from the forward momentum of
a slap? Two grown men fighting over a grown woman this way is a bit last
century. Can we please confront people who have this type of mentality? Without throwing them in the bush that is.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>3.</b> The name-dropping employed here harkens to an earlier era
and reminded me of the idea of a ‘back-stop’. I didn’t know it was still a
thing to prop yourself up by who you know with an “I am because he is” sort of
vibe. It’s a very twisted sense of ubuntu, really. I imagine there’s a
thug-like equivalent of LinkedIn where Ahmed Amiski endorses Ziyaad Janoo for
being a desperado.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>4.</b> The ubiquity of connected devices, instant messaging
services and social sharing platforms will continue to lead the way in which we
consume content. FOMO is increasingly becoming a key driver for this
consumption.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The most interesting about the Chicky Lamba incident is that
we are sharing it in an almost rebellious fashion, as if to say, “We aren’t
bothered by your status, title and long list of supposedly shady associates.”
But infamy comes at a price. Chicky Lamba and his band of desperados, with
their newfound cult-status, now have permanent online tattoos that can never be
retracted, covered-up or removed. Their SEO rankings have been severely
compromised (just try hiding this from Google). Hopefully this will serve as a
reminder to other aspiring delinquents that this sort of behaviour isn’t cool
or laudable.<o:p></o:p></div>
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MJ</div>
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p.s I have not checked with Keds or Memon before publishing this piece. </div>
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p.p.s I don't know whether Amiski actually endorses any of this behaviour</div>
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M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-58330392951068085902014-09-18T12:24:00.000+02:002014-09-18T12:24:23.781+02:005 reasons why brands should follow back on twitter <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
did my first social media course in 2009. I can't remember the name of the instructor
in the videos, suffice to say, social media marketing was still relatively new
and was being heralded as a panacea for brands. I've always been sceptical
about drinking the kool-aid (whether I was working as a strategist at a
boutique (read: small) agency or as a copywriter at a local community radio
station) so I approached this new form of marketing with the same pragmatism
I'd use with someone trying to sell me TopTV.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> The reason for this context is because
something stood out for me all those years ago; something I find some social
media gurus (or other bullshit titles we give each other) </span>still hold
onto today – applying an arbitrary ratio to Twitter’s follow-follower number
set. The instructor said that brands should only follow 1 account for every 5
accounts that follow them. I don’t agree with this general rule, and while
brands need to be evaluated on a case by case merit, here are 5 reasons why
brands should follow back or follow first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: normal;">1) </span></span><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">It enhances brand loyalty.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;"> I am less likely to unfollow a brand if
that brand follows me. Perhaps its guilt or optimism (that the content will become
less spammy/shitty/irrelevant) but I’ve hesitated to unfollow at times because
I appreciated the fact that the brand was following me. I am also more likely
to engage with a brand that follows me, or ramp up my replies to a brand that I
want to ‘notice’ me and follow back.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">2) </span></span></b><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">It opens up Direct
Messages as a viable communication channel.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">Perhaps it is because I’m in the industry and
empathise with other social media people that I prefer to complain to a brand
via DM, especially if the complaint is of a sensitive nature. When brands
follow back, I can use this channel.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> 3)</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">It assists search.</span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">Brands that follow
back come up faster in searches, and appear in ‘followers you know’ and ‘who to
follow’ lists when you are scouting out a third party’s profile. Visibility is
quite important as social is often premised on relevance. Does help with affinity as well (especially when it comes to brand positioning) </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">4 <span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> 4) </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">It gives the brand access
to their followers thoughts.</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">By following someone, you are opting-in to receive
their thoughts, peeves and opinions (even if it is what people project
themselves to be). Yes, you don’t have to follow someone to read their thoughts
(provided their account is public) but that is laborious. Social’s differentiator
is that it is two-way communication so why treat it as just a broadcast
channel? If the brand’s sum total of its twitter engagement was only based on
responding to people who @mentioned the brand first, then they are still stuck
in the basics of social media. </span><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: normal;">5) </span></span><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">It</span> </b><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">imbues status. </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -18pt;">As sceptical as I tell
people I am (in blogposts that are longer than they should be), I get chuffed
when my role models follow me back. I remember when Riaad Moosa followed me
back, I was like ‘now I can tick that off a very sad bucket list’. Following
back is a great way to reward brand advocates. I work on some cool brands, and
I sometimes forget that while I may be a little jaded, it may mean a ton to
others when a brand follows them back. Now if only Hashim Amla and Rockstar
Games wouldn’t be so coy and follow me back too!</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m
always keen to chat about social media and my experiences (all of my failures) over
the years, so hit me up on the <a href="https://twitter.com/concerningmj" target="_blank">Twitter</a>! and let me know what you think about
this piece. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">MJ</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34662581.post-14627614741174570502014-05-31T12:51:00.001+02:002014-05-31T12:51:27.483+02:00My set for the make salaam and laugh comedy show <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
I didn't get to do a lot of the stuff I planned to last night (with a lot of the participatory skits bombing, which threw me off a bit), but that's ok. Here's the abridged material (with only the stuff I wrote this week and does not include my previous material on the Majlis/ Mufti Menk etc). Let me know what you think. (Context - Written for Durban Muslim audience and is written to be presented, not read)</div>
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Asalaam u alaikum. My name is MJ Khan. Some of you may know me from my twitter account, or MCing at various Islamic fairs and souks, although I imagine, most of you may confuse me for something that I am not, and that is, an Eastern Mosaic Presenter finalist. </div>
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Have you noticed how many people introduce themselves as <strong>'Eastern Mosaic Presenter Finalist'</strong>? Everyone knows at least one person who is an eastern mosaic finalist. they could be sitting next to you right now. It must be the only tv show in the world where you become a finalist just by submitting an entry form!</div>
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Durban, its good to be home. Its good to be home. The only problem with Durban is that it is full of people who remind you how<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>much weight</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>you’ve put on. I am convinced that ethekwini is the zulu phrase for ‘place with relatives who tell you that youre fat’. I keep telling everyone..i am twice the man I used to be. So Durban, whats happening, whats new? Took<strong>Umgeni Road</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>today. What is happening on that road! As it is, we are still dealing with Highway Sheila. If the construction company building the flyover was any slower, they would work at caminettos! Love caminettos, but boy do they make you wait. You best be placing your Ramadan orders at sehri if you want to break your fast with more than just a kajoor and water.</div>
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Ramadan is around the corner. Man, I miss Ramadan in Durban. I miss calling Aunty Nadia on radio al ansaar to tell her that Ive kept all my fasts. Speaking of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Aunty Nadia</strong>, have you noticed that a lot of female presenters on muslim radio stations all sound they are reciting something at a jalsa. (typical apa voice - 'Asalamu alaikum, today we will be talking about the evils of mxit'). I miss telling little children that half fasts don’t count. I have a friend whose kids do half fasts. He is always about positive re-inforcement..so I always hear him say, 'Masha Allah Fareed, well done Fareed'. Fareed is 14 years old. Give that boy the<strong>champal.</strong></div>
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Im from<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>reservoir hills.</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>By a round of applause, who else here is from reservoir hills? There is a Common lie that all muslims who move up to jhb from reservoir hills use – whether your surname is Moolla, coovadia, kadodia or khan, there is one lie we all tell, and that lie happens when our white colleagues ask us where we are from.</div>
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Happens to me all the time.</div>
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So MJ bru, where are you from tjomm?</div>
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I’m from Reservoir hills, know where that is?</div>
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Oh yeah yeah yeah…no.</div>
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and then the lie comes in –<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>its five minutes from pavilion</em>. Just down the road. My mom walks there for bread and milk. </div>
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Lets chat a bit about<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>muslim weddings</strong>. My dad is Younus Azam Khan, so I’ve been to a lot of weddings. A good way to find out if youre at a muslim wedding is to look for a row of mats behind the stage. You can confirm this if the bathroom looks like a scene from titanic. After it hits the iceberg. Water everywhere. Its physics really, size 12 foot in a size six sink... and don't get me started on the men's bathrooms. </div>
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None of my white friends carry a 2 l ice cream container to a wedding. Bob does not take gajar halwa home. Bob stops at Jonnies. </div>
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Who came up with the rule that the girls family must wait<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>for two weeks</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>before giving an answer? Thats ridiculous. Are they waiting for a full moon to check that he isnt a werewolf or something? Why is it always two weeks?</div>
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Who decided that aunty firoza, with type 2 diabetes will be in charge of making the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>sarbat</strong>? half a glass of milk, 19 tablespoons of sugar and a drop of syrup. even coke is going 'thats too much sugar for one drink. </div>
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Lets not forget about our<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>koonchas</strong>. Durban people love their koonchas. Ive recently seen massive burfee structures in the shape of the taj mahal. Isnt that weird? What are trying to tell someone? 'Have this mausoleum as a token of my love. I’ve put a jelly baby in the middle to represent the people buried there'?</div>
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There is a tradition in muslim weddings called<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>bidaagrie<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></strong>where the bride says 'goodbye' to her parents (well, until tomorrow when she sees them at the walima) and this tradition makes the groom very happy, and also rather kak. He is happy because he doesnt have to smile for 200 more photos for a photographer who thinks its cute when he poses like this for his wife (do a ridiculous wedding pose) but he is sad because everyone including his wife is crying and its all his fault! </div>
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Durban, I’m getting<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>old.</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Can’t jump around the stage at the souk anymore and act like im excited about Arif Subrati performing. Can’t do it anymore. Somewhere along the line, I got old, and I think it was when I started paying Eiddee instead of receiving it. That was the moment. You know you’re old when the highlight of going to the Hartley road fair is when you buy a new tea pot. Aunty in the front, you know what im talking about. Repeat after me…boiled tea zindabad! As muslim men grow older, we start developing a skill. A skill for finding a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>chair</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to sit on. I can find a chair anywhere! Any shop, any park, you name it. I am the lionel messi of finding chairs. As you get older, all you want to do is sit! Gentlemen, clap your hands if you agree. You weren’t going to come if you couldn’t sit.</div>
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Let’s talk about<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>relatives</strong>. I believe that we all have these four relatives.</div>
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The first relative is what I’d like to call<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Conspiracy Mamoo</strong>. Now Conspiracy mammoo is so tuned in, he already has a conspiracy theory before the event took place. And its always ridiculous. I’m not talking about the kaka who still believes that Osama bin laden is alive. I’m talking about the uncle who thinks Jacob Zuma is part of the Illuminati. The one you avoid when you and your friends are at gateway. That one. I have an uncle like that. He comes up with ridiculous stories. Last week he told me that the americans kidnapped some girls in Nigeria and have blamed it on bokomo haram. Bokomo Haram? What is this? Did he stand out outside the embassy with a Bring back our wheat bix sign?</div>
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Lets go to number two. I’ve just come down from jhb, so obviously I was given a parcel to bring down for<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>gori kala</strong>. Gori Kalas are such a phenomenon. Every muslim family knows one. , but no 2 gorikalas are the same. At what point in a woman’s life does she realize she has become a gorikala? Is it like the pope, once one dies, another is anointed?</div>
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Arise Gorikala, and bring the world pre-made samosa, rotis and dressmaking.</div>
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Now Gorikala, is very different to<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>cuzi kala</strong>.. Cuzi kala is the aunty that wants to know everything. She’s the one in all the family groups on whatsapp and BBM. Shes the one who makes rude jokes at bridal showers, Tupperware parties and even a mayyet house. Cuzzi-kala…<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>come for the Yaseen, stay for the gossip.</strong></div>
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Finally, we have<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Qurbani King</strong>. This is that uncle that looks like he came from the tv show, breaking bad. We all have that one uncle who is kitted out for bakri eid. And all these uncles had a convention because they all dress the same. Once a year – white lab coat, blue construction pants, gum boots and more knives than Zain Bhikha nasheeds on al ansaar.</div>
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So whats with this<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>halaal cruise?</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The first time I heard of it, I thought Conspiracy mamoo was trying to convince the world that Tom Cruise converted.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Nothing makes a muslim happier than when a celebrity converts to Islam</strong>. Its like fasting 29 days in Ramadan. Its like we need validation or something. Sometimes, you get a winner, like Yusuf Islam…but other times, you get busta rhymes. So ive been thinking a lot about the halaal cruise these days. And the problem is..we have different definitions of halaal. And within muslims, you have two extremes – one camp who<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>says kulun halaal</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(everythings halaal). These are the chaps who are like ‘read bismillah and eat it’ and on the other extreme, you have the<strong>haraam police.</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Sailing without going on jihad – haram. Puppies and rainbows haram. Banks. Haraam. Cricket – haraam. Mufasa dying in lion king – haraam.</div>
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So what makes it a halaal cruise?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>The food</strong>? What is it? MJC, Sanha, ICSA, NIHT or maybe that new body that got the tender to certify burger king?</div>
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Do all the toilets have built in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>istinja facilities</strong>? Or do we have to use the small glass that non muslims use to gargle their mouth with?</div>
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I know they<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>segregated the men and women</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>in the movie titanic, but that’s when it was sinking, so how will they do that on the boat. I know teenagers, I used to be one a very long time ago. If they will make<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>tawaaf around kingsmead,</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>you can be sure they will do the same on a boat.</div>
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How do they choose a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>destination</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>that isn’t part of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>ab dawjees middle east</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>tour? Is there a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>tourism wing</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>at sanha that gives cities halaal accredition? Maybe its like the water board and you get green flag status. I know isipingo, azaadville and ashervile got theirs last year.</div>
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Ladies and gentlemen, shukran for your time, my name is MJ Khan – As salaam u alaikum</div>
M Junaidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359364064925543230noreply@blogger.com0