It's definitely interesting, but none of the easter eggs were really interesting. Considering that some of the ones they did include were well known when we were all kids, I didn't exactly give the site much credibility. Also, most of the easter egg "hunts" were devoted to programmer initials and similar things that just made me wonder if the retro craze may just be going too far. It is a wonderful thing to appreciate old games, but when you start offering a cash reward for the rare appearance of initials on a game screen, then you may have crossed a line somewhere.
However, the approach used by the blogger, Don Hodges, is worth a mention. It's always interesting to me when someone is able to deconstruct game code and turn up results. Not only is the man smarter than me, but I can appreciate what he's trying to do. The method isn't restricted to uncovering hidden initials. It has been tried before with debug programs, hex editing, and other utilities common to programmers and emulation fans. Final Fantasy VII nuts went deep into the game and discovered a location not accessible anywhere in a legitimate playthrough. Many RPGs have hidden character sets or rooms that were set aside for a purpose never actually included in the game, or were cut out just as a director would axe a certain scene from a movie. Metroid was even given this treatment, and I do believe they actually uncovered extra rooms that wound up blocked off in the game. So there is merit to the method, even if the results are far from spectacular.
The Digg run also turned up yet another piece on the now ex-governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin. Alaskans rejoiced when she quit her job, and I can say that with some degree of accuracy because I happen to live there. I only mention her because politicians of her breed generally turn into the Jack Thompson type that won't take "no" for an answer and ultimately come up with some sort of crusade against common sense. In one fleeting month, she managed to turn her back on the job she was supposed to do, lie every chance she got, tried to act cute and folksy when it came time for her to deliver some knowledge on...I don't know...ANYTHING, embarrass the state of Alaska, and sully the women in politics who work their collective asses off to just get a chance to be in the positions she's been allowed to hold.
She will most likely turn this into a 2012 run rather than the porn career she's more suited for, which is a sad thing for all of us. If she wants to throw a tantrum, she can go ahead, but when it comes time to lead a country (oh wait, you have to effectively run a state first), throwing a fit whenever you don't get your way is how people get into wars (see Kim Jong-il) rather than out of them.
Back to gaming.
In an effort to whore myself out even more than I already am, The Game Bay is now on Twitter. It serves no useful purpose in life other than documenting what I may be playing at any given time.
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