Smart House

Kris P. Home, Kristen, technology , , , , , ,

Double Jump Kris MiiHappy Monday everyone!

Aside from my day job, I do a little side hustle in the form of dog- and house-sitting for neighbors and friends. More so for the comfort of the animals, I stay at their homes instead of having them at my house or even just popping in on them a couple of times a day. Besides enjoying my time with the pets, it’s fun being in a different house for a little while.

Smart House | Disney | Technology | Google | Amazon | Doublexjump.com

Anybody remember that movie from the Disney channel, Smart House? It was about a family — single dad, two kids, a dog — that won a contest that gave them a completely automated house. This was released in 1999, way before the likes of Amazon’s Alexa devices or Google Home. I remember being completely fascinated by the “technology” — rather, the special effects — of Smart House and wondered what it would be like to live in such a house.

In Smart House, the programming had its own room and this giant computer-like device for all the commands. Nowadays, you can have a smart home with a couple of voice-activated devices, subtler way to help make you feel like you were on the bridge of the Enterprise from Star Trek.

At the time of this post, I am actually dog- and house-sitting for a neighbor and, honestly, their house is the closest thing to Disney’s Smart House that I’ve ever seen. They have several Alexa devices in the house, many responding to different names (including one using the wake-word “Computer,” for that Star Trek effect), and most of the lights and other electronics are connected to them somehow. Their security system is also not something to be trifled with. Completely modern, I am always eager to see what kind of tech upgrades were done to the house in between my dog-sitting sessions.

On the flip-side, there’s another family that I have dog- and house-sat for once before (and will again in the winter), and they have a beautiful house. However, their house is also older and much more old-fashioned. They have some beautiful, original architecture and, unlike the house I’m in now, gets their heat from naked radiators rather than having central air and heat.

The two houses are polar opposites of each other, but each are beautiful in their own ways. Yet, it also makes me wonder what other kinds of home advancements will be made in the future?

Do you remember Disney’s Smart House? What do you think of smart homes? Let me know in the comments below! If you liked this post, please share it around.

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Phoenix Wright: Smooth Criminal

Kris P. Home, Kris & Rachel, Music , , , , ,

Music Video | YouTube | Phoenix Wright | Ace Attorney | Doublexjump.com

This is a rather silly music video that Rachel discovered recently. Using assets from the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney games, the YouTuber MaximumVolty created a music video to Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.”

While there’s no rapid sequences of flashing lights, as all the scenes come from the games themselves, there are some quick transitions to go along with the beat of the music, so please be careful if you are sensitive to that sort of thing. Otherwise, we hope you enjoy this!

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Friday Favorites: Superhero Movies

Kris P. Home, Kristen, Movie Reviews , , , , ,

Double Jump Kris MiiHappy Friday everyone!

Lately, we’ve been watching a lot of superhero movies, mainly from the Marvel universe. We’re planning on continuing to watch superhero movies until we officially catch up with everything we want to see, especially since we’re pretty behind in the MCU, haha! This list consists of some of my favorite superhero movies, and isn’t limited to DC or the MCU.

Superhero Movies | Superhero | Marvel | DC | Video Games | Doublexjump.com

Big Hero 6

This movie was just a fun experience throughout (almost) the whole thing. Yes, I did tear up at Tadashi’s death and the climax of the movie. Honestly, one of the things I took away from the movie — aside from totally wanting a Baymax of my own — was the diversity of the cast as well as the wonderful way the movie dealt with grief and growing up. I am aware that this is based on a Marvel comic, yes? Has anyone read them?

Megamind

This movie can be silly, but I thought it was well done in the way it explored the circumstances that can create a villain. It was fun, kind of ridiculous, but the lesson you can take away is that you can prevail no matter what the circumstances of your life. I also really enjoyed the music, haha!

Wonder Woman

Alright, so most of the DC movies don’t have a good rep, but I stayed optimistic for Wonder Woman and was not disappointed (seeing Chris Pine in the movie helped). This is one of my favorite movies of all time. The movie was entertaining in and of itself, as Wonder Woman was always one of my favorite comic book characters, but seeing a kick-ass woman on the big screen own her strength and use it for the good fight was so empowering to me. I’ve grown up enjoying superhero stories, the majority of them with male leads, and to finally have a movie — a good movie — with a female lead gave me the confidence to take on the world with my bare hands.

Black Panther

Black Panther is the Marvel movie that I dragged myself to see in the movie theaters despite how far behind in the MCU I had become. Seriously, I think one of the last Marvel movies I saw in theaters before Black Panther was the first Guardians of the Galaxy. Black Panther got me super excited with the promise of the Wakanda tech, the beauty of the cultures that were showed, and a wonderful cast. Not only that, but I wanted to support that movie as much as I wanted to support Wonder Woman because of how strong and in awe Wonder Woman made me, as a female, feel. Aside from the movie itself, my favorite part of Black Panther was when I was walking out of the theater and saw a trio of young black kids proudly smiling and doing the Wakanda salute next to the movie poster for a picture.

What are some of your favorite superhero movies? Let me know in the comments below! If you liked this post, please share it around.

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Throwback Thursday: Playing Layton Vs. Wright

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Rachel Mii | DoubleJump.comHappy Thursday!

Time for another Throwback, one I’ve been thinking about a lot recently!

Throwback Thursday: Playing Layton Vs. Wright | Nintendo | Video Games | Gaming | DoublexJump.com

Professor Layton Vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney came out in late November 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS. Kris and I absolutely the Ace Attorney series and we were interested in the Professor Layton series because of that. However, it’s not Phoenix Wright and definitely more puzzle-related so we weren’t sure how we’d enjoy it. When Layton Vs. Phoenix came out, we got it to see some familiar faces from Ace Attorney and meet new friends in Professor Layton.

This game was awesome and I definitely need to play it again sometime soon. The game had elements from both series and split them down 50/50. You play as both protagonists in court cases, investigations, and puzzle solving. This was the game that made us fall in love with Layton as well.

I’m already invested in the Phoenix Wright characters, but it was great to get to know the Layton characters on a deeper level. Plus, they mixed the characters up as well. From what I remember, there’s a part where Maya and Layton are together for a while.

I remember playing on my parents’ bed because Kris and I were huddled together flipping back and forth our 3DS consoles (you know, when one battery died, we’d charge it, take the game out and use the other 3DS and repeat). We read the game out loud to each other, each playing certain characters. At some point in the game, something big happens and I bawled my eyes out. I can’t remember if Kris cried, but I was a mess.

Our parents came home and my mother was so concerned when she saw me crying. Kris simply said, “Something happened in our video game.” My mother then shrugged her shoulders and then walked away. She knows us all too well.

It was a good time though. The plot of the game was awesome as were, of course, the characters. I’ll never forget my first playthrough of it, even though I don’t remember the exact premise of the game… other than witch trials, I think.

I’m definitely playing this one again soon.

Have you played Professor Layton Vs. Phoenix Wright? Let me know in the comments below! If you liked this post, please share it around.

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#GamingTogether – June 2019

Rachel #GamingTogether, Home, Kris & Rachel , , , , ,

#GamingTogether June 2019 Questions | Video Games | Gaming | Gaming Asks | Video Game Questions | DoublexJump.com

krismii
For those of you who follow us on our other social media accounts (all the links down below!), we’ve been doing #GamingTogether questions for… I dunno, since last October or November? They’ve been pretty fun and today we’re going to do another batch from this month.

rachmii
Yeah, it’s been almost a year, I think. They’re fun to do and it’s great to engage with other gamers through social media. Here are some rapid-fire questions and answers from this month’s roster.

1: Name a game that came out the year you were born. Have you played it?

Kris: In North America, Nintendo released Super Mario Bros. 3 in the year I was born. And, while I’ve played it, I don’t believe I’ve ever beaten it myself.

Rachel: Star Fox for the SNES came out the year I was born. And, surprisingly, I can say I’ve played it now that we have the SNES Classic.

2: What’s your favorite party game?

Kris: The Mario Party series is great, but I’ve also enjoyed Drawful 2 and Super Smash Bros., if that series counts!

Rachel: Mario Party, of course. No two games are ever the same and it’s extra fun depending on the people you’re playing with.

3: What are your top 3 Legend of Zelda games?

Kris: Breath of the Wild, Twilight Princess, and Four Swords Adventures.

Rachel: My top three are Skyward Sword, Wind Waker, and Four Swords Adventures.

4: Do you prefer the Pokemon gym battles or the contest/dancing competitions?

Kris: The gym battles all the way. I definitely missed those in the Alola region and I’m excited that some version of them seems to be returning for the Galar region!

Rachel: Definitely gym battles! They’re more fun and intense for me.

5: What is your favorite video game soundtrack?

Kris: I could cheat and say the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate soundtrack, considering all the tracks from a plethora of video games, but… I really enjoyed the Fire Emblem Awakening soundtrack as well as Miitopia.

Rachel: Miitopia is fabulous, I agree. This is a tough one, but as of lately, my favorite has been Octopath Traveler.

Did you get a chance to answer these questions? If not, what are your responses? Let us know in the comments below!

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Top Tuesday: Favorite Odd Bosses In Super Mario RPG

Rachel Home, Mario, Nintendo, Rachel, Top Tuesday , , , , , ,

Rachel Mii | DoubleJump.comHappy Tuesday!

Super Mario RPG is a favorite game of ours. I always enjoy watching Kris play, humming along to the music, and commentating on the wacky-looking enemies in the game.

Top Tuesday: Favorite Odd Bosses In Super Mario RPG | Nintendo | Nintendo SNES | Video Games | Gaming | Super Mario RPG | DoublexJump.com

Bowyer

Bowyer is the first boss you encounter in the game. He has an interesting character design as he looks like a bow. His main attack is, of course, shooting arrows. He has a funny accent and certainly sticks out in the forest with a bright red, yellow, and green design. His body has stripes and his hair is wild and spiked and he’s got a nice pair of red, crazy eyes going on. I’ve always enjoyed his design because he’s an enemy who looks like a weapon. Which is odd and cool at the same time.

Valentina

What can I say about Valentina? She’s a pain in the butt, mean, and materialistic. Her head looks like Arnold from Hey, Arnold! and has big boobs. She’s also got a bird on top of her head – whether it’s still alive or not, I have no idea. I believe she’s a “human” trying to look like a bird because “Mallow” is apparently Dodo who is, well, a dodo bird.

Booster

Who doesn’t love Booster? He kidnapped Princess Toadstool and wants to marry her but he honestly has no clue what he’s doing. He has dolls of Mario and Toadstool and himself, which is… totally bizarre. He cries when he can’t find his Mario doll. He’s a funny guy though and I’ve always enjoyed his part of the game. His castle is a great level to get through and the music alone makes it all worthwhile. Plus, he reminds me of Wario a bit in looks.

Bundt

Bundt is a cake. Yes, a cake that’s alive. In fact, he was created to be Booster and Toadstool’s wedding cake. As soon as Mario and gang crash the wedding, you battle the two chefs but it turns out Bundt is the true boss. Having a wedding cake as the main boss is a cool concept and, while he’s personified a bit, he still looks like a regular cake which makes it all the cooler.

Belome

I don’t even know what Belome is. A cat? A dog? A frog? He’s encountered in the sewers and looks poisonous. He’s bright yellow with red squiggly designs all over him. He’s got four horns on the top of his head and four eyes which is pretty daunting. Not to mention he’s got a long tongue that he easily scoops up and eats your party members. Yeah… Belome is probably one of the weirder bosses in this game. But, like all the other bosses and enemies, he’s pretty cool. The design choices in Super Mario RPG are top notch.

What are some of your favorite odd bosses in Super Mario RPG? Let me know in the comments below! If you like this post, please share it around.

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Creative Breaks and Comfort Games

Kris P. Home, indie games, Kristen, Visual Novels , , , , , ,

Double Jump Kris MiiHappy Monday everyone!

We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, and happy Father’s day to all of you out there! While Father’s Day generally includes celebration and relaxation for dads and father figures, it’s also important to take some time to relax yourself.

Creative Breaks and Comfort Games | Creativity | Self Care | Video Games | Gaming | Doublexjump.com

June has been rather interesting with life. Nothing bad has happened, thankfully, we’ve just been very busy. Busy enough that our regular routine of writing up posts and scheduling them has been interrupted throughout the month, and this comes after last month of us just being tired — physically, mentally, and emotionally — for various reasons.

We haven’t really played any video games lately, not new ones, at any rate. While we would like to pick up something new — Cadence of Hyrule, Little Friends, for a couple of examples — we’ve been finding ourselves vegging out with Animal Crossing: New Leaf while old Twitch and YouTube streams play in the background instead. Game Dev Tycoon is both on our Steam account and on my phone, so I’ve come home from my day job just to plop on the sofa and drain my phone battery with the game. This past week, I’ve been booting up Arcade Spirits more often than not in the evening instead of, say, working on blog posts (hence why this post is being posted a touch late rather than having been scheduled and published already). We’ve been focusing on some comfort games lately than crashing into new things.

Everyone needs a creative break sometimes. Stretching your creative limits can be exhausting and you can fall into a self-depreciating hole for not creating enough or taking too long of a break. Rachel and I have tried to find other creative endeavors to make that faucet flow again — me with a new sketchbook and canvases, Rachel with bracelet weaves and magnets — and we were excited at the idea of starting something new.

Yet, at this time, my pack of canvases is still shrink-wrapped.

But that’s okay. I’ll have a weekend off soon and maybe that’s when I’ll start throwing paint around again. It’s difficult always being creative all the time, and it’s okay to step back and take a break. It’s okay if that break is only a couple of days, maybe a week, or even a month. There is no time limit on caring for yourself.

What do you do to give yourself a creative break? Any comfort games? Let me know in the comments below! If you liked this post, please share it around.

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