Hanna Barbara DVDs

I got complete series of Star Trek The Next Generation (another post) Star Trek Deep Space 9 (another post), Star Trek Voyager (another post), Battlestar Galatica (another post), X-Files (another post), Wire (another post) The Sopranos (another post), Game of Thrones (seasons 1-4).   My head wasn't completely up my ass, because some of the anime is $300. And I also focused on Disney DVDs back in 2012.

 So far, I bought complete season of Johnny Quest from Hanna Barbara, yet I need more series.  The complete season of Flintstones is $80. Scooby Doo Where are You is $50.  I glazed at Space Ghost Coast to Coast DVDs. I relived several episodes in MPEG4. I watched that in the 1990s. Since these DVDs were published in 2012, I was hoping the *used* price would decrease in 2015. Hanna Barbara is way expensive.  I heard rumors these were the same price in 2012.

Hardest Super Mario levels I've played

The Perfect Run - Super Mario Galaxy 2
Grandmaster Galaxy only opens up when you have collected all 120 Power Stars, and all 120 Green Stars! There ARE checkpoints, but contains four VERY HARD sections! If you're not 100% sure that you have SUPREME CONFIDENCE in your abilities, I would recommend coming into this level with at least 30 lives, just to be safe...

World 8-3 - Super Mario Bros.
This level is made out of nothing but massive pits, Bullet Bills, Koopas, and Hammer Bros.. All of that is already insanely hard, but imagine trying to pull all of this off with only a whopping 300 seconds on the timer, AND the fact that this is the longest level in the game! Timing your jumps is the key here to beating this level!

Tubular - Super Mario World
I've been stuck on this level for ages once, can't express how much I hated this level back then.

Luigi's Purple Coins - Super Mario Galaxy
After completing the game for the first time, a series of Purple Prankster Comets appear in almost every galaxy, giving the player the option to go through remixes of certain levels in the galaxy, forcing them to collect 100 Purple Coins. Sometimes under a time limit. This is the hardest of them all, because all 150 of the Purple Coins are on a giant eight-bit Luigi planet. The tricky part is once Mario lands on one of Luigi's sprites, it shrinks more and more until it disappears, forcing the player to collect two-thirds of the Purple Coins while only touching each sprite ONCE! >:^}

Secret Shine Challenge 14 - Super Mario Sunshine
The trip to this stage is hard enough. The actual stage is much worse. Mario has to hop on a pad while that pad is on a river, while trying to collect eight red coins. The catch is the river is poisonous and is an instant death.

Kamek's Revenge - Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
The first part of the level, the player will have to avoid Kamek and his spells. The hard part is Kamek throws his staff wildly Baby Mario and Yoshi will have to reach a key, which will unlock the second part of the level. Once there, the duo will equip with skis, still trying to avoid Kamek.

Wing Mario Over The Rainbow - Super Mario 64
Why is it every hard level in Super Mario 64 seem to play the Athletic Theme, huh? Anyway, in this level, Mario must collect eight red coins in the clouds all throughout the level. The catch is the coins can only be grabbed by flying around the level using Mario's Wing Cap. Now, don't get me wrong, flying around with the Wing Cap is amazing, but in this level, flying leads to rage. If Mario isn't fast enough before the Wing Capand plummets into the sky below, he will land back outside Princess Peach's Castle near the moat, meaning the player will have to travel all the way back up to the top of the castle just to attempt to complete this ridiculous. Level again.

Lava Spire Daredevil Run - Super Mario Galaxy
This...was the hardest Power Star under the White Comet to get in this game without a doubt. Why? Well, because instead of being dropped off near the Sinking Lava Spire Planet or somewhere else close to the Power Star, you have to try to complete the ENTIRE LEVEL without taking damage or screwing up.

Champion Road - Super Mario 3D World
World Crown in Super Mario 3D World only opens if you've collected every single green star, stamp, and got to the top of the flagpole in every single level in the game. This is very similar to The Perfect Run except that there are no checkpoints! This level also contains six super difficult sections and yet, it's probably the longest level in the entire game! If you die, you HAVE to go back ALL THE WAY BACK to the beginning. Don't even expect to get it on your first try. If you did, then you're probably a wizard. Oh, and if you don't have a tanooki suit, you're pretty much dead.

Special 8-5 - Super Mario 3D Land
This is basically a rush level. Where it begins, you will only have 30 seconds to complete the level. There will also be a Cosmic Clone chasing you throughout the level. Trying to rush through the level is hard enough, but having someone dangerous chase you while doing it really takes the cake. Don't expect to get this on your first try.

Hardest Super Mario GAlaxy levels

The Perfect Run - Grandmaster Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy 2

This level requires skill. There are many reasons. 1. Daredevil - you have one life to do the whole thing which is not easy 2. Hammer bros - you have to get rid of the blue ones but avoid hammers and discs and them themselves 3. Lazer - a lot of lazer is used in the level on the flipswitch bit and one on the green thingy. I could say much more

This level so hard 1 needed 241 (1 is the normal version of grand master galaxy)2 many planet have yoshi to out the planet with many thing that hurt Mario 3 it is daredevil

Champions road is not even hard. Nor is this level

2Battlestation's Purple Coins - Dreadnought Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy

I was amazed when I found out how hard it was. I would never see that again.

One of the hardest stars of the game. I say it's the third hardest star.

3Luigi's Purple Coin Chaos - Mario Squared Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy 2

This is the same as the first except for one thing. Cosmic guys.

Major Burrows daredevil run is harder.

4Bouldergeist's Daredevil Run - Ghostly Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy

I don, t know why you guys are rubbish at video games but i, m speaking from my advise that this is the 4th easiest boss in the game on my first time I beat him I actully felt sorry for him that I kicked his ass so hard

This is one of the hardest video game levels EVER. I spent 11 lives to finish it!

It is hard to do this with one life, extra hard.

5Luigi's Purple Coins - Toy Time Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy

This is HARD but has plenty of coins with a low time to do it in.

6Lava Spire Daredevil Run - Melty Molten Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy

The ways I died on this level... Hmm... Well, there was that one time I fell in lava... and that time I got hit by lava... and the time I literally jumped into the lava because of head-bursting frustration at the ultimate and too-challenging-to-be-a-Mario-level-because-lava-is-completely-EVERYWHERE challenge... actually, challenge is just an understatement.

Good God, going through the most intense galaxy in the game with ONE LIFE

I don't know about you but this is hard with one life.

7Throwback Throwdown Speed Run - Boss Blitz Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy 2

This is so hard. I cannot do those bosses THAT quick!

8Bouncing Down Cake Lane - Toy Time Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy

There are so many platforms and includes a hard boss

9Dino Piranha Speed Run - Good Egg Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy

That's okay, practice makes perfect.

I can't DO it that quick.

10Purple Coins On the Puzzle Cube - Gusty Garden Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy

I can't do it really quick and I keep on running into the walls

11The Electric Labyrinth - Super Mario Galaxy

I was totally annoyed of this level because of how many tries and GAME-OVERs it took me to get the PERFECT timing...

Tricky and very annoying.

12Dreadnought's Garbage Dump - Super Mario Galaxy

I hate this level!

13Purple Coins in the Bone Pen - Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario 3D World on Smartphone

 I have played  and completed Super Mario 3D World and Mario Kart 8.  Super Mario Bros.  on Smart phone will help Wii U and 3DS, since it makes Nintendo richer.  It would help fund Mario Kart 9, Super Mario 3D World 2,  and Super Smash Bros. 5 on Wii U.  The New  3DS was released this year so Nintendo hardware stays relevant.  Sony publish a Xperia running Android, but it failed.  Playstation Portable and Playstation Vita were  lagging far behind  DS and 3DS sales.  A "Phoneboy" with 4G LTE would  work as long as it runs Android.  A Phoneboy  running quad core CPUs and 4 GB of RAM. 

Mobile game revenues set to overtake console games in 2015

The mobile video game industry continues to ride a growing wave of free-to-play and casual game successes such as Supercell’s Clash of Clans and Rovio Entertainment’s Angry Birds Transformers. Consumers are spending so much time—and money—playing games on smartphones and tablets that Newzoo, a video game research firm, has had to raise its 2014 global revenue forecast from $21.7 billion to $25 billion. The new total is a 43% increase over mobile game revenues recorded for 2013.
Peter Warman, Newzoo’s chief executive, says the mobile market growth isn’t limited to a specific market. Both “mature” Western markets and emerging markets showed rapid growth in 2014. In North America, the market is now expected to grow 51% year over year; Western Europe is expected to grow by 47%. For the fastest growth, though, look East to emerging markets in Southeast Asia and China—the latter of which is up 86%. Japan is also seeing strong growth in iOS and Android game revenues, but the overall market remains level as traditional feature phone game revenues collapse.
“Despite a widely reported slump in new tablet unit sales, game revenues on tablets are growing faster than smartphones, cementing the position of tablets as a key gaming device,” Warman says. “Smartphones and tablets have given gamers two new screens to play games on in addition to their TV and PC screen. Because U.S. consumers use all four screens, mobile gaming does not replace console or PC gaming. Moreover, it gives gamers the possibility to play games anywhere at any time, pushing overall time spent on games in the U.S. up 40% in only two years.”
Industry executives see these usage shifts as creating room for new, non-cannibalizing revenue growth for the mature U.S. mobile gaming market. Time spent playing mobile games ultimately converts to money spent—even if those dollars are migrating from PC or console games. “Initially, online casual and social network games suffered revenue losses because of mobile games growth,” Warman says. “This year for the first time we see signs that it is taking its toll on the global growth of PC and console gaming.”
In 2015, global mobile game revenues will eclipse console game revenues for the first time. Newzoo expects that mobile games will generate $30.3 billion worldwide; it predicts that console games will take in $26.4 billion. The firm expects sales for the total worldwide gaming market to be $91.95 billion in 2015.
In North America, consoles will still dominate: Newzoo forecasts $24.05 billion in total games revenue, with mobile games generating $7.2 billion and console games representing $11.1 billion.
“Playing games on the TV or PC will not disappear,” says Vincent van Deelen, market analyst at Newzoo. “They are different screens, each with their own right of existence. What we see happening now is that money spent on games is gradually being spent more equally across all four screens. Ultimately this could be 25% for TV, 25% for PC, 25% for tablets and handhelds, and 25% for phones. In the U.S., the percentages are 44%, 26%, 15%, and 15% respectively. On a global scale, the split is closer to the theoretical situation: 28%, 39%, 13%, and 20%. Time spent on games has already shown a close-to-equal split across screens for years.”

Apple and Google rise

The continued growth of mobile game revenues will put Google GOOG 1.31% and Apple AAPL -0.86% in the top five public companies by game revenues in 2015, thanks to their 30% commission on all games sold in their app stores, Warman says.
This shift in power has catapulted Apple to the top of the video game ecosystem. Newzoo reports that Apple’s App Store remains by far the biggest single platform in the mobile industry, accounting for about half the mobile games market revenues in 2014. Google Play is a close second.
“We estimate that Apple and Google will earn close to $4 billion and $3 billion respectively in games revenues in calendar year 2014, explaining the fast growth in Google’s ‘other revenues’ in its recent quarterly results,” Warman says. “To put this into perspective, Nintendo’s game revenues amounted to $2.4 billion last year and will likely be slightly lower this year. Other app stores likely to grab a significant market share in Android games include Amazon and several Chinese stores such as 360 Mobile Assistant, Tencent’s MyApp, Baidu Mobile Assistant, and Xiaomi’s MIUI.”
Many traditional game publishers have invested heavily in mobile games, or at least launched console games across mobile devices. Those companies that made the early investment will reap rewards in the coming years as mobile continues on its upward rise. Newzoo forecasts global mobile revenues will top $40.9 billion by 2017.
“Electronic Arts has gone through the changes required to be successful on the mobile screens and run games as a service and is showing great results with a nice balanced portfolio,” Warman says. “Activision has taken a less experimental approach over time and decided to focus on Skylanders, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and getting Destiny out there. I think the success of Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft will spark more mobile activity in the coming years. Destiny could well be known as the last global blockbuster launched in the ‘traditional’ way. The pressure put on initial feedback from players, and the marketing dollars required to put that game in the market is not something any company would like to repeat.”
Activision invested $500 million in a 10-year plan for Bungie’s Destiny, but has yet to release any sales data for the game. The console and PC games business transitioned years ago to releasing a smaller amount of games, most of which are franchise sequels. Even with an installed base of 101 million Wii units, 80 million PlayStation 3 systems, 80 million Xbox 360 consoles, 13 million PlayStation 4 machines, 7 million Xbox One units, and 7 million Wii U systems, the console business can’t compete with the sheer billions of smartphone and tablet users around the world.
“Practically everyone in mature markets now has a smartphone and the majority has access to a tablet,” van Deelen says. “In emerging markets, the smartphone is often their first device that is connected to the Internet. With an installed base of billions, the audience is enormous on a global scale. A console is not a must-have device like smartphones, and in a growing number of cases, tablets are. Mobile devices, which aren’t purchased to play games on, introduce new consumers to games.”
The ability for developers of all sizes to publish on app stores like Google’s Play and the Apple’s App Store has allowed creativity to flourish. Instead of Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo deciding which games see the light of day on their closed platforms, consumers are able to more broadly choose with their downloads and dollars.
“This app store ecosystem allows developers to continuously improve and expand their game in terms of gameplay and business model,” Warman says. “It has accelerated the shift from games developed as a product to games run as a service—a change that requires a different organization than traditional publishers had in place. This is why new players such as Supercell and Kabam have popped up as winners while many traditional large companies have struggled to change—and, in some cases, did simply not believe the mobile market was as large as some analysts told them. Now, they are back up to speed and reaping the benefits.”

Game store reunion

Of course the local videogame thrift shop is complaining about business due to roms and emulators sold for free. The clerk talking how he cannot mod Playstation 2, because its the users all run games off the hard drive or burn PS2 games.  Piracy of roms is huge in Hudson. 

Whats a pisser is nobody uses the retro message boards, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest.  They don't play (never owned) Commodore Amiga.  They're on Facebook only and the gaem store has no domain server, just Facebook.  He only visits real life people in the store, yet hates all social media and email. The other one has 300 Facebook friends he knows personally even though Facebook is obviously really stupid. That one uses Facebook in place of  Linkedin. I read the Facebook comments, one reviewer said that they don't clean the cartridges. The SNES and Genesis games sell more than current generation.  The clerk I knew from 8 years ago now works at a cookie factory in River Falls.

Home video to HEVC

I finally backed up 5 VHS tapes, one  VHS 4 hours long onto 5 DVDRs.  That is 12 hours of 20th century footage.  The next step was to convert these to 720x480  x265 format. I am in the middle of converting MPEG2 to x265. The mp4 is on 64 GB SDcard.  Its got Disney World and 1990s  footage. I have 6 hours in x265 1.4.512 and it is blurry compared to MPEG4 AVC.  It takes an hour to encode 30 minutes so I keep the HEVC versions.