Greg Behrendt

Gregory Behrendt (born July 21, 1963) is an American comedian and author. His work as a script consultant to the HBO sitcom "Sex and the City" paved the way for co-authoring of the "New York Times" bestseller "He's Just Not That Into You" (2004), later adapted into a film by the same name. Apart from that he also hosted two short-lived television shows, "The Greg Behrendt Show" (2006) and "Greg Behrendt's Wake Up Call" (2009).
Early life and education.
Greg Behrendt graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater from the University of Oregon in 1991, though initially he had enrolled to be a business major and to play rugby.
Career.
After graduation, Behrendt moved to San Francisco, where he joined an improvisational troupe, and met fellow comic Margaret Cho. In his early years, he performed comedy and improv in San Francisco. He was a member of the improv troupe Crash and Burn, whose members included Margaret Cho. He came up as a performer alongside such comics as David Cross (with whom he roomed for years) and Patton Oswalt.
He went on to appear on "The Tonight Show" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien". His stand-up special, "Greg Behrendt is Uncool", debuted on Comedy Central in January 2006.
In June 2006, he appeared on "Celebrity Poker Showdown", playing for a domestic violence charity. Behrendt was a script consultant for the HBO sitcom "Sex and the City", "offering script notes from the perspective of a straight man to the writing team, composed of women and gay men".
With Liz Tuccillo, Behrendt co-wrote the 2004 self-help book "He's Just Not That Into You". It was adapted by Drew Barrymore's Flower Films/Warner Bros. as a movie of the same name, premiering February 6, 2009.
With his wife Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt, he co-wrote "It's Called a Breakup Because It's Broken".
He released the book "It's Just a Date!" in the UK.
His daily daytime "self-help" talk show, "The Greg Behrendt Show", premiered September 12, 2006, four months later Sony Pictures Television announced, in January 2007 that the series would not have a second season, and the show aired its last new episodes in February 2007.
He also did a mid-season program for the 2006–07 television season "Greg Behrendt's Wake-Up Call" for ABC, which never aired on the network. The program began airing in January 2009 on ABC's sister cable network SoapNet. He also appeared on the Great Debate at the 2010 Melbourne Comedy Festival, in which he argued as the third speaker for the negative team on the debate "Food Is Better Than Sex". Behrendt's team, made up of New Zealand comedian Cal Wilson, English comedian Russell Kane and Behrendt himself, won the comedy event.
He started the podcast "Walking the Room" with his friend Dave Anthony.
Personal life.
He is married to Amiira Ruotola. They have two daughters, Mighty Luna and Bella True. He is a recovering alcoholic. He plays guitar in his own surf/rockabilly instrumental band, The Reigning Monarchs.
In June 2015, Behrendt announced via his Facebook Fan Page Fan Page that he was battling (an unspecified) cancer, and had undertaken three rounds of chemotherapy. He discussed his diagnosis on episode 16TF of Jimmy Pardo's podcast "Never Not Funny", as well as Wil Anderson's podcast "Wilosophy" on July 9, 2015. He stated that he had a form of lymphoma. His cancer is in remission as of late 2015.


Dizzy (series)

Dizzy is a series of video games, created by the Oliver Twins and published by Codemasters. It was one of the most successful British video game franchises of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Originally created for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, the series appeared on multiple home computer and video game console formats, with over a dozen games being published between 1987 and 1992.
The series is named for its main character, an anthropomorphic egg, called Dizzy for the way he somersaults and rolls around the landscape. The games are set in various fairytale-like locations and typically involve Dizzy trying to save his friends and family, the Yolkfolk, often from the schemes of his nemesis, the evil wizard Zaks.
Most of the games in the series were platform-adventure games, with an emphasis on puzzle solving, collecting objects and interacting with other characters. In addition to these core adventure games, the "Dizzy" branding and character also appeared in several arcade-style games with unrelated gameplay.
Since the demise of the series in the early 1990s, there have been numerous attempts to revive the series. These have included a remake for smartphone platforms, a Kickstarter campaign, and the publishing of several old games that were thought lost. The series has also served as the inspiration for other games, including many fangames.
Common elements.
Gameplay.
The games of the "Dizzy" series are commonly categorised into either two or three groups. Core to the series and comprising over half its titles are the adventure games, all of which have similar gameplay and mechanics. The rest of the games in the series all have different gameplay from the adventure games and from one another, and are connected only by branding, themes and character. These are commonly referred to as the arcade games, but are sometimes further split into arcade and puzzle games.
The adventure games also included many elements of platform games, such as running and jumping to avoid enemies and hazards. They also relied heavily on object and inventory based puzzles to interact with the environment and non-player characters. For example, the opening screen of "Dizzy: Prince of the Yolkfolk" tasked the player with escaping from a locked cell using a jug of water, a pile of leaves, and a box of matches.
Additional innovations were added as the series progressed. The ability to carry more than one item simultaneously was added in "Treasure Island Dizzy" and refined in "Fantasy World Dizzy". Collectable items were also first introduced in "Treasure Island Dizzy" in the form of coins; later games retained the idea but often used other items such as diamonds or cherries. A health bar was first introduced in "Magicland Dizzy", allowing Dizzy to be hit without dying.
Characters.
The main protagonist and player character for the series is the eponymous Dizzy, an anthropomorphic egg with big eyes, a smiley face, boxing gloves and minimal identifying features. Named for the way he somersaults and rolls around the screen, Dizzy's design was kept deliberately simple. The idea was that this allows players to project themselves onto the character, and to imagine a character beyond what could be achieved by computer graphics of the time.
Throughout most of the series, Dizzy is joined by a cast of recurring characters, also eggs, known as the Yolkfolk, who make up his friends and family. Not present in the original "Dizzy – The Ultimate Cartoon Adventure", the Yolkfolk are first mentioned in "Treasure Island Dizzy" and then appear on-screen in "Fantasy World Dizzy". Including Dizzy, there are seven Yolkfolk in total: Dizzy, Daisy, Denzil, Dora, Dozy, Dylan, and Grand Dizzy. Introduced to allow for more story threads and more interesting characters, the Oliver Twins based each of them on a different character from popular culture. For example, Dora was modelled on Velma from "Scooby-Doo" and Denzil on Fonzie from "Happy Days".
Except for Dizzy himself, the most prominent member of the Yolkfolk is his girlfriend, Daisy. She is often a damsel in distress, with her rescue being the key motivator to the plot of several of the games. Indeed, when Codemasters issued "Dizzy" collectable cards, Daisy's card acknowledged this: "The only problem with Daisy is that she's always getting captured". However, she eventually appears as a second playable character in "Wonderland Dizzy".
Other than the Yolkfolk, prominent recurring characters are the evil wizard Zaks, who was the primary antagonist in several games of the series; and Dizzy's pet, Pogie, a small furry creature known as a Fluffle, who starred in the spin-off game "Dreamworld Pogie".
Setting.
The "Dizzy" games all take place in fantasy settings loosely based around fables and fairy tales. By alluding to other well known stories, the games are able to present scenarios and puzzles that are interesting and appealing, while also accessible even to a young audience. For instance, a puzzle in which the player must use magic beans to grow a giant beanstalk relies upon the player's pre-existing knowledge of the story of "Jack and the Beanstalk". Similarly, the games' simple black-and-white morality, with many of them having the final goal of defeating the evil wizard Zaks, was also a nod to their fairy tales roots. Speaking on the subject, Andrew Oliver said that "it's common in any fairy tale to have an evil person to defeat, and so we went down this route".
Development.
Creation.
"Dizzy" was created in 1987 by Andrew and Philip Oliver, collectively known as the Oliver Twins and published by Codemasters. Prior to "Dizzy", they had mostly written simulation games for Codemasters such as "Grand Prix Simulator", and they were eager to branch out into different types of games. The character of Dizzy was created before any of his games; the Olivers had noticed that most traditional characters in video games of the time had very small faces which were largely unable to express emotion. As such, they decided to create a new character who was little more than just a large face, rounded out with gloves and boots. They had also written a development tool, Panda Sprites, which could be used to easily rotate images on the screen, and they were eager to put it to use. Trying it out on their new character made him somersault and roll around the screen, which they believed gave him a unique feel and also gave rise to his name, Dizzy.
For the game itself, the Olivers aimed to create something with more story and characters than many contemporary games of the time. Their goal was a game that was more akin to an interactive cartoon, hence the game's subtitle, "". It was initially released for Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum since the two platforms' similar hardware (both use the Z80 microprocessor) made it easier to develop for both simultaneously. A port to the Commodore 64 followed.
At first, Codemasters' David Darling was not impressed by Dizzy, and wanted the Olivers to continue to create more Simulator games instead. However they mostly paid game developers only in royalties at that point, so they published it anyway since it constituted such a low risk for them. Initial sales were unremarkable, being similar to an average Codemasters game of the time, but unusually, they remained steady for a prolonged period rather than suffering drop off over time. This was enough for both Codemasters and the Olivers to want to produce a sequel.
Growth of the series.
"Treasure Island Dizzy" was again written for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, using an updated version of the game engine from the original Dizzy, and a world editor that the Olivers had also written. Originally, it was just going to be called "Dizzy 2", but they eventually took motivation from the naming of the "James Bond" series and decided to name it "Treasure Island Dizzy", aiming to make it clearer that the game was a separate, stand-alone experience that could be enjoyed without having played the original.
One of the problems that they encountered during development was that it was possible to put the game into an unwinnable state. When the player lost a life, they respawned – effectively being brought back to life – in a safe location. One of the game's items was a snorkel that was required to move underwater and the twins found that it was possible to respawn in such a way that the snorkel was completely inaccessible, either under or across the water. Being unable to think of any other solution in time for release, they made the decision to give the player only one life. This removed the logic problem but also gave the game a reputation as the series' most difficult incarnation.
In addition to the three platforms that "Dizzy" had appeared on, "Treasure Island Dizzy" was also ported to the Amiga, Atari ST, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), and DOS.
The third game of the series, "Fast Food", saw a departure from the style of the first two games. Instead of the platform adventure gameplay they had, it was a maze game, inspired by "Pac-Man". The Olivers have given various explanations for this change in interviews they have given over the years, including a desire to prove that the character of Dizzy was valuable even outside the adventure format, caution over not wanting to over-saturate the market with similar games, and even a desire to develop a game that could be made very quickly to be out in time for Christmas. Regardless of the reason for the change in format, it proved to be a successful one, with Philip Oliver later commenting that, "people get more involved in the adventures but the arcade games sell just as well".
The next game, 1989's "Fantasy World Dizzy", was a return to the adventure game format. It also saw the introduction of the Yolkfolk characters, who were prominent throughout the rest of the series. The extra characters allowed the Olivers to include more dialogue in the game, moving it further towards their original conception of an interactive cartoon. Following on from "Fantasy World Dizzy" later the same year came "Kwik Snax", another maze game, though this time with a much greater emphasis on puzzle solving.
Handing off to Big Red Software.
"Kwik Snax" was the last "Dizzy" game for the original Amstrad and Spectrum formats the Oliver Twins developed. By this point, it was clear that these formats were not going to survive for much longer and both Codemasters and the Olivers wanted to expand "Dizzy" into the video game console market. Not only could this allow them to reach a larger audience in the UK and Europe, but it could also allow them to break into lucrative foreign markets, such as the US. Even so, demand for "Dizzy" games on the original formats was still strong at the time, and it was Codemasters' biggest series. Spread too thin to work on new home computer titles themselves, the Olivers decided to contract out future development to Big Red Software.
Speaking after the fact, the twins commented that they had previously contracted out development of ports of their games to other system, and that this felt like the natural next step for them. For the first game that Big Red developed, "Magicland Dizzy", the Olivers still played a major role in the creation, collaborating on the game's story and overseeing the game's design. The next game, "Panic Dizzy", was similar; for this falling block puzzle game, the Olivers came up with a design for the game which they sent to Big Red to create.
Big Red Software created two further Dizzy adventure games, "Spellbound Dizzy" and "", both released in 1991. By this time, they were working almost entirely independently, creating games that fit the pre-established formula with minimal oversight or input from the Olivers.
Codemasters published one final Dizzy game, 1992's "Crystal Kingdom Dizzy". By this time, many players and reviewers were starting to tire of the series, seeing the games as always the same and lacking innovation. This was compounded by Codemasters' decision to release "Crystal Kingdom Dizzy" as a full price game (approximately £10) when all previous games in the series had been budget releases (approximately £3-4). "Crystal Kingdom Dizzy" did not prove popular with fans, and ended up being the last "Dizzy" game.
Console woes.
Meanwhile, things were not going well for "Dizzy" on consoles either. The first title to be specifically designed for the NES, "Fantastic Dizzy" (also known as "The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy") followed the general formula of the adventure games, but also included arcade game sections as mini-games. Two of these mini-games were ported to home computer formats by Big Red as standalone games, becoming "Bubble Dizzy" and "Dizzy Down the Rapids".
Working on the new system also proved to be something of a challenge for the Olivers, who were unused to the longer development cycles and higher degree of polish required for console games, where they had to compete against titles such as "Super Mario". The game was completed in 1990, but its release was hampered by the conflict and legal case then ongoing between Codemasters and Nintendo over the Game Genie. It was released in April 1991, but it had missed the important Christmas release window, and lacked a license from Nintendo. Despite a generally favourable reception, the game sold only a quarter of its predicted half million copies.
Further development for consoles was disrupted by disagreements between Codemasters and the Olivers. "Dreamworld Pogie", a spin-off starring Dizzy's pet, Pogie, was going to be a scrolling platform inspired by "Super Mario", but it was cancelled. There were other games that the Olivers had been designing as stand-alone releases which Codemasters only wanted to release as a compilation, "The Excellent Dizzy Collection". Even then, one of the slated games, "Wonderland Dizzy" (a remake of "Magicland Dizzy" with an "Alice in Wonderland" theme), was removed from the compilation since Codemasters saw it as being too similar to "Dizzy the Adventurer" (a remake of "Dizzy: Prince of the Yolkfolk"). "The Excellent Dizzy Collection" was eventually released for the Sega Master System and Game Gear, and included three games: "Dizzy the Adventurer"; a previously unreleased puzzle game, "Go! Dizzy Go!"; and "Panic Dizzy", a renamed and updated version of "Dizzy Panic".
With these strained relations, the Oliver Twins eventually fell out with Codemasters, and stopped working with or for the company. Since intellectual property rights for the series were split between the two parties, with the Olivers owning the copyright and Codemasters the trademark, this effectively put an end to the series.
Reception.
The "Dizzy" series achieved both critical and commercial success, and was one of the largest and most popular British video game franchises of the late 80s and early 90s with twelve games from the series reaching number one in the charts. Speaking in 1992, Andrew Oliver stated that the "Dizzy" series received more fan-mail than all other Codemasters games combined. Four games in the series were included in the Top 50 best games of all time in a special issue of "Your Sinclair" magazine in 2004. In addition to its success in its home market, the "Dizzy" games were also extremely popular in Russia and Eastern Europe.
The series was sufficiently popular that various merchandise was made for it, such as clothing, mugs and clocks, even though this was unusual for video games at the time. There were also discussions with Hanna-Barbera about the possibility of creating a cartoon series based on the franchise, though these ultimately never came to fruition due to concerns that the series did not have enough of a global appeal.
However, reception was not universally positive, with some of the arcade games in particular receiving poor reviews. For example, Adam Peters of "Amstrad Action" referred to "Dizzy Panic" as "a terrible game" and gave it a score of 12%. In a 2012 retrospective on the series, Richard Cobbett of "PC Gamer" described the quality of the games as ranging from "bad to mediyolkre", though also acknowledged that this was less important given the lower prices and generally lower standards of games at the time.
Appearances on cover tapes and disks.
"Dizzy" games made numerous appearances on cover tapes and disks of British magazines, usually in the form of cut-down versions or demos. Indeed, the appearance of a version of the original "Dizzy" on an "Amstrad Action" cover tape has been credited with popularising the idea of covermounts in the UK. Sometimes, modified or themed versions of the games were used, such as "Dizzy's Easter Eggstravaganza", an Easter-themed version of "Fast Food" that appeared on a 1993 "Amiga Action" cover disk.
A "Crash" magazine cover tape from 1991 included "Dizzy 3 and a Half: Into Magicland". This was a short game, comprising only five screens, that served as a prequel for "Magicland Dizzy", and was not commercially released or made available anywhere else. "Crash" also published a special edition of "Treasure Island Dizzy".
Remakes and revival attempts.
The Oliver Twins and Codemasters who both own 50% of the intellectual property have expressed interest in resurrecting the series, although the twins concede:
In October 2011, the website EggCitingNews.com was registered by Codemasters Software Ltd. The main page on the site featured a pair of eyes peering from an egg carton, accompanied by the phrase "Guess who's back?". The following month, the website DizzyGame.com was opened, featuring details of the new release: a port to mobile platforms of "Dizzy: Prince of the Yolkfolk". The game was developed by Paul Ranson, who worked on the original 1991 title, with updated music by Codemasters' sound designer Mark Knight, and updated art by Leigh Christian, who had also worked on the original game. Updates that were made to modernise the game included the addition of achievements and a hint system, and the removal of lives. It was released on 9 December 2011 for iOS and Android.
Oliver Twins launched a Kickstarter project titled "Dizzy Returns" in November 2012 and the game was to be the first official sequel in over 20 years. The Oliver Twins asked "Dizzy" fans to help pledge £350,000 to the Kickstarter campaign in order for the game to be made. By the Kickstarter project's deadline on 21 December, only £25,620 was pledged to the campaign. The Oliver Twins announced on the same day that "Dizzy Returns" was no longer in development. They attributed the failure to starting the campaign very early in pre-development and therefore not having anything concrete to show to potential backers and stated that while they were still interested in revisiting "Dizzy" in the future, any such project would have to have a "considerably different" vision.
In the 2010s, the Oliver Twins found the code for several lost NES games that were written during the 90s but never published, and subsequently released them. "Wonderland Dizzy", a remake of "Magicland Dizzy", was released on 24 October 2015. "Mystery World Dizzy", a remake of "Fantasy World Dizzy", was released on 8 April 2017. "Dreamworld Pogie", a previously-unreleased spin-off, was discovered in 2011 and released in 2016.
A new game for the series, "Wonderful Dizzy", in development by the Oliver Twins and based on "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", was due to be released for the Spectrum Next in late 2018, but was finished in late 2020 as a regular ZX Spectrum title. A few days before the game's release date, the Oliver Twins stated on their website that it would be released on 18 December 2020.
In November 2020, a completely new version of "Fast Food" (now titled "Fast Food Dizzy") was released for the Nintendo Switch. It was developed and published by the Oliver Twins on the FUZE program for the console.
Fan-created games.
In addition to the official "Dizzy" games, many fangames have also been created. Many of these were created with DizzyAGE (Dizzy Adventure Game Engine), a specialised game engine released in 2006 that enables fans to easily create their own games in the style of the original games. Fans had previously had to use other game engines, which were not always suited to the puzzle style of the "Dizzy" games. From 2006 to 2016, the makers of DizzyAGE ran a competition each year to find the best game from the previous year, with several of the competitions featuring prizes offered by the Oliver Twins. As of 2018, there are over a hundred fan games listed on the DizzyAGE website.
Related games.
The "Seymour" series is a similar franchise, also developed by Big Red and published by Codemasters. The first game in the series, "Seymour Goes to Hollywood", was originally conceived as a "Dizzy" game, but was rebranded due to a desire to keep "Dizzy" retained to fantasy settings.
"Wibble World Giddy" is a 1993 public domain parody game for the Amiga. It features similar gameplay to the "Dizzy" series and stars Giddy, an egg very much like Dizzy except that rather than wear boxing gloves he simply had very large hands. A sequel, "Giddy 2", was released the following year, also on Amiga, with a third game, "Giddy 3", being made in 2000 for DOS, then subsequently ported to multiple other formats.
"Clover: A Curious Tale" is a 2009 adventure game that has similar mechanics to and is considered an homage to the "Dizzy" series. The PC version was published by Blitz 1UP, part of the Oliver Twins' Blitz Games Studios.


Guardians (video game)

, known as in Japan, is a side-scrolling beat 'em up developed by Winkysoft and published by Banpresto that was exclusively released as a coin-operated arcade game in 1995 as the successor of the 1994 arcade game "Denjin Makai".
Gameplay.
"Guardians" can be played by up to two players simultaneously. Health gauges are displayed for both player and enemy characters, while energy bars are displayed for special moves.
The controls for "Guardians" consist of an eight-way joystick and two buttons for attacking and jumping respectively. Pressing the attack button repeatedly when attacking an enemy or multiple enemies will cause the player character to perform a combo. The final blow of the combo can be changed to a throw if the player moves the joystick in the opposite direction just before landing it. The player also can perform a jump attack. When two players play, they can perform team-based special moves.
Enemies can be grabbed simply by walking into one of them. When an enemy is grabbed, the player can perform a grab attack by pressing the attack button or perform a throw by tilting the joystick left or right. A thrown enemy can be tossed at another for additional damage. Items such as weapons, health recovery items, and items awarding extra points can be picked up by standing over one and pressing the attack button. Weapons have limited uses and will disappear if the player is disarmed by an enemy too much or when the player moves to a new area.


Astro Blaster

Astro Blaster is a fixed shooter released in arcades by Sega in 1981. It was designed and programmed by Gary Shannon and Barbara Michalec. It uses speech synthesis and during attract mode a voice says "Fighter pilots needed in sector wars...play "Astro Blaster"!" It is the first video game to have a copyright registered in Japan.
Gameplay.
The player controls a ship which can fire and move left or right. The player must continuously monitor the onscreen temperature and fuel gauges. If the ship's laser overheats, it is disabled until it cools; and if fuel is depleted, the game ends regardless of how many lives the player has left. The player must battle through waves of enemies, which attack with varied formations and flight patterns. When a wave is destroyed, a new one appears. The Warp function is usable once per sector or life, temporarily slowing all enemy vessels and making them easier to shoot.
At the end of each sector, the player flies through an asteroid belt and can obtain extra fuel by shooting fireballs. Then the mother ship is met, where the player docks and refuels for the next sector.
The player is rewarded for completing each of 25 undisclosed tasks or "secret bonuses", such as shooting all enemies in a specific order or shooting all enemies without missing.
Legacy.
The 1981 Apple II game "Threshold" was inspired by seeing an "Astro Blaster" machine.
"Astro Blaster" is one of five unlockable games in the PlayStation Portable version of "Sega Genesis Collection".
The world record high score was set in 1982 and is held by Gus Pappas with 299,100 points.


Kassie DePaiva

Katherine Virginia "Kassie" DePaiva (née Wesley; born March 21, 1961) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Bobby Joe in the horror film "Evil Dead II" (1987) and her work in American daytime soap operas. She’s also well known for her 20 year portrayal of Blair Cramer on ABC's "One Life to Live". Other roles included Chelsea Reardon on "Guiding Light" and Eve Donovan on NBC's "Days of Our Lives," receiving 2 Daytime Emmy nominations for the latter.
Career.
DePaiva began her career at 18 as a solo artist at the Grand Ole Opry. After her stint in Nashville, she attended both Indiana University and UCLA, studying theatre, dropping out before graduation to entertain USO troops in Asia. She appeared as a contestant on the CBS game show Body Language, teaming with soap opera star Catherine Hickland. DePaiva made her debut in daytime originating the role of Chelsea Reardon on "Guiding Light" (October 1986–January 1991). On Monday, November 29, 1993, she began portraying her most notable role, the part of Blair Daimler Cramer on "One Life to Live", formerly portrayed by half-Asian actress, Mia Korf. She first appeared Friday, December 17, 1993, and was with OLTL for nearly 19 years until the series was cancelled. DePaiva's pairing with the character Todd Manning struck a cord with viewers. In 2012, she reprised her role of Blair for several guest stints on ABC's daytime serial "General Hospital".
In January 2014, "Soap Opera Digest" confirmed that DePaiva had joined the cast of the NBC serial "Days of Our Lives" as Eve Donovan. DePaiva made her debut on July 18, 2014. In September 2015, DePaiva was let go from the soap, with her last appearance on February 2, 2016; she later returned for several guest appearances in June and December of the same year. DePaiva returned full-time on October 27, 2017. In August 2017 it was announced that she would appear in the music film Killian & the Comeback Kids alongside former One Life To Live co-star Nathan Purdee.
Personal life.
DePaiva has been married to fellow "One Life to Live" actor James DePaiva since May 31, 1996, and gave birth to their son, James Quentin DePaiva, on May 12, 1997. She was previously married to Richard C. Hankins. In August 2016, DePaiva announced she had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia the month prior.


Weakest Link (British game show)

Weakest Link (aka The Weakest Link) was a British television quiz show, mainly broadcast on BBC Two and BBC One, as well as Challenge. It was devised by Fintan Coyle and Cathy Dunning and developed for television by the BBC Entertainment Department. The game begins with a team of nine contestants, who take turns answering general knowledge questions within a time limit to create chains of nine correct answers in a row. At the end of each round, the players then vote one contestant, "the weakest link", out of the game. After two players are left, they play in a head-to-head penalty shootout format, with five questions asked to each contestant in turn, to determine the winner.
The first original episode was broadcast on 14 August 2000. The show was presented by Anne Robinson and narrated by Jon Briggs. It ran in different variations, originally as a daytime series but also at primetime and with celebrity contestants playing for charity with a modified set and format. The format has since been produced around the world, most notably in the United States, where Robinson was the original presenter.
On 22 April 2011, Anne Robinson announced that she would end her role as the quiz show's presenter by the time her contract would expire as she had served longer than she had originally intended. The original run ended on 31 March 2012 with a 1,693rd episode.
In November 2017, "Weakest Link" returned for a celebrity Children in Need edition, marking the 1,694th (and also last-ever) episode of the programme. The 40-minute edition aired on 17 November 2017 on BBC Two at 10pm GMT.
Format.
The original format features nine contestants, who take turns answering general knowledge questions. The objective of every round is to create a chain of nine correct answers in a row and earn an increasing amount of money within a time limit. One wrong answer breaks the chain and loses any money earned within that particular chain. However, before their question is asked (but after their name is called), a contestant can choose to bank the current amount of money earned in any chain to make it safe, after which the chain starts afresh. A contestant's decision not to bank, in anticipation being able to correctly answer the upcoming question allows the money to grow, as each successive correct answer earns proportionally more money.
When the allotted time for every round ends, any money which is not banked is lost, and if the host is in the middle of asking a question, or has asked a question but the contestant has yet to answer, the question is abandoned. If the question is completed, the host gives the correct answer whether the contestant is able to answer the question correctly or not. The round automatically ends if the team successfully reaches the maximum amount for the round before the allotted time expires, and the next person says "Bank". Every round thereafter (except round 8) is reduced by 10 seconds as players are eliminated. For Round 8, the last or final round, the remaining 2 players only have 90 seconds (1:30) on the clock to triple whatever they bank.
The first person to be asked a question in the first round is the player whose name is first alphabetically. Every subsequent round starts with the "strongest link"—the player with the most correct answers from the previous round, unless that person has been voted off, in which case the second strongest link answers first.
Money tree.
The money tree was as follows:
Voting and elimination.
At the end of every round, contestants must vote one player out of the game. Until the beginning of the next round, only the television audience knows exactly who the strongest and weakest links are statistically due to Briggs' narration. While the contestants work as a team when answering questions, they are at this point encouraged to be ruthless with one another. Players often decide to vote off weaker rivals, but occasionally decide to eliminate stronger players as well, in hope that it then improves their chances of winning the game. After the revealing of the votes, the host will interrogate the players on their choice of voting, the reasons behind their choice, as well as their performance, background and their interests. After interrogation, the player with the most votes is given a stern "You are the weakest link. Goodbye!" or "With [#] votes, you are the weakest link. Goodbye!" and must walk off the stage in what is called the "Walk of Shame." The eliminated contestant then delivers a brief confessional, summing up the experience of the show and occasionally taunting the team for voting them off, as well as providing opinion as to who is voted off next, and who is likely to win.
In the event of a tie or draw, the strongest link has the final decision about who is eliminated. If he or she voted for a tied player, there is the option of sticking with their vote or changing it. Strongest links usually stick with their original choice, unless another player in the tie has voted for them. Occasionally, the strongest link has voted for someone who is not in the tie, and so is forced to make a decision one way or the other.
Final round.
The last two contestants work together in the eighth and final round identical to the previous ones, however, all money banked at the end of this round is tripled and added to the current money total, forming the final total for the game. At the end of this round, there is no elimination, with the game instead moving to the head to head round.
"Head to head" round.
For the head to head round, the remaining 2 players are each required to answer 5 questions each in a penalty shootout format. The strongest link from the previous round chooses who goes first. Whoever has the most correct answers at the end of the round wins the game. In the event of a tie, the game goes to Sudden Death. Every player continues to be asked questions as usual, until 1 person answers a question correctly and the other incorrectly.
The winner of the game is declared "the strongest link" and takes home all of the money accumulated in the prize pool for the game, and the loser leaves with nothing, like all previous eliminated players. In daytime episodes, the maximum possible winnings are £10,000; in primetime and special celebrity charity episodes, the maximum is £50,000.
Special editions.
After the huge success of the show in its early evening slot on BBC Two, a prime-time edition was shown on BBC One, usually broadcast on Wednesday evenings.
Originally, "Weakest Link: Champions League", which featured 8 players who had won games on the daytime edition, battled off once again for £20,000 (with a money tree of £50-£100-£200-£500-£1,000-£1,500-£2,000-£2,500; with the 7th round being a double round for £5,000). The set was slightly altered, with electronic podiums being installed, as well as the adding of a studio audience. The Champions format was not successful, and instead new players competed for the money. A few months later, the contestants were cut down to seven, as well as the time from 45 min to 30, however, the prize money remained the same (with a money tree of £50-£100-£250-£1,000-£1,750-£2,500; the 6th round being a triple round for £7,500).
After the 7-player edition, the studio was revamped once again to add 2 more podiums, and the potential prize money was raised to £50,000. Non-celebrities played on the show at first, however, at present, the primetime version features celebrities playing for charity. Although Briggs and Robinson state that 8 players will leave with nothing, normally the losing celebrities receive a "house" amount to give to their chosen charity, as well as their own fee for appearing on the show. In some celebrity editions, two celebrities have represented one position in the game, with the two conferring before giving their answer. There have also been several editions featuring entirely celebrity couples. A Christmas edition of the programme was also aired in some years. Some contestants, such as Christopher Biggins, Peter Duncan and Basil Brush, have appeared several times. A puppet edition also aired, which included a Robinson puppet introducing the show before twelve famous puppets played for charity.
The daytime version has also seen its share of variance, as was the case in 2 particular episodes. An April Fools' Day show which aired in 2003 featured Robinson being strangely and uncharacteristically nice to the contestants and abandoning her traditional black wardrobe in favour of a metallic pink overcoat. The nice nature of the episode even extended to the narrator - with the normally stern narrator, being an excited and optimistic in his narration. However, Anne did not remain kind to the contestants for the entire episode, resuming her old behaviour after declaring the winner and contestants as "so stupid".
Another variant of the daytime show was the 1,000th episode, complete with an audience, a departure from the normally spectator-free background. Fan-favourites played again for £10,000, and some previous contestants also sat in the audience. The show's first winner, David Bloomfield was one of the returning contestants, and was asked the question: "If there have been 1,000 episodes of "The Weakest Link", each with 9 players, how many contestants in total have appeared on the show?" He answered the question correctly (9,000) but banked prior to it being asked. He did not win any money on the 1,000th episode, and was voted off in only the 3rd round, despite having been the strongest link in the first two rounds. In the end, Miss Evans (who had previously appeared on the Strong Women special but had lost out to curate Emma Langley) defeated Basil Brush, winning £2,710, which she split with her co-finalist to give to charity. Robinson then announced that a bonus of £1,000 would be added to the final total, as it was the 1,000th episode, resulting in a final total of £3,710, or both contestants receiving £1,855 each. It also marked the first time that Anne Robinson did not say the phrase "...you leave with nothing." to the losing contestant.
The final episode.
The 1,693rd episode was titled "You are "The Weakest Link" - Goodbye" and aired on BBC One on 31 March 2012. Filming for the final original edition took place on 11 December 2011. It was the 1,693rd edition of "Weakest Link" in the United Kingdom. The ending of the show was the only special part to the last edition.
A normal daytime edition of the show was made, with some of Anne's favourite contestants from over the years taking part, and with no audience present during filming or changes to the money tree (see above). The first round of questions was notably different and was mainly about "Weakest Link" and the host, Anne Robinson. The last question asked was "If the Roman numeral 'X' is halved, the result can be represented by which other Roman numeral?", the answer being "V". The last UK winner was Archie Bland, the editor of "The Independent" newspaper's Sat edition, that won £2,090.
A short montage of clips from the show was shown at the end of the game. After saying goodbye, all of the lights turned off with Anne being the only person left in the studio. The programme was eventually replaced by the Alexander Armstrong-fronted "Pointless" as the big BBC teatime quiz (it had aired on the BBC for some years previously).
Success.
Much of the show's success has been attributed to its host, Anne Robinson. She was already famous in the UK for her sarcasm while presenting the consumer programme "Watchdog", and "Weakest Link" saw her develop this further, particularly in her taunting of contestants. Her sardonic summary to the team, usually berating them for their lack of intelligence for not achieving the target became a trademark of the show, and her call of "You are the weakest link—goodbye!" became a popular catchphrase.
The presence of elements inspired by "Survivor" and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" differentiated the programme from most previous quiz shows, as it invites open conflict between players, and uses a host who is openly hostile to the competitors, rather than a positive figure.
In autumn 2001, for the first time, "Weakest Link" was placed directly head-to-head with "Millionaire" in the television schedules. Between the two, "Millionaire" ultimately emerged on top, attracting 10.2m viewers compared to "Weakest Link"'s 3.8m. Additionally, later in that autumn, due to the show's ever-rising popularity, a videogame based on the show was released for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows platforms.
From 9 to 13 August 2010, five "10th Anniversary Specials" aired at the usual time on BBC One.
International versions.
For International versions of the Weakest Link see "International versions of The Weakest Link"
Strategy for banking money.
In a "New Scientist" blog article, Erica Klarreich argues that there are only two sensible strategies in "Weakest Link" (the U.S. edition) when it comes to banking money. Either players should choose to bank after every correct answer, or after six straight correct answers to maximize the pot. The correct strategy to take will depend upon the team members' skill at answering questions. For all but the weakest teams, the optimal strategy is to raise the pot six straight times without banking. But since this happens so seldom on the show, Klarreich argues, the dominant strategy will usually be instead to bank after every question. The common practice of banking after just three questions would only outperform the strategy of banking after every question if a team maintained a success rate of over 67%.
Cultural references.
Anne Robinson's catchphrase "You are the weakest link. Goodbye!" has made several appearances in pop culture, including references in "Family Guy", "Scary Movie 2", "How I Met Your Mother", and "The League of Gentlemen".
The comedy series "That Mitchell and Webb Look" broadcast a sketch based on "Weakest Link" called "Hole in the Ring", featuring Robert Webb as an overly harsh presenter who makes mistakes whilst reading questions.
Two fictional television shows, "Doctor Who" and "My Family", have depicted their own versions of "Weakest Link" in their episodes. The "Doctor Who" edition, broadcast in 2005, showed a futuristic version of the show in the year 200,100, with only six contestants, and presented by an 'Anne Droid' (voiced by Anne Robinson). A later special edition of "Weakest Link" featured nine cast members of "Doctor Who" playing the game, and the show was introduced by the Anne Droid. The real Anne walked on stage almost instantly as the droid began the show, unplugged it, and said, "I don't think so. I think we'll do that again." She then began the show herself and proceeded as normal.
In the seventh series of the British television show "My Family", broadcast in 2007, the main characters Ben, Susan, Janey, Michael, Abi, Roger, and Alfie, along with Susan's mother and her husband, went on the show for a special family edition, after Michael forged all of their signatures to get on it. The real Anne Robinson was the host.


Polugaevsky Variation


Keres Defence

The Keres Defence (also known as the Kangaroo Defence or Franco-Indian Defence) is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
The opening is named for Estonian grandmaster Paul Keres.
History.
This opening was known since the 1840s and was played by Henry Thomas Buckle in his fourth match game with Johann Löwenthal, London 1851. The standard reply today, 3.Bd2, was recommended by Howard Staunton.
Discussion.
White can respond 3.Nc3, 3.Nd2, or 3.Bd2. The game often transposes to a Nimzo-Indian Defence, a Dutch Defence, a Queen's Gambit Declined, an English Defence, or a Bogo-Indian Defence. 3.Nc3 is likely to transpose into one of those openings: 3...Nf6 (Nimzo-Indian), 3...f5 (Dutch; Korn gives 3...Bxc3+ 4.bxc3 f5!, played by Buckle) 3...d5 (an unusual form of QGD), or 3...b6 (English). Black has the same options after 3.Nd2, except that 3...Nf6 4.Nf3 is a Bogo-Indian.
After 3.Bd2, Black can continue with 3...Bxd2+ into a line of the Bogo-Indian, and 3...a5 will also usually transpose to a Bogo-Indian when White plays Nf3. Or Black can allow White to play e4: 3...Qe7 4.e4 d5 (Black obtained a good game in Llanos–Hoffman, San Luis Clarin 1995 with 4...Nf6 5.a3 Bxd2+ 6.Nxd2 d6 7.Bd3 e5 8.d5 0-0) 5.Bxb4 (5.e5 Timman–Spraggett, Montpellier 1985) Qxb4+ 6.Qd2! Qxd2+ (if 6...Nc6 then 7.Nc3!) 7.Nxd2 with slight advantage for White.
References.
Bibliography


Wall of Fame (game show)

Wall of Fame is a British comedy panel game that was first broadcast on Sky1 in 2011. It is hosted by "Little Britain" star David Walliams and features Jack Dee, Kate Garraway, with Tamara Ecclestone for the first two episodes then Sara Pascoe took over from episode three, and Andrew Maxwell as regular panellists, alongside two weekly guests.
Premise.
The premise of the show is the two teams of panellists discuss the week's top 25 most talked about celebrities in the UK.
Episode list.
The coloured backgrounds denote the result of each of the shows:


Ureshino opening

In shogi, the Ureshino (嬉野流 "ureshino-ryū") opening is a newer aggressive Static Rook opening characterized by moving the right silver to the sixth file and then pulling back the bishop to the silver's start position.
It has an element of surprise as the move sequences are nonstandard and not found in professional play.
Ureshino can be played against both Static Rook and Ranging Rook opponents.
The opening is named after amateur player Hiroaki Ureshino (嬉野宏明) who invented it.
The opening aims for a very fast attack with the tradeoff being a less secure king.
Initial moves.
1.S-68. The opening move of Ureshino. This is the surprise move as almost all shogi games start with P-76, P-26, or P-56 as the first move. (See: Shogi opening sequences § First move.)
1...P-34. For White's next move, it is most likely that they will open their bishop's diagonal by advancing their third file pawn. This move prevents Black from opening their bishop diagonal (2.P-76) as their left silver is no longer positioned to defend their bishop on 88. That is, if 1.S-68 P-34 2.P-76?, then 2...Bx88+!
It is also possible for White to push their rook pawn (1...P-84) instead of opening the bishop diagonal. In this case, Black may subsequently attempt a Double Fortress opening by opening their bishop diagonal (2.P-76). (Alternately, Bishop Exchange or Snowroof openings could be used with this sequence.) Then, this move sequence is just a transposition of the usual 1.P-76 P-84 2.S-68 order. Attempting to use a Ureshino formation after 1...P-84 is slow and not recommended by Amano (2015). Thus, Ureshino requires 1...P-34 and is prevented by 1...P-84.
2.B-79. Since their bishop is now confined behind Black's camp (due to the pressure from White's bishop), Black must quickly move their bishop into a position in which the bishop can be used effectively. Thus, the bishop is pulled back to the seventh file aiming at the 57 square, which Black will open with a future P-56 pawn push. This move, however, does leave their eighth file pawn vulnerable, tempting White to start a Static Rook attack on that file, which is part of Black's plan.
Against Static Rook.
2...P-84. White plays Static Rook.
3.G-78. Therefore, Black must protect their eighth file pawn with their left gold.
Note that Black's 3.G-78 could logically be transposed with 2.B-79 to result in the same position (that is, 1.S-68 P-34 2.G-78 P-84 3.B-79). However, at the moment of 2.G-78, White has not given any indication that they will play a Static Rook position (there was no 2...P-84 yet). Therefore, it is more prudent to wait to play G-78 after seeing White's strategy as it may be more beneficial for Black to develop their pieces toward the center or right side if White chooses a Ranging Rook strategy.
3...P-85. White continues with their rook pawn aiming to trade the pawns to get a pawn in hand and fully activating their rook.
4.S-48. Right silver advances.
Although Black needs to push their central pawn (P-56) to activate their bishop, it cannot be done at this time since after the pawn exchange on the eighth file White's rook will be positioned on rank 6 forking Black's left knight and central pawn on 56. After protecting their knight with a pawn drop, White will capture Black's central pawn: 3...P-85 4.P-56? P-86 5.Px86 Rx86 6.P*88 Rx56! However, in the variation where White trades off their rook pawn but keeps their rook on 86, Black's fifth file will be sacrificed anyway. The point here is to delay this possibility to encourage White to pull their rook back off the rank 6 so that Black can keep their fifth pawn on 56.
After 4.S-48, White's Static Rook strategy has two major options: either (i) to immediately make a pawn exchange on the eighth file to get a pawn in hand or (ii) to delay making this exchange for faster development. Both options can be used with a Climbing Silver attack, which will be tempting for White since Black has only the most minimal of defenses on their left side (only a gold on 78 missing a bishop on 88 and an uncastled king). The advantage of second option is that developing a Climbing Silver attack without the initial pawn exchange results in a faster attack since the pawn exchange requires loss of tempo. Thus, it forces Black to use a different Ureshino line for defense. Therefore, the Ureshino player prefers the first case when White makes the early rook pawn exchange.
White's early rook pawn exchange.
4...P-86 5.Px86 Rx86. It is common for White to initiate the pawn exchange on their rook's file when possible. And so, when faced with the Ureshino opening, White may often choose to do so.
Note that although White does get a pawn in hand, they will lose a tempo in order to do so. (See: Piece exchange and tempo loss.) Due to this tempo loss, if Black is strictly playing the Ureshino strategy, White can attack with Climbing Silver faster if White does not make this rook pawn exchange first. Thus, White's early pawn exchange is to the Ureshino player's advantage.
6.P*88. Black protects their knight from White's rook with a pawn drop.
The pawn is dropped on the rank 8 instead of the rank 7 since this leads to the 87 square being defended by two pieces (the pawn and the gold). If Black dropped the pawn to 87, then only the gold would defend 87 allowing White to break into the eighth file with a Climbing Silver strategy where White's right silver advances to the 87 square.
At this point, White has the option of the pulling their rook back immediately in preparation for their Climbing Silver, which needs to have the attacking silver be supported by the rook from below (see §6...R-82 below). But, White also has another option of simply developing other pieces for defense as their rook can remain on the 86 square since it is not under attack (see §6...S-42 further below).
6...R-82.
6...R-82. White retreats their rook back to its start position preparing for a Primitive Climbing Silver attack.
This choice by White allows Black to keep their fifth file pawn, which otherwise must be sacrificed if White keeps their rook on 86.
7.P-26. Black pushes their rook pawn up the second file.
After this White may choose to immediate develop a Climbing Silver attack. However, another option is develop a defense first, such as constructing a Fortress castle.
White's Climbing Silver.
7...S-72. White aims for a Primitive Climbing Silver attack on the eighth file eschewing defense development.
8.P-25. Black continues their Diagonal Climbing Silver development.
8...B-33. White must defend the 24 square to prevent Black from trading the second file pawns.
9.P-56. Black advances their central pawn giving an opening to the left silver which can pass through the line of pawns and clearing a path to free their bishop.
11.S-66. Since White's Primitive Climbing Silver is a severe threat, Black must move their left silver leftward to defend against the attack after seeing White's 10...S-74.
11...S-85. White moves their silver to the middle rank aiming for the 86 square in order to support a pawn drop on 87.
12.S-65. Black starts their defense by moving the silver up the 65 square. The aim to position the silver on 76 so that the silver will defend the 87 square preventing White's silver from breaking through Black's camp.
White's Fortress.
7...S-42. Instead of immediately going into a Climbing Silver attack, White may choose to build a Fortress defense starting with developing their left silver in order to Black's next rook pawn push with S-33.
6...S-42.
6...S-42. Instead of pulling their rook back to 82 after the eighth file pawn exchange, White can choose to keep their rook stationed on 86 while other pieces are developed. A logical choice is S-42, which will be part of an incomplete Snowroof castle with their left gold on 32 and the bishop on 33. (Another possibility would be a Fortress castle with the silver eventually on 33, the gold on 32, and the bishop remaining on 22 where it can be pulled back to 31.)
One reason for White to keep their 86 instead of pulling it back is that the Ureshino opening requires P-56 and so if White's rook remains on 86 there will eventually be a timing where Black is forced to move the fifth pawn up to rank 6 where it is undefended so that White can capture this fifth file pawn. The tradeoff with getting a pawn 'for free' is that White have the typical tempo loss associated with taking a "side pawn" gambit: it requires an extra tempo to move the rook back to the eighth file (cf. the Side Pawn Capture opening).
White's delayed rook pawn exchange.
4...S-72. Aiming for a faster Climbing Silver, White moves their right attacking silver first without making a rook pawn exchange first.
Trading off the rook pawn (via ...P-86 Px86 Rx86) also requires pulling the rook back (such as to ...R-82) so that it defends the attacking silver from below. It is this rook pullback that costs one tempo for White resulting in a slower attack. Therefore, advancing the silver above the rook first allows for a Climbing Silver attack that is one tempo earlier.
Against Ranging Rook.
The Ureshino opening can also be played against the various Ranging Rook positions.
Central Rook.
2...P-54, 3. P-56. Unlike the Ureshino formation used against a Static Rook opponent, Ureshino against a Central Rook opponent does not need to move the left gold early to 78 since Central Rook will not attack along the eighth file.
Instead, when White advances their central pawn, the Ureshino player must respond immediately with their own central pawn push in order to prevent White from pushing their central pawn further to the 55 square. If White's pawn is positioned at this vanguard position on the middle rank, it will create problems using Black's bishop through the 57 square since it can become easy for White to position their central pawn even further on 56 preventing Black's bishop from being positioned on 57.
Thus, after seeing White's P-54, Black should advance P-56 instead of S-48 or G-78.
3...R-52. White plays Central Rook.
4. S-57 S-42, 5. S-48.
5...K-62. As is typical of Ranging Rook, White starts castling their king after moving the rook.
6. P-26 K-72, 7. P-25. Black advances their rook pawn while White castles their king toward the eighth file. Again, there is no need for Black to move their left to 78 since there is no Static Rook threat from their opponent.
7...B-33. White prevents Black from trading pawns on the second file.
8. S-46. Black quickly develops their left silver to fourth file. This is the initial positioning of Diagonal Climbing Silver. The idea with Ureshino is to start the attack early before White has castled their king into a Mino castle, which will be harder to attack. Thus, Black's king is not moved leftward in an attempt to make a sort of castling move.
8...P-44. White pushes their fourth file pawn in order to give their left silver a position on 43 so that the 34 pawn at the head of their bishop will be defended. Additionally, with the pawn on rank 4, it is in position to attack the silver with another push.
9. P-36. Black pushes the third file pawn in preparation for Diagonal Climbing Silver.
9...S-43. White advances their silver to protect the head of their bishop.
10. P-35. Black immediately starts their Diagonal Climbing Silver by attacking the third file.
In contrast to the traditional use of a Static Rook Boat castle against Third File Rook, Black does not fear White's pawn push on the fourth file (P-45) to attack their silver on 46 since in the Ureshino opening Black's bishop diagonal is not open and White cannot trade the bishops off the board for a counterattack to their advantage. One of the aims of the Ureshino opening is to bypass the complexities of this bishop exchange and to render P-45 an impotent attack against Black's attacking silver.
Black can expect two responses to the P-35 attack. The simplest response is for White to capture the pawn with 10...Px35. The other response is the counterattacking fourth file pawn push 10...P-45. Both are addressed in separate sections below.
10...P-45.
10...P-45. The counterattacking fourth file pawn push is more characteristic of Ranging Rook compared with the simple 10...Px35 pawn capture. (See the §10...Px35 section below).
11. Px34. Continuing the attack on the third file is the stronger option for Ureshino.
Capturing the fourth file pawn with 11. Sx45 instead is a weaker attack since the line will continue with 11...Px35, 12. Bx35 P-55. And if, Black follows with 13. Px55, 13...Rx55 forks Black's king and silver, which would be disastrous for the Ureshino player.
10...Px35.
10...Px35. White's third file pawn capture response to Black's attack. (The other response being P-45.)
11. P-24. The correct response for Ureshino is to continue the attack on the second file with P-24.
Taking White's third file pawn with 11. Sx35 first is a mistake since this gives White time to attack the silver by dropping 11...P*34. And if Black continues with 12. P-24, White will capture the silver with 12...Px35 (and will not defend with 12...Px24). After 13. Px23+ B-42, 14. +P-12 N-33, 15. R-21+ G41-51, 16. +Rx11 P-55, 17. Px55 Rx55, 18. K-68 P-36, 19. P*26 N-45, 20. K-78 P-37+, 21. Nx37 Nx37+, 22. Sx37 N*57, 23. Bx57 Rx57+, 24. L*58 +Rx47, Black will be at an obvious disadvantage.
11...Px24 12.Sx35 B42 13.Sx24 B64.
14. P*37. This pawn drop is forced to prevent White's bishop from capturing Black's rook.
If Black blocks with their silver (14. S-37), White will simply attack the silver with pawn drops and pushes in order to capture it: 14...P*36, 15. S-46 P-45.
New Ureshino.
There is an updated variation known as the New Ureshino (新嬉野流), which has a different set of initial moves.


Waxed paper roses

Making waxed paper roses was a favourite hobby among Sri Lankan women. This hobby lasted until the late sixties. Most women were homebound housewives who got involved in many such hobbies.
Until recent decades few housewives were employed outside the home. These women found hobbies to occupy themselves during the day when the house chores were finished. Today most of these hobbies have become commercialized and are conducted as businesses.
These roses brought income to the housewives. The waxed paper roses adorned many homes. Unlike in previous years most of the materials needed for such hobbies are now freely available at hardware stores and bookshops.
References.
Kulathunga, P. (1999). "Making Paper Waxed Roses" . Sri Lankan Homemade art. p. 54. .


Carmen Sandiego (TV series)

Carmen Sandiego is a Canadian-American animated action-adventure streaming television series with educational elements, based on the media franchise of the same name created by Broderbund. The series is produced by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt with WildBrain serving as the production company, and contains a "serialized look at Carmen’s backstory that is told from her perspective". Serving as an origin story for the fictional thieving villain of the same name, it is the fourth "Carmen Sandiego" television show after the PBS game shows "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" and "Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?", and the Fox animated series "Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?"; it is also the first "Carmen Sandiego" related show since the end of "Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego" in 1999.
The series sees many characters drawn from the franchise's 35-year history: Carmen Sandiego herself who debuted in the original "World" video game; The Chief who took her current form in the "World" game show; Player, Zack, and Ivy who were featured in the "Earth" animated series, Chase Devineaux who debuted in "Word Detective", and Julia Argent who was featured in "Treasures of Knowledge".
The first season was released on January 18, 2019 on Netflix. A second season was released on October 1, 2019. A third season was renewed in an announcement on April 24, 2020 and was released on October 1. On October 2, 2020, it was announced that it was renewed for a fourth season, which was later announced to be the final season, which was released on January 15, 2021.
Premise.
An orphan girl codenamed Black Sheep was found on the side of a road in Buenos Aires, Argentina roughly 20 years ago and is raised and trained to become a master thief by a group of villains who double as the faculty at V.I.L.E. Academy, a school for thieves and secret criminal underworld organization, located on the Isle of V.I.L.E. in the Canary Islands. Black Sheep considers the island and faculty her home and family until she learns the organization's true nature. She goes rogue, adopting the name Carmen Sandiego, and seeks to take down V.I.L.E. by stealing things they have already stolen, returning them to their rightful owners and stopping their future heists and plans from being executed. Carmen's friends and team are white-hat hacker Player, who works as recon tech support and who she has been in contact with since her school days on the isle, and Boston siblings Zack and Ivy, who help her on-site and often act as distractions or operate the various get-away vehicles. She treats each one of them with care and together, they set out to thwart V.I.L.E.'s schemes for global conquest all while on the run from the mysterious secret government agency; A.C.M.E., who have sets their sights on arresting V.I.L.E and Carmen.
A recurring theme is that both V.I.L.E. and A.C.M.E. make mistaken assumptions about Carmen's actions.
In season one, Carmen is a modern-day Robin Hood, traveling the globe, stealing from V.I.L.E. and giving back to its victims. Cloaked in red, she is accompanied by her hacker Player, and her best friends Zack and Ivy. Carmen is publicly perceived as a criminal by most law enforcement agencies – or actually, make that a master criminal due to the sheer scale and theatricality of her heists. We follow her escapades and get to determine not only where in the world but “who” is Carmen Sandiego?
In season two, Carmen seeks answers about her past, while V.I.L.E. attempts to keep their finances from plummeting even further into the red. The Faculty attempt to find a new fifth member after Shadowsan joins Carmen. Thanks to Julia's encouragement, Carmen and the Chief make a loose alliance to take down V.I.L.E.
In season three, Carmen has been off the grid for months, looking for clues to her mother’s identity. Julia quits A.C.M.E., after Chief has become too blinded by distrust toward Carmen, for stealing Intel on her father from them, to see that she isn't stealing from anyone. V.I.L.E. sets up base in Scotland, sending new agents after Carmen who were specifically trained to capture her.
In season four, after several failed attempts to claim gold, including the lost hidden treasures stolen by the past generations of the organization, V.I.L.E. has been pushed to its limits and they start using robot operatives. They eventually capture and brainwash Carmen, who then quickly rebuilds their funds and gains the Faculty's favor. However, Graham helps A.C.M.E. bring the real Carmen back, while selling out V.I.L.E. in the process. Carmen finally tracks down and meets her mother. Shadowsan retires, while Zack and Ivy join A.C.M.E. in crime fighting. After the downfall of V.I.L.E., A.C.M.E. chases down its leftover members, with the occasional help from Carmen.
Characters.
A.C.M.E..
A.C.M.E. (short for Agency to Classify & Monitor Evildoers) is the secret law enforcement agency that often combats V.I.L.E. and the anti-heroes of the series. In this iteration, they seek out finding proof leading to the dissolution of the criminal organization through the means of finding and capturing Carmen and her crew for intel on them.
V.I.L.E..
V.I.L.E. (short for Villains' International League of Evil (undercover as Valuable Imports, Lavish Exports) is a shadowy international criminal organization of thieves and the main antagonists of the series. They make their headquarters on one of the Canary Islands and use the academy there to train their new recruits for a one-year semester. As of the end of Season 2, V.I.L.E. Island was destroyed after the V.I.L.E. Faculty believed that A.C.M.E. had found their location. V.I.L.E. was then relocated to a castle in Scotland in Season 3.
The Faculty.
A council of five masterminds who are the leaders of V.I.L.E., the instructors of V.I.L.E. Academy and the primary antagonists of the series and who Carmen considered the only family she knew before betraying them. They each have equal authority, and reach decisions by a majority vote; thus they ensure an odd number is always present.
Production.
On April 14, 2017, Hollywood insider information site The Tracking Board reported that they had exclusively learned of an animated Carmen Sandiego project at Netflix, with Gina Rodriguez as the voice of the titular character. The site reported that the 20-episode series would aim to be "as educational as it is entertaining", in keeping with the style of the franchise. It was later confirmed that the series would be called "Carmen Sandiego". Rodriguez confirmed the story via her Twitter feed the following day in response to a Hypable story, which compared the news to that of a Kate McKinnon-led revival of "The Magic School Bus". "Carmen Sandiego" was set to appeal to a wider audience (ages 6–11), plus the parents of those kids and fans of the original series. On April 18 and 19, the news began to be published by reputable news sites, where it was confirmed that Netflix had rebooted the franchise on TV by ordering twenty 22-minute episodes of "Carmen Sandiego", which would premiere in 2019 and with Gina Rodriguez in the starring role. Rotoscopers noted that this was "more than most Netflix Originals receive". The Hollywood Reporter noted that Rita Moreno, who voiced Carmen in the FOX animated series "Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?," had recently guest-starred on Rodriguez's show "Jane the Virgin". The new series was described as having "thrilling adventure and intrigue", while offering an "intimate look into Carmen's past" and what inspired her career choices, essentially answering the question ""Who" in the world "is" Carmen Sandiego?" while simultaneously following her on her thieving escapades.
Caroline Fraser, Head of HMH Productions, is the Executive Producer of the series. Duane Capizzi, known for "" and "The Batman", is the showrunner and Co-Executive Producer. Kevin Dart serves as visual designer. It is a production by DHX Media, providing production work, and Chromosphere, providing the design work. Animation services are outsourced to Top Draw Animation in the Philippines. DHX Media is the current owner of the library of DIC Entertainment, the animation studio which produced the "Earth" animated series. The series is produced by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, who own the rights to the franchise after their corporate predecessor Riverdeep acquired the property in 2002. The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the series followed in the wake of "Bill Nye Saves the World" and "Julie's Greenroom". Finn Wolfhard signed on to lend his voice to the character Player, who is described as Carmen's chief accomplice and friend. Another character called "Player" was featured in "Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?", but this character was a fourth wall-breaking live action boy who bookended the show and interacted with Carmen, implied to be the player of a video game featuring her. E! Online reported that the new series would be called, simply, ""Carmen Sandiego"."
Rodriguez, who had first learned about the series through the PBS game show "Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?", asserted that the new Carmen Sandiego origin series was "tight", "well written", "really, really good", and "unbelievable". She mentioned that Netflix was a home for great programming and that the show had partnered with talented illustrators. She added that despite being entertaining, the show would still provide geographic and historical education. In another interview, she said that she loved the art and story of the animated series, and praised the show's executive producer, Duane Capizzi, for making the world that Carmen inhabits in the show itself.
Andy Yeatman, Netflix director of global kids content, explained “We think there's a huge benefit of having a program that parents remember fondly and grew up with. We are giving them the opportunity to introduce it to their kids and spark a conversation", explaining that while the service pitched reboots of many '80s and '90s shows, "Carmen Sandiego" was one that "made sense" and "really stood out". They responded to the fact that this is not a show that is perennially rebooted, as the last Carmen Sandiego series ended 20 years before this new series would premiere, and that there are interesting ways to retell the story. In addition to Yeatman's comments, Amy Dunkin, Houghton Mifflin's the chief marketing officer, noted that many had "fond memories" of Carmen Sandiego, and added that there are many ways "you can go with Carmen just based on what she stands for."
In March 2018, Netflix also ordered a live-action film of "Carmen Sandiego", once again with Rodriguez as the titular character.
On February 15, 2019, it was announced that Netflix had renewed the series for a second season.
On April 24, 2020, Netflix announced it had renewed the series for a third season.
On October 2, 2020, Netflix announced it had renewed the series for a fourth season, which was later announced to be the final season.
Reception.
Pre-release.
The announcement saw a positive response by the media, who appreciated the throwback, and a return for the "Carmen Sandiego" franchise to the small screen. TVShowsOnDVD wrote "It's awesome to see this franchise return to television". The Rolling Stone thought the TV series' origin story subject matter offers what was once one of "golden age of television's favorite thematic trappings". Commenting "children of the 90's rejoice", Maxim suggested that Netflix enlist the talents of "World" game show theme song performers Rockapella to provide music for the show. ScreenRant noted that "those who still hold fond memories of the property" would be intrigued as to what type of shape the new series will take; adding that it has a "storied legacy" to live up to and will likely take some inspiration from "Earth". Dark Horizons expressed sadness that the show was two years away. Toonzone wondered if the new show would maintain the established backstory of the red fedora-wearing villain, which in mid-to-late ‘90s canon involved Carmen Sandiego beginning as an A.C.M.E. agent before finding the work too easy so wanting to outsmart her former colleagues. Gizmodo thought the new series would "bring the character's trademark blend of edutainment to new audiences". Mashable said "fans demanding the series NOW". Pedestrian thought the trend toward series such as this was a sign that producers were aiming to " trap people in a downwards vortex of nostalgia ". Fortune suggested that the new show offered Netflix "huge merchandizing potential", and that the company could follow in the footsteps of Disney by creating a merchandising arm to support its shows. Rom-Game saw this as a sign that Netflix was "indirectly interested in gaming heritage". MiscRave mentioned how much potential the franchise with its interactive edutainment in a compelling package it previously had. NerdHQ noted that the new series offered an opportunity to resuscitate the "once-dormant" and "dying" franchise. Apart from these media reviews, various Latina women across the United States were excited and energized by the show's release.
Post-release.
The show currently holds a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 14 reviews, with the site's consensus reading, "Vivid animation and creative reconstruction of the Carmen Sandiego backstory elevates this property beyond its edutainment roots." Other reviewers are more critical. Renaldo Matadeen of "CBR", for instance, critically reviewed the series. He argued that the second season ended on a "very intense note," while noting the family history themes in the show, and stated that the final episode of the third season remixes all the movies of the "Ocean's" franchise. In a review of all the episodes of the third season, he wrote that there is a "lot packed in" the third season, predicting the revenge of the villainous Roundabout, saving Gray, a face-off between The Chief and Carmen, and the continued search for Carmen's mom in the show's next season.
At the same time, Martha Sorren of "Bust" also predicted that the fourth season could explore the relationship between Carmen and her mother. Apart from these reviewers, Megan Summers of "ScreenRant" highlighted Wolfhard's role as Player, calling it one of his best roles, and Prabhdeep Dhaliwal in "The Peak" stated that while the show is "geared towards a younger demographic," adults can still be entertained by it. He also stated that the show has sympathetic characters and an "overarching theme of good winning over evil." Katherine Smith of "Paste" took a different tact. While stating that Carmen Sandiego has returned to relevance with the Netflix series, she also highlights how animated projects "hustle their employees out of sight," contrasting the gains in visible representation with "very plausible worker exploitation." She cites an example of Filipino company, Top Draw (working on the animation), which fired a whistleblower who demanded proper compensation. She concludes by saying that in the current series, Carmen Sandiego is a female thief who "steals only from thieves now," and worries about where her character has gone, compared to the original story.


Dubrovnik chess set

The Dubrovnik chess set is a style of chess pieces influenced by the Staunton chess set and used to play the game of chess. These chessmen are considered to have significant historical importance and are a timeless design classic. Over the decades the Dubrovnik chessmen were redesigned several times.
1950 Dubrovnik chess set.
The 9th Chess Olympiad was organized by the FIDE and the government of Yugoslavia, supported by Josip Broz Tito. The Olympiad was held in Dubrovnik, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia (now in Croatia) between August 20 and September 11, 1950. Chess is a significant part of the culture in Dubrovnik being first documented in 1422. The Olympiad had 84 chess players representing 16 nations who played a total of 480 games. The Yugoslav team won the gold medal, Argentina silver and West Germany bronze.
In 1949 the Olympiad management requisitioned a new style of chessmen. Painter and sculptor P. Poček was contracted to design the Olympiad chessmen. The pieces were made in an unknown workshop in Subotica, Yugoslavia.
The 1950 Dubrovnik chess set was designed without religious symbols. The pieces were designed for play with wide bases requiring a minimum of chessboard squares. They had green felted sliders and were not weighted. The chess box was felted with a metallic badge on the inside of the box with the inscription "IX. šah olimpijada Dubrovnik, Jugoslavija." The box was unusually large, featuring squares. Approximately 50 chess sets were made with original sets being very rare if not impossible to locate or buy.
In a radio interview Bobby Fischer stated: "This [1950 Dubrovnik chess set] is the best set I have ever played on. It is marvellous." Fischer owned a 1950 Dubrovnik chess set that he kept in a safe, which was subsequently sold by a storage company to pay for an outstanding storage bill. A chess collector provided a chess set after Fischer requested it for the 1992 Fischer–Spassky rematch held at Sveti Stefan.
Variants.
The Dubrovnik design has influenced the creation of several chess set variants with a variety of names, including but not limited to, "Zagreb" and "Yugoslavia". These variant chess sets often have opposite coloured finials on the kings and queens, while the original Dubrovnik had opposite coloured finials for the bishops. In addition, the chess sets utilize different specifications from the Dubrovnik.
In the 1960s a redesigned version by Andrija Maurović, a famous Croat cartoonist, writer and chess player was created and produced in the workshop of master craftsman Jakopović in Zagreb. Bobby Fischer was often filmed and photographed with his own 1970 Dubrovnik chess set that was later stolen. The most obvious changes in design can be observed in the knights with simplified carving, and the queens had only five cuts in the crown as opposed to the original eleven.
Modern-day manufacturers.
Due to the continuing popularity of the 1950 Dubrovnik chess sets, the replica plastic versions of the chess sets are the most popular in Eastern Europe, even though they are of low quality.
Gregor Novak of Noj. Ltd makes by hand and offers for sale an exact replica from wood of both the 1950 Dubrovnik chess set and the 1970 Dubrovnik chess set.
Chess Bazaar of India also offers two different variants of 1970 Dubrovnik reproduction in a variety of woods.
Since 2014, the House of Staunton has offered a replica in wood of one of the 1970 Dubrovnik chess sets that were available at that time.


Mekorama

Mekorama is a puzzle game by Swedish developer Martin Magni. Players can make their own levels in the game.
It was awarded Jury's Honorable Mention in 2017 International Mobile Gaming Awards.
Plot.
Martin Magni is the developer of Odd Bot Out. In Odd Bot Out, players help Odd to escape the robot factory that dumped it in the trash. The story of Mekorama was happened after escaping from the factory. The story begins when bot named B (because of his bumbling moves) landed on a strange diorama. In his adventure, B must move through various puzzling areas and obstacles like other bots, mechanical objects, etc.
Development.
Mekorama was released on February 14, 2016 on iOS and March 14, 2016 on Android OS. The VR version was released on November 8, 2016. And this time, Mekorama also available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation Vita
Robots.
There are 3 robots available in the current version of Mekorama. These robots are:
1. B-Bot (Bumble Bot)
The first bot introduced in the game. This bot has B logo in front, its body shaped like a hexagon prism, and colored yellow. This bot moves by bumbling through the path. The robot move when player touched the path for B to walk through. Unfortunately, this bot can get stunned when hitted by zapper. But the zapper doesn't attack B when it use the zapper as its head.
2. R-Bot (Right Bot)
This bot has a same hexagonal shape with B, but this bot is colored red and has R logo. As the word suggest, this robot colored 'R'ed (Red) and walks straight or turn 'r'ight (right). Unlike B who got stunned with zappers, R is unaffected with it. But, R will stunned when a zapper is on B's head.
3. L-Bot (Left Bot)
This bot's design is still same with previous one, but this one is colord blue and has L logo. This bot is like an opposite version of R. Instead of turn right, this bot turns left. It also shares same behavior with R such as unaffected with zappers placed on normal surface but stunned when the zapper is on B.


Penny football

Penny football (also coin football, sporting coin, spoin, table football, tabletop football, or shove ha'penny football) is a coin game played upon a table top. The aim of the game is for a player to score more goals with the pennies ("Spucks") than their opponent.
An electronic version of the game has also been produced.
The game has been in existence since at least 1959.
Gameplay.
Players flip a coin to decide who goes first. The winner of the flip starts the game by holding three coins clasped together in their hands, shaking the coins like dice, then letting them go.
The object of the game is to flick a coin through the other two coins. This is the way in which players move the ball up the table. If the coin falls off the table or fails to pass through the other two coins, it becomes the opposing player's ball and is placed near their end of the table. A player may continue to flick any of the three coins through the other two until they wish to shoot. At this point, the opposing player places their pinky finger and index finger flat on the table, so that the middle two knuckles of their hand are flat with the table edge. The first player then shoots in any way they wish, while still hitting a coin between the other two coins. If the coin touches the opponent's knuckles, this counts as a goal.
There is another variation of the game in which players use four coins, the fourth coin representing a goalkeeper. Again, the opposing player puts out their index and pinky fingers, but also puts the fourth coin under their index finger. The coin acts as a "goalkeeper", and may be used to block shots. They then stick out the pinky finger of their other hand and place it right next to the other hand to form the other post of the goal. The two hands should be touching. If the player blocks the shot with their index finger, the shot counts as a goal.


Upwords

Upwords (at one time branded as Scrabble Upwords in the United States and Canada; and Topwords Crucimaster, Betutorony, Palabras Arriba or Stapelwoord in other countries) is a board game invented by Elliot Rudell and originally published by the Milton Bradley Company, now a division of Hasbro. Worldwide marketing rights to "Upwords" have been licensed to Spin Master Inc. by Rudell Design, LLC as of 2018. "Upwords" is similar to "Scrabble" or "Words With Friends", in that players build words using letter tiles on a gridded gameboard. The point of difference is that in "Upwords" letters can be stacked on top of other letters already on the gameboard to create new words. The higher the stack of letters, the more points are scored. This typically makes words built in later turns of the game more valuable than earlier words, increasing play intensity and adding a level of strategy unique to "Upwords". The memorization of two-letter words is considered a useful skill in this game.
Unlike "Scrabble", which is manufactured in the U.S. and Canada by Hasbro and elsewhere in the world by Mattel, "Upwords" is solely controlled by Spin Master. As of August 2019 the game is being relaunched and will be available in other countries around the world. In the past and while under license from Hasbro, "Upwords" was available in about twenty languages. There have been national tournaments played in Hungary and Turkey.
Gameplay.
Each player draws a tile; the one with the letter nearest to A will be the first to play. The tiles are returned to the draw pile.
Each player draws seven tiles to start the game. The first player forms a word with one or more of their tiles. The word must cover one or more of the four central squares. The player then draws more tiles to replace those played. Play continues to the left.
Subsequent players may put tiles on the board adjacent to and/or on top of the tiles already played, as long as all words formed are found in the dictionary being used and the rules below are followed. All words must read horizontally from left to right, or vertically from top to bottom.
All tiles played on a turn must form part of one continuous straight line of tiles across or down.
For example, if the word CATER is on the board, a player could put a B and E in front of CATER and then put an L on top of the C and a D on top of the R to build BELATED.
Restrictions on words are as follows:
Restrictions on stacking tiles are as follows:
A player may choose to pass at any time, or discard one tile and draw a replacement instead of playing.
Once the draw pile is exhausted, the game ends when any player runs out of tiles, or every player passes in a single round.
Scoring.
Any word with no stacked letters scores two points per tile, while a word containing stacked letters scores one point for every tile it contains. In the CATER/BELATED example above, CATER would score 10 points, while BELATED would score nine. Two bonus points are awarded for using the "Qu" tile in a one-level word, and 20 for using all seven tiles in one turn.
Players lose five points for every unused tile they hold at the end of the game.
History.
Originally, "Upwords" was played on an 8×8 square board, with 64 letter tiles. Hasbro Europe later expanded the gameboard to a 10×10 matrix and 100 tiles, to accommodate the longer words frequently used in foreign languages such as German and Dutch. The 10×10 matrix is currently employed in worldwide versions of the game. The board is purposely smaller (has fewer tile positions) than "Scrabble" to encourage and even force the stacking up of letters upon letters. It does not have special squares such as "triple word scores" and "double letter scores" that require additional scoring calculations.
Other versions.
In the early 1990s, Hasbro licensed electronic marketing rights to Microsoft, briefly making the game available electronically. Microsoft no longer has rights to "Upwords".
In 2013, "Upwords" was developed by indie software developers Lonely Star Software, under license from Hasbro. , Lonely Star Software continues to offer Upwords for smartphone and tablet play, under direct license from Rudell Design. The game was first released as an app for iOS devices. On 27 March 2014, Lonely Star released the app for Android platform devices.
Besides an updated version of "Upwords" that offers a 10x10 grid and 100 tiles, "Upwords" remains available in its "classic" 8×8 version, distributed by Winning Moves.


North Wind (visual novel)

 is an adult visual novel developed by DreamSoft (previously called FC03), which is a brand of F&C. It first released for Windows on September 24, 2004. The game was later ported to the PlayStation 2, and released in two separate volumes for the iOS. "North Wind" follows the player character and protagonist, Makoto Akizuki, a young man who was born into a town where every winter, a "Love Letter Festival" is held. Gameplay in "North Wind" offers branching plot lines, and a multi-choice navigation, where the player can attain multiple endings.
Media based on the game has been published. This includes audio CDs, art books, and a manga adaptation which serialized in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh magazine.
Gameplay.
"North Wind" is a romance visual novel in which the player assumes the role of Makoto Akizuki. Its gameplay mainly consists of reading and progressing through the story's narrative and dialogue. The game's text is accompanied by character sprites, which represent who Makoto is talking to, appearing on top of background artwork. Throughout the game, the player encounters CG artwork at certain points in the story, which take the place of the regular background art and character sprites. "North Wind" follows a branching plot line with nonlinear sequences and multiple endings, where the plot's direction is affected by the player's decisions.
Throughout gameplay, the player is given multiple options to choose from, and text progression pauses at these points until a decision is made. These decisions determine the sequence in which the story's events will occur, and progress the plot toward a specific heroine's ending. In order to view all plot lines in their entirety, the player will have to replay the game multiple times and make different decisions to progress the plot in alternate directions. In the PC version of the game, there are scenes depicting Makoto and a given heroine having sexual intercourse. However, in the PlayStation 2 and iOS versions, these scenes cannot be viewed.
Plot.
Story and setting.
The story of "North Wind" takes place in a small town surrounded by the mountains. Every winter there, a special event called the "Love Letter Festival" is held. The idea, is that if you write a letter to the person that you have feelings for, and post it at the local shrine on the 26th of December, which is the day after Christmas, then you will get to meet that person. Makoto Akizuki, the main protagonist and player character, has been living in Tokyo for the last three years, and is now visiting that town.
Principal characters.
 is the protagonist of the game. He lived in Tokyo for three years before moving to the small town where his relatives live. Makoto is the only character to not be voiced in the game. He is accompanied by a junior at his school, , who is also the main heroine of the game. She is very gentle and kind, but has a weak constitution. Another heroine in the game includes , a mysterious girl who has lost her memory, but due to her bright, cheerful personality, she befriends Makoto quickly. Makoto also has a childhood friend called , she grew up with Makoto like a brother and sister since they were both little. Kanon has a very honest personality, and works part-time in a cafe.
An additional heroine called was added in the PlayStation 2 port of the game. Other characters include , another childhood friend of Makoto, and is one year older than him. She is an older sister figure for him. The last heroine is , a kind and polite shrine maiden.
Development and release.
Naizumi Mitomi worked as the director for "North Wind". Haioku and Torishimo were the character designers for the game. The main scenario writers were Mugetsu Tomoe, Rōnin Moto, and Sakana Hiromori, Sakana also worked as the producer. The executive producer was Hiromitsu Sasaoka. Mikano took charge of the graphic progression supervision, and the graphics were handled by Miwaza Kamino, Hinata Mutsuki, and Hoka. KANZO handled the programming.
On September 24, 2004, DreamSoft released "North Wind" for the PC for both first press edition and regular edition, both rated 18 prohibited. Datam Polystar released the game on April 28, 2005, as a PlayStation 2 port, entitled "North Wind ~Eien no Yakusoku~", again for both first press limited and regular editions. However, sexual content was removed and the age rating fell to 15+. On June 11, 2010, an iOS version was released for "North Wind", this time all ages, entitled "North Wind First Volume". Exactly two months later, on August 11, 2010, there was another iOS release, entitled "North Wind Second Volume". The iOS versions are only partially complete.
Media.
Printed media.
A short-lived manga adaptation of "North Wind" was serialized in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh magazine between September 2004 to October 2004 issues. Chinji Yaoroosu illustrated the manga. The manga was actually serialized in the same month of the game's first initial release. A 127-page fan book titled "North Wind Fan Book" was published by Ichijinsha on February 22, 2005. It contains a visual gallery, interviews with production staff, a large number of unpublished images, and also includes comments from the voice cast. The "North Wind" first press limited edition comes bundled with an art book entitled "North Wind Extra Art Book", which contains various illustrations, and a preview at the manga.
Audio CDs.
An OP single consisting of one disc entitled "North Wind — Last Letter / have eyes only for you…" was published on September 3, 2004. The CD contains the two main opening songs, as well as their instrumentals. "North Wind"'s first opening song is "Last Letter (Snowdrop Ver.)" by Kiriko, which is five minutes and nine seconds long. The game's second opening song is "Have eyes only for you..." also by Kiriko, and is five minutes long. The CD does not include the ending song "Last Letter -Eternal Wind-" by Kanon Torii, who voiced Miki Kimizuka in the game, respectively. The disc's length in entirety is twenty minutes and sixteen minutes long.
Another music CD entitled "North Wind Complete Tracks" was published on January 28, 2005, consisting of two discs. The first disc comprises twenty two tracks, which are BGM in the game. The first disc's length in entirety is seventy one minutes and forty nine seconds long. The second disc comprises ten tracks, and contains insert songs, opening songs and an ending song. It also includes their full versions, short versions, and off vocal versions. The second disc's length in entirety is forty seven minutes and twenty eight seconds long.
Reception.
On Getchu.com, a major redistributor of visual novel and domestic anime products, "North Wind" was the fourth most widely sold game of September 2004 in Japan, the month and year of the game's PC release.