October is going to be difficult for me. Three games (all, strangely, beginning with the letter "F") are conspiring to turn my head into a Scanners reference. Fable 2 is out October 21st. So is Far Cry 2. And Fallout 3 is out seven days later. Bollocks! And money isn't the problem. Unless you consider the fact that time is money. Then yeah, money is a big freaking problem.
What a problem to have, I know. Too many good games on the calendar in the next few months. Not like this year's that far removed from any other, so I'm trying not to complain too loudly. 2007 was The Best Year EverTM in the eyes of so many critics. And while everyone seems burnt on the whole discussion -- not even wanting to touch the argument whether 2008 is even better (it is) -- I know that I can at least get a solid month out of Spore before my Triple-F game series grabs me by the wrists and, like your brother used to do to you, start slapping you around with your own hands. ("Why you hittin' yourself, Randy? Why you hittin' yourself?")
But after messing around with the Spore Creature Creator all afternoon in preparation for Spore's September 7th launch, I think I've come up with the race that's going to populate my seas, savannahs, cities, and outer spaces. And, with a little luck, somebody else's too, if they like and download the design. Meet the Minohorse:
Nope, he has no legs. Since the Creature Creator can animate the Minohorse's movements like a snake, he can amble about just fine though, thank you very much. And the ram horns are certifiably cool in my personal estimation, while lending a tentacle-fetishized-looking branch to his ancestry. I had more decorative plates running up his chest and over his shoulders trying to simulate Byzantine armor, but I removed them since that ended up looking like he was wearing a blocky, rectangular bra. Relegating that plated look to his stomach, waist, and wrists proved sufficient. I painted him with the shiny, scaley, purply skin in order to hint at a sea-going gene somewhere in the mix, and because purple was a leftover sentiment from wanting to give him a vaguely Roman feel of royalty. I also stuck him with oversized hands, a too-large head, and not-so-scary eyes so that other Spore players hopefully won't find the Minohorse so intimidating that they won't invite him into their world. He's herbivorous, by the way, so you'll only know him by the trail of munched fruits and veggies.
