Hobbies

This page lists some of my hobbies that you'll invariably see me partake in at any given time.

Video games

The primary catalyst for all of my other hobbies begin with video games. My obsession with Hikaru Utada's music? Kingdom Hearts.

My positive relation to being in solitude? My profile picture is the main character of Cave Story, a game developed by one person, featuring a character who had nothing but their own intuition to guide them from beginning to end.

My infatuation with human psychology? You have Super Smash Bros. to thank.

My more direct overall character and sense of style? For better or worse, that's thanks to Bayonetta.

Foremost, I see video games as a medium. Movies and television are a visual medium, as are books and podcasts. These media aren't all collectively seen as entertainment. While they can convey entertaining content, a movie can be as informational as an encyclopedia, and no one would bat an eye. Video games are an interactive visual media that allows the consumer to become immersed with the game scenario by directly influencing it, unlike a movie where the viewer is merely spectating. This allows unique opportunities to have the consumer experience stories in real time at their own pace, and also personalise said experience with their own actions. Incorporating story, soundtrack, gameplay, all in one package provides an unmatched form of media that a lot of people are unaware from solely based on its association with "mindless, childish entertainment".

These games are not real life, but they can provide commentary on real experiences and events, and the importance of conveying stories and characters that allow players to go into life with a more nuanced or informed outlook with these experiences shouldn't be understated.

Reverse engineering

I began closely tracking the homebrew micro-scene since the Nintendo 3DS, around 2015 or so. This initially sprung my interests in the software side of reverse engineering, given that documentation of the 3DS console's system vulnerabilities can reveal how security research can more simply be viewed more as a puzzle of testable notions, and less as a one-dimensional past-time for reserved only for technological geniuses.

Watching a device, once thought to be perfectly locked to its own ecosystem of products, be so rawly broken down to its constituents as a piece of hardware that simply does what it's told... that's a process that is exhilarating to see. After some time in this community, a team for reverse engineering and modifying Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS was formed, a game which was shadowed by its home console counterpart. As this was considered a forgotten game months after its release with, it was up to our team to document the game and reimplement its constituents for ourselves. This experience taught me a lot about team building, public relations, and software engineering, and, while unfinished, the fruits of that labor are hosted here! There was even a Vice article back when we were early at work and stifled by an aspect of the game.

Other digital projects

I want to eventually have a sort of Internet presence with the projects behind my many domains. I also essentially am a data hoarder and like to collect game consoles and technology. I wonder if any of my graphical design work will be put to real use...?

Hardware repair and modification

Like with software, I'm a sucker for making my tools and items work for me. Which becomes a problem when they don't work at all. That's why I learned to become familiar with repairing what I broke from a young age, because no one else was going to simply replace the Christmas gifts I waited all year to receive. In the process, I began to learn how the innards of my favourite devices worked, and how to change those functions to serve me better. More on this can be seen on the dedicated repairing page.

Other

There's also my ongoing obsession with music, for better or worse... It's a good sign that some of my articles were even reposted by their artists, though!

I'm also currently in a 337 day streak in Duolingo as of November 16, 2023.