App Review: Kyo's Rock
Introduction
Kyo's Rock, available to anyone at kyosrock.co.cc, is a new game created by Owen Versteeg. Kyo's Rock is about a ninja named Kyo living on a rock off the coast of Japan with nothing but a sack of rice, a withered tree, and a bird named Saiko. Kyo doesn't remember anything that happened before he was stranded on the rock except Saiko's and his own name. Kyo and Saiko have been OK for most of the time - however, they have recently been attacked by monsters. Kyo's goal is to exterminate the monsters attacking his rock. "How can Kyo do this?", you may ask. Luckily, Saiko can spit poison!
Kyo's Rock, available to anyone at kyosrock.co.cc, is a new game created by Owen Versteeg. Kyo's Rock is about a ninja named Kyo living on a rock off the coast of Japan with nothing but a sack of rice, a withered tree, and a bird named Saiko. Kyo doesn't remember anything that happened before he was stranded on the rock except Saiko's and his own name. Kyo and Saiko have been OK for most of the time - however, they have recently been attacked by monsters. Kyo's goal is to exterminate the monsters attacking his rock. "How can Kyo do this?", you may ask. Luckily, Saiko can spit poison!
You can click the above button to play Kyo's Rock. All you need is a good browser, like Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, or Safari.
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Gameplay
The gameplay is very fun and intuitive. You use the left and right arrow keys to aim left and right and the "F" key to shoot at the monsters. It's as simple as that! There are 40 levels of gameplay. I found even level three to be rather hard. The challenge is part of what makes this game great. Saiko's "spit ammunition" is very unlimited and he can fire a lot of ammunition at the same time. It may be better to have a limit on how much you can fire at a time. But overall, the gameplay is quite addictive. |
Graphics
The graphics of this game are truly amazing. Owen has done an excellent job putting together all of the images and details of the game. It makes two-dimensional look three-dimensional because the characters and ammunition look so detailed. The main menu is very easy to navigate and has a good design. It's not like most games these days where the user interface is very icon-oriented. I found the font used in the game to be a little too sophisticated. It's not hard to read, but it would be nice if it were easier on the eyes. Otherwise, the design elements are superb!
Conclusion
Overall, this game is very great! The graphics are very creative and the gameplay is straightforward. Except for the typography and unlimited ammunition, everything is great. This game was designed and programmed using JavaScript and HTML5. JavaScript is responsible for a lot of the movement and gameplay elements while HTML5 plays a big role in Saiko's spit and Saiko. But really, they both combine to make this game work. What I love the most about Kyo's Rock is that it is an example of the power of HTML5. New web technologies such as HTML5 are going to make the Internet much more interactive and intuitive. Owen has put in a great amount of effort making this game! Kyo's Rock is by far the best online game I have ever played!
- Marco van Gemeren
The graphics of this game are truly amazing. Owen has done an excellent job putting together all of the images and details of the game. It makes two-dimensional look three-dimensional because the characters and ammunition look so detailed. The main menu is very easy to navigate and has a good design. It's not like most games these days where the user interface is very icon-oriented. I found the font used in the game to be a little too sophisticated. It's not hard to read, but it would be nice if it were easier on the eyes. Otherwise, the design elements are superb!
Conclusion
Overall, this game is very great! The graphics are very creative and the gameplay is straightforward. Except for the typography and unlimited ammunition, everything is great. This game was designed and programmed using JavaScript and HTML5. JavaScript is responsible for a lot of the movement and gameplay elements while HTML5 plays a big role in Saiko's spit and Saiko. But really, they both combine to make this game work. What I love the most about Kyo's Rock is that it is an example of the power of HTML5. New web technologies such as HTML5 are going to make the Internet much more interactive and intuitive. Owen has put in a great amount of effort making this game! Kyo's Rock is by far the best online game I have ever played!
- Marco van Gemeren
Mr. Eastman: Not Just an Art Teacher
Mr. Eastman is not only a fun, awesome art teacher. He is more than that! He has travelled to a variety of places around the world, and has had many interesting experiences. So why don’t we hear it from Mr. Eastman himself, right now?
- Ty: How did you decide to be an artist and art teacher in the first place? Did something in particular trigger your interest?
- Mr. Eastman: Yes- definitely. I come from a long line of painters in my family. One of the most famous painters in my family includes Seth Eastman who was a painter during the time of the Civil War. He was sent wet to paint with watercolors. He painted many Native Americans. On my mom’s side, practically everybody is an artist in some form- my aunt, my mom herself, my uncle, and more. But most of all, my Aunt Lolly was a big inspiration to me. She and other family members trained me well. Aunt Lolly would bring me to buildings, to the outdoors, and other places to draw. She would tell me to draw what I saw around me. I think that it really helped and inspired me to become an artist and art teacher.
- Ty: I have heard that you have travelled many places. Where have you been?
- Mr. Eastman: I have been to a few different places in Asia. I travelled to China twice, where I was an art student, and then I taught at a Chinese university. While I was staying in China, I made short trips to Thailand, Japan and visited the airport in South Korea.
- Ty: Have these places inspired your art? If so, how?
- Mr. Eastman: Yes, they have definitely inspired my art. When I was a student in China, I lived in Buddhist temples. I studied iconography of temple art (such as carvings like animals in pillars and buildings). These carvings were very brightly painted. Later, I incorporated designs found in the temple art into tattoos I made in the U.S. Before deciding to be an art teacher, I wanted to be a tattoo artist.
- Ty: What is your favorite part of being an art teacher?
- Mr. Eastman: When I see a student who is working on something very hard and is frustrated, it is so satisfying to see them figure it out. I love to see how they become so proud when they solve the problem. That is what really makes me happy- except for paper maché- I am always happy when I am doing paper maché.
Hairspray Review
“What are those fumes I smell? Air freshener? Soap? I think it’s...HAIRSPRAY!” This is what the Dartmouth production of Hairspray smelled like. It was a delightful play full of humor, historical references, and heart-toughing messages. It is impossible to leave the theater not feeling better about life and yourself.
For those of you who don’t know what Hairspray is about, here is a description. There is a girl named Tracy who is discriminated against because of her weight. Tracy wants to perform on a TV dance show but is rejected at supposedly open auditions because of her appearance, without getting a chance to perform in front of the judges.
She becomes friends with several African Americans and wants to help them get on the show, too. After much difficulty she is accepted to perform on the show and is not given such a hard time. Then later she is sent to jail for helping her African Americans friends protest segregation, but then she breaks free and in the end the African Americans are able to dance on the show also.
I [Zea] guest ushered for this performance, which means that I stand by the doorways to the theater and offer to show people to their seats, and then hand them programs. The great thing about guest ushering is that you get to see the show for free. Hairspray was a sold out show, not surprisingly, but there were a few empty seats, which meant that I could sit down to watch the play instead of standing along the side of the theater. Ushering is a pretty good deal, because you only have to do minimal work and can then see whatever show you usher at for free.
This show is sad in some ways but the message is an important and quite valid one. What’s more, the actors all had strong voices and played their parts to the best of their abilities. The music, while not extraordinary, fit very well to the play and was obviously very well rehearsed. The dancing made up for what the music lacked. It was wonderful! All of the dancers were energetic and talented, and the costuming was good as well. All in all, Hairspray was a very enjoyable performance, and viewers would definitely recommend it to others.
By Zea Eanet and Emily Winslow
For those of you who don’t know what Hairspray is about, here is a description. There is a girl named Tracy who is discriminated against because of her weight. Tracy wants to perform on a TV dance show but is rejected at supposedly open auditions because of her appearance, without getting a chance to perform in front of the judges.
She becomes friends with several African Americans and wants to help them get on the show, too. After much difficulty she is accepted to perform on the show and is not given such a hard time. Then later she is sent to jail for helping her African Americans friends protest segregation, but then she breaks free and in the end the African Americans are able to dance on the show also.
I [Zea] guest ushered for this performance, which means that I stand by the doorways to the theater and offer to show people to their seats, and then hand them programs. The great thing about guest ushering is that you get to see the show for free. Hairspray was a sold out show, not surprisingly, but there were a few empty seats, which meant that I could sit down to watch the play instead of standing along the side of the theater. Ushering is a pretty good deal, because you only have to do minimal work and can then see whatever show you usher at for free.
This show is sad in some ways but the message is an important and quite valid one. What’s more, the actors all had strong voices and played their parts to the best of their abilities. The music, while not extraordinary, fit very well to the play and was obviously very well rehearsed. The dancing made up for what the music lacked. It was wonderful! All of the dancers were energetic and talented, and the costuming was good as well. All in all, Hairspray was a very enjoyable performance, and viewers would definitely recommend it to others.
By Zea Eanet and Emily Winslow
SUMMER!
Sitting here, I can tell you're itching to go outside, play soccer, swim perhaps. Well if that doesn't spark your interest then just saying the word SUMMER might! In fact, going outside for little tidbits during “wellness” might just be the highlight of your day. When the day starts off sunny I know I would much rather be outside running up a mossy hill. I’d want to be flopping down in the grass that tickles the back of my neck and brings the summer smell with it. When children are are learning their ABC’s they secretly want to be sitting in the shade of an old tree playing with miniature figurines.
Unlike winter when people want to curl up by a warm fire and take a nap, they now want to sit outside reading with a picnic of sandwiches and homemade ice cream. The warm summer nights allow flowers to bloom and draw animals to the warmth of New England again. If you’re lucky you might just see some baby ducks on a pond or birds being fed in a nest.
Parents love to hear the sound of their children playing tag among the lush green ferns in the yard. Fiddleheads can be found and cooked to make delicious side salads made to perfection. The feel of grass under feet feels as soft as clouds after a long winter. Baseball starts and sporty boys and girls have once again something to talk about. Thinking about it, summer seems like paradise just out of grasp.
Sitting here, or looking out the window during math is not so satisfying. You can almost hear the sounds of summer. The rushing river and its rapids beckon you. Perhaps you remember a water slide at a park or a small neighborhood pool. For others it's the sound of a trickling stream-end watering hole. For many it's a small pool of water where the river stops rushing. It’s the place your uncle took you and your cousin to try your first swing off a big pile of rocks on a rope swing.
“SUMMER! When will it start? Tell me now! I want summer!” is what you say. Your teacher questions you about your sudden outburst. Now you're back, sitting in your classroom wishing it were summer. I have but one piece of advice for you. You won’t like it, but here it is: Summer will be more rewarding after the long wait!
By Emily Winslow
Unlike winter when people want to curl up by a warm fire and take a nap, they now want to sit outside reading with a picnic of sandwiches and homemade ice cream. The warm summer nights allow flowers to bloom and draw animals to the warmth of New England again. If you’re lucky you might just see some baby ducks on a pond or birds being fed in a nest.
Parents love to hear the sound of their children playing tag among the lush green ferns in the yard. Fiddleheads can be found and cooked to make delicious side salads made to perfection. The feel of grass under feet feels as soft as clouds after a long winter. Baseball starts and sporty boys and girls have once again something to talk about. Thinking about it, summer seems like paradise just out of grasp.
Sitting here, or looking out the window during math is not so satisfying. You can almost hear the sounds of summer. The rushing river and its rapids beckon you. Perhaps you remember a water slide at a park or a small neighborhood pool. For others it's the sound of a trickling stream-end watering hole. For many it's a small pool of water where the river stops rushing. It’s the place your uncle took you and your cousin to try your first swing off a big pile of rocks on a rope swing.
“SUMMER! When will it start? Tell me now! I want summer!” is what you say. Your teacher questions you about your sudden outburst. Now you're back, sitting in your classroom wishing it were summer. I have but one piece of advice for you. You won’t like it, but here it is: Summer will be more rewarding after the long wait!
By Emily Winslow
Periodical Story
Ever since she was five, Elizabeth had only had one dream. The same dream, over and over, for eight years, ever since her father’s funeral.
She was only five at the time, so most of it was pretty hazy, but one event, with the lady in black, stood out in perfect detail. They played some sad funeral music on an organ and lowered her father’s empty coffin into the freshly dug grave. It was empty because her father was only missing and presumed dead, so his body had never been found. Lots of people said nice things about her father, how he was so funny and charismatic and how they would miss him so much now that he was gone. Her mother cried. She didn’t. At the time, Elizabeth didn’t understand that this meant she would never see her father again.
After all that, Elizabeth remembered, a tall, thin woman, all in black, with black hair scraped up into a bun had approached her.
“Elizabeth Annabelle Turner,” she said, not a question but a statement of fact.
“Um,” Elizabeth stammered.
The lady seemed to take this as a yes, because she said “Good. And I’m sorry about this.” After that, there was nothing. Her memories of the funeral ended there. In her mind, that was all that there had ever been of her father’s funeral.
When she asked her mom, she said that Elizabeth could never have spoken with the lady in black, because she was holding her hand throughout the entire funeral, and all the way back to their car.
But Elizabeth knew that it had happened. She had never been more sure of anything in her entire life. And, as if that wasn’t strange enough, there was the business of the dream. The night after the funeral, Elizabeth had it for the first time.
She found herself at a crossroads. No signs, nothing on the sides of the gray stone paths except blackness. It was as if the paths were floating in deep space. She walked forward, always forward, along the path straight ahead. When she looked forward, along the path, she could see no end to it. She walked, and she walked. As she walked, she looked down at her feet. They were the only part of the dream that ever changed. As she grew older, her feet grew too. The first time she had the dream, she had the feet of a five-year-old, but as she aged, six, seven, eight, and now, thirteen, her feet grew with her.
She walked. This part of the dream was frightening, almost nightmarish. She could never look away from her feet and the gray, smooth stone passing by under them, but she could hear. Growls and whispers and claws scraping over stone. Heavy footsteps, quiet at first, but louder and louder until they seemed to be right behind her. Then, the rasping of metal on metal, and, just as she began to feel warm breath on her neck the gray stone beneath her feet changed to soft, springy grass and she found she could look up.
She was in a huge meadow. There was nothing but meadow, all around her, for miles. The meadow was beautiful, green, late spring grass dotted with white and purple flowers. There were bees buzzing quietly from flower to flower, and brightly colored butterflies, splashed of paint against the green.
The sky was blue, that perfect, never-ending blue of the summer sky, with a few cotton candy clouds of a pristine white. There was an eagle, a black silhouette, wheeling high up in the blue. A blue-jay flew over to Elizabeth and made one circle around her, as if looking to see what she was, before flying away.
Somehow she sensed that this was a place in some way untouchable, that this meadow had looked and would look like this forever, no matter what happened to it. She took a step forward, and looked back to see no sign that her foot had ever rested anywhere else than where she stood, no crushed flowers or bent down blades of grass. Everything was as serene and undisturbed as before.
She looked up, straight ahead, and saw the tall, thin figure of a woman walking towards her. She had no doubt that this was the lady in black from the funeral. And then the dream was over, and she woke up, to a new day.
. . .
Written by Zea Eanet
She was only five at the time, so most of it was pretty hazy, but one event, with the lady in black, stood out in perfect detail. They played some sad funeral music on an organ and lowered her father’s empty coffin into the freshly dug grave. It was empty because her father was only missing and presumed dead, so his body had never been found. Lots of people said nice things about her father, how he was so funny and charismatic and how they would miss him so much now that he was gone. Her mother cried. She didn’t. At the time, Elizabeth didn’t understand that this meant she would never see her father again.
After all that, Elizabeth remembered, a tall, thin woman, all in black, with black hair scraped up into a bun had approached her.
“Elizabeth Annabelle Turner,” she said, not a question but a statement of fact.
“Um,” Elizabeth stammered.
The lady seemed to take this as a yes, because she said “Good. And I’m sorry about this.” After that, there was nothing. Her memories of the funeral ended there. In her mind, that was all that there had ever been of her father’s funeral.
When she asked her mom, she said that Elizabeth could never have spoken with the lady in black, because she was holding her hand throughout the entire funeral, and all the way back to their car.
But Elizabeth knew that it had happened. She had never been more sure of anything in her entire life. And, as if that wasn’t strange enough, there was the business of the dream. The night after the funeral, Elizabeth had it for the first time.
She found herself at a crossroads. No signs, nothing on the sides of the gray stone paths except blackness. It was as if the paths were floating in deep space. She walked forward, always forward, along the path straight ahead. When she looked forward, along the path, she could see no end to it. She walked, and she walked. As she walked, she looked down at her feet. They were the only part of the dream that ever changed. As she grew older, her feet grew too. The first time she had the dream, she had the feet of a five-year-old, but as she aged, six, seven, eight, and now, thirteen, her feet grew with her.
She walked. This part of the dream was frightening, almost nightmarish. She could never look away from her feet and the gray, smooth stone passing by under them, but she could hear. Growls and whispers and claws scraping over stone. Heavy footsteps, quiet at first, but louder and louder until they seemed to be right behind her. Then, the rasping of metal on metal, and, just as she began to feel warm breath on her neck the gray stone beneath her feet changed to soft, springy grass and she found she could look up.
She was in a huge meadow. There was nothing but meadow, all around her, for miles. The meadow was beautiful, green, late spring grass dotted with white and purple flowers. There were bees buzzing quietly from flower to flower, and brightly colored butterflies, splashed of paint against the green.
The sky was blue, that perfect, never-ending blue of the summer sky, with a few cotton candy clouds of a pristine white. There was an eagle, a black silhouette, wheeling high up in the blue. A blue-jay flew over to Elizabeth and made one circle around her, as if looking to see what she was, before flying away.
Somehow she sensed that this was a place in some way untouchable, that this meadow had looked and would look like this forever, no matter what happened to it. She took a step forward, and looked back to see no sign that her foot had ever rested anywhere else than where she stood, no crushed flowers or bent down blades of grass. Everything was as serene and undisturbed as before.
She looked up, straight ahead, and saw the tall, thin figure of a woman walking towards her. She had no doubt that this was the lady in black from the funeral. And then the dream was over, and she woke up, to a new day.
. . .
Written by Zea Eanet
Featured YWP article
Three Children’s Classics
This contains a brief summary and review of three children’s classics.
1) The Once and Future King by T.H. White
2) Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
3) The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
This is the story of King Arthur, from his childhood to the end of his life and everything in-between.
This is wonderful, as long as you don’t mind the fact that it’s 639 pages. T.H White is a masterful storyteller, developing the characters and subtly making you sympathize with and even like them, so that you cheer at their victories or feel sadness at their deaths. The sensory detail is amazing, surrounding you with the sights and smells of Camelot. This book is a great read for anyone fascinated with or curious about the story of King Arthur.
Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
This is a book about three children who find a manuscript in the old house of a family friend who they are staying with on holiday, telling of the existence of an ancient British artifact, which they then go looking for.
This book is very fun. It’s a pretty light story which revolves around three siblings having an adventure while on vacation. Over Sea, Under Stone is a good read, especially for someone who loves adventure. It’s also part of a series, The Dark is Rising Sequence, that includes The Dark is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree. I would definitely recommend this book, as well as the rest of the series.
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
This is the story of a prince and a pauper who accidentally switch and how they try to get back to their proper places.
This is a very good book. While most of the dialogue is in a later form of Old English it is not very hard to decipher and after only reading for a short time you get used to it. While reading, you become so immersed in the world of the prince and the pauper that you can almost see the rolling hills in the countryside and the gaudy costumes of the lords and ladies in the king’s court. It’s a relatively quick read, and quite enjoyable, although it does have its dull moments. This book is good for pretty much anyone who likes to read, and even if you don’t, chances are you’ll still enjoy it.
Written by Zea Eanet
1) The Once and Future King by T.H. White
2) Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
3) The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
This is the story of King Arthur, from his childhood to the end of his life and everything in-between.
This is wonderful, as long as you don’t mind the fact that it’s 639 pages. T.H White is a masterful storyteller, developing the characters and subtly making you sympathize with and even like them, so that you cheer at their victories or feel sadness at their deaths. The sensory detail is amazing, surrounding you with the sights and smells of Camelot. This book is a great read for anyone fascinated with or curious about the story of King Arthur.
Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
This is a book about three children who find a manuscript in the old house of a family friend who they are staying with on holiday, telling of the existence of an ancient British artifact, which they then go looking for.
This book is very fun. It’s a pretty light story which revolves around three siblings having an adventure while on vacation. Over Sea, Under Stone is a good read, especially for someone who loves adventure. It’s also part of a series, The Dark is Rising Sequence, that includes The Dark is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree. I would definitely recommend this book, as well as the rest of the series.
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
This is the story of a prince and a pauper who accidentally switch and how they try to get back to their proper places.
This is a very good book. While most of the dialogue is in a later form of Old English it is not very hard to decipher and after only reading for a short time you get used to it. While reading, you become so immersed in the world of the prince and the pauper that you can almost see the rolling hills in the countryside and the gaudy costumes of the lords and ladies in the king’s court. It’s a relatively quick read, and quite enjoyable, although it does have its dull moments. This book is good for pretty much anyone who likes to read, and even if you don’t, chances are you’ll still enjoy it.
Written by Zea Eanet