Articles written by Esmeralda Draic

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About me - Esmeralda Draic

I write on rare, cult and just plain weird films, classic PC games, and various random computer-related topics.

Having worked in IT tech support since the early 1990s, I enjoy anything computer-related and techie. I particularly enjoy classic Sci Fi movies

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Hobbies & Games > Video Game Culture & Community Growing older and still playing video games: 1 of 49
I think the notion of there even being any question as to whether one should still play video games as one grows older, can only come from those who have never played video games themselves. For those of us who are gamers, age just isn't an issue. Enjoying being a gamer is a state of mind, not an indication of one's chronol... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Reviews Evaluating the worst video games: 1 of 18
Evaluating the Worst Video Games Well, where do you even begin. There have been so many terrible games, across all platforms, that it would require a book, not an article, to list and evaluate them all. So here I'm restricting it to the Top Five that came the most immediately to mind for me. 1. DAIKATANA (PC, 2000)I'd... More..
Computers & Technology > Operating Systems Is Windows Vista worth the upgrade?: 5 of 44
Vista is Microsoft's latest version of Windows. It came along accompanied by enormous fanfare, with all sorts of wonderful promises being made by Microsoft about how fantastic it was going to be and how gorgeous it was going to look. Has it lived up to the hype? With a background of many years as an IT engineer, I upgraded o... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Trends & Genres Role models or eye candy? The portrayal of female video game characters: 3 of 24
Historically, the video games industry was originally seen as being by, for and about men. In particular, young men and all the extra testosterone that that entails. So, female characters that appeared in the earliest games were there simply as eye candy or in passive 'romantic interest' roles such as demure princesses whose... More..
Entertainment > TV Show Reviews TV show reviews: Mystery Science Theater 3000: 1 of 7
I absolutely love Mystery Science Theater 3000. I regret that I never got to see it when it was still running. Living in the UK and not having satellite TV, I had just vaguely heard of it but didn't know what it was until I finally stumbled across some episodes a few years ago on YouTube and Google Video. I was quickly hook... More..
Entertainment > Movie Reviews Movie reviews: Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008): 1 of 7
Starring:John Cho as Harold LeeKal Penn as Kumar PatelNeil Patrick Harris as himselfJames Adomian as George W. BushThis comedy film has had some pretty mixed reviews, mainly leaning more towards the negative than the positive. Having the sort of arrested-development juvenile sense of humour that I have, I enjoyed this wacky, ... More..
Entertainment > Movie Reviews Movie reviews: The Day the Earth Stood Still: 1 of 6
The Hour and Three-Quarters My Brain Stood Still Starring:Keanu Reeves as KlaatuJennifer Connelly as Helen BensonKathy Bates as Regina JacksonJaden Smith as Jacob BensonJohn Cleese as Professor BarnhardtThis review of the 2008 remake of the 1951 classic 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' is aimed at those who, like myself, have... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Reviews Video game reviews: The Sims 2 (PC): 4 of 21
The Sims 2 is the 2004 successor to the mega-hit 2000 'Life Simulator' game The Sims, developed by Maxis and published by EA Games. In The Sims 2, the characters are incredibly lifelike, much more so than they were in The Sims. The Sims 2 is a 3D game whereas the original game was only in 2D and had a fairly remote isometri... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Tips & Tricks Cheats for The Sims 2 (PC): 1 of 5
During normal gameplay in The Sims 2, sometimes you can get stuck. It could be something deadly serious, such as your Sims have run out of both food and the money to buy more at the same time and are going into Hunger Desperation, which will prove fatal if not attended to right away, or it could be something as mundane as si... More..
Hobbies & Games > Video Game Reviews Video game reviews: The Sims 2: FreeTime (PC): 1 of 5
'Free Time' is the seventh in the series of eight Expansion Packs for The Sims 2. This pack, which came out in February 2008, adds an array of new features and enhancements. The main new feature added by this pack is that of enabling your Sims to enjoy hobbies and other leisure time pursuits. Sims can now be 'creative' in va... More..