One Japan-only tip: Bring a lot of cash, and/or memorize where the closest international ATM is to where you’re staying (Usually Citibank). It’s changed a _little_ over the years, but they are a predominantly cash country. And unless you’re getting hammered in shady clubs in Roppongi, don’t worry about needing a money…

The wifi tip is great, but I’d add one note that not all countries you’d expect to have prevalent wifi do. It’s gotten better since my first trip in 2009, but Japan has a surprising paucity of decent, free wifi compared to, say, South Korea.

Rolexes? Rolices? Listen I know Rolexes is right but that doesn’t mean I like it.

FINALLY, the Labo flapping bird!!!!! VR ShmeeR, I gotta get that baby flappin’!

If you’re all about that Jean Valjean shit, may I suggest the halloween episode of Power Rangers (Trick or Treat) in which Skull is rocking that getup:

“Eightnt” us?

Here’s to hoping they go all in and deem 2020 the Year of Bowser. 

Update: Thanks to the power of reddit, I was able to track down the cutscene I actually remembered. Turns out it was C&C:

I know it’s hilariously lame in retrospect, but the violent abruptness of this scene from Command and Conquer 1 scared the ever living shit out of me as a kid:

Free tickets for kids _without_ free guaranteed seat assignment together is gonna make for some wild flights.

Shout out to all my fellow Colorado Springs 90s kids who saw this at the Boardwalk USA arcade. I remember ogling this thing constantly.

Dr. Fatbody’s run is def an all time fave for me. Hilarious, so much hype, and I am overjoyed to see someone from my home town representing.

I’m way late to the party, but I’m gonna throw in my favorite prep which has become a whole different ball game now that I have an Instant Pot. Please note, my baseline for comparison is my favorite junky Japanese fast food: CoCo curry at a heat level of 3. Different strokes for different folks, but that’s the target…

I’m not even that old (early 30s) but I started dating my spouse riiiiight before ubiquitous camera phones became a thing and I’m unsure whether it’s a good or bad thing that I missed out on, like, a decade of nude exchanges as a customary dating ritual.

Ha if your bookcases say a lot about you, don’t look to close at the Carlton Mellick III section of my personal library. A friend from college gave them to me to hold on to for them, I swear!

I freaking loved Dr. Fatbody’s run. So much fun... Real nice to see someone from my hometown of Colorado Springs representing speedrunning and putting up one hell of a run.

I’m right at the end of the last few missions of RDR2, so I might finish it off if I have time. I’ve... enjoyed that game, but unless some bananas ass shit happens, it feels to me very much like prequel-itis inasmuch as, like, we all went in the game knowing roughly where things end up to set up the first game, and…

I played Katamari when I was sick a few weeks ago and overall it was a fun choice, HOWEVER, the music and gameplay got me _so jazzed_ that I would need to take breaks because it was weirdly exhausting.

Ha, we less have a dedicated lair and more an unfinished basement and tables tall enough that our kid can’t reach them (yet). But that is pretty much what I end up doing (i.e. Build it, appreciate it for a bit, tear it down, then sit on it til it’s worth selling).

And to add to what the other responder said, “Tomato” is Clyde Mandelin, the author of the article this links to. It is a spectacular translation and well worth your time. If you _really_ wanna go down the rabbit hole, he has written a few great books on game translations as well (I gave Amazon links, if they’re sold…