The Weekender's Memoir

Author: ferruvis

  • Trying To Make My Own Pet Mobile Game At Home

    Trying To Make My Own Pet Mobile Game At Home

    I’ve been brainstorming a video game of my own for so long. This dates back when I lost my career interest in becoming to be a bad-ass illustrator in comic books for Marvel and DC or even a manga artist in Japan.

    My Pet Game Concept

    I’m not going to hide my major influence for this video game. The game is called “Tamagotchi” and it was once a huge craze when I was a kid. It’s one of those core memories between me and my mother. When I was young, I kept nagging my mother buy me a Tamagotchi but she doesn’t want me to get addicted to it. When I persisted and she bought me my favorite toy…that’s when I knew my mother really loved me. Overall the theme of the game is Medieval Fantasy Pet Game.

    Sketching The UI Design

    Fantasy unicorn cat pencil drawing in sketchbook. My mobile video game early concept art.
    Look at that wonky looking cat. I used realistic cat reference and it turned out bad.

    First I started off with a really rough sketch with the layout of the user interface. I want the overall aesthetic of mobile pet video game to look really cute. The game will be Rated-E for everyone from young and old to play. It’s a game for all ages.

    On the top you see in-game icons like Home, Inventory Bag, Food & Water, and Hunting. In the bottom you’ll see Health, Food, and Water bars to monitor the survival of your digital pet. During the sketching period, I know the design isn’t what I really envisioned. It looks really weird since a realistic photo reference was used. Even for the icons, I’ve used references using Google Image Search.

    Laying Down The Ink

    Cartoon Unicorn Cat Ink Drawing On Sketchbook. Simple UI Design For Mobile Video Game.
    Toned down on the details but the cat drawing still doesn’t feel very lovable.

    I’ve redesigned the pet. Tried to make it more simple by inking with less details but I’m still not satisfied. I still don’t feel satisfied about the style that I’m going for. This was a tiring process to deal with. I really just wanted for this phase to finish.

    You can see how I wanted this to look like an American Cartoon with rounded eyes. Even made it to have a happy expression with a happy smile and tongues out. Also added a heart shaped fur on the chest yet everything still seems lacking something.

    Future Changes To The Design

    Since I’m not really satisfied of the Inking results of the initial sketch. I will surely try my best to make the design as cute as I can. I don’t feel the game will be loved by the masses. What needs to be done…is more brainstorming in the weekends.

  • Munch On The Spicy Sizzling Zapper From Orange Brutus

    Munch On The Spicy Sizzling Zapper From Orange Brutus

    What’s The Hype Behind Sizzling Zapper?

    Orange Brutus Sizzling Zapper meal plate with 1 rice, 2 crispy fried chicken fillets, gravy with veggies, and a drink
    I wouldn’t say this is their best to offer yet. I will need to improve my taste testing skills and gather more data and possibly make a blog post about ranking their menu. How about ‘Top 10 Food To Order In Orange Brutus’?

    This is probably one of the best products released by Orange Brutus Cebu. I’m an Orange Brutus Kid as I grew up eating in this fast food chain since my mother introduced me to this place. Ever since then, I’ve been a loyal customer.

    Do you guys know what’s best about Orange Brutus? They serve their food freshly cooked. Just like this Sizzling Zapper Fried Chicken that on a sizzling hot plate. It may not be obvious in this picture but in reality it was smoking hot.

    The flavor is indeed spicy but not hot. It does not burn your mouth as you get to enjoy the crispy fried chicken indulged in gravy. I’m not an expert in gastronomy but I’m pretty sure the secret spice is in the gravy.

    Price Of Sizzling Zapper By Orange Brutus In Cebu

    Orange Brutus menu featuring Sizzling Zapper and Zapper Burger that can be ordered with drinks or no drinks. It also includes toppings like cheese, egg, garlic & onions.
    Should I try the Zapper Burger next? They have lots of other great food in their menu.

    A very delicious Cebuano meal for a very affordable price of only Php 165 with drink of your choice (the one I ordered had Pepsi). You can also order the meal without drink for a price of only Php 140. You can have an additional Go Sizzling Delight for a price of only Php 40 with toppings extras like cheese, egg, garlic & green onions which sadly I didn’t opt for. Oh yeah, they also have their Zapper Burger which I will have to try later.

    The best reason why I always want to dine in at Orange Brutus is they deliver your order to your table. It’s because, here in the Philippines, most fast foods don’t deliver your order to your table but you have to pick it up at the counter. It’s a hassle when you have a lot of food on your pan walking to your table and accidents happen when customers bump into each other and drop their food. Ordering again will waste time.

    Crispy And Juicy Fried Chicken Swimming In Spicy Gravy

    Sizzling Zapper Fried Chicken Close Up Photo drenched in gravy with Spicy Flag and includes rice and veggies.
    “
    There are vegetables in the Sizzling Zapper but you tend not register the taste because the spices and the chicken tend to overlap with their flavor.”

    Wow, just…WOW. If you look closely, you can see it’s smoking hot. The presentation alone is so appetizing and sizzling. The tiny flag has always been a cute addition to fast food serving.

    The serving size of the Sizzling Zapper is good enough for the average Filipino to fill the stomach but for a bigger guy like me – I need two servings of Sizzling Zapper!

    Zoom shot of Spicy Crispy Fried Chicken Fillet Drowning In Gravy with Spicy Flag and veggies on a sizzling hot plate.
    That ‘spicy’ flag is kind of misleading. The meal isn’t really hot but it’s spicy. You don’t feel the pungency that much. Maybe it’s because I’m already used to eating spicy food.

    The secret spice is in the sauce. I can tell even though I’m not a gastronomic expert. The reason why this meal is drenched in gravy because all the spice is in there. Every time I chew, there’s just this sensation of heat spreading all around my tongue when the sauce is all over my oral cavity. I might be wrong but maybe next time I’ll try eating the crispy fried chicken without the gravy.

    Orange Brutus Meaty Chicken Is Not All Flour And Batter!

    Dissected Chicken Fillet shows meat that's cut in half. Lesser gravy but looks tasty.
    I cut these two fried chicken fillets in half with my spoon and fork. Removed as much gravy as I can just to show how much of chicken really is in there.

    This is clear evidence that the Sizzling Zapper isn’t just all flour and batter! It’s a delicious fried chicken fillet. When it’s your first time getting into Orange Brutus in Cebu specially when you’re a foreigner, I would recommend you order ‘Sizzling Zapper‘ as your first rice meal.