Once again it's time to put a star in our reasonably-priced car and this week was a bit of an ordeal, our originally intended star may have been killed. Killed by a Canadian, the very same Canadian that took our offer without hesitation - ladies and gentlemen, SlipZtrEm!
- First off your name, it's "SlipZtrEM", how on earth do you pronounce that?
The same way your tame racing driver pronounces just about anything, actually! In all seriousness, it's from my first dive into the internet pool back in '98; as a young kid, I valued uniqueness over all, so what was originally SlipStream289 (a reference to a top speed in a certain video game), it became this, causing any English teacher in a five mile radius to suck their teeth involuntarily whenever it's uttered. No, but really, just say "slipstream".
- Were you made fun of as a child with such a name?
People were quite compassionate when they thought I was just a terrible typist. When the story above came out... mercilessly.
- You obviously aren't British nor American, what kind of an accent is that?
According to a friend from Texas (one HondaKid86), I actually am minus an accent! I can always toss in a few eh's and aboot's if people are unsure of my location, though.
- Forza Motorsport 4, after spending such a short time with the previous game you've come in to 4 with what's possibly the most unbiased perspective - what are your thoughts on the game thus far and how it compares to others that you've played?
It's certainly been a different experience, a very enjoyable month. I never thought I'd drop the money on a new system for a single game (plus the associated other expenses), but if racing games are an acceptable hobby, I see no problem. What strikes me most is the handling, specifically the tire model - it feels so organic, and is so communicative, even on a pad, that I really feel Turn 10's single best decision with this game was forming a partnership with Pirelli. There's a real sense of automotive enthusiasm shot through the entire game, right from the get-go: every car is available to take for a test drive if you fancy, AutoVista is automotive porn to the
nth degree, and every single car can be tailored to your own personal tastes, utterly unique from anybody else's. It simulates the ownership experience better than anything I've played, without tying you down with the daily upkeep of real life.
- More on the topic of Forza, this time it's Photomode capabilities; how are you adjusting to that coming from Gra--that other game (We're not allowed to say that here without incurring the wrath of a certain company who doesn't like us)?
Oh, really? That's odd. It's... different. It's incredibly user-friendly in comparison, the slider approach meaning users only have to understand how each slider affects their images. The other game, you had to have a basic knowledge of cameras to really understand what you were changing, but as I've been playing with Nikons for a decade now, I felt much more at home with that. It is certainly more complex than what Forza offers, since you have so many more options, especially aspect ratios, image orientation, panning modes, and the AE Lock feature (when it decided to work).
- You're what's known as a "Super Moderator" here at Forza Planet, what can you tell us about that?
I can tell you the capes are made to measure, the donuts are made from the finest ingredients, and the yearly staff retreat involves a decommissioned space shuttle, a dump truck of those balls you find in McDonald's Playplaces, and the Pirelli calendar lineup of talent. I can't go into further detail.
- How are you liking it over here at Forza Planet?
It's a much less densely populated Planet, but that means a much closer-knit community, even in its infancy. People are very helpful to one another, and the site happily runs the same on any browser, something that seems a bit of a rarity in the Forza community.
- Moving away from that now, what's your daily driver?
Oh hello there. Actually, sometimes it's
this guy too, or
his much more punctual brother. I had an Integra a few years ago, but when I moved to Toronto for school, I didn't see the need for a car in such a big urban environment. I know, I am a bad car enthusiast, but it was school or wheels!
- What was it that sparked your interest for cars?
Oddly enough, it was Gran T... ow! Was that... was that a blow dart?
- Are you a racing fan at all, if so what are your favorite disciplines?
I rarely get to watch much these days, but I was always a fan of sports car racing over F1; probably because the cars resembled the ones I saw on the road.
The merger between the FIA and ACO really has me interested again, especially as more and more manufacturers are getting involved. While even harder to catch, things like GT4, DTM, and SuperGT all rank highly for me.
- Back to Forza for a second, is there anything that stands out to you more than anything else?
Rivals mode! A fantastic way to really tap into the competitive nature of every player, which should be an absolute priority in any racing game. My schedule precludes me from getting a lot of races in with friends, but Rivals mode is the next-best thing, since there's no hassle to download ghosts or search times.
- I hear you're a bit of an accomplished graphic artist, how'd you get into that?
It was an organic process, borne out of my love for drawing as a child. Getting into high school, a string of peace-loving, hippy art teachers turned me off the traditional medium, and that thing called the Internet was booming. I wanted to make uniquely designed websites, and that meant learning my way around Photoshop. It expanded into other things over the years, heading back towards traditional drawing a bit in the form of digital illustration, and typography is a massive interest to me now, but really, it all started at the age of five, because I wanted to work for Disney.
- You're Canadian, you're a lover of cars, and you're responsible for who stays and who doesn't here at this forum - now it's time to brighten up your life with the most incredible experience you'll ever have -- your lap. How was our car with it's ridiculously-stupid name?
It has ridiculously stupid tires, too. What are they made from, anyways? The limits are lower than expectations for a Michael Bay flick.
- Where do you think you've come?
I'm hoping for an upper-half finish. As long as I beat that kid Grint (Rupert, 1:45.5), I have no complaints. This was my first serious go at getting used to the clutch, so I'm glad the smell doesn't transfer over to the audience.
- Anything you'd like to say?
No, seriously, where'd this dart come from?