The sub 19, and the end of Ninja Turtles

Welcome back! Thanks for stopping in! It’s great to see you.

The last time we checked in, I talked about setting up one final Turtles in Time speedrun goal - a final time of under 19 minutes.

Yesterday, nine days into the post-vacation sub-19 effort, I completed what I feel will be my final Ninja Turtles run for a long while. It’s an 18:57.

If you want to watch the final run, here’s a Youtube link:

https://youtu.be/bbDX5VAR_4Y

It is a moment of mixed feelings. It has been a great ride playing Turtles. I know I could get closer to the world record than I am, but I am also happy with what I’ve done and excited to move on to a new project.

Thank you Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time. You have helped me see a new path forward. You reminded me that competition can be healthy. It can be different than capitalism, despite their many overlaps. You have guided me to people I’ve grown to both like and befriend. You have also guided me to people I dislike and avoid, but who nonetheless make up the fabric of an interesting, challenging, and more-fulfilling world. A more-fulfilling life.

Today starts the beginning of a new project. Zombies Ate My Neighbors. I joined the discord server and have started thumbing through the many guides and tutorials they have there. Maps of all 55 levels. Which enemies do the most damage? Which neighbors are the most fragile? Looking through all of this material I am about to start absorbing really makes me smile. Just like the season moves from summer to fall, just like the college kids moving back in for a new year, my life has a flow now. It’s learning time. Time to hit the books. There’s another mountain to climb, and a whole new cast of characters hanging out on the trail. Let’s do this.