A Brief History of
Shrine
-The BEFORE Portrait-
(that is, what I set
out to prepare.)
My pack-rat mentality likely eliminates the necessity
of this section. Every update log I have ever composed is still accessible in
one way or another (though I did miss one in February of ‘98). However, summer
being in full swing, I feel appreciably more whimsical than I have for some
time. The other day, I stopped on the way home from a walk to roll around on a
baseball diamond (maturity is not the cessation of certain actions, but an
understanding of why one wants to act in certain ways).
Following that
spontaneity out a bit farther (though not to its logical culmination, which
would be “complete insanity”), I have decided to compile all the major events of
this site’s history (including many prior to its beginning) as a quick reference
for those with an interest in historiography.
*Aside.* Right --
somebody’s going to write a book about this site. I’m still hoping it might show
up on Headline News one of these days, but I imagine that kind of notoriety
demands bomb-making instructions.
Well, you may want to look at this, if
only to supply me with some gratification for my rigorous work (“rigorous” in
that I couldn’t buy off the kid next door to do it for me, that is. He’s ten,
though, so he probably can’t write with any great fluidity. I guess everything
worked out for the best.)
-Prehistory-
(note:
“Prehistory” refers to anything pertinent to the site and/or the way I present
it that took place prior to my entry into cyberspace. This listing is founded on
the belief that every event influential to the environment in which I presently
live (and to my areas of interest) is relevant to the way I behave, and thus to
the site. It is equally plotted, however, on the fact that I seem to have been
possessed by Robin Williams.)
Approximately 5,000,000,000 BC: The Big Bang (presumably).
6th Century BC: Thespis brought to fruition the relevance of the
actor and, by inference, of drama itself.
465-409 BC: Sophocles wrote (123 plays in all), leading in large part
to the emergence of drama as a valid literary form.
c. 450-550 AD: Anglens and Saxons settled the isle of Great Britain.
1492 AD: Christopher Columbus reached the “New World”, spurring a
massive European migration to the continent.
1741-1752 AD: Henry Fielding wrote, leading in large part to the
emergence of the novel as a valid literary form.
1776 AD: By Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, the United
States proclaimed self-sovereignty.
January 14, 1784 AD: The Continental Congress ratified the Treaty of
Paris, ending the Revolution and establishing the United States as an
independent nation.
1787 AD: The Northwest Ordinance established a means of colonizing
the “Northwest Territory” -- in the boundaries of which I presently live.
c. 1798-1818: The prominent years of the Romantic movement in British
literature.
1833 AD: Charles Babbage began work on his “differential engine,” a
precursor to the modern calculator and computer. It was never completed
1836: The “Transcendental Club” was organized in Concord, MA by a
small group (which included Ralph Waldo Emerson.)
1838-1841 AD: Edgar Allan Poe wrote, leading in large part to the
emergence of the short story as a valid literary form.
October 16, 1854 AD: Oscar Wilde was born (this is only significant
because he has the same birthday as I -- his impact upon me notwithstanding.)
November, 1855 AD: The greatest epitaph ever written was inscribed on
the tombstone of Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. It read, “that
individual.”
April 9, 1865 AD: Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at
Appomattox, ending the Civil War and keeping the “vertical” boundaries (to
misuse the adjective) of the United States in their previous positions.
1890 AD: Oscar Wilde published The Picture of Dorian Gray.
1892-1895 AD: Oscar Wilde wrote numerous plays, including The
Importance of Being Earnest.
July 8, 1897 AD; 4:37 P.M. and 17 seconds: Oscar Wilde took a breath.
1920 AD: F. Scott Fitzgerald published This Side of Paradise,
effectively initiating himself into the literary world.
1920-1947 AD: Gandhi invoked the principles of nonviolence in his
campaign for Indian independence.
1936 AD: Jim Henson was born.
1956 AD: Allen Ginsberg published Howl, a precursor to the
“Hippie” movement.
1967 AD: The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club
Band.
December 8, 1980 AD: John Lennon was assassinated.
1981 AD: “The Muppet Show” was canceled.
February 20, 1989 AD: I bought my NES.
1990 AD: They Might Be Giants released Flood.
December 25, 1991 AD: I was given my SNES.
September, 1994 AD: Due South premiered.
October 10, 1994 AD: I bought Final Fantasy III, thereby
cementing my fascination with the Role-Playing genre.
-The Epoch of
DiefWolf-
(This era is defined primarily by my experience of the
online medium prior to the origin of the “Shrine.” I don’t think it’s necessary
for me to denote “AD” anymore.)
June, 1995: I made my inception into cyberspace, replete with a
love of Due South and a 2400-baud modem that might as well have
burst into flames every time I tried to sign on.
June-November, 1995: I rambled aimlessly around AOL,
downloading games (which took hours) and starting discussions about
Canadian white cheddar cheese in various chat rooms.
July, 1995: At the conclusion of the regional rounds of
Blockbuster Video’s “World Video Game Championship”, I found that I had
won a Store Championship (by default, albeit, but I won.)
August, 1995: I purchased Chrono Trigger, having read of
its glory in various magazines. It proved a disappointment (although the
Kingdom of Zeal gave an outlet to some of my philosophical impulses), and
I began seriously |
 |
doubting the
credibility of gaming periodicals.
December, 1995: I began frequenting Nintendo Power Source, initially
in the capacity of a visitor only.
February, 1996: I downloaded my first MIDIs, sparking a fascination
that endures to this day (although it began mainly because they were the only
files my slothful modem could process in a sane amount of time.)
March-June, 1996: I intermittently composed The Search for
Schala -- an absolutely horrid piece of fan fiction (well, it was a piece of
something, anyway) that may be the reason RPGamer created their “list of clichés
to avoid.”
April, 1996: Kupan contacted me regarding Schala and our
friendship came into being. At least one good thing resulted from that
abominable story.
May, 1996: Sufficiently irate with the direction of the gaming
market, I wrote my satirical “GamePro” (the “R” was printed backwards) --
depicting the editors and readers as stupid to the point of illiteracy, obsessed
with Doom and Mortal Kombat III, and otherwise fixated upon blood.
It was a self-righteous endeavor, I admit, but it was fun *Dief dons a
silly grin*
June, 1996: After the failure of the HTML-based version, I organized
“RPGA” -- a “who-would-win-in-a-fight” poll featuring characters from various
popular RPGs -- via e-mail.
July, 1996: If I were made to choose a single moment to which to
ascribe my “NES Renaissance”, this would be the closest I could name. The full
experience was somewhat more gradual, honestly speaking.
August, 1996-February, 1997: I continued hoarding MIDIs.
June, 1997: I replaced my 486, and thusly the modem that proved such
a thorn in my side (I thought buying a new one unnecessary.)
-The Homepage Era-
Late June, 1997: “DiefWolf’s Homepage” was created, principally
because it was raining and I could not play golf. The only factor worth
remembering was the Johnny Five background.
Late August, 1997: Ambling in search of MIDIs, I happened upon the
Game Music Ring, which led me to The Ninja Gaiden Homepage. Further searching
took me to 8 Bits of Power! (which no longer exists), where I discovered a
wealth of people who shared my alternating disillusionment and sentimentality.
September, 1997: I abjured “DiefWolf’s Homepage.” No tears were shed
over the matter, as nobody other than myself ever visited it.
October, 1997-January, 1998: I continued visiting NES sites.
October 1, 1997: “The End Day”, according to Crystalis.
January 10, 1998:
The NES Enshrined made its inception onto the NES web scene -- introduced
by a graphic I stole from Square Net.
January 11, 1998: I composed the site’s first review -- all of five
lines long. Those of the present day are often that many pages in length.
February 15, 1998: The site was for the first time exposed to the
rest of the NES scene in the form of a link on 8-Bit Nostalgia! (this was when
“8N!” was updated with some semblance of regularity.)
March, 1998: Andrew Vestal resigned his webmastery of Square Net. Not
long after, I stopped visiting it. Somehow, I don’t think they miss me.
April 4, 1998: The NES MIDI Library first appeared.
July 3, 1998: I posted the NES Media section.
July 15, 1998: After raining on the 4th of July with a brooding,
whiny proposal of self-betterment, I declared a “New Era” of review quality --
beginning it with the evaluation I to this day consider its worst.
September 27, 1998: Taking a hint from Connolly and Cord (to say
nothing of my “review-a-month” mindset), I posted a compilation of Abridged
Reviews.
November 10-11, 1998: At some point between these two days, the
“Shrine” recorded its 10,000th hit.
January 10, 1999: One year in subsequence of my opening declaration
that the site would not last two months, The NES Enshrined celebrated its
first birthday.
February 7, 1999: At no grander instigation than a sudden urge, I
expanded the site’s topic by composing over forty SNES Abridged Reviews.
March 14, 1999: “The Stump” was unveiled.
April, 1999: I do not recall exactly when, but at some point in this
month the site received its 20,000th hit.
Mid-April, 1999: The Day of Lavos (somewhere).
June 9, 1999: This section was completed.
Later on June 9, 1999: I lost my train of thought.
Approximately 5,000,000,000 BC: The Big Bang..........
Somewhere in there, my bond with Tim Connolly went from correspondence
to bona fide friendship, but it was too gradual for me to commit it to a certain
time.
-The AFTER Portrait-
Well................
You know, despite the fervent mockery with which “going overboard” is
usually regarded, being overboard is not so unpleasant.
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Enshrined
