Seeing as I love to collect medals, and have some frustration searching for games or movies with them included, I've decided to come up with a definitive list of games and movies with medals. They're listed in alphabetical order:

A Bad Taste of Pico
A Small Favor
Alkie Kong 2
Another Small Favor
Armored Ashura
Barbarian Bob (remake)
Bomb Diggity
Brawl Royal
Bunny Invasion: Easter
Castle Crashing The Beard
Cave of Wonders
D-Day Defender
Da Pink Knight
Dad Game
Darnell's Recount Beatdown
Deliver That Fulp
Domo-Kun's Angry Smashfest!
Doom Triple Pack
Drop The Bomb
Enigmata
Epic Battle Fantasy 1 and 2
Epic War 3
In Utero
It's A Nice Day Today
Lightbot
Madness Regent
Mecha Dress Up Game
Medieval Rampage
Newgrounds Pass 3
Newgrounds Rumble
OCD+
Pico Blast
Pilgrimage
Pirate Golf Adventure
Portal Defenders
Red Moon
Runes of Shalak
Seed of Destruction
Spewer
Stamper's Quest For Fags
Stickya Adventurya
Street Fighter Collab
Super China Sweatshop Mastar
The Classroom 3
Thing Thing Arena 3
Tiananmen Square
Toss the Turtle
Trick-or-Treat Adventure

With the noted exception of OCD+ I have some or all of the medals for the above submissions. If there's any games or movies with medals that I've missed please mail me with their names (preferably links to the entry or entries). Hopefully this helps my fellow medal hunters...

I was re-reading my first post on the influences that have impacted both me personally and my writing and I started to think about music. Music is also a huge part of my writing (if I'm having trouble with writer's block good music always gets me over it) and I wanted to share another top ten list. The 10 artists/songs that have impacted me the most.

Note: I listen to all kinds of music so I'll include the genre of music to better clarify each song (Song/Artist/Genre/Comment).

10. White Lines (Don't Do It)---Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five---Old School Hip-Hop: I actually like this song more than The Message. It has an infectious beat and is more subtle with the problems it addresses i.e. Cocaine Abuse. Very important and influential for its time but still a good track today.
9. God of Thunder (Live Version)---KISS---Classic Rock: One of the few times Gene Simmons gets the microphone and one of the best songs period. He literally sounds like a spawn of hell near the end but then comes back to himself. A definite headbanger of an anthem that teaches us one thing...real demons don't screech, they roar.
8. How Blue Can You Get?---Louisiana Gator Boys---Blues: New Orleans may be the blues classic that gets the crowd in Blues Brothers 2000 going into a frenzy but this song takes them to the genre's roots. The end of the song where B.B. King is telling Koko just what he's done for her is relatable by anyone who's had their heart broken after giving everything they had. Classic.
7. Reptile's Theme---Buckethead---Asian Style Techno: Most people who watched the semi-successful movie Mortal Kombat remember the Buckethead track playing when Goro was pwning everyone but this one is the best track in the movie and the perfect instrumental for a war between great warriors of near-equal skill. When Jackie Chan passes away and he has to fight Bruce Lee to get inside Martial Arts Heaven this will be the music playing in the background.
6. Peaches---Presidents of the United States of America---Alternative: Sometimes a song doesn't have to be serious to be good and that's where this great track comes in (and if you like Ninjas watch the music video).
5. Sweet Victory---David Glen Eisley---Classic Rock: Most people know this song because of the Spongebob Squarepants episode Band Geeks but I was listening to this back when Survivor's Eye of the Tiger was a big deal and wondered why that was. This song tops 'Tiger' in the 'Inspirational Fight Song' category by a large margin. Of course nothing will stand over We Are The Champions but that's another debate entirely.
4. No More Tears---Ozzy Osbourne---Hard Rock: Don't Ever Wanna Stop was the first step in the Prince of Darkness' return to glory but this song cemented it with authority. And, if you dig deep enough, it can be surprisingly inspiring. But then again most Ozzy songs have a lot of intelligence in them if you're willing to listen to them a few times...

And here's the top three:

3. Du Riescht So Gut---Rammstein---German Hard Rock: It's catchy enough to fool you into thinking it's tame but it's still classic Rammstein and I love every second of it. This, Ich Will, Sehnsucht, and Mein Teil are songs I listen to constantly. One final note: I've always thought that if Raven (Teen Titans) ever decided to play Guitar Hero/Rock Band she'd have a lot of fun playing this song...and it'd fool Starfire into thinking that the song was a fun and harmless tune. How wrong she'd be...

2. Victory---Puff Daddy feat. Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes---Rap: Its' music video has an epic feel, with Dennis Hopper's cameo being a great touch, but the song by itself gives you the feeling of being on a journey of sorts. It's Biggie's Smalls true swan song and the personification of everything he was and just how big of an icon he was in Rap Music. But even they can't top the group from Shaolin...

1. Triumph---Wu-Tang Clan---Rap

AND

Hip Hop Is Dead---Nas---Rap

The first hip-hop anthem in this first place tie has a video that is a perfect representation of just how dominating Wu, and hip-hop was, in the 90's. It's also, in my humble opinion, one of the last really unique tracks to come out by one of the last really unique Rap groups. With cookie cutter rappers and the same (ass, drugs, wealth, all about me, and busting caps) tracks week after week this is a reminder of what rap should be...and can be again. The second track is all about what I just said from one of the most intelligent MC's in the business. His flows make you think and finding those who carry on this legacy nowadays is a tough assignment (Del the Funky Homosapian is one such individual).

If you want rap greatness en masse pick up any Wu-Tang Clan album (preferably their first salvo of greatness i.e. 36 Chambers). If you want it in just one individual then go with Nas (or Tupac Shakur if you're down with the West Coast).

That's my list. If you have an opinion, or want to engage in a friendly debate about my list choices please message me. The honor would be all mine.

This is my first news post and I hope to add to these as time goes on.

The topic is influences:

For about three years, I've been writing an ongoing series on fanfiction.net called 'The Prower Chronicles' and my writing has been influenced by several individuals including a few on this site. This week's news post is dedicated to the following ten people/works who have, in one way or another, influenced my writing career and the body of material that has sprung from it.

10. Art Spiegleman (Maus I and II among many other works).His stories have many enduring qualities but the one that struck me the most was how well he could layer emotions in his characters. Art's dad in Maus shows so much from so little. The scene in the second book where his prejudices against an African-American come out speaks volumes: he may have went through the holocaust but, like all of us, he's still prone to the same mistakes and failures as anyone else.
9. Hayao Miyazaki (Castle In The Sky, Spirited Away, among other great anime movies)---Miyazaki-san shares similar qualities with Art but his movies and the deep emotional impact of the music in them has always leaped at me. No matter who you are, how old, race, nationality, etc. the music in his movies will touch you down to your soul. In writing my stories, I would often think of what music would best match the scene I was trying to paint. Then the music would inspire the scene itself. I have a feeling that Miyazaki-san did/does the same from time to time.
8. Seinfeld---A strange influence, granted, but the way the show could take the most insignificant life events and make them compelling (building upon the people directly involved while connecting the dots) influenced me when I was left with the same dilemna in my stories. How do I make every part of what's going on in my character's lives matter to the reader? A question I asked myself many times and one Seinfeld helped me answer more often than not.
7. Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes---Their classic feud was almost more about the story being told than their actual matches (and Dusty's matches with other members of the 4 Horseman + Magnum TA/Road Warriors and many others). Every move in the ring meant something and every promo felt so real and in your living room and Dusty especially gave you the feeling that he could be the neighbor next door working the 9 to 5 and Flair the guy sitting in the big office on the big side of town who is screwing with his paycheck and making his life hell. For my writing I took notes on how to balance the action in the story with what forces the characters to have conflict in the first place.
6. Alvin Earthworm (Newground's artist famous for 'Super Mario Bros. Z')---I've watched all of his entries in his famous series and I'm constantly influenced by his timing. A good example is when Mario/Luigi + Sonic/Shadow have to battle The Koopa Bros. and the Axem Rangers. Almost 90% of the episode consists of their fight for a lone Chaos Emerald and Emerald Radar when suddenly Mecha Sonic appears and singlehandedly takes them all to school. That moment when you see his back you know that two things have happened: one---business is about to pick up (sorry JR) and two---all of the fighting before his arrival means precisely dick. Great timing makes compelling and suspensful storytelling.
5. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance---I learned a lot about character development playing this game. In the game you have a direct affect over how close certain characters become. The best example is how Jill slowly comes to reject the prejudice against the Laguz race that she'd been taught for all of her young life and how she and Lethe, with your influence of course, come to better understand and accept each other as well as their different cultures. Their dialogue has a lot of depth for a video game story and serves to enhance the game's message well.
4. The Shawshank Redemption/Morgan Freeman---One of two live action movies and one of two actors that have influenced my writing to a great degree and it, as well as What Dreams May Come (hint, #3) both develop their characters and make you feel like their journey is your journey as well. Specifically, TSR helped you see the humanity in the character of Red even though you knew he was the quote 'only guilty man in Shawshank'. His release from prison is an afterthought, his freedom came much earlier in the movie. Mr. Freeman always brings depth and feeling to the roles he plays and I always come away with an intangable connection to them...even when he played God. I know I'd force an annoying critic to try my job if they wouldn't shut up about how much I sucked.
3. What Dreams May Come/Robin Williams---Not everyone knows about this movie but I pretty much ripped the trip to hell and the reasons for it out of the movie and slapped it into my story (before making the changes necessary to make Miles Prower's/Cosmo's experience unique to them). Robin Williams couldn't have done a better job playing the father who cannot let his soulmate go. In a way he commits suicide himself because both he and his wife refuse to live a life without each other even if they have to live it in complete depravity. Robin's been more hit and miss with his movies but when he gets it right...he reaches a plane that not many actors can touch. (Jim Carrey is the same way, I think.)
2. Rick Martin (Primal Wars/Primelord) The other Newgrounds artist that has had a huge impact on my writing, I've defended him many times in reviews alongside people who couldn't understand that you don't always need Grade-A artwork/graphics/sound to tell a great story and sometimes the above just gets in the way and dilutes the point of the series to begin with. Such is the case with Primal Wars which, after having watched Episode 19 today, is the main reason I wanted to do this post. His artwork is rough and simplistic which underscores the themes of the series: a battle between a kingdom of dinosaurs/lizards and a kingdom of various beasts. His vision is personified, or should I say anthromorphicized, by the white gorilla with no name. A classic throwback to lone samurai flicks and Clint Eastwood (a great tale between him and Akira Kurosawa's influence back and forth in its own right). He comes out of nowhere, kicks a lot of ass, takes a lot of beatings but always gets up to dish out more, and silently speaks volumes about the noble cause of the beasts. Added to this is the character of the Leia-like princess discovering her destiny and her evil counterpart Naca both of whom become the leaders of their kingdoms via the death of their kings. A must watch for any student wanting to know how to tell a great story in its purest form.
1. Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo) The best storyteller, in his medium, today. Right up there with Spiegleman, Will Eisner, and Stan Lee/Jack Kirby. His stories are part Samurai Epic, part history lesson, part romantic tale, part mythology, and engrossing as hell. Using the simplest and most detailed of lines, Stan could throw out all the dialogue (which he almost did when Usagi and Tomoe enjoyed a traditional Japanese tea ceremony in Vol. 22) and still leave you wanting more. And his research into every detail of 1600's Japan is legendary and it shows with every breathtaking panel. If he were ever a movie director, I swear...

Notable mention: Scott McCloud
I can't tell you how many times I checked out his books on comic design and history (Understanding Comics, Reinvinting Comics, and the like). I own a copy of Will Eisner's 'Comics and Sequential Art' just because he said it was a must read. Even though I don't write/draw comics but fanstories (hopefully one day books), there is so much knowledge to be gleaned from his extensive study of comics and the art of storytelling that translates especially in the age of graphic novels around now. I felt like I had taken a college class without even trying. His books and 'Alice In Sunderland' might envoke a new way to learn (it isn't really new if you count manuals and posters using sequential art to teach/instruct)
Why is he not on the list?
Two reasons: One, I haven't read his comic 'Zoot' and if I do I might have to adjust the list. The other is because some of his ideas can't readily be applied to the writing I do (since I don't draw comics or animation and can't draw well period). But he would definitely be #11 in a top 20 with Marjane Satrapi, Shigeru Miyamoto, Isaac Asimov, and Machiavelli not far behind :P