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Mario Kart 64/Controls

In Mario Kart 64, it is extremely important to be familiar with all controls, including skills such as cancelling bananas and slide turns.

Basic Controls

 * Accelerate/Gas (A button) - To accelerate, press and hold A. Holding A before Lakitu begins the race will make your kart spin. However, if you time it just right as the last light blinks, you will get a Mushroom boost and blast past everyone else.
 * Brake (B button) - Braking is important in courses like Kalamari Desert where you need to stop or risk crashing. You can also cancel slipping on a banana by pressing B just after you run over it. If you're fast enough, a music note will appear above your character's head and although you may lose some speed, you won't slip.
 * Steering (Analog) - Use the analog stick to steer. You can also slide steer by using the analog and the R button, which will be discussed below under.
 * Use Item (Z button/Down C button) - By hitting Z or Down C you can use a stored item that you have picked up. Single green and red shells, blue shells, single bananas and fake item bombs can be held behind your kart by holding Z/Down C (See ). When these items are held behind you, they provide a shield from attacks from behind, like turtle shells or other players ramming into you. (Note that doing this will not protect the first place player from getting hit by a Spikey Blue Shell.)
 * Jump (R button) - By pressing R, you can hop slightly as you're driving. It is possible to hop over bombs and bananas, but timing in those cases is very important. You also use the R button during.
 * Pause/Menu button (Start button) - Hit the start button to pause the race, change the course/driver or quit.
 * Camera change (Up C button) - You can move the camera farther back behind you, or back behind you using Up C.
 * Map change (Right C button) - Press Right C to cycle through the course map, spedometer and racer position map (rectangular progress bar). The course map is a small map in the lower right corner that shows your position and other racers' positions in relation to where they are on the course. The spedometer tells you how fast you're going in km/h. The racer position map is a colored box that borders the screen (in multi-player, it goes straight between the top and bottom halves of the screen) that has large icons of each racer and displays where they are in relation to each other much better than the course map. However, it does not identify players in the course "Yoshi's Valley" due to its paths' vagueness, where it shows question marks instead.
 * Music Volume control (L button) - You can lower the volume of the background music or turn it off using L.

The D-pad can be used in Mario Kart 64's menus, however, the analog can be used as well. Left C has no use.

Slide Steering
In Mario Kart 64, slide steering is an important skill to master. It can be tricky at first, but with practice anyone can do it. Slide steering is one of the main distinctions between an advanced player and a beginning or intermediate player.

Why Use Slide Steering?
The lightweight characters -- Yoshi, Toad, and Peach -- will slow down every time they turn unless you slide turn. The remaining characters will not slow down if you don't slide steer, but it can be beneficial to them anyway, as slide steering can give all players small extra boosts.

How to Slide Steer
Luigi Raceway is a good place to practice slide steering. Begin by traveling at a good speed. To begin the turn, hold the analog stick in the direction of the turn and press and hold R. If done correctly, white smoke will start coming from your tires shaped as the letters "VEEEEE". At this beginning of the slide turn, the turn will be very sharp. To control the turn, push in the opposite direction while continuing to hold R. The turn will widen. Move the analog back in the direction of the turn to sharpen the turn again and adjust where you're going.

You can also use slide steering to get small boosts. To get a boost from the turn, start the slide turn. Note the white "VEEEEE" smoke. When pushing the analog in the opposite direction of the turn (you'll be turning wide instead of sharp), push it back to the direction of the turn for a moment and then back to the opposite direction. If done right, the white "VEEEEE" smoke will turn into yellow "VEEEEE" smoke. Do this a second time, and the yellow smoke will turn orange. Remember that during all the entire slide turn, the R button must be held. After it turns orange, complete the turn and let go of the R button. Your character will say a positive cheer ("Alright!", "Let's Go!", laughing, etc) and you will get a boost of speed.

title: Mario Kart 64/Controls


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Mario Kart 64/Items

Items can be acquired by hitting an items block, a multicolored cube with a question mark on it.

Projectiles

 * Green Shell (Single) - A simple projectile. Travels in a straight line and bounces off of walls.  Makes a person who touches it explode.  You can hold a green shell behind you for protection against red shells and other projectiles. You can also fire it off backwards which is much safer than firing it off forwards where, depending on the track, you'll often just end up shooting yourself.
 * Green Shell (Three) - Three green shells orbit the driver until each of them is fired away. When fired, they act as single green shells do. While orbiting, they act as a shield that deflects any other attacks; however, each attack deflected takes away one shell.
 * Red Shell (Single) - An intelligent projectile. It locks onto the person one position in front of the player and attempts to crash into them. Watch out though as the red shells fly out in front and then, if the player who was in front of you slips back, the red shell will turn back and may hit you on route to the target player.  Red shells are also a good way of clearing out fake item-bombs, bananas etc.  You can trail a red shell behind you, in the manner of a banana or green shell, but they will always fire off forwards.  red shells often hit the edges of the tracks and self-terminate, so be careful where you fire them.
 * Red Shell (Three) - Three red shells orbit the driver until each of them is fired away. When fired, they act as single red shells do. They act as a shield in the same manner as three green shells.
 * Spikey Blue Shell - Targets the player in first place and hits as many people along the way as it can, but only if the intervening players get in the way. You can trail a blue shell behind you and then any players you hit while holding it are in trouble. Blue shells, like red shells, fly off and follow their own guided logic, tending to follow the exact middle of the track, except for corners where they can meander a bit.  Like red shells, blue shells that impact in the edges of the track self terminate.

Bananas and Bombs

 * Banana - These can be laid on the track. They cause players to spin out. You can trail a single banana and throw them forwards with limited accuracy.
 * Banana Bunch - A group of five bananas trail a player until they are released. When released they act as normal bananas do, but while in a chain behind a player then can be used to spin out a player that is following too closely.
 * Fake-item Bomb - These resemble item boxes, but when touched cause a driver to lose all speed and fly exploding into the air.

Mushrooms

 * Mushroom (Regular) - Increases the drivers speed to 80 km/h (top speed is usually 60 km/h) for a few seconds.
 * Mushroom (Triple) - Allows a driver to use a mushroom three times.
 * Mushroom (Golden) - Allows a driver to use an undetermined amount of mushroom boosts, depending on how fast they can press the button in a certain period of time

Misc

 * Star - Makes a player invincible to attacks and increases speed. If a player collides with someone with a star active it will cause them to explode into the air.
 * Ghost - Steals a random weapon from some other player and makes the driver invisible to other drivers for several seconds.
 * Lightning - Causes all other players to spin out of control and become small. As a consequence of their diminished size, players move slowly.  This state lasts for several seconds during which the user can flatten other drivers by colliding with their miniature form.  Players that are invincible via star and invisible via ghost are invulnerable to lightning, as are those in the middle of a long jumps or in the midst of being fished back onto the track.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Mario Kart 64/Items


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Mario Kart 64/Modes

These are the modes in Mario Kart 64.

Mario Grand Prix (GP)
One to two human players compete with computer players in a group of eight around a series of four courses per cup. A player selects one of the four cups at the beginning of the game as well as a difficulty level.

There are four difficulty levels:
 * 50cc - Easy (fairly slow-paced)
 * 100cc - Intermediate (medium speed)
 * 150cc - Difficult (fast-paced, and occasionally the AI cheats by letting computer characters drive far faster than you can)
 * Extra - Same as 100cc, but all courses are mirror images of themselves. All left turns become right turns and vice versa. Additionally, in the Toad's Turnpike course, the traffic approaches the racers head-on.  Players can unlock the Extra mode by winning 1st place (a gold cup) on all four cups in 150cc mode.

Endings
In Mario GP, the scene you appear in depends on your total placing.

Victory
In Mario GP, if you place 3rd or higher in total at the end, you will be in the happy scene where you're one of the winners. If you place 1st at the end, you will win a Gold Trophy, if you place 2nd at the end, you will win a Silver Trophy, or if you place 3rd at the end, you will win a Bronze Trophy. After the trophy is blown out of Cheep Cheep, the stars fall out, and the trophy is spinning, and then in text says "CONGRATULATIONS!!!" you are shown in the Portrait of WINNING!!!! Oh how GREAT!!! 1st Place can overwrite 2nd and 3rd Place, and 2nd Place can only overwrite 3rd Place.

Loss
In Mario GP, if you place 4th or lower in total at the end, you will be in the sad scene where you're a playable loser. It shows the three CPUs winning, then you who never totally won. The music starts out happy, and then as the three CPUs that are winning and are ready to get on the winner's stand, the music grows from happiness to sadness (OH NO!!!), then while on the way to escape, your player gets attacked by the bomb and in text "WHAT A PITY! MAYBE NEXT TIME...." you are shown in the Portrait of losing, oh how sad. This cannot be saved.

Time Trials
A single-player mode. A player may play any course in any cup. In time trial, the player is given a triple mushroom item, and the kart has a 100cc engine. The top five best course times and the best lap time are recorded on the cartridge, and the aim is for the player to beat their own records. Completing a race often results in a ghost appearing on the player's next attempt - the ghost is the route taken for the best time that the player has completed in their current session, and can be saved on a controller pak for later use.

There are several online communities dedicated to keeping track of time trial records, and some are still as active as ever, many years after the game's release.

Versus Mode
In this game for two, three or four players, players can race head-to-head against their friends without computer players. Players need not play an entire cup, but select individual courses to play. Players also select the difficulty level.

Battle Mode
In this game for two, three or four players, players compete in one of four arenas filled with items. Players have three balloons attached to their go-carts and lose them when they are spun-out by either being hit by a player in a higher weight class or spun out with an item. In three and four player modes, players that have lost all of their balloons come back once as a bomb that can move around to crash with another player and thus remove one balloon. The winner is the last one with balloons left.

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Mario Kart 64/Characters

There are eight playable characters: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Wario, Bowser, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong. Each character falls into one of three weight classes:

 * Light: They have high acceleration, but poor speed and handling. Their light weight means they are easily pushed around, but do not lose much speed when they go off-road. (Members: Peach, Yoshi, Toad)
 * Middle: Middleweights are supposedly average in top speed, acceleration, weight, and handling, but their acceleration and speed is in fact just as bad as heavyweights. They can make lightweights spin-out within two bumps in collisions, but can be spun out within two bumps in a collision with a heavyweight. (Members: Mario and Luigi)
 * Heavy: They have weak acceleration, but great speed and handling. Their heavy weight means they can ram lighter characters, but lose a lot of speed they go off-road. Heavy characters can to spin out middleweights in two bumps and lightweights within a single bump in collisions. Because of their low speed and handling, they are not often used by players in races. However, they are a favourite for many Battle Mode players. They can make lightweights and middleweights lose a balloon when they run into them or when they get run into. (Members: Donkey Kong, Wario, Bowser)

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User:Sasalz/sandbox

= Sensory Augmentation =

The sensory organs of humans constitute the various ways we have of perceiving the world. Thus, losing any sensory function is a terrifying prospect. Sensory substitution devices offer the opportunity to replace a lost sense in full or in part by exploiting another sensory modality. Already in 1969, Bach-Y-Rita and colleagues showed that the brain is plastic enough for blind people to learn how to use a tactile substitution system to perceive visual inputs. More formally, sensory substitution tries to replace a missing sense by delivering some or all of the information usually gathered by one sense to another sense.

While the possibility of replacing a sense is potentially transformative to those who have lost a sense, it also gives rise to new questions about perception in general. If replacing a sense is possible, could we give ourselves a whole new sense or could we enhance any of our existing once? Sensory augmentation follows up on these questions and tries to develop devices that produce novel sensory inputs. To achieve this, one has to essentially do the same as in sensory substitution: deliver sensory information regarding a novel input via a sense that does not usually deliver that information.

The possibilities of the senses we could give humans is enormous, especially when considering the many senses of nonhuman animals. Pigeons for example can detect magnetic fields and their properties; many fish have an electric sense allowing them to detect electric fields; or we could imagine having echolocation as for example bats do. The usefulness of such capabilities, in contrast to the immediate need for sensory substitution devices, is an open question. Thus far, any augmentation device has mainly been developed to investigate scientific questions regarding perception.

The feelSpace belt
One of the most studied sensory augmentation device is the feelSpace belt, developed by Peter König in 2005, which tries to give its user a sense of magnetic north. The idea was originally developed as a means to investigate theories about the nature of conscious perception. However, by now the belt is commercially available as a navigation device which the company especially advertises as an enhancement tool for blind people.

The original belt used within the experiments, shown in the figure below, consists of a waist belt with 13-30 vibrating miniature motors attached to it. A simple control unit maps the orientation information from an electronic compass to the vibrators such that the element pointing north is activated. Thus, if a person facing north turns clockwise the next stimulation site will be located in a counter-clockwise location. Vibration frequency is tested to have an optimal tactile sensitivity at frequencies between 150 and 300 Hz. Experiments showed that it is best for the user to only activate a single element at a time. Furthermore, to ensure comfort the signal needs to be as accurate, fast and reliable as possible. This requires the hardware to sustain sudden changes in motion velocity and direction that are associated with the kinetics of everyday human motion.

The compass has a tilt range of 360° over all three motion axes. To ensure a stable and reliable signal the compass utilizes a gyroscope, accelerometers and magnetic sensors. Orientation is hereby measured of the trunk around the body’s main axis. The control unit is mounted on a circuit board which allows additional components to interface with the power supply and the vibrators. This interface allowed the researchers to simulate navigation tasks within virtual reality, as well as to test trained users with wrong sensory stimulations. In its initial form, the feelSpace belt used an array of standard 1.2V NiMH rechargeable batteries with which it could achieve continuous operation for more than 10 hours.

First experiments with the sensory augmentation device demonstrated that the signal provided by the belt improves behavioral performance, influences physiological reactions and leads to qualitative changes in perceptual effects. A follow-up study further tested the belt as a sensory enhancement tool for congenitally blind subjects. The results are consistent in that they again show an improved behavioral performance and induced perceptual effects.

The specifics of the described set up is based on the initial design which was used for experimental purposes only. Later versions continually improved in comfort and ability. Especially making the belt MRI compatible allowed for interesting investigations regarding theories of sensory experiences*. As already mentioned, the developers realized the potential of the feelSpace belt as an interesting new navigation device. The newest version, called naviBelt, allows to choose between 3 different navigation modes. The routing feature gives concrete directional information like any other navigation device, however, the directional instructions (left, right, …) are given via tactile stimulations. The other feature, the beeline mode, provides stimulations that should give the user a general sense of the direction of their destination. Lastly, the belt allows to select a compass feature which functions as described in the original set up. All of this is achieved by coupling the belt to a smartphone or computer.

Sensory Experience
While sensory substitution devices are often developed to aid a person’s sensory loss, sensory augmentation is mainly used as a tool to investigate the nature of perception in general. There are many different theories about perception in philosophy and psychology. Many scientist hope that experiments with substitution and augmentation devices will shed light on some of the fundamental questions in this field. One such theory that is extensively studied using the feelSpace belt, is the theory of sensorimotor contingencies (SMCs) of conscious perception.

The theory of SMC was developed within the broader framework of embodied cognition, which defines cognition as embodied action. This paradigm emphasizes that any cognitive process includes mind, body, and environment. As a consequence, embodied cognition can be understood as an active and multisensory probing of the environment. The sensory-motor theory, first formulated by O’Regan and Nöe, more specifically proposes that actions and associated sensory information are coupled through systematic relations, i.e. sensorimotor contingencies. These rules and regularities have to be actively learned and concomitantly shape how we perceive the world. Furthermore, the structure of SMCs are hypothesized to be specific to the different sensory modalities and in turn, could explain the qualitative difference in the experience of our different senses. Such SMCs are called modality related SMCs are different from so called object related SMCs. The latter support the evidence of multisensory changes related to actions towards objects.

Experimental evidence in the field of sensory substitution supports the theory of SMCs. The theory states that the learning process of new percept strongly depends on the subjects’ ability to actively explore and manipulate the sensory modality. This realization was used within the Tactile Visual Sensory Substitution device (TCSS). After allowing the users to control the cameras, such as changing the angle or zoom in and out of objects, subjects reported a significant improvement in the richness of their perception. The advances within sensory substitution devices, and their support of the theory of SMC gave rise to the idea of sensory augmentation. The theory explicitly states that sensorimotor contingencies are learnt. Thus, the immediate question that follows is whether humans can learn new SMCs about sensory information’s that are not natural to them.

An extensive study addressed this question using the feelSpace belt since it provides directional information (about the true north) for which humans do not have a natural sensory modality. In the study, subjects sleep was monitored using EEG recordings before, during and after the 7 weeks of training. The hypothesis is that the development of a SMC of a new sensory input requires active procedural learning which is typically reflected by an increase of REM sleep. Furthermore, they explored whether the learning process induces an observable change in the neural activity of the sensory and the motor cortex. The data from this study support that the sensory augmentation with the feelSpace belt leads to procedural learning and an increased involvement of motor areas that are known to be involved in navigation tasks. Finally, they tested two other consequences of the SMC theory: once a new sensory input has been mastered it can be actively used and it will change the persons’ perception of the world. Subjects report a change in their perception of space, especially after starting to more and more trust the navigational device. However, neither the control nor the belt-wearing subjects showed an increase in performance using the belt during a complex navigation task.

In summary, sensory augmentation as well as sensory substitution support the theory of sensorimotor contingencies. Moreover, the results of the experiments with the feelSpace belt provide evidence for a causal role of SMCs in perceptual awareness. For the interested reader, a much more extensive overview of different theories of perception and what experimental evidence from sensory substitution can tell us about these theories can be found in the paper “''Sensory Substitution and Augmentation. An introduction.”'' by Fiona Macpherson.

title: User:Sasalz/sandbox


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Pokémon Crystal/Welcome to Cherrygrove City

Introduction
Cherrygrove City is a small city on the sea. It is the first city with major facilities.

Speak to the old man near the entrance of the city named "Guide gent" to receive a basic tour of the city. At the end of the tour he leads you to his house and gives you the Map Card. This expands the Poke gear to add a map.

Optionally pay a visit to any of the houses in the city to receive friendly advice.

The Cherrygrove City Pokémart
During the first visit, the Cherrygrove City Pokémart is out of Pokéballs. You start the game with 3000 (Pokédollars / Pokémon Dollars).

Their stock is as follows:

Pokémon Center
The Pokémon Center offers free healing and PC access. The communication center is not yet available during the first visit to Cherrygrove City.

Questions

 * Expansion cards were once common in laptops and PDAs. What technological changes since the 1990s have made such systems generally obsolete? Where are mobile expansion and software cards still used?
 * Cherrygrove City is often said to be based on Nagoya, Japan. Do these cities have similarities?


text: Pokémon Crystal/Printable version

title: Pokémon Crystal/Printable version


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Pokémon Crystal/Exploring Route 30

Introduction
Route 30 leads to Violet City, but at the moment it is more important for containing the house of Mr. Pokémon.

Finding Mr. Pokémon
At the first fork in the route there is a house. Speak to the man inside to receive a berry. Check the berry tree outside his house for another berry.

Head through the right fork in the route and grab the antidote on the left corner. The route to the northwest is blocked by a Pokémon battle, so head to the northeast route.

Head through the grass and reach a house. Shake the berry tree to receive a psncureberry, a natural antidote.

Enter the house to be greeted by Mr. Pokémon. He will give the player a mystery egg, which had been given to him by the Pokémon daycare. Mr. Pokémon explains that Professor Elm specializes in Pokémon evolution and introduces you to Professor Oak properly. Professor Oak then asks the player for help cataloguing Pokemon, and gives the player character a Pokédex. Professor Oak then exists to head to Goldenrod City.

Mr. Pokémon will offer healing for your Pokémon. You can optionally poke around his house to see descriptions of foreign items and broken computers: Environmental storytelling which paints Mr. Pokémon as a eccentric collector.

Head out of the house, and Professor Elm will call the player over the phone in a hysterical message, asking the player to return immediately.

Backtrack and just as you pass through Cherrygrove City, the shady Red Haired man who was hanging out by the Elm Pokémon Lab earlier will run into you, insult you, and start a fight.

Battle against ???
??? is the listed name of this man. He stole the Pokémon which has a type advantage against your Pokémon. Fortunately it is too early in the game for this to be a major factor, as his Pokémon is only level 5. By now your Pokémon should be about level 8 or so, which should allow you to win with just a few tackles.

Winning this battle nets a cool 300 pokedollars and a significant chunk of EXP.

Return to New Bark Town
The trainer runs off, so continue along the path back to New Bark Town. Enter the lab to find a police officer interviewing Professor Elm. Apparently the trainer you just fought drew out the scientists by creating a distracting loud noise to draw them out of the lab, then rushing in to steal a Pokémon. The police officer will ask you for his name, and you can give nay name you like. The police officer will thank you for your help and leave.

Speak to Professor Elm to report your finding from Mr. Pokémon. Professor Elm is taken aback and encourages you to become a trainer and try for champion, starting with Violet City gym. Before you go, Elm encourages you to speak with the mother of player character.

As you leave the lab, the aide will stop the player to gift them 5 poke balls. Speak with the mother of the player character to let her know what you are doing. She will offer to save your money for you, which you can accept or decline. This can be changed any time with a phone call.

Catching Pokémon
Return to where Mr. Pokémon's house was. Along the way you have the option to catch Pokémon should you find any interesting Pokémon. At the start of Route 29 person named "Dude" will approach you and offer to show you how to catch Pokémon. Whenever you catch a Pokémon, it's data is added to the pokédex. Wild Pokémon you have already caught will display a pokéball in the upper left of the battle screen. Pokéballs can now be purchased from Pokémarts for 200 pokédollars each.

Battling Youngster Joey
When you reach the fork that leads to Mr. Pokémon's house, head west instead. If you follow the path, you'll be challenged by Youngster Joey - a trainer who just recently lost a battle. Joey has a single level 4 male Ratatta. It knows tail whip, a move which lowers the defense of your Pokémon, and tackle, a basic move that deals damage. It knows tail whip, a move which lowers the defense of your Pokémon, and tackle to deal damage. Defeat him to gain 48 experience points and 64 pokédollars.

After the battle, talk to Youngster Joey if you want to share your phone number with him.

Battling Youngster Mikey
Head past the ledge to be challenged by another trainer - Youngster Mikey. Youngster Mikey has a level 2 Pidgey, which can be defeated with a single tackle. This gains 22 exp. His second Pokémon is a level 4 Ratatta which knows tackle and tail whip just like the Ratatta of Youngster Joey. As a result this battle is only slightly more challenging then the battle with Youngster Joey. Beat it for 48 exp, and to win the battle for 64 pokédollars.

Battling with Bug Catcher Don
Head north to encounter a ledge, be too close to the edge and you'll encounter Bug Catcher Don, who has two Pokémon, both level 3 male Caterpie who yield 33 exp each when defeated. Win the battle to gain 48 Pokébucks. Continue heading north to reach Route 31.

Wild Pokémon

 * Hoothoot - Night
 * Poliwag - Night
 * Caterpie - Morning
 * Weedle - Morning

Questions

 * Distraction tactics are common in thefts. What steps can be taken to reduce such thefts?

title: Pokémon Crystal/Exploring Route 30


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Pokémon Crystal/Exploring Route 31

Walkthrough
The path splits to the east and west, with the east featuring tall grass and the west featuring a paved path. The paved path is currently blocked, so head into the grass instead.

At the end of the grass lies the entrance to the Dark Cave. While it could technically be navigated, doing so in the pitch black darkness would be difficult. Hang near the entrance to catch the Pokémon Geodude if desired, but don't let the dim light of the cavern entrance leave your screen to make getting back out easier. Check out the item ball by the entrance to gain a potion.

Head west to find a berry tree that grows confusing curing bitter berries.

Bug Catcher Wade
Head down south of the ledge to encounter Bug Catcher Wade. Before starting this battle, consider putting a weaker Pokemon in front to gain some experience in this relatively easy battle. An antidote may come in handy during or following this battle.

Wade starts with a level 2 male Caterpie. It knows tackle. Defeat it to earn 22 exp. He follows it up with an identical Caterpie.

Following that is his ace, a level 3 male Weedle. It knows the move poison sting, so consider using a poison type such as your own Weedle if you have one to safely dispatch it. Defeat it to earn 33 exp.

It's followed by one last Pokémon, a level 2 male Caterpie. Beat it to earn 22 more exp and 32. Talk to Wade again and he will ask for your phone number. Wade will call about bug catching contests, and will also call to offer you berries he found.

Continuing to Violet City
Just south of Wade is a free pokéball. Head northwest to reach the gatehouse to Violet City, "The City of Nostalgic Scents".

Pokémon

 * Bellsprout - Morning
 * Hoppip
 * Pidgey
 * Spinarak - Nite

title: Pokémon Crystal/Exploring Route 31


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History of video games/Platforms/Anbernic RG351

History
The Anbernic RG351 series are a line of emulation oriented handheld game consoles.

The handheld was announced in September 2020.

Compute
The system uses a Rockchip RK3326 quad core CPU clocked at 1.5 Gigahertz. The system has 1 gigabyte of DDR3L RAM.

Software
The RG351 series ran Linux as an Operating System.

Models

 * RG351P - Plastic Version.
 * White casing
 * Black casing
 * GBA Blue casing
 * RG351M - Metal Version with Wifi built in.
 * RG351V - Vertical Orientation.


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Dogs/An Introduction to Dogs

An Introduction to Dogs
The dog is of such use to human society in the Western World it has acquired the nickname "Man's Best Friend". They can be mixed in several subsets
 * companions (known as pets from the French word for small animal which is petete bête,
 * working dogs doing work to protect and manage other persons and animals, help out in emergencies, do police and military work.
 * sporting dogs such as racers or hunters (detection, corner and retrieval).
 * sled dogs are specific to the single activity that can be seen as work or sport.
 * show or breeder dogs this is reserved for exceptional individuals that have a good pedigree and embody the breed's wanted traces and characteristics and/or are particularly good at specific tasks, most of these animals are frequent at dog shows and activity demonstration and are well groomed and trained.
 * wild dogs are dogs that have lost the benefit of daily human contact and care and reverted to a more wild status, similar to their ancestry, the wolf. At the same time they are more damaging to the other wild life and dangerous to humans and human activity.
 * industrial dogs are reserved for industrial and human consumption, form use of the hide and fur to meat or subjects for bio-chemical test.

In 2001, there were estimated to be 400 million dogs in the world.

There are many breeds of dogs, with a huge range of sizes, natures and uses. An adult dog's behavior depends on its breed, training and situation, but, in general a dog responds to the way it is trained and treated, particularly when a puppy.

Most dogs are approachable, but obtaining the permission of the owner is a vital precaution.

At first, do not make any sudden moves, but slowly present the back of your clenched fist for the dog to sniff, only then - if it accepts you - you may gently rub below its ears - Dogs use smell much as we use sight to recognize friends, and this is how dogs learn who you are. It is like saying to each other say Hi! Are you a friend?

title: Dogs/An Introduction to Dogs


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Dogs/History

The wide range of domestic dogs originated from domesticated gray wolves about 15,000 years ago. Remains of domesticated dogs have been found in Siberia and Belgium from about 33,000 years ago, but none of those early breeds seem to have survived the last Ice Age.

Domestication
Dogs were probably first tamed by early hunter-gatherer people. There are two main types: hunters and guards. By selecting and training over thousands of years, dogs today can perform many roles for people, such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, protection, assisting police and military, companionship, and, more recently, aiding handicapped individuals. In some cultures dogs are also food animals - bred for their meat to be eaten by humans, however this practice has certain health hazards and is not widespread.

Breeding
Most of the many breeds of dogs available today have been bred over the last few hundred years. This has been achieved by artificially selecting for particular inate behaviors or appearances appropriate for specific functional roles. In general, the more erect the ears, the more likely they are to be hunters. Floppy ears often indicates a puppy-like, gentle playful animal. However this is not always so, since dogs, like all animals are affected by their training and the situation as they see it.

Selection
Through this selective breeding, the dog has developed into hundreds of varied breeds, and shows more behavioral and morphological variation than any other land animal. Some of the popular breeds are listed below.

Smallest dogs
The smallest known adult dog was a Yorkshire Terrier, that stood only 6.3 centimeters (2.5 in) at the shoulder, 9.5 cm (3.7 in) in length along the head-and-body, and weighed only 113 grams (4.0 oz). This was developed to hunt vermin, but now is mostly used as a family pet.

Largest dogs
The largest known dog was an English Mastiff which weighed 155.6 kilograms (343 lb) and was 250 cm (98 in) from the snout to the tail.[104] The tallest dog is a Great Dane that stands 106.7 cm (42.0 in) at the shoulder. These dogs were bred as guards - they are gentle and playful - they raise the alarm early by barking as an invitation to play. However they are also powerful, loyal and territorial, and may attack if provoked by strangers.

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Dogs/Training

Training is vital, both for the dog and the people who have to care for it. There is much controversy about the most effective way to train a dog.

Positive reward
Many modern dog trainers, such as Victoria Stilwell, are said to be 'positive trainers' as they mostly use encouragement and rewards. This approach is particularly used to treat aggressive behavior in dogs that may result from traditional training techniques. Many people use a 'clicker' or handclap just before giving a puppy a food reward - later on, the click or clap gives the dog the same reward without the food treat!

Traditional training
Traditional trainers, such as William Koehler and Diane Baumann, who encourage the use of punishment, often a physical stimulus to make the dog pay attention to commands. However this can degenerate into mistreatment that may provoke agressiveness, especially in older dogs. A recent variation on this is dominance training, promoted by Cesar Millan, who believes that all animals have an innate desire to dominate others, and that this dominating behavior needs to be overcome by uncompromising leadership. That means corrective discipline and praise rather than punishment.

Practical training
The best sort of training will combine elements of all of these methods according to the breed and temperament of the dog and the purpose for which it has been selected. In fact, it is important to select the breed of dog according to its proposed role and to prepare a training schedule that fits with the owners' particular personality and probable future needs.

Problems, problems
Some breeds of dog need a single master, others are more suited to family life. The choice will always be a compromise, which is why some trainers insist that there are no bad dogs - only badly trained owners who have not got the right balance between affection and discipline - dogs need a bit of both!

If things do go wrong, and a dog behaves in a way that is inappropriate, then professional help can usually correct the situation. However, appropriate puppy training with expert guidance is much less distressing for the dog and far happer for the owner, as well as much more expensive. The advantage of a dog-school is that the dog learns to socialize with other dogs and with humans outside its usual circle. Because the trainer can split the fee between several owners, and they can share their experiences, school is really much cheaper and more sensible for humans as well!

Joys, Joys
Owning a dog should be FUN! OK it is not fun to have to exercise with an animal for half-an-hour three or four times every single day even if it is blowing a blizzard or 'raining cats and dogs' (an English expression for rain forceful enough to wash dead animals along the streets of medieval towns). But dog owners do have to walk and run regularly, and so tend to be healthier and stronger than other people. Hospital patients can also benefit from 'pet visits' and some hospitals now provide training and other facilities for dog-owners who volunteer their time and their pets.

Walking, cycling and playing
And walking is not the only option: most dogs have some hunting instinct, and will chase a stick or a ball as if it was prey. Dogs are easily trained to walk or run at the side of a pedestrian,  athlete or cyclist. Putting a dog in a cycle basket is a very bad idea because the rider is likely to fall if the dog moves. Dogs love to run and jump, and are easily trained to do something special (party trick) such as balancing a biscuit on its nose, waiting for the command, and then flipping it into its mouth without dropping it on the ground. Almost all dogs can be trained for a sport known as "dog agility" in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course of tunnels, slopes, seesaws and hoops, whilst running alongside.

Dog Agility
These dog agility courses are races or demonstrations for the public to enjoy, as they are visually exciting competitions for timing and accuracy rather than speed or power, and there are many different tactics and strategies - not all successful, of course! The competing dogs run free with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler must not touch either the dog nor the obstacles. Dogs are controlled by voice commands, body movement, and of course previous training, which can start as young puppies around six-weeks or as late as middle age (which for a dog is seven or eight years old). Some animal rescue organizations use 'agility training' in order to help resettle lost dogs in new homes!

Sheepdog Trials
Sheepdog trials require very special training, and a ready-trained dog and handler training is very expensive. They are great fun to watch, but it is really a sport for professionals. A small herd of a dozen sheep must be driven around a circuit of a kilometer or more by one or two dogs, with the shepherd giving instructions simply by voice or whistle. His only other action is - at the finish - to close the gate of the capture pen!

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Dogs/Selecting breeds for needs

There is a breed of dog for almost all situations. The main things to consider is the space available at home (balcony/garden/farm etc), the time the owner has to spend with the animal for play, training grooming and affection at different times of the working or school day, the amount of activity that the animal needs and the ability and willingness of the owners to provide appropriate daily care and regular veterinary attention,

Working dogs
Dogs were domesticated because they were useful - which is to say intelligent enough to be trained (or maybe the dogs trained us humans - who knows?) and used for raising the alarm when strangers approached or when storms or earthquakes were imminent. They might be used to frighten or even attack strangers, to find things such as delicious truffles or simply be a companion in lonely situations.

Farm dogs
Probably the earliest use for dogs was by shepherds - they tend to have to spend lots of time simply watching their flock, and reputedly invented lots of fun things like sling-shots and musical instruments to pass the time. Generally floppy eared dogs like English Shepherds tend to be quite puppy-like and are good for raising the alarm. Dogs with erect ears tend to be hunters and breeds like collies and German shepherds are good a herding animals.

Farm dogs include some unusual skills such as the truffle-hunters mentioned above, they can control vermin - especially rats and powerful breeds  can even pull carts. Retrievers are trained to find and retrieve animals killed by hunters in forests, so maybe they count as farm animals too?

Detection, rescue and Assistance Dogs
Dogs are not just good at smelling - they are lightweight and agile in difficult situations such as fallen buildings or overturned trucks. They look for people, spilled chemicals such as fuel and most recently contraband goods including drugs.

Dogs can be trained to lead blind people and help people with physical difficulties to get dressed, answer the telephone and a host of other things such as raising the alert for people who are deaf and may be unable to hear the door-bell or an approaching vehicle.

Generally, assistance dogs wear a distinctive marker, and it is most helpful - if you see such a dog - to simply get out of the way - please do not try to touch it unless the user actually asks you to!

Police and War Dogs
Sadly, from time to time, people attack or harm other people. For individuals, we need police to intervene rapidly, and a dog can penetrate a crowd very easily. Obeying its handler's commands, dogs can be trained to identify hostile behavior and intervene, but it is selected to be both persistent and assertive, biting just hard enough to hold the suspect until police officers can make an arrest.

War dogs have similar training, but additionally, groups of people tend to have a distinctive range of smells from the foods and toiletries they usually use. A dog can be trained to avoid friendly troops but to cause panic among enemy formations. In modern armies it is a myth that they are explicitly trained to kill, but they are trained to be aggressive, and people may be seriously injured, especially if there is violence and bloodshed.

Small sized dogs
Sometimes called 'lap dogs' they are still animals, not toys and so really need the same sort of training and attention as any other pet or working dog. 'Dog psychiatrists' specialize in remedying poor upbringing and are much more expensive than 'dog school'!

 * Pekinese, were famous for being the pets of the Chinese Imperial court. They are affectionate, and playful but need training to be calm or they are apt to bark for constant attention.
 * Pug, has a small tail. This was also bred in China as a pet, it can be assertive, but is usually good with children.
 * Jack Russell Terrier was used by the British for fox-hunting, and to catch rats in Cadiz sherry cellars (which is why, in Spain it is known as a bodeguero andaluz)! This is a breed that is playful and  needs lots of love and exercise
 * Scottie, properly Scottish Terrier or Aberdeen Terrier has been the favorite of many celebrities including Queen Victoria and two American Presidents. Its woolly black coat contrasts with the similar sized Westie or West Highland White Terrier
 * Corgi, a favorite of the Queen of England Elizabeth II is properly a a small type of herding dog that originated in Wales
 * Bichon is companionable and was the favorite pet in many medieval European royal courts. The word is from old French and means small long-haired dog. it is similar to the poodle and barbet (water dog).
 * Beagle is similar to a foxhound - the adult is is quite a puppy-like and an excellent tracking dog often used for rescuing people from dangerous situations.
 * Collie - more a general type of small sheepdog (middle size dog) rather than any specific breed - they tend to be highly intelligent and good at competitions such as sheep-dog trialling and canine agility. The name 'border collie' inplies the Anglo-Scottish and Anglo-Welsh border as well as the mostly black with white marking that characterizes coal mined near the edge of coalfields! Females are ideal for children since they are easily trained and need lots of exercise.
 * Yorkshire Terrier is the smallest breed of dog.

Medium sized dogs

 * German Shepherd

Big sized dogs
Curiously, some big dogs actually need less exercise than smaller breeds. Remember that (for any dog) to assume makes an ass out of you and me
 * Newfoundland have a woolly coat that can be black, brown, gray, or black and white (known as Landseer, after the painter). They were working dogs of fishermen, they are docile and very strong swimmers that are used by life-boat and air-sea rescue teams
 * Great Dane or German Mastiff were originally bred to hunt deer and wild boar. They may have many coat colors and are known as gentle giants
 * Great Pyrenees were developed by Basque shepherds to guard and manage their flocks. In nature they are are similar to collies
 * Burnese Mountain Dog or Berner Sennenhundis another mountain herding dog whose name comes from the German words "Senne" (alpine pasture) and "hund" (dog) since they accompanied the alpine herders and dairymen (called Senn) They too are similar to collies

Breeds that need special attention
Some dogs are deliberately bred for aggression and so do not make good house-pets. Some dogs were bred for violent sports such as dog-fighting, bull-baiting and ratting. Although such activities are now rare, the nature of the animal means that appropriate training is vital to channel the animal's aggressive instincts into safe activities-

Retired working animals such as police dogs and some war-dogs that are well trained are sometimes offered for re-homing after some years of active service. Such agencies often encourages their former handler to form a relationship with the new owner. That help can provide a good introduction to professional dog-handling, especially for people without much experience of dog ownership who may be attracted by 'dangerous dog breeds'

 * Doberman Pinscher was bred for police and guard duties
 * Rottweiller was to bred to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat and other heavy products to market
 * Pit bull is actually several different breeds of fighting dog –
 * American Pit Bull Terrier,
 * Staffordshire Terrier,
 * American Staffordshire Terrier
 * Any mixture (cross bred) of the above three
 * American Bulldog although genetically different, is sometimes legally considered as a 'Pit Bull'

 * Chow Chow or Songshi Quan which means "puffy-lion dog" can be fiercely protective of their owners and property..
 * German Shepherd - bred in Germany to herd sheep is also known as Deutscher Schaeferhund or Alsatian. It is often used as a working farm animal, and notably is often used as police or war dog. It really needs to be properly trained and lovingly cared-for and given lots of interesting, outdoor physical activity. Some are susceptible to canine hip dysplasia which can eventually make the back legs useless, and the combination of pain and the instinct for activity can cause problems. However, there are reliable early detection tests, effective treatment regimes and even wheeled hip-support trolleys that are often effective remedies for this chronic condition.

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Dogs/Care

Care
This is the subject of section of a special Wikibook Animal Care/Dog which deals with all aspects of routine care.

Although dogs are omnivores (meaning they can eat almost anything - vegetable as well as meat) there are some things best avoided, such as chocolate, sugar and mushrooms. Traditionally fed kitchen scraps, a better bet is dry pelleted food. One veterinarian  suggested that canned dog-food was 'a diarrhea diet'. Like humans, dogs need cereals for 'dietary fiber or 'roughage' and pelleted 'complete' dog-food provides a balance with proteins, minerals and vitamins. Just add water, and the occasional oily fish (such as sardines) for a glossy coat. Generally, try serving a little less than the makers recommend, and go easy on the treats to avoid overweight.

Regular exercise - twenty minutes walking or running three times a day, and plenty of play will keep your dog (and you) healthy and happy!

Veterinary care
Dog health is dependent on a whole range of things including a regular balanced diet (usually pelleted dog-food), occasional nutritional supplements such as oily fish, mental and physical activity including grooming as well as some preventative measures such as regular worming and inoculation against disease. Veterinary care does not just mean medicine, it is any professional healthcare including advice that will promote vitality, mental stability, in order to achieve overall well-being as well as long, healthy and happy situation that is a modern dog's life.

Sterilization
Unless you intend to breed dogs, sterilization (neutering) is may be advised for household (pet) animals. Females 'come on heat' or 'in season' in the spring-time, and both male and female animals naturally try to mate (copulate) with gusto for up to a month. Dogs that are not neutered tend to be more aggressive. For males, this normally involves removal of the testicles (false ones are available for cosmetic purposes, but are not necessary), due to the hormonal changes the animal will become more lethargic and gain weight. For females the process is far more complicated as it involves removal of all internal sexual organs (hysterectomy), in females sterilization has a high chance of reducing occurrences of ovarian cancer and complication that may arise even due to fake pregnancies. Recovery from surgery in both cases occurs in about one week.

Puppies
Early in life - 6 - 12 weeks after being born a puppy should be vaccinated against several serious diseases. Veterinary services vary in style, and it is wise to ask friends and neighbors about local providers. There are now multiple vaccine 'shots' so probably only one or two actual injections are needed. ask your veterinary specialist for current information about your locality, breed and situation. Keep a record of treatment safely as long as the animal is alive and ask about 'pet passports' which are essential when traveling in some parts of the world such as across state borders within the European Union. These are linked to the animal by a microchip about the size of a grain of rice and inserted under the skin of the neck with a hypodermic needle (a sort of injection and quite painless), however they are not now put in very young animals as the chip can migrate and become difficult for the scanners to detect. The usual 'shots include:
 * Distemper
 * Canine adenovirus
 * Parvo
 * Rabies
 * Kennel Cough
 * Coronavirus

Your vet may also recommend vaccinating for
 * Leptospirosis and
 * Lyme disease

But probably only if you live or visit near an affected area.

Puppies should not play with dogs other than siblings and parents before these vaccines are effective - ask your veterinary specialist for current information about available vaccine serums and local health threats.

Worming
Worms are very common in dogs and cats and can cause distress and ill health. That is why regular worming by adding tablets is essential. Flea treatment may also be needed, as they carry 'passenger' tapeworm eggs. Puppies should be wormed when about six months old and regularly after that at between three to six month intervals.
 * Roundworms travel from animal to animal, and look like thin garden earth-worms or coiled spaghetti. Humans -especially young children - can become infected by other animals including dogs. These cause sickness and may appear in vomit or feces. Essentially roundworms eat th food of their host so symptoms include weight loss and generally lacking in energy.  Other symptoms may be skin irritation, diarrhoea and vomiting.
 * Tapeworms have a head that attaches itself to the intestine. Bits break away and may appear as grains of rice around the base of the tail or in the feces. They may also appear to show signs of life. They cause damage to the fur and may make the animal irritable and tetchy.
 * Hookworms and whipworms live in the soil and can burrow through skin to feed on blood. Poor blood quality causes anemia, diarrhea, dehydration and possibly also death.

Diseases that can affect humans
Generally, owning a dog improves human health, but there are some (prophylactic) precautions that are essential:

Rabies
The most dangerous disease is rabies, also known as lockjaw. This is now rare in Northern Europe and North America due to campaigns of annual vaccination (sometimes mandatory, sometimes subsidized ask your veterinary specialist about local arrangements) Take extra care while in rural or remote areas where some animals may not be vaccinated regularly.

Toxicaris
Toxocariasis is caused by a type of roundworm, and is a threat, particularly for children, since it is found in animal feces and sometimes in soil. toxicaris caninis larvae, if ingested by humans, can travel towards the liver, lungs, brain and eyes, where they can trigger off allergic reactions such as asthma, and they also have more serious affects such as partial loss of vision or blindness. such disorders tend to be permanent. Regular worming, described above, is therefore vital.

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Dogs/Rescuing Dogs

Our Story
Almost by mistake, one Saturday evening we picked up a mangy, half-starved, badly wounded greyhound who was standing at the side of the road deep in the countryside. It was in no state to do us harm, and seemed almost pleased to see us.

We took it first to the rescue center (dog pound) but got no reply. The local police told us that it was generally unattended at weekends to reduce costs. We found the only emergency (24-hour) veterinary service available was private. We assumed the animal would simply be humanely killed with a cheap lethal injection (a procedure more commonly  known as 'put-to-sleep', 'put-down', 'sacrificed' and similar euphemisms).

The duty officer examined the animal. As there was no identifying medal, ear tattoo or chip to call its owner, she suggested that, as it was very late, for a small sum we might leave it there overnight in her 'animal hospital' and see how it was in the cold hard light of Sunday morning. It was more expensive than we had bargained for, but we paid and prayed!

First steps
Next morning, it had been fed, its wounds treated and its passengers (parasites and insects) neutralized.

The veterinarian explained about the dangers of Refeeding syndrome and the need to carefully control the diet to recover from starvation. (This advice is also true and vitally important for seriously undernourished for humans, as well!)

We paid extra for some wound salve and a plastic bell-collar to prevent her nibbling her bandages and took her home and washed off as much mud as we could without making her bandages wet. Note that now it was a 'her' and no longer just 'it'! So we did a really stupid thing! We called her 'monster' based on her size compared to the small terrier we inherited from a colleague going through a messy divorce.

Good luck
By great good fortune, a neighbor had a daughter just completing her veterinary degree, and starting her 'practical' – one of the final steps before obtaining a license to practice. She took our Monster to her university professor – and, with almost every student crowded into a small operating theatre, declared that 'Monster' needed little more than time to recover.

A long road to recovery
Apart from analgesics, antibiotics, anti-histamines, anti-parasitics, anti-thrombosis....... Fortunately our young neighbor called every day at first, then, as the wounds healed, every two days, every four days, then whenever needed. After a week our two-year old Monster was playing. She made friends with the tiny terrier and they chased around the garden after only a couple of weeks. One month later, the wounds – initially 7 or 8 centimeters (about 3 inches) long and a centimeter (½”)wide with the bone exposed had almost healed. The muscle had regrown and the skin closed over more than three-quarters of the length. Her stamina was sufficient for longer walks, and to tolerate the vaccines required to protect from dog diseases.

Great good luck
Finally a success story. BUT... If the dog had not been docile, or if we had not been very experienced, long-time dog owners, who happened by chance to be semi-retired and living in a big house with an unkempt garden (that we were supposed to be taming for the owner) and if we had not had at least a little bit of spare money to finance our unintended project....

Financial cost
Fortunately for us our 10Kg (22lb) walking wounded skeleton turning into a 20Kg bundle of fun was used as good publicity for both the school and clinic. Imagine the cost if we had to pay ordinary commercial rates for the extensive skilled professional veterinary care that was delivered intensively over several weeks – so even we could easily have failed or been financially ruined but for our great good fortune. Well, now do you see what we mean by 'think twice before picking up a stray'?

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Exercise as it relates to Disease/The effects of a Hatha Yoga program on a small group of Alzheimer's patients

This wikibook page is a critique of the journal article "Effects of Hatha-Yoga Program on a Small Group with Alzheimer’s Disease" by Quintero Gallego, Eliana Alexey, Rodríguez Ma.Clara, Guzman Lina, Alex Reyes and Dra. Olga LLanos

This critque was written for the Health, Disease and Exercise unit at the University of Canberra.

What is the background to this research?
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative neuropsychological disease that causes the continuous accelerative loss of nervous cells. The lost nervous cells affect varying cognitive processes including language, memory and motor function. Cognitive decline as a result of Alzheimer's disease can result in frontal reflexes liberation, smell disorders, graphesthesia, walking disorders, shaking, extrapyramidal signs, cerebellum disorders and convulsions. People affected by AD quality of life are severely inhibited. The ability to be able to carry out everyday activities, and maintain an independent life is difficult after a couple of months of AD. In 2020 it’s estimated world wide that over 50 million people live with AD, and every 3 seconds someone develops AD.

This article explores the possible benefits of Hatha yoga on peoples with AD. Hatha yoga involves movement of physical poses and breathing exercises, focussing on balance, equilibrium and inclination. This increases blood flow and flexibility in its participants. Hatha yoga participants have found that it can reduce stress, improve self efficacy and improve functionality and quality of life. While it is known that there is no cure for AD, there are several interventions that are able to delay deterioration, with physical activity being the only non-pharmacological intervention. With the best intervention ideally being a combination of physical activity and pharmacological interventions. The desired outcome from these inteverventions would be a delayed deterioration of the brains neurons and pathways. Preventing the loss of language, memory and motor function and preserving these functions for as long as possible.

Where is the research from?
The research was conducted by the following analysts and their institutions:

Neuropsychologists Quintero Gallego & Eliana Alexey from the Instituto Ortopédico Infantil Roosevelt are credited in many peer reviewed journals. Majority of their research is to do with children, challenges to their learning and effects of tumours and cancers of the brain. Psychologist Lina Guzman from Bogotá Colombia, Lina Guzman is a developmental psychologist of children, credited in many peer reviewed journals relating to defining and testing positive indicators for cognitive development.
 * 1) Neuropsychologist. Instituto Ortopédico Infantil Roosevelt- Bogotá Colombia
 * 2) Universidad El Bosque. - Bogotá Colombia
 * 3) Psychologist. - Bogotá Colombia

What kind of research was this?
This type of research was a ‘pre-experimental’ design of one group consisting of a pre test and post test after the Hatha Yoga intervention. Using a Wilcoxon signed rank test to analyse the data. The sample group consisted of eight volunteer patients diagnosed with moderate AD, seven women and a man, all over 60 years old, median age of 75 years and range of 65 to 83.

All volunteers had to pass inclusion criterion including, scoring 5 at the Global Deteriorate, taking medication, being covered by the health care system and accompanied by their caregivers. All participants were assessed by the neuropsychologist of the research team, procedural memory and imitation skills were preserved in the individuals, meaning they could take part in the Hatha yoga program following simple and short instructions.

What did the research involve?
The procedure involved assessing the participants in 7 yoga positions, guided with short and repetitive directions. Instructions of mirroring the instructor, without abstract or lateral references. The program lasted for 14 weeks, with the participants attending two sessions that were an hour long. The instructor was repetitively re-emphasizing the focus on breath and self awareness in the space.

There were eight  instruments used to measure the effectiveness of the program including:

 * 1) Quality of life in patients diagnosed with Alzheimer Disease (ADRQL).
 * 2) Hamilton scales for measuring anxiety and depression.
 * 3) Working memory and processing speed indexes.
 * 4) Tinetti Scale.
 * 5) Sit and Reach modified test.
 * 6) Barthel Scale.
 * 7) Lawton and Brody Scale.
 * 8) Qualitative questionnaire.

What were the basic results?
The results indicate that the hatha yoga program helped to maintain and improve scores on mental cognition and functionality, however, was not as effective in improving the mental health of the participants with regards to both the anxiety and depression scores. The results showed no trends in younger age or gender preference in better results when compared. However, noting that participant eight was the oldest of the participants and had lower scores comparatively to the rest of the sample.

The results that reflected the best outcome were for functionality. The physical health characteristics in both flexibility and equilibrium were almost 100% effective, seven of the participants showed development in both flexibility and equilibrium, with the last participant maintaining these characteristics. Instrumental functionality also displayed improvements with seven of the eight participants preserving functionality and the remaining improved their initial score. The results that reflected minor improvements were related to mood and mental health. Mental health scales proved poor, the depression scale reflected that six participants maintained the same levels of depression in pre and post test. The remaining two participants had lower depression symptoms than prior to the intervention. The anxiety results displayed only two participants showed improved anxiety, the remaining participants were evenly split between retaining anxiety symptoms and gaining higher results.

Table 1a

What conclusions can we take from this research?
The program showed improvements in cognition as well as confidence and self-efficacy among the patients. Repetition was extremely important in instruction, coaching the patients in addition to having the volunteers focus on their breath as a way to calm and focus themselves on the session. Their breath being the one thing, they can control and always bring themselves back to. From this research we can conclude that completing a Hatha yoga session, frequently, can have a benefit to patients suffering from AD. This study had improved the stability and equilibrium of the patients, both from the data perspective and an observational perspective of the care-takers. Improving the motor of control of the patients, as a primary symptom of AD is loss of motor control, shaking and convulsions.

Practical advice
Doing any physical activity when suffering from AD is beneficial for mental and physical health. Particularly it may be more appropriate to practice a discipline like yoga or pilates, as they both specifically focus on equilibrium and stability, while being low intensity and impact. Physical activity such as yoga, pilates and even stretching both static and dynamic, would be beneficial for general populations, improving both flexibility and strength. Specifically, introducing yoga as a form of early intervention for any mild cognitive impairment disease could prove helpful. As yoga does provide the body exercises for strength, stability, balance and equilibrium. Acting as a buffer against the diseases, preventing advanced deterioration of the brain and the associated cells affected.

Further information/resources

 * Information Alzheimer's Disease: https://www.cdc.gov/aging/aginginfo/alzheimers.htm
 * Information on Hatha Yoga: https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/philosophy/what-is-hatha-yoga
 * Information on the Wilcoxon Scale: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/wilcoxon-signed-ranks-test
 * Other fundings related to Yoga interventions on AD: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-psychogeriatrics/article/randomized-controlled-trial-of-kundalini-yoga-in-mild-cognitive-impairment/138A3EB97520CE72B01D17059B7AA286


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Exercise as it relates to Disease/HIIT - a new method for improving exercise capacity in adults with Cystic Fibrosis

This is a critique of the article by Wolfgang Gruber, David Orenstein, Klaus Braumann and Ralph Beneke; Interval exercise training in Cystic Fibrosis - effects on exercise capacity in severely affected adults, from the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. This is written for assessment in the Health, Disease and Exercise unit at the University of Canberra.

What is the background to this research?
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a chronic autosomal disease affecting approximately 3500 people in Australia. Many bodily systems are impacted, however the lungs are the major factor limiting exercise tolerance. Previous research, mainly focused on low to moderate intensity aerobic exercise, demonstrated the importance of physical activity and exercise in slowing disease progression and reducing disease severity. Gruber investigated whether high intensity interval training (HIIT) was a reasonable alternative, and if it produced worthwhile adaptations compared to standard low to moderate intensity exercise programs (SEP) for individuals severely affected with CF.

HIIT combines vigorous bursts of activity with periods of low intensity or passive recovery. Small volumes of HIIT induce changes similar to that seen in longer bouts of endurance training. Adaptations have been recorded in healthy and some diseased populations, however little research has been done in individuals with CF, particularly in adults. HIIT is proposed to be a better alternative for these individuals than prolonged lower intensity activities as it produces similar adaptations in less time. In a case study of an adolescent, HIIT improved exercise tolerance and capacity, and aided in mucus clearance. This study hoped to see similar results in adult participants. HIIT research in individuals with CF is important in enabling everyone to participate in exercise and acquire adaptations.

Where is the research from?
Lead authors, Gruber and Orenstein, have extensive backgrounds in researching CF with some focus on exercise, particularly by Gruber. The two authors combined have over 150 publications on CF, and therefore a wide knowledge of the field. Studies by Orenstein and Gruber have been cited over 5000 and 200 times respectively in journal publications, indicating good credibility with other researchers.

What kind of research was this?
The study was a quasi-randomised control trial, involving 43 adults severely affected by CF, who volunteered for the 6-week study. Participants were split into the HIIT and SEP groups via a specific selection criteria regarding oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels. Participants with low SpO2 at rest or low power outputs were put into the HIIT group, and those with higher SpO2 were placed in the SEP group. As a result, improvements in the HIIT group could be impacted, as participants may be unable to exercise, or continue exercising, at the high intensities needed to produce adaptations. This could skew the results in favour of the SEP group.

Quasi-random sampling techniques have implications for suggesting causation in research as there is less control over the independent variable, potential selection bias and a lack of internal validity. Selection bias may be present with the SpO2 criteria, which could affect the reliability of the results.

What did the research involve?
It is unknown whether participants in the SEP group completed the same exercises, and the specific exercises included. More detail is needed to increase the reliability of the results.

The HIIT group were given supplemental oxygen during exercise, which has implications for the real world applications of this research. Supplemental oxygen may not be available for all individuals during exercise, therefore the positive adaptations may be unattainable. An additional study in less severe cases without supplemental oxygen may be required to determine if this is possible.

What were the basic results?
Results showed significant increases in maximal and sub-maximal VO2, power and [https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/oxygen-pulse#:~:text=Oxygen%20pulse%20is%20defined%20as,ventricles%20with%20each%20cardiac%20contraction. O2-pulse]. Adaptations from the HIIT program were largest during sub-maximal exercise, with a 24.4% increase in VO2, compared with a 12.4% increase from the SEP. During maximal exercise, increases in VO2peak were larger in the SEP group than the HIIT group, with 15.5% and 12.0% improvements respectively. However, increases in O2-pulse were greater in the SEP for both maximal and sub-maximal exercise by 6.6% and 5.0% respectively. No improvements in lung function were recorded for either group.

Table 1: Percentage increase of exercise parameters from test one to test two in the HIIT and SEP groups The authors reported individuals felt HIIT was less strenuous than the SEP, however, it was not stated how this was measured. These participants also only completed the HIIT program, and cannot accurately compare its difficulty to the SEP.

What conclusions can we take from this research?
This research showed that HIIT induced cardiorespiratory adaptations in individuals with severe CF. HIIT was more effective for adaptations at sub-maximal intensity, and may be less appropriate for adaptations at maximal intensity. O2-pulse showed a greater increase in the SEP group at both intensities, indicating improvement in the hearts ability to pump blood and oxygen. This is likely due to a strengthening of the heart muscle from the aerobic-based activity. There was less of an improvement in the HIIT group. Unfortunately, neither program significantly improved lung function or mucus clearance. Ultimately, both exercise programs provided beneficial adaptations and could be implemented to improve exercise capacity for individuals with CF. Research to compare these further and distinguish if either is more advantageous would be beneficial.

This study paved the way for other researchers to investigate further. A randomised control trial (RCT) by Sawyer in 2020 supported these findings, showing similar improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness after 8-weeks of low-volume HIIT. Sawyer reported the exercise was tolerated well without supplemental oxygen. Additional information provided by recent studies have made the introduction of HIIT into CF exercise programs more feasible.

Practical advice
Knowledge of HIIT for CF is continually evolving with new research, however, there are still many gaps. Determining the mechanisms and effectiveness of HIIT programs for CF, whilst building on previous research is important in further understanding this field. Perhaps future research could compare adaptations produced by HIIT and resistance training; or HIIT and another form on anaerobic exercise. In addition, studies comparing variations of HIIT could determine what type provides more beneficial adaptations. This could include comparing different durations, types of HIIT activities (cycling vs running) and frequency. There are many avenues for continued research; studies now have only scratched the surface.

Further information/resources
2020 HIIT and CF, RCT: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13102-020-0159-z

2020 HIIT and CF, case study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213007120303877


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Talk:Public International Law/Human Rights Law/Human Rights Protection/African Human Rights System

Review: 9 June 2023
Dear Mando,

Thanks also from my side for this great chapter. I also added only minor suggestions. One thing that should be clarified earlier on, i.e. probably right at the beginning of the Commission section, is the relationship between the Commission and the Court. Furthermore, the conclusions are still missing.

Best, Raffaela --Raffaela Kunz (discuss • contribs) 08:12, 9 June 2023 (UTC)

Review: 5 June 2023
Dear Mando,

thank you for this fantastic chapter! I have added some minor suggestions to the text as comments and corrected some typos etc. Please make sure you adhere to the styleguide when revising the chapter.

Warmly, Sué

Review: May 26, 2023
Your chapter provides consistent, and systematic overview of the emergence of the African human rights system, the key treaties involved, and the mechanisms for dispute resolution. I found your chapter to be incredibly informative and engaging. The historical context and evolution of the system were well-explained, enabling students to understand the origins and influences that have shaped it. By delving into the key treaties and instruments, you provided students with a clear understanding of the legal framework underpinning the African human rights system. Your use of illustrative cases to demonstrate the concepts and the role of (quasi-)judicial bodies was truly commendable.Your chapter is written in a clear and accessible manner, making it easy for students to comprehend complex legal concepts.

I believe that the discussion of claw back clauses does not fit well within the "Recurring Themes" chapter. Instead, it would be more appropriate to include this topic in the chapter dedicated to the African system. As you mentioned, claw back clauses are not relevant in the other systems (Europe, America, Asia) or are modified in the case of the Arab/Islamic system. Therefore, I kindly suggest that you consider including the discussion of claw back clauses in the chapter on the African system and referring to this in your chapter on the Arab/Islamic human rights system.

You will also find some comments in your chapter in which I elaborate on something more specific. To view these comments, open your chapter page and click "Edit" in the top-right menu bar.

Some minor things:
 * There are some issues with the formatting of the footnotes, which are not always consistent with the OSCOLA citation style. To ensure the chapter is fully compliant with OSCOLA, you should review the formatting of the footnotes and make the necessary corrections.
 * You could add some links to other chapters of the textbook.
 * Note that I have made some linguistic improvements to the text

--Max Milas (discuss • contribs) 07:25, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

Review: Marko
An excellent outline of the African Human Rights System, taking into account also the sub-regional systems.

In terms of the SADC Tribunal, it may be worth noting that despite its abolishment, South Africa has seemingly revoked its decision which contributed to its abolishment, following a domestic court case ruling against the then President's particpation in the abolishment process (https://www.lssa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Law-Society-of-South-Africa-and-Others-v-President-of-the.pdf). A similar position was held by a Tanzanian domestic court (https://www.tralac.org/documents/blogs/2907-tls-v-ministry-of-foreign-affairs-and-international-cooperation-ag-misc-civil-cause-no-23-of-2014-2019-judgment-4-june-2019/file.html).

In addition, the revised Protocol of 2014 has yet to enter into force; the Tribunal therefore remains 'suspended.'

Dr Marko Svicevic (discuss • contribs) 08:14, 31 August 2021 (UTC)

 * Thanks, Marco! A good point; I was not aware of this. I will try to incorporate it (subject to word limitation constraints). MandoRachovitsa (discuss • contribs) 15:22, 2 September 2021 (UTC)

Review: Verena
Dear Mando,

I really enjoyed reading your chapter on the African Human Rights System! I have corrected very few typos etc. directly in the text. All other suggestions are either underlined or can be found in separate comments. I am an excessive commentator which has nothing to say about the (very high) quality of the text. I hope you find at least some of them helpful for further revision. I was impressed by the comparatively thorough presentation of the system within the word count restraints. Furthermore, I really liked the examples you have chosen, e.g. with regard to interesting case-law. As an environmental lawyer, I would definitely like to see one or two references regarding Art. 24 ACHPR (see separate comments). You have done a great work in already including many links/cross-references. Providing further links as well as citing concrete norms in the text would be helpful for students and other readers. I am really looking forward to returning to the text which is already very close to a final version.

All the best,

Verena Kahl

Review: Max
Dear Mando,

I can only agree with the previous speakers: this is a really great, comprehensive and instructive chapter. I had a lot of fun reading it and learned a lot. Thank you very much for your effort! I have left a few comments in the text. Additionally, I can second Verena's comments.

I have one general feedback: it would be great if you could "bolded" the most important words in the paragraphs. Also, you can think about integrating "advanced" content and "examples". How to do this is described here: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikibooks:WikiProject_OpenRewi_-_Open_Legal_Science/Writing

Best regards Max --Max Milas (discuss • contribs) 13:14, 8 December 2021 (UTC)

 * Done, Max! And I have made some furhter changes. Mando Rachovitsa (discuss • contribs) 05:58, 3 January 2022 (UTC)

Review: Annalisa
It is a very interesting and well written chapter, for the improvement of which I have very little to add or suggest. Perhaps one point that could be stressed is the uniqueness of the Maputo Protocol, which does not only address violence against women, harmful traditional practices, child marriage, polygamy, etc., but contains many first:

 * sexual and reproductive rights.
 * innovative provisions that advance women’s rights further than any existing legally binding international treaty: e.g. the legal prohibition of female genital mutilation is prescribed as well as the authorisation of abortion in cases of sexual assault, rape, incest, and where the continued pregnancy endangers the mental and physical health of the mother or the life of the mother or the foetus.
 * Furthermore, the Protocol is the first international human rights treaty to explicitly refer to HIV/AIDS, in this case, in the context of sexual and reproductive health rights.

Annalisa Ciampi, 2022-05-03


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Super Smash Bros. series strategy guide

This Wikibook serves as a guide to the Super Smash Bros. series, including some history and trivia of its installments, as well as fighting moves used throughout the series. This Wikibook also covers recurring enemies, characters, and other subjects within the franchise.

Games

 * Super Smash Bros. (1999)
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008)
 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (2014)
 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (2014)
 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Wii U (2014)
 * Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018)

Characters

 * /Playable characters/
 * /NPCs/
 * Master Hand
 * Crazy Hand

Read More
Wikibooks has a few dedicated strategy guides for specific entries in the series.
 * Super Smash Bros.
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee

title: Super Smash Bros. series strategy guide


text: Category:Book:Super Smash Bros. series strategy guide


text:
Super Smash Bros. series strategy guide/NPCs

This article is a list of non-playable characters (sometimes referred to as NPCs) from the Super Smash Bros. series.

Giga Bowser
Giga Bowser (ギガクッパ, Giga Kuppa) (Giga Koopa in Japanese) is the Secret Boss (a stronger and hard-to-reach 'boss' that comes after the 'final' boss) of Adventure Mode in Melee, appearing directly after Bowser when the player completes Adventure mode under special conditions.

Giga Bowser is also the main enemy of Event Match 51 (The Showdown), with Mewtwo and Ganondorf by his side, acting as bodyguards. Although Giga Bowser is substantially stronger than regular Bowser, he receives an enormous handicap in Adventure mode (not in the Event Match, but in the Event Match he is slightly bigger than his default size). However, he is greatly intimidating and has a few definite edges over Bowser. He has large reach, able to hit the player from virtually anywhere on Final Destination. He cannot be picked up, sucked in, licked in, or thrown off in any way. He also seems to have an elemental power to some his attacks, and infinite flame breath.

Giga Bowser looks quite similar to regular Bowser. However, he is about twice as large, and his body is proportionally different. Giga Bowser's manic eyes also contrast with Bowser's more concentrated expression. Giga Bowser's tail is plated and has many more spikes on it, as does his shell, which resembles that of Gamera. His overall color, especially his shell, is somewhat darker. His huge size is very easily demonstrated by the size of his spawn platform (the small, glowing, floating platform that characters appear on at the beginning of the stage and after being KOed).

Upon defeating Giga Bowser in Adventure mode, he will turn back into the regular Bowser trophy and explode like a firework in a shape of his head.

On a trivial note, in the Sound Test menu under the Narrator's voice test, he will say "Giga Koopa". If the language is switched to Japanese, he will say, "Giga Bowser." This is odd, as Giga Bowser is his English name and Giga Koopa is his Japanese name. Neither voice sample is actually heard in game as Giga Bowser is not a playable character. The voice test will also say "Giga Bowser" in the PAL version, because there is no Japanese language to choose.

The Hands
Master Hand and Crazy hand are both giant hands that possess the same characteristics. However, Master Hand is a right hand whereas Crazy Hand is a left hand. Additionally, the two hands have some different moves and some of their shared moves have different effects. They also are able to work together to create more devastating attacks. The exact nature of their existence is unclear.

Master Hand
Master Hand (マスターハンド) appears in both Super Smash Bros. and its sequel, Super Smash Bros. Melee in Classic Mode and the 50th Event Match "Final Destination". Master Hand also makes several appearances in Kirby & the Amazing Mirror as a miniboss, and partnered with Crazy Hand as the boss(es) of Candy Constellation. He Makes a Cameo in Kirby Squeak Squad as a Simple enemie. Only Smaller and Ghost-like.

It is a giant white glove, similar to those that Mario himself wears, as well as matching gloved hands used as simple pointer icons in hundreds of video game menu screens. It is a right-hand glove, and it moves about by floating. Master Hand also has a corresponding left glove, Crazy Hand, who appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee when certain conditions are met.

In battle, Master Hand uses a variety of attacks, most of them related to its shape and size: it dwarfs the characters, slapping, punching, and throwing them around the platform. There are some exceptions, such as its ability to fire bullets similar to Bullet Bills and fire laser beams. Because of its size and ability to fly, it cannot be thrown off the platform as normal characters are; one needs to deplete its HP meter in order for it to be destroyed.

In Super Smash Bros., Master Hand was the one that gave life to the dolls (which in turn are the playable characters). It also created everything else for Super Smash Bros.

Crazy Hand
Crazy Hand (クレイジーハンド) is the left hand counterpart of Master Hand in Classic Mode and the 50th Event Match "Final Destination." Crazy Hand is not usually thought of as the "main" hand, and is even described as Master Hand's alter ego. It appears when Master Hand is weakened.

Crazy Hand looks exactly the same as Master Hand (apart from being a left hand, while Master Hand is a right hand), but it acts more erratic and chaotic in general. It's impulsive, destructive, and consumed with a hollow feeling which comes from destroying one’s own creations.

It shares many attacks with Master Hand, but also has some unique ones. It's able to do attacks that Master Hand can use such as slapping the opponent, shooting lasers from its fingers, and flying into the air and drilling down on the opponent. Its unique attacks include dropping to the ground and flinging around as if it's having a seizure, dropping bombs and doing a spider crawl attack.

Metal Mario
Metal Mario originally appeared in Super Mario 64, but has appeared in both Super Smash Bros. games. Metal Mario is playable in the original Super Smash Bros. only via Gameshark cheats. However, in Melee, an item called the Metal Box can temporarily transform anyone into a metal version of themselves. In the original game, Metal Mario is one of the final opponents. He fights on his own custom level that is unplayable called the Meta crystal for the fight. In Melee, Metal Mario also appears during one of the final battles, albeit in Adventure Mode, and on the Battlefield stage along with Metal Luigi once Luigi is unlocked. Gameplay-wise, Metal Mario has the same moves and abilities as his non-metal counterpart. Being metal, he delivers a heavy amount of damage to opponents and takes double the normal amount of damage to be knocked from the stage. In Super Smash Bros., Metal Mario does not attack often, and usually just walks around the stage.

Metal Luigi
Metal Luigi is essentially the same as regular Luigi, but with a metallic exterior and little personality. He is basically Luigi's counterpart to Mario's Metal Mario. Once Luigi is unlocked in Super Smash Brothers Melee, Metal Luigi teams up with his "brother", Metal Mario, to combat players.

Polygons
Fighting Polygons (or "the Fighting Polygon Team") are metallic-looking purple clones of playable characters made completely out of polygons in Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64. The next to last level in the game contains 30 of these clones of existing SSB characters.

Fighting Polygons, due to the vast number the player faces (30) are not very strong and most can be KO'd easily, similar to the Kirby Team and Yoshi Team. The Polygons' fighting arsenal is limited to basic A-button attacks and rely more so on their power than actual fighting skill. They retain the basic form of their character counter-parts, but lack any sort of detail, such as facial features. On harder difficulty levels, the Fighting Polygons actively hunt the character down and attack in clusters ranging in numbers from 5 to 18, making them a more formidable fighting force.

This mode took full advantage of the N64's 3D rendering hardware.

Fighting Wire Frames
The Fighting Wire Frames (謎のザコ敵軍団) are a group of enemies in Super Smash Brothers Melee. They are analogous with the Fighting Polygons, as they play a similar role; however, unlike the original game, there are only two types of Fighting Wire Frames (Male and Female) as opposed to a polygon corresponding to each individual character. Their symbol is the Smash Bros. Symbol (a circle with an off-center cross), just like the Fighting Polygons. The only distinct characteristics Fighting Wire Frames have is that they have a Heart inside their chest, and the Super Smash Bros. Melee Symbol where their face should be. Both the male and female Fighting Wire Frames possess these.

Using the Action Replay cheat device, you can play as either the Female Wire Frame or the Male Wire Frame, both only having kicks and punches and can't charge them up by holding down the buttons as you could with playable characters.

Males and Female Wire Frames have the same frame and gait of Captain Falcon/Ganondorf and Zelda, respectively. Males have better attack and defense than the Females, but the Females have better speed and jumps. They have approximately the same strength as the Fighting Polygons, but are somewhat more agile. The Fighting Wire Frames are very weak, with the exception of the Cruel Fighting Wire Frames found in Cruel Melee.

There are a number of Multi-Man Melees, in which a player fights many Wire Frame Fighters before being defeated him/herself. Each type of Multi-Man Melee has certain goals; types and objectives.

The Cruel Melee was mentioned in EGM's April Fools 2002 hoax. In that issue, EGM claimed that those who beat 20 Wire Frames in Cruel Melee would be able to unlock Sonic and Tails. This prank sparked a large amount of controversy after it was proven to be false.

Sandbag
Sandbag (サンドバッグくん) appears in the "Home-Run Contest" minigame. The object is to strike it as far as possible with a Home-Run Bat. The more Sandbag is damaged, the farther it will fly when hit. Sandbag's only purpose is to get hit in the Home Run Contest. Being hit all the time doesn't hurt it; it actually loves to see players "wind up and let loose." When Kirby copies Sandbag, Kirby does not receive any abilities.

During the actual sandbag challenge, a player will use their chosen character to hit the sandbag off the pedestal on which it rests within ten seconds. Players damage the sandbag as much as possible so that it will fly farther. In addition, players are supplied with a Home Run Bat, one of the most powerful items, with which to smash the bag. During the sandbag contest this item can launch even an undamaged sandbag several hundred feet (although top players have reached distances of over 11,000 feet).

The Sandbag NPC can be played with SSBM's infamous Debug Menu. But, the Sandbag character does not have any moves whatsoever (Except for jumping/moving) and if a hit/shield command is done, or if sandbag leaves the game boundaries, the game will most likely freeze. But, with a bit of delay, it can slide along the ground with quite some speed.


text:
Super Smash Bros. series strategy guide/Playable characters

This is a list of all playable characters in the Super Smash Bros. games.

Trivia

 * Solid Snake is the first known character to appear in the Super Smash Bros. series who are not owned by Nintendo or an affiliate of Nintendo's.


text:
Mother 3

This Wikibook is a strategy guide for the popular game, Mother 3, which is famous for its fan translation.

/Characters/

 * Lucas
 * Claus
 * Kumatora
 * Duster
 * Flint
 * Hinawa

title: Mother 3


text: Category:Book:Mother 3

title: Category:Book:Mother 3


text:
Mother 3/Characters/Lucas

Lucas (リュカ) is a character in the Mother/Earthbound series of RPGs published by Nintendo and created by Japanese video game designer Shigesato Itoi. The character serves as the main playable protagonist of Mother 3, the third and last game in the series. He also appears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl where he is voiced by Lani Minella.

Lucas is depicted as a young boy with blonde hair who resides in the fictional Tazmily Village located on the Nowhere Islands. His family consists of parents Flint and Hinawa, his twin brother Claus, and his dog Boney. In Mother 3, Lucas develops psychic abilities referred to as PSI, which he uses in order to battle the Pigmask Army, forces led by antagonist Porky Minch that take control of the village and islands.

Creation and conception
Lucas was created by EarthBound series creator Shigesato Itoi. Lucas and his twin brother Claus are based and named after the twin characters from Agota Kristof's novel The Notebook. Though Mother 3 features five "main" playable characters in addition to Lucas, Itoi has stated that Lucas is the most important.

Lucas has blonde hair, a red and yellow striped shirt, and is capable of using PSI, a magical ability found in other games in the series. He is characterized as a crybaby during the first few chapters, but matures once the game reaches Chapter 4 and after he aides in fighting the Pigmask Army.

Appearances
Mother 3 is the only title that Lucas stars in. The game begins with Lucas and his brother Claus as prepubescent children, visiting their grandfather with their mother, Hinawa. Upon leaving, it switches perspectives to his father, Flint. During the first chapter, Hinawa is killed and Claus goes missing, owing their fates to a mechanized Drago, a normally gentle creature. The game's perspective switches between other main characters at this point. He later gets over his crybaby nature when he assists four allies, namely Duster, Kumatora, Salsa, and Wess, against the Pigmask Army, becoming the main character for the remainder of the game. As Lucas and Boney reunite with Duster and Kumatora, the four of them battle the Pigmask Army and attempt to pull all seven needles, which will revive a Dark Dragon resting under the islands. He must race with a mysterious person called The Masked Man to do so.

Lucas was featured in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a newcomer playable character. He has unique physical moves, while his special moves are based on Ness', the protagonist of Mother 3 ' s predecessor. He was originally going to replace Ness in Super Smash Bros. Melee, but due to the delays and eventual cancellation of EarthBound 64, Masahiro Sakurai decided to keep Ness. There was debate whether Lucas would replace Ness in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, or if they would be playable together due to the similarity in their movesets and the fact that he was going to replace him in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Ness was eventually confirmed to be playable as well. He received multiple trophies and a sticker.

title: Mother 3/Characters/Lucas


text:
Mother 3/Characters/Duster

Duster (ダスター) is one of the main characters of Mother 3. Duster is a thief, skilled at climbing mountainsides and walls using rungs that he carries with him everywhere. He is first introduced in chapter 1 of Mother 3, however Duster becomes the main protagonist in chapter 2. In a later part of this chapter, he is accompanied by his father, an old man named Wes.

Thief Items

 * Wall Stapler - Paralyses enemy.
 * Siren Beetle - Turns enemy around.
 * Hypnotism Ring - Puts enemy to sleep, and creates a beat to assist the player in performing combos.
 * Smoke Bomb - Clouds the enemy's vision, making them miss on physical attacks more often.
 * Scary Mask - Decreases enemy attack.
 * Tickle Stick - Decrease enemy defense.

Miscellanea

 * When Duster walks, he appears to limp on one leg. Wes alludes to an incident in his past that caused this. It is kept regardless of what he is wearing (such as when he is in the guise of a Pig Soilder)

 * Duster's in-game battle noise is a Bass Guitar, he also plays a Bass Guitar when he is with the DCMC band.

title: Mother 3/Characters/Duster


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Mother 3/Characters/Flint

Flint (フリント), a stereotypical cowboy, is a playable character in Mother 3.

Introduction
In Mother 3, Flint and his family (Lucas, Claus, and Hinawa) and his dog Boney, live in the small Tazmily Village. Flint appears in several chapters (especially Chapter One, in which he is the main character). In his appearances, he has teamed up with Duster (a mountain-climbing thief) and his dog Boney. He has great trust in his friends, as shown at the end of Chapter 2. His equipment includes 2×4s and hats. Flint also makes an appearance in the final chapter, although he is a non-playable character.

Skills

 * Brandish – Attack all enemies.
 * All or Nothing – Gives either a "SMAAAASH!!" hit or a miss.
 * Attack up – Raises Flint's offense.
 * Harden – Increase Flint's defense.

title: Mother 3/Characters/Flint