iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Just been to the opticians. Apparently my eyes are in great shape with no significant change to their prescription or health over the last 10 years. 😀 But then he warned me that I'm old and should expect my eyesight to go downhill RAPIDLY any time now. Which was lovely to hear... 😐

static.klipy.com

Eye Exam: Which is Better, One or Two?

ALT: Eye Exam: Which is Better, One or Two?

020

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Horse racing games aren't just a weird Japanese thing - they're also a weird British thing! I was placing bets in Derby Day on my Speccy back in the '80s. 🏇 #ZXSpectrum

021

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Still a lot of fun taking down those enemy bikers. 🏍️ #ZXSpectrum #MeanStreak

020

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

My first computer and my first game - both the originals I've owned since 1987 - still in working order. 😀 And yes, it actually went on to load first time. 😁 #ZXSpectrum

030

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

And today's lesson is: always use good quality SCART cables. I just wasted two hours messing around with settings on the OSSC, trying to figure out why I couldn't get a stable picture from my Spectrum... 😩

static.klipy.com

Glitch Static

ALT: Glitch Static

030

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Winning as Bowser! 🐢 According to my Wii U play log I haven't loaded up Mario Kart 8 since May last year, so I'm putting that right tonight. 🏁 #WiiU #MarioKart8

Victory for Bowser, first place in the Grand Prix with a full 60 points.

040

Reposted by Thom

Daphne Blake @itscrapcontent.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Look into my eyes,You will see, What you mean to me…… It’s the weekend and a new chart show ……so be what you want to be, Let your soul and your body and your mind be freeeeeeeee thanks x youtube.com/watch?v=Sj0Z...

youtube.com

#That-Retro-Chart-Show July - 1991

YouTube video by Daph Blake

32210

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Playing through Twilight Princess' Lakebed Temple, this game's take on a watery dungeon. It's a solid one, but not a patch on Ocarina of Time's Water Temple or Majora's Mask's Great Bay Temple. #Nintendo #Zelda #TwilightPrincess #WiiU

A screenshot from Twilight Princess HD on Wii U. Link is pulling down on a large handle hanging from the ceiling, opening a sluice gate and allowing water to flow.

030

Reposted by Thom

MrBiffo @mrbiffo.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Brand new video! Sanja and I took a speedboat onto the Thames to begin an epic journey through 300,000 years of London's history... youtu.be/9zfHYr5wI0s?...

youtu.be

We Walked Through 300,000 Years of London's Secret History

YouTube video by Paul And Sanja

22913

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

The plan for my day off today was: - quick vacuum, - gaming. The actual events of today have been: - vacuuming, - trying to superglue the vacuum cleaner back together, - researching vacuum cleaner spare parts, - sourcing replacements for the obscure light bulbs in my kitchen.

static.klipy.com

It Never Ends It Doesnt Stop

ALT: It Never Ends It Doesnt Stop

250

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Got another 2000s HP Pavilion laptop. 😁 The ze2000 (left) is a sister system to my original dv1000 from back in the day. Very similar styling, but slightly larger with its conventional 4:3 display instead of the widescreen panels in the dv range.

Two HP laptops. Left: ze2000. Right: dv1000.

240

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Another thing that I'd totally forgotten about Kirby's Dream Land is that if you complete the harder "Extra Game" mode you get a rollcall of all the enemies. Show's how often I've played hard mode over the years... 😅 #GameBoy #Kirby #Nintendo

Gordo
Bronto Burt
Waddle Dee
Waddle Doo
Shotzo

Flapper
Mumbies
Broom Hatter
Hurly
Glunk
Two Face
Booler

040

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

A budget-priced PSVR disc I picked up whilst on my travels this past week. Can confirm that pinball in VR is excellent. 😁👌 #PSVR #PS4 #PlayStation

A copy of Zen Studios VR Collection for PS4/PSVR.

020

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Six hours on the road and glad to be home - even if my ears are ringing from the engine noise... 😅

static.klipy.com

Weird Swirling Road Animation

ALT: Weird Swirling Road Animation

021

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Still plays fine though. 😁

Super Mario Land on the Nintendo Game Boy.

"Your quest is over"

220

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The only Game Boy game I own on which the plastic has begun to discolour; my original copy of Super Mario Land from Xmas 1992. #GameBoy #Nintendo

A Super Mario Land cartridge for the Nintendo Game Boy, showing some slight discoloration.

050

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

No dogs please do not drive on the grass in wet weather That'll tell those pesky doggie drivers...

A sign saying "No dogs please do not drive on the grass in wet weather".

060

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Gotta have an ice cream at the seaside, even in dreary weather. 🍦

160

Reposted by Thom

Daphne Blake @itscrapcontent.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Tomorrow it’s back to business with the rest of 1991 retro gaming charts …..plus there is some proper utterly brilliant tunes …..oh and that Robin Hood song will turn up at some point to youtube.com/watch?v=5RFT...

youtube.com

#That-Retro-Chart-Show June - 1991

YouTube video by Daph Blake

4165

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Today I shall mostly be staying: in the caravan. 🌧️

Looking out of a window at a caravan park in torrential rain, the sea in the distance.

020

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I'd forgotten how brutal Kirby's Dream Land becomes on its harder mode. I just burned through so many continues on the final King Dedede fight alone... 😅 #Kirby #GameBoy

The competition screen for Kirby's Dream Land's "Extra Game".

"You're Our hero!"

040

Reposted by Thom

Sophie Rose @sophierosemusic.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

sophie-rose.bandcamp.com/track/the-fu... Take trip to the top of the tower 🎹

sophie-rose.bandcamp.com

The Future Is Up, by Sophie Rose

track by Sophie Rose

085

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Unbelievably I've actually got some sun today. Making the most of it while it lasts. ☀️

Looking along a Welsh beach towards the town of New Quay.

020

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Love the seaside arcade machines, filled with fabulous prizes. 🧈

An arcade prize machine, filled primarily with American-style sticks of butter.

020

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

It wouldn't be a holiday without a flare-up of my dyshidrosis. Can't bend my little finger... 😩

A little finger with a red and swollen knuckle.

111

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Making the most of what's increasingly looking like the only break from the rain I'll get all week. I should know better by now than to come to Wales in September... 😅

A hand holding an ice cream cone by the seaside on a dreary, overcast day.

150

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Sat at my desk at Swift, heard the news on Radio 1. We'd just got broadband in the office a couple of weeks before, so we went straight to the Sky News website and were able to get a live TV stream online. World changing-events and world-changing technology combined for a day I won't forget...

020

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Finally getting onboard with the Switch 2. That Zelda edition is just too nice to pass up. 😁

150

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Made some more progress on Tales of Phantasia tonight, which I'm really enjoying, but I feel like I've been neglecting the game recently. 😅 #TalesOfPhantasia #PlayStation #PSX #PS1

030

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Topping up the battery. Hoping to use the Mini for Wales next week.

A classic Mini in silver, with the battery disconnected and being charged.

140

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I enjoyed playing through the first episode of the fan-translated PC-98 game recently, so I'll be sure to give this one a go. 😀

021

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

The mark of quality tailoring.

010

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

So I see it's that time of the week again... I choose World Grand Prix this #RandomGameSaturday. This is an instant grab for me any time I have the Master System hooked up. Yes there are deeper, more advanced racers on the SMS; but sometimes I just want a simple game from my 8-bit systems.

A boxed copy of World Grand Prix for the Sega Master System. The title text on a white grid with the only graphic being a chequered flag.

2195

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

There's absolutely no point to collecting these Miiverse stamps now, but I'm determined to get them all! 😂 #Zelda #WiiU #TwilightPrincess

A screenshot from Twilight Princess HD on Wii U. Link has opened a treasure chest to find a rubber stamp of a treasure chest.

020

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Fingers crossed my superglue repair job holds for a good while. 🤞 With that hinge repaired the lid shuts properly and the printer is 100% functional. I love the fact that a 32 year old printer is still perfectly usable from Windows 11. 😁

The printer, lid open, hinge holding, and the toner cartridge back in place.

030

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

I'm forever neglecting to do these #RandomGameSaturday posts... Let's fix that this week! 😀 Geist for GameCube. An inventive FPS where you play as a disembodied spirit, taking possession of different people, animals and objects on a quest to get back to your own body.

A boxed copy of Geist for GameCube. The cover shows a generic solider guy with his spirit being torn from his body.

040

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Looks like my Tetris Effect high score has been knocked another 10 places down the global ranking... I was 29th last time I checked. 😅

Tetris Effect "Classic Score Attack (PAL)" rankings, showing lilock33 in 39th place.

030

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

It often feels like you aren't allowed to be a fan of both Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, but I am and I absolutely love both games! 😀 It's just a shame I sometimes feel unable to discuss the relative strengths of each game over the other without getting attacked by fans from one of the camps. 😅

A scene from Twilight Princess: Midna riding on Wolf Link through a twilight-covered Hyrule Field, with Hyrule Castle visible on the horizon.

140

Reposted by Thom

Daphne Blake @itscrapcontent.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Go get yourself a coffee or cup of tea and some coco pops or sugar puffs and sit and watch this for 4 mins …it’s defo Saturday morning viewing …trust me on this x youtube.com/watch?v=VXLn...

youtube.com

#That-Retro-Chart-Show May - 1991

YouTube video by Daph Blake

1154

Reposted by Thom

Daphne Blake @itscrapcontent.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Do you like retro games ? And do you like retro numbers ? And do you like retro music ? And do you like retro visuals ? And do you like your retro retro thats retro while being new retro? youtube.com/watch?v=VXLn...

youtube.com

#That-Retro-Chart-Show May - 1991

YouTube video by Daph Blake

62611

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

For months it never rains... THEN IT POURS! 😂

050

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Sigh... 😔 This tiny bit of plastic that retained a spring broke off in the lid to my LaserJet 4L, causing the whole hinge to open at an angle and snap off. I really need to try and fix it. Haven't the budget to replace it right now, even if it is 32 years old...

A hand holding a broken piece of plastic, metal spring and pin in the background.

020

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Just had a work call with someone from head office in Atlanta, Georgia. He kept pronouncing "schedule" with a soft C, which is the way I would say it, but just seemed so wrong coming from an American. I can only assume he was doing it because he knew I'm a Brit... 😅

020

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Sometimes you win, sometimes you come 70th... 😅 #Tetris99

The recent results screen in Tetris 99 showing a 70th place ranking followed directly by a 1st place result.

250

Thom @lilock33.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

A successful sponge pudding. 😀 That'll last me all week. 😋

A sponge pudding, still wrapped in foil, fresh from the saucepan.

The pudding, turned over and on a plate.

050