SynaMax
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synamax.bsky.social
SynaMax
@synamax.bsky.social
Music/SFX, video game historian, self-taught programmer, artist. One half of Psychic Rink.

Currently working on: "Nested Dreams" (1st original game), Acrolyte (music)

youtube.com/synamax
psychicrink.itch.io
patreon.com/synamax
synamax.bandcamp.com
Reposted by SynaMax
Why am I so against generative AI in games?

Because I simply do not want my initial reaction to art to be one of suspicion and scrutiny, AI slop is fundamentally damaging my relationship to art and artistry, and I am deeply resentful that it is forcing me to be guarded when I should be wowed.
November 17, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Reposted by SynaMax
Rebecca Heineman is a legend. If you’re playing video games right now then the work she has done has impacted you.
Rebecca Heineman doesn't have much time left. If you can, please donate for her and her family to make end of life arrangements.
One last kindness we can offer for a legend of the games industry and loud and proud trans woman:
www.gofundme.com/f/help-rebec...
Donate to Help Rebecca Ann Heineman Fight Aggressive Cancer, organized by Rebecca Heineman
I’m Rebecca Ann Heineman. The very first video game champion, creat… Rebecca Heineman needs your support for Help Rebecca Ann Heineman Fight Aggressive Cancer
www.gofundme.com
November 17, 2025 at 5:05 AM
Reposted by SynaMax
In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write to a famous author & ask for advice.

KURT VONNEGUT - born 103yrs ago today - was the only one to respond.

His reply was a doozy.
November 11, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Reposted by SynaMax
💥Prints are on sale again! Cheap as they ever get!💥
jackis.online/prints
November 11, 2025 at 12:26 AM
www.patreon.com/c/synamax Please consider joining my Patreon if you want to continue supporting my reverse engineering work, future video game documentaries, and original electronic music. Thank you
Get more from SynaMax on Patreon
creating electronic music and videos
www.patreon.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:26 PM
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November 6, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Reposted by SynaMax
Stop sharing AI slop.

It's one thing if you don't know or just made a mistake. No need to breathe down someones neck b/c its harder to tell nowadays.

But if you do know (ESPECIALLY IF YOU DO KNOW) even if you're posting it to make fun of it or sharing it unironically... consider not doing that.
November 5, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Been taking a look at how color palettes work in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. By changing the selected palette for Alucard, we can see there's actually a hidden outline that the pixel artist drew for every frame. The default palette forces the outline color to be transparent.
November 4, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Changing sound IDs is one of my favorite things to do when messing around with a debugger. It often leads to humorous results.
November 4, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Reposted by SynaMax
Last chance to turn it off.

On Monday, November 3rd, Microsoft will start using your LinkedIn data for AI training. And remember, you're opted in by default.

To toggle it off 👉 Account - Settings & Privacy > Data privacy > Data for Generative AI Improvement.
October 31, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Happy Halloween! I did additional mixing and mastering on Shoffur's newest single, check it out!
shoffur.bandcamp.com/track/tendril Happy Halloween from Hallownest (and Pharloom). It's my first new single in pretty much a year! (Also doing a re-slay in this costume this year.)
Tendril, by shoffur
track by shoffur
shoffur.bandcamp.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Reposted by SynaMax
I have thoughts
Youtube has announced that all low-res videos (i.e. older ones) are to be automatically AI upscaled to HD.
Creators can opt-out on a per video basis (but the channel may be long abandoned).

When researching props or behind the scenes, old videos are useful, but not if upscaling produces artefacts.
October 30, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Reposted by SynaMax
Happy Bandcamp Friday! My full-length Metroid Prime inspired album "Eclipse" is available for just $1 synamax.bandcamp.com
SynaMax
Been producing music since 2004. I work in several different genres, from progressive house to IDM, to retrowave and ambient. I wrote music for the 2021 animated film "The Sky Below", and I occasiona...
synamax.bandcamp.com
October 3, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Reposted by SynaMax
It's bandcamp friday again. If you havent listened to it yet, my latest album Harsh Wires is available on bandcamp. I'm really happy with it. I feel like it's the next iteration of who I am as an artist.

cicadasirens.bandcamp.com/album/harsh-...
Harsh Wires, by Cicada Sirens
7 track album
cicadasirens.bandcamp.com
October 3, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Reposted by SynaMax
just a reminder that bandcamp friday is tomorrow & streaming services are interrupting music streams with ai generated shit, flooding the database with artists that don't exist in any way other than profiting the platform owners

so instead of paying a monthly fee, buy an album or two each month ok
October 3, 2025 at 4:23 AM
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October 2, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Reposted by SynaMax
Tell your favorite artists you love their work
September 29, 2025 at 6:30 PM
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Video Game History Hour's Frank Cifaldi is joined by documentarian, historian, hacker, and all around cool guy @synamax.bsky.social to talk about their documentary Resurrecting Sinistar: A Cyber-Archaeology Documentary in the latest VGHH podcast: gamehistory.org/episode-140-...
September 17, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Had the absolute pleasure of getting to speak with VGHF's Robin Kunimune and @frankcifaldi.bsky.social on the VGHH podcast about my Sinistar documentary recently. Thanks again for having me on the show!
Episode 140: The 49 Ways of Sinistar | Video Game History Foundation
Host Frank Cifaldi is joined by documentarian, historian, hacker, and all around cool guy SynaMax to talk about their documentary Resurrecting Sinistar: A Cyber-Archaeology Documentary. The 1983 top-d...
gamehistory.org
September 17, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Happy Bandcamp Friday. To celebrate, I'm releasing a noisy hyperpop track I wrote, inspired by Leroy/Jane Remover.

synamax.bandcamp.com/track/janet-...
JANET DELETER (LOUD), by SynaMax
track by SynaMax
synamax.bandcamp.com
September 5, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Reposted by SynaMax
It's bandcamp friday again. If you would like to support my work, I have a new album out called Harsh Wires. It's a very personal album to me. I hope you enjoy it.

cicadasirens.bandcamp.com/album/harsh-...
Harsh Wires, by Cicada Sirens
7 track album
cicadasirens.bandcamp.com
September 5, 2025 at 7:41 AM
The Sinistar Reunion panel is now up on YouTube! Considering this was the first time I hosted anything like this, I'd like to think I did an okay job. youtu.be/hY22x1h7uZ8
Sinistar Reunion Panel - California Extreme 2025
YouTube video by SynaMax
youtu.be
September 4, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Reposted by SynaMax
They're actively targeting creators who call in & banning them, making it even more important to call if you're a customer & not a creator

Tell them they shouldn't be dictating how you get to spend the money you put your blood, sweat, and tears into earning
CALL STRIPE
CALL PAYPAL
CALL MASTERCARD
CALL VISA

DO NOT. STOP. CALLING!
#rocktheboat

stop-paypros.neocities.org
August 30, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Reposted by SynaMax
Hi folks. Facing down an expensive month and I have very little in the freelance pipe right now. If you've been thinking of getting a commission I would love to get you in the door soon. Thanks :)
I'm a designer, illustrator & artist looking for work. If you need graphics of any kind, get in touch:
🌐 jackapedia.design
✉ jack@jackapedia.design
August 22, 2025 at 1:09 PM