The Clock is Ticking

The year is almost over and 2009 is upon us! And how thankful I am to be able to put this year behind of me. Don't get me wrong though, I mean 2008 has been a fairly good year to me and it held a number of changes and things that shook me up. But with a whole new year just around the corner, who knows what's to come?

Anyway, these past few days I've been playing a game or two. As always, I have gotten side tracked from the games I started to seriously play, just to play other stuff. The newest focus of my attention has been "Rise of the Argonauts," which did start out kind of slow and has been picking up steam as it rolls along.

One thing that I have noticed about the game is the fact that a lot of the time spent (at least from what I've seen anyway) just running back and forth, talking to this person or another. And as you go, there are quite a few cut scenes and the combat has been scattered to a minimal thus far.

Other issues are lagging and load times, which generally happens everywhere you go. The lag in the game play thankfully happens when you're in town and not so much in battle. The load times, on the other hand, pop up for opening doors and gates, which can get annoying if you end up dying in battle numerous amounts of time (as I did).

Still, the story, while predictable in some aspects, has succeeded in capturing my attention. We'll see how long/far that will take me...

On an unrelated note, WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 is fairly okay in my book. But what bugs me is how unfriendly the create-a-wrestler mode is. Creating a finisher is all well and fine, it is limited too, but it is a new feature. Maybe next year will see a big improvement there.

But back to the create-a-wrestler mode, meh. That is what always sells me on these types of games and each year that part of it goes down the shitter! Top that off with the fact that apparently the first DLC for the game will not be released for the Xbox 360 until March of 2009! And shit be damned, PS3 is holding a number of exclusive stuff already!

With the way things are looking, I do not expect to continue playing these games in 2009. Absolutely not worth wasting my time with anymore and I've been playing wrestling games since 1998.

Speaking of later dates, I read in the latest Game Informer that Final Fantasy XIII isn't expected to reach our shores until late 2010. Talk about a real drag there... all I know is this: With the amount of years that is being poured into this game, it had better be able to blow away everything that came before it.

Is that being a bit harsh?

One last thing before I stop and this, again, goes back to Square Enix. I finally got around to renting "The Last Remnant" and I am on the fence about this one. I mean it does seem interesting and all, but my problem (and lack of continued interest) has been the fact that I don't own a HD TV. So! I can't read/see/understand a goddamn thing anyone is saying.

How can you get into a RPG without being able to read anything?

Beyond that though, with the time I managed to spend playing this I can away with one simple thought in mind: Why does this game feel so hollow? So... lifeless? It just doesn't catch my attention all that much.

Aside from the restriction of having to go through a great deal to see where the hell I'm going on the map, the characters themselves seem generally pretty bland. Hell for a moment I even thought I had picked up Lost Odyssey all over again. And to top the cake? Rush annoys the bloody hell out of me! Can he just not die, 3 minutes into the game?

Well I feel a little better! Now I shall go back to decapitating all manner of life and see on how Jason may bring back his slain wife...

Catching Up Before It's Over

Once again, I had expected to have sat down and written a few more times then I've done this month. But again things didn't quite turn out the way that I had expected them to. In a way, isn't that how life goes? I suppose I should have learned a little something about that by now, to expect the unexpected.

Anyway, merry belated Christmas to all! And in the event that I should miss writing this part, hope everyone has a happy, fun and safe new year too!

Christmas was spent just moving here and there, my girlfriend and I had lunch at Zippy's (which was also the case for Thanksgiving). It wasn't bad and the place we went to was fairly uncrowded, so it was somewhat relaxing.

And what a strange twist of events in Hawaii, just a day after Christmas huh? The island of Oahu gets hammered down by a downpour of thunder and lightning and then everything goes dark. My workplace was damn near pitch black in some areas and in my luck, I ended up in an area where there were no lighting. Great!

But nothing a little game of Monopoly by candle light cannot fix! On the other hand, said game is still unfinished. I can still win it all! I have faith!

And in something completely unrelated, I've been scoring extremely well in Fantasy UFC. Basically they (the UFC) puts up their fight cards online and you chose who you think will win. On top of that, you chose down to the details (which round will the fight end? How will the fight end? How much time into the round will the fight end?) and when the fights are done, you get scored on how much of it you guess correct.

Me? I am not a hardcore fan of the UFC, more of a casual fan I suppose. Well, to my surprise (and to the dismay of a fellow co-worker, whom is an avid fan I might add), I've basically ranked above him and have stayed in the top 100 during the last two events. As a matter of fact, this past show I managed to rank 93 out of 23,830.

Not to toot my own horn here or anything, but I am surprised (again) because I really don't have any clue about what or whom I am picking here. More often then not, I don't even know how the guy even fights.

Oh well, more stuff I am into during my limited free time. I'd write about games tonight, but I am too tired to really think it up right at this moment. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day eh?

The Finish Line is on the Horizon!

It has been a strange month, filled with ups and downs and dramas and headaches galore. Plus it's been a fairly decent month for gaming too, which does help when times are down or just so full of shit. But that is entirely another story! The big deal now is Christmas is just 3 days from now! 2009 is just a cough away, which still amazes me because I can hardly remember what I did this past year.

Oh, right. The most 'excitement' I've had has been spending pretty much the whole year working. That thought alone is almost depressing in a way. Actually that is a lie to a degree, I mean my girlfriend and I went ice skating (my first time, her second) and let me tell you this: Me and ice skates = do not mix.

What added to the situation was the fact that little boys and girls were just blowing past us like we weren't even moving. Which, come to think of it, we were going at a snail's pace.

It was cool though, I mean it was something entirely different from the norm for us. Hell, where else can a person claim to have smelt someone's stink as shit feet in skates? It (the smell) was so bad, that shit rubbed off onto my hands! Need I say it grossed me out? And that takes some effort, more often then not.

Work has been crazy, people have been crazy, my boss is crazy. Ah yes, Christmas is absolutely undeniable.

Funny thing though: If I am wearing the uniform, I am holding a box of Japanese somethings or another and I even have the name tag on, does it or does it not mean I work at the establishment you are standing in? I get the ever popular question "are you working here?" so often it makes my head hurt some days.

Onto the games! I just picked up Orange Box (Half-Life 2), which was dirt cheap ($20) and it has a whole lot of game on that disk. Should be fun or so I am hoping. Oh and including in there is Portal, which I got to play the demo of recently. Strange game, but it does get you thinking.

Rise of the Argonauts has been fun too, but at this point I am left with a truck load of questions and damn near NO answers to it! The story didn't start out as strong, but it certainly picks up steam and fast!

Well I'd love to stay and chat, but I got myself a spiffy new silver Nintendo DS for X-Mas and Chrono Trigger is just begging for some play. And who am I to deny that, right? I want Magus on my team... he OWNS everything and everyone in the game!

Not Out of the Woods Yet!

Just when I thought it was safe to relax and not have to freak out/panic over a new game being released, Rise of the Argonauts happens. I mean what happened to this game? I remember listing this many months back as something I thought was interesting and then it didn't get released and I forgot all about it.

Until now.

Damn you.

While I am cursing that which is known as video games, 2009 has some interesting releases scattered throughout the year. But really, the gem I am eagerly awaiting word about is easily Final Fantasy XIII. It seems with each new entry to the main series, the longer the wait between the games are.

I suppose this is a good thing, right?

Where the hell is Kingdom Hearts 3? The Heartless need further thrashing...

Anyway, I've gone and dug through Gamestop's website for releases that are coming in the year 2009. Needless to say, it should be a very interesting year. Here are a few games I thought looked and sounded interesting.

- Street Fighter 4
- Lord of the Rings Conquest
- Halo Wars
- UFC 2009 Undisputed
- Batman: Arkham Asylum
- Overlord 2
- Darksiders: Wrath of War

I sort of wonder what surprises are in store for gamers in the coming year? A new entry to the Chrono series? Final Fantasy VII? Final Fantasy XIII even?! Or even a good RPG that will finally manage to capture (and hold) my attention from start till finish?

Just 8 more days till Christmas! And once that is here, 2009 will be mere steps away! Ugh, why in the hell does a Japanaese grocery store in America need to be open on Christmas day anyway?!

Counting Down the Days

I wholly expected to have written more then I have this month, with the intention of trying to keep up a little more stable flow of writing. Instead I've only gone 2 writings this month, but then I've been keeping busy nonetheless!

On the gaming front, I think it is now (finally) safe to say that I've gotten a hold of the games I wanted this year. And considering there don't appear to be much of anything good that will be out for the rest of this month (as far as I know), I think I can finally take a breather here.

After finishing off Left 4 Dead (if that's possible?), I was going to try and get back into finishing Fable 2 and continuing with Mirror's Edge. Instead, I got hooked onto Chrono Trigger DS and Prince of Persia!

To be perfectly honest, I am loving Chrono Trigger all over again. It feels like there hasn't been any time that passed since the first time I laid eyes on this till now and it is still as engaging and fun as I can remember it. The DS port is damn near exact to what was the original, which I am ever so grateful for.

As for something newer, Prince of Persia is an extremely beautiful game, in my own personal opinion. The game itself is good too, though the controls does take a little getting used to. I spent a little while trying to do the wall runs and climbs without jumping off/outward.

Switching gears here, Tuesday night was my first time eating at a Shabu Shabu place. The meal was awesome! The lady that served us did look fairly disappointed though, I mean I hadn't finished off all of my veggies. What can I say? I have a few cucumbers and I down the noodles and tofu, but really! I am there for the meat!

I wish I knew what kind of ponzu sauce they served, which might not be an issue had I asked huh? I know one thing though, it surely was NOT Mitsukan brand because I know that stuff is damn strong tasting!

On a final note here, my girlfriend blazed through the first book in the Twilight series and we finally made it down to see the movie. It was ok, though she didn't exactly care for me asking her a number of times "where's the wine?"

Why was I asking that you may wonder?

Because the damn movie is cheesy! I swear it is an extended WB teen drama. How I survived that movie from start to finish is a miracle to even me. It isn't to say that it was all bad, but it surely wasn't the best movie I saw this year.

No, that spot is easily reserved for "The Dark Knight."

Only 21 more days before 2008 goes buh bye! Wow, 2008 sure breezed by didn't it?

Red Rings That Almost Was

Earlier this week, or to be more precise, last Monday, marked the day where I almost gave my XBox console it's inaugural flight, clear out the front door no less. Why you may wonder? Why would I do such a thing to a video game console of all things?

Well, to sum things up for the sake of sanity, my XBox red ringed me again. AGAIN (as pictured above, not my pic but that was exactly what I got that morning). Needless to say, I was beyond pissed off. I had not even had the system back for six months and again!??

Thankfully, the dreaded Red Rings of Death disappeared this time around and all is well (for now...?). But it makes me wonder, we send this thing in for 'repairs' and if/when it happens again, does this really mean they aren't fixing a damn thing?

Now what I hope for is Microsoft will step it up when the next generation of consoles comes around. This sort of thing about their shit breaking down this late in the game is really pathetic.

And yes, some days it does even cause me to wonder why in the world did I pick up the damn XBox before the PS3. Surely it was the cheaper of the two, but with all this stuff going on with the XBox... it causes me to question what was going through my head that day.

Believe me when I say this though: Next generation, I ain't making this mistake again.

Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories

One last post before December officially begins, I was just browsing about and I came upon a most curious little image. Now I knew this was coming, but the thought of it managed to give my mind the old slip.

Well as the picture on the left side here will blatantly give away, Kingdom Hearts is still very much alive and well!

In my own personal experience, I played a fair amount of both Kingdom Hearts games (my girlfriend was much more into these, I was the call in for the rough boss fights!). But when it came down to Chain of Memories, I think I played a grand total of about 5-10 minutes at most.

Speaking of my girlfriend, at least she now had something to look forward to after she resigned herself in knowing that the Final Mix was not coming to our shores.

As for me, maybe I'll even give this thing another go... and maybe play it for 20-25 minutes this time around.

What I'd really like to know is if/when will there be a Kingdom Hearts 3? I mean the story is obviously NOT over yet and the Heartless must be stopped once and for all. I just hope it does not end up like Chrono Trigger (as I wrote about in my previous writing) and ends up coming out years from now. Wow, I can even tact this little ditty onto a little game called Final Fantasy XIII as well.

Then again, I think I may have already answered myself on that count. If I am not mistaken here, but isn't there a number of spin-off games based off of Kingdom Hearts coming out in the near future? Meh. Outlook: Bleak.

I guess I'll just be stuck here, just waiting around and playing whatever random game is released that catches (and holds onto) my attention.

Oh well.

Chrono Trigger DS

So after all of these many long years, Chrono Trigger is finally re-released! I mean granted there is/was/still is the SNES ROM of the game somewhere out there, but this is the real thing now! Kind of makes me wonder what took Square Enix so long to get to this game? Did they believe it wouldn't sell or something?

If that was the case, why did Infinite Undiscovery and The Last Remnant get out before this? I haven't heard much good about either of those and yet it manages to beat out a LEGEND such as Chrono Trigger? Where is the logic in this situation? Where I ask?!

Anyway, I think it will be interesting to see how much was changed from what the original CT was. I hope the game has not been entirely altered or "updated" as they like to describe it. What was there to change anyway? Was it not a masterpiece in it of itself? Would someone dare to take the Mona Lisa and "update" her? Maybe some hot pink hair coloring, a nose ring and some dark black eye liner would help spruce up the old girl?

Yeah, I think not.

Maybe I am spoiled, maybe I am just impossibly hoping to cling onto the past. Maybe that is where my head is, right along side my beaten and battered heart.

Wow, to the emo side, yet, I may go?

Considering the amount of time taken for this re-release to see the light of day, maybe in another 5-15 years we'll see Final Fantasy VII "updated" and re-released on the PSXXXVIII X-Treme and the Xbox 45,360 Gold Series with White-Ray technology, with a built in nuclear microwave oven and a on-board flat screen plasma projection screen.

As you can easily see, I cannot even begin to fathom what console systems might be like in the future beyond tomorrow. Still, imagine a gaming system that had like a built in house or something? Now that would be, like, totally awesome...?

Oops, side tracked like no other!

So yes, now I can add onto my growing list of games I am either playing or will be in the very near future. At the rate I am going now, I might just have myself backstocked with games up until the day finally arrives when Final Fantasy VII is re-released!

Happy Turkey Day!

For any and all who read my blog today, here's hoping you all have a safe, enjoyable Thanksgiving (if you celebrate it). It is a day to remember what you are thankful for in your life and I know everyone has to have something they are thankful for.

Me? I'm thankful for my good health, being able to live and be happy with my girlfriend. Sure there are rough patches, but that comes with the territory, I know that part. Besides that, what can I really complain about? Work is work, I still manage to have time to be a gamer and I still can write as much (or as little) as I chose. At this point in time I can surely say that things are great.

I am also thankful that we won't be having our own turkey this year, since the past 2 years we've had so much left over turkey that we just couldn't eat it any longer. Why did it take us two years to finally make the change? Good question, I don't even know the answer to that one.

Well, one final thought before I give this short and sweet writing it's timely end, and as I mentioned in my previous writing, best of luck to all of yous who brave that which is known as "Black Friday." To face the hordes of rabid shoppers, bargain hunters and all other forms of life, to face the endless lines and the rage of hundreds of people as they swarm and engulf you in their fury, I say this to you: You are HARDCORE!

Happy Thanksgiving!

007: Quantum of Solace

Just got to see this movie last week and it surely does not disappoint folks! The pacing of the movie is absolutely frantic, so much is going on at nearly every twist and turn it is crazy!

All of this takes place shortly after Casino Royale ends and to illustrate what I mean about the pacing, the movie starts out with a crazy car chase! That pretty much paints the picture of what to expect from that moment forward.

That isn't to say that the whole movie is nothing but action, I mean things to let up here and there. And despite what some people have said, there is story and if you pay attention, there is quite a bit of 'character development' from start to end.

I will say this however: Seeing Casino Royale is a must! If not then a great deal of the story will probably not make much sense. That and it would appear to only be a pissed off Brit that is out for revenge.

Entirely not true.

And while I will not do anything to spoil what happens and how it all goes down, I did like how Quantum of Solace ends. Without adding any touch of detail here, I will say that it does involve Vesper Lynd (the girl whom Bond falls for in Casino Royale, who ultimately dies by it's end) and the boyfriend she tried to save at one point.

One final thing here, after reading the Playboy interview they conducted with Dainel Craig, he has signed on for a total of 4 007 movies. Considering this was number 2, it seems safe to say that 2 more will inevitable be on the way.

My wonder now is simply this: Will the movies that follow continue on with this continuum? I'd like to thing so since the organization behind of LeChiffe is still very much at large and I'd like to believe that the score has not yet been settled. But, as always, only time well tell us now...

Dood!

I was surprised to discover this game while browsing though IGN the other night. The first thought that popped into my head was exactly what the title stated: Can a Prinny really be the hero of it's own game?

Considering how they've been the tail end of the comedy stick in the original Disgaea game (and anime), I can just imagine the type of insanity that may ensue in a game of their very own. I also expect a great deal of explosions, too.

Against all rational thought, I picked up Left 4 Dead today. Thankfully though, I managed enough trade-ins to avoid having to pay anything for it. On second thought, considering the number of games I've traded in, I suppose I still end up being the village idiot. Duh!

Something I am still working on getting used to about Left 4 Dead is the infected rush. These undead bitches just pop up out of nowhere and rush you like you were a Nintendo Wii during Christmas time (or at least how things were last Christmas)!

Last little tidbit of useless information, I think I am finally nearing the end of Fable 2. After being side tracked with marriages (yep, I went for more then one!), jobs, side quests and just outright killing stuff, I am nearing the end at last.

I think I may end up replaying Fable 2 another round or more, just to try out life on the dark side of life. Speaking of which, that has also been a reason why I've taken longer to progress through the game. I've been having more and more outbursts of ill will and so I've gone on all out rampages against the innocent people of Albion.

Besides that, damn folks Thanksgiving is here already and Black Friday should be a bitch! Best of luck to anyone who dares to brave the flood of humanity coming to damn near every store that'll open up. I tried to ask my girlfriend if it was alright if I pretended to be in a zombie game and just beat up anyone that gets to close to me/runs at me during this period.

I was being serious, she wasn't amused though. Huh.

Really though, best of luck and happy hunting to whom ever decides to dive into this insanity that is Black Friday. It will be a busy weekend folks, I know I'll be up to my ears working at both of my jobs this weekend and all indications point towards pure crazy.

Left 4 Dead Demo

Even while I had downloaded it a while back, I just got around to trying out the demo for Left 4 Dead (which I didn't realize had also been recently released).

And damn it all, I think I might actually like this one.

This game is creepy as hell, maybe not on par with some of Resident Evil's scare moments (Tyrant, how I STILL hate you), but the zombies in this game just pop in almost out of nowhere. And there is almost no such thing as safe. I mean you could be looking down on them and if they realize you are above them, they can and likely will jump up to you. I've even watched these things rip doors apart and then flood in.

In some ways, the tone of the game (and the nature of the zombies) remind me somewhat of those zombie-like creatures from "I Am Legend." You make a noise and they will be on your ass in a heartbeat.

Anyway, blah... I suppose I could add this onto my list of games for next month (joining Chrono Trigger, The Last Remnant, Prince of Persia and something else which is escaping the reach of my brain right now).

What makes me sad this holiday season is the lack of a new Final Fantasy game. I mean FFXII took a while to get here, but it sure looks like Final Fantasy XIII is going to go the distance and really take it's time on getting done. I just hope that this extra time improves the game and not end up as being a huge negative for it. Guess only time will tell now...

The War Has Just Begun

Amid the small collection of games I had picked up this month, I ended up renting two more to add onto the already hectic line up of games being played in my house. The games in question? Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 and, because I witnessed the endless lines of people picking this up, Call of Duty: World at War.

Now pictured here is Tanya (Jenny McCarthy), the Allied forces' Commando. She is starring along side an impressive cast in the recently released Red Alert 3.

I'll admit it, I liked Command & Conquer 3. I enjoyed Kane's Wrath (that doesn't sound right), but when it comes down to the Red Alert series, that is just a whole different ball game for me.

I mean I obsessed over Red Alert 2 and I played that to death! And when Yuri's Revenge was released, the obsession carried on for years after.

Anyway, this latest installment into the Red Alert series finds the Soviet forces on the losing end of the war (again). In a last ditch effort, several Soviets use a hidden time machine to travel back to the past where they kill Albert Einstein, a critical key in the Allied forces rise to victory.

The displaced Soviets return to the present to find that they were finally winning, pushing the Allied forces back until they were all but trapped in Great Britain. However, their joy was short lived as the Empire of the Rising Sun (Japan) declares war on the warring Soviets and proceed to attack their homeland while the vast majority of their forces are spread across the European continent.

Anyway, that is the story in a nutshell and things are no less crazier then they were in Red Alert 2. Although there isn't really any mind control tech (I miss Yuri's forces already... sort of). In a lot of ways, the Empire of the Rising Sun fits the gap that Yuri left behind quite well. I mean their commando is a pissed off school girl with some real power. Hell, I lost during just the second mission of the Soviet campaign because of her! They are indeed unique and their soldiers and vehicles aren't anything like what's in both the Allied or Soviet arsenals.

But even both of the original factions have gotten upgrades to what they bring to the war, which has left me trying to re-figure out which side I like better. It is also safe to say that a lot of tactics that I had during Red Alert 2 have to be rethought, due to the fact that some of the weapons from the previous game was taken out (bye bye Prism Tank!).

Next up is Call of Duty: World at War.

Man, I thought I was in a world of trouble myself on the day that this was released, because the lines were just endless! This actually came out about the same time as Mirror's Edge, so my mind began to race. I had thought that maybe all of those people were there for that game, which would be a mess for me because I did not reserve .

And I was wrong.

All of that madness was for the newest Call of Duty, which (as far as I can tell) is about what you could expect from a CoD game, or even from a FPS game these days. What I do like about this game is also what gives me a headache at the same time. By this I mean the split screeen co-op mode.

Games with co-op are good for me, because then I can recruit my girlfriend into joining the fight as well. That is what draws me to FPS like Gears of War, Halo and Rainbow Six. The same could be said for this game, which surprised me since CoD4 was not co-op.

But while that is all good and great, the split screen itself is just horrible! It isn't like the other games where the screen in cut in half. Rather, it has both players' screens together, but they do not fill up the screen. Does that make sense? Anyway, it is a pain in the ass even more so if you do not have a HD TV (like I do not). Why? Because then it makes it challenging to even clearly see where you are heading or even whom you are firing at.

Maybe I am far too used to the style of other FPS co-op games? Am I spoiled? I'd like to think not. I mean come on! I wonder who's bright idea it was to do things this way? Meh, anyway... other then that eye sore, it is fairly fun FPS that brings in some crazy firefights.

Anyway, time to stop writing here and get back to the gaming front over here. With all of these games around the house right now, I really have to get cracking before December rolls in. If not I may end up being submerged under a sea of games...

Fun times, that might not be...

Remembering Eddie Guerrero

I just picked up "Viva La Raza: The Legacy of Eddie Guerrero" tonight and it certainly does not disappoint. While for the most part the commentary from friends and family somewhat shadows what was already said on Eddie's last DVD, there are some new stories and memories shared that makes this worth watching.

The meat of this DVD set are (obviously) the matches, which span across his days from the original ECW, to his final match in WWE. While it is just a brief history of his work, it is still too bad that the stuff he did with (and against) Chris Benoit was omitted from this collection. Though I suppose it is understandable, since I doubt the company wants to associate itself with what Benoit did.

Still, with what is available in this set are easily some of Eddie's best matches and solid proof of why he deserves to be remembered by wrestling fans. I think the new guys that wrestle today can only hope and dream to ever reach the level of a Eddie Guerrero.

My personal favorite match is his Halloween Havok match against Rey Mysterio (Jr.), back in the old WCW. Mask vs. title. Need I say more? What, I do? Fine.

Talk about a crazy, crazy match, these guys flew around and out of the ring like they were both suicidal maniacs. Many of the moves executed in this match were stuff unheard of here in the states, moves that just baffle the mind. In my totally unbiased (yeah, right) opinion, this match is easily one of the best matches I've ever seen coming from WWE/WCW/ECW.

In closing I will simply say this much more: Although he is gone, Eddie Guerrero will never be forgotten.

On The Edge

After spending the last month or so just anticipating the release of Mirror's Edge, the wait is finally over.

At last!

I've gotten about five chapters into the story so far and it does indeed live up to what it was hyped to be. Things can be slow, with Faith (the main character) just moving across rooftops, then suddenly everything gets crazy a split second later.

And surely you could stand and fight off the cops as they swarm you. Or, as it was in my case, you could try and just die after taking several gunshots or a direct hit or two.

So as the hints might convey and as the story likes to point out, you are a Runner. And when anything more then a cop appears, you'd best be doing exactly that. And fast!

The graphics are beautiful, the city is alive and well *down below* and the environments have you jumping, flipping, sliding and scaling everything from railings, to rooftops and even electric fences. What's more, the game doesn't slow down when the action picks up and the sense of speed and freedom is just sick! I can just imagine what Mirror's Edge would look like on a HD TV.

One more thing about graphics that I felt a need to mention: The cut scenes.

The way the game play looks is one thing, but the style changes whenever a cut scene happens. How can I describe it? It is animated, looks much more cartoon-ish I suppose. Yet even while it does indeed look different, it still manages to blend into the overall style of the game and to me, it does not look out of place one bit.

The controls are easy to pick up and the opening tutorial does a good job at giving you the basic skills needed to survive in this crazy government-controlled world. However, speaking on my own behalf, remembering what buttons to string together can be a bitch to recall when you're running for your life and have numerous police firing at you (and everything around you). I have died many deaths in my failed attempts at escape...

Which brings me to something I can finally bitch and complain about. One thing that has gotten me swearing (not a lot, mind you... I swear!) has been the easy and constant deaths. Now this is nothing to fault the game at all, just merely something that is my fault for misjudging the distance between one rooftop to another. A nice touch to counter this is you'll usually pop back up near the point of your misguided jump (and subsequent death, complete with a crunch in some instances).

Overall, at this point in time I can firmly and confidently say that Mirror's Edge was worth the wait and more so the money. That, to me, speaks volumes for it because with the number of games that are either nearing release or have recently been, you'd better be something more then just 'okay.'

'Nuff said, I think it is about time to get back to dodging cops and leaping to my death! Whoops...

In other news, it looks as though I may get more game time in the near future. With the economy the way that it is, businesses (obviously) have experienced major decline in sales. Which has lead me to learn tonight that my hours at my second job had been cut *again* and that is bad for me. I mean I was down to 18 hours a week as it was and for my boss to call me and say "hey! I had to cut back everyone's hours" is just painful.

Ah hell, I guess that means it is time to put more hours back into my other job. Japanese gift sets, here I come! Blah!

Overload, Overload!

I'm starting to juggle more and more games and I am quickly losing my mind. Besides playing Fable 2, I picked up Gears of War 2 and I am hoping to get Mirror's Edge today too. Thankfully though, I am nearly finished with Fable 2. How will it all end I wonder!?

Ok, I cheated and I've already read a little into how the games ends and even now I cannot decide on which choice to make. Three choices to choose from and you can only make one. Blah.

One thing I will say about the game and this goes for the dog "feature." He really doesn't help much, besides finding buried treasure or chests. Ok and he growls when bad guys are nearby too, but that's it! Maybe he'll gnaw on someone if they are on the ground, but otherwise nothing! Can't we have an attack dog? An aggressive and angry attack dog?

What kind of made me laugh (and also what caused me to consider joining the Temple of Shadows) was being able to "earn" purity and goodness by giving gold to the Temple of Light. What? So really, considering I had the money, I could kill everyone in Bowerstone and all I'd need is to donate money and I'm clean? Whoa, sign me up!

I ultimately did not go over to the dark side, because the Temple of Shadows is just too fucked up! Not in a bad way really, they are just a weird bunch of freaks!

Gears of War 2 feels a lot like the first, just the usual changes of more (and bigger) baddies, more explosions and gunfights and all of that jazz. I think more of the changes took place in the multiplayer stuff and the addition of Horde mode is pretty cool too. Talk about dying badly, I got surrounded and totally destroyed and I didn't even see what murdered my ass either. Don't get me wrong though, it is still a lot of fun (if you're into this sort of thing)!

And then Mirror's Edge, my damn near obsession since playing the demo the first time around. I hope the final product lives up to what it has been hyping itself up to being. One thing about this game, too, is if you experience motion sickness... this is not a game for you! My girlfriend hates this game just for the fact that her stomach does twists, turns and flips when she watched me play through the demo.

But I like it! I like it a lot! I suppose that makes me a little mean, but eh! If I need to hear Korean pop music, I consider this as retribution! Mwahahaha!

Still Alive - Mirror's Edge

One thing that always, always bugs me is when I hear a catchy song in a video game and cannot find the music in question. In today's case, this comes from a game I've written about a time or three already called Mirror's Edge. Apparently, I am not the only one that has searched for this and apparently still, there is going to be a CD released at the same time as the game, with the song and a few remixes as well.

All I know is the woman singing the song is Lisa Miskovsky, a Swedish pop singer. Besides that, I cannot find anything else so far. I was sort of hoping someone had found a way to get at least the original track out there somewhere.

Continuing on with my search... I will not rest until I have found what I seek! Mwahahaha!

Edit: No more then a few minutes after writing this, MISSION ACCOMPISHED. Despite having a shitty day today at work, this easily makes the day worthwhile. Gratifying, indeed!

Just Wow...

I've been reading around the internet and I've come across a number of people's reactions to Fable 2. And I know I probably shouldn't be surprised by this sort of thing, but wow! I can't believe how much people are cutting this game down!

People make it out to being such a shit game, but it really isn't THAT bad. I mean I couldn't barely play through the original Fable and I didn't enjoy that one all that much.

To me, Fable 2 is a lot easier to pick up and get into. Hell, I am actually enjoying it.

What I think is most unfair to Fable 2 is actually trying to compare this to Oblivion and/or Mass Effect. It is like comparing Final Fantasy to Oblivion or Dragon Quest to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

Even while these games get classified as "RPGs," these games just aren't the same kind of animal. Is that too hard for people to get?

I guess ultimately this just reminds me why I don't really read a lot of player written reviews. Don't get me wrong, there have been a few that have helped sway my opinions about some games. But more often then not, it just sounds like a bunch of people who will never, ever be happy with anything that anyone ever releases.

Why not just enjoy it for what it is and leave it be? We should all know by now that games will not and cannot ever truly be "perfect." And to expect something perfect is just setting yourself up for a major disappointment in my book. Ok, I know I'm starting to drag this out here but I will say one last thing here.

It is entirely one thing to give your opinions on a game, that is perfectly fine I'd say. But to go out and berate a game and just blast the people who make it, that just ain't right. I guess what I'm really trying to say is this: Is it so hard to show these folks a little respect?

The Future Becomes a Little Clearer

As I'm sitting here, just browsing through website after website, a thought crossed my mind and I wondered: How was the election going? Who'd become the next president, Obama or McCain? And so without another second of thought, I go ahead and check to see how it was going. And to my surprise, it was already over!

So Obama will be the next President of the United States huh? I wonder now, will he live up to all of his hype? I mean I always hear people talking about how charismatic the man is and all of that, but at the end of the day I still wondered. Will he become a better leader then the one we have now? Or is our future, as a country, going to continue down this path we are on right now?

With the elections over, I suppose we will all not have to wait all that much longer to find out that answer. While I admit that I did not vote during this election, depending upon what happens over the course of the next 4 years, that may very well change when the next election rolls around.

Yes, I know it is important to vote but I am skeptical about politics, to say the least. It pisses me off to no end to hear someone talking up a storm about all of these great changes they intend on doing, then end up doing (seemingly) none of it.

Anyway, I surely will be keeping a little closer eye on our new President when he takes office next year. Hopefully he ends up being everything people claim he is. That or we will have even more of the world hating our guts....

November is Hell

I'd want to keep my cool right now and to be as un-cryptic as I can be, I just looked at the release dates for the games coming out this month. Nothing should have surprised me, I mean I looked at all of this a few months back. I knew there would be a lot of games released up until the ending of this year. Common knowledge right? I mean this wasn't unexpected, I knew...

I thought I knew.

I really didn't know after all.

And all I can say to all of this is - Holy SHIT! This month will be fucking insane! It feels like everything is being released this month (list of interested titles are listen in the tags at the bottom)! I mean I know Christmas is just around the corner already and everyone wants to rake in the cash during this time of year, but good lord! Can game companies bombard a gamer anymore then this?

What blew my mind even more was the sight of Chrono Trigger on the list, which is coming at the ending of this month. Goddamn it, I thought it was going to be out in December, along with Prince of Persia (also thought this was next month). I suppose I was wrong...

I know I say this a little often, but I think it is safe to say that being broke this month is definitely a major understatement. At this point I am considering on giving up eating for the rest of this year, you know... to offset the tremendous cost of getting this many games. That, or maybe sell off my first born or something.

I kid.

And I don't have a first born child either.

So I can easily say that it'll be a interesting month, to work and squeeze game time for this many titles... I'm quickly beginning to think I may have to reconsider a good deal of these buggers. I mean with a lack of options on how to effectively buy 'em all, what else can a person do right? Now the problem is, which ones to hold off on? So many choices, so little time (and money)!

I hate the holidays...

Mirror's Edge

Surprised.

That is what I was today when I discovered that Xbox Live had put out the demo for Mirror's Edge. I was pretty interesting in the game as it was and while I hadn't watched or looked for any videos about the game, it was almost enough for me just reading about it several months back. But I would be lying right now if I said I wasn't curious if this game could actually pull off what it promised it could.

All those doubts just vanished several minutes ago, as I just got through playing the demo for Mirror's Edge. And the verdict? I enjoyed that shit! I gave that line a thought a moment or two, you know... to maybe find a better selection of words to describe what I thought? But I just can't find 'em! It is fun and to even compare it to Assassin's Creed doesn't do this game any justice.

I mean Assassin's Creed did have you jump from some pretty high places. But Mirror's Edge? You're jumping around the rooftops of skyscrapers! The controls seem pretty easy to pick up, but I did have some trouble on performing a couple of moves. But that stuff is minor, nothing some actual game play cannot fix.

The only thing left in my mind now is simply.... November 14th cannot come soon enough!

And for anyone reading my humble little blog, hope you folks have a fun (and safe) Halloween! I hate work!

The Holidays Are Upon Us

Oh dear god.

That is the first thing that comes to mind as the month of October begins to wind down to a close. Bedlam also comes to mind, among a number of other choices of descriptive wordings associated to "chaos."

Yes it is that time of the year again folks, when shopping malls and department stores across the country go from civil places of gathering into full blown battlefields. Some people will be scarred for life, others will not make it through it to the end. One thing, however, is for certain...

The holidays are upon us.

Now say it aloud with me.

Oh. Dear. God.

And this year is no nicer to us gamers, oh no it is not. November alone will be a hell of a month in games, with titles of interest (at least for my part) include: Gears of War 2, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, Mirror's Edge and The Last Remnant. And after suffering through the shit called TNA Impact, I simply cannot wait for WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 to be released to cleanse away the bitterness.

Now I just need to find more creative ways to convince myself not to quit my second job. I mean with the way games are being released, I know I will need every last penny I can muster. But I will admit this: I swear I never knew how much I hated people until this job happened. The amount of unnecessary bullshit from some of these fucking idiots I have to deal with just blows my fucking mind.

And these are the so called "adults."

Maybe that's why my boss there plans some childish activities during his meetings and, for example, we have to bring goodie goodie (note: double the goodies) bags to trade with other workers. I mean this is a fucking warehouse I'm talking about here, not just some store job or anything like that. And we're trading goodie goodie bags.

I could be wrong, but I do believe I left the second grade a long, long time ago?

I blame it on the lead paint...

Fable 2

This month, even while I've been working a lot, has been a gaming month. I think most (if not all) of my writings this month have been almost exclusively on games. And of course, it does not appear as though things will let up for the rest of the year (I'll be broke for a while)!

So today I gave in and even though I never got into the original, I picked up Fable 2.

What can I say? I never really cared much for Grand Theft Auto and yet I enjoyed Saints Row 2. With that in mind, I pretty much couldn't find any reasons why I couldn't or shouldn't give Fable 2 at least a chance.

And the verdict thus far?

I am actually enjoying it from what little way I've made through the beginning of this game. Adding the dog is an interesting touch, though so far he has proven to being a better treasure hunter then an aid in battle. Maybe I need to train him to do it...?

One difference I am experimenting with this time around is trying to play things on the 'good' side. Last game I went full on evil, with the results making for a very ugly (and bald) character. Why does evil need to be bald anyhow?

Anyway, now I must get back to shaping my future, playing fetch with my damn dog and who knows what else? Maybe I'll go and get married? Or maybe I'll go all Anakin Skywalker on people and just kill everyone I can find. That is always a plan I suppose...

Saints Row 2

While I await the release of Fable 2, I decided to change up the games I buy and chose to pick up a game called Saints Row 2. In many ways, it does play like a Grand Theft Auto, yet I will say that I actually enjoy playing this a lot more then I ever did a GTA game.

I'll admit this too... I am hooked! I've been playing it just about any and every chance I had since buying it and I've just been hooked onto it since the start. The object of my wrath have been exclusively the Ronin gang so far, who've proven to be a big pain in the ass.

The only bump I've run into the game so far is the "Push Back," where a rival gang tries to retake one of your neighborhoods. I've had no problems killing people, but I'd be damned. I've died so many cheap deaths during this thing, it's sickening. I can be shot multiple times, yet I can't take getting bumped by a car? What the fu...?

Last note here and this one is a random one in a lot of ways: Pictured below is Tera Patrick, a porn star who apparently was hired during the making of Saints Row 2 to add in some input apparently. Does this mean there is a porn section in the game?

I mean I don't want to stereotype her as doing nothing but porn, but I just don't see her as being a ex-gang member or a drug dealer (well maybe?). What could she have possibly offered input for? Makes you wonder a little, doesn't it? It sure makes me wonder, maybe they've added her into the game somewhere is what my final guess to this matter is.

Or maybe there really is a porn mini-game or something in here... hmm...

New Prince of Persia

I've been slacking off this month, in terms of writing blogs and generally all things writing-related. What can I say? I'm either feeling too lazy/tired or I'm at work when a thought I'd like to write out comes to mind.

Anyway, that is besides the point of this writing today. Over the weekend (Sunday to be precise), I was just browsing through the many trailer videos on Xbox Live. What caught my eye was a new trailer for Prince of Persia, which had already caught my eye as it was. But while I had only seen pictures of the game, I wanted to see what it looked like in motion.

Let me tell you folks, I am more hyped up about this game then I am Fable 2. Maybe it does not help Fable's cause that the first game fell flat for me (twice). But that isn't to say that I am not interested in the new Fable...

But now I am getting a little too sidetracked with that, which obviously is not the focus right here, right now. I will say the major aspect (so far) that I admire so much about this game is it's design or rather, it's art style. I like it!

The game play itself 'looks' good to me, but I shall reserve my opinion on that until either a demo is released or I can get my hands on the game. Here's hoping there is a demo in the near future!

Gaming Ups & Downs

I've been trying to keep myself (and my XBox) busy lately, but I just haven't had as much time to play as I did before. I also realized that I wrote about a few games, but never really fleshed those thoughts out.

I will amend that tonight. And at the top of this short list, Too Human.

This would have probably been a game I would have enjoyed more, if it wasn't for the fact that you can die a great many times in a short span of time. What makes that insult all that much more painful is having to watch the inescapable death scene. EACH. AND. EVERY. TIME.

Now that I think about it, the story too is a little hard to grasp onto. Ok, I'll just cut to the chase here and spill what I really mean to say...

What the f*ck is up with this game? I didn't really care much for the demo, though some where in my mind I thought maybe it would have improved in the final version. Talk about being wrong, all wrong about that idea.

Second game up is Warriors Orochi 2, the sequel to the crossover team-up of the Dynasty and Samurai Warriors games (pictured above is Orochi himself, rather, that is his 'true' form). For anyone who has ever played more then one Dynasty Warriors game will know that these buggers are more of the same with practically NO real changes made.

Then again, I guess that statement is practically a lie because the graphics have been getting better over the years. Big deal right? Same dull game play, year after year, game after game. And yet I still come back and buy another and another anyway, even while knowing what I already do. I also must admit that I think I enjoy the 'game play' more now then I did before. However, one aspect that I wished Koei would somehow address is the horrible voice acting.

Granted, some of the voices are fine and they do match the character they are associated with. But the ones that don't, well... they definitely do not match. I wish I could hit those characters as well as the bad guys.

Last game I feel like mentioning right now is Final Fantasy XIII, which I have gotten a little confused about lately. I thought I read somewhere that it would not be released for another year and yet tonight I see on GameStop's website that the scheduled release date is in December of this year. Huh!?

It surprised the heck out of me because I haven't seen much info about the game and if it is being released at the end of this year, the lack of info can't be a good thing. Then again, maybe I am just severely out of the loop of things and may have missed that much?

Note: I suppose I have misread it, because now that I look at the site again... I did not see any dates at all. Hmmm... am I losing my mind here? And one last thing, I am totally looking forward to Fable 2!

Why? No idea, but I will say that I felt pretty stupid after falling for the hype around the first game. I am hoping that this time around, things will be different (better).

No Need for Title!

Talk about a random way to end a night after work...

So there I am, just walking home after seeing my girlfriend off as she heads to work tonight. I am minding my own business, just listening to my MP3 player and just focused and getting the hell home.

Now as I am awaiting the signal to walk across one of the many treacherous crosswalks on Oahu, there is this guy on a bike that stops next to me.

Remember now folks, I have my headset in, though I don't keep the volume up too high for obvious reasons.

Next thing I know, I feel a tug on my jacket sleeve.

What could this be about?

Oh, the guy wants a couple of dollars I don't have. And so I tell him so and he seemed acceptive enough over that answer.

Then...

"I thought you were fucking ignoring me... if you fucking ignoring me I fuckin' false you..."

Maybe the headphones in my ears (they are a white pair too, for the record) just wasn't a good enough sign for some? My theory is this bugger was on a little bit of something on the illegal side, if you know what I mean.

That is really the only way I can actually understand how a person can be so oblivious to something so plainly obvious. Either that or maybe he was just a few cards short of a full deck? Or maybe it could just be all of the above, ya know?

In any event, I apologize for throwing out something so trivial as this. But it pisses me off and at the same time, it makes me worry too. The neighborhood I live in has always been good to my girlfriend and I. But these past few years... man, want a dive things have taken. Two things I am hoping for out of all of this:

1. This doesn't become a normal occurrence.

2. It never happens to my girlfriend.

Ah well... changing subjects! This stuff just bugs the shit out of me when this kind of thing happens. I know I should just be thankful that it didn't escalate into anything serious.

Castle Crashers (pictured above are the four starting characters)! We've been having fun with this lately and it (the environments and enemies) are getting stranger by the minute. To be truthful, I am a little... how can I say this? Displeased...? Eh, that works.

I am a little 'displeased' that my girlfriend's character has a lightsaber and I just a lowly sword...

I think what I like the most about this game is that it is just so very simple to just pick it up and start playing. Nothing complicated about it at all, just a little of slashing, bashing and beheading to be had.

At this point I think I fully had intended on writing more then I just did. But then, this writing alone has been longer then most others I've written in the past month or so and so I guess this should count for something. Besides, I have been strongly considering on downloading the first 2 episodes of Heroes: Villains -Season 3- on XBox Live. Actually, thinking about to how season 2 ended... yeah screw this, I've got some catching up to do!

Surprisingly Restless

While I should be asleep right now, I'm just not able to put my head down and sleep. Maybe a part of the problem is that I just discovered that the new season of Heroes is on XBox Live! I am sorely tempted to buy some points and download the first 2 episodes right now...

But I must have restraint...

On top of that, I've been playing the new Warriors Orochi game (the mash up of Dynasty and Samurai Warriors games) and it isn't bad. It isn't new. It is pretty much the game that anyone who has picked this one up before, can expect. Which, in certain instances, can be a good thing. I know I've been dying to lay waste to a thousand stupid soldiers.

Needless to say, I've destroyed a few thousand in the past day or so already. Orochi (the game's main baddie) is a fucking monster, in more ways then one. I think he even surpasses Lu Bu as far as being a killing machine. Best way I can put it, good, mindless fun for those (like me) that are easily entertained.

I think I'll be changing around a few things on my blog in the coming days. I feel the need to change stuff up, one of those moods that used to strike me about 2-10 times a day. OK, that might be a slight bit of an exaggeration on my part. Maybe it was more along the lines of about 2-6 times a day...

Anyway, man I thought this month was crazy, I know for a fact already that next month will be hell! Holidays are just around the corner and that means work! Work!! Work!!! AHHHH!!

Speed Racer

Having had the chance to see "Speed Racer" today, it made me realize what an idiot I was. Reason being is that I actually did enjoy the movie and I regret to admit that this was one of the few movies I dodged due to quite a few bad reviews during it's time in theaters.

One of the complaints was how difficult it was to follow and understand the story, though after seeing it for myself I can say otherwise. Well, at least it was pretty easy to follow for me anyway. I will say that it does start out a little confusing in the beginning, with how they blend in flashbacks with the main plot. But once you get comfortable with that style, everything pretty much falls into place thereafter.

Anyway, to make a long story short, it is/was a fun movie to watch and it surprised me with how much story this movie packed. I regret not seeing this on the big screen, but nevertheless I am glad that I finally gave it a chance. I certainly was not disappointed.

TNA Impact

As I begin to write this out, I am debating if I should actually go ahead and get into the things I don't like about this game. And even while I only played it for maybe a half an hour at best, believe me when I say that I have already formulated a list.

Yes, I do understand that this is Midway's first shot into making a wrestling game. But come on guys! This sucker has been in development for years and this is the best they come out with? What's worse, I've read that the company is banking heavily on the success of this game.

That cannot end well.

Whatever happen to market studies? Or hell, don't they even play the games that they are going up against? Did they think it would be smarter to just NOT know what they're up against? They should have known what the WWE has been doing with their games! They've been the only ones on the market for a while and they've haven't exactly been slacking off over those years either!

But let me cut to the chase here...

The game play itself feels robotic, stiff and just doesn't flow in my opinion. It especially affects it because these guys are suppose to be high flying, fast and risk taking. Instead it feels like I'm trying to get Grandpa to move.

Graphics are passable, but what's up with the extremely short entrances? I almost think they could have just chopped the entrances all together. I mean they don't serve much significance here as it is. They could have used the extra space to maybe make this lackluster game better.

The Create-A-Player mode is just... never mind, let me just explain myself in one word right now: Fail. No depth to this mode at all, which makes this thing basically yet another waste of disc space. I cannot even imagine how anyone can fail at this, especially when it comes down to a wrestling game.

Maybe I am being a little too harsh here? Then again, I am bias on this part because I am one of those people who get absolutely HOOKED into the create-a-wrestler mode. Hopefully this will be addressed *if* there is to be a second TNA game in the future.

The story mode makes me laugh out loud, no joke about it. I mean, how much more ridiculous can you possibly be? I'd like to know who came up with the story and who actually believed it was a great idea. I mean it's about a wrestler who calls himself "Suicide" and walks around everywhere in a full body suit and a skull mask. Let me put it to you this way: This guy takes wrestling a tiny bit too seriously.

What's worse is that he gets his ass kicked by LAX (a TNA tag team) and is apparently "left for dead." Suicide wakes up in Mexico, bandaged up and has no memory of who he was or what he did. Which, to be honest, should have been the end of the game because if I were in his spot, I'd love to forget me too.

While I don't absolutely hate this game, because I will admit that behind this mountain of crap that is this game, there is a lot of potential for greatness that I think should have been brought up before this was released. It is unfortunate that their inaugural attempt looks as bad as it does.

In the end, like I said in the beginning, I had read that this game was being banked on heavily by Midway. While I do wish them well, I can't see much positives coming from a game that was in development for as long as TNA was and yet still feeling like it had been rushed out.

If there is indeed a second TNA Wrestling game, I wish them the best of luck, because the odds are now definitely stacked against them.

Home... At Last...

I felt out of the loop, disconnected and outright lost over these past few weeks. I was even angry, maybe even a little bitter as well. Who'd have thought that life would feel just that much lonelier without a video game system? Well surely I did have a few (Wii, PSP), but come on now. The PSP is great for gaming with short attention spans (which I suffer from more often then not) and the Wii... Heh.

Don't get me started on that again.

Ah hell, here it goes...

During the time when my XBox was off in Texas, I did try and play the Wii a little more often then I had been. I even went as far as to pick up a new game or 2 for it, just to see if maybe things would turn out better and I would not feel the lost of my XBox so much.

Wishful thinking, that is.

The two games were Boom Blox and Mario Super Slugger. Boom Blox is actually officially my favorite Wii game at this point. Super Sluggers... meh... it isn't a bad game by any means and it does end up being a fun every now and then. My gripe with it was just the fact that I have/was hoping for better games to come out for the Wii and not just a ton of either Sponge Bob or recycled Mario sports games.

And I will say this about the Wii as well: Whom ever thought up the idea to make a ton of accessories for which to place your Wii remote into, is a nothing short of a genius. A filthy rich genius I'd bet too...

Never before have I felt like a total idiot for buying 2 gun accessories for the Wii, placing the remote into them and then realizing that they don't actually help at all. I end up aiming about as well as I would without it. And here I am, down $24 and stuck with these two pieces of plastic and a shit game (I still hate you, Target: Terror... you ruined my life!) to sulk at.

What I want to know is this: Where is the good stuff!?? Is there even any good stuff to be had? I sure hope the answer to the second part of that question is yes.

Back to my returning XBox (which I hope is fixed for good, though all indications point towards a resounding NOT), I finally got rid of Devil May Cry 4 (never, ever got into that) and Lost Odyssey (I always loved the flashback side/back story stuff, but the regular game was a snooze fest for me).

In their place I've picked up Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (it isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be), Rock Band 2 (actually having fun with this) and Call of Duty 4. Fun, fun times to be had and after a month away, it's high time to start making up for all of that lost time folks.

Looking Ahead

It started out as a simple joke amongst friends and I never really took it seriously when it started. But that is getting ahead of myself, so let me paint the scene so that what I write makes a little more sense.

Both of my friends/co-workers had just returned from their respective trips to Las Vegas. And both of these guys swear that they had a blast, which I can't doubt because what would I know? I have been to Las Vegas in about 15 years at this point. Everything I knew is outdated, ancient history and I'd be damned, when I was last there I couldn't even stop in the casino for more then a minute without security hounding down.

That is when the idea struck them both...

Both of these guys wanted to go back and they sure as swore that I would go back there with them.

As the days went on, the idea began to snowball and what started out as a mere return trip, now included attending a live UFC (Ultimate Fighter Championship) event. What absolutely sealed the deal was the fact that Hawaii born (Hilo, HI to be exact and same island I am originally from) BJ Penn would be fighting at that event.

Now I would be lying through my teeth if I said I wasn't excited just at the thought of seeing the event and just being in Las Vegas. I don't know what it is, but it would appear that a lot of people from Hawaii just live and die to go to Vegas. I can't be one to judge, because my Grandparents were among that group, once upon a time.

What added fuel to the "fire" has been the fact that I have been brushing up on UFC fights and just trying to get a better understanding of the whole thing. I mean I've watched a fight here and there, but I never really got into it.

And now... now the only thing really kind of messes me and my girlfriend up (she got hooked into MMA too) is a money issue. It always comes down to that doesn't it? But then this idea for a trip won't happen until the ending of January 2009, so there is time and there is hope.

So gaming, aside from the fact that my XBox being D.O.A., looks to be getting put on hold almost indefinitely at this point. While there are a few games that are coming out from now and until the end of the year that I'd like to get, somehow this idea for a trip is steadily sailing right past them all.

Like I said, I am excited just thinking about it now and besides all of that, it is about time to get the hell off of this rock. It has been many, many years since I left the state of Hawaii and it'd be nice to see what the outside world looks like these days. And what a way to break back out into the world then by going to "Sin City."

I can't wait...

Dragon Gate Wrestling

So last night marked my first chance at seeing the Dragon Gate wrestling promotion live. It was only their second show in the US and it was a real treat to see these guys straight from Japan. They employ a faster pace then American wrestling and they tend to stick to a more "faction-based" system. Just about everyone in the company is aligned with a group.

In my honest opinion, after seeing some of the local wrestling and seeing a show or two of the WWE's, I think it is fairly safe to say that I actually enjoyed Dragon Gate the most. At least I didn't leave the show feeling like I could have spent my money on something better.

What I appreciated so much about it was it's pacing, as the matches started out slow. Nothing really fancy, just a lot of straight forward wrestling. As the night (and show) progressed, the tempo and the action began to pick up. By the time the main event rolled in and by the time the final bell rang, the place was absolutely fucking nuts!

I was also happy to have gotten to see Dragon Kid (pictured above), who is a pretty crazy wrestler in his own right. But then I witnessed the insanity that is PAC, who flies like I have never seen anyone fly in (and out) or a wrestling ring before. And I don't dare to forget to mention Don Fuji, who I liked watching just because of the comedy that he does. He is funny, but man I still believe he could kick the ass of anyone who steps into the ring with him.

As I overheard them saying as we (my girlfriend and a co-worker) were leaving, they announced that they would be back next year. Needless to say, I surely look forward to when that day comes again.

On a little side note, maybe more of a personal note to myself if I should end up re-reading this post again in the future, I need to remember one thing about this event. Try and find out how to get tickets to where they sat an ENTIRE section of Japanese girls!

This, of course, has nothing to do with me, despite how it might come across as you read those words. But rather to help out my co-worker and friend, who isn't with anyone and who knows? Maybe that is where destiny will happen for him. Or maybe he'll get punched in the face (by a wrestler or a fan, who knows?).

Either way, I was ragged on almost all night by not just him, but my GIRLFRIEND as well! Who's side is she on anyway?? Anyway, I was wised up and I left there a smarter person. Or at least smart enough to try and find out where this section will be the next time these guys roll into town!

Note to self: Lesson learned...

Besides all of that, believe it or not but those women were actually pretty damn loud and into the show from beginning to end. It ended up looking exactly how their shows do in Japan, with these girls screaming and cheering for their favorite guys. As a matter of fact, the heels (bad guys) spent the entire night yelling, spitting and throwing pineapples into that particular section.

It was a crazy and wild, yet very, very fun night and I might have said this before, but I'll say it again anyway: I can't wait until these guys come back next year.

Feeling a Little Lost (and Insane) today...

So I just mailed my practically dead XBox out today, for it's goddamn month long vacation in Texas. Since that expensive (and, to my disgust, damn near obsolete) piece of s*it kicked the bucket, I have been just a little lost in the world.

Current past times include annoying the shit out of girlfriend (unadvised, let me tell ya...), playing Breath of Fire 3 (I caved in after the death) and just being lost I suppose. Take today for example...

I spent the day generally trying to plot my way into getting my hands on a spiffy new PS3. But regardless of the thoughts, methods and general schemes I had in mind, I was shot down instantly by my lovely girlfriend (hence the annoying antics on my part... no worries, we do it to each other anyway on an almost daily basis).

What probably has not helped matters is the fact that I have not taken to just playing the Wii alone. Factor in the fact that I think most of the games available for that system is a waste of space and out right annoying. Which I also mentioned to my girlfriend as we strolled through Blockbuster.

You could imagine how much she loved me today.

But really, Puppy Luv? Barbie?? M&M Racers??? I thought these types of shit games were saved for AFTER the system is about due for death and not when it is the best selling system out there? I mean really, why don't they just seal the deal on themselves now and just start up a "Super Mario Bros. vs. Barney & Friends BRAWL" game? Or maybe "Mario vs. Barney vs. M&Ms vs. Barbie vs. Puppies vs. Everything Else You Never Wanted to Play"?

I'd totally play as Michael Jackson...

I feel like a total idiot for wasting money on buying a Wii over a PS3. I mean with the selection of games out and what is yet to come, it just isn't worth it in my opinion. For a lot of the games that might be worth playing, you could play those on other console systems.

One other factor of my renewed interests in the PS3 lie simply on the shoulders of a certain game called Disgaea 3...

I think I shall make a simple, yet very truth statement before I go. It's gonna be a very, very, very long month of September.