Animal I Have Become

The Next Day

Awesome to me so far, but I wonder if this will be the first ever PSP game that I'll ever finish?

So now that all that sugar has left my system, I think it is safe to say that I am thinking a bit clearer then I was earlier. But moving forward now, I have been thinking about what I could do with my blog to maybe make it a little different. Or maybe just add in a bit more variety to the mix, so continuing what I started this month, I am going to be throwing out music videos throughout the month. Seems like a good idea to me and a lot of these videos are those I've either never seen before or have not seen in many, many years.

Besides that, I am thinking about being a little more organized with my writing. Then again that idea has been an ongoing process and some weeks are better for me then others.

Onto some gaming thoughts, I got Persona 3 Portable for Christmas and I am actually enjoying the game so far. I have to admit that the time it takes from the start until your first actual battle is pretty damn long, but now that the training wheels have come off I can see what all the fuss is about. What surprised me about the game was it plays nothing like the original Persona, which was exactly what I was expecting.

Changing gears here, we rented Call of Duty Black Ops in hopes that it'll be as good as some people say it was. Unfortunately, it didn't do a great job of convincing either of us and after several rounds of killing zombies... the game was done and over for us.

Last thought I'll write here is about Super Mario All-Stars, which was the other game we picked up this month. I was a little surprised with the graphic updates for the older Mario games, which now look a lot more like Super Mario World. The only game out of this collection that didn't get revamped was Mario 3, which looks the same as I can remember it.

Other then that however, the game play and everything else about the collection is absolutely faithful to the originals. I can't say that is a bad thing and playing the games did bring back a lot of childhood memories for both myself and my girlfriend. I don't think I've ever heard her swear nearly as much as when she plays a Mario game...

Merry Christmas!

I think the title of this posting says everything I wanted to say, but since I am here and with all of this open space I guess I do need to add a bit more substance to the matter. I did slap a "Merry Christmas" comment on the Facebook pages of nearly everyone I know on that site and I think it has more to do with a overload of sugar, rather then feeling the Christmas joy.

Hey, eating a chocolate ball (which consists of cream cheese dipped in grounded Oreos and dipped in chocolate) would easily make anyone crazy. I felt like a little kid again, just bouncing all over the place and I think it shows all over my Facebook page...

Oh well.

That'll be the one and only time of year where I actually write to more then 2-3 people at a time. I imagine a good majority of those I wrote to, couldn't give a shit that I wished them a merry Christmas... but whatever. What else can a person do? Hope you had a good one, if you don't care then... meh!

I am beginning to think that the sugar has not complete left my system yet as I have this urge to just write, type and go CRAZY!

I suppose you could also couple this with the fact that I am also sitting here, home alone on Christmas as to why I am losing my damn mind. Who can I talk to? Where can I channel all of this kid-like energy? I've got no outlet for this madness!

Anyway, to make a long story short here... I must say this one more time for the sake of just having to say this line just one more time this year.....

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ANY AND ALL WHO STUMBLE UPON MY BLOG! I SURELY HOPE IT WAS A AWESOME CHRISTMAS AND I HOPE YOU HAVE AN EQUALLY AWESOME NEW YEAR IN 2011!

I think I need to get some sleep now.

Where Did The Year Go?

Seriously...

I know I always say this, but I really mean it this time... where did 2010 go? I can't believe the entire year is almost gone already! It is all down to the wire at this point and with 2011 looming in the shadows, I just have an overwhelming feeling to look back at this past year and reflect...

Ok, maybe not...

But that little thought sounded pretty good for a moment right?

The only thoughts I am having at this point, in regards to this blog, is where do I want to go with it from here. I recently passed 500 posts and I realize that I haven't really had much substance to what I wrote. And don't get me wrong about that, I don't mind having the freedom to write about whatever is making me smile or making me want to hulk smash everything in front of me.

But in a lot of ways, this blog does represent myself as a person and how I conduct myself and my life. In truth, I am all over the place in nearly every aspect of life. I don't really have anything set in stone and I do not really have any long term plans as far as life goes. Which was a great feeling when I was 20 years old, but I realize that I have got to face reality. I am nearing 30 years old and things really, really do need to change and fast.

And what I am also not liking is the fact that I am already having a serious problem lying in wait in 2011 and it is a HUGE problem as far as we are concerned. I mean there is nothing like having your Realtor explain how the people you are renting from are having the idea that they should raise the amount of rent they are charging. For the renter, that is never, ever a good thing and I am actually surprised that anyone would actually want to raise rent at a time like this, but I suppose there will always be takers in the matter of living spaces. Hell we all have to live somewhere right?

Whoops, sorry I guess I went totally in the wrong direction there... wasn't I writing about this blog?

I honestly don't really know what I want to do with this space, just that I have the desire to want to do MORE then what I have been previously. What exactly does this entail? No real solid ideas at this point, but maybe I will be having more music videos peppered throughout the coming months. I like music videos and I don't really get to see them because of the fact that I still don't have cable TV and yes, I know they are all over the place on the internet. But I am a lazy S.O.B. and looking for music videos doesn't usually ride high on my must-do list...

4 In The Morning

Avatar: The Last Airbender

The DVD covers of each of the three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I wouldn't mind owning them all myself....

This post has been in my head for a week or two now and I have been meaning to write this much sooner then I have. Now I could say that I was just keeping it in, to further process what I've seen and what I thought about it. That wouldn't be entirely false, but then that statement wouldn't be all truth either. I admit that I have gotten a bit lazy this month and this crazy weather hasn't helped my thinking process any. But anyway, onto what I am here to write!

Now before I even watched the first episode, I watched the live action movie and was absolutely not loving much of anything about it. So my expectations going into the animated series was very, very low to say the least. I was expecting a typical kids cartoon series, you know the type with the moral lessons and typical kid stuff. And don't get me wrong, there is a bit of that peppered throughout the series. But what surprised me at the very start was the amount of personality that each of the characters possessed. I just could not believe that these kids in this cartoon were supposed to be the same kids in the live action movie! They are almost NOTHING alike!

Aang, for example, is more or less a carefree kid who didn't want to be tied down by the all consuming responsibilities of becoming the Avatar (the only being capable of wielding all 4 elements). He laughs a lot, jokes even more and is just freaking happy.

Kitara is absolutely the motherly type of the group and tends to keep everyone in line as best as she can. Hell she is a strong girl and as the series progresses, her beliefs and the reasons behind her mature nature comes to the surface (I don't want to spoil anything here). Another point of interest, towards the end of the first book (season), she proves to be a formidable Water Bender and can very much hold her own right along side the Avatar himself.

Sokka, Kitara's older brother, is the comic relief whom I initially didn't care much for of the trio. For the most part, he is the awkward joker who just never seems to "get it." And he doesn't have the ability to be any element, so what good does he do in a fight? But as the story progresses, he develops from being just a sidekick to the two element benders (Aang and Kitara), to being almost the unofficial leader of the group and actually fights along side much more effectively as the story goes towards it's finale.

And what I admire about this show so much is every episode is actually tied in together. Unlike a lot of cartoons, where each episode is almost like its own world, everything that happens in each episode is carried into the story telling down the line. So ultimately everything feels like one flowing story, as it absolutely should always be.

So I guess I don't really need to share the fact that, despite feeling like this would be just another kid's cartoon, actually enjoyed this entire series. Would I recommend this to anyone? I would to anyone who likes great story telling and characters you can actually give a damn about. As for myself? I'm already starting my second watch through of the series...

Final Fantasy IV PSP Bound...

Help Cecil Become a Paladin... Again. How many more times can the world help this guy out?

Final Fantasy IV is apparently being tuned up further and will be coming out on the PSP sometime next year. The plus side of this is it will also include the stories from the After Years sequel, which was released as Wii Ware some time ago. So even better graphics, more story... is that enough to warrant another purchase?

Really, how many more times does a single game need to be remade? My only interest in this little bundle up is the After Years stories, but I am wondering if I will pick this game up again for the 100th time now. I will admit that I am looking for more good stuff for my poor PSP, which does a fantastic job of catching dust particles around my apartment...

But I do admit this: I share similar feelings with many others who have questioned why Final Fantasy IV is remade again, but not games like Final Fantasy VII or more importantly to me, Final Fantasy VI! I think that one, above all else, would be a hell of a game to remake! Why doesn't that game get a bit more love?

Maps

Crazy Train of Thought

I have a number of games that are sitting around my apartment these days, which I haven't been playing for quite some time now. The list now includes such games as Spike's VGA Game of the Year, Red Dead Redemption, Best Adventure Game of the Year, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and I dare not forget Fallout New Vegas. Its a hell of a line up of games, there is absolutely no doubts about that right?

Red Dead Redemption, Spike's VGA Awards Game of the Year Winner.

So what is occupying my time right now? What game could I possibly be playing that would actually keep me away from finishing off any one of these awesome games? It isn't Game Dev Story. I got that sorted out and now my virtual game company made over $1 billion dollars (in its 20 years of existence) and sold so many games that I think I could have killed off the entire global education system. No, that game is done with, for the time being at least.

Bejeweled 3? Ugh, I don't even want to remember or think or anything related to that game right now. I think I've reached critical gem matching overexposure and I think the only cure for that madness would be to take several long years away from it to remove its presence from my brain...

With all of that out of the way, the game that I've been playing these past few days (and having a blast with) has actually been...

Toy Story 3... Whodathunkit?!

That's right, Toy Story 3...

Have I, at long last, lost my proverbial marbles? Has things in life gotten so bad that I now regress back to childhood in a futile attempt at hiding from my present day woes?

Like this game, I don't think the reasoning behind this is as complicated as it seems. And I also don't think I've gone that crazy yet, but maybe it is this game's genius in it's simple design. There are no political conspiracies, no plots of murder and revenge to be found here folks. Maybe, like with Bejeweled 3, I have had an overload in complicated. A lot of games these days are just crazy with details, that sometimes taking a step back and going simple makes all the difference in the world.

I have been playing a lot of the game's Toy Box mode, which is basically a open world game where you can just do all kinds of stuff. Racing, platforming, shooting... and customizations! My town looks like a psychedelic world in the middle of a desert.

But now that I think about it, maybe I have regressed ever so slightly back to my childhood years. I say this only because the next game I am wanting to pick up is this...

The Sweet Escape

Mobile Blogging

So now I'm testing out something new here. Is mobile blogging the way to go? I wish I had more space to write, but it is what it is I guess. Back to work I go...

Bejeweled 3

It feels so strange to be so hooked to a game that is as simple yet complex as Bejeweled. But considering how I've been playing games from this series for years now and I'll admit each new iteration is good but has generally been more of the same for the most part. I mean how could a developer expand and improve on such a simple concept?

Cue in Bejeweled 3.

The first thing that caught my eyes about this game was how much the graphics were improved this time around. I never would have thought I'd ever say that about a puzzle game, but it is very true. The game is much, much better looking then its predecessors in every way.

As for the game itself, it is packed up with a number of additional modes (including the tried and true Classic mode), which includes Quest, Lightning and Zen modes. After you've tried those out, you can unlock four more modes (Poker, Butterflies, Ice Storm and Diamond Mine) for more jewel matching mayhem. Of these, my favorite modes have been Butterflies, Ice Storm and Lightning. Let me explain...

Despite having such a weird yet appropriate name, the Butterflies mode has you try and capture butterflies before they reach the top of the columns and into the waiting arms (and mouth) of a spider, whom is perched at the top of the screen.

It sounds easy doesn't it?

The reality is as you progress forward, more butterflies begin to appear in more rows and if you aren't paying attention to all 8 lanes, one of those butterflies could very well slip by and end your game in an instant. I've lost quite a few games by thinking I've got it all under control, only to realize that a butterfly had reached near the top and I had nothing to bring it back down.

Lighting mode is basically a time attack game, where you've only got 1 minute to score as much points as you possibly can. There are jewels that give you small boosts of time that drop as well, which even having 5 extra seconds can make all the difference.

Ice Storm (pictured above) has you trying to match up jewels to prevent the ice from hitting the top of the screen. If it reaches there, you generally only have a few seconds before the column freezes and its game over at that point.

I guess I don't really need to say anything about enjoying the heck out of this game and how I spent a good part of yesterday afternoon glued in front of my screen. I will say that having only 1 computer is a bit of a hassle sometimes and yesterday was one such day. Why? Well every time I would hit a high score, my girlfriend would get antsy and want to play. Then she would be that score and I'd want to play.

Yes, yes... madness...

But you know what? If all casual games were done as well as Bejeweled 3 or Plants vs. Zombies, I think I wouldn't mind playing more causal stuff.

Game Dev Story

I didn't hear or read anything about this game called Game Dev Story until about a week ago. As pictured above, this game is on iTunes and just simply by looking at it I was interested. Hired on as the head of a up-and-coming video game development studio? What's not to love right?

And I read other people saying how they were hooked to the game and just couldn't put it down. I didn't quite believe it myself, because a game like that does not exist as far as a app game is concerned. That sort of insanity is reserved for console or PC games right?

Well I was wrong.

Upon purchasing the app, I proceeded to play the game and I didn't stop until about 5-6 hours later. How in the world did that happen?

It is a simple game for sure, but something about it just drives a person to keep playing on and on. For me, the drive was to create a better game. I mean most of my initial creations bombed fairly badly and by that I mean it scored bad reviews and sold like a pile of you know what. So there was a ton of room for improvement on my "products" and I just kept on developing.

So now I am nearly finished my first play through (the game gives you 20 years in-game time to build up your company, I am on my 18th year) and I have learned a lot about the everything works in this world. So I think the next time around, I will be a bit smarter and maybe I will finally be able to develop my own console for a change and really rock the damn world!

Undead

500th Time Is The Charm

It is the day before December, just 31 days shy of the new year now and I've reached post number 500. I can't believe I've written that many posts and I can't even believe that I am still here writing (don't I say all of this every hundred posts?). Who would have thought it? And even while my blog isn't the most popular thing on the internet, I am just happy to be able to write my thoughts and share my opinions out here.

What I can't help is to be optimistic about the coming year. After how things have gone this past year, how can I not? I have to believe that 2011 will at least be a time where things will turn over for the better and not the worst. But I suppose I will save that thought for the coming months to come.

Between the numerous video games, I have been passing the time with Netflix and the top of that madness has been a show called Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.

I suppose what I enjoy the most about his show is his unique sense of humor and perspective of life. He doesn't seem to really bullshit about things, unlike other shows where they just say they love everything about where they are and what they are eating.

And even while he has traveled where some of the other Travel Channel shows have gone, he seems to take a real tour through places where tourists would likely never go.

The other show that has been occupying my time has been Avatar: The Last Airbender.

To be honest, I didn't care for the movie adaption of this series and this was before ever seeing any of the cartoon series. Some people said the movie is bareable if you've never seen the cartoon, as the exclusion of details wouldn't even be an issue. But I found myself having way more questions then answers as the end credits rolled.

In my opinion the cartoon, on the other hand, does a better job of telling the story then the movie did. Hell I think I got a better understanding of the whole story from just the opening credits then I did from the entire live action movie.

Does that say something?

Anyway, I just felt like dropping that little tidbit out here and I am actually looking forward to the rest of 2010 and beyond. Gaming wise, things could have been better but at the end of the day, what can a gamer do? We win some and we lose a lot. All I can see is keep up the gaming and just hope for the best in the future. And for the record: Here's hoping I'll be around and writing for another 500 posts!

Leslie Nielsen R.I.P.

Such a sad revelation to find out that Leslie Nielsen passed away yesterday afternoon. I don't think my kid years would have been the same without the Naked Gun movies and I still think he was awesome in Surf Ninjas. Rest in peace sir...

Fallout New Vegas

 

Thanks to the insanity that was Black Friday, a number of new games were cut down in price by quite a bit. One such game was Fallout New Vegas (dirty impulse buying).

Now I remember playing Fallout 3 some time ago and I just never really got into the whole experience. I wasn't feeling the style of things and being murdered numerous times out of nowhere wasn't exactly my idea of fun. Maybe that's why I didn't like Demon's Soul all that much either?

Anyway... I didn't quite care for games like that and just to be certain, I even tried Oblivion for good measure. I mean similar style of game play, but with fantasy based setting. How could I not like that? But sure enough, I tried that one too and just never saw what everyone was making such a fuss about.

Yet now here I am right now, with a brand new copy of Fallout New Vegas in hand and I have doubts. Usually I have absolutely no issues with tearing into a new game, but after all this time and after so many games I've bought and disliked, I am unsure.

I suppose what didn't help was reading up on the number of bugs this game has and that, to me, was a horror story in itself. But to be fair, Bethesda has already threw out a patch or two to fix the game up so that shouldn't be a problem at this point. At least the problems are taken care of quickly, rather then hitting up their forums and seeing people complaining for months on end (BioWare... >.>).

Ah the hell with it already! I think I will make the plunge and open that game up. I mean I've gotten this far right? I might as well finish the fight and just get in there!

Good idea or not, no doubt I will be back here sooner rather then later to give off my impressions of being in a post apocalyptic Vegas. 

Persona 3 Portable

I also noticed tonight that P3P is on sale on PSN right now (only a mere $20!). The question now is... is it worth it? As I wrote about before, I have only played the original Persona back in the old days and have not touched another one since that time. Now that I think about this, I do believe I pondered this question before, but I haven't a clue and am too lazy to look back at old posts to find out.

My only trouble is that my memory card in my PSP is a little too small to hold the game in it. And as I understand it, these memory cards are not cheap at all which is surprising to me in a way. Isn't this platform being smashed by everything Nintendo throws out?

Anyway, I guess I may forgo the cheaper download version and just get the UMD instead. It runs about $10 more, but I think that is a better idea then having to buy a $30-$40 upgrade in a memory card on top of buying the game.

Suppose there is always X-Mas...

Edit: As I have come to find out, this game isn't really that easy to find now! Damn...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

So after going through a rather long dry spell of no movie theaters (last movie we saw was Despicable Me), we caved in and watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1) tonight. Going in, I had some mixed feelings as I wondered how this story wound wind down. Would it be satisfying? Or will it leave something to be desired?

Personally? Overall I do think it was money well spent and that this movie served it's purpose well. Still having not read any of the books, things mostly made sense to me and I am surprised with how human the movie feels this time around. The tone of the movie is definitely heavier then before and the deaths (while expected to a degree) just keep pushing the tension. It does a great job at building the stage for the second and final half of this adaptation of the book. I can't wait for the showdown between Potter and Voldemort (at last!).

What I don't really care for is that this was split in half, but that is understandable as I hear there is a great lot of things happening in this finale. But what really grinds my gears is the fact that Part 2 will not be released until July 2011 I believe. Now that is a long time to wait to conclude this whole thing!

Still, I left the theater feeling satisfied and so I think it is a safe bet to say that we will be returning next year to see this story to it's visual end.

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

Ezio (center) being surrounded by various characters from the main story.

So after writing about this game for the past few weeks, I have at last been able to get my hands on a copy (Collector's Edition!) and I am not disappointed at all. While it is true that the game play does feel like Assassin's Creed II, but I don't see the fault in that. That game handled pretty well and it was a lot better then things were in the original game. And anyone wondering if this is just a expansion, with only a couple of changes here and there, that cannot be further from the truth.

Topping my list of changes that I am loving is obviously the ability to recruit, train and call upon your brothers and sisters of the Brotherhood. I am hooked to it and even if this didn't turn out to being a RPG feature (the recruited assassins don't seem to have ANY personality to them at all), I still find myself caring about their success and ultimately their well being.

I didn't think I grew attached to my little band of misfits, but when I lost two (one died during a mission and the other was overwhelmed by enemy soldiers) that kind of stung. I am pleased to no end to report also that I have not lost another Assassin and many, many enemy soldiers have been slain in their honor.

The addition of these Assassins fits in perfectly in the scheme of things. Just lock onto a target, hit L2 (for the PS3 gamers out there) and ta-da! They appear (from piles of hay to just flat out dropping off the top of a building) and make dead whatever you deem so. Well... that is, after you train them up by sending them on a ton of missions. It is a little sad that you have no part to play in these missions, but maybe that will be changed in a future game (if this feature survives).

All of this extra missions and work ends up being worth it, as each level gives you a point to add into either weapons or armor. My crew (around level 8-9) have fully upgraded armor and nearly so with weapons. Now when I call upon them, they work miracles whenever I am outnumbered (and that is quite often). 

Another touch that I am liking and has caused me to wish for maybe an actual Assassin's Creed game for, is the character of Desmond Miles (the guy who's DNA is being used to draw the memories of AC's Altiar  and ACII's Ezio.

I didn't care much for the character Desmond in the original game, mostly because that portion of things was pretty bland. That changed with ACII, as Desmond's role was reduced so that the times you did see him, it meant something to the story. But this time around, everything about Desmond as well as Lucy (whom bailed Desmond out of the lab he was trapped in during AC) has changed. I really enjoyed the area where you team up with Lucy to navigate through the underground passageways that lead to Ezio's Sanctuary. I thought that part really helped establish both characters and it makes me wish there would be a game featuring those two (as the Assassins they really are of course).

The music is also something I am enjoying, as it is darker and I guess a bit moodier then in ACII. I mean I like the calm and mellow music that was there, but I enjoy this stuff a bit more. It serves the scenes in the game well and it certainly sets the mood perfectly. I will continue to keep an eye out for any other works by Jesper Kyd.

The only thing I kind of wish for in this was a bit more depth to the Brotherhood recruiting aspect. Maybe more room for customization? But that is minor this time around. Besides that? I can't really think of what could make this game any better then it is. Saying it is like ACII should be viewed as a good thing in my book, because as I said earlier that game is what the original AC should have been like.

I want to write more, but you know what? I have a Brotherhood to build. Nearly have a few of my trainees to the point of becoming actual Assassins. After that? Revenge!

Once More

Although the game was released this past Tuesday, I have yet been able to pick up my copy of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. I am hoping to change this tomorrow, where I am hoping that fortune will be smiling down on me for a change.

In any event, here goes one more video before I hopefully pick up this game tomorrow. 

As for the game itself, I have been reading pretty good things about this game thus far and that is always a good sign. By this I mean a combination of player responses as well as critic reviews. Some are even saying that this is the best game in the series so far, which says a lot to me considering how much I enjoyed Assassin's Creed II.

I do hope Ubisoft carries on with their good work with this series, considering how much improvements they did to AC2. Again, from what I have been reading, it would appear as though that the improvements made previously have been polished further. Is that even possible these days?

Anyway, tomorrow should be the day where I find out for myself if all of what has been said about Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is true. If that happens, then I think it would be safe to say that tomorrow will be a good day...

I hope.

Final Fantasy XIV: Third Month of Free Play?

So I've been reading everywhere that Square Enix has extended their free trial period for a third month now. I mean free in terms of video games is always good (especially these days), but this has gotta be a bad sign right? What company, especially one that charges players a monthly fee as is, would actually give away three free months of play? That is madness!

My thinking is either Square Enix has gotten very, very generous by this latest extension or maybe its proof of how bad things really are with their latest MMO. Considering what I've read and what people have said about FFXIV, I take it that things really are just that bad.

Such a shame...

The Creeps

You know what creeps me out? Strange people knocking on my door. And in the place that I live in, that does not happen often. But today, this little situation takes the cake for me. I mean having someone come to my door, saying they are cleaners and that if they can get enough interest in their services or products that they'll win a trip to Vegas is STRANGE. Put it this way, the more this person spoke, the less and less I trusted a word she said.

So all of this was truly strange, a lot of which didn't really add up all that well in my head. And it was very, very fishy.

My spidey sense was tingling even.

Didn't realize I had that...

And I suppose to help assure me, this person also went ahead and claimed that they aren't trying to sell me anything, so I didn't need to pay for anything of that sort either. All I needed to do was just sit back, let this person clean and I'd be asked for feedback after it was done. What got me wondering about how legit this whole thing was is this:

1. There were no company names or anything ever provided. I would have to think that this would be a big must-do in a situation like this, no?

2. As mentioned above, apparently this person was in some sort of contest that, provided they "won," would earn them a trip to Las Vegas. But on the flip side, who pays a person $40 per house in a contest? If these are legit, maybe I am in the wrong field of work...



3. This is the one that got me wanting to slam that door and get the fuck out of that conversation and fast. This person had to have their manager with them while they did this cleaning. Now I had to have not one, but TWO strangers in my house? In this day and age? HELL NO!

4. This person (a woman) was not dressed all that professionally at all! Who seriously shows up to a home, apparently trying to sell something, in a strapless top? If that was suppose to help allure, it did not and it just made me that much more weary of the whole situation.

For added clarification, I gave my girlfriend a ring at work and sure enough, after explaining what was happening she expressed the same concerns I had. Sounded way too fishy and I am running the risk of being robbed, which would not be a good thing obviously.More so because I am the only one at home and most of the people who live in our complex are out at work and those left are elderly folks.

So all of this did, indeed, smell like a steaming pile of bull to her and me both. Needless to say, I shut my front door, locked it and disappeared. This cleaner lady did return and knocked at my door for about 5 minutes, then disappeared herself.

Ugh

You know what peeves me these days? I mean what really just annoys the shit out of me? Seeing an ethnic group cling onto anyone and anything that is any sort of famous (note: said person or object has to have some sort of connection to ethnic group) and just make themselves sound like complete idiots.

Oh! Oh! He/she/it won!! Yeah that's a HUGE victory for -insert ethnic group here-!! Yeah!!!!

Ugh...

But then again, I suppose that is just the mind set in general when it comes to sports fans in Hawaii. When they are winning, they are THE greatest team/person EVER. But once they lose and things are looking down, everyone bails out and support just dies. Kind of like the recent string of victories for a local college football team.

They won a number of games in a row and everyone I worked with voiced their seemingly undying support for them. The day of the game people were hyped, hyped to the moon even. They were going to SMASH their opponents because that is how we do it! And with all of these people around sporting the team's apparel in support, how could these guys lose right?

Later that night I read they had lost with a score of something like 42 to 7 and that was it. The next day there were hardly any shirts out there and talk about the team being a dominate force was silenced. The once vocal supporters were now dishing out the jokes and insults and... what happened?

Okay so that example didn't have a ethnic group to it, but the idea behind the whole thing is very similar. And it annoys me that I log into Facebook this morning and what do I find? Damn near every Filipino I work with is claiming some kind of victory...

Like I said earlier, ugh....

Why did I have a Facebook again?

Five Years Later

Today marks the 5th anniversary to the day that pro wrestling legend Eddie Guerrero passed away.

Even while there have been a great number of wrestlers who've passed away over the years, Eddie Guerrero's passing is significant to me because he was one of the wrestlers I more or less grew up watching. It was a heck of a journey, to watch as this guy whom was regarded as nothing more then a Cruiserweight (light weight) wrestler, to becoming WWE Champion.

Its a shame in a way, that this man turned his life around from a life of heavy drug and alcohol use, only to succumb to the aftereffects of that lifestyle years later. But then again, I suppose what matters most is that he did find the strength to make the changes in his life.

Even after 5 years, still in memory...

Third Time Is The Charm

Third video for Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and why not? While I don't make it a secret that I have been a sucker for these hype videos and I did say that I wouldn't be going solely on video hyping alone. But after enjoying the hell out of Assassin's Creed 2, how could I not look forward to this?

Beyond this game, however, I cannot say what else I am looking forward to really. There is that 25th anniversary Super Mario All-Stars, but that is one of nostalgia type things. I suppose as far as new games are concerned, my focus from here moves to Dragon Age 2, though that isn't until March of next year. And if I am going that far, then there is also Final Fantasy XIV...

The Brotherhood

Yes, I do realize that this is an old trailer and yet one would have to admit that it is a pretty good one nonetheless. I think it is a fairly decent hype video and it certainly does it's job rather well. And for those who are keeping track at home, we are 5 days out from the release of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood!

As for me personally, I feel a tiny bit foolish at the idea that I traded in Assassin's Creed II and not completing the game. This is after nearly fully finishing off everything there was to do in the game. Then, feeling remorse for leaving such unfinished business, I repurchased the game some months ago and only yesterday did I finish the game.

How long did that take?

10 to 15 minutes tops.

You read that last line correctly.

I was actually only a mere 10-15 minutes away from actually finishing the game I bought the game a second time thinking that I was at least an hour from the end. So you have to imagine the shock that I was in as I watched the end credits rolling away in front of my eyes.

Anyway, I am looking forward to this game and, as stated previously, am hoping that this will ease the hurt of so many bad games recently. I imagine this game may not do as great as it could, thanks to the recent release of Call of Duty Black Ops. All I can say is this: Join the Brotherhood (wonder if there were any GDI in these times?)!

C&C FTW...

The Assassins Are Coming!

Truth be told, I am depending, no begging, the upcoming Assassin's Creed Brotherhood game to save me from this vortex of less then stellar games. I need something great, something to tell me that this was all just a bad dream (Fable 3! Grr...) and that everything will be alright in the end.

So... almost needless to say, my expectations for Brotherhood is fairly high as is, but it is infinitely higher because of AC2. That was a pretty awesome game, one of the few follow up games that actually fixes the problems of its predecessor and even makes ground all on its own. Make sense? Anyhow, I just couldn't imagine this game backsliding, not after the progress made in AC2.

Right?

But I think I am becoming all too skeptical about how this will all end up, especially as I read more about this game. After so many let downs, I am also beginning to believe that there is no such thing as becoming too skeptical.

About another 8 days for me and I shall be able to answer all of these speculations and wonders for myself. No more reviews or opinions or anything else to mask what is most important.

The truth.

Oh, Spiffy...

I won't lie; I am not a huge fan of the Wii and the one I have in my apartment serves as a sort of beacon for dust particles everywhere. Games that interest me on that console are so very few and far between, it is just plain sad to be truthful.

So with that thought in mind, I really don't know why it is that seeing this "limited edition" makes me giddy like a little school girl. I have been increasingly interested in picking up this 25th Anniversary package for Super Mario since I first read about its U.S. release a week or so ago.

Maybe this sudden turn of madness is because I have a lot of fond memories of those classic games. I can still recall all of that frustration and rage as a kid, being the type that would play my heart out and just fall down dead before reaching the end of the level. That would wind me the hell up back then...

Or maybe the reason I am regressing back to memories of old, is because the video games of today just aren't cutting it like they once did for me. Like I previously wrote, I rented and finished Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II in a single sitting and hell, I even finished Fable 3 in a matter of a day or two of playing. What the hell happened to gaming? Why are these games seemingly getting shorter?

I think that is why I miss Mario games the most.

I never finished them!

I'd play and play, then lose and lose again.... then it's over!

Despite all of that, I do remember loving the original All-Stars, as it brought together the games I played when I was a little kid and that brought back so many memories. It was, after all, because of the original Mario Bros. game that I started on this seemingly never ending road of gaming. The second Mario game was a little weird to me, but the 3rd game was absolute gold. How could you go wrong with that one? That has to be the perfect old school Mario game out there...

HADOUKEN - Mecha Love

Admittedly, I did not actually think the music that accompanies this video mixed together all that great. But somehow, by the time it all came to an end, I was absolutely sold on the choice and I just can't think of  a better song for this.

Anyway, this is most definately an awesome video with a awesome choice of music to go with it. People might very well be awesome, but I think this video also proves that there are some crazy people out there too!

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II

So after having the game in my possession for the past few days, I have at last played through (and finished) Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II.

Yes, this play through was finished in a single sitting.

Granted, this play through was done on easy...

But I at least got the gist of things and it would seem that my initial thoughts about this game were correct. The game play, despite some additions to the Force powers, doesn't really feel all that different from the original game. And truth be told, you don't seem to really even need to use much other powers outside the basics, which renders the new stuff pointless.

The actual game play itself is repetitive and there are a fair share of cut scene spots during the action where you have to bash the hell out of the buttons to get through certain action scenes. Does that make sense? These will be practiced quite well, as you will have to repeat them many, many times over during the course of the game.

The story behind the game is okay to me, though I will say that the story behind the original game was much more memorable then this second go around. However, I do like that this Starkiller seems a little more mature and not quite so whiny as before. But even that is a little difficult to surmise, as there really isn't much meat to flesh out the characters (no one new joins the gang) more then they were previously.

And this might be a slight spoiler, but all that hints of maturity goes right out the window during the finale as Starkiller is reduced to a angry, screaming clone... thing. All of this because of his kidnapped love, Juno Eclipse.

Overall, I think the only things I actually enjoyed the most out of this game was the music and the cut scenes, which were both absolutely beautiful. Here goes another spoiler.... (much more revealing then my previous "spoiler," so be warned!)

At the end I chose to stick with the Light side and with how things ended, it seems all too obvious that there will be a third (and presumably final) chapter in the Force Unleashed saga. There are still questions left unanswered (is this Starkiller the true one? Or is he, in fact, a clone?) and what of Vader, whom was captured and is being held prisoner by the Rebel Alliance? There was a certain bounty hunter tailing Starkiller and Juno (whom are transporting Vader), so the set up for the next game is definitely there.

If I had to chose whether to buy or rent this game, I am definitely sticking to my original opinion and would certainly rent this (as was the case here). Considering how short the game is, I just don't see any real value in playing the game again (unless you desire to play again, maybe on a higher difficulty?). But as I saw first hand, the repetitive nature of the game might not leave many wishing to play through a second time (count me in with this crowd). I am hoping that if there truly is a third game, that maybe there will be more to it then this game had to offer. Granted there were some good points and the game play, while repetitive, was fun while it lasted.

First Impressions

I know I said I wasn't all that interested in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II and I meant every word I wrote. However, as you can see on the side bar of my blog here, the game is listed amongst those that I've picked up and am currently playing.

Did I turn around and cave in?!

Short answer: No.

Truth of the matter is this; I did have a couple more days left on my Blockbuster game pass and seeing the game on the shelf was just too tempting to pass up. I wanted to see for myself if this game is every bit as bad as a lot of these reviews have pegged it to be. Hell I just want to see if the game is actually better on the whole, or if my first impressions from the demo were indeed correct.

Now I could have started up on this game, but I was far too busy diving back into the world of Albion with Fable 3...

The story so far seems okay and I wish I could at least try and bash the face in of your character's older brother. But so far, the game does feel the same as Fable 2 and I haven't seen much (outside of the holding hands option) that really differs from the previous game.

The one aspect that I am curious to see for myself is the evolution of your weapons, which is apparently based on whom you kill. And that brings me to my next curiosity: Should I take the blood of innocents? Do I want a weapon that bleeds? Hmmm....

And then there is WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011, which overall I am enjoying but am also disappointed to a certain extent. I feel like the game is only a demo, that it is missing something that is keeping it from feeling complete. What I dislike was the major changes in the game play, which have cut out the option of having more moves for your grapplers.

What I hate is the fact that there has been quite a few things taken out (besides moves) and it just feels to me like there was more taken then there was inserted...

But I think my girlfriend had a very good point about this: To get something new, you've gotta give up a thing or two in exchange.

Well said.

At Last

Finally.

After months of waiting, I am finally only minutes away from being able to play WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011. Arguably, this purchase is one I consider my game of the year (which may or may not be sad, considering the number of games that are released per year). Hell I am actually surprised with myself, seeing as I made it through the store without going insane as I walked past Fable 3.

That isn't to say that I did not considered canceling my pre-order and just grabbing Fable 3 on the spot. I thought about it, but I think I will save that one for another day. Today I am just looking forward to smashing heads and body slamming virtual wrestlers.

And maybe what this all comes down to is this: after being hit with a string of bad titles (Final Fantasy XIII, Alpha Protocol), I am just looking for something... ANYTHING... to make up for those.

In any event, I imagine I will be occupied with this game for some time. Hell I am always occupied when it comes down to this series. So as far as getting my money's worth, these wrestling games usually keep me playing for nearly a year at a time.

And I am babbling on here, so I am out!

Finally.

Does It Ever End?

I don't know how else to word this other then this way: Some days I feel like I am just losing my damn mind.

It just feels to me like there is no end to the madness of life, that once you've fallen down, you will be kicked unmercifully until whatever end comes my way. I thought my troubles were gone and things were FINALLY taking a turn for the better.

Apparently that was wishful thinking on my part.

Of all the things I don't like in this world, having so many worries just doesn't make for a good day or good anything for that matter. I wish I could have dealt with these problems sooner (bad credit card!), but as life goes that stuff just did not get cleared up.

But I know I am over-dramatizing the situation some, as the solution to my troubles is pretty obvious to me. I suppose starting next month, we'll have to make some crazy changes in our daily lives if we are to ever get rid of our financial woes. Then again, I do know already that next year our realtor is looking to raise our rent (isn't $1,100 enough for a single bedroom apartment??), so it feels like we are ultimately screwed regardless.

Now I can't imagine why I just get frustrated some days...

So here's hoping Fable 3 and Smackdown vs Raw 2011 are both worth it... looks like those two may very well be the last games I will be picking up in the year 2010. Hell maybe I may even skip over Fable 3 this Tuesday and that, at any other point in time, would be sheer madness to even think.

But that seems to be the best solution to the problem at this point.

This still sucks...

Humid Hell

There are a few things I would love to have in life, but today as just one of those days where I really wanted today to be a good, uneventful day. You know, one of those where I could just go to work, do what I need to do and just get the hell out of there and be done with it. It often feels as though those type of days are so few and far between, that the rare opportunities that they do appear, it's like Christmas!

And for a brief moment there, I almost believed that today would end up being one of these rare good days.

What the hell was I thinking?! What a miserable day!

The primary suspect in this turn of terrible events is the humidity! It is just brutal today! And being at work today, even just setting foot and collecting products to stock in the warehouse, was nothing short of being pure torture for sure!

Today is easily one of those kinds of days where I just wanted to go ahead and walk off the job. Walk off, then throw myself into the ocean!

But thankfully reality kicked back in and I knew if I did that, it would likely be my last day alive....

Anyway!

Hopefully this miserable hell of humidity subsides tonight or at least maybe there will be some sort of breeze or something more then there was out there today. All I know is if it doesn't cool down by tonight, it'll be one long night for sure.

And the AC makes the save...!

Almost Afraid

As I sit awake this morning, far too early I might add, I am just thinking about how my mind has hyped the upcoming release of WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011. It has been a long time since I've gotten so worked up about playing a game and every waking second just makes me want to go and get this thing already.

But then I realize that I've been here before.

In a sort of ironic turn of events, I happen to be listening to Leona Lewis's song, "My Hands" that was featured in Final Fantasy XIII...

And what has not been helping is the developers for this latest WWE game have been hitting up pod casts all over the place in the past several months (that I've been following anyway). The most recent one (last night) proved to shine a lot of light on a lot of questions I personally had. By all accounts, it does sound as though the game has been improved all around which can only be a good thing, right?

Like the title of this entry states, I am almost afraid to think that this game, or any game, could actually be improved that much. I am hoping that my fears are nothing true and that this game will be like Assassin's Creed II, in that it actually does look, feel and play entirely better then what came before it.

But then as I said, I've been here before and there are far too many games that have failed to live up to their own hype. What I really hope does not happen is maybe another Medal of Honor, which was being hyped up as being a CoD killer. Now I have not personally played this, but from the reviews of both fans and critics alike, it certainly did not live up to its hype.

All of this applies to another game I am interested in, that being Fable 3.

If there is one thing that I am really not liking about this console generation is all of this extra hype. Because of this madness (which I tend to fall "victim" to more often then I'd care to admit), we've seen the advent of a lot of extra content added in to new releases and that has been even more of a cause for craziness.

Anyway, the point I am getting at is October 26th is just a little under a week away, which means both games I've mentioned will be released upon us. I just hope they live up to their hype....

The Final Insult?

Months later, I am still in utter disbelief that Final Fantasy XIII is the first FF game that I actually lost all desire to finish in a very long time (FFXI not included). Not only did I lose my desire to finish the game, I traded it away without even so much as a second thought! That is madness! I still own Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX, X, XI and XII.

Things had gotten me so disinterested in FFXIII, that I actually wanted to go back and just replay FFXII. That had freedom! That had characters I actually liked, unlike FFXIII where I wished more then half the group would just fall off a cliff or eaten by one of those brutally powerful creatures that roam around on the surface of Pulse.

Now I am beginning to see faint mentions of Final Fantasy Versus XIII and am I even hyped for it? In a single word, no. No I am not hyped at all over this future release and I am wondering if the ship has finally sailed on the series.

And what reinforces this mad thought is this article, which I saw over at Kotaku...

So Square-Enix pulls together some focus test groups and come to the realization that they apparently already knew: Western fans (didn't this game not get that well received in Japan also?) did not like the game all that much.

But it was obviously too late to change anything...

I... I don't understand something.

Aren't companies supposed to do the test groups and what not BEFORE developing their product? Isn't it a little counterproductive to try and understand your customers' desires AFTER you've all but completed your product?

After reading the article, I am just stunned and shocked to know that these guys sound to me like they are beginning to fall apart. As far as I am concerned, Final Fantasy Versus XIII will have to absolutely blow me away as being the most awesome game ever. Unlike Final Fantasy XIII (which I was sold because of the flashy CG promo videos), I am hoping Square-Enix takes a page out of some Western developers' books and introduce more production diaries. Show the ins and outs of the game and just give the world a better understanding of what's inside their games.

But knowing that isn't likely to happen, I think the safest bet would be to just sit it out and wait to see what the critics and fans rate the game after it's release. Yes, I think things have gotten that bad at this point. I am just frustrated with that game and I don't think I want to throw more money at something I ultimately won't enjoy to it's ending.

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011: 9 Days Left

I have been a fan of wrestling for a long time (I don't shy away from that fact) and I've been hooked onto the video games associated to them for nearly as long. As far as WWE games are concerned, I have been playing those since the time the games were still just being called Smackdown. And you know what? It is almost impossible to go back to play the older games (for me at least), because it always feels like the series moves ahead just that much with each passing year.

This year is absolutely no exception to this either.

As it goes, my interest in the series has spiked because the game that is about to be unleashed this year looks to be the most promising one thus far. I mean just look at the attention to detail that has been paid to the character models (pictured above is Wade Barrett, leader of the Nexus). That is what his character model looks like in the game!

I could go on, but what I am trying to say is this:

Cannot wait for this game! Looks like it may be one of those years where I am practically glued to the game...

The Force Not Unleashed

The demo for the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II was just released a couple of days ago and I have been a little eager to give that a spin. But really, I played through the original and loved it and the developers said they've only improved everything... what's not to like about that?

Well...

Going into playing the demo, I was already thinking of the 3 games that I am planning on getting (WWE SD vs Raw 2011, Fable 3 and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II), one of those may end up getting dropped. So this demo meant make or break, as to whether or not I'll be buying this game later this month.

The verdict? This game will not pass go and it will not be collecting my $70 come October 26th.

Despite what the developers have said, the game play just felt too similar to the original. Hell I almost thought I was playing the original again. So much so that I ended up downloading it on both my PS3 and Xbox 360, to be sure that I was, in fact, getting the right demo.

Granted, some of the Force powers were amped up and there were a couple of new tricks there. But at the end of the day, it just felt like it hadn't changed all that much since 2008. And with all of these other games coming out right now, being just another game in the crowd ain't going to cut it with me, not with money being as tight as it is.

So as it goes, I have to bid adieu to this game... see you when you hit the discount bin.

Disgaea 4

 

I've just read a few days ago that there is a fourth entry in the Disgaea series in the works (or is it nearing release in Japan?) and I am a little unsure of it. Granted I don't know anything about the story behind this game or anything else about it for that matter, I do have a little bit of hope that it will restore my missing enjoyment of the series.

Or maybe I am just burnt the hell out on games that require massive level grinding...? I did finish the original Disgaea and I played through most of the second, but I lost my taste for this type of game thereafter. And what is sad about that is I actually was enjoying what I played through in Disgaea 2. But as I said, I lost my interest in this game in much of the same way I did so for the Katamari series. Sure it is wacky and crazy and unique. But after playing through the same formula, it just loses its charm.

Either way, I think I will keep any eye out for this one in the future. 

Slump

I don't know why I noticed this this morning, but I've noticed that the total amount of blog entries I've written this year might not exceed my previous year's count. I suppose that isn't (and shouldn't) be a big deal, but my little goal I've had was to exceed the number every year.

As the title states, I guess I've been in a bit of a writing slump over the course of 2010 and it doesn't look or feel like I'll be getting out of it anytime soon.

Or maybe it isn't a slump? I think like a lot of things, I've gotten considerably lazier then before and I feel like I'm giving into age. I don't really want to do that, but I seem to be giving into trying to do less and I'm feeling the effects in more ways then one. I mean I am coming home from work and just plain hurting, which I do not like one bit!

What I know isn't helping is my recently picked up addiction to NetFlix, which we've been making damn good use of since we've signed up for it. I've been watching movies I haven't seen in years and we've even began to catch up on TV shows we've missed in the years (Dollhouse, Dexter, Eureka, Bizarre Food, Man v. Food) since we've given up cable.

Our first major hook was Dog The Bounty Hunter, which we watched everything NetFlix had (seasons 1-6) and that's over 100 episodes! What's worse is now that we've watched it all, there is a feeling of restlessness and there just wasn't anything to fill the void with.

Then my girlfriend started to watch a anime series called Ouran High Host Club, which is outright weird and crazy all in one. But that is just my opinion on that matter....

Also on the list of anime, I've thrown on Witchblade, Soul Eater, Devil May Cry, Desert Punk, Gunslinger Girl, Speed Grapher, and 2-3 Ghost in the Shell movies for good measure.

So maybe my conclusion of being lazy isn't entirely accurate, as it could be that I've gone off the deep end just a little bit over this NetFlix deal. But what can I say? We have not had the benefit of cable television since 2006, so the amount of shows and the like that we've missed is ginormous (always wanted to use that word) to say the least.

And with this service, we can watch as much as we want, whenever we want. So we don't have to deal with snoody rental places (I want to rant about those folks, but maybe I'll save that for another day) and we don't need to make long side trips on the bus to return DVDs or anything.

So now with Netflix and GameFly, I almost don't have to leave the house anymore!

Wait, is that bad?

Cussing & Venting

I hate this trend where things in life seem as though it had turned around and was starting to head in the right direction. Then you kind of settle into this new trend and BLAM! That shit blows up in your face and surprise asshole! Back down the shit hole you go all over again.

Just got hit with a bomb shell as it appears as though as our rent for our apartment is likely to go up next year. Not down, as it was apparently happening in places in Hawaii other then where we live. No, we may very well down the very opposite of down.

UP.

I'm hating that word more and more...

We've been scraping by all this year and we've been doing what we could to trim down our spending, but goddamn it just isn't enough. I guess at this rate, we may very well have to give up eating and electricity to make ends meet.

I've feel extremely frustrated right now and I just want to blow up and yell and scream and everything. But I know that will not change what the inevitable. The last time we heard maybes from a realty company, we ended up getting a eviction notice. So having any faith in this increase not happening is next to nil at this point. Thankfully we just signed a brand new lease, so we're at least protected for another year right now.

At this point, I don't know what to think or do or anything. I just don't know where we can or will be going from here. I generally do not like to think too far ahead into the future, but for once I wish I could know where this road lead because I'm starting to believe that we're fucked.

F.M.L.

Elderly Crossing

I am coming to the realization lately that I am in need of getting myself into better shape. Just my walking around all day at work is starting to hurt a bit more then usual. Maybe it could be my shoes that need changing out or maybe it is just the starting signs that I might actually be getting older.

That is a novel thought in itself.

Me? Getting older?

No...

That age stuff only happens to other people!

It is always a funny and scary thought for me, the idea of actually growing older rather then just being a kid forever. What is slightly more humorous is the idea of how I, like many kids, always wanted to be older so people stop telling me what to do. And now here I am and I wish the clock would slow down a bit and I realize that there is no going back.

I am also realizing that I need to be more appreciative of the life that I live right now. Part of the reason why I have been going through life just one day at a time is because thinking of the future does scare me. What is to come? Good health or bad? Rich or poor? Better or worse? I really don't want that sort of things plaguing my mind.

But it is getting harder to ignore as the days seem to being flying by faster then ever now. I could have sworn it was only just 2009 yesterday...

Hell it is almost a natural disaster the first time I found a white hair on my head. That was the end of the world! But nowadays I'm better about it I think and I don't panic as much as that first time.

Now I just stand in front of a mirror and search like a frantic manic.

Better, yes?

I don't think I'm liking this being old business... and I'm not even that old yet! 

Rest For The Weary

So after spending what felt like a fortune on Halo: Reach, I am absolutely grateful that there is absolute NOTHING that I am interested in for a good short while. My next run into spending hell will be on October 26th, when 3 games are released that I am -hoping- I will be able to afford all of.

Topping this trio? Yes, WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011.

These past few years I have been telling myself that this one is it! No more after this! But every year I am drawn back in with the updated rosters, updated graphics, updated whatever it is that hooks my attention (and wallet). This year's game is sporting an updated physics engine, which basically allows a player to slam their opponent onto and/or through various objects and such.

But what seals the deal on capturing my interest is the WWE Universe mode, which basically makes exhibition matches and what not, feel and play like their TV show counterparts. Yes these all seem complete with #1 contenders, run ins and all the madness that is pro wrestling.

Second on my trio of interest is Fable III.

What needs to be said about Fable III? If it is anything even remotely like Fable II, then I imagine I will be hooked to the game for quite a long while here after.

But then, as I mentioned in a previous writing, I am liking this idea of being able to rise up and become King (or Queen). I am hoping there is a decent amount of freedom in this aspect, as I would absolutely love to play out being a just King and eventually a tyrant.

Lastly is Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II.

I enjoyed the hell out of the original game and I thought it controlled pretty well and the story was interesting to me for the most part. As far this sequel is concerned though, I am a little concerned with this cloning business that seems to have StarKiller (the main character from the first game) either back from the dead or is a copy of the original.

But that aside, I've read that there will be more uses for the Force this time around and maybe even a couple of new powers added to the mix. I like that. I like destruction too.

Until then, I will continue on with my newly aquired Netflix addiction which has me watching so many different TV shows and movies, I think my head is about to explode. But it is kind of nice to have this service now, as that means I now have even less (or practically no) reason left to go to those dreadfully irritating rental stores.

Oh and Borderlands is getting (I think) it's final DLC in ClapTrap's New Robot Revolution next Tuesday which has to be pure awesome in itself. I think Borderlands is probably the only game I think I've ever bought DLC where the content was actually fairly better then decent.

Speaking of Tuesday, I believe Iron Man 2 is hitting DVD on that day and I've got my eyes on Chris Jericho's biography DVD (Breaking The Code: Behind the Walls of Chris Jericho) too.

Well wouldn't you know it! I just might end up broke before October after all!

Changing Things Up

I have been feeling a little strange today and the feeling I'm feeling right now is telling me that I need to mix everything up. I want to change the way my blog looks! Yes! It is time for a revolution! I don't know why, but I just got that feeling like I just need to do this. Today.

The idea here was to babble more about some things, maybe a little personal in nature. But my mind and my mood on the subject in question isn't quite right yet. I don't want things to feel like they've gone adrift and my thoughts aren't quite organized to where I think I could write everything down.

Like now.

I don't think I'm making much sense at this very moment. I think I will go and fire up Netflix and just get buried in a mountain of TV shows I've missed over the years. I swear that service is like a drug...

Halo: Reach

So I went and sat in line on Monday night for Halo: Reach and the turn out wasn't all that bad. We were waiting for about 2-2 1/2 hours, which isn't bad considering some people were there much earlier that evening. Actually getting the game itself took about 5 minutes tops, so we were in and gone in no time flat.

If for nothing else, the statute (above) made it all worth it for me. It wasn't quite as heavy as I expected, but it looks AWESOME no less. 

I'm bringing up this matter of time, because it took us (my girlfriend and I) just about a day and a half to finish off the campaign portion of Halo: Reach. And we weren't even really playing all that much (or so it felt). So when the credits began to roll, I was stunned! Shocked even! Was that it? That was everything? I mean maybe the game had gotten shorter? Or maybe we've gotten that much better (doubtful)? I mean we've played our share of FPS games, but we don't hit it up online and just play on endlessly...

So the epic final stand of Noble Team was over rather quickly... though the time spent was fun while it lasted.

What actually made things a bit more interesting in Bungie's final Halo game was the change ups in the game play. There was a space shooter portion, as well as a platforming section as well. Both of these changes were short, but the change of pace was unexpected and equally welcomed considering nearly every other moment was spent shooting and being destroyed by various acts of explosions/gun-laser fire.

Overall, it felt like Bungie took everything they learned from the Halo Trilogy, as well as ODST and this was the result. It was a fitting end to the legacy that they began. Everything just fit together and I was expecting (at the end of Reach) to start playing as the Master Chief. But alas, the tale ends there...

It is too bad that Bungie didn't get the chance (or maybe it just never came up) to maybe re-release the original Halo (with the usual updated graphics, game play tweeks, etc). I'd love to see what they could do with Halo now that they've got all this other experience under their belts.

At the end of the day though, as I mentioned before, this is a fitting end to what Bungie started. What I didn't mention, though I feel it would be a bit of an injustice to omit, is that there is actually a story to the madness. I felt for Noble Team as one by one, each of the members fell. It was touching and sad, even while knowing exactly what happens to Reach in the end.

Before The Fall

So in typical fashion and since I am already set to pick up the Halo: Reach Legendary Edition, plus the "special edition" hardcover guide... I think we're going to go and sit in line on Monday night for the midnight release. At this point, I mean why not? We've gone this far already and spent that much on this thing...

Speaking of which, I recently picked up Plants vs. Zombies from Xbox Live. This marks the third time that I've bought this game now (PC, iTouch and now Xbox 360). Popcap must love people like me...

But to my surprise even after playing the original over and over again, this latest incarnation is still as addictive fun as it's PC brother. Adding in versus and co-op modes adds a nice touch, along with the ability to play co-op in the story mode itself.

Another pick up off of Xbox Live was the final piece of DLC for Dragon Age: Origins, Witch Hunt.

Let me throw this out there now: If at the end of Origins (considering if you are playing as a male character) you did not choose to perform the ritual with Morrigan, this DLC is all but a waste of time and money! It won't add any depth to anything and she will just shut you down for refusing her. So you will not find out why she returned, where she went (the DLC takes place a year after the end of Origins) or where she is going or even what she is planning in the future. She just babbles something about Flemeth and... *sigh*

So again, no loose ends are tied up here folks, not unless you opt to save your Warden at the end of Origins and go through with Morrigan's baby making ritual. Or if, like me, you said to hell with your rituals! I will die! You only receive a cold hard slap of WTF to remind you that you just wasted money for nothing. Yeah, I was pretty floored when that happened...

All in all, the DLC (like most) is a relatively short play and I can't help but think that maybe BioWare could have ended their Dragon Age: Origins DLC support with a bit more of a... bang? And considering if you didn't go a particular route, this DLC will do just about nothing as far expanding the lore any further. I hoped that maybe there could be some choices to the matter, maybe talk Morrigan into sharing a tidbit or three. But alas, nothing.

I have also been reading about those that have spoken out about how BioWare said they would support Dragon Age with DLC for two years and now they've ended just about a year later. The claim from BioWare's end is that Dragon Age II is coming along better then they hoped, so that's why they won't support Dragon Age: Origins with any more DLC.

For starters, I can never understand why people or companies decide to throw numbers out there such as this. It only works against them! But if I remember correctly, that was a piece of the hype that went into promoting Dragon Age: Origins back in the day. I hope they don't throw these kinds of statements out when the sequel arrives next year. 

And you know what? Considering how poor a lot of these DLC packs/expansions/whatever end up being, I am a little grateful that they've stopped. After playing through Awakening and feeling like I lost out on something (apparently your character is a lousy, rotten monster of a person, because no one from the original team save Oghren, follows you to your new post), I opted not to get any more of their add-ons and/or expansions. That alone just left way too much to be desired in my book. I should have stuck to my guns and stayed away from this final DLC, because it just proved what I thought I already knew.


As for Dragon Age II? I am already debating if that will ultimately be worth purchasing. Or pre-ordering for that matter. I may just skip this and await Gears of War 3 or who knows? Maybe I will still be playing Halo: Reach or Fable 3 or who knows what else?

Oops... this one got a little Dragon Age dominated! I just hope BioWare will work to improve their DLCs in the future, because at the end of the day I enjoyed the hell out of both Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Would I like to expand both universes with more content? I would love to! But as it goes right now, I can't say that I'd throw anymore points/money at this thing.