Guy Speak Beaver

End of the Road

2012-01-19T02:29:00.000-05:00

It's been fun bouncing around blogging sites and jazzing about games, but it's time for me to grow a little. I'll be posting exclusively on Margin Jargon from now on. It'll be a little more versatile on topics, but video games will still be covered. So come check it out and let me know what you think.

Sorry about the break in posting, I moved to wordpress for a while. If you want a more holistic view of this blog, go on over to my wordpress page and catch up. Just remember it's being killed too. but will remain available.

Housekeeping?

2011-10-24T15:14:00.002-05:00

I love circles so I decided to come back to Blogger! I've recently joined staff with a friend to revive an old project and it's right here on Blogger! So I'll be cleaning up, doing housekeeping, and figuring out what the fuss I'm gonna talk about here. So mind our dust and stay tuned.

Redirected

2009-06-05T19:23:00.002-05:00

Wow, so I totally forgot this place was still running. In case your out of the loop, I'm moved over to WordPress. Where can you find me you say? Well here of course.

I'll keep this up as a redirect and archive, but if something is wrong or you hate it for some reason. Come on over to the WordPress equivalent. Thanks!

Corrupting the Minds of America's Children

2008-06-06T00:28:00.003-05:00

Todays post is taken from a post I wrote concerning ratings systems, violence, and media influence on the VGC forum. It's a topic I have been thinking about lately so here's my splurge about it.

"This topic has been sitting in the back of my mind the last few days so I feel like talking about it. I live under the rule of the ESRB and truth be told it's great. The ESRB came out to help keep my favorite hobby easy to access and practical during tough times like the Mortal Kombat scandal, and Grand Theft Auto fiasco. The system works and helps just about everyone. It lets me gauge the content for younger ones and "protects" the children. The system really is unobtrusive outside of wiping my ID out for M rated games.

I also work at Gamestop and we just ID everyone buying a M rated game because it saves us from getting in trouble and keeps the blame where it should be; on parents. While some people joke to us about it, its for everyones protection.

I have some nieces and nephews that come over some times and want to play games. They usually just want to play Roller Coaster Tycoon and Mario. I will in that instance refrain from playing graphic games and will not let them play them. That was my choice because I don't think they can comprehend the gravity of intense violence, war, or their connection to whats happening in a real intellectual way. I don't think graphic games should never be touched by kids. It is a learning experience and can prove valueable in the future. I know watching graphic anime like Evangelion, and playing some violent games like Turok 2 were enriching. I think graphic scenes should be handled case to case with no blanket policy instate. We should not write off violence or graphic content as un-enriching either.

I think the ratings stand to warn parents of the content their child wants to par take in, and then from there it becomes entirely the parents responcibility. If they are angry about the content in the game they bought then they are the the only ones to blame. Also a little violence and sex never hurt anyones chances of being a functonal and productive human being. You can't really sit around all day and try to come up with ideas on how to keep games out of the hands of kids. The system is in place and being enforced. Statistics show that it's easier to get other mature rated media then it is to get a mature rated game.

If you skipped through my long winded piece then at least check out this video of Adam Sessler talking about this topic. It's fantastic." (which unfortunately

Xbox 360 Games - E3 2012 - Grand Theft Auto IV

Press A to jump; Achievement Unlocked

2008-06-01T00:23:00.005-05:00

Here is my friday blog on an early sunday morning. A little late which is better then nothing at all. Lately things have been really busy. I have been bogged down with quite a few things that you could separate into both important and not-so important. My game collection has made a nice jump lately. I recently purchased and received about 5 new games. Only problem is finding time to play them all. They all are good games, but time is not on my side. The only one I can really say anything about is God Of War for the PS2.

I know I am late to the party on this one, but I beat the game just today. Frankly it's fantastic. The only complaint I can really find with it is that at the very end the difficulty makes a steep incline for the more difficult which held me up to the point of wanting to snap the controller in two. Thank god their is an easy mode. I was totally immersed in the game though. I was entertained, satisfied, and had fun the whole way through, (that is till the end at least). I just recently got God of War II in which I think I might do a proper review on. Kind of want to take a stab at doing that. I can't wait to get into it though.

I also picked up Me & My Katamari for PSP, Onimusha for PS2, Shadow of the Collosis for PS2, and Echochrome for the PSP. After dabbling in each just a bit I can safely say I can't really get into each one. I have been trying to take one game at a time and actually finish it instead of having a shelf of un-finished games.

Other things swamping me are my various places of work. I have some side projects I REALLY need to get done and actual work is gonna be busy since the next few weeks have some of the biggest games of the summer coming out. So I am gonna be swamped with that. Not really complaining though. I love it. The big thing this week is something I have been thinking about for the past few days. Difficulty in games today versus older games.

When someone brought up the topic of difficulty in games today versus games in the past I would usually think that they aren't playing the right games, but recently I decided to actually think about; I mean really think about. This is all thanks to GFW Radio podcast for May 22. Have games become easier today? It all really depends who you ask, but for me I actually think the answer is yes now. A good portion of games in the NES and old PC days were really genuinely tough because they didn't tell you every little thing about the game. You were given a set of tools and an objective (if you were lucky that is) and you would just figure out how to do it. If you look at a good portion of games today you find they may give you somewhat of the same set-up, but will be more motherly. The game will tell you that if you press "A" at this point on this wall you will unlock the door to advance to the next section. It doesn't help that half the time that gives you achievement points or a reward for doing what the game told you to do. This system of rewarding you for being brainless was the exact opposite in the past where you worked for that new sword. When you achieved something you felt a real genuine sense of accomplishment.

While this generalization isn't true by absolute it is true to some extent. All this talk of genuine accomplishment and difficulty got me thinking about what it means to me as the gamer. If I use a strategy guide or help of some kind does it demean me as a gamer? Do newer games demean me as a competent gamer? And what does this change in difficulty mean for games in the future? While the idea of demeaning my gamer status is a bit over presumptuous it's something that struck a chord with me. It did bring up a game that I want to play. Myst, along with other old point-and-click adventures like Kings Quest really in mind define difficult PC games. I feel those games would sort of test my skills that have grown since I was a young boy watching my older sibling play it and me being confused as hell.

The strategy guide issue I think is really just a personal choice. I think being a purist about it and thinking, "Anyone who uses or has a strategy guide isn't a real gamer" is just being an asshole. How you choose to use help is based on your own choices and develop your own ideas to what crosses the line or even if a line exists. It's not like most people my age didn't grow up reading Nintendo Power and trading secrets with friends.

Time to end this long winded piece. What it really means for the future of gaming is that these sort of "motherly" games will be the middle ground of gaming. You have the casual WiiSports games, then you have the hard core punishingly hard games, and then you have the middle ground that acts as a catalyst to bridge the two together. In my mind thats a good thing for everyone. It's not to serious, but gives you the perception that it kind of is. With the arrival of the out burst of casual games I am hoping the scales will even out eventually where all three will have enough game support for them. None of the three are really wrong it's just the way games are today and I'm fine with it as long as we maintain that continued support of all three types.

The factor of market appeal is something that would take a long time to explain and talk about so I am going to leave that out.

Demo's Round-Up

2008-05-26T22:29:00.003-05:00

Today I decided to check out some demos for my new PSP. I surfed my way on over to PSP Fanboy and checked out what they had to offer. I have already played all the demos off of Playstation.com and the Playstation store. The only problem with demos from PSP Fanboy is that most are in other languages. For the most part you can figure out what to do though; whether it be english in the game or just logic. Anyway, I checked out Bleach: Heat the Soul 5, Valhalla Knights 2, Space Invaders Extreme, and Astonishia Story 2.

Bleach: Heat the Soul 5
Download Demo

This demo was extremely short. You get one fight between Bankai Ichigo and Grimjaw for one round. I would have really liked to see more of the game, but after playing around with a few playthroughs I got somewhat of an idea of how it works. The combat system is somewhat like Dragonball's games have been. A big emphasis on simple special moves, but relies more on the fact that your playing your favorite characters from the show and using their moves. Like most fighters based on IP, I wish the gameplay felt a little looser and more accustomed to each character instead of each character being stiff so you are on an even playing field. The graphics are good for being on a PSP. Can't really say much more about it since it was so short. I hope they start bringing the series to the US. I would like to play them in english. I am thinking about importing it.

Valhalla Kights 2

Download Demo

Brutal. Thats all that can be said about this demo. It is in japanese so I could be missing something, but from the first battle on the monsters do way to much damage and you deal so little. It did seem a little PS1 style 3D RPG though. I really need to get a translation or learn japanese to say how I feel about it. I feel like it can be a good game, but I just need to understand it. Looks like it won't hit US shores till late this year. I might pick it up then, we will see.

Space Invaders Extreme
Download Demo

This demo was really fun. It's a nice twist on the Space Invaders formula that has been echoed for so long. The game plays like other games such as Rez, Synaesthete, and AudioSurf. Everytime you fire a shot, destroy an enemy, hit a shield, or do anything pretty much it adds a beat or sound to the music. You can now pick up power-ups like large lasers, bombs, and wider beams. When you destory ships a certain way they initiate a bonus round where if you destroy a certain ship or certain number of ships you go into fever mode. Fever mode sounds like what it is; your shots are wider and fire faster. The game is strangely addicting. I keep playing the demo and love it. The art and music direction really come through to bring back this classic in a great way. I can't wait to pick it up pretty soon.

Astonishia Story 2

Download Demo

It's another case of the language barrior hurting with over powered enemies. This RPG uses a 2D turn based system. The battle interface is pretty slick was easy to understand. The attack and magic system balence I didn't understand. It seemed like the magic system out weighted the attack system so much so that attack was like just kicking a monster in the shin. Even chacters like monks and warriors didn't seem to do enough damage with normal attacks. If I pick up the first game I am sure I might understand better. I didn't make it to far into the demo for 2 since I was back attacked and instantly killed. I can't even find a release date for it yet so I will have to satisfy with the first game.

Overall not a bad batch of demos. I also picked up Monster Hunter Freedom. Now I actually own it that is. It's so fantastic. After I tried it out I could not get it out of my head. It is one of those games that get stuck in your head and you can't stop thinking about it. I am slowly progressing in it so I will write more on that later. I can't wait to get to Freedom 2 where you can download new quests. I just hope I can find people to play with. Thank you KAID.

Missing Monster Hunter, Crisis Not Averted

2008-05-23T05:34:00.005-05:00

While I have been lost in thought over the past few hours I decided a few things. One was that I still want to write about games and look at them from the outside. Another was that I need to play more games with a sense of figuring out what makes them tick and others just for fun. The last thing I decided was that I will from now on write a blog post every friday. I want to start a scheduale and keep to it. I may post in between if I feel so compelled, but over all at least posting once a week will be good.

Why I decided all of this is another story. A little bit ago I was listening to various music tracks; some game OST's some not. Listening to these gave me a bunch of cool ideas for games or scene's in games. This lead to me rethinking what I want to do in the games industry. I know what to be apart of it, but where is the question I have pondered for quite some time. After a few hours of research I can safely say I still want to be on the outside. Be it with a website or journalism sort of job. I love the experience I get from playing a game. The goosebumps you get as you work your way through a game beating whatever comes at you till you reach the end. Even though you reach the end you still crave more; thats the feeling I love. When your putting together a game you can't really get that feeling. It's different. You get the excitement of creating something and seeing it come to life and then enjoying it.

Playing games with a critical eye or just for fun is part of what I want to work on. It's what I want to write about in the future and now really. Sometimes it is hard though. Those few certain games that just amaze you with every scene and second of gameplay that you just can't stop.

I also wanted to talk about a few more things. The big news is that I got a PSP finally. I picked up the piano black glossy PSP-2000 model. It's just fantastic is every way. I have never actually played a 2000 model so it was all new to me. I am very happy with all the changes they made to system. I have some componant cables in the mail right now so I will be able to test out the video out. Crisis Core will look so good. At least I hope so.

[SPOILERS] for Crisis Core
I finally beat that damn game and boy am I depressed it's over. While a few times you can get distracted by missions the main story is just amazing! The ending was especially good. I was wondering how they were going to fill in from just after Nibelheim to right outside Midgar. It is basically a hour long experience of in game cutscene's, FMV's, and battles you can't win. The music at the end is in a way just the full versions of songs you hear earlier, but the final versions are so good. I can't stop listening to them. Anyway, I can't wait to pick it up myself and play through on New Game+. I want to get a 100% completion in the game.
[END SPOILERS]

Other then that I have been playing Patapon and Monster Hunter Freedom for PSP. Both are really good except that Monster Hunter Freedom is one of those games your just instantly in love with. I just checked it out from work, but I really want to buy it. It's so fun and you definitely feel proud and powerful even when you buy a new armor piece or craft a better weapon. I just wish it had online since I have no one to play with. Hopefully I can convince some people to get it too. I am also really close to beating Megaman X. Those damn Sigma levels are hard. I am almost through the first level. I just keep running out of ammo. Well time to rebuilding my patapon army since they got a beat down last time.

I Love Fangirls and Crisis Core

2008-04-01T18:56:00.003-05:00

I used to just skim over reviews and articles on the net and in magazines. If I could get a gist and make up the rest that was fine with me. Anymore though I tend to read to the entire article and whatever else I can. It's been really interesting some things you find out when you actually read a full story. You can find that a section that someone pulled to make a point doesn't even say what they think it's saying. No where has that been truer then an article I found on the net here.

The article really does capture a lot of my feelings on reviews and fanboyism. It's not a curse and it's not bad thing. It is about finding a balance of letting your inner fanboy out without going to the extremes of saying your unbiased or forsaking all other [insert game/company/console here] before it.

I also read the review of Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core at RPGamer. I have been reading the reviews around the net while only finding XPlay gave it a low score. RPGamer had some criticism, but it didn't seem to affect the score. The criticisms of the game being to short or boringly redundant were, in my opinion, very conditional. I decided to read the responses to the review and laughed a little bit as a read. Pretty much the whole thread was full of either Tales series fanboys or "SquareEnix made a good game? gasp!" What really got me though was how many of them brought up Kingdom Hearts as a better combat system.

This really irked me as the combat system in KH was absolutely horrible and saw little to no improvement with the second game. The physical attacks were easy and fun to use, but when it came to magic and summons it was so clumsy. Using a normal Final Fantasy menu for an actions RPG just didn't work there. Crisis Core I believe has a much better and more improved menu system. It is very easy to use with all the action involved.

I am almost done with Crisis Core. I am also writing full guides for FFInsider.net. I am so impressed with the game. It's visuals are the best on the PSP, the action is smooth, the music is fantastic, and to top it off the game is nicely sized. Some say it is repetitive, but I have felt anything but bored. The parts with Aerith are kind of boring, but thats about it. :D

Rocking Bands of Duty 4 Times is Pure Pwnage

2008-03-09T01:08:00.004-05:00

Lately I have been playing a lot of Rock Band and CoD4 and noticed something while playing and not playing. I noticed that CoD4 was the first CoD that I can sit back and watch someone play and not be bored or to annoyed. As most people have experienced some games are just unbearable or boring to watch. It's nice to see a FPS come along that stays interesting even when your not sitting in the drivers seat. Coming from CoD2 to 4 I was curious of changes and how the game was in general, so initially I paid attention. After a while of learning how the game operated watching became more entertaining then a learning experience. Once again I give Infinity Ward for making such a good title.

I also remembered that a gold account is not required to obtain achievements. So I have started using my gamertag again to feed my achievement addiction. Creating characters in Rock Band and going through solo careers on the drums and vocals. I have to make that push to hard for vocals and drums still so I am running through on medium. I would play with the guitar, but my buddys guitar is broken. It was one of the initial releases so I just sent an inquire to EA and a replacement one is on the way. The process was nice and easy. No complicated codes or forms to fill out to just make sure you had the specific one they said broke. Just a form saying, "Yes my [insert instrument] is broken, send me a new one.".

Interestingly enough the newest episode of "Pure Pwnage" featured these two games mostly. Episode 16 was released today and was surprisingly somewhat short seeing how they have been getting longer with each new episode. Event though 20 minetes is not that short it's half of what they usually are.

[SPOILER ALERT]

The episode focuses on Jeremy dealing with money issues. On one side is the masterer's way of not taking money from gaming and on the other is T-Bag telling about how sponcers can provide anything wants. The episode also features Jeremy's birthday party with Dave, Anastasia, and T-Bag showing up. After the party winds down anastasia leaves some what awkwardly and Doug showing up. The two reunite as friends. It was a pretty good episode with T-Bag telling some good stories of just how insane Doug can be.

[END SPOILER ALERT]

If anyone has not started watching the show yet they need to. Pure Pwnage makes so many references to past and current games and movies that anyone should be able to enjoy it.

I keep trying to get around to writing more here, but I keep getting distracted by articles I write for VGC, FFE, or just plain gaming. I have been trying to finish all the games I have that I really want to play with some progress. Thats a big time eater. Things will come slowly for now around here, but will eventually trigger and burst hopefully.

The Andrew Revolution (now with more channels)

2007-12-08T23:58:00.000-05:00

Yeah, you read that right I am playing games on the PS2 again. Lets just say the last few days have been awesome; to say the least. In the last few days I have picked up a Xbox and PS2 and about 10 or so games. Some games include "Zone of the Enders" 1 & 2, "Metal Gear Solid" 2 & 3, "Halo 2", and "GTA III." Its been really awesome getting back into the last gen games and having the ability to go back and play all the great games I missed out on.

This may seem really insignificant to most, but as a game collector, player, and faux writer its so awesome. It's really weird playing the Xbox specifically though. I am using the original fat ass controllers that feel like large boulders in your hands. I used to say they fit my hands well, but anymore I find myself clumsily falling over the button placement and the mere size of it. I have to say the redesign of the controller was a very smart move on Microsofts part.

Overall though I can't wait for the next paycheck to get more and more games. I want to start saving for the next gen consoles too; especially the PS3. I love the PlayStation product line. So many things to buy for games overall. You just have to take it one game at a time and one system at a time I think. Well I am off to my epic journey to finish ZoE tonight maybe. It really is one of the gems of PS2. I am still trying to balence playing games, writing, and working on new content right now. Expect new-ness coming to a modem near you!

A New Wave

2007-12-08T23:32:00.000-05:00

And I’m back! Back online that is. It’s nice to finally feel all the hate, love, and sick shit the internet has to offer. Over the course of being offline for a few months I thought about a lot of things. I would finally like to set most of these into action. I like a lot of them and just want to throw them out there and see how they do. Creating online content is what this is all centered around. I want to start a new podcast, start creating videos, mixing some music, building up some graphics skills, coding skills, and setting up some services. This will all mostly be game centric and I would like to get it all integrated under a brand or theme.

The podcast is already in the works. The name has been settled on “G.A.M.E (Games And Media Entertainment) Podcast.” The crew from Tri Player Podcast is returning under a new banner and better developed onset. We want to launch a site first and have that site created by us and hosted on a real server. This process could take another month or longer, but we are working so that the results will be worth the time. Anyone who seeks or wants to help us can. If you have experiance and knowledge in web development or audio publication please contact me at my e-mail address in my profile. More will come over the next few days including some game reviews and blogs.

Rez Please?

2007-09-20T20:47:00.000-05:00

Interesting. Thats all I can really describe the time lapse in postings. A podcast has risen and fallen, a blog has moved and returned, and I have been thinking a lot lately.

Tri Player Podcast came to be earlier this year and went till about a month ago. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot about production of audio and bringing it to the internet. Not having many or any listeners became discouraging to some of us so we lost a man. I was a little mad at first but now I hold no resent. Things change and I just need to deal with it. I really would like to start another podcast or join another one, but I know I need to plan heavily next time before launch.

As I said I have been absent from this blog for a while for a couple reasons. I had been playing games and working on the podcast so much I ended up forgetting what I wanted to write about when I sat down to do it. My new Belkin router has been fussing with me as well with the internet. I am actually writing this from a friends house. I am back and in the ring now though and want to overhaul this blog a little.

I know I said this before and I will say it again. I love games and I love talking about them. Thats why I have this page. I have had some ideas on what I can and will do with it. It will take some time to put them it though. I am going to pick up some HTML and scripting languages and customize this page and hopefully move to my own server by the end of the year. I have picked up a new job too so I hope to pick up some newer consoles and games and write about them. I will continue to learn about writing better and vocalizing my thoughts in clear and concise ways.

Expect to see change happen slowly but I am fully committed to learning more and more about what I love. Hopefully some day I can do this for a career. We all have our dreams.

Updated...For My Pleasure.

2007-06-29T03:10:00.000-05:00

My regular postings have dwindled off a bit as of late. I have been busy with friends coming back from college to visit, cleaning a whole house, and working. Adding to that list now is World of Warcraft. I have played it before on other accounts but have only recently bought my own account. As everyone knows, this game can eat time like pacman at a pharmacy.

Anyway, Tri Player Podcast has for the most part launched. The website is up which you can find Here. The forums are up, but they are still naked and like the site is also vacant as hell. I expected a bigger amount of people to show up. Maybe 4-7 but only one person besides ourselves has said anything. A little disappointing to say the least. The good thing is that it keeps me thinking. I am not receiving any sort of comments or critique so it's mostly by myself. What I want in a podcast and what listeners will enjoy listening too. It's sometimes hard to be a little unique, but I have learned a lot so far. I need to put the site and podcast are some more populated sites to at least get some traffic.

Other then working on the site and all the things I have listed above I haven't had much time to play to much. I did buy Metroid Prime for the Gamecube though and from the half hour I have played its pretty good. I also started into Chrono Trigger again. I have been close to beating it but never did. I am starting to really feel like I have and am missing a lot of great games; all because I can not manage the little money I have. It seems like it's starting to have a real effect on me though. I am starting to change my view on how I spend and use money so good is coming; just never fast enough.

Just one last thing though. I am starting to get more into writing, reviewing, and that sort of thing lately. I have said this before and I will say it again. If you have comments on blog or critique of my writing feel free to express that. I am thinking about this blog and what direction I want to go with it or if I just want to keep going like it has been. My vision is getting clearer lately on what I really want to do and what I want to excel at. Hope for the best!

One episode done and we are just getting started.

2007-05-29T01:57:00.000-05:00

I wanted to give a little update on the podcast. It seems like thats what this blogs purpose is turning into; a podcast blog. That's not what this is going to turn in to just to let you know. episode I is complete and hosted online. The only problem is I am hosting it on OurMedia.com and Archive.org which does streaming but I don't know if they host so people can just download the podcast to their own computers. I am still messing with it and it should definitely be up by the end of the week. When it is though I will definitely say something.

The forum is in the making but I don't want to make any promises on that. We will just leave episode I as to be this weeks episode and will make episode II next week. I want this to take off and will start marketing this soon around the internet. We will keep on making episodes and see how it goes. We have a lot of far off ideas so hopefully we will be able to play with them.

I have been thinking about the topic of what makes a gamer, a gamer and will write that out tomorrow maybe.

Podcasting Trials

2007-05-24T03:31:00.000-05:00

Ok, so getting a podcast around and getting the first episode up is harder then it sounds but it CAN be done. We have had technology problems, personal problems, planning problems, and content issues. I have learned a lot about planning a project, creating some what interesting content commentary, and some web editing skills. I hope to record on Friday the twenty-fifth and then it may be a couple days or hours to edit it and post it online. I working on coming up with some banners and ads to throw up online and whore ourselves out. A forum is also in the making but I really don't want to say more then that even I don't know when it will go live. I have big ambitions and big ideas and I spend my days feeding the fire with more ideas and dissecting how its all going to happen. I hope everyone will enjoy our podcast, or at least we can hope to waste your time. We are totally open to suggestions and comments and appreciate all feedback.

Nameless Gamer Podcast

2007-05-15T03:59:00.000-05:00

I am really excited for a new idea me and my friends are working on. We are going to start a gaming podcast. I have always liked the idea of doing a podcast and my other two friends have jumped on board too so I am pumped. Not to much is certain right now. It will mostly contain the three of us just chatting and fighting over our ideas and games. We will make it more interesting then just that though.

I would like to get a raw recording done in the next few days along with things like a name and setup. Then it shouldn't be to long after that we get it hosted online. When that happens I will post about it here and everyone I can publicize at. I hope everyone or most of the people that listen enjoy it!

My Nintendo has Pokémon, Link, and My Life to Spare.

2007-05-13T02:42:00.000-05:00

I am going to hit a few topics today so try and keep up with me. So first off is Nintendo; specifically My Nintendo. My Nintendo for those who don't go to Nintendo's web site very often is a sort of profile you have to manage all your Nintendo needs. You can register systems, games, make a wish list of games you want, and manage your subscription to Nintendo Power magazine. It's really nifty and convenient to have all that in one place. In registering systems and games you unlock secret content for those games or systems which unfortunately are only for your computer it seems like. Registering also enables you to engage in contests and drawings for free games or other prizes. Free stuff is always good. If you register three Nintendo products as well you get a three month trial of Nintendo Power which I myself should be expecting soon. All in all it's a great idea and works really well. My only suggestion is to enable certain content pertaining to a system. That is of course if it's possible with that certain system.

Update on my adventures in Pokémon Pearl. I just received my sixth badge and am closing in on Palkia and elite four. I have been taking my time and trying to get as much as I can now and fill my Pokédex with as much info as possible. The game is really amazing. It has yet to let me down but I doubt it will. It's such a great RPG that is well paced, great conversations with NPC's, and some really sweet new Pokémon. This game continues the legacy of Pokémon very well.

I picked up a copy of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/The Four Swords for the GBA as well a few days ago. I am enjoying going through the game again and reliving my childhood of playing the game time and time again. Although I never fully beat the game I still treasure it. A few changes in the GBA version of A Link to Past are foreign to me though. Copying over the noise Link made in attacks and falling just seems so weird to me after playing it this long on the SNES. Also making Link taller when he is looking down just throws me off sometimes too. Some changes have been good including moving diagonally helps a lot in battles but still keeps that chance of messing up easily and losing two hearts because of it when the enemy gets on top of you. It's not a new game by any means but I am enjoying this version quite a bit. My friend is going to get it as well and see if we can play wirelessly on our DS's. It may work, it may not, but we will find out.

Changing gears a bit to some more personal stuff now. I have started working again which is always good. I will be the guy selling you TV's and electronics at Sears from now on. This job will help me eventually get a car that doesn't have a problem every week and get an apartment to turn into a gaming pad. In the middle of all this I really want to be able to pick up a Wii. Their are some games out right now and coming out that I really want to play. I am also going to work on some web development and try to get a beta site up for Game Players Guild. A little group I want to revive which will most likely change a bit but I hope to keep most of the original idea true. You can find out more about this Here but I will expand on this as it happens.

That's what has been going on with me and what I have been thinking about. Sorry these posts are so bloody long. I will try to post more often to cut down length. Like I said previously, a RSS feed is being sent to my Virb blog and I will start posting when a new blog is up on my Myspace account. I hope I have atleast made these last 10-50 min. worth your time. Tell me what your think or what you would like to hear about or even correct my grammar, English, or writing. Thanks a lot. I appreciate it and am striving to get better.

Curse Nintendo!!

2007-05-06T01:11:00.000-05:00

Damn you Nintendo. Damn you. Why you ask? Well I will tell you when all you fanboys calm down and put down the Wiimotes. Ok, now I can start.

Nintendo I damn you for many reasons. One being that you make such amazing...AMAZING games and consoles. Why are you so good? Why? Does the devil love his wireless controllers? Did Myamoto have to sell his soul to give you Mario?

Secondly, why must you make me relish my childhood and force me to buy Gameboys and SNES's over and over again? Why does the sound of the Gameboy turning on make me giddy and feel all...good?

Thirdly, how is it that you turn so many on to gaming, so many into broader minded gamers, and many into your minion fanboys with there Wiimote flails and NES shields.

These are the reasons I damn you Nintendo, because I love you.

Yes thats right, Nintendo has dug up my memories and convinced me that yes I need a Wii and all its products for that matter. Starting with of course the Gameboy. I was a stupid gamer back in my childhood and sold my N64, Gameboy, and miscellanies gaming consoles, games, and accessories. Now, I regret ever thinking of it! So you could say I am buying back my memories but they are the prized moments of my life.

Back to the Gameboy, thank god for old school game stores. I found a Gameboy for $10 and I had $20 burning a big hole in my pocket so I caved to my memories and bought it. It's probably THE greatest aesthetic in my room. Only problem is I have no games for it and neither does anyone I know, minus one person who has the Japanese version of Pokémon Silver. Pay day is coming so I will be picking up the old Pokémon games along with Tetris, Mario, and Kirby.

You may be wondering where all this Pokémon talk came from, and the reason is I picked up the new Pokémon Pearl for DS about a week after it was released. The best thing about it is that it revives a love for Pokémon untold. With the talk about it before the release and after I became compulsed to try Pokémon again. I only played Yellow before and watched the Anime and played the card game mostly. Let me just say that Pearl is amazing! Their is just so much to do and say about that it deserves a couple posts scattered about concerning it. So expect to hear more about it. I would suggest anyone who remotely loves Pokémon or RPG's to go and buy Pearl or Diamond or Pearl or Diamond and a DS. When you do, get a hold of me and we can play some time!

RSS and Game Life Cycles

2007-04-26T02:05:00.000-05:00

Good news! Virb has FINALLY integrated RSS/Atom feeds from external blogs. You will either be reading this on Blogger or Virb but all the same, thank you and please subscribe. I am new to RSS/Atom feeds and that whole process so I was a little confused but big props to FeedBurner's help files.

Anyway, to the main topic, gaming. While talking with a friend today about how he is unsatisfied in WoW's simplicity I noticed something. Multiplayer gaming has a cycle. This may be obvious to a lot of you but it's something I put a little thought into.

When a game is released you have two options. You can either play through the single player or skip right on to pwning your friends and strangers online; this is centered around typical games having both. No matter what you choose if it's a good game then a majority of people will end up online and playing each other. During this period of time it's pure extacy. Their is still the occasional bad player or bad game but for the most part everyone is still learning and experimenting with the game.

Next comes the period of time when some people leave for various reasons, but you can still find plenty of people to play with. Things start settling down and norm's are born in gameplay type and player style with still a good amount of originality. The game is still fun but have to love the game or be really new to it to play through this whole period.

The last stage is the saddest for those who have stuck it out this long. At this point gameplay breaks down to only a few types and everyone just seems to copy each other. It is this dark period that the people who still value the good exciting games that they used to have will band together with friends online and offline to enjoy the game they fell in love with.

This is all taken from personal experience in games like, Starcraft, Warcraft II, Warcraft III, and Counter Strike. It's not always the case for games to take this path of course. Some games die early and never experience mass sales and public want. Some games get cut off to early from the developer or publisher. Lastly, some games become legendary. Games like Mario, Zelda, and Sonic live on as legends. They may not always age well but classics are still classics and fun as hell to play.

Sickness and WoW's Healing Touch

2007-04-21T02:10:00.000-05:00

It's been a "few" days since I last posted but their are a few reasons for this.

1. I have been sick.
2. WoW.

I think I caught what seems like half the population got. It's basically the flu but had a few symptoms that seemed more like strep or a cold then the flu. So pretty much coughed and felt like shit this week, but I have almost kicked it now. Oddly enough though one thing helped get my mind off of it or just plain made me feel better; I don't know. Playing WoW though made me feel so much better; which segways me into my next point. I have played more WoW this week then I ever have in my life. It's the first time I have sat down and really played WoW and absorbed the whole experience.

I am showing early symptoms of WoW addiction. I can't get my mind away from it, I want to play it constantly (even right now), and I am engrossed in it. I let myself go in games that have really good story's and WoW is one of them. The whole time I am playing I am just in awe of the scenery and just being able to explore this massive world. I am only level eleven but I simply love the atmosphere and I have heard by more experienced players that it only gets better. 8.5 million players can't be wrong; okay, bad clique.

Other then that I have been finishing Final Fantasy II in Dawn of Souls for the GBA. I have beat the game but I am going through the extra Soul of Rebirth dungeon which is WAY harder then expected. The story is intriguing but like the actual progressing requires a lot of grinding for spell and weapons levels. I really just can't wait to finish SoR and get to FFIII though. Looks amazing and I love the music from the original FFIII.

Enough self absorbion and on to gaming. I will try to write an article soon. I have a few ideas in mind. Hopefully with my new job (hopefully) I can get some more games, consoles, and equipment.

Snook Chit?

2007-04-14T18:28:00.000-05:00

Let me get this out of the way first. Their will be no beavers and Guy will not be writing this. For those of you who didn't play Final Fantasy II religiously or recently, it's a quote from the game where you meet Giant Beavers and then Guy (a character in your party) says, "Guy speak beaver." I laughed so hard when I read that. So here it is being my blog now. :P

Why did I start this blog you ask; Simple. I want to write out my ideas and feelings. Which in this case its about gaming. I might throw in some tech, Japanese, or life experiences material but this will be mostly about gaming. I have made many blogs before but most of them turned up to be really dull or have to much complaining. So I started giving purpose to my blogs on Myspace. They were reviews, commentary on games, the gaming scene or some new product. An interview I was reading really struck me too to create a blog and put my heart into it. The interview was with Colette from Destructoid. She mentions how all gamers should have a voice and write down there ideas and feelings about things. I also really related to her story of when she was growing up. I had a very similar situation except I was a guy not a girl.

I know this is way to long for an intro but I will wrap this up. Once Virb implements RSS for blogs then I will send this blog to my Virb account as well. I really want to write better and really explore my writing skills and improve them so feel free to critique and comment on the subject matter or my writing. I appreciate any comments, critique, and will try to answer all questions.