That's it, I am sick of this, I am sick of the console wars. I am sick of fanboys, and yes I know, there is no way to stop what has become of GAMING. Gaming is in a sad, state. What happened to the days of the first Nintendo, and Sega Master Drive? There wasn't any REAL fanboyism at that point. Same with the Super Nintendo and Sega GEN, era. Was there fanboyism? Maybe a bit, more so about who was better, Mario or Sonic. I GREW UP in those times, I know what went on and I know what was a system, and what a game was, so I was happy. I did not require, anything, I did not require, having too bad mouth someone who owned a Super Nintendo because all I had was a Sega GEN.

I remember going to my friends house, who had a Super Nintendo, and playing FF3(6), and some other games, and he, was, at the time, my BEST friend. My one friend I would do everything with, every day we would be running around the park, playing catch, causing problems, or playing games. We were kids, we were young, but more importantly, we were friends, playing two different systems and co-existing. What is up now days, with one person buying a PS3 well, his other friends, own 360. So he gets shunned, called names? I have seen this happen, read about this happening, and it is stupid. So your going to throw away years of memories because someone bought a different piece of plastic, metal, and circuit boards? You are going to throw away someone, who is flesh and blood, like you, with the same memories, for something that has NO loyalty to you?

Why are fanboys so, dependent, on their status in the gaming world? Why do you care, if someone has something you don't. Wii, not the best graphics, but it's got some really fun games! I own one, I also own PS3, and I love it. Do I want a 360? Kind of, yes, but I don't truly require it at this moment since some games, and game types, are now coming to PS3 like RTS, and Bioshock. But, at the same time, I do not understand why people, on one side, have to say the other side have no games. It's like saying, when ever I turn on my Wii or PS3, I am not having fun. I am, a blast infact. You need to look past, the blurry lines, you need to understand a simple rule. Games are games, gamers are gamers. There are no hidden lines, no hidden areas. If we all just got along, started focusing on the prime fact that we are all gamers, then this experience would be swallowed a heck of a lot easier.

It's getting worse also, with every passing generation. What is it going to be like with PS4, and all the next systems? We already have people shunning others, beating others up, stabbing people for a certain game? What the hell has happened to us? What happened to the day where we would just get together as gamers, as a group of people. Sure, other things have debaters, people debate things about sports, or cars. But in sports, when someone has a favourite team, that's different. They are loyal to flesh, and blood. Somethings that happen arn't good, like, fights breaking out, but thats another story, that is seen in almost anything which equally has it's problems and should not take place, because it simply does not make sense.

What I am trying to say, in short, is that yes, this is rant, and yes this probably won't solve anything. Gaming, is heading down a dangerous path and I fear, that one day, I might just start acting like a fanboy also. Like some sort of disease, I almost feel like I can't run from it, and it's completely sick, and pointless. End, of discussion.

Have you ever had those moments, when you awoke in your bed. You're ceiling fan was spinning on the lowest speed, and your blind was half way open. You would rub your eyes, and sit up, taking a look around your room, only to feel left out of some greater picture, some greater scheme. Like if something was keeping information from you, letting you stay out in the cool breeze of the night time air, to dry and become a coccoon of despair.

Have you ever had those moments, when you tried so hard, to do something right. Perhaps you were making too many mistakes at your job, and you just wanted to do something, to make up for it all. So you try and you try so hard, and yet, it's all balanced, and you make a mistake some where else. Maybe your family gets seperated from you, because your spending so much energy on your job, or your friends no longer phone you to hang out.

A time rises, that you might turn to something to take your mind off your life, like video games, books, or movies. You might get to attached to said games, and their characters. You feel like when Sephiroth tells cloud, that he is a puppet, that he is talking to you. Or perhaps when Master Chief, tells everyone, that everything is going to be alright in the thick of the mud, that he is looking at you. Almost like the entire world is moving around your self, and just about anything, can make or break you.

At this time, you might be having one of those moments, where you feel like, you just want to sleep, and take a break from this giant movie called Life. You might believe in free choice, but at the moment your only choice is to be happy and free, and yet it's not coming to you. It's ok though, no ones telling you to fight the fight, or push your self to hard to over come all of your life issues. You can sit in the corner of your room, and watch life pass by. Your life is just a script, it's just a script in a giant play, and there is nothing you can really do to change how your feeling, like you want to forget about everything.

But, truly, are you going to believe that? I don't, and I have had those moments, and if you had, maybe your problem is something deeper. Maybe something is missing but it isn't no script, and it is nothing that you can't get. Don't listen to people, that spout such crap, like your life can't be change or there is nothing you can do. Completely forget everything I just said up above, and only remember that even I, had a crap life at the starting, but now I am happy. What does this have to do with games? Actually, more then you might think. I turned to games to free my mind from my life problems, along side books as well, and of course friendship. So, are you going to really sit there and do nothing? If you are having one of those moments in your life, which some people like to call a crisis, then talk to someone who has made it out of such a pit. Even if that means sending me a message right now. Start to make a change, right....now.

Welcome to my ranting, about the persistent ones. Yes, those guys. The bosses in video games that never leave us alone. That make us look around every corner, around every object. Up, down, around, you just can't feel safe when your in their domain, and it just so happens that their territory is the game it self. In this little collection of paragraphs, I am going to detail the winners, my personal fav's, the bosses that I believe are the most persistent, and no Mario fans, Bowser just doesn't cut it. I know someone out there will automatically suggest Bowser but he has never actually been KILLED before. These bosses are the ones who have been slapped, beaten, blown up, tossed in acid, burned up, imploded, sliced and diced and even gift wrapped. So here we go, for the first one I want to start off with a classic.

RIDLEY

Occupation: A Leader of the infamous Space Pirates that cause 80% of all the crap in Metroid games. No one really knows for sure if he is THE leader, or if others are, like Mother Brain, but if anything it can be noted that he is, at-least, A leader.

Sex: Male ?

Age: Eck if I know, does anyone?

Fav-Activities: Going on raids with his Space Pirate buddies. P-ing off someone, that will later, in their adult life, make him regret it.

Fav-Food: Our investigator

Ridley, what to say about Ridley? I will try to explain it in the best of my knowledge, with out giving any specific details on story line of the games and such. Ridley first encountered Samus the heroin of Metroid, during one of her childhood I believe. Later on they fought, She won, this repeated multiple times. Ridley has been reformed into Meta-Ridley, most commonly known for in the Prime games, and a Mecha-Ridley, a robotic, security like, robot that was not Ridley him self. He is quite popular with the Space Pirates isn't he? To bad he can't do anything right. But heck, his main theme rocks and we all know it. We love fighting you Ridley, honestly we do. With out you, Metroid just wouldn't be the same.

Ridley often causes the story's to unfold in Metroid games, Super Metroid is a prime, haha prime, example of this. If you seriously haven't played any Metroid games, and never experienced a Ridley fight, then go now! My personal fav- run in with Ridley is in Prime 3 for the Wii, loved the free falling dual.

NEMESIS

Occupation: Truck Driver with an attitude. Oh wait sorry, his only occupation is hunting down S.T.A.R.S members.

Sex: We like to think male.

Age: Age is not a factor for Nemmy.

Fav-Activities: Hunting S.T.A.R.S members.

Fav-Food: Pizza, he seems like a pizza kind of guy.

Nemesis is the main villain in Resident Evil 3. He chases Jill and Carlos, through Racoon City. Believe me when I say that this guy doesn't know how to die. It's just not programmed in his DNA. You can blast him with rockets, cut him up, shoot a magnum into his head, run him over. Toss him in fire and acid and even fire an extremely powerful railgun into him. He just doesn't care, really he doesn't. Through the course of the video game, you will be running into zombies, zombie dogs, zombie frogs, zemesis, zombie worm thingies, Nemesis, a crazy mercenary, Nemesis, and zombies.

Once again if you have not played Resident Evil 3 then you have no idea what I'm talking about SO GET OUT! But if you have, then stay. Because we all know, the beloved fans of Resident Evil, that Nemmy means buisness. He does not stop, he can't be bargained with, he can't be reasoned with. He won't stop until your dead. The first time I played Resident Evil 3, I actually thought I was fighting more then one Nemesis. I thought he was mass-produced like the Hunters. But alas I was wrong, and out of ammo. If you haven't had the fun of fighting Nemesis, then go get a copy of Resident Evil 3. Buy it, borrow it, what ever. It's fun, and always a pleasure to match up against Nemesis. Atleast for me it was.

SEPHIROTH

Occupation: Ex-Soldier, highest rank, and bad ass.

Sex: Male, and all the females know it O.o or something.

Age: Some sources say, in all seriousness, that he was 56. I'm not sure where I read that but I'm just going to with that. But in my opinion he doesn't look 56. Then again he isn't really pure human so who knows. If anyone knows an actual OFFICAL age of Sephiroth, then please by all means send me a message.

Fav- Activity: Never actually doing anything, but for some reason people have seen him do it. Geez he has a lot of followers.

Fav-Food: He doesn't eat. He is one of those guys, where you just don't picture him sleeping or eating or anything.

Now I know not everyone is a FF fan, let alone FF7 fan. But I am not being a fanboy, infact I despise fanboys. But in all honesty Sephiroth does deserve the title of persistent. He basically died, came back, died, and came back. Good enough for me, but not only does he come back, it's the manor of HOW he comes back and his attitude. A lot of fans in the FF world can't decide if Kefka is the biggest bad ass in FF history, or Sephiroth. I can say though that Kefka was a normal man, twisted and purely evil. But Sephiroth was also insane, evil as-well. Sephiroth's child hood for the most part of the known story, was basically torture in basic terms. He was used as a test subject in different well tests, and injected with Jenova cells well he was still in side his mothers belly. Whether his name is talked in glory, or pure hatred, there is no argument here that he IS one of the most famous villains ever to come into video game history.

There are MANY more bosses out there that can be labeled Persistent. Why don't you talk about the ones you believe deserve that title in the comments? That is, if I get any readers hahahahhaha, ok not funny but anyway. Hope you enjoyed the read, and just to note again. Bowser was persistent, but just wasn't one of my favs.

ENJOY

Hundreds of painful jobs in the world. You got construction workers, window washers for though darn tall sky scrappers. You got car repair, pilot, soldier. Lets face it, none of us WANT to go out and fight in a war, but sometimes we must. Me personally? No I have notgone to war yet, but if I was approached because my country needed me, then I would have no choice, it's the honour code right there, and yes I am Canadian. So a lot of jobs to choose from, but lets not forget one important job that most of us all rely on. That would be Reviewers. Video game, movies, anything that has to be reviewed for us so we get just a PINCH of warning before we go ahead and buy or rent, or sell. We all sometimes get annoyed at the scores some of our favourite movies or games get, but honestly some need to realize exactly what a reviewer has to do.

When you buy a game for your PS2, Xbox, PS3, 360, or the Wii, you just pop it in. That's right, you heard me, you just pop it in and play it. Heck if your lucky, you might have done research before hand, reading reviewers, finding out whats good and bad about a game, you know the normal research. Ok so where were we, oh yeah you just pop the game in and you play it. You might even beat it if your good enough, then what do you do with it? You might play it again, sell it for credit on a new game, or stash it away because MAYBE you might just want to play it again sometime. Let's not lie here, video games, or movies, are extremelyimportant to our lives. They arn't life or death but when we are bored and about to consider committing murder (joke), video games and movies save us from our selves.

They let us jump into a world, a world we can make our own, (The Sims, Sim City, Fable, the upcoming Over Lord, those darn Final Fantasy's, Zelda, and MGS to name a few). So here you are enjoying your self, running through the plains on Epona, or summoning Nights of the Round Table to show Sephiroth that having one wing isn't better then having two. Or maybe your hiding behind a corner getting ready to make that classic UG UG UG UG UG UG SNAP on another soldier. What ever it may be, your enjoying it for some reason or another. You might be a returning fan of the series, or you read a "review" and you saw the high score and you wanted to try it. Those games I listed always manage to get high scores. Why you might ask? Some like to say they are over rated, but let's try to be serious here, just because someone, or a large group likes a game, doesn't mean its over rated, it just means to fits into more peoples opinions then others. Halo anyone? A lot seem to think that game is over rated, but it's not, it's made for those sci-fi lovers or people who enjoy that type of graphical art or so on, but in truth those games get high scores because the dev team has experience, that's all. Their is no over rating, there is just skill, and opinions. The term over rated is just a secret weapon people who don't enjoy the game, whip out in their final defense. The term under rated, is the same-thing just the other way around. Face it, your either playing a game that a lot of people love, or your playing a game hardly anyone loves but you do, in both cases your going to get attacked, so just enjoy your game.

Now you might be wondering why you read all this. Where is this going? What does this have to do with you not wanting to be a reviewer? Well I will tell you. In most cases, reviewers can't just go home and pop a game in and enjoy it. They can't just waste time and play games on-line and push the other stuff aside. They actually have to play a game and "look" for the bad parts. Do you do that? Do you go around as Solid Snake and try to find glitches in walls or ammo supplies or graphical errors? If you do, you might want to be reviewer. I have reviewed some games, not professionally, just for my self and my friends and others who read, and I do take it seriously because you have to. Someone is going to readyour review and expect to hear the good and the bad, so you have to deliver. They give Zelda a few marks lower then what you would have wanted, or they point out to many cons in Halo, or they butcher a Final Fantasy. Are they doing it because they hate the game? Maybe in some cases but in most, they have to look for those cons.

Go to one of your favourite video game reviews right now. What did it get? Did it get any cons, did it get a low mark, possibly one that is lower then your preferred one? Well before you start to hate the reviewer, think to your self, can it possibly be that THESE CONS they have listed are there? Don't be a fanboy, come on, admit a game has a flaw, I do it all the time even to my most favourite games. Let's try Final Fantasy 7, let the fanboys become enraged as I point out flaws in this game. The graphics is one, not don't get me wrong, I love chibby animation and I think it totally rocks, but that in no way means they couldn't have made it cleaner. They might not have had time to finish the graphics or polish it up, but they could have extended the release date to make the game even better. I'm not saying get rid of the chibby animation, I am saying, let me see their mouths, or buttons on their clothes, or fingers. When I got to the final battle with Sephiroth, the graphics were INSANELY on drugs. Anyone have that experience to? It was like nothing I ever had seen in the game till that point. So I say, why not use that model of cloud in all the battles? I know they might have wanted to give the final battle extra flair, but seriously, for me at-least, if they would have had just a tad bit better graphics, I would have enjoyed it a bit better, and I'm not even one of those people who love graphics over everything else. I love the games story, music, character back grounds, and Sephiroth is one of my favourite villains. Just for me at-least, I wanted a bit more out of graphics. But its OK, Final Fantasy 8 gave me that.

What I am just trying to say, is that no game can be perfect for everyone, and you need to realize that for a reviewer, sometimes it is not always pleasure to play a game, some times it's a job, and maybe some people should just back off a bit, and think for a moment, that maybe they are right, just MAYBE, my favourite game has cons to it, but that's perfectly fine.

Journal Entry # 1, June 22 2007.

Dear reader, who ever has found this journal.

I have found an interesting creature within the journeys I have taken in the gaming world, and chose to name it, by its actions, Differentous Opinionous.

This strange creature usually is grouped in small numbers if not alone entirely. It often finds shelter with in the forums of the not so loveable games, an example can be Chaos Legion. A mediocre game at best, with many issues and repeatitive game play, yet the Differentous Opinionous finds enjoyment. Well there is nothing wrong with this, as all seek their own opinion with in any category, it can't help but be seen as strange. How do they find enjoyment in something so plain? I have studied their ways and have come to a recent conclusion of the matter.

The Differentous Opinionous enjoys a game no matter what the other viewers tend to say about it. They are low in numbers but they make up for this with a keen senseof what is fun and what is not. From them I have learned a great deal, including the many facts that not all games get their enjoyment out of the final score they get on a website, but by what you experience well playing said game. It can be the laughs, or the emotions you capture. Thanks to the Differentous Opinionous I have realised that any game can be fun, even if it scored the all time low. The recent discovery of this, has led me to try any game that I have laying around or can fine, even if it got a bad rating, and play it. To my surprise these games are indeed fun, well not ground breaking by any means they do offer some enjoying hours. I can't stay in the same spot to long, for, like any wild creature in the gaming world, I can not stay in their view for longer then a few hours. They do not like to be bothered by people like me who have only, till recent date, tried the high scored games. I have noticed, that the Differentous Opinionous, well dormant and gentle, can be quite angry if challenged by the other creatures who tend to attack nothing but their opinions on their life style. Interesting I must say.

That is all I can write as of now, I will be looking for some more creatures in the Gaming Animal Kingdom.

Yeah I got a youtube account, actually I had one for awhile. I posted some of my old and new music videos. NOTE I am not some hard core video maker so i do not add a new video every week but when I do add one they are usually quite good. SOO if your paying attention to this blog, then go check out my vids at http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=DuplexPreacher