You're next...

• 29Jun 09

  *insert clever title here*

  No that title wasn't intended as a joke, I just couldn't think of a title. Sorry that a combination of not being in school and playing too many video games has fried my brain (although worth it, I suppose).

  Recently I've had nothing too interesting to blog about. I've spent the beginning of summer playing tons of volleyball (winning the final 4-day tournament, giving our team the 1 seed at Junior Olympics), and just sitting around, mostly playing video games. I promised to not mention video games in this blog, but I'm not a man of my word, and it's only one or two paragraphs. If you really actually care I've indicated where the section for games begins and ends.

  *BEGIN VIDEO GAME TALK*

  First off, The Conduit. I drooled over it forever, waiting impatiently, then finally I get it. Worth the wait? I'm not even sure. The multiplayer is absolutely fantastic. Little to no lag online, a variety of modes make every fight a little different. I could spend hours playing online and not get bored. The single player is just good, not great though. Very challenging and you get to use a great variety of weapons, but like with all FPSes being released today, you do have the feeling of "I already did this in the last level." Nothing really against it, it's the way every modern FPS is (with the exception that critics j!zz their pants over the other ones, not so much with TCon), but it feels like you're getting gipped when you could be playing something else. All that aside, the controls are the best of any FPS I've ever played, the graphics are outstanding for the Wii, and I'm having fun with it. All in all an 8.5-9.3, depending on how it holds up. If I continue playing multiplayer a lot, it'll score high, if I move on within a few weeks, then it'll get towards the lower end. So game of the year so far? No, but best FPS on the Wii, and a definite buy? Yes. But game of the year has been awarded to a new title, one you wouldn't expect out of me.

  

  Wait, an Xbox 360 game as GOTY? That's right. But Dee you don't have a 360 or PS3! Well, no, I don't, but my friend brought his over and we played from (I sh!t you not) 8:30 PM to 5:30 AM, with no breaks, taking 25 minute shifts. It was a desperate attempt to beat the game in one night. Then we slept for 6 hours and played for one more hour. Did we succeed? Not quite, we have about an hour and a half left to go. But did I thoroughly enjoy every last minute I played or watched the game? Yes. Not very often a game that I can play for 9 straight hours comes along. In fact, this game may just have sold me on a 360. I'm looking at some eBay bids, and this one comes with 7 games, and if it doesn't go too high I'm taking it. Having one great system is nice, but you have to settle for a great game every once in a while with one that's just good in between every one. With a 360, I'll constantly have a great game to play (especially with the three great ones that come with the bid, and Bioshock and Mass effect which I'll buy both used). Of course this is all just a plan, I may just stick to only my Wii, seeing as Little King's Story, which is looking more and more like yet another GOTY title stealer as I come closer to getting it. Oh yeah, the release got moved to July 21st, which pisses me off because I should have it right now. But oh well, it will come and I will bask in its awesomeness. If it isn't the new best game of the year for me, then something amazing must've come in between now and then.

  

  I really don't know if they could have made the game more childish looking (or the name more wussyish). All the critics are loving this game, and all of them say that its cover, title, and look are about the most misleading things possible. Jyst check out IGN AU's opening paragraph to their review.

  IGN: Little King's Story Review

  Oh yeah, and because I felt like it I used a patch to get Crossover Games for free on my Mac, so now I can use Project 64 to play Banjo-Kazooie and Tooie, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Paper Mario, and I got Steam to play The Orange Box. Hey I'm going to freaking Atlanta I need something to keep me entertained. Oh yeah and I got a DSi in exchange for old stuff, playing The World Ends With You on it, fantastic game. Yeah, all that.

  *END VIDEO GAME TALK*

  So like I said, I have just about nothing to talk about. That explains why all I have to talk about is video games, they're easy to talk about (and fun to argue about) and they kill boredom exceptionally well. Basically they've been filling in the void outside volleyball so far this summer. You see, I have had a practice or tournament almost every day of summer so far, so time to get with any friends and do anything has been minimal. I've spent most of the time just watching TV or playing a game, going to practice, coming back, watching TV or playing a game. Sounds boring, but I love it this way, no responsibilities and I can just sit around and be lazy like a fatass and not have to care since I'm working out a ton. In fact the summer won't really change, I'm playing volleyball almost eveery week this whole summer. Camps, beach tournaments, other sorts of training, I'm doing it all.

  Of course this also means I might need a lot of extra music for the time I'm at camps and such, so hit me with every suggestion you have. "The Smiths" wore off quickly because although the music is fantastic, and Morrissey writes good lyrics, his voice is slightly intolerable. Still a good album, but not enough to make me listen to it over and over. With that in mind, I'm open to a lot right now, though I'm craving something moderately heavy. I'm feeling an RATM CD, as that's always good for pumping up, perfect for volleyball. If you can think of anything that'll satisfy this, feel free to blurt it out.

  I'm trying to milk this blog a little more, but I really can't get anything more out of it. Sorry if I disappointed you, but then again I don't really care.

  • Posted Jun 29, 2009 2:27 pm PT
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• 15Jun 09

  Top 10 Most Anticipated Titles of E3 2009

  I'm sure you've noticed that I haven't been blogging much lately, and when I have there's been heavy focus on video games. Everything else is still going on in my life, volleyball, music, all that stuff, but you all know well I'm a Nintendo fanboy and when they have a strong year I get excited. I'll talk about the goings on at the end, but let's get to something big in the game world: E3.

  Well E3 has come and gone again. I think we can all agree that this year was much better for all three of the major companies. The most noticeable improvement for a company was Nintendo's. After their God awful conference last year, they really stepped it up and put on a great show. I'm quite excited about a lot of games they talked about, so I thought I'd make a list of the top ten I'm looking forward to most.

  This list was extremely hard to make. Nintendo announced and talked about so many amazing looking games and I could only fit ten, so let's start with ones that didn't quite make the cut, but I will definitely be getting

  Honorable Mentions: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS), Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Wii) (I found it hard to not include it, but some of the lower games in the top 10 barely clinched it)

  10. Dead Space: Extraction

  

  This is definitely not my kind of game. I'm easily scared, and this game is survival horror in its purest form. But I really can't resist looking into the game. I don't know too much about it, other than you shoot zombies in space in the future, but I know it looks pretty badass.

  YouTube - E3 Dead Space Extraction Video

  9. The Grinder

  

  While this game will probably be fantastic, deserving much better than #10, so little is known about it that I can't get that excited for it. The graphics are amazing, the gameplay looks intense, and it's coming from High Voltage, who is also producing The Conduit, which is shaping up to look damn impressive. Regardless of how much we know there's little doubt it will be great. I'll certainly be looking at this one as it goes through further development. It already looks stunning in the pre-Alpha stage so I'm excited to see the end result.

  E3 09: Debut Trailer

  8. New Super Mario Bros.! Wii

  

  No one ever forgets the good ol' days of the cla$$ic Mario platformers. Hours of challenging (or sometimes simple) fun. When New Super Mario Bros.! came out for Nintendo DS, it was welcomed with huge acclaim. Now Nintendo's brought a new idea to the table, a co-op Super Mario platformer, just like the originals, but with four people working to get to the finish. The game was not given a higher spot on my list because it's essentially a new idea polished up with a new feature. By myself, I'd rather play the game for the DS. When I play a game on the Wii I'm playing for a full scale 3-D game. However when the game comes out I'll definitely get it, have some friends over and just go through the game. Definitely a neat idea, but among some other great looking titles, it can't be put too high up. Make no mistake, most other years this would be a top 3 pick, but this year was just such a great year for Nintendo.

  YouTube - New Super Mario Bros. Wii Trailer

  7. Golden Sun DS

  

  I've heard of the legendary Golden Sun series before, but never had a chance to play it. Now that it's coming to DS, it looks absolutely amazing. I feel like I need to get it. I don't know how my wallet is gonna handle all of this spending, but I'll have to find a way to manage. Anyway, the game looks beautiful, and I could always use a good RPG.

  YouTube - Golden Sun DS trailer

  6. Zelda Wii

  

  Actually, it's the game I'm anticipating the single most. The new Zelda for Wii is the game I look forward to more than anything. But, nothing has been revealed about the game except this concept art, so I thought it would be unfair to pass up other great looking games and put this so high up. The graphics and controls will be a massive improvement over Twilight Princess, since that was a Gamecube game ported to Wii with tacked on controls. Still, it was a great game, and if it improves as much as I expect it to, this will be one for the ages.

  YouTube - News About Next Legend of Zelda for Wii - Part 21

  5. The Conduit

  

  Only not put in the top 3 because it's coming out in just a little over a week, so there's not much to anticipate more, it's pretty much here! However I still wanted to give it a shout out. I don't doubt that it could definitely take over as game of the year. I have extremely high hopes for this game. The campaign mode will undoubtedly be fun. I mean FPS campaigns are always at least pretty fun. But even if it isn't as amazing as I expect it to be, the multiplayer will without a shadow of a doubt be the best online experience available for the Wii. One could argue that you could simply go play Halo or something on Xbox 360 or PS3, but the biggest reason I have to play this game is the controls. Being fully customizable, I can fix everything the way I want, make it the way I think game should be controlled. Expect me to be up late when this one comes out next week. Some people may complain that it's just a generic FPS, but that's just what the Wii needs. It doesn't have enough generic FPSs. If that's the only complaint people can find, it will be the best game in a while.

  YouTube - The Conduit Multiplayer-Trailer

  And now a four-way-yes, four-way, I can't choose one-tie for my most anticipated game of E3 2009.

  1. Super Mario Galaxy 2

  

  The first Super Mario Galaxy has become the most critically acclaimed exclusive of the generation, holding a 97/100 average on Metacritic. Needless to say, it's an absolute masterpiece. Absolute perfection. It takes what made Super MArio 64 and Super MArio Sunshine so great and builds on it. With the best power-ups we've ever seen in a Mario game, beautiful awe-inspiring graphics, unforgettable gameplay, and most of all it's unique level designs, hopping from planet to planet with its own gravity, it has earned its place in gaming history. Being a sequel to such a fantastic game, it will no doubt build upon previous strengths, and fix the tiny flaws. The addition of Yoshi looks to bring a new dimension to the game. Only being a direct sequel, and therefore something I've seen before, holds this off from the #1 spot.

  YouTube - Super Mario Galaxy 2 E3 2009 Trailer [HQ] (Rate This Game)

  1. Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

  

  As you probably know, I am of the humble opinion that The Legend of Zelda is the best thing to ever happen to video games. My two favorite games are both Zelda titles (Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, which I tried to blog about a while ago but it wouldn't work). I was a huge fan of Phantom Hourglass when it came out, and I even spent some time with it today. Spirit Tracks is what I've been waiting for for so long, a new Zelda title. I don't even need further explanation. It's a Zelda game, and will therefore be amazing.

  YouTube - Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks - E3 2009 Trailer

  1. Metroid: Other M

  

  As a huge fan of the Metroid series, and one who once claimed Metroid Prime 3 to be my favorite game of all time (though since I have lowered it down a bit, I was extremely excited to see a new Metroid title. From the get go, I was expecting something similar to the Prime games, a first person adventure (no it's not an FPS, don't argue, it isn't) through space, battling evil using high-tech weapons. I was caught completely off-guard by what I saw. The game runs in both third-person and first-person, switching between an adventure with FPS like action and intense third-person melee and shooting action, that looks more like a choreographed movie scene than a video game. I'm anticipating this game more than almost any other. Yet another game is proving that the Wii has far more powerful graphics than it is given credit for. But what could the other #1 possibly be?

  YouTube - E3 09: Metroid: Other M Trailer

  1. Scribblenauts

  

  Bet ya didn't see a DS game coming in at #1 for me or Gamespot didja? I don't blame you, there's typically a shortage of great games for handheld consoles. But I haven't seen a concept quite as original and unique as this one in..... well quite possibly my whole life. This was enough to sway both me and Gamespot to put it as best game of the whole show. This time last year, if someone had told you that they were making a video game where you could type in literally any (or 10,000+ if we gotta get specific here) noun and it would appear right in the game so you could use it to solve a puzzle, you likely would have thought "No way in hell is that going to work." How could you program THAT much into one handheld game, even a console game couldn't do that. But they're working their asses off, putting more effort into the programming of this game than possibly any developer has before. In fact, I'm so excited for this game, I traded in my old DS, 6 old Wii games, and 4 old DS games to get a DSi to make sure I could do everything. The DS looks to have a huge next two years, as big as the Wii. Now excuse me, I must start taking bets for who will win in my epic battle of God vs. a metal Pterodactly vs. King Kong (which I happen to be watching now, great movie) vs. a dog vs. a Kraken vs. a pirate vs. Abraham Lincoln/ Yes, you can make that happen in this game. I'm betting on God to win.

  YouTube - Scribblenauts Trailer

  Also a quick shout out to a game coming out on the same day as The Conduit that I'm also getting, that wasn't mentioned at E3.

  Little King's Story

  

  Looks brilliant. It's Pikmin meets Animal Crossing meets Minions.

  Just to show I pay attention to other platforms, I'll mention the the two games form the other two major platforms I want to play most.

  Xbox 360

  Mass Effect 2

  

  I'm begging one of my friends to get this so I can play it. We've settled that he'll rent it and if it sucks I'll pay for it. Oh yeah, and I have to bring food and drinks to his house to play it.

  PS3

  MAG

  

  256 player online? Yes sir, sign me up. I don't know anyone with a PS3 (mainly because it usually sucks, with a few exceptions), but I'll do my best to try and play this.

  Next blog I'll discuss other topics, this took a hell of a long time to make. I promise not to even mention video games in the next blog.

  • Posted Jun 15, 2009 3:14 pm PT
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• 30May 09

  Eargasm, Eyegasm, Everythingasm?

  Everyone who gets the opportuinity to, see Animal Collective live. The music is perfection when played live, but not just that, they have a iight show like no fukcing other. Even if you hate them, just plug your ears and watch the light show and all the energy, it's worth the admission fee. If it's any consolation for you Elmis, the opener sucked so I got tortured a little.

  Bad picture, but still gives a pretty good idea of it:

  

  Not a great venue in that picture, it all looked much better at The Wiltern, but the giant ball of trippiness is present everywhere, and the flashing synthesizers are going to cause a seizure one of these days.

  

  Judging by other pics, it looks like all the flashing synthesizers (they had sheets over them with flashing lights undernath making them appear in every color of the rainbow, quickly switching on time with the beat.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bV92BJhipk

  There we go, there are quite a few videos from last night. Not very good audio on any of them, butit's decent and it gives you a good idea of the light show.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9nwK0qLtg0

  That's all for now. Here's to hoping all other AC fans (especially longer term fans than me) get a chance to see their awesome live act.

  • Posted May 30, 2009 12:44 pm PT
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