Yahoo! It's great to be back! *sigh* So, did you guys miss me?

As you probably know, I was down in Texas for the last week (give or take). Of course, that happened to be the week of E3 08. I'm somewhat bummed that I missed it (and the frickin' sweet emblems), but then again, E3 seems to be kinda underwhelming this year. Of course, it'll never be as bad as Sony's E3 06 presentation ("Attack the weak spot for massive damage!"; "Real-time.....weapon change."; "It's Ridge Racer! Riiiiiidge Racer!"; Giant Enemy Crabs; "The PS3 will sell for $599 U.S. dollars."; the list goes on...), it was kind of tame. Whatever. There's always next year.

To be honest, the trip was a mixed experience. I enjoyed staying in Texas and experiencing the culture, but I don't enjoy family outings that much. Or at least not anymore. A lot of you should be familiar with the various family problems I have; heck, almost every blog from the past year had something to do with my family. Perhaps it's my teenager-instincts telling me to "rage against the machine" and "rebel against the man", but I really can't endure an one-week trip with my family with no chance of escape. My personality flaws are too great to cope with that. But enough about me.

Anyway, my family and I stayed in a nice looking hotel in San Antonio (funny story: there was a PC in the lobby, but I couldn't use it due to our schedule and the risk of my family catching on to my activity here at GS; if they did, it'd be like YouTube all over again, and we know how that turned out...). The hotel was located near the Riverwalk, which is this couple mile-long scenic location complete with dozens of shops and restaurants. It even has a mall!

We also traveled to Austin, San Marcos, Gruene (pronounced "green"), New Braunfels, and Fredericksburg. To my friends here at GS who live/lived in Texas, I'd love to visit you guys in person, but y'know.... It also comes to my attention that FUNimation Studios is housed in Texas. Sadly, it's in Flower Mound, Texas, and we were nowhere near it. Darn. (Another funny story: the first day in San Antonio, while on the Riverwalk, I could have sworn that I saw Kyle Hebert in a chocolate shop. What if it was him?)

It was blazing hot there (the temperature was in triple digits a few times). I don't know how some of you guys in Texas deal with it, but I almost died a few times. I know it.

I joked many time about being the Spanish-authority during the trip (I kinda am, since I'm the only one who took Spanish courses in school), but of course, I'm not fluent in the language and Texas, being near Mexico, was full of many Latinos who spoke faster than I could comprehend. So much for that, eh?

The cuisine was great. Whether it was Mexican dishes (complete with serenades from a Mariachi band), barbeque, or something else, I definitely ate my fill (usually, I don't eat much). Of course, my mom and brother eat a lot more than me and my dad (BTW, my dad celebrated his b-day on the 13th...just sayin').

Late in the week, we traveled to Schlitterbahn, voted the nation's #1 water park by the Travel Channel. In my case, once you've seen one (for example, Water Country USA in Virginia), you've seen 'em all, but I had a ton of fun there. (Funny story: there was this one ride called "Wolf Pack"; we were in line for about 2 hours for a 1-minute, multi-passenger ride. Pathetic.)

Apparently at night in Austin, bats come out from under this bridge. We had the chance to see it. According to other sources, the number of bats in upwards the 1.5 million mark. Wow.... It was a sight to behold.

On Friday, we went to Tanger's Local Outlet in San Marcos. According to the women of The View (I don't trust 'em), it's the nation's third best shopping outlet. I'll give it this: it's a shopaholic's dream. I bought this awesome jacket, that when you put it together with this shirt I bought earlier in the year, makes me resemble the King of Fighters '99-02 version of Kyo Kusanagi. Well...kinda...

The trip ended with an annual festival called Fiesta Noche del Rio (essentially, Nighttime River Party). It was filled with a mix of Latino, Spanish, Mexican, and Texan music and dance. It was also extremely hilarious. Pretty cool.

I definitely wouldn't mind going back to Texas. Maybe when I finish school...and have a job....and maybe a girlfriend...

If I get the chance, I'll upload some pictures from my vacation.

So then, I'm back home. And I'm somewhat winded. I'm probably going to rest for a bit. Well, anything happen (other than E3) while I was away?

See ya on the flipside!

Well, I'm not off yet. Sometime tomorrow morning, I'll be leaving with my family to go to Texas. I'll be gone for an entire week, so unless I'm able to bring this laptop with me, don't expect to see me for awhile.

To be honest, I'm apathetic. Sure, it's Texas, but then again, it's Texas. Yes, that last statement didn't make a whole lot of sense, but I don't care.

I just hope that I don't die from boredom down there. I really don't like spending time with my family. And I don't see much that'll spark my interest in Texas... Now that I think about it, FUNimation Studios is in Texas, but I doubt that we'll be even remotely near it.

And what's worse, is that I'll be missing out on E3! *swears*! The one time I was actually prepared for it! *swears again*! I'm probably going to miss out on both awesome gaming news and some sweet emblems! Sure, I can always see the coverage afterwards, but it's not the same...

Anyway, in the meantime, here are some new reviews (check the previous blog for my Super Smash Bros. series reviews):
F-Zero (Wii)
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (Wii)

Should I get the chance to get back on today, you might see 1 or 2 more reviews.

Ok then, see you guys in a week!

*phew* You guys can't even fathom how much time I put into that review. By far, my Brawl review is the longest one I've ever written. Ever. It's kinda funny; my reviews were never this in-depth until a couple of months ago. Well, I guess that a lot of things can change in the course of 1+ years.

Anyway, here's the links:
Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Brawl

If you only have time to read one, then read the Brawl one (and give me some feedback ), but if you can, read two or even all three of 'em.

Next next up will be....Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Strikers Charged, Super Paper Mario, and the five games I downloaded off of the Wii's Virtual Console (The King of Fighters '94, F-Zero, Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels. Ninja Gaiden, and Kid Icarus). After that, it's onto the plethora of Mega Man games (21-22 games, if I'm correct). From there, things will just...well...continue on, I guess (See here if you don't know what I'm talking about).

The new series of blogs that'll start up (or restart, in this case), is my Mega Man-themed fanfiction. I've decided to change the name from arMEGAddon (it's a pretty bad pun, right?) to Mega Man: Zero Hour. Of course, if you had a vague idea of where I was going with it before, the title definitely spoils it. Whatever. Expect a blog with background info (it'll go by the name of something along the lines of "Mega Man Mania" probably) to drop in a few weeks, followed by the first few chapters.

Sometime before I go back to school (bleh ) in late August, I'll post a summer movie blog, giving reviews of the movies I went to go see this summer. Also, expect a blog about Otakon (I'm still ticked that I can't go; **** family outing! ) sometime in early/mid August.

Hmm...well...that's pretty much it. Enjoy the reviews!

...And it was done with a very heavy heart.

Like I said before, I really wish that it didn't come to this. There just wasn't any other way.

The number: 105 55

Check here to see if you made the cut or not.

If it's any consolation to those who didn't, a good number of those cut were either banned, left the site (but kept their profiles up), started new accounts, or haven't been heard from in ages. I might add back some people in the future, but this is how my list will stand for the time being.

I'm sorry guys. To those who I'll be parting ways with (for the time being), it was fun. No really. I mean it. And who knows? Maybe our paths will cross again sometime....Adieu! And wherever life takes you, I wish you good luck!

To those who did make it...well...I don't know what to say. This is more of a heartfelt sending off. Heck, things will probably be back to normal soon enough. *shrugs*

Regardless of whether you made it or not, well...take care of yourselves and live your lives to the fullest! Ciao.

To be honest....I don't want to do this. I love the GS community, and I've enjoyed (for the most part) the times I've spent with you guys. But alas, fate has other plans.

As of June 5th, 2008, I have 105 people on my friends list and 2 (don't believe what it actually says on my profile) additional people tracking me. Even though it's summer, I find it nigh-impossible to keep up with that high a number of people. When my junior year of high school begins in late August, my leisure time will go straight down the drain.

No, I'm not doing this because I'm a jerk. I'm not doing this because people haven't been commenting in my blogs. I'm doing it because...well I really can't afford to try to stay in touch with that many people. It's just too taxing.

I don't know how many people I'll keep, but I'm expecting (at the very least) a cut somewhere between 20-30 people. There are some tough choices to make and I'm very sorry if anyone is offended by this. There's just no other option.

So then, just giving you guys a heads up. It's the least I can do....

Regardless of the outcome, I wish the best of luck to all of you. Perhaps our paths will cross again someday..... Who knows?

EDIT: I won't actually do the cleanout until Monday. I do need some time to think, y'know?

Before I start, one sentence. I hate driving with my mom. >_>

That is all.

Well, it's the moment you've all been waiting for. I'll try to make this quick, but "try" is a word that doesn't always find itself in my vocabulary.

Better luck next time, Falco! (Honorable Mentions)
Well excuuuuuse me, Princess! (#5)
Victory...is my destiny... (#4)
Show me ya MOOSE! (#3)
Politics make strange bedfellows... (#2)

1. Ike
Preferred Costume: Crimea's Golden Fury

For the love of Ashera, even you weren't here for my Brawl 'Til Ya Fall, Baby! series of blog a few months ago, you still should have known that this guy was going to be my #1. For one, the words at the top of my blog say "Aether: My Anti-Drug." Who else in the world (not counting a select few) would I be talking about? Plus, my banner has five, count 'em, five pictures of Ike as well as his (loltastic) victory phrase "I fight for my friends." I even have a silly animated gif of Ike in my blog! C'mon people; it's not rocket science.

Anyway, if you've played SSBB online, chances are that every 2 out of 5 matches has at least one Ike in it. People complain about how Ike is "too cheap". To be honest, he isn't.

In Brawl, Ike is slow and powerful. In Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn, he's fast and powerful. In Brawl, Aether is a simple, multi-hit attack. In both Fire Emblem games that Ike appeared in, Aether was a two-hit critical attack. The first hit restores Ike's HP by the amount of damage inflicted. The second hit then strikes the opponent with their defense halved. In Brawl, Ragnell (Ike's sword) is limited only to fire-based attacks and slashes. In Path of Radiance, Ragnell could launch shockwaves at long range. See this video of PoR Ike vs the Black Knight to see what I'm talking about with the whole Ragnell & Aether thing. C'mon! Ike is probably the only Lord-type character in a Fire Emblem game who can single an entire map (that includes the final levels as well as the trial maps).

Long story short: PoR Ike = Broken. Brawl Ike = Powerful.

BTW, Ike also isn't gay Just because he has a close friendship with a halfbreed who's been persecuted for most of his life doesn't mean that he's a homo. Jeez, get with the times people.

Last thing: Did you that Ike's crowd cheer ("We like Ike!") is the same as former President Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower's campaign slogan? Didn't think so.

Ok...I really got off-topic, didn't I? Anyway, Ike's here to stay, and he definitely making waves in the Brawl universe.

Pros:
* Insanely powerful
* Most attacks have good knockback and can KO at low percentages (i.e. Foward Smash can KO as low as 30-40%)
* Swords attacks have very long range
* Fairly heavy (SmashWiki ranks Ike as 11th in terms of weight)
* Decent running speed for one of Ike's weight c-l-a-s-s
* Neutral A combo and Quick Draw (Side B) are fast attacks and can kill at fairly high percentages
* Quick Draw is highly versatile, allowing for many combo opportunities (provided that it misses the target; in this case "missing" means that Ike doesn't swing his sword at all during the execution), and can be charged indefinitely
* Quick Draw is a great vertical recovery
* Aether (Up B) allows Ike to edge-hog, as it can hit opponents on/near the edge and open up spots for Ike to recover
* Aether works as an impromptu projectile that can pass through ledges/platforms, interrupt opponents in the air, and negate some projectiles
* Eruption (Neutral B) can OHKO (one-hit KO) in some instances
* Eruption has horizointal range (both sides of Ike) as well as vertical range
* A fully-charged Eruption can shield-break, provided that it's not a perfect shield
* Aether (when the sword is out of Ike's hand) and Eruption (when Ike plunges the sword into the ground/air) give Ike frames of knockback resistance (read "super armor")
* Counter (Down B) is stronger than Marth's version and be used to avoid some Final Smashes
Note: Just in case I forgot to say this, both Marth and Ike's Counters, as well as Lucario's Double Team (Down B), can negate a few Final Smashes.
* Factoring in the frames of super armor from Aether and Eruption, Ike's ability to Counter, and his weight, Ike has some of the best defensive strategies in the game
* Also possesses one of the best offensive strategies, due to Foward Smash and other high-knockback moves
* Great edge-guarding game
* Possess four meteor smashes (excluding the footstool jump), the highest amount in the game: Aether (the downward hit; best used as a suicidal KO only if the opponent has no chance of recovery), Eruption (opponent must be below Ike and hit by the tip of the blade; tricky to pull off), Down Tilt (somewhat slow); and Down Aerial (the entire blade can meteor smash)
* Can KO other heavyweights easier than others
* Throws combo easily into Aether and other aerials
* Can easily escape from juggles due to Eruption and meteor smashes
* Down Smash is one of Ike's faster moves and hits on both sides
* Neutral Air has a roughly 270 degree attack range and is quick (at the expense of some of the range) if auto-cancelled
* Up Tilt is long ranged and quick
* Back Aerial is fast and has good knockback
* Final Smash can attack three opponents at once

Cons:
* Most attacks have significant startup and/or ending lag
* Aether is short ranged vertically and ends quickly
* Aether can't sweet spot ledges
* Fairly large target
* No true projectiles
* Weak throws
* Quick Draw puts Ike into a helpless state if used midair
* Counter is slow (can't be used immediately like Marth's) and become predictable if overused
* Both recoveries are somewhat predictable, as they only travel in one general direction
* Low jumping ability
* Bad recovery ability if underneath the stage
* Final Smash has a short activation range and is dodgeable
* Final Smash has bad knockback in comparison to others, despite the amount of damage it inflicts (between 60-70%)
* Opponents can steal KOs from Ike if they hit the opponent mere centiseconds (yes, you read that correctly) before Ike hits the ground

Final Word: Yes, Ike is my favorite and most often used character. But this isn't hero worship. Ike has his flaws, just like everyone else. Speed is definitely an issue. Use Ike's range to offset his speed. Ike's Neutral A combo, Side B, and Foward Smash should not be overlooked. The first can rack up damage quite fast. The second can combo into several different attacks, as well perform a tactic known as the "Ike Charge Tackle". If Ike is about level to the platform when he executes Quick Draw, Ike will slide across the terrain instead of grabbing the ledge, allowing him the attack while sliding. The third is your killer KO machine. Use it well, and you'll be KOing opponents well beofre they reach 50%. Ike's Counter isn't as reliable as Marth's, so use his frames of super armor to compensate. Use Counter only when you know that you'll have enough time to properly perform it. Since your opponents know that Ike is deadly when it comes to raw power, they'll see your attacks coming from a mile away. Vary up your attacks to confuse 'em. All in all, playing with Ike isn't that much different from playing as any other swordsman in Brawl; you'll just have to use a slightly different approach.

That concludes my Top 5 list. What did you guys think?

EDIT: On Friday and Sunday, I'll be away visting some relatives of mine. I'll try to get a blog and my Brawl review in by then. Just in case....Happy 4th of July!