I had a jar of spare change that had been sitting on my desk for quite a whi le, and I decided to take it to one of those machines that gives you a cash voucher or store credit for all your change. However, I found out I could get Amazon credit, and I ended up with $65 of Amazon credit! Never understimate the power of spare change! So, you know what I did? I ordered Final Fantasy VII. That's right. After all this time of wanting it, I finally ordered it.

I've heard great things about this game, and it's basically the one Final Fantasy game that supposedly everyone has to try at one point or another. But I finally ordered it, so I'll see for myself just how good it is. Also, I started playing Final Fantasy X, and it's pretty cool so far. I also own Final Fantasy VI, but I have a hard time with some of the older RPGs that require absurd amounts of grinding. Also, I don't like random encounters that much. I know that FFVII and FFX have them, but I haven't had a lot of problems with FFX's random encounters yet. In FFVI, though, the random encounter rate is a bit too high for my taste. But I'll give it another shot. 

Also, I bought How I Met Your Mother season two. I already have the first and third seasons, and I have to say, this show is hilarious. The current season has been a little lackluster, though. It's time to meet the dang mother already!

Anyway, that's all I had to say. If you have some spare change, count it up and exchange it for bills. You'll be surprised at how much money you really have!

I've wanted to do this list for ages, so here you go. Enjoy.

10. Pokemon Sapphire

This was the first Pokemon game I ever played, and it holds a special place in my heart. A lot of Pokemon fans have lukewarm feelings about this game, but I love this game mostly because of all the memories I have with it. My friends and I used to always battle and trade Pokemon with each other, and we were all addicted to this game for quite a while. In fact, I clocked in over 200 hours on this game, which I'm not very proud of.

9. Paper Mario

This is another game that holds a special place in my heart. I was first exposed to this game when my brother rented it, and I was amazed by its visuals and various quirks. After my brother took it back, I begged my mom to buy it. (What Im about to share with you is pretty embarrassing, but I already have no dignity.) Now, as a child, I had bed-wetting problems, so my mom made a deal with me: If I could go seven days without wetting the bed, she would buy me the game. Six days had gone by, but I screwed up on the last day. Then, I went another week without having problems, and my mom bought me the game.

To this day, I still play this game, and I've beaten it at least four times. I love its timed battle system, the partners concept, its soundtrack...everything! My friend is currently trying to collect every Nintendo 64 game, and he keeps asking me if he can buy it from me or trade some games, but no game in the world could make me want to give up my cartridge of Paper Mario--not even EarthBound! If you've never played this game, go buy it from the Virtual Console--now!

8. Tales of Symphonia

Roughly a year ago, I was stuck working at a sucky fast food restaurant, and I hated every minute of it. The pay was crap, and payday was usually pretty disappointing. However, I once got a surprisingly decent paycheck, and I remember my mom had once said to me, "You work hard for your money. It's okay to spoil yourself every once in a while." And so, I did. I ordered this game from Amazon, and while it wasn't exactly cheap, it was totally worth it.

This game has just about everything that a JRPG lover could desire: a rich story, great characters, sappy moments, and so on. Just about every Tales game is pretty much the same, but you play them to experience the story and characters, and on that level, this game delivered. The compelling storyline kept me playing for hours at time, and I grew to like all the characters--even Colette. If you've played a Tales game before but have never gotten around to trying this, then you're missing out. It's a little pricey, but it's well worth the price of admission.

7. Super Mario Galaxy 2

I'm not sure why, but I hated the Super Mario Galaxy games at first. Something about them just didnt click with me. I originally bought the first one, didn't like it, and then took it back to GameStop. Then, I saw the trailers for the second one, and I thought, Hey, that actually looks pretty good! So, I bought it and, once again, didnt like it. Since I bought it new, however, I couldn't take it back, so I was stuck with it. However, after a while, something finally clicked with me. I grew very fond of this game. I appreciated its diversity and quirks, and at that point, the game became a lot of fun. To this day, it's still the only 3D Mario platformer that I've beaten all the way through. I earned all 242 stars, and for me, that made me feel pretty dang satisfied with the game. If you havent played this and you like platformers, then youre missing out.

6. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

This is, by far, my favorite Sonic game. And yes, I like it more than Sonic 3 and Knuckles. This game is simply timeless, and if ever I need to get my Sonic fix, I'll just play through this. It has the best level designs out of any Sonic game to date, and its sense of speed is unmatched. You just can't beat the originals. Plus, I have tons of memories of playing this game with my friend. During sleepovers and late night visits, playing this is all wed do. If you want to check this game out, just grab one of the many Sonic compilations.

5. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

This is hands-down my favorite Zelda game. Bite me. It was the first Zelda game that I actually played, and it was fantastic. I actually loved the concept of sailing from island to island, and this game had a rich sense of adventure. Perhaps this is one of the easier Zelda games, but seeing how I suck at Zelda games, I didn't mind that. If you're a Zelda fan and have yet to try this, Id suggest waiting for the Wii U HD remake, seeing how the GameCube version is a bit pricey these days.

4. Super Smash Bros. Melee

I freaking love this game! Sure, Brawl is really good, too, but I prefer Melee because of how many memories I have with it. Also, I feel like the battling mechanics are a bit faster in this game. The stage designs were phenomenal, and the expanded roster improved the overall experience. And the soundtrack was soooo good. I seriously have tons of memories with this game. My friends and I spent hours battling each other, and it never got old. If you're wondering who my top fighters are, here you go: Falco, Zelda, Luigi, and Kirby.

3. Tales of Vesperia

This was my first exposure to the Tales series, and it made quite an impression on me. It had an intriguing storyline, a strong cast of characters, and a fun, hectic (in a good way) battle system. This game was one of the main reasons I wanted to get an Xbox 360, and this game is so good that it's worth getting a 360 just to play it. It's easy to immerse yourself in Tales of Vesperia, and you can play it for hours at a time. It's one of those games that you miss terribly when you finally beat it. This should be required gaming for all JRPG fans!

2. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

I already had high expectations for this game because of the original, but this game exceeded my already high expectation. The battle system had been improved, the script had a wittier edge, and the storyline was darker and more complex. This has the best storyline out of any Mario game to date. This game also has an amazing sense of adventure that's comparable to Zelda, and the way its story comes together is nothing short of brilliant. I've beaten this game about four times, and through each playthrough, I love it just as much as I did the first time I played it. Its that good. Also, this game is a prime example of a good sequel. It improved upon everything from the original, and it was a bigger, better experience. If you haven't played this game, do yourself a favor and order it from the Internet. It's a bit pricier now, but it's worth it.

1. Persona 4

For those of you who know me well, this should come as no surprise. If you look up addictive in the dictionary, you'll see this game. It sucks you in with its compelling storyline and characters, and it keeps you playing with its superb battle system and sim aspects. If you plan on playing this game, prepare to kiss your social life goodbye. Also prepare to have your life changed! This game is very thought provoking, and it really makes you think about who you are and what you want out of your life. Its storyline is easily one of the best you'll find in any video game, with tons of plot twists and surprises. I could talk about this game for hours, but this post is already really long, so I should probably cut it off here. Bottom line: If you haven't played this game yet, play it now, whether it's the PS2 version or the PS Vita version, just play it!

Well, that's my list. I've been wanting to do it for a long time, so I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Edit: Bah! I originally typed this in Microsoft Word and pasted it here, but it left out all the apostrophes, dashes and ellipses! I went through and fixed all the punctuation errors I could find, but that's still irritating.

Holy crap! I forgot just how fun Pokemon was until I recently restarted my HeartGold file! I restarted it about five days ago, and I've already gotten seven badges! It's so addicting that I can't stop playing it! I started with Totodile this time, and it's made the game much easier! I previously started with Chikorita, and that sucked! I'm thinking of getting Pokemon Black soon. I'm on a Pokemon craze! 

I'm leaving on a school trip in a week or so. It'll be during spring break, and we'll be gone for five days. We'll get to stay in a hotel and everything! I'm pretty dang excited! Unfortunately, we'll be leaving on a bus at ten o clock at night. How will I sleep?! I already can't sleep in cars! How am I supposed to sleep on a bus?! Ah, well. I guess I'll figure it out.

That is all.

Guess what, guys! My first video review is up! It's a review of Persona 3 FES. Please watch it and give me feedback! Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OT9eM6sFvc

By the way, I got my Xbox 360 working! It turned out it wasn't the Red Ring of Death, but a disc tray problem. I fixed it though. (See last blog for more details.)

So, guess what, guys? On my way to piano lessons today, my step dad was throwing something away, but then realized that there was a huge bag of garbage in the garbage can. He looked inside and saw an Xbox 360. I turned out it was my brother's. For the past month, he has been planning to move out, so he's been throwing out a lot of stuff. Years ago, he bought an Xbox 360 that got the dreaded Red Ring of Death. 

Anyway, so there it was, in the garbage. I salvaged it and took it up to my room before I left to piano lessons. now, I'm going to take it somewhere and get it fixed! I found a place that's fairly close, so I'm hopefully going to get it fixed sometimes this week or next week! Now, keep in mind that my family already has an Xbox 360, but its' a newer model, so it doesn't have this sort of problem. The Xbox 360 in the garbage, however, was an older model. What I'm hoping to do is have an Xbox 360 that I can take with me to college. I recently bought Eternal Sonata, and I haven't even gotten a chance to play it yet, mostly because I don't want to play it on the family console. Getting the Xbox 360 fixed should only cost me around $30! I can't wait to get it fixed!

By the way, I found out how to get better video quality and audio on my video game footage, so you can expect me to start doing video game reviews on YouTube very soon!

That's all for now.

Hey, guys! I just got off work, and I'm looking forward to having the whole weekend off! I didn't ask for it off, but my manager didn't schedule for me to come in at all this weekend. I'm now lounging and contemplating what to do with all my free time. I think I'll probably just play Tales of Legendia, Persona 3 Portable and read some comic books. 

I saw Warm Bodies last Saturday with my brother and my parents. It was surprisingly good! I thought the concept was gross, but it was executed amazingly. It was sweet in a sick sort of way. If you're still deciding whether or not to see it, just go. It's a pretty good movie. Plus, it's a great date movie. So, to all you horny lovers out there who don't want to see Safe Haven, go see Warm Bodies.

The PS4 was just announced. Cool, I guess. I'm not really all that excited about eighth generation consoles because I prefer sixth generation games, and I still haven't even bothered to play much of the seventh generation! My 3DS has been collecting a bit of dust because I got bored of Paper Mario: Sticker Star. I've heard the new Fire Emblem game is pretty good, but I'm not the biggest fan of strategy RPGs. I mean, I haven't touched Devil Survivor: Overclocked in months! It's about time I get back to that game...

Anyway, that's all I have for now. I hope you all have a good weekend!

I got my work schedule today, and I just found out that I have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off! I get the whole weekend to myself! That sounds amazing! I'll probably play Tales of Legendia, watch some Scrubs, and maybe, just maybe, I'll do something with friends, but that's just crazy talk. I'm an introvert, so I greatly value my alone time.

By the way, I just published my new story on the Internet. It's a reboot of a story I wrote before but wasn't entirely satisfied with its direction. Here's the link to my stories:

http://www.fictionpress.com/u/696203/

For those of you who are wondering what my story is about, it's about a boy in Japan who moves in with his aunt to get a fresh start, but he learns that it's not always greener on the other side. It's a slice of life story that mixes in drama, humor, and romance.

Anyway, I hope you all have a good week.

Lately, I've mostly been working. I go to school, then to work, then to bed. Usually, I'll read some comic books before I go to bed, but that's about all I get in terms of entertainment. Well, that and a few episodes of Scrubs before I go to work. In addition to that, I've been going to gym whenever I can find time. I've been going about three to four times a week. There's not a specific reason for me trying to get into shape other than to boost my confidence, I guess. Plus, working out feels good.

For those of you who are wondering about my web shows, I'm working on writing scripts for them so that way they won't sound so scattered. I'm also trying to figure out how I'm going to do said shows in terms of editing and such. 

That's all for now. I might play Tales of Legendia when I get home from work tonight. That sounds nice.

I decided that I'm going to do two separate web shows: The Infinity Web, which is about superheroes, and The Infinity Gamer, which is about video games. The first episode of The Infinity Gamer is up now! Watch it! You'll also get to see what I look like!

Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDd6s7NFoiI

Enjoy!

I decided that I'm going to do two separate web shows: The Infinity Web, which is about superheroes, and The Infinity Gamer, which is about video games. The first episode of The Infinity Gamer is up now! Watch it!

Hey, guys! I have some exciting news! I'm starting my own web show! It's called "The Infinity Web." How did I come up with that? Well, I took two things that I like: The Infinity Gauntlet (a Marvel crossover story) and Spider-Man. That's how I came up with the name! But what's the web show about? I'll tell you!

The Infinity Web will be about video games and comic books. I will post episodes weekly. The episodes will consist of "top 10" lists, editorials, rants, discussions, and so on and so forth. I haven't posted any episodes yet, but I'm hoping to get it up today before I go to work. I'll post a link to my channel here on my blog once I post the first episode.

By the way, in my new web show, you'll eventually get to see my face! But for the first few episodes, you'll only get to hear my voice.

Anyway, I hope you guys watch my show when it comes out!

I just ordered a TV-capturing device, so I might start doing video game reviews on YouTube! To me, those are more fun and more interactive. I've always wanted to make video game reviews that are like that. Hopefully, I'll figure out how to properly work the device and make some decent reviews. Plus, if I do some reviews, you guys might finally get to see what I look like. But that's not for sure. Anyway, that is all!

I can't believe tomorrow is New Year's Eve. This year seemed to go by so quickly yet slowly at the same time. The first half of the year was just a big, stressful blur. The second half was okay, but it had some awkward moments. Let's look at what I did this year...

• I got a job.
• I got my first kiss. (It's a funny, yet horribly awkward story that I'll tell later if you guys want me to!)
• I enrolled in tech school, which will help me get a job during college so I won't be poor!
• I got into comics, and that officially makes me a full-blown nerd.
• I got away from my group of crappy friends. I lost some good ones in the whole ordeal, but I'm glad I'm out of that horrible group of "friends."
• I turned 18.
• I went to my first midnight showing. (It was The Avengers.)

I just realized that it's been a long time since I last blogged here. That's due to the fact that I'm working so much. I like my job much more than my last job, though. My last job was horrible!

For the past few months, my daily schedule has consisted of waking up, going to school, going to work, doing homework, and then going to bed. If I have some free time, I'll usually play Persona 3 Portable or read some comics before I go to bed. I'm getting ever so close to finishing Persona 3 Portable. It's definitely better than Persona 3 FES, but I just don't play the game a whole lot! In addition to P3P, I've also been playing Tales of Legendia. So far, it's decent, but I hate the random encounters. It seems like the game's story has a lot of potential, but I'm still in the first half of the game. I hear it gets better in the second half. I'm enjoying it, but the story is getting a bit draggy, like most Tales games are in their first halves.

Anyway, that's all I really have to write about. Happy New Year!

First and foremost, let me get this out of the way: I am NOT a Call of Duty fan. I strongly dislike first-person shooters. The only ones that I like are GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark. With that out of the way, I'll start ranting.

Many Call of Duty fans are butt-hurt over the fact that Call of Duty: Black Ops II received an 8.0. So what? Need I remind everyone constantly that a review is just one person's opinion? I know that's a hard concept for a lot of 12-year-old fanboys who cuss people out on Xbox Live, but it's true.

If you enjoyed the game, good for you. But don't go around calling people homophobic slurs just because they didn't like the game as much as you did. Contrary to popular belief, that doesn't make you look any smarter or more mature.

The point I'm trying to make is that you shouldn't get butt-hurt over a score. As a Nintendo fan, I deal with games getting lower scores all the time. Do I really care, though? No. Why? Opinions aren't facts.

Yep, I'm doing a list of my top 30 favorite games of all time. I'm excited for this list, and I hope you are, too! Of course, those of you who know me well will know what number on is, but this should still be a fun list! I'm not going to be obnoxious about this list, though. I'm not going to do only one to five games per blog entry. I'm going to do ten at a time. I don't want to drag this out too much.

Anyway, you can expect this list soon. That is all.

First of all, happy Halloween! I'm typing this from the library because I'm killing time until my next class. But anyway, this is my third year on GameSpot. I can't believe this is my third year on GameSpot. I took a break from GameSpot for a while during the summer, and when I came back, all I saw were a bunch of "I'm leaving GameSpot" blogs. It's pretty depressing. This Web site now feels like a ruined town with few surviving people. I don't like it. This place will never be as fun as it used to be. A lot of my good friends have left, and only a committed few are still here. This is really depressing.

On a somewhat happier note, I ordered Tales of Legendia form the Internet yesterday. I'm really excited to get it. It's a game that I've been wanting for a long time. Now, I just have to wait for it to come.

Lately, I've been playing Persona 3 Portable, which I got for my birthday last year. It's better than FES, but at the same time, it feels like a somewhat different experience just because you don't directly interact with the world. I've also been playing Marvel Ultimatel Alliance on the PSP, and it's okay. I mostly just like getting to play as different superheroes. Other than that, the game itself is fairly mediocre because it's your typical beat 'em up.

This is all I really have to blog about. I do plan to make some more interesting blogs, such as "top 10" lists, vs. stuff, and so on. But yeah, this is my third year on GameSpot. I don't think it'll be my last, but this site is dying more and more each day...

Hey, everyone! Lately, I've been working a lot. I usually work five days a week for four or five hours each shift. It's actually not too bad. This job that I have now is much, much, MUCH better than my last job. My new job actually isn't that bad. Because I have income now, I've been able to buy stuff. I bought Batman: Arkham Asylum a while ago, but I was actually really disappointed by it. I regret that purchase. I still have some games that I want to play soon.

Tales of Legendia

Ever since I finished Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, I've wanted to play Tales of Legendia. I would get Tales of Graces: f, but I don't have a PS3, so it will be a while before I get that. But for now, I'm goign to look into getting Tales of Legendia. I hear it's not as good as the other Tales games, but I still want to give it a try becuase I freaking love the Tales series. What can I say? I'm a sucker for sappy JRPGs.

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

I'm a huge Spider-Man fan, so I really want to play this. 'Nuff said.

Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal

I've played Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters before on the PSP, and I thought it sucked, but I hear the PS2 games are much better, and I hear this one is the best. Plus, it's usually in the PS2 bargain bins at GameStop.

Paper Mario Sticker Star

I'm really skeptical about this game at the moment. So far, it looks like it's lacking in story, which is something that Paper Mario games have decently in the past. I'm nervous about this game, but I'm still excited for it. I haven't gotten a 3DS game in quite a while. I'm really hoping this game is going to be good.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

I actually borrowed this from a friend at work. I just need to start playing it.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II

I've been on a Sonic craze lately. I've been playing my Mega Collection on the PS2. I must have more classic-styled Sonic goodness!

That's all for now. I'm going to play the piano now.

P.S. I played "Dire, Dire Docks" from Super Mario 64 for my piano recital a couple weeks ago.

I'm so freaking sick of GlitchSpot! I can't display my profile picture, and I can't even upload a new one! And if I try to update my "about me" section, it won't update because apparently it's a "bad request." Seriously, GameSpot. Get your crap together! You've annoyed the living crap out of all of us! I've been putting up with this kind of crap for years, but my patience has been running very thin lately! I can't even read my own PMs! I'm not quitting GameSpot, but good heavens! Get your stuff together, GameSpot! I've never used a website with so many glitches before!

I guess I could also use this opportunity to update on my life. All I've been doing lately is working. I got my first paycheck a few days ago, and I still feel like I'm poor! I'm setting aside a lot of money from each paycheck for savings, and that leaves me hardly any money. I've been wanting to get Batman: Arkham Asylum, but I guess that will have to wait! >

Once I get more money, though, I'm going to get some video games. But it will definitely be a while. :/ That makes me a sad panda. One of the things I looked forward to the most about getting a job was having some spending money, but I won't get to have that for quite a while...

The homecoming dance is tonight. I'm not going. I'm working tonight. I hate dances, and I didn't want to blow my first paycheck on a dance that I didn't even want to go to. I don't know if I'll go to any dances this year...

I know this makes me sound depressed, but I can assure you that I'm not. Have a good weekend, everyone!

Oh, Sonic... Many of my childhood memories revolve around you and your (usually) awesome games. But lately, you've had me worried.

Yes, we all love Sonic the Hedgehog--well, maybe not all of us. Sega did manage to make a few good Sonic games, but after that, they started being quiet. Yes, we have the sequel to Sonic and Sega: All-Stars Racing coming up, but that's not enough to keep the Blue Blur alive. Many of us loved the last few Sonic games, but I still have some bones to pick with them...

I thoroughly enjoyed Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations, but there are some things about them that didn't settle well with me. I loved the sense of speed in these games, but a sense of speed is only half of what Sonic is about. The speed has to be mingled with solid platforming. With Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations, it mostly felt like the process was running, screeching to a holt to do some long sections of platforming, then running again. The games didn't seem to blend those elements together very well, but rather treated them like they couldn't be blended. Also, the whole time I played these games, the 3D platforming sections felt extremely awkward because it felt like the game was trying to get me to run fast, even though I was stopping to do something else. This was a major problem for me. I understand the old games had sections where you did nothing but precise platforming, but the didn't dominate a large part of the game.

I don't want you to think that I didn't enjoy these games. I really did enjoy them. They were miles better than, say, Sonic Unleashed or Sonic and the Secret Rings. They were good enough for Sonic to make a comeback, but to me, they showed that Sonic isn't quite there yet. He's close, though. All the materials are there for him to be back on top, but they just haven't meshed together all the way just yet.

If there's one game that really seemed to mix speed and platforming fairly well was Sonic Adventure 2. This game is by no means the best 3D Sonic game. I'll just throw that out there right now. This is a very flawed game that had too little focus on the Blue Blur, but I still love it. The best parts of the game were the levels where you played as Sonic or Shadow. Those levels blended speed and platforming really well, and they were truly 3D. Sonic Generations also did strictly 3D, but platforming sections still felt awkward. A lot of people disregard the Sonic Adventure games because of how the majority of those games consisted of doing something other than running, such as walking around in a giant robot suit and collecting jewels. Sonic Adventure 2 really captured what 3D Sonic levels should feel like, though. Sonic Heroes also did a pretty decent job of doing that, too. It's just too bad that each team had the same levels. Otherwise, that game could've been one of the better 3D Sonic games.

I don't want everyone to think that I hate Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations. I really don't hate them. They're fun games that are a good step in the right direction, but there were some things about them that didn't settle well with me. If you're wondering what the point of this editorial is, it's that I don't Sonic is back in top form just yet. He's getting there, but he has an unstable status right now. The next real Sonic game will ultimately decide the fate of the franchise. If it's more of what we've seen in Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations, then the franchise will fizzle out. Sega needs to try something a little different. That's mainly the point I'm trying to make. If the next Sonic game is crap, the franchise will die. That's why the next Sonic game has to be spectacular, or else the franchise will die. Sega needs to use something other than the "Unleashed daytime levels" formula to keep the franchise going. We need something different. Sonic can't rely on that formula forever. It's time for a change.