So here we are,

FFXII
I had a couple of days at work and i just sunk my teeth into FFXII the whole time
So atm, for those who have played FFXII, i had just finished Rathwalls Tomb, and had a bit of spare time to grab some Items, hunt some marks and stuff before continuing with the story.

I am about level 24, which is a bit overleveled I believe, but I needed money to actually buy full sets of gold armors and everything form the shops. So i decided to try my hand at getting the Zodiak Spear, which was now possible to get. In salika wood the enemies wernt too challenging but it did take a while to knock over king bomb. I ended up beating away Probably 2/5 of his hp using water spells and then unleashed the quickenings. I did really well with my chain and got an Ark Blast which compeltely annihilated him

Actually obtaining the spear from the Nechrol of Nabudis was actually the easy part. Took me 2 tries (because everything in there is basicall 2shots and you die). First time i tried to run through with a full party out, and i did get the spear but i ended up getting wiped on my way out. 2nd try i just had 1 person out and it was actually a lot easier. I had everyone buffed with shell and protect and vaan only died about 3 times. So most powerful weapon in the game at lvl 24 felt good I gave it to ashe, because she was the closest due to obtaining quickenings (I got all quickeneings before leviathan ). Ashe dow does like 2000+ dmg to everyone elses 400-600 lol

In the same vein, once i got Larsa back i went into the Zertinan Caverns, and bagged myself an esper, took a while but i basically injured him about 1/4 and then flayed his ass with quickenings. TBH i dont find espers that good to use, its much faster to just use your party, and Espers dont seem to last very long (HP gets owned preety quick) - Adrammelech, the Wroth

So yeah, Just finished henne Mines and now onto the next part.

E3

How is everyones E3 going? Nothing much on show imo. Nothing ground breaking. I am a PC and Wii owner, and was severely dissapointed with the lack of a new Zelda title, maybe next year. TBH i didnt find much at the Nintendo's press conferance, though the wiimove attachment thing is sweet. Awesome that we get 1:1 tracking now. Hopefully the enxt zelda will use this, and maybe the star wars game aswell.

Glad reggie made an appearance. That other woman reminded me of the principle from the Movie School of Rock with Jack Black? I wanted to stab her in the eye with my happy pencil. Seriously, the audience was reporters, not 5 yr olds. I couldnt stand her. But yeah, not much on offer for me from Nintendo this year, im not an animal crossing fan. I wish the had this wiispeak thing for SSBB, that is the perfect game for it.

As for Sony, that guy looked like the Dad from Home Alone movies 1 and 2. People in the live chat agreed with me . Sony showed LBP which was good, i think it looks ok and Sack Boy stole the show. However their SKU announcement was stupid. I love BC, see that im still playing FFXII, and now they are removing any hope i had of australia getting a PS3 with BC. Its a major selling point for me, and with FFXIII being available on the 360... why would I want a PS3? Ill have to wait and see what FFXIII VS does, and whether any good games actually come out on ps3.

So yeah overall not that much happening at E3 personally. I'm also missing the Activision Blizzard Crew... no Warhammer Online fix for me this year.

Music

So music wise I have bolstered my collection. I have added Soil, Within Temptation, AudioSlave, Disturbed and a bunch others. I have an entire shelf now which is sweet, except im going to need to buy another shelf cause now i dont have any room. I have also had to take out Fear Factory, and i might even through them away. I have Fear factory Hits and Fear Factory: Fear is the Mindkiller. I bought them to see what fear factory was like ages ago and have decided i really dont like em.

ATM im re-ripping all my CD's to PC in Lossless format (Each song is about 20mb size rather then 2-3mb). I dot his because 1) i have a lot of HDD space, and 2)When your ip music into a small file size you lose quaility. And when you then burn a CD you got a low quality CD on your hands that doesnt sound to well when you crank the volume on the stereo. Lossless audio format actually takes the tracks off without compression, keeping all the highs and lows in the music. ATM im currently ripping my Iron Maiden colletion, almost done

Hey

So tonight i got stuck into those Achevements for TF2
I now have got 22 which means i have all the new weaponary

I normally do well on the charts as a medic, but i depends if you can find someone who is competant at Soldier or Heavy to do really well. Duno why i like medic, i didnt at first but now I love it (and not just because i got cool guns now), somethign awesome about walkign in and wasting 8 guys

I got too many games, havent put enough quality time into SSBB yet, especially online! I gota get it set up and see if i can get some friend matches going.

Not to mention I still have to finish FF12 and FF8 that iv started, and also complete Fire Emblem Sacred Stones on my DS :S
Ill get there, because i wat to buy Fire Emblem Wii now
Ah so many games, so little time

Heyas

So i got brawl. So far its looking great, and plays well. Had some bad first time online games but today i had some really good ones going with anyone.

My brawl FC is 1204-0649-7635

If you wanna get down and dirty with kirby give us a yell with your FC

So as the title says I landed myself a rave card, 1 of 6000 available in Australia.

For those who read my other post, your probably thinking i found it at another store... well youd be wrong. in true EB games fashion, the store repls ahd no idea what was going on

So from the start, I went into EB games, and sure enough they said there was no more. however after reflecting on this fact I couldnt actualyl remember stating that i HAD a pre-order, so perhaps they assumed I wanted to pre-order then and get one, for which they had none left to give out.

So I rang up and said you know, i have a pre-order did they have any rave cards. The rep said yeah, they had some left, come down and get one. Ok i thought. Ill wait to go get SSBB because im not running down multiple times, and if they are no longer giviong them out to people who are just pre-ordering, then mine will still be there.

So thursday I go in, grab my SSBB for $50 (I traded in Rayman rabbits which iv had since launch, and a few days ago I bought 2 shovelware titles for $25 each at another EB, So effectivly SSBB = $50) and then requested my Rave card. The answer? They havent received them yet...... 0_o

So from the 1 store I have had these responses over the period of 4 days.
1) None left, All given out

2) Some left (for existing pre-orders im assuming)

3) Havent received them yet

I just sighed and turned around and walked out.

So i went to the shops today for a haircut, and I thought, well since they have given me widely varying replies, there could actually be rave cards at the store, and I just have to get lucky and keep asking till i get the answer im looking for? I go in, explained what I wanted (i think this was to the same rep as answer 3 yesterday aswell) and then I get all 3 staff members talking with me. maybe? Not sure? is this what i was thinking of? No they are supposed to be given *before* the game, Oh wait a sec - rep goes back - is this it? yeah its got open beta, free items etc... Awesome ill take it.

And there you go. Finally I get my Rave card

I only wish all store members where up to date. I know the manager at the store (friend of a friend) and she gave me the 1st answer, which was probably right, because i dont think i explained that i had a pre-order, so my fault there. But Answer 3 was just totally oblivious... Specially after i explained exactly what i was after and that i had a pre-order.

Anyways, its all good. As long as i got my codes im happy

Well, Im really really annoyed.

I Pre-ordered Warhammer online months ago at EB games. I walked in several times requestinginformation on the rave cards. Eb games new nothing, so i thought id wait.

Received an email from Warhammer site about Aussie pre-orders... Yes! i thought, the must have them now. I go in and ask for them, all gone.

You had to pre-order, and they only had a limited amount. So apparently they did not look at who had already pre-ordered, when they got the cards, everyone who pre-ordered after got one. If you pre-ordered before... bad luck?

Needless to say im canceling my Pre-order. Im going to try and find a card hopefully at JB or somewhere... Man its annoying.


RAGE!

Hey

This is a completely non related gaming post.
I was walking to my car past good old 78 Records in Perth. They are an awesome music store that sells CD's cheap, and also get a lot of import stuff, and stuff you wont find at Sanity. Something are epic and if I had money to burn I would so get my hands on the Ride the Lightning and Kill Em All Records they have, and the box-set of AC/DC records but anyways moving on.

I knew Opeth had their CD coming out,and Most concrete reports said June 3rd, however I was walking past and they had a blackboard out and i didn't even read it, my eyes just snapped to like the 3rd name - Opeth. So I strolled in...

(knowing that I really should buy it now since I had already bought 6 CD's a few days prior when i received my paycheck:
1) Soil - Redefine
2) Iron Maiden - Killers
3) iron Maiden - No Prayer for the Dying
4) Iron Maiden - Virtual XI
5) Opeth - Orchid
6) Opeth - The Roundhouse Tapes

These for a Total of 105.00AU)

... Walked right up to the Opeth section and there it was. Opeth - Watershed. There was only one copy on the shelf but they probably had more, Cost me full price (30.00AU). I really wanted it because I had only just complete my Opeth collection with Orchid (coincidentally their last album I added to my collection).

Its a pretty nifty package, Whilst I did pay full price it is a CD/DVD combo so I thought that an alright deal.


CD:
1) Coil
2) Heir Apparent
3) The Lotus Eater
4) Burden
5) Porcelain Heart
6) Hussein Peel
7)Hex Omega

DVD:
1) Rehearsal tapes (Interviews as they talk about each other and show of a rock session)
2) Watershed 5.1 Mix (the Album mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound glory
3) Bonus Track - Derelict Herds
4) Bonus Track - Bridge of Sighs
5) Bonus Track - Den ständiga resan

The Case is made of cardboard, and is folded at the back like an Envelope with a Red wax seal. And you slip the back pieces together to hold it closed. I'm really careful about bending it, and don't think ill be opening it up very much for fear of bending the Flaps. Very nice cover but not durable that's for sure

The CD's are off-course normal Opeth structure, White this time, with the logo on top and the tracks on the bottom, listed in the signature flowing opeth cursive. They have written the title of the Album on the CD, and it is given the same treatment as the Opeth Logo.

They mean it when they say you really want to sit down with it and listen for an entire play through to begin with. Like any opeth album, its going to take weeks to digest, however initial perceptions are positive. I personally love the first track with the inclusion of female vocals. Its all here, heavy and soft, Mellow and Screams and is another solid title in Opeths Line up.

Opeths Albums:
1 - Orchid
2 - Morningrise
3 - My Arms, your Hearse
4 - Still Life
5 - Blackwater Park
6 - Damnation
7 - Deliverance
8 - Ghost Reveries
9 - Watershed

Of note - There are no lyrics in the booklet. Most are online except Heir Apparent. Many sites have no lyrics at all, and some have ??? for blanks where they don't know

Another great Observation by Opeth.