Gaming Weekend: 30th Birthday Edition

I spent all weekend pretty much not playing games. Friday we had family come and visit for my birthday and a motorcycle ride outing to West Virginia. After an epic seven hour ride, me sorely looking forward to a nap and dinner at Outback, I was treated to a truly surprising surprise 30th birthday party. Friends and family showed up from all over, including Mr. Brian himself.

And I think for the first birthday ever, I didn't really care about getting presents (of which I usually hope are video games). With that many Seinfeld-esque worlds colliding, I was constantly talking to people and munching on food.

I did receive a few gaming gifts though, proof that people really do get me. The 4th edition of Penny-Arcade book, 4000 Xbox Live points, a Vote for Mario and Luigi in '08 shirt from ThinkGeek.com, and my loaned out copy of Forza Motorsports 2 back (is that really a gift?). I also got a good assortment of food and beer and sci-fi memorabilia.

Sunday ended with going out to see the new Hulk movie (very good) and a four-way graduation party out in Keezeltown. By the time we got home last night, I knew my brain couldn't even handle a video game.

But this week though, games are fully on. As well as work in the basement with my new air compressor (thanks Dad!).

Finished: A Couple of Oldies

Instead of spending the night with the Xbox 360, which is now on it's way back to Microsoft for repair (again), I've been able to finish off two games this week: Fable and Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge. And I've was able to finish both of them within an hour of each other. Crazy.

Fable was such a hyped game when it came out a few years ago, but I really took my time with it, only to let it go by the wayside when newer games came out afterwards. But situations arose (three red lights) and I was able to put a few more hours into it and top out at 23 hours of total game time (I love games that track in-game time). The world of Fable is really a great one, but technically I found the game lacking, failing to keep 100% of my attention. But even with the Lost Chapters edition's grand finale boss battle, the game was too easy (with the right spell at hand and just enough money) therefore feeling way to long. It was like reading an epic, 1000-page long kids book.

I also dug out Crimson Skies because I remembered that there was a reason I bought it back after selling it: it's a really fun action flying game. Shooting planes, flying through tight tunnels, great character voices, and well done graphics and controls. I'd say it's a cross between Indiana Jones and Will Smith's Wild West movie that he did. I'd love to see a 360 version of Crimson Skies that you could play with an online cooperative mode. Customizable planes (paint, weapons, configurations) would be a hoot too.

I wonder what other games in my backlog I'll be able to complete while I'm 360-less. And never mind the fact that I've been able to catch up on some house work now too. Not that I've really ever had a problem with chores because of video games. It's actually like I've got to force myself to enjoy taking breaks in-between chores instead of looking forward to them.

Surving on the Past

Having quite an extensive array of systems and games in my game room, I knew losing my Xbox 360 (for a third time) to hardware failures wouldn't be hard to get by. I've got a nice backlog of games to button up on my other systems and there's always the nice nostalgic stroll down memory lane with the real old stuff (the games the don't have endings). My friend came down to work on my lighting and electrical work in the basement and after a hard day in the dark and a nice dinner at the Wood Fired Oven, we came back to the house to take such a stroll.

So many memories of our pre-driver's license days were tied to video games. Playing games like RC Pro-Am and Ivan Stewart's Off Road immediately had us sitting in front of our family room tvs ignoring parents and homework. Moving to James Bond: GoldenEye and Perfect Dark on the N64 transported us together with friends in dirty high school bedroom eating pizza and drinking soda and sucker punching each other in the arms for cheap shots and dirty tricks.

I think as well as most people can attribute songs to be the soundtracks of their lives, video games are the like that too. But video games offer nostalgia on so many levels: the music, the palette of sounds, the evolving gameplay, the cheap stories, the friends we played them with. The walk down memory lane easily becomes the dive into the deep pool of our pasts. Video games will always be the preferred form of entertainment for me and my friends. Luckily technology has been able to keep us all connected even though we live much farther away from each other than before.

So, Microsoft, there's no real hurry to get my Xbox fixed and back to me. I have a huge library of memories that I really don't mind flipping through and relaxing with. Old games can be really fun because they come with so much more than just jagged graphics and 8-bit music, they come with years of memories and loads of good times.

Gamer Vacations (aka Someone Reads this Website)

Woohoo! Our first submission email!

I got an email from, of all things, airlinecreditcards.com that keeps a blog about travel destinations. Jessica Hupp posted up about the top 25 Gamer Vacation Destinations.

Some of the destinations don't make much sense (Beach rental?), so I'm not sure if 25 was just a magic number (though I probably would take a DS to the beach, so okay, you got me). But there are some real winners in here.

Penny Arcade Expo is definetly on my list of things to do. Especially since we have friends and family on the west coast to stay with. E3 would be nice, but I'm afraid my blogger cred will never get me into such an exclusive (especially since the recent format change) event.

So if you're planning this summer's vacation with the family and want to sneak in some gaming, suggest some of these but don't mention the fact that there is gaming there. That's a true Part Time Gamer tactic for ya. Always intend to get your game on, even in the most unlikely spots.

Q&A: Gaming with kids

Alright, time for a little question. You supply the answer.

What's life like for a gamer with kids? Especially infants that demand your constant time and attention. Or are they that demanding? Or do you just save all your gaming until after they go to bed. Because we all know Dead Rising gives 5-year-olds nightmares.

Crackdown: How I Spent My Weekend

With Metroid: Corruption not coming to stores for another week and a half, I was anxious to pick up something old for the Xbox 360 that I never was able to play because of other games. For the past 2 days I've running and jumping around in Crackdown, the super-human, futuristic, elite cop version of Grand Theft Auto. I played it until 4am on Saturday and for a few hours today. I'm at least addicted to this game.

But instead of talk about how much I like the game and what about it turns me on, I'm going to talk about what I didn't do this weekend because of it.

I didn't mow the grass on Saturday. It's finally growing back green and bushy. The electric lawnmower won't like these extra growth days one bit.

I didn't do my laundry. Well, the last bit is actually in the dryer right now. If I'm lucky, I'll have wrinkled corduroy to wear tomorrow.

I didn't install the crown moulding in the bathroom. Even with the used compound mitre saw Dad gave me. I did get one piece cut and up. Three left. I could do it in an hour I think.

I didn't wash my car. But since my Maxima got totaled in an accident last summer, a car I loved, I realized that washing cars can be such a waste of time.

Not like video games.

Gameless Weekend

Between a wedding (7/7/07), IKEA, Home Depot and Lowes; Between driving to D.C. and back; Between sleeping and more sleeping...gaming hours this weekend equal zero.

I've been keeping up with the blogs though. Internet access on the phone is crucial.

I'm also happy to report that over the weekend, the coordinator for Child's Play got in touch with me over the Facebook over the group I started. It's now sitting at 75 members with $75 dollars raised.

Ok. Time for more sleep. I have lots of computers waiting for me tomorrow at work.

The End is Near: GTA-SA

I had to look it up because the game is really pissing me off.

I'm four missions away from completing...well, finishing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. I've been held up for the last few hours by one mission where I need to take back some 'hood for Grove St.

Taking back territory is a piece of cake. I can do it by myself. But for some reason, if you try to take a crew with you, including your stupid brother who has his own health meter, a 20-minute shooting session can be completely ruined by, say, a rogue citizen in their Greenwood running a stop sign and flatting said idiot brother, ending the mission.

I hate having to fight the rules and physics of the game that have nothing to do with really winning or losing your objectives. Sure, Mario jumping into a whole on level 8-8 is pretty bone head, but Mario wouldn't have ever died falling into a hole because he tripped over a Fire Flower. Or getting a nasty prick picking up an Invisible Star the wrong way.

The Demise of Halo LAN

It wasn't until I put in Halo 2 into the 360 to play online with bcullers that I realized something. Something I wasn't ready to realize as a loss. Sitting here in my living room playing a game that in the past couple of years was only primarily played as a LAN game, I realized that we might never play it again that way.

Death of casual LAN gaming? Sitting in a room for 6-8 hours on two couches and an arm chair; everyone with their own tv, some propped up on pillows or books; a large pizza delivery, cold by the time we'd gotten around to eating it; bathroom breaks with treacherous tiptoe steps across controller cables and CAT-5.

It was sort of sad, actually. I'm not sure if months of Gears had anything to do with the depleted enthusiasm for the time old tradition. An era definetly felt past and unremarked.

Dear Halo and small cramped rooms, you'll never know how much you meant to us.
Love, Nerds.

Weekend Review: Lots of Games

This weekend kept me pretty busy in gaming. We went to New Jersey for Christmas 2 and I got Okami as a present. I was really excited to get this gorgeous looking game and kick myself for not getting it earlier. I've only played into the first 20 minutes or so of the actual game. I say that because there is a LOT of text into to go through and it stung twice as bad with it's Charlie-Brown's-teacher blah-blah-bla-blah synthesized sound behind it. And they had it for each character's voice. Even the tiny cricket-like artist spirit guy.

After getting that I talked Nicole into going to the game store on my way to do another errand. There I picked up SSX On Tour and Psychonauts for $35 total. I immediatly hated SSX for it's lack of truly open gameplay like SSX 3. So now I'm sticking to my new mantra: If it doesn't have a number behind it or an entirely new name, it's probably not a very good sequel. I know that's a lot of crap just for not having open style game play so I'll blame it for me not ready to let go of SSX 3.

So I took back On Tour and picked up two games that I really should have gotten a long long time ago: Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden. I figured they had to be gaming standards for a reason, so I made an even money exchange and walked out confident of my switch.

Once I figured out that I had the wrong instruction booklet for Devil May Cry, the initial total bewilderment of the game turned into something a little more enjoyable. It, like Ninja Gaiden, is something a tad bit more than a button mashing Resident Evil. There is some real meat to the combat. I really see why people liked these games so much.

So I really have something to keep me busy for the next few weeks. I've gotten really far in Guitar Hero, so I really only want to purchase the songs in the shop that I haven't played yet. Once I do that, and FINALLY finish LEGO Star Wars with 100% in about an hour, I'm going to be all set up to enjoy the ol' Xbox and PS2 again for awhile.

That is until Lost Planet drops. Mmm.

Halo Reading

Naturally, I'm pretty interested in the world of Halo. I played the two
games, I listened to all the ilovebees viral marketing crap, and I even
bought one of the first three paperbacks that chronologically followed
Halo 1, First Strike.

This weekend I managed to purchase the new Halo graphic novel. For about
$25 you get three comics and a nice collection of Halo themed art. I
wasn't expecting it to be like the Matrix graphic novel, but the stories
are all neat and very well drawn, each in their own flavor.

Then I decided to buy another of the older paperback novels, The Flood.
After a few really good pages, I realized that I was reading the original
Halo game. Fantastic! But I'm going to hold off until I can buy and read
the first paperback, The Fall of Reach, the true backstory to the game.

For $7 a peice at the bookstore, they are big recommended read.

Waiting for the Game

I'm imagining a future, say three months from now, where I'm sitting in my living room with the following objects: a tv, a Wii, a PS2, and an Xbox 360. I have bought a few games for Wii (the launch titles were good for once!), my nice little collection of old PS2 games (your so pretty Tourist Trophy) and my shiny 360 with the Lord of the Rings in it's drive.

What does this mean? Well, even now as I'm considering buying a 360 this very weekend, almost a full six months after it's arrival, there is not a mouth watering title in sight.

I am quite fond of Burnout, but found even the last two releases to be much of the same. Fight Night and the majority of other games in the library are available on other systems and I practially run from MMORPGS. War games...OMG. They are sooo last summer...when they had a probably 12 WWII games available for every system.

So where does that leave me with this 360?

Perfect Dark. A game that will most likely make it to the check-out line on history alone. I've poured through websites of the other releases and this is the only one that draws my mouse inward to it's seductively lettered link name, "Perfect Dark: Zero". Actually I stop reading and the ":" because Pefect Dark is like the holy grail to our little circle of gamers. I can hear Dr. Carrol's voice now...calling to me. Whining to me. Floating into enemies and getting stuck behind doors.

Ahh the days of 64-bit controlled A.I.

But reviews are still less than stellar. Nowhere near as heavenly as it's N64 counterpart.

Does the first game I buy really have to be Oblivion, a game heralded by most that's plagued with odd patches, two buck horses, and long(er) load times? Does it have to be ESPNMLBNFL 2006? Or will it be a game that's purchase is out of desparation, a bit of curiosity and pure nostalgia?

I guess I'll find out this weekend when the doors to Circuit City open magically in front of me and the air of manufactured blister packaging and cardboard boxes fill my nostrils and air condition my bald head.

To the future!

On The Weekend

I have no idea what "dejected" means, but I am probably going to buy Tourist Trophy tonight, so I hoping there won't be any dejection in my future.

I spent all weekend thinking about playing Fable, but never actually getting to. Usually when I go to Nicole's mom's for the weekend, I can count on having four to six hours by myself to do nothing. The only thing I got accomplished this weekend was getting all the merchant buy and sell prices so I could start making some more money.

I have to goals tonight: Get Tourist Trophy and do some writing for our side project.

I'm off to the store!

All New Games Weekend

Well, I'm not sure if you consider Punch Out!, Ninja Gaiden, and Soul Calibur II "new", but they are games and I got them all this weekend, bringing my game count to 142 games. Damn. That's a lot.

Ninja Gaiden: I game I don't think I would have liked even when the graphics were great. The controls take a bit of getting used to. Jumping off of walls seems easy enough and intuitive, but if your not lined up right the first jump, all the rest of the jumps will be off. A nice throwback is the one-power-up-at-a-time mechanism. No switching! But the game reminds of me of Kung-Fu but with more variations in level layout.

Punch Out!: Still a classic. Still a great game. Especially if you didn't memorize all the different boxers and all their special patterns. I always get screwed on Piston Honda. Those damn rapid punches. No Mike Tyson in this game. I could care less since I'll probably never see the end of this gem.

Soul Calibur II: I haven't really played a fighter since Street Fighter II Turbo. I don't know if this was a good game to "progress" to. I know that Virtua Fighter and Tekken are supposedly top fighting games, but the real reason I bought this was 1) it was $12.00 used at Circuit City (used games at Circuit City!!) and 2) it has Link as the special character. Hearing Link "Hiii-ya!" while bouncing around in glorious 64-bit color is a treat all it's own. I will enjoy learning all of his moves and making a few hours go by with this game.

Off to finish the last map on Advance Wars 2. I swear, this game is getting frozen carbonite treatment...as soon as that imaginary carbonite eBay auction ends.

Half of at K-Mart

If you're not competing with the elements this weekend like we are, flip-flop your tank-top ass over to K-Mart and steal SSX 3 for $9.99.

SSX on Tour Part 2

Alrighty then. It has been some time since I started this game but the truth is I didn’t play it much after my last entry. I’ve got to admit, the game got old. As you progress up in the ranking the difficulty gets outrageous. It gets boring doing the same events over and over. It has gotten to the point that you have to get lucky to win events. In the trick point events, you cannot make a mistake and you have to accumulate a lot of nearly impossible combos. So, where I am in the game, it is a great rental for a dead weekend. But unless you really like it, save the cash for another purchase.

Toys R Us Sale: The Reviews

Sort of.

Pikmin 2 is just a winner. I'm only 7 "days" into the game but it's just as fantastic as the first one (which I only ever rented and therefore never beat). The only things that don't make sense are the "daily" changes to the areas in which you explore. There is no logic to the way things change on "Earth". You just have to spend a day and visit and explore and hope something is new. Those Pikmin are still to cute, almost even for Nintendo.

Advance Wars 2 is also doing quite well in my night time ritual in bed. I also never beat the first edition of this little turn-based unit fighter. But only because it got too hard towards the end (which I think I was close too). I'm interested to see what new elements they have added, which being the second game on the same console, probably not very much. I should have gotten the DS version for that, I guess.

Bust-A-Move DS has Nicole entranced. I've only experience the multiplayer (single cart wireless) and I like the controls and the graphics and sound. I immediately noticed that it is impossible to win, only to lose. Get a couple of bubbles away from clearing the screen and a new line drops in.

So that leaves you with the lone interaction with your rival by throwing diamonds into their window (which I haven't figured out how you get those so quickly) that adds garbage to their screen. Nicole immediately thought it was a cheap tactic.

Also, the "next bubble" seems scripted. Almost like the game has figured out which bubbles are causing you the most trouble and feeding the correct supplement to you in an almost parental-food-airplane manner.

This "holiday weekend" we'll be toting along the DSsess (for Bust-A-Move, Advance Wars and Mario Kart) and the GameCube (Metroid 2 and Pikmin). Otis will be getting back Matrix: Path of Neo but only because I am more aware of the existence of other games. And my parents have access to the interweb now, so I won't be totally cut off from civilization.