The World Around Me

To write again would be silly, right?

2011-01-14T15:08:00.002-05:00

So here I am just sitting at my desk wondering what to do next. I have a weekend packed with obstacles, and with the potential to get shit done. The issue is that all the obstacles have to be overcome, I can't just push them to the side and hope for the best.

The sister is getting married in April and its time to get fitted for the suit that I will be purchasing, I basically equate it to around 5 to 6 video games worth of moneys. Then there's the little fact that my current employment has me dragging around the company laptop, and to basically be a good little boy this entire week to make sure that if shit breaks I'm there to save the world. Only problem is that I have to be on the move, and there's no way to fix something if I'm trying to get from point A to point B.

I'm a rambler, and I like to ramble, damn it, I have so many thoughts coming through my head at a given moment that sometimes I lose track of what is going on around me. Now of course that will definitely make me find my balls on the chopping block for doing something that I'm not suppose to be doing, or just forgetting to do something that I said I'd do. No one's perfect, but when you get called out for that kind of shit enough times you can feel the weight bearing down on you.

MMOs scare the shit out of me, I see the potential of getting lost in the world created for my enjoyment, where I can be a villan or a hero, and not have to worry about the real world consequences, and yet the more one draws themselves into their preferred mode of living, through the game, the more difficult it is to get back out.

I love getting lost in books, video games, movies, etc. for that instance, I can let everything weighing me down disappear... I do this on vacation almost every single time, if I'm allowed to. I say that because there are times when vacations take place with certain individuals where the weight does not disappear but increases 10 fold. Sorry people but I like to have my quiet moments, at my own pace, and you dictating when and what to do, is not my pace.

Is it just me or when you get that chance to escape and you finally decide you're ready to come back 9 out of 10 times someone's waiting to kick you in the nuts and welcome you back to the real world. Yes I know life is hard, and you just have to go with the flow from time to time, but forgive me for wanting to break those shackles, and trying to live life to the fullest. Yes you have to find a way to balance, but fuck balance... to be free, to be able to love, to be able to feel, to be able to want to get out of bed, that's what I want, I don't want to have the pain of wasting away everyday constantly knocking at my brain.

So I try to create something, something that will give me a shot to raise out of this dank world, but there's problems, with most issues that one comes upon in life, you need assistance, you need something to help you through the tough times, and as much as my love of my life wants to help, what I'm trying to do isn't in her wheelhouse, and I can see that it kills her that she can't help me try to make what I've got work the way I want it.

Now that I have your attention, well maybe one person out there, I can tell you that I've created a website, a website for video games. Yes one of the 300,000 out there, and yes I know with only one person constantly working on it, and from time to time a couple extra voices, it aint going to get traction. Then there's the fact of the $$ that's been put into this endeavor because I want it to succeed. The business license, the federal tax id, the domain registrations, etc. Then there's the fact that I average about 6 people a week after all that. That's right folks a whopping 6 people, and all but two I know who they are.

Is it so bad that I want to be able to show off my passion so much that I'm willing to throw more than my blood, sweat, and tears at it? Is it bad that I feel like shit because things don't always go according to plan... I mean come on, you go on one web host, one that's free but constricting, and then you see the huge number of hits, and then you think DAMN I got this... then when you open up a new shop, and leave a link on the old place you see that NONE of the traffic follows. The reason, people have the ability to hit the view random site on the other provider, with the provider I have now, I don't have that ability, and search engines all but bury my site.

I don't want people to feel bad for me, I'd love to have people go to my site, and have it actually gain some traction, but I think there's still more things I need to do to get this damn thing to work. I've got news, I've got podcasts, I've got webcomics, and reviews. So does half the world.

Bombs Away

2010-10-18T15:14:00.003-04:00

What an interesting world we live in when people who need jobs can't get jobs because of lack of experience, and yet they are applying for the job to get said experience. Does no one in the industry believe that someone could possibly pick up on the job training quickly and be a vital part of the team? Think about it there are some many companies that have their own variety of systems, and engines, and ways of doing things, isn't it at least plausible that someone with half a brain could possibly be able to figure out what their company does differently? Seriously how about just giving someone a 90 minute trial, and if they can't cut it you drop them. Yes I know everyone wants that perfect employee on the first try, but lets face it shit happens, and sometimes the dark horse turns out to be the true stud.

Oh well, I guess that's why I'm not the employer at this current moment in time. Internet Journalism really doesn't pay the bills unless you have some substantial backers willing to help. Its also a place where if you know someone, or someone knows you, you have that much more of a leg up on the competition. The problem is that there are many times where I feel these sites fail to uphold their end of the bargain, they get swooned by the money that a sponsor gives them and then they are no longer going with their gut on reviews, or news. Then again I'm sure if you are served enough Kool-Aid, at the right price, it would be pretty tempting to taint a couple of reviews.

I know there's probably not a lot of people out there that read this blog, hell I barely remember that I've still got this, on most days, but I'm seeing this is more of a venting platform for me. Sure everything is connected now, and I'm sure some future employer way down the road will read this and think I'm a bitchy son of a bitch, but the truth of the matter is that at least I'm willing to voice my opinion, and my gut about what is happening around me. Sure I do it in written words, most definitely more than I do with spoken words, but the end results are the same, someone is going to hear the voice, any they may agree, or they may disagree. Sure I could say that I've got it all right, but lets be honest there isn't any one or place or company that has it completely right. Also surely there isn't a place that isn't tainted ever so slightly for the love of green. We live in a capitalistic society, so the more you get the better you look. Sure the art side is great, and the passion is amazing, but with just those two things you might still have to hold that as a hobby, and take on a second job, much like I do, to pay the bills.

Another Post Because I Felt like it

2010-10-18T13:10:00.002-04:00

I've got to say as the time has gone on with the Altered Confusion stuff that I'm both excited and beyond stressed out about it. I feel that we're making some kind of a connection with some people, but at the same time I also feel like those some people are in the single digits. I want to have all the up to the minute news, and I want to have the latest and greatest games reviewed, but when it comes to the majority of that its just me. I wish I had someone with the passion that I had to help me along on this journey.

But enough about that... haven't you ever felt that you have such potential but that its locked behind some kind of invisible wall inside you, and you feel the urge to do something, but when you do it you fall well short of what you're trying to do. For example I know I can write a story, I have all the confidence in the world, but when I actually sit down to right, its gone, there's no story to be had, and if there is one I get about 5 pages in and then poof... done.

Same deal with my comics, I feel that I could do good comics, but my OCD has definitely de-railed that train to the point that I'm going to do a complete reboot, and perhaps start with stick figures. Which of course would cause me to draw a lot more often, and perhaps I can improve my skills.

The sad thing is that I fall into the category of if I've got the book or I've done it once that I'll accel at it... and lets be honest, that shit never happens that way. Practice makes perfect, but in a world where I feel I have to squeeze every little second out there's just not enough time to practice. For example in an average week I have the 8 to 5 job, then I've got working out at the gym twice a week, I've also got a basketball game at least once a week that I play in, I'm trying to run Altered Confusion so I've got about 10 games that I need to play through, I want to update the comics on Altered Confusion so I need time to draw a comic, the average time of which is around 2 hours for one. I've also got the podcast at some point during the week, then I have to edit it and then load it up on the site. I've also got to keep up with the hot new news of what is going on in the gaming industry. I'm married so I like to spend time with my wife, and watch TV shows with her which averages about 2 to 3 hours a night. So I'm left with very little left to make practice perfect, but perhaps I just need the right motivation to break through.

I do have to say that working a job like the one I have, the paying one, not the Altered Confusion one, takes a lot out of someone because every three weeks I'm on-call for a week straight, most of the time I'm just sitting in front of the computer hoping that some work will come by otherwise I'm stuck staring blankly at my screen. I'm not allowed to do anything that doesn't appear to be work related so I can't work on my comics, on my writing (well besides a quick post), I definitely can't get away with playing games at my desk on the DS or PSP, and of course there's no chance that I will be allowed to read at my desk because that sends the wrong message.

Perhaps my trip to BlizzCon this week will be exactly what the doctor ordered and I'll finally start tearing down some walls, as for tonight, I'm hoping for a good basketball game, and perhaps a little time with the Mrs. as well as some gaming and comic time.

2010-08-30T14:13:00.002-04:00

No one knew where they came from, but everyone would forever remember what they did to announce their presence. Not many people who saw the first shot hit the colony ship lived to tell the tale, but there were a few who not only survived that attack, but they went on to become important people in our history. As you know Earth in the year 2342 could no longer sustain life, we had regrettably used up all the resources, be it the air to breath, the water to drink, or the food to eat. We had squandered away the last of the resources in an attempt to revitalize the planet. It did not work.

On the day January 23rd, 2342 four colony ships, our last hope for our dying race left Earth behind. They flew past all the planets in our solar system, and then they flew by other solar systems that would had just begun to touch. They were to find a suitable home for us to once again prosper, and hopefully learn from our past mistakes. The Kilrothians didn't share that thought. It was on the 457th day that we made contact with one of their scout ships. We weren't really prepared for what happened next. In the blackness of space, the ship just disappeared, but when something reappeared, it was a much larger ship, and it put the first colony ship in their sights. The first ship didn't even have enough time to put up any sort of defense, the shot from the canon of the Kilrothian ship blew a hole clear through the ship, leaving only debris behind. The next two were a little bit better prepared and tried to make a run for it with their defenses up. They sustained several rounds of fire, and we held out hope that they would get away, but when the two other Kilrothian ships appeared, we knew that this would probably do us in. While all the chaos with the other ships occurred, the final ship was unloading passengers via escape pods. No one knew if these pods would ever find the surface of a planet, but it had to be a better chance of survival, over staying on the ship. It wasn't until halfway through the unloading that all three Kilrothian ships finally turned their canons upon the last colony ship. In a spectacular, yet eerie display of lights the last colony ship was destroyed. To this day I'll never know how we got away and the Kilrothians didn't hunt down the pods, perhaps they thought we'd die on our own, or perhaps they were convinced that someone out there would find us and finish the job they started.

2010-08-30T14:11:00.002-04:00

I'd like to try something, and this might not even work, but what the hell I don't think this is really on anyone's radar any more, I think anyone who used to come here most definitely has relocated to AlteredConfusion.com, the site with all the news, reviews, comics, and podcasts. What I'd like to try and do is start writing a story and then posting sections of it on the blog. Now I have to warn you I like using way too many commas, and sometimes my sentences run on for days, but hopefully this will prove to be a fruitful endeavor.

It's Time For Another Blog

2010-08-05T13:39:00.002-04:00

Dear Diary, let me count the ways... no seriously that's not how I want to start this, what I want to say is that life is flying by so fast it will make your head spin. I can't even blink or I'll miss something. I want to be able to play every video game out there, to read every great book, or see every amazing movie, but life stands in the way of it, or at least how today's society views how one should go through life. With rules and regulations the ability to full grasp life disappears, and leaves some empty, and maybe even more than a little stressed.

Right now my brain is so fried that I'm having a hard time simply thinking of what the next sentence is going to be, where am I going with this, and is someone about to walk into my cube to read over my shoulder. This is all stuff that batters me and then I'm left dazed wondering how the hell I'm going to be able to actually "live" my life today. It is too easy to just let the rest of the day, a part that I have some control over, to just slip through my hands, and I won't be able to accomplish anything that I want to accomplish.

Another thing I'm finding hard to do is listening to a conference call and writing, I'm sure that I might have accidentally slipped some of what is being said on the phone because multi-tasking while exhausted really doesn't work. At least not for me, I'm sure there are those out there who have beyond mastered this problem, but in that respect I'm just a lowly novice.

Alright I better stop writing, I don't really have the fire to write right now, and I'm starting to really eye that energy drink that I know I shouldn't take, but I know I'll have to take if I want to have any hope of making it to the end of the business day so that I can pick up my dog, and then go home and probably space out, hopefully with the capacity to reclaim some of the energy that I so desperately need.

Grow a Fucking Pair

2010-05-03T14:47:00.002-04:00

Look I understand that Dungeons and Dragons have some very bad stereotypes associated with it, but to not at least try it out and be shackled by the fear that you might like it and then end up one of the stereotypical nerd players (you know the one's sweaty, never takes showers, cheetos stained shirts). Its simply retarded to pass on the opportunity where your imagination is really the only limits, well your's and the storyteller's.

Yes there are some people who take the game more serious than others, and yes there are people who have trouble with not seeing the blurring line between reality and the game, but that doesn't have to be everyone, and its not going to happen to everyone. There's so much to be gained by simply playing a game at least once. Some might find it interesting and once done never go back again, but at least they tried. There might also be those out there who enjoy it to the degree that they come back, maybe not passionately every given chance, but on occasion.

Why would you turn down the chance to become fully a different character, something crafted by your hands, where you actually get to make all your players decisions. Where the answers and actions you can take aren't limited by some computer system's guidelines. I'm not saying that there aren't rules, but there's room for change within this type of game. Imagine yourself playing a MMO and there's some kind of mechanic that is rubbing you the wrong way, well in a pencil and paper game the Storyteller, or DM, could change that kind of stuff up on the fly.

So please stop trying to stereotype the people who find enjoyment in this game, and just give it a shot. You never know what could happen.

False Entitlement

2010-04-29T08:28:00.003-04:00

I went to the Hawks game last night and what I found there was something I'll never forget, or understand. The Hawks had moments where they showed that they are a power to be reckoned with, but for the most part the Hawks played as if they couldn't lose the game, no matter how flat Crawford's shot was, or how Zaza appeared once in the game to have a very questionable flagrant foul called on him and then sit on the bench the rest of the game. The Hawks are falling apart from the inside out. The faith in what this team can do is almost completely gone. Especially since they have to go to Milwaukee and the Hawks are not a road team whatsoever. I would LOVE, freaking LOVE, to be proven wrong, but I think this is now the time to kiss Joe Johnson goodbye as he is going to move onto what he believes are greener pastures, but will probably be a building project, just like Atlanta continues to be.

Look, Hawks, I understand that you guys are a great team, but PLAY like it, don't just think it, do it. Stop your bickering, stop your whining, just play fucking basketball. If I had the chance like all of you have, even if its to sit on the bench the entire game with the exception of 4 minutes, I will be playing balls to the wall hard nose basketball. Even if we're up by double digits. The Hawks are capable of pounding a team into the ground, but everytime you wound them, you take your foot off the gas, STOP doing that. If it's the coach who is pulling back on the throttle, shut him out and destroy your opponent. Zone out the crowd, and get the bigs posted down low and beat them up. The Hawks have size and strength, but only used it sparingly, that shits got to start happening. Yes its not as glamorous, and yes Crawford and Joe don't get the ball as often, but if you can get that inside game working, then those two will reap the benefits because the Bucks will have to double up down low and they'll get the ball back, wide open, for thier shots.

About time

2010-04-26T09:00:00.002-04:00

Well its been about 2 years since last I was on this site. I figured since my other site, alteredconfusion.com is all work, I'd come back here to write some stuff. I thought about putting a blog area on Altered Confusion, but it didn't feel right when I gave it a quick test run.

So its 2 years down the road, I am now married, still live in the same place, still testing the waters with my semi-artistic skills. I have taken my foot a bit off the pedal when it comes to game reviews simply because I was going to burn out real quick if I tried to review games in the quantity of 3 people. Now that didn't sound exactly right so basically doing 3 people's jobs by myself, just for reviews.

Altered Confusion has been one hell of an interesting experience. It really shows how much I've had to work on it and how those who I thought would be as eager as I was to do it, have not been. The toughest thing for me is the fact that I sometimes have the hardest time trying to figure out why everyone isn't as passionate about this as I am.

The answer is that it's not their baby. I created this thing, basically set out a guideline, and since it structured how I think it should work there are those who just don't see it that way. There are those out there who are trapped in their jobs, or have changed with the years of life they have already spent.

I've wanted to go back down that road of creativity, the one I had since birth until basically I graduated from Full Sail. The problem then becomes the fact that I no longer possess those friends that live near me, that at a drop of a hat will come together and play a paper and pencil game, or a random boardgame that very few have heard of. For that I'm truly saddened. Yes there are those rare glimmers, and maybe I've now got a routine starting to build so I can capture at least the board games once a week.

Now switching back to Altered Confusion. There are days where I feel like if I just quit my day job and focus solely on Altered Confusion that I'll be able to make it into something that I've only dreamed about. The honest truth though is that I'd never do that. Not that I'm giving up on my dream, but I know that if I didn't have my day job I would truly blow myself out of the water with the amount of stress and expectations of trying to make things happen fast. I've learned, though sometimes I don't want to follow this line of logic, that I may never become this uber awesome amazing easily recognizable person because of Altered Confusion, and there's a chance that I might float in obscurity for many many years to come, but if I keep doing what I'm doing because its something I like to do, then at the end of the day that's all that matters. If I'm trying to eventually turn a profit and that's the only thing that is driving me, and there's no joy in anything I do, then I might as well stop and save myself some time.

Now I'm sure that me taking my foot off the gas on certain parts of Altered Confusion could be seen as me slowly giving up, but the truth of the matter is that I want to continue to find enjoyment in games. I'm not doing this for a job I'm doing it for fun. If I forget that and start playing like a machine, I'd hate myself.

I know that I could write forever, and I'm sure that I could probably do it, but the truth of the matter is that that would not be seen as good use of my day at work, even though in my mind anything that allows me to keep myself busy and alert for the next thing is good use of time.

It MOVES!!!!

2008-04-09T23:01:00.001-04:00

Alright here's the deal, I love Blogger to death but it really isn't suited for what I need it for... so I've been messing around with templates on WordPress and I've found one that is exactly what I need so... click here

I apologize if this throws you off but with the ability to add a nav bar to the top I was sold.

ZACK AND WIKI: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure

2008-04-08T23:09:00.002-04:00

This was probably one of the first games for the hardcore gamers that graced the Wii with its presence.

You are Zack, a wannabe pirate, with the dream of becoming legendary and in the process capture Barbaros treasure. You will be using the Wii-mote in several different position, and you'll have to think carefully before you take actions to get through this game.

The graphics in the game are you standard affair for the Wii. The Characters are nicely drawn, and you get a feel for the different areas in which the stages take place in.

The controls are slightly awkward as you can only play the game right handed, sure there are positions that you can fake the controller position with your left, but its a pain in the ass.

The overall game play is what makes this game stand out. It is truly a puzzle game at heart. You'll spend a good amount of time on some levels as you continuously battle to figure out what you did wrong. I think that is really what hinders the game, after a couple of levels if you make so much as one mistake you might not know it until up to 20 minutes later when you get so frustrated that you have to resort to a walk-thru only to discover that what you needed to get done you can no longer do, and you have to restart the level over again. Another thing is that when you have two items very close together you might accidentally swap an item, most of the time that is fine, but when you are trying to get away from something and need to pick up an item it can be a pain in the ass. Along the same lines if you are trying to rush through a stage to dodge something, or just trying to get away from something you might have an item that you need to hold but as you are maddly pressing A to advance Zack you might accidentally hit it on top of an item, which will make you drop the item that you were holding.

Even with the gameplay flaws I can't help but want to try and beat the game, I feel as if I'm near the end and the light is near, but if you want to get this game first of all be ready for some frustration, or maybe not maybe I'm just stupid when it comes to the way that the puzzles work, and also get ready for a bit of an adventure to find this game. The reason why I added the second thought is because that this game came out about the same time as that crazy influx of mini-games that everyone was trying to pour onto the Wii, and so this game got buried and a lot of places aren't going to be carrying it.

I give this game a 7.6 out of 10.

A Visit to the Local Jail

2008-04-08T23:01:00.006-04:00

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Battle of Minds

2008-04-06T17:32:00.006-04:00

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WARIO WARE: SMOOTH MOVES

2008-04-06T09:14:00.003-04:00

I know this game is a bit old and its becoming harder and harder to find, but because one of my friends has recently acquired it I figured that I'd write something quick on it.

This is basically a game packed full with mini-game, like the wario ware games of the past. One thing I will recommend is that with any game that gives you mini-games, but has a single player mode, check to see what you can do in multiplayer before having a bunch of people over to play what turns out to be content you have to unlock first through single player.

The graphics are your standard affair on the Wii, some of the visuals make you yearn for more. It sometimes appears that you are playing a game cooked up by a kid because some of the backgrounds do look horrible.

The game play also has those sometimes good sometimes bad moments. It really depends on the game, the best part of the game is the game making the players look like total idiots or tools by how they have to hold the wii-mote.

Overall I'd say that if you are willing to put in a little bit of time to unlock some of the game, and then want to you use it for parties, then this game is a good pick up, otherwise I'd say you could probably find something else to play. I give it a 6.3 out of 10.

PixelJunk Monsters

2008-04-05T14:19:00.002-04:00

This game can be found on the Playstation Network for download onto your PlayStation 3. If you have ever heard of a browser game called Desktop Defense and like it this will be right up your alley.

You are a character that can move all over the screen, when standing close to a tree, causing it to highlight, you can choose to build a tower to help defend the people huddled around your base. The enemies will come in waves, and you're towers will have to defeat wave after wave of monsters. If a monster is destroyed, or you survived a wave you'll receive money that you can use towards turning another tree into a tower.

In the demo you have three types of towers that you can make, an Arrow tower that will do medium damage to ground and air monsters, a cannon tower that will do massive damage to ground monsters, but its attack radius is small, and a anti air tower that will do massive damage to air monsters. You'll have to find a healthy mix of all three if you want to be successful in the demo.

The overall controls are pretty simple, you're only going to have to worry about moving around, you can use the analog stick to accomplish this, and you'll also have to use the X button to bring up your building options.

I almost forgot, another thing that will appear after your towers have killed a monster are blue gems collect those and you can unlock new types of towers, of course you can't do that in the demo, but if you had the full version you would have some interesting towers to add to you arsenal. The gems can be used to upgrade your towers as well.

Towers will upgrade themselves by killing enough monsters, they will also be upgraded if you spend money or gems on them, you can speed up their leveling up by standing near the tower, doing so will make your character dance and you'll notice a gauge on the tower will start leveling up. Towers that have leveled up will have a different colored flag, notifying that the tower is stronger.

The graphics, for a SD TV, aren't that amazing, and I'm not sure how it would look on a HD TV. The graphics aren't ugly, but they don't really stand out. The game is basically 2-D with a bit of a false feel of 3D because the trees can be displayed on top of things.

Overall I'd say that this game is a 7.8, but then again I'm sure it could be better with a better TV and the full version of the game.

A Friendly Trip to the Store

2008-04-04T09:22:00.005-04:00

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The Drive into Work

2008-04-03T10:06:00.006-04:00

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Whew, another comic

2008-04-02T11:16:00.008-04:00

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Wait... A comic this soon?

2008-04-01T14:22:00.005-04:00

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Alright so I wasn't going to create a comic until tonight, but it turns out that today is a bit of a slow day so I've created, and as you can see posted the next comic. If I'm feeling really frisky after getting stuff tonight I might start on another one, though I seriously doubt that I'm going to be able to complete two in a day. Especially since I've re-hooked myself to some Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee.

If you want to know what that game is here you go, HSG: OT.

Alright well as I'm looking around the internet I'm having a hell of a time trying to figure out what is real news and which are tricks, I guess I'll refrain from reading anything else so that I can leave with my sanity for the day.

The Saga contines

2008-03-31T21:02:00.006-04:00

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Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer

2008-03-31T10:25:00.002-04:00

I've been playing this game religiously for about a week now, and even though victory still eludes my grasp I think I've played enough to write a review on this game.

First of all if you are reading this, you like RPGs with random dungeons, and own a DS, go out right now and pick it up so that we can help each other through the game. I say this because of the Wi-Fi option of the game. If you die during an attempt to go through the game you can send out a rescue notification, which you have 3 of for the game. Another person with Wi-Fi connection can then look up to see if there is anyone that needs to be rescued, they can then find the character and once found will send the person a revival scroll. The player with the dead character can then use the revival scroll to continue their journey. This process works a lot better if you have friends who have the game and can quickly find your character, instead of just throwing the rescue out to anyone, and you never know if someone is going to help you, or how long its going to take.

The graphics for the game are your standard DS graphics, when not in one of the couple of cities that are spread out across your quest you'll notice that you have your ever present map up. I did find this slightly annoying, but I was still able to see the action so it didn't affect me all that much. Also you have the directions in which you can go constantly at the corners of the screen.

The game play is pretty simple, everything is turned based. If you don't move or perform an action then nothing will move on the screen. You can use that to your advantage, or get destroyed because of that. There are traps dotted throughout the different levels, and there are characters that will join your party to help you through your adventures. On mechanism that can suck is the fullness indicator. Not only do you have to keep your HP up but you also have to monitor your fullness, if it gets to zero you'll start taking damage every step you take. The thing I find strange about this is that there is almost always an abundance of healing herbs if you search each level, but rice balls, the stuff you eat to keep your character full, are almost damn near impossible to find from time to time. There's been the case where I've had all this sweet gear that I'd picked up along the way, and I'm getting Gitans (Money), and items, but because I'm carrying a weapon and a shield my fullness is falling faster and I can't find any rice balls. In the one store that you'll constantly come across there's no guarantee that you'll be able to find rice balls present in there items.

I think that to a degree hurts the overall game. I like the fact that there is a large degree of randomness, it means that its very unlikely that you'll have the same experience twice in a row, but to not be able to have something that is essential to just getting through a level monsters or not is a bit over the top.

There is a mini-game of sorts in the starting village that puts you into a dungeon in which you have to solve the puzzle. Some of the levels are a bit strange, but I think that it definitely allows me to vent some of my adventuring frustrations. Also by completing a challenge you'll be given an item, I believe that is random as well. Thankfully though, as of late I've been getting rice balls as my reward. Oh that reminds me there is one catch to that place, everytime you accept a challenge your inventory disappears so you have to place anything that you won in a warehouse.

The warehouse can be key because everytime you play through the game, if you got some sweet item but don't need it you can leave it there, and then the next time you come through that town, lets say after you died, you can pick up that sweet item.

I think this game is a great buy, if you can find it and I think that if you're like me you'll enjoy the game. I do think, however, that it is crucial for you to know someone else that has the game, otherwise you are going to want to throw your DS through a wall. So I sadly give this game a 6.8 because of the throwing DS factor.

Another Comic delivered in the middle of the night

2008-03-30T00:09:00.007-04:00

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As promised here is the latest comic. I'll try to get the next one up a bit earlier than this past one.

Alright well with that and with no witty remarks I'm off to bed.

TiQal

2008-03-28T14:41:00.002-04:00

I decided to try out this latest addition to the XBOX LIVE arcade, and overall I think that this is a game that I wouldn't mind adding to my collection.

It's a puzzle game where you are trying to place colored blocks that are in different formations on existing layers of blocks. The object of the game, as far as I can tell, is to just stay alive by making at least a square of the same color. If you make the square larger you get more points, and if you make it to a certain size you can get power ups to help you conquer the level.

The controls for the most part are solid. All you really need is the right and left direction, and the X, A, B buttons. From time to time I found myself accidentally releasing puzzle pieces before I got to flip them with the X or B button, but most of the time I was able to survive from my mistakes. The directional movements can sometimes be a bit to sensitive going over 2 spots instead of just the one that you need to drop the piece. Also when flipping a piece sometimes the shape moves slightly differently than you would expect.

The game play is creative and fun. It took me a bit of time to figure out that you had to have your piece holder touch the power ups as they floated up, but once I figured that out I was having a blast. The one thing I have to say is that once you drop a piece it is going to stay exactly how it is dropped, it isn't going to deform. Also once you make a square of the same color the blocks start to light up more and more until the explode to give you points, but if you drop a block of the same color to increase the size of the shape that you've created the blocks will start their lighting up process again. Another feature of the game is that not all the power ups are unlocked for the player right off the bat, if you complete certain levels more power ups are at your disposal.

The graphics are sharp, and I think that if I had a HD TV I'd probably like it even more. The use of colors on the blocks, as well as the backgrounds and the story map look great. The one flaw to the graphics is the choice of text colors and background colors. Almost on every screen that there is some text there is some blending issue making the text difficult to read in places. I know that in some cases they changed the text color to emphasize a point, but they should have been more careful with what the background color was going to be.

Overall I'd have to give this game a 8.2 out of 10. So give it a look over, all you need to do is go onto XBOX Live and download the demo and try out the first 5 levels of the game.

As Promised Another Has Appeared

2008-03-28T12:23:00.006-04:00

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A bit late, but still a comic that gets posted

2008-03-27T22:43:00.007-04:00

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Lord of the Rings Online

2008-03-27T12:06:00.002-04:00

I know that this game has been out there for a while, and it is in the genre that I have a problem with, but I figured I'd review it since I've actually played the game good amount.

Overall this game is your standard MMO affair. For some this game stands out more because of its tie to Tolkien's immortal work. As a person who hasn't immersed myself through all of his works it was the time period and races that drew me into this game.

The graphics, if you have a good card look stunning, and if you don't have that good of a card, well you're going to see some chugging in large areas. I like the more realistic models over those of WoW, but it does sometimes have the feel of WoW reskinned.

The controls are of course sometimes a bit tricky with the quick slots, but if you are use to this type of game it basically follows the same format as other MMOs.

I think the thing that makes this game a good addition to an MMO player's library is the fact that there is an option out there for a lifetime membership which means that you can kiss monthly fees goodbye, now of course the amount you have to pay is a large amount, but if you feel like this is a game that you're going to be playing for a long while then it is the choice for you.

Another thing that makes me happy about this game is the content updates that they've been able to give to the player. I'm excited that there is more and more to the game. The only thing that people gripe about, and I can see their pain, is the same thing in any MMO, there is a ceiling for leveling up. I know that's to keep players under control and make the game more of a challenge.

There are different quests out there for players, and it isn't required for the player to have to complete all of them, of course I'm the idiot who still tries, but I know that once you've gotten to a certain level some quests just disappear. There are retrieval quests, hunting quests, and of course your rescue quests.

Overall this game is yet another MMO, and the content though being increment isn't going to be able to satisfy hardcore gamers after a while.

To be honest I don't think there's an MMO out there that can. There are MMOs out there that have PvP (Peer vs Peer) battles to get exclusive items, but once you've risen to the top boredom can set in overnight.

I'd give this specific MMO a 7.5 out of 10. It has potential, and staying power but its not something that I can honestly say I'll be hooked on until the end of time.

Another Comic Posted

2008-03-26T13:10:00.004-04:00

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GamerTags

2008-03-26T10:51:00.004-04:00

Just in case anyone was ever looking for me on XBOX Live here is my gamer tag, I find it only appropriate since I did give my Wii numbers, it's only fair.

I'm pretty sure I'm also wizardofthorns for the PSN, but I would have to check up on that one.

Well as you can see I'm posting a lot, and I've gotten a couple of requests to break up the posts into categories so that people can navigate a bit easier, but sadly I don't think that blogger (the host site) has something like that. So it would appear that the only way to keep up with the action is come back daily. I'm seeing a pattern in my writing, and it says daily. Maybe not daily comics, or daily reviews (well that will happen until I probably run out of games, which will take a while). Speaking of games, I still have yet to put my list of games up, I'll have to grab that list off my laptop and throw it up for people to see, I just have to think about how I'd format it so it doesn't look like crap, and it doesn't take 36 pages worth of space.

Alright back to the working thing that I do. I'll be back I'm sure, and if you have a comment about a post present or past please just leave your comment and I'll answer it, I'm pretty quick on the turn around so don't be surprised if I can comment on your comment or answer your question shortly after you posted.

College Hoops 2K8 ( PS3)

2008-03-26T07:14:00.003-04:00

I know this game has been out there since September, but with March Madness in full swing and the sweet 16 getting underway I'd like to talk about this game anyways.

I've been a huge fan of the not-EA sports franchises, and I have to say that this one ranks up at the top. It could be that I'm a huge college hoops fan, and I have an obsession with certain teams, but I think its also the fact that this is a really well made game.

The graphics are always going to be close to the top for a sports game, especially on the PlayStation3. Sure there are small hiccups from time to time on my SD TV, but I can ignore them because I'm into playing the game. The crowd, though generic also look pretty decent, and the cheerleaders are almost as crisp as the players.

The game play is also pretty solid. The problem I have is that in real life the game of basketball is played with ever changing strategies, you wouldn't run the same play 10 times in a row, especially if the other team picks off a pass every time after the third time. I understand why they do it though, its to decrease the chance of a lot of collisions on the court and as a result someone going through another player. The low post moves really need to be looked at, the mechanism for backing down and posting up doesn't really seem to be present. My final problem with the game play is the interpretations that the system takes on what I want to do with the ball, while shooting. I sometimes want to do a layup but instead I get a pull up jumper. There are also times where I want to do a turn around jumper towards the basket but instead I get a fade away jumper. Finally there are times where I want the shooter to take the shot like he did when 6 feet from the hoop at 9 and his entire shooting mechanism changes to a slow developing shot instead of a quick throw up.

Now we come to the sound. If you don't play legacy mode, or season mode you might never experience this, but if you play into Legacy mode at least 3 years through certain things are going to happen. The announcers are going to start stating things that sound weird to you such as while shooting a free-throw, "He's wide open, and he hits the free throw". My personal favorite though is "They are down by 9", upon looking at the scoreboard it is 7-2.

There is one more game play thing that I forgot. At half time you get coach's tips. Its basically a list of things you're doing well, and a list of things that need improving. What I don't understand is when I have only shot baskets close to the hoop, and am up by double digits why the tips tell me that "don't shoot the ball down low our shots aren't falling.". The other one is "our press is backfiring we need to ease off of it", this being said after I've stole the ball 10 times because of the press defense.

After all is said and done, and the fact that there is a chance for underdogs to pull of victories in this game I'm going to give it a 8.2 out of 10. There is a lot of room for improvement which I've quickly talked about above, but the game is solid enough that I can ignore most of it.

First Comic Posted

2008-03-25T15:34:00.010-04:00

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The Rating Scale

2008-03-25T10:03:00.003-04:00

Seeing as I was called out I'm going to just throw out the primitive scale that I have right now, I will be refining it, but for now its just on a scale of 0 to 10, that's right there is the possibility of a 0. I can think of one game that gets it right off the top of my head.

Stake: Fortune Fighter (XBOX).

This was one of those games that you and a bunch of friends threw all their change in and wanted to see what they could by for $2.49. What we were able to buy was the most confusing and terribly done game, I'm sure that there is someway to salvage the title, but I think you'd have to put in more grueling hours than trying to administer water torture to someone.

On a side note a game that did pan out of the throw the change together scheme is Eternal Eyes (PS) $1.59, now that's a game that I actually got sucked into and played for 16 straight hours. Its a tactics game, so if you like Phantom Brave, LaPuecelle, or FF:Tactics this game is up your alley.

I think I'm going to refine the rating system once I've gotten about 10 reviews up, and when I do I'll probably go back over those game and give the new rating system to them.

PATAPON

2008-03-24T08:15:00.003-04:00

Let me start off by saying that this game can get so addictive. You'll want to play it for just a little bit and end up playing it for half an hour to an hour. It is a great addition to anyone's PSP library.

You are a God and control a nation of creatures trying to get to IT. You issue commands by rhythmically pressing keys in different patterns. As you adventure on you'll be given new units, as well as weapons, and items to create the units. Also after a couple missions you'll be able to get a couple extra items by playing your horn for the tree whose crown always itches.

Overall this game is intense, there is a really jump in room for error in the game, and I think that is why there are going to be plenty of people out there that are going to have to wear the wrist strap, if they've even ever put it on, to keep from throwing the PSP in frustration. Depending on when you slightly don't get the beat or miss the pattern entirely you could have just sent your entire army to an early grave.

I think for those who are willing to try levels over and over again they will find that this game is a great game and gives you a sense of accomplishment after you've finally completely a level after about 7+ times. For those who want the action, some difficulty but the ability to mess up and still be able to advance, after the first 7 levels, this game is not for you.

I think my biggest problem is that there is no true pause feature, sure you can hit the start button and it will bring up a pop up but you are going to lose your combo of successful beat patterns, and worst of all you will still be getting attacked and damaged. For a portable game system game I believe that this is a must, you have to be able to truly pause the game. Certain levels will not allow for you to break the rhythm so that you can go to the bathroom, take a phone call, answer a question, or get yourself something to eat/drink.

I'm sorry to say that because of its flaws I'm going to have to give it a 6.5, I'd love to give it something better but my frustration with the game is an all time high right now seeing as I've played the same level 12 times and have still yet to advance.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village

2008-03-19T09:23:00.003-04:00

I picked up this game a while back, and I think I even mentioned it in a blog but I felt that it deserved a better review than just a passing thought. This game is for the Nintendo DS, and if I had to put it in a category I'd say its a puzzle mystery.

You play as Professor Layton, or his boy genius assistant Luke, depending on the puzzle. You have been sent to a village to solve the mystery of the golden apple, but as soon as you show up all hell breaks loose and you find that there is more going on in the village than first meets the eye.

It soon becomes apparent that it is no longer just your task to solve the mystery of the golden apple, but also those of a couple other mysteries.

It is really hard to talk about this game without giving away much of the game. The basic controls of the game are simple arrows at the sides of the screen that will navigate you from one section of the city to another. You'll meet several people who all seem to have a riddle, or a puzzle that is stumping them, and if you can solve it they will give you information to help you solve the mysteries.

There are three side quests in the game you'll also be trying to complete. They are a painting, a mechanical machine, and room setups. Throughout the game while your adventuring there will be times when you successfully solve a puzzle that you'll be given an item, those items will be used in one of the three side quests.

I've played the entire game, I didn't get a 100% completion, but I have to say that this game hooked me and I couldn't put it down until I beat it. I would constantly find myself sneaking away to get in a couple more puzzles.

The graphics were pretty standard for a DS game, most of the game was either a flat background drawn in 3D, or 2D characters shifting back and forth in one spot. From a programmer's prospective that means that there is the possibility of more game because the memory really isn't being all that used by graphics. So as a gamer that makes me a happy camper because that means more game for me, and its the kind of game that I'd like to have more of.

There is also the option of downloading new puzzles, but I really haven't looked into that sadly.

If I had to give this game a score I'd give it a 9.4.

Super Smash Brothers

2008-03-17T08:45:00.003-04:00

So I picked up Super Smash Bros. over the weekend, and I have to say that right off the bat I was able to breath a sigh of relief as after the quick update and console restart I was able to actually play the game. I've heard that there have been instances of getting the dreaded "can't read disc" error, and I'm just happy that I've still yet to see it.

So lets talk about the game real quick. It is everything that you wanted in a SB game. It has a huge roster of characters, and I think that most people will find that character that they'll be comfortable with. I do have to say that the action is slightly slower than it was in Melee, but for me that's a good thing. I think the reason for slowing it down a bit was so that people who don't have the world's best TVs could actually keep up with the action, and maybe even keep up with where their character is on the screen.

There is so much to this game, there are a ton of stages, a ton of characters, a ton of items, and an interesting adventure game all rolled up into one. The adventure game is in my mind a great move. It gives the player something a little different from the "play x hours or matches to unlock this player". As you go through the adventure you'll be able to open up characters that you meet. I am a bit concerned with some characters that were mention as being in the game that I have still yet meet, but I've still got 20% of the adventure left according to my save file.

The ability to play with a gamecube controller or a wii-mote was yet another good move. I've tried both controller schemes and for me personally I've found that the cube controller is the way to go. Ironically enough, though, the one character I was good at using with the wii-mote setup was Ice-Climbers. I have to say that I don't see that character in play a lot, but maybe its just me or the company that I keep.

The one thing that I haven't been able to try is the online mode, I'm excited and a bit scared of it. I'm excited because I can play my friends online and whoop their ass with Link, that's right he's the man to get the job done, or I can actually play someone I've never met and don't have their Wii Code. I think being able to do that was a great decision on Nintendo's part. I know that they are trying to keep their games tame, and with the friend code protection you're not going to be forced into playing against a douchebag, like you get to do in Halo. The problem is that not everyone knows a ton of people with Wiis, so when they want to test their skills they yearn for something more, and this gives them a chance to do so.

I know that in today's society its all about the High-Def-ness of the game and system, but I have to say for a guy who still can't afford a high def TV, Smash Bros looks amazing. The cut-scenes, the action, even the menus seem clean and appealing. I don't think anyone would be surprised by this but Nintendo has yet again got a game that can knock everyone's socks off.

So as my inaugural review comes to a close I'm going to give a score to this game, and I have to say that even though there are things yet to be seen, I'm willing to give this game a 9. After I play some online action, well see if the grade stays the same, or if it moves.

The Parking Lot Experience

2008-02-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

I keep forgetting to post about this, so since I'm kind of stuck on my coding for the moment I figured that I'd take this chance to write a quick story, its true, and it involves a co-worker and I...

So this past week we have been on a 10 hour a day schedule, well most of us, there are those who already worked 10 a day so they got bumped up to 13, but we're not going to get into that because it is not my place to talk about it.

At every lunch we got to eat on the company money, so we chose from a variety of places, it was on Thursday when this story takes place. I had recommended the local deli which is just up the road if you go straight through the college campus. So me and my co-worker went to get the order, not knowing how large the order would be to carry we decided to park and go in together. So we pulled into the parking lot while it was raining to discover there were only 4 available spots left in the lot, and of course they were in the opposite corner of where we wanted to be. We braved the walk through the parking lot and got into the deli, and got our order. THE END...

Well not really because the story doesn't begin until we get back to the car. We have all the food packed away and start the engine heading for the exit of the lot knowing full well that we have to pay a dollar to get out of the lot. There are two machines that will take the ticket and then ask for money so we go to the left most one. It sluggishly took the ticket and then gave it back to me. At this moment I was concerned so I decided, before the car behind me could take the other machine, I backed out and went to the other machine. This machine took the ticket faster but just to fuck with me threw it back at me at the speed it took it. So after another 6 or 7 attempts my co-worker gets out of the car and talks to the parking person who is just sitting in her car chatting it up on her cell phone. Remember it is raining, and so he and the parking person start talking, he is told that we need to use the call box because she can't do anything to help.

So I try to use the call box, and all we get is the voicemail. At this time there are quite a few cars starting to want to get out and they are beeping their horn, but after a while they see that no one is moving. My co-worker decides to see if he can't just manually open the gate so that we can get the food back to the office because at this point its been 10 minutes. I of course am still trying to use the call box. Soon a student from the university declares that he is stuck in his spot and has a test in 5 minutes so he helps try to open the gate, so they both go at it and get the car in the left side out. Sadly though driving an SUV I can't fit under the gate so I just have to keep pressing the button. Finally I get someone on the line but because it isn't clear that you have to press an additional button to talk to the person they hang up as they have no response to their greeting. I call again and get the man again, I tell him we are stuck in the parking lot all 12 cars that are trying to leave right now. The man informs me that I have to put my ticket into the machine in order to leave. I then informed the man that I had been doing that all along as well as trying to get him to pick up the phone. It was then that he decided that he would send someone.

Thankfully the ticket started to work a couple of minutes later and we were out of there, with the now slightly cooler or warmer food depending on the state they were in when we started this adventure, with a story to tell the company and now the internet.

The moral of the story is don't ever expect shit to go smoothly there is always something that is going to fuck up your day ever so slightly.