TGIF, video games, and cats

It's Friday. And I'm tired. Probably because I'm making slow but steady progress in the two games that are currently occupying my time. What will you guys play this weekend?

I need to find a good crockpot to sleep in...

Next-next-next-next-next gen consoles

Never before has the progress of technology screwed people over as much as this year alone. It's roughly assumed that technology nowadays can become obsolete at an average of six months, and this generation's console wars is no exception. Now, more than ever, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony want all your video game bucks, and anything goes.

But, what's going on with these new console releases? There's paperwork proof that a new PS3 model may exist for future sales, and some rumors of a new Xbox 360 system coming out by Christmas? Are they trying to annoy us? Well, if they are...mission accomplished, assholes.

So what's the count now? Sony has had four unique systems (20GB, 60GB, 80GB, and the upcoming 40GB), and Xbox 360 has five (Core, the upcoming Core HDMI, Professional, Professional HDMI, and the Elite). And here I thought releasing two different systems at launch was ridiculous enough.

The whole "different-flavor-of-the-month" systems gave me a spin when I was contemplating an Xbox 360 purchase. When I wanted one, the Elite came out. While I was figuring out what the hell "HDMI" was, The Professional system with HDMI came out. Before I consider a purchase, are you done yet, Microsoft? Are you sure?

In the end, they're just making enhanced clones of their own systems and selling them under the same name. Which is absolutely brilliant on their part. Why, you ask? Because then they can claim that their system sold X million units, when actually it's the sum of sales from each different sku. Are the people with Core 360 systems and 20GB PS3s pissed? Probably. Did they sell their systems to get money to buy a better one? I wouldn't put it past them. Was this figured into final sales? You bet your bippy it did.

And what are the differences? Disk space? Different ports? Couldn't they just release some base system and sell add-ons? I would've bought regular hard drive expansions if given the option, or perhaps an extra adapter to use different cables. At least I'll have the ability to control where my money's going, instead of investing it all in one lump sum toward one of four different consoles.

Nintendo has only one Wii out, which is doing great all on its own. The problem, though, is that it lacks the cool accessories that can push its competition level up to the big boys...like a USB keyboard, or external USB hard drive compatibility.

All bitching aside, I just want a new console. Is that too much to ask?

Note: Sorry for today's image. I sorta took out the frustration from this post on the picture.

If video game reviews could talk...

Ever since Zero Punctuation started on the Escapist, I've been going to the site every Wednesday for Yahtzee's take on the victim...er, I mean video game of the week. It's a nice break from reading the same, boring, stuffy reviews I see everywhere. I'd even say it's constructive criticism...if you call ranting a video game review in a British accent for 5 minutes "constructive"...which I do.

I mean, the average web surfer (points to myself) takes collectively 5 minutes tops when reading a review, that's it. I really don't take the time to take in all the carefully edited text, with all its "overall" and "however" points...I read what I want, and then chuck it to the trash like moldy leftovers.

Zero Punctuation practically does it all for me, seasoned with English wit and vulgarity. And we all know when it comes to wit and vulgarity, British comedy is the best. Below is one about the console wars that I didn't noticed until today, but all of his reviews are worth watching at least once.

Playable art - Manifold

Manifold is an extremely short diversion, but the concept's pure and simple - using gravitational anomalies, you navigate your player to the exit. Despite killing only a half hour of my time, the game, in the end, is extremely artsy and relaxing.

Hyping...to the EXTREME!!

I heard Halo 3 is coming out today. Call it a hunch. Heard the game's good, too, which I'm sure it is. Really. I'm just not wetting-my-pants-in-anticipation excited. It's another game's release, and on a system I currently don't own at the moment, so forgive me if I don't exude the giddiness of a high-school girl.

Everything I said above is in all honesty - there is no sarcastic or belittling tone to it whatsoever. I'm just, all in all, not as insane as other fans of the game. And insane they are, lining up for the game for its midnight release.

The one thing I don't get, however, is all the promotion that came out of it - the Halo 3 system, the Halo 3 Zune, and the Halo 3 Mountain Dew drink?? Isn't it just a game??

True, over-hyping a game is nothing new in the industry...but is Mountain Dew now for the "extreme" AND hardcore? Is the Halo 3 gamer drinking this while playing Halo 3 on his Halo 3 system, and then listening to music on his Halo 3 Zune? All while wearing a Halo 3 outfit?

Excuse me while I "Halo 3" hurl.

The "classics," all in one classy controller

So I finally bought a classic controller. I wasn't doing too bad with just the Wiimote and a few NES titles, and the only N64 title I have I was just using the GameCube controller for. But, when it came down to getting Super Metroid (SNES), neither controller would cut it for me.

I guess this is as "Dual-shocky" as Nintendo will get, with its classic controller sporting the dual analogs side by side. Tried it out on Mario Kart 64, with decent results. It's more comfortable than playing with the GameCube controller, and it feels a bit more...well, classic. Still sucks that the Wiimote needs to be attached to it, but it's still not so bad.

But all in all, I'm looking forward to more SNES titles to come out. Any day now, Square Enix
...any day.

Snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake!!

The second-to-biggest news this week at the Smash Bros Dojo site is the addition of Snake from Metal Gear Solid into the roster. After seeing the images of Snake in action, however, I think they should've came with some caption setting up the moment.

"What's that you got there? A 'Super Scope'? Well, lemme introduce you to this!"

"'Fire Emblem' has nothing on my game, you got that??"

"Surprise! It's-a-me...Snake!!"

Now, if he got health from gnawing on other players, that would be awesome.

The "MySims" Show

I've never been much of a fan for The Sims. The idea of wasting your life playing a game about making a life is, by my standards, the very definition of irony. A second definition of the word can be found here, too...aside from their weird variations for living.

I mean, if you're gonna play a game where your character interacts with a community of other similar characters, it's more relaxing when it's something not quite so realistic. From certain popular MMORPGs to odd, candy-filled towns, people enjoy it more when it's something that they can say "what if" instead of "hey, that's me playing on the computer!"

EA took a page from Animal Crossing this time around, though, and made MySims for the Wii. The major draw from this game has got to be the "super-deformed" characters that walk around. Sure, they're suppose to be humans, but we take it less seriously when they're "super-deformed." Like Verne Troyer.

The one thing I wished they implemented was online support. How could they release a Sims game without online support? I would've enjoyed visiting other people's towns and hung around, or the very least offer some sending of presents to other characters on other Wiis. Instead, your character's stuck living by himself, talking with pre-set neighbors. Where have I seen this before?

This post shouldn't have been written

First of all, my apologies for the last post. For some stupid reason, Blogger thought that yesterday's post was a Wednesday's post, when actually it was a Thursday's post. And it wasn't a draft copy or anything, so I don't know how they screwed that up. But, for the record, the previous post was a Thursday's post.

Don't worry, I'll have more than one post today to make up for their error.

Domestic abuse and Wii

The interactivity in Metroid Prime 3 makes me feel all more energetic playing the game - more so than my normal laid back slump with my thumbs making the only movement. I just got the grappling hook and started latching on and yanking off pieces of doors, fragments, and other objects with the nunchuk attachment with finesse. And the Wiimote is awesome for the free aiming; no more holding down the right trigger to aim!

But, ever since I got my HDTV, I've become more aware of the dangers that can occur. I'm pretty safe playing my Wii. I use my Wii-straps at all times, and make sure everyone else does the same...but thoughts of the worst that can happen to my TV still linger.

Not only that, but in general you're swinging around two pieces of plastic. The last thing I want to do is to cast my grappling hook, only to knock my wife in the back of the head. I don't want to explain to officers that I was playing a video game when I smacked my spouse. That would be a stupid reason to get arrested for.

Scan first, shoot later

I love exploring new game worlds as much as the next gamer, but shouldn't there be some logic when deciding whether to kill your enemy or analyze it? In fact, in all Metroid Prime games, this has been an odd issue - in order for an enemy to be completely analyzed, you need to scan it properly. Which takes time. Time that's not paused while the enemy wonders what the fuck you're doing just staring at him while he pumps you full of plasma shots and grenades.

Don't get me wrong - the scan visor in Metroid Prime 3 is absolutely cool, allowing me to manually search for a back story to the main story via idle consoles that happen to have progressive information relevant to my current situations. I just rather use it on something that's not running towards me with the intent to kill.

If any games maintain enemy stats, they're usually recorded almost as immediately as the first confrontation. Rogue Galaxy is a perfect example, where all you need to do is kill the bastards and it's in your battle log.

I guess it's practical to know what you're up against in a fleeting moment to know its weaknesses. You know what's a better way? SHOOT AT IT! If their body doesn't get damaged, then it's not a weakness!

Maybe have the game autoscan the enemy, or perhaps give me enough time to look up the enemy's weak points before it comes barrelling at me with guns blazing. I just don't want my first instinct in battle to "Sherlock Holmes" the drooling beast while it lunges for my jugular.

Twenty-twenty-twenty four hours to go...I wanna be "Corrupted"

Okay, I give up...for now. I gave it the good ol' college try, but I think I'll have to shelve Metroid Prime 2 and put it on hiatus for now. Metroid Prime 3's draw of Wii-controlled aiming is making my hands itch to no end, and I desire to utilize my newly-repaired Wii as much as I can.

It's not like I don't like the game's format. Having two maps that are mirrors of each other, with slight variation is certainly not a new concept in video games, nor is it one that I wouldn't want to be involved with - it's literally twice the amount of gameplay.

I think the main reason that made me stop was that I was playing a GameCube game on my Wii. Sure, the component cables and progressive scan mode make playing the game all the more awesome, and I don't think I can return to my composite-connected GameCube to continue the light-dark fight.

It's just that...I'm playing a GameCube game on my Wii.

I feel like I did a great injustice to my Wii's triumphant return to my household by playing a game that I should have played (and finished) on my older TV. It's not like I wanted to not play the game; I just wanted to play it in order, so that I wouldn't be in the dark about anything.

Sorry, Echoes...but I need to get my waggle on.

They grow up so fast...

My living room is my domain. It's a treasure trove of treats for my eyes and ears, and I take care of it constantly. And I make do with what I got; if I had just an endtable, I'll make it an endtable with a TV on it, and organize all my media devices in the best possible setup. And, in fact, that was my setup...until now.

This weekend, I assembled a nice TV stand that was given to us as a gift (Thanks, Che!). The instructions weren't exactly Ikea-simple, but the process was relatively effortless and, in the end, we have a glorious TV stand, which you see below.

Unfortunately, I don't have a "before" picture of my TV setup, but "before," my Wii and PS2 were both on the floor. Now, they grace the sides of my HDTV, like guards to the throne. And most of my DVDs and games are off the floor and fill my bottom shelf, like lowly peasants. And my kingdom's a nice, sleek black.

I'm so proud...like father proud. Except my child's a living room.

P.S. Yes, yes, I know...I have no PS3 or Xbox 360. Yet. Thankfully, with my newly acquired space, that possibility is much more open. Mmmmmm, space......

Access denied

It seems my happiness from my Wii's return is stifled by one obstacle - I now have a different Wii code. I completely forgot that with a new system comes a new Wii code. And here I was, happily sending messages to my friends through the Wii, wondering all this time why no one responded to my messages. I wonder if Nintendo auto-sends an updated message to people sending messages to my old Wii, telling them my new code.

So I Skyped, AIMed, called, and emailed my friends that my Wii code's now different.

Good thing I have a game that connects online, or else that last sentence would've made me sound like such a tool...

Gamer's lag

There's no feeling quite like that feeling you get when you return to a game you played eons ago (i.e. a few months) and remember nothing from your last save. I'm talking about the "what-button-do-I-press-to-attack" feeling you get as you watch your character get bitch-slapped by the last enemy you'd expect to kick your ass; the "where-the-hell-am-I-and-what-am-I-suppose-to-do" feeling as you wander the map mindlessly figuring out what your objective was; the "how-the-fuck-do-you-reload" as the sniper head-shoots you from 500 yards.

The fact is, it takes some time to get back into the game's "groove," and it's this precious length of time that many gamers don't want to spend again just to go back into a game that they dismissed a while ago. And with the constant flavor-of-the-month games that are released frequently, gamers don't have much time to thoroughly play and enjoy each game that drops in their lap.

It's important for a gamer to dedicate him- or herself to a game that they truly enjoy; to see it through to the end and give it the respect it deserves. Or, if the game was lost in the fray, to return to it on a timely basis and continue to make progress. I don't think I would have forgiven myself if I didn't finish Okami at all, or if I left Odin Sphere behind for something only half as good. On my plate now are Rogue Galaxy and Metroid Prime 2, with a little DS action on the side.

The only drawback? I don't start new games as immediately as their release dates.

That, and, ironically, I have to stop playing other games to dedicate myself to another.

It's a vicious cycle.

Things gamers take for granted: Thumbs

After watching Heidi play some Yoshi's Island DS, she came to a point where you had to race against the switch block timer and sprint to the top of the cliff before time ran out and the platforms disappeared. 10 minutes of countless failed attempts go by, and then I noticed a flaw in her button control that many gamers take for granted: The thumb-and-joint technique. Y'know, the method of holding down the "run" button with the tip of your thumb, and then, while keeping the "run" button pressed, bending the thumb's first joint to hit the jump button?

I teach her this vital technique, and (after another 5 minutes of frustration and agony) she finally reached the top of the cliff, with congratulatory pats to the back and plenty of self-applause. But it got me wondering...when did people learn to use this?

The farthest I can remember using this is with Super Mario Bros. on the NES, back in the days when, near the end, that's all you can do. You can't possibly make those wide jumps without keeping the B button down while jumping with the A button. Sure, you could employ the index-and-middle-finger technique (controller flat on ground/table, with index finger on the B button, and the middle finger on the A button), but that method required a flat surface as well. And, I don't think there was anything in the manual that told gamers specifically to control two buttons with one finger. Without Shiggy's knowledge at the time, the thumb-and-joint technique became a pivotal point in platform gaming, and, in a wider sense, in gaming evolution.

Without this, many games would've been nigh impossible to complete. For me, Hudson's Adventure Island is a prime example of a game that absolutely needed constant running and perfect timing of each jump to complete the ridiculously-hard levels near the end. (Did I even finished the game? Oh well, I can always get the Virtual Console version later)

So, raise that thumb high in the air, gamer, and give it its obligatory "thumbs up." Without them, gamers would be stuck with DDR games...and we would be ruled by monkeys.

The founding "mother" of bitchin' chicks

So, in that short, short, short Wii absence, I broke out the ol' GameCube and popped in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes to play while I waited. I forgot, though, that it was still connected to my HDTV with composite cables, so it felt a little muddy in the graphics. Made me realize how happy I am now to have component cables for my Wii.

I mean, it's not something new to me. I tested out the component-and-progressive-scan waters the first time when I got my component cables, and was mildly impressed. I guess I had to "walk a mile in the GameCube's shoes" to realize how much a difference it made.

Oh, and I cracked open the Wii game and watched the gameplay screens that play while idle. Oh mama...now I have two visor-wearing games to play through! And you play as a bitchin' chick! How cool is that?

Then again, it's just a label...

That was fast. Super fast. I didn't even have time to miss it. And all the data seems to be back intact - didn't need to use my SD card backup to recover any losses. The only change is the different serial number on the bottom. Sorta like this Wii is my old one's evil twin, except this one has that one distinguishable flaw. And my old Wii is trapped somewhere in a jail, trying desperately to reason with its captors that he is not the one they're looking for, and that if they don't do something fast, his twin will get away with his evil scheme. But they don't believe him, and he gets beat up behind bars, while the evil one sits in front of me, snickering at how everything is going according to plan.

Great, now my Wii's evil. It's Wii-vil! BWAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Eh, it's back. That's all that matters. That, and which game to play now: the old or the new.

[UPDATE]
In case you guys were wondering, my Wii went in for repairs last Friday, and just got back yesterday, Monday - a mere 4 days! (6, if you include the fact I shipped it last Wednesday)

[UPDATE to UPDATE]
Okay, yesterday was Tuesday, not Monday. So, it took 5 days, 7 with shipping. I'm stupid.

Lumines? Lumines...

Okay, I feel I should provide a back story to this, so here it goes:

I bought a PSP when it came out so I could play Lumines. I bought Lumines. Loved playing Lumines. Played Lumines to death. Then played a little Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee. Then went back to playing Lumines. Wasn't interested in crop of games that came out, and played another system more. Much more. Traded PSP and games in for Xbox 360, and then returned the Xbox 360 because I realized I wouldn't have much time playing more games on a new system. The end.

Now that you know that, know that I am again interested in the new PSP slim.

Yes, it's lighter, has video out, and, yes, there are some games now that I'm interested in playing or obtaining. The question I ask myself now is, will I still be playing it after I buy it?

I think I'm a bit more confident that I'll give it more playtime now. That is, if I ever stop playing Lumines...

No Wii for me!!

So my Wii is officially in the shop. Called them yesterday and found out that it has been received. Can't say I'm not bummed, but the way I see it, I have about a week to tie up some loose ends - or, in my case, start some.

Nursing my bruised video-game ego

Fixed that missing pic in the post below. Don't know why it disappeared, but it's back again.

Remember the Persona 3 drama a week ago, where I suffered some online-store bullshit, resulting in my order cancellation and surrendering to EB Games? Welcome to part 2 of this interesting saga.

So, I got wind of some coupon at K-Mart for $10 off $50 for the weekend, so I quickly jumped all over it on Saturday, buying a game that I won't be playing for a while. During the purchase, I noticed another copy of Persona 3 lying in the shelf, and the "money-saving" gears in my head begin to churn. Sunday, I returned to pick up Persona 3 for $10 off, and proceed to go back to EB with my K-Mart copy and EB receipt, all ready to seal off my money-saving scheme.

I go up to the female clerk to return the game, who promptly asks, "awww, why are you returning this game? It's soooooo good."

Now I know the whole motto of "the customer's always right," but I still feel bad for returning goods. Like I'm somehow hurting the store's "feelings." Which is silly, because they'll sell your used games faster than their own souls. However, the earnest and somewhat endearing delivery from the female clerk irked the "oh crap, I made a woman upset" feeling in me, to which I replied "um...because I...um, need the money now, and...I'll buy it again later when I can."

Which was true - in the lamest and simplest terms. Man, the things I'll say just to get $10 back.

"Oh, okay. The game's really good..."

(Here we go. Yeah, I heard. Will probably play it later tonight with my other copy.)

"...And these games are so hard to find now..."

(Yes, yes...Atlus games are notorious for making short supplies of their games. I know, I know...)

"...Right now, I'm trying to find Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, since it's out of print, and is selling on eBay for up to $150..."

(Uh-huh, yeah I...) What??

"Yeah, it's so hard to find..."

At this point, I'm still thinking "$150" when the manager came out to finish the refund, since the girl had some trouble. Soon enough, he gave my refund, and I began to wander away from the register when I heard the next customer ask, "hi, do you have anymore copies of Persona 3 in stock?"

Surprised by the coincidence, I turned around.

"Actually," the manager says, "we just happened to have a copy here. This man (gestures to me) returned this copy just now."

The woman (probably in her teens), quickly whipped 180 degrees to me, and, with her shoulders shrugged and hands in the air, exclaimed, "Why didja returned it," asking as if I just kicked a kitten 20 yards for a field goal and spiking the dead feline while doing a victory dance.

Feeling cornered, I uttered, "um...uh...my friend got me the game for cheaper, actually..."

"Oh...okay." And she turned back around.

In the end, I came out $10 richer - at the expense of a Persona 3 mental gang beating.

From cute to puke in 6 seconds flat

My wife, Heidi, does not have Gameritis. If she does, it's a very "cute," not "acute," case. And no, that's not a clever play of words to make me sound like the Wit King of Kingdom Witty, between Joke Town and Pun Village. But I digress...If the game has something cute, my wife will likely give it a chance.

It is this reason that she decided to start playing Yoshi's Island DS.

I mean, the game's full of children's drawings, all of which attract her attention as she gleefully plays through each level. But the first one to make her unleash her super "awwwwww" was this character:

I can understand the appeal she has for this nameless kangaroo; it has huge eyes, a large nose/face/head/something, and a ridiculously gaping pocket for Yoshi to ride in. Oh, and it jumps. A lot.

Me? It looks like a sock puppet with legs, but what do I know - I'm a guy.

Oh, and this kangaroo only jumps. In certain bonus levels. That's all.

I'm sure that if this single-purpose character talked, it would've pushed its cuteness level beyond measure and absolutely make Heidi's day. Like, if it said "hello" in a deep, elongated baritone. Or, if it did a silly little dance. Or, if it said "hello" while doing a silly little dance.

For me, I'm wondering if that's really a pocket or not. It would be pretty foul if Yoshi jumped in, only to be shot up in the air by some noxious methane gas. Or worser still. Like "goatse" worse. Don't know? Don't ask. And don't look it up during work.

Your suit would be brown, too, if you drove in this...

This is exactly how I imagined UPS shipped my broken Wii for repairs. Godspeed, my broken Wii...Godspeed.

Vanillaware + Ninjas + Wii = wet pants

Vanillaware, you've pushed my PS2 to its 2D-graphical limit with Odin Sphere. And now you're bringing your 2D touch to the Wii?

Excuse me while I change my clothes.

Second chances

Well, in one fell swoop, Okami's complete and off the list. The final battles were pretty nice, and the format made me happy to have finally finished the game. But after the final credits rolled past, the game unveiled a final task that most games now employ - the opportunity to play again.

Now, you'd think that, for a game that I played a lot then took a long break then came back to it only to clock in another 27 more hours into it (yeah, side quests), I'd be like "WTF???!?! Are you kidding me?? I'm finally done, you bitch!!!" But then the wave of unlocked stuff came pouring on the screen, sorta like the game saying "c'mon, if you play, I'll give you these goodies." Then I'll be like "but you lost your luster at one time," and then the game says "I'll let you start with 75% maximum health, all previous items, and your side quests intact."

"You had me at 'goodies'..." *tear*

So I started a new game with my new shiny save slot (new games+ are distinguished by different colors), and then began on familiar territory. And since it's my second time through, I'm skipping through all cut scenes and kicking monster ass in record time. "Wow," I thought, "this is gonna be a breeze to play again!"

...wait a minute...

You tired me out with your large maps, bored me with countless side quests, and percentaged me to death on every little item you can collect.

Sorry, Okami - now it's my time to turn you off.

(Runs into the open arms of Rogue Galaxy)

Did you miss me?

A "novel" theory

Well, my Wii is finally going on its trip to be repaired. I pray for its safety during its week-long absence, but at the same time it'll free up some time to play catch-up with my other games. Okami will be done this week (if I can stop the side quests), and then I'll have to finish up Rogue Galaxy's story, which I've played fairly close to the end but then got left behind in the new-game dust. And I've got it all planned out when my Wii returns, with a return to Super Paper Mario to complete, then I'll go start Metroid Prime 3.

I mean, these games are good enough to play through completely in one sitting, but with all the games that come out, I tend to lose my concentration and then play the next big thing. One analogy I relate playing video games is that it's like, ironically, reading good books. Which makes sense, since I almost do the same things with books. Then I can say reading good books is akin to playing video games. This, therefore, can be declared a "Circle of Life" of sorts - if life consisted of only playing video games and reading good books.

Now, I can spew a whole analysis of the similarities and differences, but I'm not. I mean, it's not that hard to understand. I read a good book, reach a slow part of the story, then get tired of reading it; I play a good game, reach a slow part of the story, then get tired of playing it.

On the other spectrum, I've only read up to Douglas Adam's second book of his "Hitchhiker" series, partially read some Agatha Christie novels, and only read part of the first chapter of Bruce Campbell's "Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way."

However, when you finish a game/book, you feel better, no matter what. It's the sense of immediate satisfaction and accomplishment when you see the credits rolls or read that last page. I'm proud to say I've completed Beyond Good and Evil back in the day before it got its status as a "must play if you haven't already" game. I also completely read "Timeline" before its movie cherry was popped and violated by this man. Believe me, the books a much more interesting read than whatever the movie portrayed it as. Oh, and did I mentioned that I have never, nor will ever, watched the movie adaptation?

Oh yeah, and books about video games, or video games about books? My head already hurts now, and I don't wanna start.

"As the PS3 Turns"

Well, it looks like the system's back in stock. But, then again, it did say it was "backordered," to which they did the extraordinary and restocked it so it wasn't backordered anymore. Wow...it must be an internet first for an online store to replenish their inventory when all there units were depleted.

C'mon, Sony. I won't believe it's sold out unless you put a big, fat sign on your front page saying you're completely out, and then remove the listing from your store altogether. I bet that it wasn't even sold out, and that it was a cheap ploy to make people think they have a shorter time to grab a cheap system (albeit still expensive).

And the rumors that the newer system is predicted to go the same way doesn't help. I'm sure it will in sales, but in terms of integrity (which was lost a long time ago), it bears an ill wind.

This feels like a bad morning soap opera, and Sony's their own evil twin.

Animal pr0n

I've heard the comparisons that Okami has a Zelda-like gameplay style, but has anyone stopped to think why? I mean, Amaterasu may be the result of some beastiality at a Hyrulian kegger party.

Running in circles

So long story short, I ended up buying Persona 3, which will officially mark my first dive into the Shin Megami Tensei world. After all the nice reviews and different method of leveling up (Ironically, you need to be social and get along with your friends in-game to do so), I've decided to pick it up.

Oh, and you get a free artbook and soundtrack as well for the same price as the regular game. Lucky! (^____^)V

....

Ahem, anyways...the long story of it was that I originally found a good deal at my favorite deal-finding site to go to some apparently-popular-in-another-part-of-the-Americas entertainment store, so I bit and waited. And waited. And waited. During the waiting, I perused the forums of the original post of the good deal at said deal-finding site, only to find that some people were getting battered copies of their game in the mail - most of the time in bubble-insulated envelopes, while a couple of occasions in just plain envelopes. Knowing that this fate may soon tear my yet-to-be-delivered game a new one, I opted to cancel my order and just buy the game at the local we-make-money-off-sloppy-seconds game store.

Of course, this transaction had to be done at least a week after the game's release date, since the employees there are taught to tell you that it's silly to buy a game on the release date if you didn't have the premonition of yourself actually going to the store and showing interest in buying the game so that you can place your pre-order in advance to ensure that the premonition came true. Oh, and it doesn't help that they coincidently have "just enough" copies for pre-orders only. I sense a connection between the two...

All in all, throughout my entire ordeal, I went from potentially saving a decent amount and getting the game on time to becoming a 2-week, online-cancelling, internet-searching, B&M-buying ordeal. Like running on the track to get from point A to point B, except that both A and B is the starting line; I end up in the same place, but now I'm exhausted.