Happy New Year!!

Okay, so it's not a bottle of champagne, but it's still bubbly. What can I say...I likes me some sparkling cider!

In any case, what better day for "Lazy Wednesday" to land on than New Year's Eve? And being such a drunk-indusive night, you'll understand me posting Yahtzee's game review tomorrow instead of today.

So for now, celebrate the last of 2008 in style! Happy New Year from Gameritis!!

Kingdom Hearts 2...finished again!

It's rare when I finish a game for a second time on my own accord, and rarer still to enjoy the process of playing through a game again. However, Kingdom Hearts 2 was one of those very few instances where I enjoyed doing both. While the reward for me this time was a simple hidden video that I could've probably searched for on YouTube, the satisfaction of unlocking a tucked-away treasure on my own through a game I wholeheartedly enjoyed playing was a treat in itself.

You see, in Kingdom Hearts 2, there's this hidden video that, under normal mode, you can unlock if you complete everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - in Jiminy's Journal. Since that was almost a near impossibility for me, my other alternative was to complete the game in hard mode, with all of the worlds completed, which also unlocked the video. Seeing the simple (yet daunting) task of just finishing the game again before me, I decided to finish what I had started years ago.

And today marks the day I've finally finished Kingdom Hearts 2 once again, in hard mode, while successfully unlocking the hidden movie alluding before my very eyes.

Yes, I believe this was all worth the trouble NOT seeing it on YouTube.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

No one knows more about how difficult it is to get me gifts than my wife. With me pretty much on the ball when it comes to what games I want and when, video games are out of the question. So my wife, being the creative spirit she is, gets me the awesome gift of Jenga: Donkey Kong Collector's Edition! Gives new meaning to "high score," huh?

Oh, and that box is not ridiculously huge next to my GameCube - that's the other gift in my stocking (yeah, my stocking's HUGE), a gummi-filled GameCube. It also plays something when you press its power button, some horrible mishmash of nintendo sound effects in unison. Like someone obnoxiously playing all Nintendo-themed toys in a store at once and recording the horrendous audio.

Happy Holidays, everyone, from Gameritis!

Zero Punctuation: The Year in Review - 2008

This week, Yahtzee is taking a much needed rest and has now resorted to dispensing a clip show of sorts of his best material. For someone who has brewed so much hate for games and their genres, a brief overview into why we enjoy his video reviews is certainly a nice change of pace.

Enjoy your NSFW Christmas Eve Year in Review, everyone!

When holidays and blogging collide

Given the amount of free time I have to actually interact with my blog is already a brief window, adding the holiday spirit to it makes it much worse. It's not that there's not enough articles to post...I'm just lazy, is all. Just know that it's rare for me to hit 5 posts a week (under the self-imposed one-post-a-day minimum), and that my average is about 4 posts a week. In other words, I'm posting to show that I'm still alive, so to speak. Asleep on my ass, perhaps, but still alive.

And yes, I realize the irony of me posting about my laziness to post, especially at such an early time. The only thing that trumps my laziness is cool technology, and blogging from my Blackberry at 7 AM will do just fine.

Persona 4, spoiler art book acquired!

Yes, I purchased Persona 4, through a finally-processed order. I also remembered to not peruse through the art book due to its spoiler-rific pages, so that's safely stowed away.

And yes, I own and still haven't beaten Persona 3. What's your point?

Zero Punctuation review: Sonic Unleashed

There was a point, I remember, when I was really excited for the new Sonic game, when they mentioned that the gameplay, while still employing the 3D environments, will retain the 2D level layout charm.

Then they revealed his "werewolf" form.

*sigh*

Anyways, it's nice to know that my negligence for such random plots is well rewarded with Yahtzee's thorough gutting of Sonic's latest game, Sonic Unleashed. In fact, I feel like rewarding myself again later today, just to feel good about myself.

NSFW video below, enjoy! And be sure to check out Yahtzee's latest internet video venture!

Club Nintendo is working! No wait...yup...nope...

While I'm happy to report that you can finally sign in for Club Nintendo and hoard your coins for many coveted Nintendo swag, not everything is easy sailing on their site. Here's hoping it's a small hiccup on their end, but with reports that people have trouble re-signing in (myself included), a lot of potential mishaps can occur.

But from what I've seen, it seems pretty simple to start earning coins. Just as long as you enter the registration code from Nintendo games and complete their survey, you get coins. I'll be spending most of my spare time updating my list.

What do you guys think of the new US Club Nintendo?

Playstation Home is...*yawn*

Even though this was a free download, I STILL feel like I paid too much for Playstation Home. Sure, you have your own place, you can wander the mall or plaza, or you can even sit down and partake a meh movie trailer...but in the end, that's all you can do.

What I'm really disappointed in is the lack of the one feature I was looking forward to: your own trophy room. I mean, wasn't that the purpose of these achiev...er, trophies I've been collecting?

At least my character can accurately portray my overall feelings for Playstation Home. I'd give them more points if they had a "face down in palms of hands" disappointment emotion.

Mobile blogging = more activity

Some of you guys (okay, probably nobody) might be wondering why some posts come with cruddy pictures. Well, due to my lost camera in Japan and me being lazy searching for the right images online, I've taken up mobile blogging from my Blackberry. I've been doing this for about 2-3 weeks now, and it rocks!

Since then, I've been better not only posting on a daily basis, but on more spontaneous whims. And yes, that's me below. Like my hair?

Anyways, expect more frequent (and potentially more lamer) posts now that I'm fully utilizing my smartphone.

I'm such a geek.

Zero Punctuation review: Left 4 Dead

This week's "Lazy Wednesday" is brought to you by Left 4 Dead, the latest game scrutinized under the Yahtzee microscope. I've been hearing a lot of hype from co-workers about this game, and it's interesting to see some true co-op going on in a survival horror game. Unfortunately for me, my PC has become an antique, and I am waiting to see if Santa delivers me that XBox 360 for Christmas.

And by the way, if my wife's reading this...no, this is not a hint to get me a 360.

NSFW goodness below. Enjoy!

The perils of being in 3D...

So I purchased Kingdom Hearts: Re: Chain of Memories today, and gave the game a shot. In short, if you enjoyed the GBA version of this game, be prepared to tackle another beast of a game in this 3D rendition.

(a screenshot from the GBA Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories)

The move from 2D to 3D filled in more aesthetics into the already movie-filled game. Replacing all the 2D battles and isometric map navigation with pure 3D environments certainly gave me a dizzying experience as I return to somewhat familiar ground. Adding to the already-existing 3D movies that were streamed in the GBA game are more animated movies for my viewing pleasure. Overall, the general feel of the game is made to directly map against the existing Kingdom Hearts 2 menu template.

Once I hit the gameplay, though, that's where all the pleasantries hit a road bump.

Know this - if you've played the GBA game and enjoyed it, you're not gonna get the same experience the second time around on the PS2 version. Going from 2D battles to 3D changes the rules in the field, and all the clever tricks you've employed to avoiding attacks mean squat in the 3D realm. All the remake has done has converted your safe, 2D battles into the same battles you've done in KH and KH2, except with the restrictions of the card system in play.

This brings me to another problem that I have yet to experience: boss battles. All the familiar tactics used to take them down are thrown out the window now that you have to do battle in an extra dimension. And not only that, you'll have to run around and keep them within your sights at all times if you want to dish out the damage, something you never had to worry so much in the GBA game.

(a screenshot from the PS2 version)

And this carries over to the 3D maps instead of the fixed, isometric maps that didn't move. There's extra maneuvering to be done if you want to find everything now, instead of being able to see everything at a glance. This certainly adds more playtime in the game, but more of the unwanted kind.

Despite these shortcomings, the game is still as fun as it was portably. But if you want the original experience, the GBA game is still the preference of choice. Too bad that I cannot locate my copy in my house, which is why there's a significant lack of any comparison thoughts between the two versions.

Hello again...Kingdom Hearts 2!

In lieu of this week's release of Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, I decided to pop in Kingdom Hearts 2 for old times sake. Finished before I started this site, KH2 fulfilled everything I sought for in a sequel and more, fine-tuning the gameplay and telling a spellbounding story to boot. I was surprised just how far my last save was, since it was my second playthrough through hard mode to unlock more extras.

But this week marks the release of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, a 3D rendition of its GBA counterpart that fills the storyline between the first and second PS2 games. While I've finished the GBA version to plot satisfaction, the polishness of 3D certainly peaks my replay interest, so I'll have to pick this up this week.

The US Club Nintendo site is live

The US Club Nintendo website is up, despite there being absolutely nothing to see there. But you know you still want to click the link and check it out. Because it's there. And it only takes you a couple of seconds to acknowledge that nothing more than a message saying that the site will be coming soon is all that's there.

Just in case you ignored everything I just said, the link is here as well.

Zero Punctuation double review: Guitar Hero: World Tour and Mirror's Edge

To compensate for last week's and this week's "Lazy Wednesday," I'm posting a double feature "Super Lazy Thursday" edition of Zero Punctuation.

First off was last week's review of Guitar Hero: World Tour. While the game didn't surprise me much in its song selection or style, the drums were a delight to play with. If I had an ideal setup, I'd have the drums from GH:WT and the guitar from Rock Band 2.

For this week, Yahtzee reviews Mirror's Edge, coming to the conclusion that I somewhat expected - that the game had much more potential in it, but that Dice didn't go the extra mile to deliver it. Personally, I still find the parkour-inspired game to be unique in a developer's eye, and take great satisfaction dodging enemies with such grace and finesse.

Cubeecrafts, my money-saving toy fix

This has been a long time coming, but I just have to give some mad props to Chris Beaumont and his Cubeecraft site. For me, I discovered his site after he released his Strong Bad cubeecraft, and have bee a faithful follower ever since.

The best part about these papercrafts? No glue or tape required! And in the end, you will have made an awesome and cheap toy for yourself!

Since then, I have made tons of cubeecrafts both for friends and co-workers. But for some, like the recent Crono cubeecraft release last week, sometimes I just need to treat myself to the awesomeness.

Chris also pays homage to lots of other characters from TV, movies, games, and comics, and has even done some for Penny Arcade! You can also check on his regular updates on his blog. Just make sure you set enough time aside for the meticulous cutting ahead.

Chrono Trigger has arrived!!

So I picked up my DS copy of Chrono Trigger. Notice the lack of the letters "DS" appended to the end of the title. A small part of me would have died if such a mindless edit was made on such a great game.

And yes, right behind it is the extra music soundtrack CD pre-order bonus.

This has certainly sweetened my Thanksgiving weekend.

Fighting game completion with Backloggery

Not long after my short gripe on games I've yet to complete, a friend sends me this site called Backloggery that keeps track of all the games you own, as well as the status of their completion. Although interesting, I was hesitant at first creating my list of long-forgotten titles once great in their time.

But when I found out I could add games that I've already completed, my morale boosted a little as I added any games I've beaten in recent memory.

However, I stopped after a couple of completed entries. The purpose of this site is to motivate you to complete games, not to boast what you have, or what you've done. Sure, there are people out there that exploit that to a degree of defiance, lording over others as if it meant something. But that's not you. At least, not yet.

Personally, I think my list is moderately adequate, all things considered. And it's nice to have an online list to keep tabs on everything you play. Plus, there's no massive game database list to look things up - all you need to add yourself is the game's title, and the rest is just selection descriptions.

Which makes this option technically valid:

Game: Your Mom
Status: Mastered

A watched pot never boils...

Creating and publishing a level for the first time in Little Big Planet is a big thing for any player. The wait, the wonder, the anticipation of players checking out your hard work. And in the end, you hope that they will "heart" your level (similar to assigning a bookmark to a favorite page).

Currently, I'm in the "waiting" stage, seeing what people think of my 2-week-long project dedicated into recreating the endgame music for the classic RPG Chrono Trigger, which will be making its DS debut this week! But, after only 2 weeks since it was published, my level only has 14 hearts. Compared to other, more simplistic levels that have reached upwards to the hundreds and even ten thousands, my level still has a ways to go.

If anything, my level is steadily getting popular, and only recently did I receive those blue "tags" describing my level. Maybe while I create my next level will I stop checking my published one every day for more hits.

Oh, and if you have Little Big Planet, check out my level and let me know what you think! My username is as it is in the screenshot, GameritisGuy.

And that's only part of it...

This is probably the reason my "I'm finished" posts have been dwindling lately - too many good games to play, and not enough time on my hands.

Aside from Little Big Planet (which I DID finish, but technically doesn't count as a game in my book), all those other titles you see there are incomplete for one reason or another.

Believe me when I say I'll finish these games.

I want to believe.

Zero Punctuation review: Fallout 3

"Lazy Wednesday" completely missed my radar, so this "Lazy Thursday" will start off with Yahtzee's impressions on Fallout 3. Which apparently is easily summed up in the first 10 seconds. But he gives a good review nonetheless.

I'll save you the lame-ass "even though I've never played the game" speech, and let you view the NSFW review, k? Enjoy!

Goodbye, my HDTV...I knew you well...

So Animal Crossing: City Folk has finally arrived at my doorstop, and it doesn't take long for my wife to crack it open and have at the cute goods within. Although I do not share the same "animosity" as her towards gameplay, I still play along.

The game goes back to its "one town" theme, so the race is back on as to who can find what first before the other. Plus, there's the new city to wander around in, so at least the game won't be ENTIRELY the same.

But yeah...now I'll have to wrestle TV gaming usage with the misses every night. Not looking forward to that.

Crab fishing and gaming

Only recently did my friend got me into crab fishing in the wee early hours of the morning, but it wasn't until recently when the weather permitted good conditions to whip out my DS and get in a few minutes of gaming in between fishing.

Never thought I'd say "fishing" and "DS" in the same post.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia...finished!

And so ends another chapter in the popular Konami franchise as I bring Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia to its end yesterday. There are no Belmonts this time to fight Dracula, but you get this hot chick that absorbs glyths that can be used in battle.

Even though I finished the game (rather anti-climatically, since my character was terribly over-buffed), I'm still playing through to increase my completion rate. I don't think I've ever been this absorbed into full completion in the past two Castlevania DS games, but I'm so close that I might as well keep going. There are still a few games that I don't mind grinding through to collect every single item, and now I can add Ecclesia to the list.

Overall, this is still an excellent Castlevania game, and one that you'll regret if you don't play.

Man, it's been a while since I finished a game. Time to play catch-up!

Zero Punctuation review: Fable 2

I think this week's game review has become one of my favorites. Yahtzee's back this week, this time reviewing the sequel...er, upgrade of Fable, Fable 2. Now with more dog!!

I think the non-linear aspect of Fable just turned me off in general. To know that you can just do more random shit than just play the game is fine and dandy when you find that out on your own...but when the back of the box tells you you can, it suddenly doesn't seem so appealing before. I'll give an example - playing Little Big Planet is great fun when you can create anything, but becomes less fun if the box specifically says "you can create penis-filled levels!"

Besides, who would want to get married in a video game? It's not even close to being real, unless you have a weird fetish for polygon characters.

Burnout Paradise just got a whole lotta AWESOME!!

GREAT SCOTT!!

This is heavy...

What our imaginations would be if it were made into a game

Little Big Planet is one of those games where it's up to the player how awesome the game can be. There will be people who don't like to create objects, don't like designing their own levels, and hate customizing anything in general...and those people would probably hate playing a game that requires you to become very imaginative throughout.

For the rest of you guys, this game is simply incredible.

At first, I never grasp the possibilities with such an ambitious game as Little Big Planet, but all it took was one video of some art group recreating a humongous Shadow of the Colossus level to show me how much can be done with this game. Now, I find myself wasting most of my free time trying to create imaginative levels that I will potentially share to the online community.

And what an online community it is! So many creative minds making so many levels! Some are less spectacular than others, but all are pure player-made levels that show that everyone has a creative bone in their body. I've even experienced my first online co-op play during the brief time I had on the LBP Beta with a friendly person that was patient enough to help me secure some of the more elusive items in the 2-player-only parts of the levels, all while their servers kept screwing up with our connection. We must've tried the same level at least 10 times...but we were still having fun throughout.

The single-player mode is no slouch, either, with highly-imaginative levels and tons upon tons of stuff to collect to amass your own collection with.

All in all, you only really stop playing this game when you run out of good ideas, or, as I see it, when you cease to function as a human being.

Zero Punctuation review: Dead Space

After so many weeks of reviewed games that I have never played, Yahtzee finally talks about one that's currently in my possession - Dead Space. While he doesn't get much more than a startled jump from the whole ordeal, I'm cowering in the corner of the room pissing in my pants.

Feel free to NSFW, right below!

Presidential Election going on...NOW!!

Go. Vote. Now.

Today's the day to make an impact, and nothing will happen if you don't go and vote. So put down that game controller, that PSP, that DS, that Wii-mote...and go and make a difference out there.

I mean it. Stop playing Little Big Planet, Fable 2, Fallout 3, Dead Space, and WoW, and get out there and vote!

Us gamers must unite! If we can make an impact on a terrible lawyer, we can make an impact on the world!

Zero Punctuation review: Saints Row 2

Yahtzee's back this week to review Saints Row 2 on this "Lazy Thursday" today. Even though I've never played the first game before, his comparison of it to GTA4 gives me some small interest towards it. You'll see what I mean when you check it out.

NSFW below, enjoy!

Leaving some space for Dead Space

After summoning up all my courage to start the game, I finally played a little bit of Dead Space over the weekend. To be honest, the game wasn't as scary as I had initially pictured it in my head, partly because I was playing it in the afternoon while there was still daylight. Of course, I've only completed past the first chapter and halfway through the second before my head got popped off like a lego head...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Basically, my mindset when I started the game was that I'm stuck in a haunted house, and I need to get the fuck out. Incidentally, this is exactly how I behave in a real-life haunted house at those amusement parks and such - once I'm inside, I'm already looking for a way out. Like a haunted house, there are certain scenes and rooms that you'll encounter where often times you can do nothing but witness the demise of survivors right before your very eyes.

Then there's the common flickering lights scare, the "was that a shadow that just passed by in front of my eyes" moment, and the obligatory lead-pipe-dropping-in-the-distance. And this is all within the small amount of time I spent playing it at my friend's place.

While I've categorized this game high on the "fear" factor, so far it's not as mind-jarring as I anticipated. Having said that, I'm willing to cough up the money to see it through to the end, even perhaps through the Halloween holiday to beef up the scare factor. And that's something that will be a first in my book.

Officially disacknowledging "TGIF," starting "WTF"

I'm sick and tired of the ol' "TGIF" saying. It brings about ancient memories of a string of 1980s sitcoms and an unsavory restaurant chain, and frankly, it's pretty worn out.

So from this point onward, I'm personally declaring Fridays as "WTF," or "Wait 'Til Friday."

What? What did you think I meant?

Anyways, I'll reserve these days to posting something game-related that makes me scream "WTF," which will remind me to post it on Friday.

Clever, huh?

To commemorate this event, let's discuss about the virtual murder of a Maple Story character that resulted in a real life arrest.

WTF!!

Basically, after a woman in Tokyo realized she was suddenly divorced by her husband, she proceeds to hack into his Maple Story account and kill (essentially, delete) his character. While no actual blood was shed, the woman still faces charges for hacking into a computer and manipulating data, up to 5 years in prison or a fine up to $5000.

Okay, I understand the hatred. I understand the urge to hurt, even toward a virtual character. But couldn't she have done so without illegally hacking into an account? She could have done something more egotistically hurtful like putting something humiliating on eBay, or something to that caliber.

At least, if you hack into someone's account, don't leave virtual fingerprints behind. She could've played dumb and pretended to not know anything about technology. As a woman, she could've at least gotten away with that.

Seriously, WTF?? (the other "WTF")

Game Over: Art of the Gamer Generation

If you're an avid gamer and live around the San Francisco area, I urge you to check out the "Game Over: Art of the Gamer Generation" exhibit at the Giant Robot store on Haight street. Free to the public, the gallery showcases videogame-themed art pieces from local artists ranging from the games of our youth to video game violence.

If you want to check out the exhibit in person, it's open until October 29th. Also, most of the pieces there can be purchased, as it is art after all, so if you don't see a piece there, you can check out all the pieces of art at their site.

Since I last was there, more pieces have been sold, so check out the rest while you still can!

Zero Punctuation review: Silent Hill Homecoming

It's "Lazy Wednesday" again, and Yahtzee's in the Halloween mood with his review on Silent Hill Homecoming. I, on the other hand, haven't really played any Silent Hill game. Just the fact you're in the dark with just a handy pocket flashlight to guide you is scary enough for me.

NSFW, and an extra funny bit after the review!

Dead Space and scary games

I don't do horror movies. Period.

Can't stand the visualization of blood and gore right before my eyes as I watch helplessly while victim after victim the killer hacks his way through the flick.

And yet, I don't mind it quite so much when it's on another medium like, say, a video game. Does that make me somewhat a hypocrite? Meh, I don't know.

I bring this up since it's nearing Halloween, and that Dead Space (which recently came out) is actually getting pretty decent reviews, as well as getting some thumbs up from my bro and bro-in-law. But it's here where the problem lies - can I endure playing a decent game and overcome the genre of fear that envelopes it?

That's not to say I've never played any game that scared the shit outta me. I've played a couple Resident Evil games, shot my way through House of the Dead, and have actively and thoroughly completed through Eternal Darkness 3 times to get the absolute true ending. Even when I started playing Eternal Darkness for the first time, I intentionally played it at night with all the lights turned off. So why do I hesitate this time?

Essentially, survival horror has evolved to a level of fear that taps on paranoia's door. It's not enough to scare you with horrible monsters and stuff, but to scare you more by what is not seen. Sorta like how you can detect monsters via static radio in Silent Hill (yet another game I haven't played for this reason).

And reviews from other sites have not been very helpful in easing the fear factor. The game's meant to be scary, I understand, and Dead Space does just that. I just want to make sure I don't die from a heart attack before I finish the game.

While I'm at it, I haven't even played through Resident Evil 4 and Bioshock as well, both of which have had very good reviews. In fact, I own RE4, but haven't had the time to pop it in. Well, if there was ever a time to really get into these games, what better time than the scaring season to do it, eh?

Zero Punctuation review: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky

Yes, I'm a full week behind on posts.

Yes, I know viewing this blog every day since last week has killed you a little inside.

Can you stop sobbing for one second?

Thanks.

Anyways, to make it up to you, I'm gonna get back on the ball with the whole posts thing and all. Some personal events have occurred during that week, and I think most of that has subsided now, which is good for both of us.

Now, to finally kick of another "Lazy Wednesday," here's Yahtzee's review of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky. I haven't even heard of the game and already I find typing its title to be a pain in the ass. Fortunately, Yahtzee here seems to agree the same way with the gameplay.

Clearly and cleverly NSFW below!

Zero Punctuation review: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Kicking off another "Lazy Wednesday" is Yahtzee's regretful review of the Wii version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Frankly, Star War games have never gave me the same appeal as do the movies, and I always feel that there's some unbalanced gameplay in each game. There's never a time where you equally use all your force powers; it's one thing to use the force to raise a small object and chuck it towards your enemy, but completely another thing when you just lift the enemy and toss him.

Enjoy the video. I forgot if it's NSFW or not, though.

Other Nintendo announcements besides DSi

While the announcement of a third version of the ever-popular DS Lite is still on our minds, let's not forget the other announcement of games that have been swept under the news radar. Let's review, shall we?

Punchout!! (Wii, tentative release date: Winter 2008 or later)

A game that has, no doubt, been on the minds of players since the Wii was released, Punchout will finally see a Wii installment later this year. All I can say is, bone up on those Wii Boxing/Wii Fit workouts, cuz you're gonna need them to really take down the likes of King Hippo and Bald Bull.

Sin and Punishment 2 (Wii, tentative release date: Winter 2008 or later)

The first installment of this rail shooter never saw the light of day in the US until not too long ago on the Virtual Console, to which it has received much belated praise. And to see a game like this suddenly get a sequel is quite a feat of fans and gaming. I guess those cameos in Super Smash Bros Brawl weren't just for show, eh?

Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii, release date: November 16)

The one game that my wife is looking fowards to, Animal Crossing for the Wii is one of the last few titles that are highly anticipated for the Wii, and this installment will not disappoint. The introduction of Wii Speak, venturing away from the town to the city, DS uploads from Animal Crossing: Wide World to the Wii version, online interactivity? Next to Pokemon, Animal Crossing will be a hit upon release.

Mario & Luigi RPG 3 (DS, tentative release date: 2009)

What does Nintendo do to these games that make them so damn addicting?? I've played through the first two games with such a vigor and passion that I'm just absolutely excited for the third installment. And now that there's no GBA slot on the new DS, you guys better play the first game while you still can.

Rhythm Heaven (Rhythm Tengoku Gold, DS, tentative release date: 2009)

Until recently, I haven't played either the GBA or DS game and was not aware of how purely awesome this music game was. After several dance-pad iterations and guitar and rock-band controls, it's nice to buckle down to something much more simpler and way more amusing.

New Nintendo DSi and other news

Late news is better than no news, and I think this news is just good overall.

First off, Nintendo announces their new hardware, the Nintendo DSi. Only slightly longer than its DS Lite cousin, the new model ditches the GBA slot on the bottom, while adding in two new cameras (one by the mic, the other outside), music capabilities, an SD card slot, and slightly larger display screens.

In all honesty, I'm relieved that the new model is not drastically different than the previous model. But when will Nintendo release a true successor to its popular, money-making portable hardware? For the most part, I believe my DS Lite may be good to retire shortly after its late 2009 launch, so I'd be happy to purchase the new model and play with its new features.

In addition to the new hardware, there was the game lineup for the rest of the year, as well as addressing storage space issues with the Wii. But probably the most interesting news to come out of the press conference was the news that a US Club Nintendo will be finally established. Hopefully, the US version will release some wicked awesome items that even the Japanese will soon be envious of obtaining. But there's a lot to live up to already, so the US has a lot of work on their hands.

Zero Punctuation review: Mercenaries 2

Might as well be "Lazy first three days of the week," since I've been lacking until today. Yeah, the weekend wasn't particularly kind to me, and while I would have like to posted something, I got either too tired or too lazy to do so. There would be apologies, but I'm not very sorry...so there.

Plus, figuring that my browser's fucking with my video playback, I nearly had a cow when I couldn't watch my weekly Zero Punctuation. Had to resort to using *shudder* Windows Explorer to play it. This week's victim is Mercenaries 2, which could might as well be "another game I've never played" 2, since I never even batted an eye at the first game. Nonetheless, Yahtzee's wit and mockery prevail to irk all kinds of laughter and smiles at the game's misfortune to ever having been made.

Blah blah NSFW blah blah.

Megaman 9 graphics: Wii vs. PS3

Since both the game and demo were released to the PSN network just yesterday, I decided to download the PSN demo version of Megaman 9 and see if I can spot any differences. The demo only covered Concrete Man's stage, so that's my only basis for the comparisons. But what I saw made me glad I purchased the Wii version.

I've read somewhere that the PS3 and 360 versions try too hard to smooth out the pixels and make the 8-bit aspect of the game pop less vibrantly than the Wii version...and that's pretty much true. I guess the graphic capabilities worked against these consoles this time.

In addition to the blurriness of the pixels, playing Concrete Man's stage on the PS3 felt like I was playing with sunglasses on. There was an unexpected amount of darkness over the entire level, almost warranting me to fiddle with my contrast settings. Even if this was a result of my TV settings, the blurriness alone would have put me off from such a purchase.

Overall, the Wii version is probably the best choice if you truly want the 8-bit graphics to pop out and scream "retro."

Zero Punctuation review: Bionic Crashers edition

For today's "Lazy Wednesday," Yahtzee's covering the downloadable games front with a double bill of reviews: one on Bionic Commando: Rearmed, and the other on Castle Crashers. I guess things are a bit slow on his end. Hopefully the holiday season will bring out more games for him to rip a new one on.

NSFW below. Enjoy!

It's a "Megaman 9" Monday!

Megaman as he should be.

Not this...sickenly cute substitute.

Mega Man 9 releasing next Monday on WiiWare!!

To ensure participation in Strong Bad's hostile takeover, I had to replenish my Wii point funds and then some, for any other titles just in case.

I'm glad I accounted for the "just in case," since it's been announced that Mega Man 9 is set to be released next Monday on WiiWare!

Soon after that, the game will be released on PSN September 25th, and then after a full week after the WiiWare release, it will be available for XBox 360.

I'm securing my Wii copy next Monday...how 'bout you guys?

Zero Punctuation review: Spore

The much long-awaited Will Wright game Spore is under Yahtzee's chopping block this week. The ability to create your own creature species and evolve it has been on everyone's minds lately, but does it compare with Will Wright's previous gaming achievements?

The NSFW and longest "no" in the game-reviewing world below.

SBCG4AP Episode 1...finished!

Yeah, typing "Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People" in the title would've been too long.

Anyways, put off finishing the first episode long enough since episode 2 is released today (as well as as a certain "mega" man's second outing), placing my timing to be short of perfect. All in all, the first episode was enjoyable and not that difficult, but then again the "hints" setting was set to "medium" without me knowing, so that might have had an affect. I still enjoy the point-and-click aspect a lot, though, so I'll happily purchase the second episode to get my fix on. And I'll keep my pace to let the experience last.

There's still the extras to unlock in the first episode, as well as trying out that secret code for Snake Boxer 5, though.

The Last Guy...finished!

The great thing about finishing a game like this is that there is still a good amount of replay value in The Last Guy. There are all the V.I.P.'s that need saving, trying to top my own score, and getting more of my friends to play so I can compare scores to and issue bragging rights.

But none of my friends have the game yet. And I'm bragging to myself.

Still, here's hoping that more levels will become available!

Zero Punctuation review: Too Human

This week's "Lazy Wednesday" is brought to you by Too Human, Yahtzee's latest victim in his Zero Punctuation series. Yet another game that has failed to peaked my interest, Too Human is released to the masses by Silicon Knights - the same folk that produced the popular Eternal Darkness game.

Bear in mind that this week's review is exceptionally long only if you care to watch the Warhammer Online trailer afterwards.

NSFW nasal rape below. Enjoy!

So tired...

Apologies for the lack of posts...had a long weekend that took up most of my energy. Will be fully operational tomorrow!

Zero Punctuation review: Eve Online

Since I missed "Lazy Wednesday" yesterday, here is a late post for Zero Punctuation's review of Eve Online. I'm still one of those few that still haven't committed my life and soul towards online gaming, and probably never will. So of course, Yahtzee's review only confirms this even more.

The NSFW video below. Enjoy!

The Last Guy is First on my Playlist

What's the plot of The Last Guy? Monsters have taken over the world, and its up to you (the last guy) to guide all survivors to the Escape Zone safely. Sounds simple enough, and hardly enough meat for a real game. So why the popularity?

Everything about The Last Guy screams casual, from its quirky and catchy music to its simplistic gameplay. You can pick it up and play for 5 minutes or 5 hours, and you'd be satisfied no matter what length of time you play it at.

The Last Guy also uses aerial imagery to create the basis of their many levels, giving the illusion that the monsters and zombies are truly wrecking havoc in the world. You play this character that goes around collecting survivors in a long line. As the line becomes longer, your stamina increases. However, with a longer line, your survivors are more exposed and prone to monster attacks. So there is always a constant gamble whether you decide to keep an extremely long line, or play it safe and save smaller increments of people at a time.

And because the game employs such a simple way to create levels, you can be sure to see many more level updates in the future.

The Last Guy is out now for $9.99 on PSN, a decent price for a game that exudes replayability.

Sites You Must Check Out: Akiba-Station.com

Before the week's done, there's one announcement I'd like to make.

I've been ask to be a contributor on my friend's awesome blog, akiba-station.com. Think of it as the more refined "Otaku" site that pushes beyond the typical layer of general hype on all things anime, games, and gadgets. There are a lot of news that never gets reported enough, and akiba-station.com is the place to find all of that.

If you like reading my stuff on my blog, you have to check out my articles over there. Here are a couple links of my stuff (under pen name "GameOrDie") below for you to peruse:

Capsule Game Review: Ring of Fates
Capsule Game Preview: Kimi no Yuusha
Low in Energy? Have a Mega Man "Energy Tank" drink!
"Time" to "Watch" Out for Chrono Trigger This Year

As you can tell, my spectacular wit carries on to their site well. And don't worry...I'll be frequently posting on both blogs at once, and so far all posts (from my blog or my friend's blog) are different. So, for the full experience, hop on over to akiba-station and check out what you're missing!

Zero Punctuation review: Braid

Kicking off Gameritis' first anniversary is Yahtzee's review of Braid. While I still have yet to purchase a 360, the reviews for this game seem to be very positive for me to make a decision faster.

Despite whether you've played the game or not, the review is worth the watch. As long as you're not named "Adrian."

Gameritis...Level Up!!

*pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop*

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, GAMERITIS!!

Today officially marks the very first day this blog came to be, and I'm so excited to be still here blogging after one year! From the very beginning, I made the site to be a personal gamer's diary of sorts, posting my thoughts and ideals about everything in gaming. Soon afterwards, it festered into more posts a day, more game reviews, the "finished" stamp, and "Lazy Wednesdays."

Still can't believe I've been able to consistantly post for one year. That's a record in my book. Expect to see lots more new things in the coming months!

Oh, and the cake above? Not mine. In fact, I'm the only one here celebrating. And I have to resort to only a picture of a cake that wasn't even for me.