PSN: NailBail (the exact same as my Gamespot account)

• 4Jan 10

  Back From the Darksiders of the Moon

  So, another year has been put to rest and twenty ten is just on the horizon. For many, the new year represents a new beginning, a chance to do things different, to boldly go where no man has gone before. I am one of these people, emerging into the new year with a shot of adrenaline to the arm (not literally though. Remember, drugs are bad people). I am back and better than ever. The future is just ahead, and my friends it is brighter than an atom bomb. Let me show you.

  
  Last year, I would probably make some remark around here about how the Wii looks like it will have another craptastic twelve months of underwhelming games, but even cold hearted PS3 and 360 fanboys have to admit that this is a great year for Nintendo. No More Heroes 2 is just around the corner, and we know Nintendo is working diligently on Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M. I have my doubts as to whether Metroid will be released this year despite it being announced as a twenty ten title, but even without it there is also Sin and Punishment 2 to fill the gap. Xbox fans won't be left in the dust either, with Halo: Reach, Mass Effect 2 and Dead Rising 2 to get those controllers pumped, as well as their Project Natal to be most likely storming out of the gates later in the year. And of course, it looks like another fantastic year for Sony, with God of War 3, Heavy Rain, Yazuka 3 and more to fill our blu ray drives with delight. Whether you like it or not, this looks like the most balanced year for gaming across all consoles I've seen in a while. I hope your wallet is ready.

  
  To kick off the year, and as a part of the title, gamers already have two games arriving on January 5th: Bayonetta and Darksiders. Most of you probably know already about Bayonetta and its crazy, flashy combat, so right now I actually want to talk about the lesser known, more personally anticipated Darksiders.

  

  
  Now, to be fair, I didn't know this game existed until a few days ago, when I was looking at the upcoming games for the year and spotted it being released very soon. The art grabbed my attention immediately, with plenty of gorgeous looking demons and wonderful aesthetic to the world. Interest peaked when I read more into the game and found that it apparently borrows a lot from the Legend of Zelda series, meaning intricate puzzles mixed with fun combat.

  Storywise, you play as War, one of the four horsemen famous for leading the apocalypse. Something goes astray, however, when the end of the world starts prematurely, and it is up to you to find the other three riders of chaos and stop the current apocalypse from getting any further.

  The concept is cool, the comic book look of the game seems well detailed, and this will probably be my first gaming purchase of the new year. Speaking of which, hope you all had a fantastic 2009, and an even better 2010.

  • Posted Jan 4, 2010 4:10 pm GMT
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• 12Sep 09

  The Extra Lap Begins

  After looking through several past blogs I've posted, I noticed a few issues and items that kept coming up with each one. First off, I'd like to apologise for lying to all of you.

  See, in many previous posts, I promised many, MANY game reviews to be on the way, to be gracing you fine people on a regular basis. Little Big Planet, Fallout 3, TWEWY, and most recently, a Professor Layton review have all been promised by me, and I've yet to deliver. The thing is, while I would love to write reviews for every game I own, a problem keeps rearing its ugly head at me. To put it bluntly, I am a slow writer. Heck, typing this blog alone will take me two hours to finish, with not even counting the editing. Typing up game reviews takes even longer, especially if they're to be of top quality. Pierst179, if you're reading this, I salute you for continuing to write such fantastic and detailed reviews on a regular basis. With enough hard work, I may be able to meet half of your abilities.

  Anyway, again sorry for the lack of anything and everything from me. I will continue to TRY and write as much as I can, though I will make no more promises about doing so.

  Getting back on track, the second item I saw in past blogs is that every school semester, I would give impressions of the courses I am taking. With this being my fifth year in High School (some call it the victory lap or "super 12"), I thought it would be appropriate to do the same thing again this year.

  Always having a knack for math, I decided to raise my own difficulty bar and took Advanced Functions, one of the hardest math courses available. It is a preparation course for Calculus, another course I will be taking in Febuary. With one week in, I can't say we've tackled any hard problems yet, but I'm sure they're around the corner. The two hours of homework everyday (again, slow writer) is what will keep me from gaming and blogging most, though it definitely won't stop me.

  Next up is English Literature, a course I would've not even consider four years ago. It was only a year and a half ago that I started to take an interest in English in general, and it was Writer's Craft that boosted my enjoyment in the medium. Taking English Literature is the next step, and we will be reading extensively in the course, which I am very happy about. One of the books we will read is Pride and Prejudice, so if you've read it then please let me know if you liked it.

  Wanting to learn more about Coding and software (specifically video games), I am also taking Computer Science this year. It's a somewhat similar to the Game design course I took last year, but with more of a focus on C++ and assembly code. It's only been a week, and I already know fancy terms like branching and preambles. I'm extremely excited for the things to come in this course, and I can't wait to try and build my own game with this knowledge.

  Lastly is a course that really is just filler, but can still be fascinating. Theory of Knowledge is a course that teaches you to be a critical thinker, and to not always take things as 100% true. In one of our classes for example, we discussed the question "How do you know you exist?", and before long people where talking about theories and ideas I thought would only ever be heard in a movie like The Matrix. It's a strange, but potentially fun course.

  So...how DO you know you exist?

  That's all from me at the moment guys. Keep reading, keep blogging, and I'll catch you next time.

  • Posted Sep 12, 2009 10:15 am GMT
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• 1Sep 09

  Canadian Fan Expo of 2009

  Hey guys, I'm back from Fan Expo! For those who don't know, last Sunday I went up to Toronto to see one of the largest conventions in North America. I had an amazing time walking around and seeing all the people in their costumes and all of the merchandise for sale. I decided to bring my video camera and got a bunch of great footage, thanks to the nice folks who participated. I edited together a compilation for your viewing pleasure, which you can watch from the link below!

  NailBail's trip to Fan Expo 2009

  I'll give my summary in retrospect to the video. Being the gamer I am, I immediately started towards the gaming centre, where plenty of demos were on display for anyone to try. Sony seemed to have been the big contender, with playable demos for games like Uncharted 2, God of War 3 and Ratchet and Clank Crack in Time. Lines to play these games were fairly long, and I didn't feel like waiting an hour just to play a few minutes of a video game. However, I did manage to get a quick play of Bayonetta, just to say I played it before all of you . Other games being displayed include Madden 10, Wii Sports Resort and Smash Bros. Brawl.

  At around 12 PM, Steve Downes began to sign autographs for all the eager Halo fans. After waiting patiently, I finally got a chance to meet him for a brief moment. He was really cool and kind enough to sign my copy of Halo 2, as well as say a quick line on camera for me. Unfortunately you can't hear him very well, what with the amount of noise in the hall, but just the fact that he did it made my day right there.

  Shelves upon shelves of action figures, comics, masks, DVD's, plushies and just about anything was on display for purchase. It would have been easy to spend a whole grand that day, but somehow I managed to keep my budget at just over $100. I bought an awesome vinyl poster of Link from Twilight Princess, a stand up cut out of Phoenix Wright (you can see it in the video, on the table at 3:55), the complete volume of Gungrave on DVD, a bunch of buttons, and a Light Yagami plushie.

  Being in close proximity to celebrities was cool, though I didn't actually get a chance to meet Leonard Nimoy or Lou Ferrigno. Just meeting the spock himself cost $60! . That's insane! I got a shot of Aaron Dismuke (from Full Metal Alchemist) signing autographs, and I believe Brad Swaile's signing was free, but by then it was 5 PM and my family was ready to hit the road, leaving me just enough time to film him real quick.

  The art on display was phenominal. So many artist were there to show off their work to the public, and lots of talent was clearly present at the convention. Great work on the art guys, I wish I had enough time to see it all!

  Lastly, the cosplayers made the Expo a sight to behold. People dressing up in their favourite character's costumes made it feel like a true convention. I tried to get as many shots as I could, but even with my camera put away I saw costumes that showed dedication and hardwork in their apparel.

  By the end of the day, I was tired out. Endless walking, filming and buying made it an exciting but exhaustful day. I've learned a lot from filming at this Expo, and I hope to see others in the following years. Thank you to the people who organized the convention and all the fans who attended. Enjoy the footage, and I'll catch you next time.

  • Posted Sep 1, 2009 5:39 pm GMT
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