Good morning/afternoon/evening - I hope this holiday weekend will find everyone well. Also, kudos points goes to anyone who can name the 1970s-current pop group who recorded the song whose name makes up the first half of this post's title (I'm counting on NekoTheSpook to be the first). Hints: starts slow, ends in a high tempo, album didn't sell NEARLY as well as the group's next album, and the group specializes in wind instruments. Okay, okay - one more hint: high-pitched lead vocalist .

Anyway, the reason why the title came to mind was because I've warned everyone about having little time to post blogs and comment on others as my PC is now downstairs and services the entire family. That wouldn't be bad except since it's summer and our dog and two cats are now constantly shedding hair, climbing all over the furniture and smell like...well...pets. Another reason is that giving up a PC that I saved up money for and tweaked EVERYTHING to run optimally (as in dig through my automatic startup lists to make the machine boot in less than ten seconds, install a free firewall, set up Audacity to record podcasts and have a beautiful iTunes library) feels like I've "lost my wings" so to speak. Add to the fact that the entire month of June was for budget balancing at work and I've had no energy to post. I've visited a couple of pages but I've missed out on a LOT. Don't ask if I'll be glued to this PC during the E3 press conferences (my yearly tradition in which I actually take off from work to see them live) as I don't know if I'll have the energy.

Just because I now have no personal portal to navigate the interwebs doesn't mean that I've been neglecting games - as a matter of fact I'm playing through not one, not two, but FIVE DS games published by Square Enix. The first was Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (which I didn't finish my impressions, oh well), but for those who've missed my previous post (or who don't want to waste time looking), I'll place a short summary in addition to the other four games. *Note: all images are Gamespot property and will only be used to illustrate what I've been playing over the past thirty days.

Now, without further ado:

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings - $39.99 USD

.

The prologue dungeon called "Cache of Glabados", in which Vaan and Penelo catch up to Balthier and Fran while defeating enemies and navigating the narrow halls in search of treasures.

What can I say? From orchestral melodies that massage the ear, to an easy-to-manipulate rock/paper/scissors to gorgeous graphics (check out some of the waterfalls and dimly-lit temples for the most eye-pleasing environments so far in DS SRPGs, and you have a very relaxing yet challenging and lengthy game to be enjoyed in small sessions on the bus or late at night when trying to advance the story. The game supports full stylus control like Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, except I recommend using the directional pad for scanning the map rather than holding the stylus until a cross appears, then dragging it as it's a little hit-or-miss. I will complain though that when selecting characters to retreat from battle they sometimes walk away but then march back in a kamikaze manner and keep attacking their enemies until felled. Worse off, so far only two characters can revive units (after level twenty) so if the red-winged Llyud and teenage dancer Penelo are knocked out then that's it. This happened to me during an (shudder) escort mission in which I had to keep Fran alive and safe from attackers.

Llyud, the only aegyl curious enough to join up with Vaan's party rather than attack them, must make a decision which will determine whether he can face a challenge in order to reacquire his lost humanity (so to speak).

Espers (called Yarhi in Revenant Wings) are summoned from these squares called gates. Like many other SRPGs, gates must be claimed and/or captured before assigning troops to party members. Here, Vaan treasure reacts to a summon gate for the first time.

It's a shame that the game is still $39.99 because I recommend this title to anyone who likes SRPGs but doesn't mind some simplification. I'm not kidding you when I say that the game is visually and aesthetically pleasing, it has charm, and the characters are likable. A very relaxing, challenging and enjoyable title that I strongly recommend.

Space Invaders Extreme - $19.99 USD

I had no idea that Taito Corp. was purchased by Square Enix in 2005 to expand their portfolio (and thank goodness). Regardless, despite having less visual flash yet slightly more playability compared to the PSP version, SIE delivers. While the premise is the same (shoot down the invaders before they reach the bottom or blast your launcher) it's the presentation that's changed.

For the second boss of the Arcade Mode, the player must break through the smaller blocks that make up this alien in order to reach the alien's "core". It's not as easy as it sounds because all aliens with gold shields can bounce your laser right back at you while protecting the boss.

Those UFOs floating at the top actually have uses besides points awarded to the player: yellow ships cause a roulette wheel to spin, green ships add more aliens or fire down at the player, red ships change the colors of the aliens, flashing ships warp players to a bonus stage, and blue ships fire a GIGANTIC laser of doom. In Fever mode, your job is to blast as many UFOs that wander in for HUGE bonuses to be added to your total at the end of the stage.

Like many podcasts have stated, the presentation is the main hook of this release. Unlike all of the other Space Invaders releases, this title rewards the player for completing accomplishments such as raising the tempo of the music during Fever mode (which is rewarded to you after completing a special challenge), firing a neat row of aliens (Row Bonus), eliminating columns of aliens (Column Bonus), perfect shots, sniping every single UFO, or completing a stage without dying ("No Miss" Bonus). Like Q Entertainment's Lumines titles, everything you do affects the soundtrack in some way (especially in Fever Mode, where your shots are insanely powerful, the bass of the soundtrack is increased, and you're blowing the brain-sucking squids out of the air with your eyes closed).

If the presentation (soundtrack, shifting backgrounds, weapons [given to the player when four like-colored aliens are felled] and bosses) weren't available for this release, the gaming crowd would have just written this release off and thrown it in the bargain bins like the other SI releases. SIE is a great $20 purchase and like FFXII:RW I highly recommend it, especially if you want a break from the "calmer" Square Enix games.

Arkanoid DS - $19.99 USD

Coming out on the same day as Space Invaders Extreme (and includes a puzzle or two containing alien shapes - cross-promotion for the win), Arkanoid DS's release would have met with little fanfare except for paddle control compatibility (the peripheral is only available in Japan and will cost $30.00 USD to import). Regardless, the game is not the best of Taito's Arkanoid-related releases (I highly recommend the 1997 SNES game Arkanoid: Doh It Again as the lengthiest version).

Tsk, Tsk with the shameless cross-promotion. Shame on you Taito!

First of all, the game's flaws outweigh the strengths of the release, which I'm sure that many of you will note simply by looking at the screenshot. To list them briefly: the blocks are SQUARE rather than the rectangular ones that gamers are used to - I know that this is because Taito wanted to fit the entire playfield within DS dimensions but having the blocks reduced to small squares "cheapens" the game to me. Also, the playfield itself is too small, again possibly because of the need to fit the puzzles within the confines of the DS's two screens. They also changed the method of gaining lives via the barrier system, and this is where I have to give the game a few demerits. When I play an Arkanoid game, I DON'T WANT A SAFETY NET. I would rather gain the Extend power-up and use a bigger paddle because I'll still have that risk of missing the ball ANYWAY, which makes me more determined.

In Arkanoid DS the player is given a number of barriers to start with (based on the difficulty setting), and for every time the ball hits the barriers the number on the lower right drops by one. Unlike previous versions of Arkanoid you don't gain lives based on accumulated points but barriers if a "B" capsule is found. It's a good way to "dumb down" Arkanoid for the masses.

Unlike Space Invaders Extreme (which many gamers say that they would have been willing to pay full price for the game), Arkanoid DS feels like a twenty-dollar game. The music is VERY generic, there is hardly ANY flash to the visuals whatsoever, and to enhance the visuals the player must suffer through the game earning "game points" to purchase new backgrounds, music and paddle (Vaus) designs from the store. All for the goal of saving Mr. Driller rejects. Woo hoo!

I have two more games and very little time before my sister comes down to yank the PC away, so I have be short with the last two Square Enix games:

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates - $39.99 USD

I've owned FFCC for the Gamecube but like hundreds of thousands of others I've had no choice but to play the game solo even though the game demanded multiple players. And multiple Game Boy Advances. And multiple GC-GBA cables. Oh man. For those who could satisfy Sqaure Enix/Nintendo's demands, the game was supposedly a great experience as players embarked on yearly journeys to gather myrrh to hold back a worldwide cloud of miasma. Unlike FFCC for the Gameparallelogram, gamers can't play through the main story via multiplayer means but can only pick a dungeon or available quest and just conquer it in a Diablo or World of Warcraft manner. Some of the platforming puzzles are impossible and require three hands to perform (note to Square Enix: NEVER force the player to use both the stylus and the buttons for DS games, it must be one or the other, not forced utilization of both). Also, items found in the main story can't be used in multiplayer mode and vice-versa, which detracts from the fun of the game. I must admit that as much as a I desperately needed an action-RPG besides Children of Mana (another game that I forgot to add to the list), FFCC:RoF fulfills that need and that need ONLY.

"No Meeth, for the F-ING LAST TIME, I will NOT rub your head again! Get away from me you munchkin reject! BIG SISSSSS!"

Um, seriously, I kid you not. There's something going on between that thirteen-year-old wuss and that one-hundred-plus-year-old Liltie. Why does he constantly rub her head? And why does she like it? Just away. Stay far away.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift - $39.99 USD (just picked up today with a piece of my economic stimulus package)

Cid is rather creepy in this version of Final Fantasy (the tanned long-eared man, not the over-sized bird).

I just picked this up a few hours ago before catching a bus home so I've only played through two missions. It's a much more colorful presentation than Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for the GBA but tens-of thousands of FFT geeks are willing to invest over 100 hours into this game to unearth every item, character and quest. As of now I can only guess that this game may not be the second coming of Final Fantasy Tactics (and I prefer the PS-X releases, NOT the PSP remake - I can take the original's broken English, thank you) and it can get a little complicated with juggling terrain, character abilities, the law system (which is less harsh than the previous game), item learning and so on. Still, I've invested over thirty hours into FFTA before trading it in towards a PSP title in 2005 (ouch...) and am willing to stick it out during my two-hour commutes, but don't be surprised if I put this one down to finish Revenant Wings or complete the story in (shudder) FFCC Ring of Fates.

Umm...someone being healed by the Nu Mou white mage? Other than that I have no clue.

That's it for me. I'll probably be barbecuing for the family or parking myself in front of a fan this Friday. I may or may not be able to keep in touch but in case a can't have a good, safe July 4th and join me in lamenting the loss of the EGM Live podcast and the new 1Up FM (what the heck?).

James

Good morning/afternoon/evening:

I'm still without a personal computer or wireless access at my house since switching to Comcast Triple Play, which is why I haven't been as prolific in visiting blogs or creating my own. Fortunately I'm expecting my economic stimulus package in about three and a half weeks and I'm considering either a new desktop, a laptop since I'll be going back to school anyway, or a Mac Mini. There are several other ways to spend the money but living without a personal computer with the settings adjusting to the way I want or living spam-free even in Internet Explorer is KILLING me. I won't even go into how I had planned to spend hundreds of dollars on music creation and editing software for the podcast when "the incident" happened. I won't ramble about the situation anymore but for those who have missed it you can read about it here.

I only have a half-hour during my lunch break, so I want to discuss really briefly about a Nintendo DS game that has not left my handheld in several weeks except for Brain Age sessions, and that game is:

Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings - Square Enix (November 2007), $39.99 US

Gamespot's review can be found here, 1Up's review here.

Main characters (from left to right) Kytes the young mage, Penelo the dancer/healer, Vaan as the captain of "his" own airship, Llyud, the group's new partner in crime, and Filo the wind surfer.

As depressed as I am about not being able to purchase Arkanoid DS and Space Invaders Extreme (both published by Square Enix and due out this week), Final Fantasy Xii: Revenant Wings has been filling that gaping hole for almost three weeks and shows no signs of slowing down. I picked this game up several months ago during lunch at a Gamestop on a whim, thinking "well, everyone says that Christal Chronicles: Ring of Fates stinks worse than sewage, so I may as well try this out". After neglecting the game for several weeks to playing Geometry Wars: Galaxies and Picross DS on the go I popped in Revenant Wings to so if it was worth the "Square Enix tax". I haven't put it down since.

Vaan and his group defeat a group of evil tresure hunters using "yarhi" the RW term for espers.

Revenant Wings starts one year after the ending of Playstation 2's Final Fantasy XII, with Ashe crown as the new queen of Dalmasca and Vaan going of in search of new adventures on their own vessel following Balthier and his viera partner Fran. They stumble upon a ruin which houses treasures called the Cache of Glabados, and when finding the treeasure things spiral out of control, leaving Vaan and Penelo without an airship and being forced to return to the slums of Rabanastre.

A few days later, word of an ancient airship approaching the city drives Vaan and his friends Kytes and Filo to sneak aboard in search of adventure, only to be followed and trapped by the cruel bounty hunter Ba'Gamnan and his three cronies. When trapped near a summoning gate, Vaan's treasure that he took from the ruins a few days ago summons creatures from the portal, allowing him and his friends to fend of the group of bandits. Once defeated, the ship resonates with the power of the crystal and takes Vaan, Kytes, Filo, an angry Penelo and friend/barkeep Tomaj to undiscovered floating islands...

Oops, that's all that I have time for. I guess since I have nothing else to do during lunch this week I could make this multiple parts. In the meantime, look over the reveiws that I've linked to and I'll see you tomorrow with Part 2.

James

Good morning/afternoon/evening:

I haven't been communicating on Gamespot for a while due to work and life-related issues and was going to post a user video containing images of all of my childhood memories set to Chicago's 1970s hit "Old Days" to celebrate (grumble) my 30th birthday. Unfortunately my family's switch to Comcast High-Speed Internet from Verizon DSL (advance payments, won't take debit cards, won't accept money orders, double charging) has caused a small mishap which Comcast refuses to rectify. To explain it simply: the last time we've had Comcast HSI my PC was the only one in the house, so the cable modem and router were set up in my room and the bill was paid by myself. By the time we switched to Verizon DSL (don't ask) the family PC had arrived and was available downstairs which allowed me to still gain access via a Linsys USB antenna. Such was the setup until last night (Monday, June 2nd).

Our old Verizon DSL modem/router was still downstairs and still provided a signal until Comcast showed up; however the old family PC is now a zombified, dust-filled mess (Windows XP Pro, Athlon XP 2800) and my PC upstairs (paid for by scraping together the money and not purchasing video games and other items for over two months) "wore the pants in the family" so to speak (Windows Vista Home Premium, Athlon 64 X2). The trouble was I didn't disconnect the dead PC downstairs because I wanted to keep the DSL signal as perfect as possible because my mother attends online courses, I have a website/podcast that desperately need maintenance, I use the Wii's online functions (now with WiiWare games such as Star Soldier R, Dr. Mario Online Rx and LostWinds) RELIGIOUSLY and I use the PSP for new podcasts (even though it's day's are numbered). However, two Comcast technicians arrived and while the cabel tech did a GREAT job installing four boxes without adding to the white coaxial spaghetti all over the house, the internet tech ran cable to the DEAD PC instead of the VERY MUCH ALIVE PC upstairs despite my sister's warnings.

To be fair I have to point out that #1: I should have dismanted the dead PC over the weekend but I had assumed (wrongly) that Comcast would have installed the router in the old location (upstairs). Still, my sister notified them that they were setting up the modem in the wrong location but was told "Oh well, the internet works". Oh great. Needless to say I had to bring my beautiful Vista PC downstairs to the living room where it's doomed to be crowded with dust, cat/dog hair, grease particles from the nearby kitchen and an unclean hard drive. I can hardly wait...

I'm scared of how my family will treat it. I can picture it now: the hard drive so full of content that it can't defragment, illegal video and audio downloads (which I DO NOT CONDONE, especially after trying out KaZaa for a single week left me with a compromised machine back in 2004 and spyware that haunted me for months), insane goth website addresses thanks to my younger sister, and (God help me...) the most insane websites that allow you free content if you're willing to hand over your first-born. Add to the fact that they HATE anti-virus, firewall and spy-protection programs (and Firefox) and will do ANYTHING to crack all security measures that I place on ANY PC and I may well face it. My Vista PC is toast. Oh C5, I bid you adeiu.

So what does this mean for me? Well, no personal PC for one. I no longer have the freedom to create content on a whim as I did when I first purchased the PC last year until I pay for a router to beam a wireless signal upstairs to my room, but even so all I have until I purchase or build a new PC is the Wii for accessing the net and posting ANY form of content. Even if I build a wireless signal and am able to post content I don't feel like taking about games anymore and would like to play them (letting professionals do the talking).

Is this my way of saying goodbye? Not exactly, but this experience does give me the chance to do what I used to do when joining Gamespot: just be a hermit. It may be months before I purchase another PC and I'm not sure that I have much more to say via the Wii Internet Channel in the meantime (lord knows when I have something to say it's not that interesting).

So see you guys later. It may be in two weeks, it may be a month, but it'll be whenever I feel like it.

Good morning/afternoon/evening:

I can't explain why I'm even bothering to weigh in with my two cents regarding yet another issue of fanboyism but as a mature gamer who grew up playing and owning dozens of consoles and handhelds I just have to. It seems that while Sony and Microsoft fanboyism still runs rampart on gaming sites the Nintendo fanbase has been drowning out the rest lately due to Nintendo's marketing successes with the Wii console, the DS/DS Lite, Wii Fit, the Wii version of Guitar Hero, et cetera. As a Wii owner myself I can't help but feel ashamed because of the negative attitudes of my gaming "peers" and this post will be my official call out for the Nintendo fanbase to learn their place. I want to cover two specific areas in which I find disgusting about immature Wii owners today: the constant hot air that they spew regarding Nintendo's successes and the constant whining about the costs of the Virtual Console/WiiWare games (this will be applied to the North American audience as they act the most immature)

What each console provides as of May 2008

Microsoft Xbox 360 owners (while utilizing the Xbox Live service): Oh man, this service is awesome! Hit me up for Gears, yo! Help me get these achievements in Burnout Paradise, man! The Covenant brought it to em, man! Hay man, did you see that headshot? Look out for that dude man - SNIPE 'IM!!! Hold on, man I'm getting a message from a gamer I haven't seen in months! Liberty looks sweet, we're getting a new download pack in two months with new scenarios! Man the 360 is awesome!

Sony Playstation 3 owners (who have learned to deal with the console's faults): Thank God that Blu-ray won the format war! Hear about the new features in Haze? Home sounds cool, we'll finally have a decent matchmaking service. Uncharted was awesome, and so was last year's Ratchet and Clank. Seen 300 yet on Blu-ray? Gran Turismo 5: Prologue in 1080p is the most gorgeous thing created. MGS4...MGS4...(drools).

Nintendo Wii owners (the MATURE ones): Wii Fit looks nice, hope it's as playable as Wii Sports. What games have you played so far? What Virtual Console titles have you purchased? Have you run out of space yet and if so, what gamers are keepers? What's with the Nintendo Channel and WiiWare? Want to play Mario Kart? Yeah Star Soldier R is a rip-off, but I like the competitiveness of the title. What's your score?

Nintendo Wii owners (you know...the OTHERS...): ZOMG ZOMG NINTENDO IS KICKING SONY AND MICROSOFT A$$ SONY'S DONE AND MICROSOFT FANBOYS ARE STUPID THEY JUST DON'T GET IT IWATA IS GOD AND FILS-AME IS KING NINTENDO IS GENIUS HERE'S MY THIRTEEN FRIEND CODES FOR MY FIVE GAMES PLAY MARIO KART AND SMASH BROTHERS WITH ME OR ELSE NO VOICE CHAT NO SEAMLESS ONLINE BUT WHO CARES WE LOVE YOU ZOMG ZOMG!!!!!!!!!!

Nintendo Wii owners (the most whining, moaning, headache-inducing crowd): Where's my Dr. Mario? Why can't we get more space? Why do we have to pay these prices? I want what the other countries have. Where are the first-party games? These third-party games stink. Nintendo owes me for being a hardcore Nintendo fan. Why is My Life As A King so expensive? Star Soldier R is too expensive for two levels. There's not enough playtime in LostWinds. Who cares about independent devs, I want my Dr. Mario! (rolls into a fetal position and then cries)...

Feel disgusted yet? But many Wii fanboys may say "He's just an old man drawing attention to himself. Who the h*ll does he think he is? Let's just report him to Mailer_Daemon for making inflammatory comments in Gamespot and spam his post." Sorry kids but I've finally seen and heard enough. It seems that many Wii fanboys have no idea behind the life-or-death decisions behind the Wii and the choices that they had to make in order to stay viable in the industry. In some cases Nintendo HAD to expand the market or risk losing their visibility in the wake of rising costs and technology maturing at a fast pace. Nintendo only made MILLIONS in the industry before the Wii took off but was suffering the embarrassment of two mediocre consoles in a row. Sony and Microsoft made BILLIONS (whenever market conditions allowed) plus had consoles from the previous generation that proved their worth (although all of the consoles from the previous generation were UGLY but I digress).

Oh, but look: the Wii fanboys aren't convinced. They're probably hitting the forums link to find something favorable to read. Well then:

To divulge some history about myself (to present my case): I'm a longtime gamer whose first console was the Atari 2600 on which I've played Millipede and Crystal Castles endlessly in 1985. Since then I've switched to Nintendo hardware because a) as a child it a refurbished NES was the only thing my family could afford, and b) upon reaching adulthood I saw that the hardware was becoming powerful enough to render some of my favorite series into three dimensions. This doesn't mean that Nintendo was infallible through the years such as the meddling from former CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi, the breaches of contracts between Sony and Philips when designing the SNES Playstation, mishandling of third-party relations leading to mediocre software during the N64 and Gamecube days...the list goes on and on. While I (almost) always kept a Nintendo-manufactured console in my house I wasn't a BLIND FOOL thinking that Nintendo was the only answer to interactive entertainment. When Sega pushed CD-ROM media as the future of gaming, I invested in the Sega CD and later the Saturn. When Sony's Playstation proved that CD-ROM gaming can be accessible to everyone and be marketed properly, the Playstation was the go-to console of choice with my N64 gathering dust. When Sony proved that DVD-ROMs for gaming was in and provided what developers and gamers wanted the Playstation 2 and it's memorable titles like MGS 2, Wild Arms 3, SOCOM, J&D and R&C provided more than Nintendo's Gamecube could provide - I actually sold it because it offered little else and my PS2 and over 60 titles needed the space.

The reason why I stated so much in the above paragraph is because this is the NORMAL rationale of a modern gamer (I hope). Notice that I didn't say anything about which console was the ABSOLUTE best and then shout it from the rooftops, I chose the console with the best cost/entertainment ratio and was entertained. I haven't owned a Sony console since then because the price of the PS3 isn't in my budget and the Wii was the best I could do for current-generation gaming, plus Xbox 360 and it's dependence on the Live community is too much for a thirty-year-old who has priorities. I guess that Nintendo fanboys would rather stick with lesser products and trash 360 and PS3 owners even though both machines are (from a technological sense) far superior and have amazing potential.

I've beat around the bush and I'm sure that you the reader is asking: where are you going with this? Well, the answer is I've said everything above to distance myself from the rabid Wii owners; don't forget that I'm a Wii owner myself. Before I continue I want to disclose threads in which less-mature Wii owners have posted ridiculous comments regarding the recent WiiWare launches - they could be as small as "I want Dr. Mario" to "Wii rulz, everyone else sux!"

WiiWare Launches in Europe/Australia, Gets Demos With A Catch (Kotaku) - Read Dead_Red_Eye's comment halfway down the page. The article was meant CLEARLY for the European/Australian audience. MORON.

The Weekly WiiWare Virtual Console Update (Kotaku) - Dr. Mario is not released yet because it will overshadow third-party efforts. Sit down and SHUT UP.

Oh Dear God, Stop It With WiiWare (GS forums) - Oh. My. God. I can't believe people wasted their time responding to this thread - if the topic creator would have thought about the subject for at least thirty seconds before posting he would have been enjoying the WiiWare games already released (you know, the games that other countries have JUST NOW GAINED ACCESS TO?) instead of taking up server space. I haven't even bothered to post as I was too disgusted.

Of course my disgust isn't tied just to the WiiWare launch but to the attitudes of immature Wii owners as a whole. I'll proceed to the conclusion with the following:

1. WiiWare is meant for third parties to experiment. If you want to play the freaking Dr. Mario so bad then get the Game Boy Advance release, or the Super Nintendo/Super Famicom Tetris/Dr. Mario double pack, or the NES or Game Boy versions. Sure they'll be no online play but it will keep Wii fanboys from slipping into a coma because of their virus-busting dependency.

2. Technologically, the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 ARE superior. Shut up and know your place. Nintendo fanboys have whined and complained about constant flaming from owners of other consoles, but to respond in kind when a Nintendo console (that the fanboys HAD NO HAND IN DEVELOPING) takes off, how does that make you any different? I'll point out that the 360's Xbox Live service is the most ingenious and still potential growth, and the Playstation 3's peak may not be reached for years. Stop and think: what will you say when PS3 games look and play beyond (no pun intended) everyone's expectations and Xbox Live's community grows so huge that even Steam on PCs can't compete?

3. Space is NOT an issue. Um, correct if I'm wrong but all VC and WiiWare games can be deleted to make room for new titles and if desired we can download them again free of charge. Since Nintendo is allowing such freedom them what is the harm? Are you playing every single game in your internal memory at that moment? Why can't you just play one game at a time and then delete when complete? And for those who like "seeing everything purchased in the same area", well TOO FREAKING BAD.

4. The Wii is underpowered. DEAL WITH IT. Remember the threads where Wii owners were hoping for upgrades to their GPUs and better support for high-resolution? They were quieted somewhat after more mature posters told them that they should have done more research on the hardware before purchasing and that the 360/PS3 are good "fill-ins" to satiate high-res desires. If you can't deal with the high-res ceiling of 480p then why did you purchase the console? Why whine about the visual limitations instead of playing the games?

I'm not going to waste anymore time on this. I'm done. I've taken the reader in many directions but the main purpose is to quiet the rabid Wii owners or at least get them to THINK. Then again, I've been told that rabid Wii owners don't have the mental capacity to think...

James M. Wallace

MATURE Wii, DS Lite, PSP and (soon-to-be) PS3 owner

Good morning/afternoon/evening:

It's been a crazy week at work and a not-so-big-surprise regarding my ongoing plans for my HDTV. During this week I've been out of the loop as far as tech, gaming, friends and other topics and it's here that I apologize. To make a long story short the following things have happened:

* I've finally filled out my FAFSA forms online and sent them in - there's a good chance that I'll get some financial help in finishing my Paralegal degree. I've been paying for my courses myself since 2001 but when my stepfather left the family after my grandmother's death in 2005 it was an uphill battle. I've been intimidated about the forms because I felt that I would have to sign over my firstborn but after filling out the practice sheet it was easy. Of course the hilarious part was disclosing to the government how much money I had in my wallet and in my bank account (busts into hysterical laughter) AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

* Remember last March when I ranted about Accountemps (a temp agency which is a division of Robert Half International who specializes in providing employment for Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Accounting and Collections individuals) and about my mistreatment? I've been toiling at my old near-thankless job since then and half of the office wants to walk out the door. Morale has hit rock bottom and both of the new supervisors recently hired do nothing to help the situation. There's so much back-stabbing and office politics going on that I can't stand it - and commuting four hours a day to work in such a setting for lower wages in Pennsylvania than what's being offered in New Jersey ($8,000.00 more per year for the same exact job, I kid you not) isn't worth it. It got to the point that I sent a resume and cover letter to the New Jersey office of my old temp agency (I haven't needed them since 2002) and this evening (Friday) got a response. Apparently my Accounts Payable experience is enough for consideration in job placement in Southern New Jersey. Finally, a decent job in a beautiful office park closer to home!

There's only one problem though - the interview/screening. Applicants have to be screened when signing up for a temp service (math skills, basic Accounts Receivable/Payable knowledge, Microsoft Office), but I can't sign up for any vacation days after Tuesday, May 20th and won't be available until after July 4th (long story, but it's a fiscal closing thing). I'm finally getting a chance to leave my job but will have to put it on hiatus due to my obligations at my old job, and because I don't want to have my family starve if I get fired for taking off for an interview...you know how it is.

Take a look at that 32" Visio, for me it's going to have to wait a little longer. I had everything ready to go - I scheduled my final personal day for Tuesday to meet some family members to carry the HDTV home in my aunt's SUV, my mother was going to purchase a new living room set, I had purchased almost $200.00 USD worth of groceries...next week was going to be nothing short of awesome...until my mother overpaid the bills, leaving almost NOTHING for herself. D'oh! I took it all in stride as I haven't received my economic stimulus check yet so we agreed to push it to late June. She's my mother, she can't work with nothing in her wallet and no transportation. I REALLY wanted that TV though, I was going to put a PS3 next to it...oh crap. Oh well, another emergency was going to come up anyway.

I've had no time energy recently to put into Geek Democracy as I've actually listened to the last episode - and instantly felt sick. Eight episodes and I STILL can't get it right. I'm not going to put out another episode until I resolve my audio issues, and that can't happen if I'm now too ashamed to get near a microphone. Sorry Pat but I can't spend three hours editing and the podcast STILL stinks.

I know I haven't stated anything related to games, so here's my gaming lineup for the weekend:

1. No More Heroes (Wii, $19.99 USD) - Circuit City recently had a sell-off of Suda 51's controversial yet critically acclaimed work, and I felt that my Wii collection needed a shake-up. I expected the game to be rather straight-forward with simply assassinating the other ten killers to become number one, but after the first kill I was sent to two different job agencies for sub-missions...? Interesting. Believe it or not, the game was rated 9.0 by Gamespot (WTF?) and from what I've played so far I can KIND OF agree. The driving mechanics feel stiff and sometimes the controls can be a little glitchy, but I have to remember that it's an action game exclusive to the Wii. The next game:

2. Mario Kart Wii (Wii, $49.99 USD) - Well, my was interested in trying out the Wii Wheel mechanics and I was ready for the next Mario Kart so after failing to obtain one at Circuit City for the "buy-one-get-one-half-off" deal I walked over to my neighborhood Target and snatched up the next-to-last one. The wheel controls are okay but the problem of over-steering in three-dimensional space does persist. I haven't tried online play yet (I want to unlock more items and tracks first) but so far I'm really annoyed by constantly being slammed by blue shells and the undodgeable POW block power-up as it's led to a LOT of cheap losses...

3. Okami (Wii, $39.99 USD) - I've never managed to obtain the PS2 version and after hearing so much praise for the game I decided to pick up a copy. I haven't had the time to play it yet but I will do so on Saturday. I won't go into the plot now because we can all find out about the title on several sites and blogs but I'll go into more detail later on.

That's plenty for now. I probably won't be available throughout the weekend but I'll stop by.

Jay

Good morning/afternoon/evening - hopefully this day finds everyone well.

Just wanted to put in a quick message before everyone comes in from work/school and starts posting (and for many of you college attendees I know that the spring semesters are ending, good luck with the final exams and I'll be rejoining the other scholars this fall as I'm filing federal student loan documentation this weekend).

In addition, tomorrow I'll finally be window shopping for the HD TV in several electronics stores in Southern New Jersey and finding the best deals - I know that I stated that I would do this last month, but working overtime and the general craziness of the office during the week I just couldn't do it. If I have the energy I'll put my experiences on my website later on. Since I know exactly what I want (a thirty-two inch widescreen, 720p resolution, digital cable-ready out of the box and multiple component inputs for a future Playstation 3 and a second Wii (for the family) the specs should be of little issue. The problem is the budget - $600.00 USD plus tax is the MAXIMUM that I want to spend and I'm sure that many stores will try to pull a bait-and-switch. The test is to find out that at what lengths that sales clerks will go to bait the consumer...

AAARRRGGGHHHHH! A new Gamespot glitch deleted ALL of my images and two-thirds of my POST! I had Virtual Console images, an image of the TV that looked like a solid win for me and information about the Smash Brothers tournament that I joined, but IT WAS ERASED, without a "c l a s s i c", "s t y l e" or other known glitch. I even posted some witty comments about the games that I purchased. WHAT THE H%$* GAMESPOT?!?

That's it. I'm done. Long story short: I bought Virtual Console titles, a couple of them stink, Star Fox 64 is awesome and I'm training Link for the SSBB tournament just in case one of the contestants cancel out. You want to spar with me, send a PM or a message via the Wii. I'm through, and truly pissed off.

Jay.