Wii? Oui…
Time to start saving up for the next gen consoles. At the moment, it looks the Wii maybe my first choice in systems. What sold me were the price for the system, the backward compatibility and the downloadable older games. If I did not have bills and rent to pay, I may have opted for a PS3, but even then I would have waited a year or so until the price dropped to something more reasonable. As for the XBox 360, the only reason I would get it is just for one or two games, which is unreasonable for me.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories…
Ty and I had enough the game. We were both let down by it; it wasn’t as great as a friend raved it was. The only thing it had going for it was the Indian radio station. The combination of bad controls and weak story has left us in boredom. Ty traded it at a great rate for (see below)…

Grandia III…
Ty got a used copy for $16 with the trade in for GTA. A great deal considering, everywhere we seen it, it was going for full or close to full price. It’s lighthearted and funny along the lines of Radiata Stories with very fast paced battle sequence. So far, the game looks and plays great. I look forward to playing after Ty is done and I am done with all the unplayed games in our collection (maybe…).

Wild Arms 4…
I finally had enough UFO hunting and finished Wild Arms 3 and moved on to Wild Arms 4. WA4 is drasticly different from WA3 from visual to gameplay, but it still kept the Western theme in design and in music. I have put maybe 10 hours, but I still feel like I am fumbling through it by luck. It’s hard to say how I feel about it, except to keep playing.

Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life Special Edition…
If life was just that simple…

Ace Combat 5 & 6…
It’s a great flight sim series, but I am so sick of it. Ty plays it religiously every night; I think at a half an hour each night is dedicated to Ace Combat.

Movies and Anime…
Time and Tide directed by Tsui Hark
Clue
Harold & Kumar Goes to White Castle
Layer Cake
Excel Saga
FLCL
Giant Robo

Comics…
Scarlet Traces: The Great Game
Shadow Pact
52
Testament

Five games to kill time while stranded on a deserted island or what have you. It's a little trickier. It would have been easy to just list your favorites, but can your favorites withstand being played over and over?

1) The Sims (preferably with all the expansions & the downloads I have) - So much energy and creativity goes into creating a Sim. They are like your children. Soon you will be talking to them and telling them to call you god.

2) Baldur's Gate - The original is a lot harder than the sequels, but with a good strategy you can do fairly well. There are a lot of side-quests I have yet to uncover and complete. Also, I never get tire of creating kooky parties.

3) We Love Katamari - I can never get tire of rolling up fireflies or roses. Plus, I have the satisfaction of rolling up the King of Cosmos.

4) GTA: San Andreas - This was a hard choice - GTA: San Andreas or Mercenaries. It ultimately came down to San Andreas simply because you had access to its larger and livelier environment after the completion of the game. There are still lot things you can do (collecting oysters/horseshoes, taxi run, etc.) or you can make up things to do (aka creating 6 stars situations).

5) Sonic Adventure 2 - I suck at this game. In fact I suck at all Sonic games, but it doesn't mean I can't enjoy them. It took a year of dedicated play (average 15-20 hours weekly) to complete this game. Since I had such a blast playing it the first time through, I don't mind if I spend the rest of my time on the deserted island playing it again. Although there not a lot of stages, but each stage have several variations of play (collect 100 rings, clear the course under a certain time, etc.). Maybe this time around, I raise my Chaos better.

Over the last couple of weekends, Ty picked up a couple of old bargain bin games from GameStop. I think he picked up Ace Combat 4: Shattered Sky and Freaky Flyer for himself and Resident Evil: Code: Veronica and Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter for me. The funny thing about used games, all the games I get or is for me are missing for the instruction manual (then again, I hardly read them unless they have bright shiny pictures in them). I spent a good part of the yesterday afternoon trying to figure out what the control system in Resident Evil and Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter.

Resident Evil proved to be more troublesome than I ever thought it would be. After an hour and a half so of replaying the beginning over and over, I still just could not get use to the control; I'm still thinking with the mindset from the last RE game I have played. Sadly, RE has to sit on the sideline for quite some time. I'm just not in the mood for horror and the controls at the moment are just too frustrating.

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter turned out really good. The last BoF I played was the very first one. It was a decent game though it felt rather dry. So fast forward to years later and I'm playing the last BoF that came out. I wasn't expecting anything new, but Dragon Quarter did surprise with some really good and well executed ideas, i.e. a controllable camera to see enemies around the corner. I think this may be what Magna Carta was trying to go for, but somehow it just didn't come out right. Sadly, BoF: Dragon Quarter is going to the ever growing to-be-played pile.

In regards to Magna Carta, I have been bouncing back and forth between that and Radiata Stories. Ty is under the presumption that I liked Magna Carta, but I'm not. I'm one those people who would like to see a series to the end, even if it is crappy (I'm looking you, Evangelion). Of course, there are a few exceptions to my way of thinking, like Red Ninja and Star Wars III. Anyhoo, the more I play Magna Carta, the more flaws I see. At this point, the only thing Magna Carta has going for it is the artwork.

Thankfully, I have Radiata Stories to balance this out. The game is far from perfect, but it is far more enjoyable to play. The most capivating thing about the game is the great sense of humor it has. While many RPGs focus more on the dramatic side of the story, Radiata Stories goes in the opposite direction and focus on the lighter, humorous side. So far I have very few complaints about the game.





And now for something totally unrelated...

The nice thing about having a boyfriend who is into video games as much as I am is that I get to play with his files after he has beaten the game with all the cool stuffs unlocked. On top of it I don't feel as bad if I ignore the games he has played while I play some other ones.

Two recent games that Ty have beaten and I have been playing are the last two in the Ace Combat Series -- AC 5: The Unsung War and AC Zero: The Belkan War. Both games are very good with a good story and a great soundtrack. Controls for both game are easy to learn to use. Despite how exactly alike both games are, each game plays very differently.

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
Of the two games, AC 5 has a stronger story. In AC 5, you play as an Osean pilot caught up in a controversial war with another world power loosely based off of Cold War Russia, Yuktobania. As the war progress, you and your squadron become feared and revered as the "Demons of Razgriz", a myth within the game's universe that eeriely reflects the characters' story and overall plot.

The game divides itself up into about 27 missions. Many of the missions requires more than just shooting down enemy aircrafts. Some are loosely based off of real life battles, i.e. the attack on Pearl Harbor, the D-Day invasion, and the aerial bombing in Vietnam. There is one mission in particular that may have been an homage to an old anime series called Macross, or Robotech as it known in the US.

Besides the main story, AC 5 have a bunch of extras that will keep you entertain for a while. At the start of the game, there is an arcade mode where you play as the protagonist of Ace Combat 4, Mobius 1. This mode is very straightforward - simple shoot x number enemy down in x amount of time. Once the game is beaten, a couple of extra modes open up - SP Campaign where you can play the story over with all the planes you've unlock the first time thru and the Free Mission where you can choose which mission you like. In addition to the extra modes of play, the scene viewer and music player (personally, a must for many games) opens up allowing you to listen to your favorite track or watch your favorite scene over and over.

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
Storywise, AC Zero is the prequel to AC 5, taking place 15 years prior. Much to my disappointment, the Belkan War that was mentioned heavily throughout AC 5 and in the title served only as a backdrop to the story. I was really hoping to play as one of the enemy pilot, even the legendary Colonel from AC 5, but instead I was a mercenary hired by the Ustian (?) Air Force that has been taken over by the Belkan to help bolster the ranks and possible free the country. Despite the disappointment, AC Zero did have a good story to follow along. Whereas in AC 5 the running theme are about doing what is right and for greater good, AC Zero's themes follow a more personal passion and glory as symbolized with the more up beat flamenco influenced music and more focus on aerial dogfights.

AC Zero is a much shorter game than AC 5. There is on about 20 missions. The developers remedied it by creating an Ace Style - depending on how you accomplish your mission, you are given either a Mercenary, Soldier, or Knight rank. These ranks will determine what your next mission is and who you will up against. So you would have to go thru the game a few to times to unlock everything in the game.

While AC Zero is a short game, it does provide a more intense gaming experience. In AC 5, you rely a lot on your unrealistic number of missiles to accomplish your missions. However, this is not the case in AC Zero where often your mission ends with a dogfight between you and an enemy squadron. You cannot rely on just shooting as many missiles as you can in hopes that one would hit the enemy fighter. A lot of the time is spent trying to outmaneuvering the enemies and playing chicken with them. At times, these fights get very personal. On top of it, the enemy AI actually learns your move, forcing you to adapt new tactics as you progress.

Last Thoughts...
I have to say both games are great additions any collection, especially you're interested in in flight sims or are fans of Macross/Robotech. Both games can be bought under $60 with AC 5 being a Greatest Hit. But if I have to choose one, I would go with AC 5. Beside having a better story, AC 5 gradually eases you into future missions. And if you're still having trouble, there is a tutorial for the game, which AC Zero lacked.

The Good... Good Games
Over the last few weeks my boyfriend and I picked up a few games - Metal Gear Solid 2, Shadow of the Colossus, Ace Combat Zero and Haunting Ground. All so far are very good with very few complaints, though I'm a tad bit afraid to play Haunting Ground alone.

Ty has completed both Shadow of the Colossus and Ace Combat Zero. He's been pushing me to play them as well, which leads to...


The Bad... Too Many Unplayed Games
The pile of game that unplayed is growing. As much as it would sadden me, I don't have much choice. I have traveling back & forth on the weekends to help my mother, who had a recent operation, with her house work. My week night is divided between housework and artwork which both I have been doing poorly.

*sigh*

Eventually, my pretties, eventually.


... and the Very Ugly... Death in the family
At the end of April, my family lost a very dear member, my Uncle Steven. For us, the blow was very painful. He was a very friend and easy going guy who got along with everyone he met. To many of the younger members, he was the best uncle, a friend/playmate, and a fellow gamer.

He was pretty much the reason why the younger generation love video game. He generously gave his nieces and nephews a SNES, saying it was a reward for our great grade even when it's not. He was there to break the tension when accusations of cheesiness were flying back & forth and took us all on in a Tetris tournament. More importantly, he made us feel good when playing video games.

Though the space where he usually stands to watch us play is empty, memories of blisters on the thumb, Street Fighter tournaments and his loud laugh lives on.

While balancing between The Sims, X-Men Legend II and other long over due personal work, I manage to sit down and play a little of a couple of games Ty picked up some time last week - Ace Combat 5 and Shadow of the Colossus.

Ace Combat 5
I don't think I was ever this intrigue by a flight sim or seen one with such a well developed story and cast as Ace Combat 5. I'm still a little unfamiliar with the controls; a few rounds in the tutorial can remedy that. Definitely worth trying out.

Shadow of the Colossus
I played thru the first couple of colossi. Very cool and innovative with a huge, incredible environment. Even though it is listed as an action game, it leans more toward puzzle. Will definitely play more some time soon.


On another note, I ended up deleting all the files for all the half finished games.  Some for some unknown reason got corrupted - I can start from the last save point, but the game would crash.  Others because I was out of it for so long, I lost my groove for it.  And some, simply because I got way too pissed from repeating myself over and over.  

or "You Dirty Little Monkey"

After a long hiatus and being unable to play Vampires, my boyfriend Ty decides to make both of us hermits by reinstall Sims on the home computer. Despite the fact it is an older game and you're really not doing much except telling how digital character(s) should live their lives, it very highly addictive. I think the charm lies in the fact you are actually creating something oppose to just playing it.

Needless to say, all my free time will be sucked away by my little people in SimTown or downloading stuff for them. Among the first few things we downloaded were the patches/animations that allows the Sims to do naughty perverted things. :oops: I'm such a dirtly little thing.

On the plus side, drama in SimTown got turned up a notch. Our Sims has turn into a regular day time soap opera. Often I just let them run loose to see what kind of trouble they get themselves into. On the downside, it seems like that is all the Sims want to do beside eat, pee all over themselves or set themselves ablaze because they lack cooking skills.

So, farewell real world, I am going off to be god in SimTown.

Last night, I went with my boyfriend and couple of other friends to the promo screening of Slither.

It is an okay movie with some decent special effects. The basic story is a variation on the invading aliens with a hint of zombie horror and a side of light romance. It is pretty formulaic and predictable.

The saving grace of it was that the movie didn't take itself seriously and had decent dialogue. It does have its moment in both humor and grossness. But all in all, Slither comes off as a better written and acted Sci-Fi channel. It's not worth your $8, matinee and video rental maybe, but definitely not worth full price.

It's been quiet for a couple of week.  I haven't played a lot of games which was good and bad at the same time.  Bad because I'm starting have to have growing pile of games that not finished or not even started.  The good is that in this lull, I have been able to finish or come close to finishing some non-game related items.

I did try to finish the some the games (Phantom Brave, Psychonauts, and PoP: TT) that are half done, but I ended up getting way too pissed after about an hour of doing the same thing over and over.  There is only oh so many instant kill I can take in Phantom Brave.   One thing that was common in the games I played was the sharp increase of the difficulty of the final stage/boss of the game.  Maybe it's just my clumsy fingers, but still...

Ty got me Soul Calibur 3 for Valentine's Day, while I got him America (the Book).  We both thoroughly enjoyed our gifts. 

Although it's far from perfect,  SC3 has quickly become my favorite in fighting games.  Personally, the SC series gets better and better with each sequel; each one just builds on top of the previous ones.  In SC3 there is more a RPG element to it, especially when your playing with the signature characters.   In the story mode there are quite a few choices to make before going to same final stage as everyone else.  Depending on your choice (and skills), it can unlock various characters, stages, etc. etc. 

A great feature in SC3 that I enjoyed playing with was the Custom Character Creation option.  Like the option said, create your own custom character and play them in missions. It seems limited at first, but as you unlock/buy more stuff the possibilities are endless.  The moves for your custom character is limited.  Each class has moves that is a combination of two of the signature character, but without all the signature moves.  Despite the limited number of moves, your custom character is quite enjoyable to play. 

Of course, it does have fair share of frustrating battles (i.e. the age-old cheesy tactic of using the same move over and over until you're on par with the CPU's health). 

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What's your worth...
I am worth $1,093,330 on HumanForSale.com

Here's something for a chuckle or two.