And strangely enough, this is also the first time I have actually been to Gamespot in seven months. I'm terribly sorry for my absence. I must say, life has kept me incredibly busy during my senior year in high school. There is much I could report for everyone to catch up on, but it would take awhile. :P With that, I hope everyone on here is doing rather well. But in case you were wondering about my absence, here is a brief run down of why exactly.

Time management has been difficult. Taking six Advanced Placement courses in my senior year in high school, I don't really have time for much else other than working these days. The policy for A.P. courses requires two hours of homework for every hour spent in class. Thus, one can see why I've been kept so busy. Not to mention, working 25 Hours per week at my job at Beans & Brews (which I love very much, as a coffee barista); on top of 35 hours in school, and a minimum of 15-20 hours of homework has easily led me to having an 75 Hour work week ... It's incredibly busy, but senior year is almost coming to an end.

However, I'm not sure how much of it will continue since I'll be enrolled full time at the University of Utah. We'll have to see what happens.

But do you want to know what the sad part is?
I haven't touched or played a single video game since August. :(

That's that, my passion for gaming has been put on hold throughout this school year. I hope it can resume sometime soon, but we'll have to see. I've actually purchased about four games over the course of the seven months of my absence, but it's still unfortunate to be in these circumstances that lack much of a social life and time for fun). But don't worry, I'm working on being back on Gamespot again, getting into gaming again, and pursuing more of my hobbies that I enjoy. I really am working on it! I hope everyone is doing well. :)

See? What did I tell you? :P Well yeah, over the last week (since August 24th) I haven't been asn active on this site as I regularly am, but I've done my best to go around and catch up with blogs and gaming news that I've missed. I've read a couple of fun blogs, but nothing in the gaming world seemed to have really caught my attention. Of course, I started my senior year this year, so that's something that definitely keeps my busy. Synonomous with that, working as a barista at my coffee house is a fun way to spend the time and start earning some money. I'll receive my first pay check this weekend so I'm excited. :D I'm just making a list of things I want to buy -- possibly a cheap video game at a discount price, I need to pay my friend back, I need to save for a laptop by the end of this year, and I need some new break pads for my car. Heh, there's a bit for me to do but oh well, it'll keep me focused to work and do my best in school. Speaking of which, here's my senior schedule:

1. AP Calculus
2. AP Government
3. AP English Literature
4. AP Physics
5. AP Biology
6. Home Release
7. Financial Literacy (Thankfully this is only a semester course -- it's incredibly basic and boring)
8. AP English Language

So far I like all of my courses. :) Of course, AP seems to scare some people away, but I really don't think they're difficult at all. They're just busy courses, but the material is about the same. Besides, working at a coffee shop keeps me awake too with all of the free caffeine they provide. :P Well I hope you're all doing well, take care!

Hey everyone. Well it's been awhile so I thought I would post again, in another overdue blog to communicate with the lovely correspondents of Gamespot. :P The last blog I posted wasn't exactly the happiest blog so I'm hoping, and working on making sure that this entry will be on a lighter and a much happier note. :) Summer is coming to an end, so here I go with my entry of a few things have been happening recently, as well as developments for the last two weeks of summer:

School: While this is a predictable and expected occurence for most people on this site, simply, school is starting soon. It's starting on the 24th so that will be the event that will end the relaxing course of this summer. While it will be the end of this summer, this year will also be the end of my high school education as I will be a senior. It's interesting to think about, but more or less really exciting. I'm looking forward to college and I'm really working at pursueing a promising eduacation for the future. I unfortunately do not know my schedule yet for this year, but I will let you know them soon. I'm expecting to be quite busy this year, but we'll see what happens. Speaking of which, I happened to actually read two novels in preparation for my AP English Literature class. I have one more that I will be reading, but the two that I have read are actually some of my favorite books that I've happened to read. They are The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and My Sister's Keeper. While the latter novel has been made into a movie, I haven't actually viewed it yet but I'm looking forward to watching it sometime. Both of these books are excellent novels that I recommnend to anyone, depending on the type of genres or if you even enjoy reading, but they came to my surprise and liking unexpectedly so I'm really happy I was able to read these stories. Both of them are actually worthy of being listed as the best books I've read, and I'm not ashamed to admit that noth of these novels have made me shed a number of tears.

Teenage Life: Other than preparation for school, I've been trying to spend my time with my friends as much as possible before school starts again. With that, I've been out and about doing normal things that a teenage (homosexual) male enjoys doing: shopping, talking at the park, night overs at friends house, and doing my best to keep my self happy. I wrote in my last entry that I am now single after a year. The pain is still present, but I'm coping with it more and more every day and just living life as much as I can. I'm considering dating other guys but I'm still on the fence about that. I'm not over my ex, and it wouldn't be appropriate to be involved with other people if he is on my mind I think, but time heals things and I think that it'll be fine eventually. I'm finally at apoint where I'm able to accept the fact that I think other guys are cute, and I can look at them without feeling as guilty about it. I think it's a good indication that I'm starting to heal from all of the heart ache. In relation to what I wrote in my last blog as well, I was lucky and fortunate enough to finally get the job I applied for! So yeah, I'm finally an employee at the coffee chain in Salt Lake City, Beans and Brews. :) I'm happy to be an employee and I'm starting work there this weekend. I love the environment of coffee shops so it's something I'm really looking forward to. Wish me luck!

Gaming Related: In terms of gaming, honestly things have been rather shallow. I haven't played anything much at all, including starting Resident Evil (GCN), but I'm hoping to do that soon. With a lot of thinking, I'm actually thinking and planning on creating a compilation of games that I want on the older Game Boy platform. From the Game Boy to the Game Boy Advance, there will be many games that will have to add to the list and plan on purchasing, but I think it will be worth it in the end. How is it not worth it to not play a credible and exciting game? I'd have to purchase a Game Boy of course, but it will be fine doing that. I think I'd purchase a Game Boy Advance SP, the newer one with the brighter screen. I've owned the the past model before and I enjoyed it. I think that the Micro wouldn't do to well with the smaller screen anyway, despite the fact that they're incredibly cute. Other than that, I'm thinking of writing some reviews again. I've had a number of people who enjoyed my reviews on my past account and I enjoyed writing them, so that's something I may take up again. It has been probably two years since I've actually written a gaming review though, so we'll see how it goes. I'm hoping that my writing skills have improved since then. Of course, I really doubt that they're to the magnitude of other great reviewers on Gamespot. :P Either way, expression and it's nice knowing that you can be influential in someone's purchase toward a game. :) Well, I think that's everything I've had to say for tonight -- continue having a nice summer.

Hey everyone, I hope things are going well with all of you. From the title of this blog, I'm guessing that many of you aren't expecting this blog to be the happiest one. Well truth be told, it's been rather hard for me to look at some things in a positive light in account of some events that have taken place recently, and honestly not too much has happened to make it a lot better. Really, this just hasn't been the greatest summer that I was hoping for, and parts of me is just waiting for it to end. Any reasons why?

1. The Boyfriend: Or should I Say Ex?

Okay well obviously, this has been the biggest factor to influence me not being in exactly the greatest mood recently. My boyfriend, Tom, broke up with me a little over a week ago. Hurtfully enough, we split exactly one week before our one year anniversary, when I had a date and other exciting things planned for him and everything. There have been a couple of things that influenced his decision to break it off with me. Honestly, I'm still rather confused about some of it and I think that while he justified his reasoning for wanting to break up, I think that he should have had the stronger will to hold on tighter. There were just some trust issues that were bothering him -- particularly, how my best friend is gay and he isn't exactly comfortable with him hanging out me. :| Well, both of them don't like each other but I shouldn't be forced to choose between my boyfriend and my best friend. I think that Tom's trust for me should've been enough to keep the relationship together. Though honestly, I don't know where things will go from here. I saw Tom a couple of days after we broke up, and of course, it was what I expected it to be: the feelings are still there, we still shared the emotional connection that we always have, and truth be told, it pretty much felt like we were still together. I've never been together with someone as long as I have with him and I've never cared for anyone as much as I've cared for him. It's just been a rather hard situation, but I know that everything happens for a reason so I hope things get better in regards to our relationship.

2. Lack of employment, money, etc ...

Well of course, not working throughout the summer hasn't exactly been the best thing either. My family is in the middle of filing for bankruptcy at the moment, (due to some hardships that my family has went through the last money that have put my dad out of work) and not having a job to help my family with the finances isn't something that lifts my spirits. It's something that I really wish I was able to do, but I'm not. I did have an interview a couple of days ago at K-Mart, but unfortunately I wasn't what they were looking for since they decided they would've preferred an employee who would've been able to work full time during the school year. School starts for me on August 24th, so I really hope I will be able to find a job before then so I can get settle and start saving and paying for important things: My car/insurance/gas, school (which will cost a lot more this year), savings for college, a new laptop, and whatever I may need to spend money on for entertainment, including games. So it's just been rather rough lately. I haven't been able to do much that has been occupying my time except for reading, exercising, and trying to hang out with some friends when they are available. When I'm not busy however, I just find myself bored and not exactly in the best moods so it's not much to make me feel better either.

All in all, that's just a summary of what's been occuring lately and what has influenced my mood. It's somewhat unfortunate too, because I know there are SO many people throughout the world who are in worse situations than I am, but I'm still a little damp about it all. Well, I did manage to land an interview next Monday with a coffee shop here in Utah, called Beans and Brew, so I really hope that works out. I love coffee too, so that's definitely a plus. :) I'm going to try and spend more time with friends, and start studying and preparing for my senior year. I hope everyone is well and that I don't sound like I'm ranting or complaining much ... :oops:

Hey everyone. :) Well if you can recall on my blog a little while ago, I was messaging you guys about the tragedy of my late Nintendo DS. :cry: Well, after a bit of convincing and nostalgic memories of the little portable, I've decided that I will do my best with saving money, (through bargain shopping as well) to purchase a Nintendo DS Lite (or DSi) and a number of great games along with it. :) I know this will take a lot of dedication, money, and patience, but I know that it will all pay off with A LOT of entertaining game time. So this is the list that I've come up with so far. If you have any reccomendations, please list them below!

• Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
• Advance Wars: Dual Strike
• Age of Empires: Mythologies
• Animal Crossing: Wild World
• Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
• Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day
• Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day
• Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
• Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
• Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
• Chrono Trigger
• Dementium: The Ward
• Dragon Ball: Origins
• Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen
• Dragon Quest V: Hands of the Heavenly Bride
• Elite Beat Agents
• Etrian Odyssey
• Etrian Odyssey II
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time
• Final Fantasy III
• Final Fantasy IV
• Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
• Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
• Heroes of Mana
• Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure
• Kirby Canvas Curse
• Kirby Super Star Ultra
• The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
• Lunar Knights
• Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
• Mario Kart DS
• Mario Party DS
• Meteos
• Metroid Prime: Hunters
• Moon
• New Super Mario Bros. DS
• Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
• Nintendogs
• Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
• Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice For All
• Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations
• Planet Puzzle League
• Professor Layton and the Curious Village
• Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
• Rhythm Heaven
• Sonic Rush
• Sonic Rush Adventure
• Star Fox Command
• Suikoden Tierkreis
• Super Mario 64: DS
• Tetris DS
• Tony Haw's American Sk8Land
• Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble
• Wario Ware: Touched!
• The World Ends With You
• Yoshi's Island: DS

Though with it, I am wondering if I should create a Game Boy Advance collection, since they are not available on the Virtual Console. I could wait a little bit longer and see if Nintendo decides to create a type of service where you could download GBA games onto the DSi just like the VC, but as of now I'm on the fence of what to do about that! I know that there are plenty of Game Boy Advance games that are just as worthy of a purchase.

And in other news, I did end up watching the sixth Harry Potter film. I would have to say that I enjoyed it a lot, and it's probably my favorite behind the Prizoner of Azkaban. It was very faithful to the book, though I felt that there was some things that I think they could've easily added that would've improved the film. The characters have all grown, matured, and shone through in the film, and I enjoyed it very much. I'm seeing it again on Thursday and I'm looking forward to it. :)

Well it's the middle of July. I haven't created a blog in a little while so I thought I'd leave an update for you. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince has been released. I haven't seen it yet, but being the Harry Potter lover that I am, I'm stoked to watch it when I can! In terms of things going on with my life, nothing too eventful has been happening. I'm still searching hard for a job, but I was lucky enough to land an interview with K-Mart that is due next week. Wish me luck, I really hope that goes well! Once I get a job on my hand, I will be able to start earning some money that I can use for college, gas money for my car, and just purchases all over the place. :P

There has been some recent good news however. I received my AP US History score in the mail yesterday. I actually received a 5! :shock: I had a feeling that I would pass, but I didn't expect that I would receive a 5! I'm really proud of myself, and I'm looking forward to the load of AP classes that I will be taking under my belt during my senior year. Well I'm glad that I got that class out of the way so I don't have to take it during college. I passed my AP European History exam in my sophomore year, so that's two exams down, six more to go. :D

In terms of gaming, I've been playing Brawl a little bit more. It's been enjoyable, but pretty much the same. Does anyone else want to plan online who I haven't played against yet? :P I've also been trying to play Strikers: Charged a little bit more. I really forgot how much I enjoy that game, and I'm happy that I've been playing it some more. :) Other than, I actually went to Hollywood Video the other day. I heard about a sale that was going on there that's unbelievable! :shock: They're selling all of their used games ($30.00 and under) for only $5.00 a piece!! So with that, I drove quickly to stores all over my area to see any bargains. Unforunately, most of the Wii games were gone but I happened to stumble upon Resident Evil for the GameCube. I was really pleased to pick up this game for cheap, and I'll be playing it soon. My brother used to own this game as well, but like the idiot that he is, he sold it. :roll: Well, I'm glad to be getting some games out of the way on my purchase list. :D

Apart from that, I had the Gold Status on Club Nintendo. So I was pleased to be able to redeem my reward of a 2010 Calendar from Nintendo. :D That's more than enough to make me happy. I love calendars, and now I don't need to worry about purchasing one for 2010. :P Though if I was a Platinum member, that Mario hat would've been pretty damn cool. :)

(This is the Japanese Caldenar, the US Version will be different)

Hey everyone. Well it's been about a year since my Nintendo DS Lite left my hands, as well as the games that went with it, so I thought I would create this blog in it's memory, and to let a number of you know the story about my late Nintendo DS. :P Well, it's a rather pathetic story really. Truth be told, I let my brother's friend borrow it from me, as well as about ten games that I owend for it. I kept about three or four at my home. He was borrowing it because he wanted something to do as he was having surgery and needed to stay home. Well, after two months of him playing my Nintendo DS Lite, he gave it back to older brother so he could return it. Though my brother, being the sneaky, money hungry guy that he is ...

He pawned my Nintendo DS Lite and my games! :(

Yeah that's pretty much the story. I was incredibly upset when he did -- well, I was extremely angry despite the fact the fact that he continually denied what happened to it. Likely enough, maybe his friend pawned it for him instead. I just know that he was having financial difficulties at the time so he did that so he could pay the bills that he still owes to this day. It was such an unfortunate event and I'm bitter every time I think about it. :|

There were plenty of games that I was still looking to purchase on the DS such as Nintendogs, Final Fantasy III/IV, Chron Trigger, the new Advance Wars, Yoshi's Island DS, and now with more games being released such as Kingdom Hearts, Mario and Luigi III and Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, it's incredibly irritating to know that I no longer have the system that would've played those excellent looking games. Of course, I could do the smart thing and go buy another one, but being so tight on money already (including my family) it probably wouldn't be the best investment, considering I already invested a great deal into it already ... I'm still debating on whether or not I want the next handheld when it relases, but that surely won't be for awhile. After my brother pawned it, I decided to get rid of the remaining games I had, since it wouldn't have done me to well to keep them, since I had such a small amount of them, and they weren't even my favorites either ... I do miss that system sincerely; I spent so many happy hours with it! I never even got the chance to finish Phantom Hourglass! :cry: And I seriously kicked ass at Mario Kart too! Here's a list of the games that I had:

• Advance Wars: Dual Strike
• Brain Age
• Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
• Elite Beat Agents
• Kirby: Canvas Curse
• The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
• Mario Kart: DS
• Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time
• Meteos
• Metroid Prime: Hunters
• New Super Mario Bros.
• Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
• Sonic Rush
• Super Mario 64: DS
• Tony Hawk's American Sk8Land

Oh, and my brother stold and gave away Super Smash Bros. Melee the other day, and he stole and sold Metroid Prime for a quarter. :| I bought Prime again, but I'm still working to buy back Melee. I really need to give him a peace of my mind ... I'm such a peace lover though ...

Hey everyone, I hope you're all doing well. Well if you can recall from my previous blog, I expressed some unfortunate news about my older brother receiving test results indiciting that he contracted the HIV Virus. As my family and I were devastated about his results, the clinic in which he was tested at required that they draw blood from my older brother again (the day he found out his results) to double check the results and make sure that the lab didn't make a mistake. Well it turns out ...

The stupid lab made a mistake!!!

That's right, apparently now my older brother has never been HIV positive at all! It really is a blessing and now everything seems back to normal in my family. My mother and father stated that it seems like my older brother 'is reborn again' and it truly is an amazing thing that we have stumbled across such lucky and beautiful circumstances. My brother will have a normal life, and it seems like a new light has shone upon our family again. It's such a great thing and the news is incredible. Heh, though really it would've been quite nice if the lab didn't make a mistake in the first place! :P I'm sorry for the grey writings of my last blog and how so many of you showed so much sympathy for the situation. I hope you don't find it irritating about the sudden change, but I really appreciate all of your guys' consideration!

In other news, things have been alright. I spent the last week in Nashville, TN and I can saw that it is absolutely beautiful! Living in Utah, my home state has it's share of beautiful scenery, but only at certain locations. The barren desert and shrubs that populate most of the state can be quite bland so it was great going to a state that was so green! I was there for National HOSA (Health Occupational Students of America) Competition and it was a blast. :) I didn't place in my event (in the top 10) but I'm looking forward to Nationals next year so I can try even harder. Next year, we'll be staying for one week in Disney World so I hope that works out.

And of course, lastly, this last paragraph is just dedicated to the wonderful Michael Jackson. It really is striking that he passed away, he was a true musical genius in so many aspects and it's shocking that the world has lost the most memorable entertaininer, the King of Pop. He will always be remembered in his music, his actions, and all the inspirations that he instigated in today's modern music, such as seen in other pop royale as Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. He was an amazing figure that many looked up to, and created much music that remains astoundingly popular today. May he forever rest in peace.

Hi everyone; I hope you're all doing alright. Well I haven't really been on Gamespot lately with another reason that has been affecting my life as well as my family's. While it's probably rather noticeable that a trend seems to be developing which leads to fluctuating activitiy on Gamespot, the current situation which has instigated my most recent absence is more personal and emotional than what has been happening to me in the past.

My family and I found out that my older brother Aaron, who is ninteen, has contracted the HIV virus. My brother found this out about himself the same day as well.

This unfortunate incident is something that has unexpectedly caused a series of hurt and hardships for my family. Knowing my older brother my whole life (of course), it's rather difficult knowing that something like this has happened to him. I do not personally know anyone with the HIV virus and it just comes as a great shock to my family and I that this would happen to him. My brother and I are different on a number of levels in our lives, but despite that, he is not one who was expected to contract the virus. Of course, I'm not stereotyping those who have received it; but my family and I, including my older brother have no idea how he received. We have narrowed it down to about one possiblity which seems the most likely (involved a past partner of his whom he dated and was almost engaged to for a year, but she ended up having a shady history). Details aside, it's not something that we expected to happen and the last week has been incredibly long and difficult for everyone living at home, and those close to him and my family. My family and I are hoping that the situation does not get worse. My father and I are going to get tested for the virus. He works in a hopsital and I'm an aspiring medical student, so we're not uneducated and paranoid about receiving the virus from him through common interaction. Although, my father and I DO use the same electric razor that my older brother does, and none of us knew about the virus. So we're going to get tested just in case that one of us cut ourselves while shaving, or if my brother has. Hopefully, the virus hasn't spread to either him or myself. It's something that I wouldn't do well to help the emotional well being of my family.

Quite honestly, I believe that I have taken the unfortunate news in the most positive fashion in comparison to my other family members (most notably, my mother and father), excluding my older brother, Aaron. I guess it's something that is a little more expected considering that my parents have a more intimate relationship with him and that they are now faced with the difficulty of losing their son before they lose their own lives. This has been particularly hard on my father and I have honestly not seen him as depressed as I have before. Through all the tears and difficulties that have been occuring, I've been trying my best to sport a positive attitude about the situation. While I know HIV and AIDS is nothing that makes others happy, I'm just doing my best to have a positive attitude to support my brother and myself, and hopefully set an example to others to not spend time in sorrow. Of course, being negative, while not exactly the easiest situation to control, is something that will continually weaken the immune system which is something that my older brother clearly does not need.

With that, my brother has came away with a rather positive attitude about this all. He has his own realizations about what is ahead of him and I do believe that his appreciation for life has increased drastically, but amongst that, he is going to make every moment of his life count and it's something that I'm very proud of him for doing. He has spoken with our family doctor and he will be prescribed a prescription (for free thankfully) that he will need to take the rest of his life which will slow down the progression of the HIV virus. When my parents heard these news, they were much more relievied considering that my brother will have an almost normal life for however long it may last, and they're becoming more positive about the situation. Being the aspiring medical scientist that I am, I've been educating others about the HIV virus in my family and I was expecting my brother to receive a prescription that would slow down the progression of the virus.

Notably, I've been speaking with his girlfriend a lot lately, Jordan about the disease. She's gotten herself tested and luckily her results have came out as negative, but it's recommended to wait six months before she is tested again, as it takes that long for the virus to appear in one's system. Though very inspiring to me, is the love that she has for him. She has stated time and time again that she will not leave him and that her love for him completely undermines any though she would have of leaving him, and she still has intentions to give birth to his child if that was a possiblity (possibly through artificial insemination). I'm very grateful that he has such a strong young woman by his side who delivers him the love and support that he needs.

Thank you all for listening or reading, if you have. I really appreciate all the company and support that you guys deliver on Gamespot. You're all so much fun. :P Well, I'll be going to Nashville this week for HOSA competition for my school (wish me luck!) so I probably won't be on for a week unless my hotel has the courtesy to provide me a free internet connection. Hope all is well.

The 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo came and went, and it was an event that unveiled many promising pieces of software and technology for all three of the world's gaming giants. Being soley a Wii owner and a Nintendo fan for many years, the Nintendo conference was the event that caught my eye and what I paid most attention to. Microsoft and Sony both delivered promising conferences and unveiled exciting pieces of information regarding Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy XIV, Gear of War III, God of War III, and their own motion sensing peripherals. With all of the gaming excitment being felt throughout the gaming community, the first section of this blog will elaborate on my reactions toward Nintendo's conference, primarily the gaming announcements that were made during the event.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii:

New Super Mario Bros. Wii debuted as one of the first gaming annoucements made at Nintendo's conference. While it's something that pleased many gamers throughout the world, it's something that personally did not come as much of a surprise to myself. I personally wasn't thinking about the exact debut of when we would see a 2D Mario game on a console again, but I did realize that Nintendo would be unveiling something similar soon. Notably, the game sports four player multiplayer action. It's very appealing to many, including myself; though in complete honesty I'm rather skeptical about the game. I know for a fact that it will be a great title, yet I wonder how far Nintendo will really push this game. Preferably, I would prefer that this game would take more advantage of the Wii's hardware (along the lines as I wish it had a ****that was more of it's own, instead of too similar to NSMB on the DS) and I am really hoping that this game will showcase some gameplay methods that will set it apart from it's handheld counterparts. Disappointgly enough, Nitnendo made the announcement that online play would not be an option with this game. As unfortunate as that it is, I hope that this game will not require the use of four players to get the entire experience. While I am expecting it to be that way, similar to the way that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles and Zelda: The Four Swords were on the GameCube, I am still looking forward to this game. I would personally just to love to see some features about this game that will really make it stand out as a Wii title, and be less similar to it's handheld counterparts. I sincerely hope that this game will also provide a unique and excellent single player experience that isn't too watered down in comparison to the multiplayer adventure. Knowing Nintendo, this title will not disappoint.

Super Mario Galaxy 2:

As Mario fans across the world were incredibly excited for the announcement of a 2D Mario adventure, I'm sure that many of them, including myself were not prepared to take in the next surprise of Super Mario Galaxy 2. With this announcement, I was very pleased to hear of Nintendo's sequel to the original Masterpiece. The addition of Yoshi, new worlds to explore and more ****c Mario platforming puzzles makes this game an extremely desired game on my wishlist. While I'm considerably looking forward to this title, playing the original already gives me a general idea of what to expect from the gameplay. I can only wonder where the game's storyline will go, but despite that, I know that Nintendo will deliver the A+ quality Mario title that everyone knows and loves.

Metroid: The Other M:

At the end of Nintendo's conference, the company revealed a game that made gamers excitdely converse with delight across the world. Metroid: The Other M was announced and quite simply, it was my favorite announcement that Nintendo made during the show. Overshadowed with the potential (but sadly disappointment) possiblity of gaming announcements of Pikmin, Star Fox, Kirby, F-Zero, or Kid Icarus, many gamers, including myself were likely unexpectedly surprised with the announcement of Samus' next adventure. From the trailer, the game seems to be well under way as Nintendo and Team Ninja seem to be successfully delivering Samus in her next form, which may turn out to be her finest. The game blends elements of side scrolling, first person action, and extreme interaction with environments and enemies that makes Metroid fans drool. Simply, the game is seeming to include all of the elements, and more that I could hope for in a Metroid title. I am looking forward to this game, quite possibly more than any other game on the Wii (except for Zelda of course) and I am looking forward to playing through another Metroid adventure; particularly to kick the ass one more time out of Ridley.

Other Notable Nintendo Published Titles:

• Wii Sports Resort
• Sin and Punishment 2
• Endless Ocean 2
• Wii Fit Plus
• Upcoming Nintendo Wii RPG
• The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
• Mario and Luigi 3
• Golden Sun DS

Nintendo also unveiled and elobrated on a number of games that were in development that impressed many gamers. Notably, I was pleasantly suprised by the announcement of the next Golden Sun game. I played portions of the original on the GBA. Enough to get me excited, but not not getting too far. I was happy to see that Nintendo would be releasing a sequel to the ****c games. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks and Mario and Luigi 3 look to be extremely promising. Of course, not having a Nintendo DS anymore, it's disappointing to me knowing I won't be able to experience these excellent games. For the Wii, I'm looking forward to Sin and Punishment 2; it's looking to be action packed, beautiful, and extremely promising. I have yet to experience much of the original Wii Fit, but I'm glad to see a sequel. Endless Ocean 2 is looking beautiful and that it will deliver more than it's predecessor, and Wii Sports Resort will include many fun, family orientated activities that will elaborate on the excellent functionality of Wii MotionPlus.

Notable Third Party Wii Titles:

• Red Steel 2
• Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
• No More Heroes: 2
• Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles II
• The Grinder
• Dead Space: Extraction
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
• Muramasa: The Demon Blade
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010
• Grand Slam Tennis

With such an excellent list of third party titles on the way for the Nintendo Wii, I would expect many Wii owners to be looking forward to the hardcore experiences that we have in store. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is looking to be an immersive adventure that will provide a unique experience to the Wii that will please many Wii owners. Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Dead Space are all shaping up to deliver an excellent sense of adrenaline to Wii owners, and I'm looking forward to all of these titles. Red Steel 2 is looking to be an excellent title that will deliver the action that many gamers were looking forward to in the original. No More Heros 2, while I haven't played the original, will please many fans of its predecessor and it's something I will look into if I enjoy the original. The Grinder is looking to be an interesting and welcome title into the Wii's library. Notably, I'd like to see more variety in the enemy design as well as improved AI. In terms of sports and Wii MotionPlus, Tiger Woods and Grand Slam Tennis seem to deliver an excellent and immersive experience to Wii owners. While I am not a traditional sports game fan these games are looking to be titles that will definitely draw me in. I am going to look into Virtua Tennis on the Wii as well and see how it shapes up in comparison to Grand Slam Tennis.

The Legend of Zelda: Wii

Of course attracting the attention of gamers throughout the world, the next Legend of Zelda title for the Wii is looking to be something that will impress and set the bar above what games are. Twilight Princess delivered the largest and most immersive Hyrule than what was seen, and surely it can be expected for the geniuses at Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto will deliver the greatest Zelda adventure yet. The more mature Link does not possess his sword, and the Zora resembling figure on the unveiled poster has many gamers speculating. I can only wonder what Nintendo will have in store for this title. Possibly Link's weapon, while it may or may not be the Master Sword in this title, is one that can possibly possess more than one form (Such as Pit's blade in Brawl). As the game does take place after Twilight Princess as well, I am considering if it will make a connection to Wind Waker. Perhaps the game could end with the flooding of Hyrule which would provide the introduction to Wind Waker. One things for sure, just the presence of this image at the end of the E3 conference is something that will always keep me glued to Nintendo's headlines for further information on Nintendo's next Zelda title; one that will change Zelda gaming forever and truly take advantage of the Wii and the unique hardware that set it apart from the competition. Things are looking extremely promising for the Nintendo Wii.

Gay Pride 2009:

Of course, one reason why this blog was a little overdue was the presence of the annual Gay Pride Festival. While it was held in the conservative state of Utah, this event is one that still brings thousands of individuals together from across the state and is one that I look forward to every single year. I can say that the experience at Pride this year was another that I will never forget. It was my second year in attendance. The day was rainy, but the spirit was the same as such open and kind individuals spread happiness, fun, positive advocations, and just such a contagious and positive spirt throughout the city. The Parade itself is something that has become a trademark tradition across the United States, and the parade at Utah Pride did not disappoint. The parade and the day were present with rainy weather; but it did not dampen the spirit or the mood on the day. Advocations of equality, support, gay clubs, sponsors, and so many supportive floats made their way through the streets of Salt Lake in another memorable Parade that I won't forget.

The day itself went well. I spent the time with many of my friends from across the city; who we regularly commute. One of my best friends (who happens to be straight) also attended this year, like last year and had a blast as well. It was a great time to bring us all together again and it was such a fun day that I will never forget. The day was colorful, the aromas of food filled the air, and so many booths filled with fun and support truly uplifted the spirits of anyone who would've been in a damp mood. This year, my mother and my brother also visited the event and I was really happy seeing both of them. My dad happened to be working, otherwise he would've attended. Regardless of that, I'm very grateful for my family, friends, and just all of the support that was being circulated throughout the conservative state of Utah. Surprisingly enough, there weren't any conservative protestors this year. :P

Despite the fun, the day ended with a bitter note. My boyfriend Tom, did not attend the event as him and I got into an argument right before the celebration. Actually, him and I have not spoken since and it's been the longest time that him and I haven't conversed (three days!). So with that, him and I aren't on the best note right now. The argument we had was nothing of much importantce and it's unfortunately something that isn't worth holding grudges over. Truth be told, I've been trying to talk to him a few times in the last few days. I just hope he will be able to swallow his pride and reach out to me as well and get over the fence that is currently standing between us. Well, I might as well leave you guys with a photo of the festivities: Sorry for such a long blog!

(I'm the one on the far left)