Well, this has been one akward day. First, the Thanksgiving rush is over, 16 hour shifts are done, and after two more days of work, I'll be off the next two. Let me tell you, never ask a bus boy to help out with baking. That dude screwed us royally. We tell the man to do one thing...one SIMPLE, idiot-proof task that is take the pie crust out of the freezer, clean all the flour out of it, and put it back in the freezer for use in the oven. What actually happened was 12 hours of the man busting a good quarter of the stash to a point where while we're trying to get thousands of pies out the door, we now have to set aside more time to make the dough for what that idiot destroyed. Seriously, how the hell do you break off the crust off every damn one of them!? Because of him, I started at 8 in the morning, and didn't punch out until 12 the next day. Yeah, he's on the bad list for just about every employee in the resturant. At this moment, we're still brainstorming the perfect act of vengeance. Oh, and to make matters worse, the damn mixing machine broke. Simply put, just about every bad thing that could happen on that day imaginable did, and I am not exaggerating. Anger aside, when I finally do trudge my way back home, I found a PSN update that didn't suck...contrary, I just downloaded Dino Crisis, Fighting Force, Resident Evil 2, getting Tekken 6 PSP the next day. Honestly, the past month the "updates" were rather disappointing. It's a relief that I can log online, and see something that I actually want to buy. Also got a new phone...the Motorolla Droid. Yes, to this day I still hate that name, but it kicks my Blackberry's ass in every feature possible. I also got an e-mail from my father, someone whom I haven't seen in over 20 years. This, I'm still trying to get over. It was very unexpected to see something like this in my inbox, plainly out of the blue. Anyway, it's Thanksgiving, the infamous nightmare workshifts are finally over, I just found out I have a long lost family on the other side, a ton of games I finally have time to play...it's all good until Christmas season rolls over :P. Take care fellas, and Happy Thanksgiving! EDIT: Just read the review for Tony Hawk Ride...I guess I was wrong, considering the game actually scored lower than what I thought (I predicted a 4.5-5.0). Still, damn...looks like I was on the money, though...$120 for a ridiculous idea seems to be everyone's deep hatred :P.

DISCLAIMER: I didn't actually play the game, this is just merely for fun ;). It's not every day that I dedicate some of my writing to one specific thing. I mean, it's either that awesome, or so laughably bad, I can't help but to openly poke fun at it while keeping a record of it, relying on the thought that one day, I will look back at this blog and have a hearty laugh when I'm 10 years older. Let's have a look: Tony Hawk Ride, quite possibly a "sequel" of a game no one asked for, much less would be interested in the direction it took. Bottom line, it's rather perplexing that a game like this is on a console other than the Wii. For the asking price of $120 with the required peripheral, it would've at least gained some dignity if it were a Wii exclusive, and required the infamous balance board that 90% of Wii owners have anyway. Let me be the first to say that I don't play Tony Hawk games for a realistic control scheme. Suffice to say, not only is it an odd idea to begin with, but they're also tacking on a ridiculous, unproven idea upon a franchise that has slowly peaked from platinum must-haves to stagnant rehashes that even faithful skating fans have all but stood clear of. Even more baffling is the company in charge of the idea: Activision, whom by all means necessary have openly stated that all they care about is making money rain from the sky, seeking nothing short of profit. It would actually make more sense to just re-make the original Tony Hawk for the PS1 than crossing their fingers and hope millions of people buy a bundled game that actually costs more than a real skateboard. Taking a guess, I'd say they're still banking on people's love for overpriced peripherals that require all but one game to make use of, because, frankly...a half dozen or so plastic guitars doesn't quite satisfy us. This is one game that I don't even have to see a single screen, a second of gameplay, or have nothing but someone describe in words about the concept, and I see it having a 5/10 rating as a general score. Honestly, all I have to hear is "Tony Hawk Game," "Peripheral," and "Over $80" to know this game is dead on arrival. And if I hear that this game has sold over a million copies, I am convinced that Activsion's success was a result of demon worship. Bottom line, the only way I can see myself having fun playing this game is by falling off the board, breaking my arm, suing Activision, and using that money to pay someone to break my other arm. Truly, this game should achieve some kind of dubious award simply for existing. Just the mere thought that someone had this idea, out of all ideas in the creative human mind, as a last resort to revive a dying franchise in the brink of desperation. Lots of games try to rise from the ashes with a new idea behind the core gameplay. Ride is just depressing. It's truly a bad sign when someone like me, a man with low standards and positive thinking, can't help but stop in the middle of Best Buy, stare at the display, and dedicate a few seconds for a silent chuckle then go on my way to pick up Assassin's Creed 2. Which I'm still convinced that if I were to buy two copies of that game for no reason other than to play one of them, and using the other solely just to read the manual, it would still be a better value than buying Tony Hawk Ride. There's an old saying: when any game, awesome or terrible, fails to meet a sales peak or overall quality experience, they all get together in their annual convention and say, "Could've been worse...one of us could've been Tony Hawk Ride."

Multi-billion dollar corporations making sweet technology, and they can't even hire someone to create a decent name for it. I know rich people aren't well-known for their creativity, but surely they can spend a few thousand to hire someone to sit on the toilet for a half hour and brainstorm a cool name for a product. I'm talking about products like the Wii, the Zune, the PSP Go, the Motorolla Droid, Volvo, names of awesome things that you're embarassed to say you own simply because the name is just terrible. No doubt these products I've named are great, but you have to agree, the decision behind naming them is a little questionable. How many times I've shown people my PSP, and they all ask which version I own because it indeed, looks sweet. I tell them it's a Go, and they have this face like I'm making the name up. I tell them, "no, seriously...it's called the Go." After a while, they start talking less about how cool it looks, and more about how stupid the name sounds. And, don't get me started when I told people I bought a Zune about a year ago. Point is, where do companies come up with these names? It's not that hard to think of something cool to name a product you wish to sell to billions of people. When you make a ridiculous name, someone like me are going to sit back and laugh in pity, thinking of a "what if" scenario of how I would've loved the Wii so much more if it were called the "Nintendo Ivory Box of Gaming Awesomeness." Let me tell you, if I were to make my own brand of tampons, I'm not selling it on the market until it has a cool name. I don't care how much it throws off the target audience, that box will be called "Week-Long Hemorrhage Clogger," the "Dracula's Tea Bag," or my personal favorite, the "Cotton Cork." At times, I think I carry more creativity than the richest people on earth combined. And hey, I don't have to pay anyone to think for me. Seriously...the Droid...someone at Verizon has been watching a little too much Transformers.

Yup, bought that Bluetooth adapter today, and I'm enjoying wireless freedom (too bad laptop chargers can't be wireless too :P). And call me a hypocrite, but in all the forums talking about Modern Warfare 2, I distressed on how I wasn't planning on getting my copy. Well, after going through three stores and seeing nothing but that damn game, I decided to buy it. Also, anyone remember that Bikini Zombie Slayer game for the 360 and Wii? Apparently they made a movie on it, and what the hell...I bought that too. Sure, it's one of the lowest scoring games on this site (wasn't that bad actually, at least on the Wii ;)) so I'm not expecting to be blown away by this (you really can't take a concept like that too seriously anyway). Ah well, I'll be enjoying my "unwanted" game for a while, and take care fellas.

Yeah, you read that right...I'm swearing, in old-school comic form 8). Basically, I ordered this sweet wireless gaming mouse online (Razer Orochi). The problem is, it's powered by Bluetooth, and I could've sworn my laptop has it built in. Well, after half an hour of reading online, reading the owner's manual from the front to the back, I realized that I don't quite have it...instead, I have to get one of those USB adapters just to have it...talk about a pain in the ass (and a buzz-kill). Which, by the way, the manual is very misleading...it shows my model having it, but in fine print, "select models only." Well, it's off to Best Buy after work, hopefully I'll find one that's small enough to just leave in the back port so I can at least pretend I have it built in :P. Anyway, take care guys...I need some time alone to recover from knowing that my rig doesn't quite do EVERYTHING I've imagined (at least I can play Crysis, though...but not have Bluetooth...talk about a PC kryptonite :P).

Ignore my last blog, as of now. Out of boredom and a sliver of faith (yeah, the Force was strong in this Gamestop :P), I actually came across a copy of Demons Souls. I mean, I almost had a freakin' heart-attack when I saw the box on the display shelf. I had to ask the cashier if that was for real. Turns out, it was the last copy, and it was actually returned from someone else who bought it not that long ago. Lucky me. You know how they say one man's trash is another man's treasure? I'm about to give a toast to that phrase right now :P.

Demons Souls is no doubt an awesome game. A bit on the hard side, but an enjoyable game nonetheless. At least, I would have to agree, because it's all I've been hearing. I haven't quite bought the game yet. Hell, I can't even find a single copy anywhere. This, of course, has to be the one game that I forgot to reserve. As a positive thinker, I could wait a few weeks, maybe a month and find a copy somewhere, when the next shipment comes in. As a patient person, I'm willing to wait that long (not that I have a choice :P). But as a gamer, it's killin' me! Anyway, for those of you who got the game, I'd appreciate if you tell me how awesome it is...and how hard it is :D. Well, take care guys...I'm going to reserve Uncharted 2 before I forget about that one too :P.

Yes, I combined Speed Racer's theme song with Sony's handheld :P. Anyway, just picked up mine today, and it's a pretty sweet handheld, but I recommend you hold off on buying it until the price at least drops. Nothing truly groundbreaking here, guys. In fact, if you already have some sort of PSP, you're not missing much. But I got mine because I like to have a little game time when I'm away from the house, and really hated lugging those ridiculousy fragile UMDs around. Seriously, I broke about three in my lifetime so far (while it was still in the machine!). Anyway, it's small, fits anywhere and suprisingly comfortable to play. And, I picked up Dead Space Extraction for the Wii...first Wii game I've bought in...well, a long time. It brings my Wii collection to...three games :D. Still, Dead Space is an awesome new series, and I was sold on the loving embraced it recieved by almost everyone who tried it. Well, at least now I can goof off at work, and with the Go being so small, I can just drop it in my pocket when management walks around the corner. Anyway, take care fellas.

Well, I just bought Resident Evil 5 for PC. I know, I've played the hell out of it on the PS3, but a game this awesome warrants another purchase for my portable gaming machine(and $10 cheaper too :P). After the pain in the ass that is known as setup, I was pretty shocked to know that I can sign in on Windows Live using my old gamertag. I mean, my old friends, that kick ass pic of the psycho clown chick...heck, even my achievements of previous games carried over. Anyway, it's the same old awesome game we all love, with a few minor changes. Obviously the graphics can be tweaked, and headshots couldn't be easier now, since the red dot is replaced by an actual crosshair (if you've played RE4 on the Wii, it's pretty much like that). Other than that, I'm having a blast like I did a few months ago, save for still trying to get used to which buttons on the keyboard do what...Anyway, for everyone else who still has Live, this meaning has never been more true when I say I'm there in spirit ;). Take care fellas.

I just picked up Batman Arkham Asylum the other day, and expected it to be yet another game I'd leave in the wrapper and tend to my computer needs (Hey, I'm paying a monthly fee for this game...I don't need any distractions :P). Call it chance, but I had to wait for an update anyway, so I popped this game in, and honestly, it blew me away. Not just the graphics (and believe me, they are INSANE), but just roaming the entire game was breathtaking. Whereas X-Men Origins nailed Wolverine to perfection, Arkham nails exactly what it's like to be Batman. You know, I just might have to put Conan on hold for a few days, because I just have to see this game to the end. And, call it luck, or a curse...ever since my grandfather went to the dentist, I have to wake him up every six hours to make sure he takes his medicaton (it's a long story...let's just say that you should NEVER skimp out on dentist visits for 40 years, ok ;)). So, I have to make sure that by 5 a.m., I wake him up...which we all know I could never do, so I usually just marathon the nights...yay, extended playtime...boo, being exhausted at work. At least the 11 a.m. isn't so bad...it's about the time I usually leave work anyway. Well, take care guys, and enjoy the game, for those who bought it.