Along with Resident Evil, comes one of my personal favorites for the Gamecube. Anyone that has played it surely agrees, this is one of the best survival horror games that has ever graced a console. The game is Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. Like every game, here's a summary of what I know about the game. Education is the key to our youth's future. Enjoy.

Eternal Darkness was originally planned to be released on the Nintendo 64. Thankfully, Silicon Knights (the Canadian chaps who made it) waited for the more powerful Nintendo Gamecube to release the game, which was done so on June 24, 2002. I bought this game on day one at the Target in Sacramento, CA. You peeps who live there, you can re-live the moment by going to the Target near the Arden mall. Back to the game, it was unique in it's own way for some people, because it featured a woman with normal sized breast. Amazing, huh?

The story involves a girl named Alexandra Roivas. She starts out having a nightmare about her dead grandfather, later that night it's confirmed that her grandfather, Edward Roivas, was murdered in a really gory manner. So, she decides to investigate the mansion of her grandfather, only to discover a book bound by human skin called 'The Tomb of Eternal Darkness'. The first chapter takes you on a story of a Roman Centurion, Pious Augustus, from the year 26 B.C.. He's lead around by the voices from an underground temple until he comes across three artifacts. The artifact then commences to change him into the Liche (which is an undead wizard or warlock; I don't really know). Well, that's the beginning. Play the game to actually reveal the story. It sort of goes on from this point, taking Alexandra through the house to uncover pages of the book to reveal more history about the murder and the house.

The unique characteristic about this game is the sanity meter, which is actually a Nintendo patent (US patent 6,935,954, to be exact). It's a green bar that measures how sane your character is. Your sanity is determined by how many freaks of the night see you, and how many you execute. The more you see, the lower it goes. The more freaks that see you, the lower it goes. The more you execute, the higher your sanity will be. Honestly, you want it to be low because the freakish things that happen are awesome. Let's just say I'll never look behind the shower curtain again without thinking of dead chicks.

Part of the game is based on magick, not magic. You cast spells will reveal parts of the game that you may not have seen. Plus, you can provide health with a spell, or a shield. I can almost chant the health spell still. The last boss is really hard (until you find out his weak spot, of course).

For my full review, click here.

OR YOU CAN CLICK HERE... IT'S THE SAME THING.

Recommend if you liked it. Also, some interesting facts that are just random about the game.

· This was the first M rated published game from Nintendo.
· In Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes, ED Magazines have Alexandra as a centerfold.
· In Are We There Yet? the movie, one of those brat kids are playing Eternal Darkness in the back of a car.
· Nintendo Power volume 164 had an interview with the guys from Silicon Knights. The original story was going to have one of the "stronger characters" commit suicide in Edward's presence rather than face the ancients, but the said it was "too grim".
·Part of the game was inspired by Indiana Jones (the movies).

~Dinghy "Doomed" Dog

The game? Resident Evvvvvvil (or Biohaaaaaaaaaazard in Japan)... This is probably the most successful survival horror games of all time. It was created by Shinji Mikami, and developed by Capcom. This is the second Capcom game for Dinghyween. Spooky!

Guys, I've had a killer headache the past few days so I'm going to be delayed one more day for Dinghyween specials. But, I have some awesome news. I'm going to Nintendo Fusion with my wife and one of my friends October 20th in Dallas. I wasn't going to go, but Relient K & Emery is going to be there so it makes the ticket price not so bad. Anyway, I'll be back tomorrow.

The Shining (1980) is based on the novel by Steven King, directed by Stanley Kubrick. The movie stars Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, and Shelley Duvall as Wendy (Jack's wife).

Jack is a writer. The kind of books ;). He hasn't had any good ideas in a while so he goes to find work as a caretaker in the mountainside of Colorado. He finds this job to be a quiet place to write his books and kick his career off. But during the interview, Jack listens as the manager tells him how the previous caretaker killed his wife and two daughters. How did he kill them? Ohh, I dunno. Butchered them, maybe? But work is work, so he took the job. Back at Jack's home, Wendy and his son, Danny, are sitting around talking to Danny's imaginary friend. His fake friend comes in to importance later... So, they move, and things get pretty weird. Jack is an alcoholic who's recovering, but they have free booze at his new job (served by ghost) so he starts to drink again. It's frustrating living in a big house with tons of room, no customers, free food, but no idea on a good story to write. Then there's Dick Halloran (ScatmanCrothers), who is the chef and such. He becomes friends with Wendy and 'Doc' (who is actually Danny but the Dick can't remember that so he just calls him Doc). Somehow, this chef and Danny have a bond together. They both have telepathic powers. That just means they can talk to each other through the power of their mind. If I'm wrong, just blog it below because that's all I really know.

So where's the horror? Well, Jack (who's been drinking and writing crazy stuff on a typewriter in the dining room) is about ready to just give up. And when you give up, there's no better way to do that than murder your family. So, the ghost of the cabin start telling him what to do, and since Jack is a drunken crazy, he starts bursting into doors screamin' "Here's Johnny!". For those who don't know, that's the line of Ed McMahon from the Late Show with Johnny Carson. Anyway, he begins to try and kill him family until ... well, watch the movie. With a few more classic lines like "Redrum!", the movie ends in an awesome twist that only Steven King could think of.

If you've never seen The Shining, the original, not the ABC version, you're missing out on a nice treat. Both versions are good but the best is the original, as always.

Well, it's the 4th day of Dinghyween (most of you call this Halloween, but whatever). I picked out a list of games, movies, and fun decorations for your own house. All of these events are in a random order, until the last week. The last week will be the countdown to the scariest games I've played in my life, and with an extra spooky surprise during these times too.

Before I begin, I'd like to point out that the entire Irish community was "offended" because of my history on the story behind Halloween. Apparently, turnips are not given to kids in Ireland for trick or treat candy. Instead, kids are given large amounts of alcohol to consume. Also, I was wrong on the bonfires. These bonfires were not made to ward of demons, as I stated. They were used to burn the intoxicated kids, to ward of their own demons of addiction to alcoholism. The festivals are then finished, and thus, the public hangings begin. I'd like to thank Maquis_UK for telling me to check my facts. Next time I will. I'm sorry you were offended, mate. Or lass. Or whatever I should call you.

Ghost 'n' Goblins is a platform game about a knight, named Arthur, who fights off the creatures such as zombies and demons. The point of the game, much like many old platform games, was to fight your way to the end of each stage to rescue the princess (this princess' name is Prin-Prin). Your life bar started with 3 hearts, and when you reached 70,000 points, you'd gain an extra heart for your life. The unique thing about the health is the loss of armor when you were beat up. If you had only one heart left, you'd run around in your heart patterned briefs, fighting the zombies and demons. Quite hilarious.

Your weapons consisted of your trusty lance, a dagger, flaming torch, axe, and then you blocked attacks with your shield. My favorite weapon is actually the axe, since your could kill multiple creatures with one attack. There are seven levels, each with it's own boss. The levels ranged from caves to castles.

I picked this game to be one of the first games to be in review because it really is a gem of a game. The first time I played it was on the NES, and it took me forever to beat it. This game is extremely hard. The theme is more of a childish Halloween setting and is a great classic to enjoy for the month of October.

GHOST 'N' GOBLIN'S REVIEW

Here's some random facts about the game that some of you will appreciate.
· The game was released in the arcades by Capcom on September 19, 1985, and later to the home systems such as the Commodore 64 in 1987.
· Red Arremer (a boss from the game) stared in his own games, Demon's Crest and Gargoyle's Quest, and later, was a boss in SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom.
· Arthur appears in Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, but not as a playable character.
· Arthur's briefs are unlockable in Dead Rising.
· In Mega Man VII for the SNES, hold B when you select Shade Man's stage and you'll hear Ghost 'n' Goblin's music instead of the normal music.

The History Of...
Ireland is where Halloween's roots began, but it's known there as Samhain Night. Samhain actually means festival of fire, which literally means, a festival of fire. Every Samhain Night, the dead revisit the land of the living, and the Celts burned large bonfires to ward off the evil spirits. This is called paganism. ;)

Pope Gregory IV set the date for All Saint's Day (aka All Hallows' Day) on November 1, 835. This caused October 31st (which was Samhain Night) to be known as All Hallow's Eve, or Hallowe'en. In the end, All Saint's Day was moved to April 20th, the Celts didn't want to give up their pagan ritual and this is how Halloween began.

How It's Celebrated:
In Ireland, it's celebrated a bit differently than America (from what I'm reading). It's celebrated with fireworks, kids getting turnips instead of Whoppers, and they light bonefires to ward of demons (but I think we all know it's because of tradition!). In any case, Halloween is celebrated by kids and adults dressing up as creatures from the underworld, knocking on people's doors to gather candies and, in the case of the Celts, turnips. In America, most of us go to parties themed in Gothic attire, hang out with friends, trick-or-treat, or just sacrafice animals / small children to the lord of darkness, Lucifer. El Diablo. Satan. But not me...

How I Celebrate The Walking of the Dead:
I celebrate by starting on October 1st. I decorate my house in a black/orange theme, place pumpkins around my house, spider webs (sometimes natural), and every other Halloween themed décor. Then, around the end of the first week, I begin the watching of horror/funny horror films, every night, until Halloween week, in which I watch the true classics. The original black & white Frankestein, Dracula, and so on. We also play games dedicated to horror, such as Silent Hill, Alone in the Dark, Castlevania, and other classic 'horror' games. On Halloween, we watch movies, wait for kids, hang with family and friends, and/or go trick or treating (two years ago was the last time I could go because of work, but that time I went as a crack head with powder all over my face. People loved the voice I pulled for them.). This year, I think I'm going to trick or treat. Candy is so fun to collect! Then, the end of the night, I go to bed and, non-traditionally, have nightmares.

What About GameSpot?:
For a special 'treat' on GameSpot, I'm going to try and recommend and (if possible) review a game/movie everyday until October 31st. Everyday, check back here to get a new and exciting blog post of a review, why I selected that game/movie for the day, and try to find great Halloween decorations for your own house. Have a Scary Dinghyween! Muhahahaha!!

P.S. - Hope you guys enjoy my Halloween themed profile. Special edition, why don't we?

~Dinghy

My wife and I have been dreaming of having a million dollars, or actually, two million dollars. It's all because of the lotto. I never play but I think I'm going to play in a few days just to test my luck. I just have a good feeling about playing this week. I don't know why. Anyway, here's what I think I'd invest in and reasons why I'd invest my make believe money into it.

· First, I'd give 50% to God. And by God, I don't just mean to some guy wearing a robe that says he works for Him. I would give to people, in general, who honestly need it. Not to some homeless guy too lazy to work. People who are trying to make it, but struggle. I would give to my old church in Sacramento, California, because they really helped me in life and helped me get out of the crap I was into. I figure if Jesus can provide a ton of bling for me, the least I can do is give up some to others. Spread the wealth... ~1 million
· I'd buy a house, but not a millionaire's home. I'd buy a nice home in a nice neighborhood. Single story. Maybe a 2 or 3 bedroom. Then I'd furnish it with a nice Asian themed set of couches, wallpaper, etc. ~$100,000
· I'd pay off my new car and give it to my wife. Then, I'd buy a new car for myself. A 2007 Chevy Cobalt SS. Then I'd pop in some subs, good speakers, and be done with it! ~$35,000
· My wife and I would go back to school, start fresh. I'd be a full time student, so would she. Would would dedicate our 8 hours that would be work into study times. Engineer school... again. ~$10,000
· I'd own a ton of video games, but I'd only buy certain types of games. Such as, every Mario game, every Sonic game... that sort. My budget would be... ~$5,000
· The rest would be saved for a 'retirement' until I finished school. Then, I'd invest half of the money left over into my savings, and the rest into stocks or a company.

What would you guys do with $2,000,000? Be wise or stupid with it? Both answers, remember, it's money you didn't earn so blowing it isn't a bad answer. :D

UPDATE (Like I usually do): I'd like to note, within the past year, I've won a few dozen games (if not more), a 50" Plasma TV, a new $800 Dell computer (that may be a little unlucky...), around $3,000 in gift cards, and I got car down payment by means of me having a not-at-all-endangering wreck. I think this would be the year, if any...

Weird news.. Today, I won a lotto ticket after 5 minutes of being at work. I scratched it and won $2. Now, that might not mean a lot but could it be a sign that when I play tomorrow, I'll hit $2,000,000?? (lol)

Well, here we have it. The first ever, desktop pictures of my project (in progress for years), which I named the Virtual Console Center. Why, you ask? The name fits it well, since it is my center for emulation and a center for media, such as TV shows that I record. Before we begin, the roms I have also, are all legal. I own the original copies of the games. I've been collecting video games since my dad bought me my first console on Christmas in '89. You remember those times? When you could still throw the Christ in Christmas... anywho, here's a fully detailed blog of what this wonder contains.

System Specs:
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 3.06ghz (533FSB) on a basic Intel motherboard. The reason for this CPU is because the processor is older, cheaper, and works with all of the emulators I'm using. Yes, even the Dreamcast!
Memory: Two 256MB DDR300 sticks of memory. This puppy doesn't require much system memory at all to run these games. My tested frames per second on a basic Nintendo 64 game such as Goldeneye is an impressive 60-70 frames per second (in simpiler terms... it's great).
Video Card: Intergraded Intel Extreme Graphics card, right there on the main board. I didn't think this would work with the Dreamcast, but I can seriously pull my Virtua Tennis game out of collection and play it with no lag.
Other Specs: I'm using a Microsoft Windows XP Media Center 2005 operating system for the base. I was going to use an awesome version of Linux I found but to set Linux up with all of the emulators I wanted would be almost impossible. Plus, there's some old skool PC games loaded up on here (and some more recent games like Bone: Outta Boneville). Why not use Professional? Good point. Professional is more stable and would probably increase my performance in certain games, but in the end, I had a copy of Media Center 2005 that I wanted to try for movies (legit copy from MSDN). For a controller, I'm using (for now) my 360 wired controller. It seems to be just right for all the games and plays the N64 games like they used to be. But later this year, in version 2.0 of my VCC, I'll be playing on USB replicas of the original NES/SNES/etc. controllers!!

So What's On It?: I thought it would be fun to name all of the games, but that would take too long (and God knows long blogs are usually not that fun). So, I decided to add up how many games I'm actually using on this system.
·NES contains exactly 1,230 games. Now, taking that, there are some 'hacks' of games, meaning some of the games are not originals. Some are actually hacked versions of Super Mario Bros.. An example of this is the game 'Super Amish Bros.'.
·SNES contains exactly 797 games. Some of these are duplicated (ie: Super Mario World and Super Mario All-Stars with SMW). My estimate of individual games would be close to 600 actually original SNES games.
·N64 contains exactly 329 games. There's a few imports (like Dobutsu no Mori, which in the states we call it Animal Forest).
· Virtual Boy contains exactly 3 games. Come on. Who has a ton of games for the Virtual Boy? I don't even have the console anymore.
· Game Boy & Advance contains exactly 61 games. I don't really have a ton of Game Boy games. Not a big fan of portables, besides the DS. Still, I only have 3 games on the DS.
· Genesis/Master System/32x contains exactly 617 games. Not so many Master System games. Nor 32x since they're kind of rare.
· Saturn / Sega CD contains a big, fat 2 games. One of each. NiGHTS and Lunar 2. I sold most of my Sega CD games when I was a kid. Stupid, stupid kid I was.
· Dreamcast contains exactly 27 games.
· Playstation One contains exactly 4 games. Sold all of these, too. Even Final Fantasy VII... I bought it for PC, that's why.
· M.A.M.E. is a bunch of old arcade games. These are the only ones I really don't own, but there so freakin' old. Some of the games are like Paperboy and Rampage.
· Then comes the PC. I just pulled out my box labeled "Old Memories" and dumped them onto this hardrive. Some of the games are Legend of Kyrandia, Lemmings, Final Fantasy VII, Grim Fandango, Unreal Tournament... the list goes on.

So, there you have it. Full details. Oh, and don't think I forgot a picture of it. This is only one right now. I still need batteries for my digital camera. But that should be uploaded on this same blog tomorrow, of the system actually in motion. Anyway, thanks for the support and for reading this blog.

~Dinghy

OMG! Totally didn't expect that one coming. Halo Wars looks freakin' awesome!

I'm finally revealing Version 1 of my 'Virtual Console Center' tonight. Full specs, tons of pictures, tons of games. But until then, I thought I'd introduce another something I've been working on. It's a website about my 'techy' cousin. His nick name is Jman. I'm going to be working on this website more extensivly the following weeks, including more tech help, more babes, more comics, and more laughs. Until tonight, peace out! (Maybe later next month, I'll post my real website, with information on real technical support).

The website, sadly, is not fully Firefox compatiable.

OMG!! FUNNY STUFF!