I've been visiting Gamespot since 1997 back when they were Videogames.com. I've been a paying subscriber since 2002. But I think the site is done. Don't get me wrong, it's still probably the best videogame site out there, but I just can't justify paying for its content anymore. My faith in the site was seriously tested back when Greg left. But I gave it a chance and was pleased that Jeff and the crew keep things going. Then came Gerstmann-gate and its related fallout. I still gave them the benefit of the doubt and didn't cancel my paid subscription. However, now that some time has passed I have realized that while I still very much respect the writers of the site, that I really don't value their opinion. So as of today, I have cancelled my subscription. I'll still check out the news, reviews and blogs, but my days posting here are done...and they have been for quite a while for all intensive purposes anyway.

I'm headed to the land of the Gamespot refugee: http://www.blogger.com.

Visit me at http://emiroo.blogspot.com if you care to.

It's been an amazing run Gamespot. Sadly, it's time to move on. Thanks for everything.

This may be old, but it's new to me.

Check out the hilarity that ensues when we catch up with the Street Fighter crew 10 years later (Be sure to watch the parts in order...)

It's also worth your time to see Jackie Chan get owned by a SFII machine.

That is all. Have a nice day. :)

I for one, will be terribly disappointed if I get to Heaven and there is no instant replay of your life.

There are a ton of hilarious moments I can't wait to see from the 3rd person!

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Can you spot the grammatical error in the cinema I've provided for your viewing pleasure above?

FYI -

I'm still very much alive around here.  I visit every day and lurk in threads where you post.  I secretly read your blog while you are in the bathroom.  I just haven't had a whole lot to say in the past few...months.

In gaming land, I have kind of crossed over into the realm of the casual gamer.  The time constraints of my life make it kind of hard at this point to really dive into a huge game.  Oh I still have FFXII, Bully and a slew of others waiting to be fully explored, but who knows when that day will come.  The majority of my limited gaming time is spent on Xbox Live Arcade Games.  Games that can be played in 15-30 minute bursts are best for me right now.  I am impatiently awaiting Unreal Tournament 3 this fall.  I can't wait.  I'm still playing UT2K4 and it will take something really special to dethrone it as my favorite FPS.  I know CliffyB is up to the task though.  Also, have you guys played Puzzle Quest yet?  Absolutely friggin' amazing!!!  Be sure to download the demo!  It's already out on DS & PSP but I'm going to wait for the PC version.  It will obviously look the best and this type of game was really made to be played with a mouse.  I'm hooked!  And it's only a Demo.  I haven't played a demo this much...since Doom!

Also, in the months since my last blog post, a minor miracle has occurred!  The Police have come back together for a reunion tour!  I never thought it would happen and I'm thrilled!  I already have tickets for the St. Louis show and considered going to the Louisville show as well.  But then I decided that instead of going to the Louisville show, I would try to get a Wii later this summer.  (Which by the way, my wife is crazy about.  She's not much of a gamer, but she fell in love with the Wii.  It doesn't really need to be said, but Miyamoto's "Wife-o-Meter" really is the best indicator of innovation.)  Now if only Orbital would get back together and New Order would have an "Original Members Tour".  Oh well, I guess 1/3 isn't bad!

The air is getting thin up here, so I'm headed back underground.  But remember...I'm watching!

Forget games. What are your Top 5 Favorite Books?

1. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

3. Curious George Goes to the Hospital by Margaret & H.A. Rey

4. Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale

5. Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons by Bill Waterson

There aren't many other books out there that I can re-read perpetually and get even more enjoyment out of it than I did the time before. #4 is particularly spectacular (forget the movie, it's an abomination.) although I doubt it will go down as a classic. The #5 spot could probably change depending on my mood, but I don't see the first 4 ever moving. It would take a truly amazing piece of literature to break that lineup.

And yes, I'm over 12. :)

I have updated the look of my Blog.  I will be changing my banner every week along with my journal title in the hopes of making you laugh.

Today we have Mr. Hayabusa in a rather sticky predicament...

It’s wanting what you’ve got. Or so says Sheryl Crow. And I think I’m finally at the point where I agree with her. Unless you live under a rock (and even if you do), you know that the PS3 and Wii launch is this weekend. Strangely, I have no plans to do anything about it. Any I’m pretty excited about that. It’s almost like a weight has been lifted.

Historically, I have always gotten a little crazy when a new system launches and do whatever it took to secure said console on launch day. Pre-ordering, camping, scheming, scamming, you name it. But now, I have reached a calm about the impending launches. Would I like to have a PS3 and Wii? Of course. Do I care that I am not getting either one? No. Many of my friends and family are literally stunned when they find out I am not getting a PS3. They almost all follow up with, “Well are you at least getting a Wii?” When I tell them I am not, they almost look as if I just told them I have cancer or something. This may seem trivial, but if you knew what a hard-core early adopter I am when it comes to gaming, you’d be shocked too.

I think there are three main reasons I am at such peace with not getting a new console. The first is because of how under-whelmed I have been with the 360. It’s a great system and all, but it was not the leap that NES to SNES or PS to PS2 was. The ho-hum games and botched XBLA ports have not done it any favors either. (If the SFII XBLA had been done right, it probably would have changed my entire opinion of the 360.) This under-whelming has caused quite a bit of skepticism in me. The PS3 looks like a dream machine, but at $600 it must deliver. And if it only delivers on par with the 360, it simply isn’t worth it. The Wii looks fun enough, but I have serious doubts that it can provide a satisfying gaming experience outside of a party/multiplayer environment. 95% of my gaming is done solo. I simply cannot justify buying one until I can gauge its single-player longevity a little more. Hopefully (as the case was with the DS), Nintendo will prove my fears irrelevant and I will go on to purchase and enjoy the system immensely.

Second, there are so many great games out for the current generation that it is really hard to justify buying a new console for which there are only lackluster titles. I just started up Final Fantasy IV for the GBA and am having a great time. I own it on SNES, but it’s been several years since I’ve played through and have forgotten most everything about it. I am also ultra-excited about Christmas because I plan on getting Final Fantasy XII, Bully and the Gamecube version of Twilight Princess. Those titles alone will keep me going for the next year or so. Not to mention, the horrendous backlog of games I need to work on.

Finally, there is my family. My son turned one the other day. Since his arrival, my gaming time has been cut dramatically. Having a family is way better than gaming. And while I won’t say that I don’t miss gaming, I will say that I would never trade one second of family for eons of gaming. I still get to game, but my primary focus has shifted to my family now. I’m not going to be one of those half-ass Dads, who pretend to be attentive but really just continue on in their own self-centered pleasures. I’m going to still enjoy gaming, but not at the expense of my family.

Guile had it right:

You know, in the not too distant past (i.e. 1985), I was convinced that we'd at least have a couple of flying car options by the year 2000. 

Boy somebody really dropped the ball on that one.  If you want to become mega-rich remember these two words; flying car.

If you want to become super-fantastically-ultra-mega rich, remember these fourteen words:  That button you push to make any kind of food you want magically appear.

*insert wife/mom joke here*

I miss gaming.

But not as much as I love my little boy.

The End.

Well I just got back from vacation at the beach and I must report something odd I found with the DS.  In my previous visits to the beach, I was only equipped with a first generation GBA.  Of course this model was not back-lit so the screen was hard to see at times.  The exception to this was if you were playing outside in the bright sun.  Then the screen burst to life and everything could be viewed easily.

I received quite a shock this year when I plopped down by the pool and fired up NSMB.  I could hardly see a thing!  I fiddled with the screen angle, rebooted, tried other games and the problem persisted.  It seems that the improved back-lit screen of the DS actually hinders it when playing in ultra-bright conditions.  I know the GBA:SP had a feature to turn the light on and off.  Alas, I could find no such option on the DS.

I managed to improvise and play holding my DS at an odd angle underneath a t-shirt but I didn't expect to have to go to such lengths. And of course it looked great indoors and especially spectacular at night out on the balcony. But overall, this is my first major complaint about the DS after owning it for over a year.  Still, I played the heck out of NSMB and fell in love with Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones all over again.  It never fails, every year on vacaction I wind up putting in a GBA game I haven't touched in ages and usually end up playing it more than the brand new game I purchased specifically for the trip.  This year it was FE:SS.  Last year it was WarioWare.  Year before that Mario Golf Advanced.  Before that Advanced Wars. And so on and so forth.

But anyway just a word of caution to those of you taking your DS to the beach (or other ultra-bright location).  It may be more difficult to see the action than you think.  I'd love to hear some comments from you people out there who have field-tested the new DS Lite to see if it has the same problem.

Off-Topic:  The NES Classic GBA Reissue of the Legend of Zelda is freakin' impossible to find new or used.  But if you were looking for Xevious, Ice Climbers or Pac-Man you are in luck! :roll:

And I remember when our Target had it on clearance for $10.  Oh the remorse of the non-buyer! :cry: