That is one final down, and three more to go. I have to spend this weekend tackling projectile motion with a toy rocket in a problem for my Dynamics take-home final. Monday, I have my Advanced Manufacturing Tech final exam. And I have to draw it out for another week for my Calculus 1 final. One week from today, I am a free man from school for one whole month. That will be some serious work and gaming time I spend.

Some good news I found out today...

-White Knight Chronicles will release February 2nd, 2010 internationally (including the US!). Known as the WKC International Edition, the game will come with the original adventure along with all of the most recent updates and DLC available in Japan. Some of the major functions will be an online-exclusive village known as the Georama (yes, of Dark Cloud lore) which will allow exclusive item access for those who go online with their copy. And over 50+ disc-based quests can be tackled solo or with four-player co-op. In addition, side-conversations will also be an ideal feature (be they with your characters or your partners online...yes! You will be able to have headset functionality with this title!) for the game.

Wish me luck, guys. I'll be looking for all of you online soon on Uncharted 2, Borderlands, or LittleBIGPlanet. =)

I was dragging my feet just after Black Friday weekend ended. What sucks is this is my last full week of class. Two of them end this week, and I have to return for two others next week, which are both several hours apart from one another. And whats worse is my Calculus teacher does not know whether our final's gonna be Wednesday or Friday of next week. Which determines just how much time we have to study and compress our entire semester's worth of learning into concerning class time. It's already in the middle of the week, and I got two tests this Friday, and a take-home final I have to complete and submit by Monday afternoon.

Least with Calculus, I figured that if I do well onmy Maple assignments (since those are easy grades and equate to a test grade) and manage at least a 75% on my last test and get above a 50% on my final exam, I will manage a 75% average for the class and pass it. I will try to do a lot better on my two tests than a 75 and 50, of course.

Good news is that'll be the worst out of the last round of tests. Fluid Mechanics is open-book; Advanced Manufacturing Techniques will be open note, and my Dynamics take home final will be easier with help from my classmates and having a book + notes to refer to. So If I can deal for another week or so, I will be done for a whole month. To do nothing but eat, sleep, do chores, work, and play video games.

On the game side of things, I'm halfway through Uncharted 2 on Crushing. After I accomplish that and play some online, I'll have aced my 5th PS3 game. The next ones I'll be going forare Fallout 3 GOTY and inFamous. One of my big goals is to ace 10 PS3 games in the lifetime of my system.

Swung by my Gamestop and picked up used copies of Valkyria Chronicles, Final Fantasy XII, and Dark Cloud 2. Spent about 31 bucks. It was worth it to me since Valkyria Chronicles was 60 bucks for the longest time, and those two PS2 games are one of the few RPGs I was never able to fully beat.

On the dessert side of things, we have a whole pumpkin pie and pecan pie to delve into from Thanksgiving. I'm salivating when I write that out, haha. =P -slurps-

Also, I'm gonna try to take advantage of the Uncharted 2 Thanksgiving Weekend, which nets you double cash earned in multiplayer and 5 x 5 teams play as chubby Nathan Drakes (aka Doughnut Drakes) and chubby Lazarovics.

Also, I got another week and a half tops of school left. Got a Calculus test this coming Friday with a Fluid Mechanics test. And then I get handed my take-home final for Dynamics this Monday, the 30th. Got a week to finish it, albeit its difficulty. And my shop class test is gonna take place during that little 'half a week' left over. From there, it's just a couple of weeks time to do nothing but clean the house, buy presents and wrap 'em, and enjoy my wintry cache of video games.

I'm sure a lot of you in college this semester will be getting out soon within the next couple of weeks. Enjoy your breaks. You deserve it.

Well I hit level 18 on GS. That feels nice. This is gonna be a fun week. I got nothing but morning shifts this week, Thanksgiving to look forward to...I gotta wake up around 4 in the morning so I can get to work on time and by 6 AM at that since buses won't be running any earlier than 5:30 in the morning. But the time I got this week? I'm putting it toward some game time. I got 6 new releases, two hit PS3 games, and an SMT game to play on my PS3.

-I broke the seal on Assassin's Creed 2 finally. Managed some time between projects on the weekend to get through the first chapter to the end. Found all the treasures, did all the main and side quests (save for the last one), so I should be able to look forward to fully completing the first chapter. The game's excellent. The money concept is awesome, but I'm simplistic. The fact Ezio can swim finally means he can only really die from a high fall or getting careless in battle.

-I beat Uncharted 2 on Normal, found all the Treasures (including the Strange Relic; check my PSN Username for proof!) And I have well over 500,000 dollars in my store. I'm going to play and potentially beat the game on Hard and Crushing, and then get right into the online when I have time. Since the ultimate Tweaks for the last levels in U2 multiplayer are around 1 million and 2 million dollars, I'm well on my way.

-Demon's Souls? Borderlands? Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition? Even Dragon Age: Origins? I like them. They're all good in their own right. But this winter, I need to devote some time to play to them.

-LittleBIGPlanet and inFamous? These were the only PS3 games I held onto before thefall rush hit. I still have a lot to do for both of these games before I get satisfied and can get rid of them.

-And let's not forget that I had Persona 4 with the Strategy Guide for over 1 year and haven't even gotten through the first month because of how busy I got. It is my only PS2 game right now.

On a side note, some good Black Friday deals on PS3s are going in effect. Walmart's offering the 120 GB model with inFamous, the Dark Knight (on Blu-ray) and Batman: Arkham Asylum for 299.99. Gamestop's bundling it with the God of War Collection and LittleBIGPlanet Game of the Year Edition. And Best Buy's got one now, focused on the new Ratchet and Clank game and LittleBIGPlanetGame of the Year Edition. So anyone looking to get a PS3 with some free games ought to swing by these places when they can and go for it.

Overall, I did clear the hurdles for all the stuff I had to do for school. After tonight's class, whatever time I got this week outside of school and work (and leaf duty, let's not forget leaves!) is gonna be put towards video games. I'm sure that news must sound like Mozart to a lot of your ears.

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Be sure to wear large belts so you can loosen them up when you get full. And good luck with whatever you wanna get come Black Friday. I know I'll be busy waking up at 4 AM in the freaking morning, walking 6 miles and having to work for 8 hours with mall customers. Stay safe! I hope a lot of my GS friends drop hints to get PS3s from Walmart, Best Buy or Gamestop come Black Friday for all the free games you get with them! =D Plus I need more of my friends to play online with!

Listen up all my Sony-deprived friends who shelled out for a 360! Walmart is doing a Black Friday deal where you can purchase a 120 GB Playstation 3 with Batman: Arkham Asylum, the Dark Knight, and supposedly inFamous for 299.99! Also, Gamestop just announced for Black Friday that for the same price and system, you can get LittleBIGPlanet GOTY Edition and the God of War Collection (1+2 remade with 1024 * 720 widescreen, trophy support, etc). I've got my 80 GB Backwards Compatible Model still and I'm satisfied with it...until it breaks, haha. Plus I already got LBP, and God of War? Eh...I'd get em again if it was free. But I'd still have to shell out money for it, which I dun have. Be sure to keep an eye out for other fabulous deals aside from these two and post em if they seem legit.

I managed to get 14 and a half pages for 3 labs for my Fluid Mechanics class done. Long as I get a grade for it, my grief will be dissipated. And my calc teacher, very nice Chinese immigrant, allowed me more time to get my Maple software problems done. Long as I get them in with the last bunch that are due last day of class, I'll still get grades for them, no penalty. He knows his whole class has homework to do and other classes to keep up with anyway. And now, since I apparently finished my labs several hours ahead of schedule, all I have to worry about next is a 5-10 min presentation and a 5-7 double spaced paper on Computer Integrated Manufacturing due Monday. In APA format at that.

On top of that, I picked up Assassin's Creed 2. Got the Gamestop version for PS3. With the bonus map packed inside. Haven't opened it yet. I told myself I wouldn't until I got the stuff I needed to get done out of the way.

Oh, the crank arm on my bike snapped off. Aluminum. Snapped off down the shaft. Not at the area where it attaches. So, its either spend 75 bucks to get it replaced and installed, or spend 100-110 bucks and get a new bike from Kmart or Walmart.

And Black Friday is looming. I know I'm gonna be severely tempted to spend more money on games at Gamestop before I work. I was looking more at HDTVs. I saw a couple in the 150-300 range advertised early for Black Friday deals from Best Buy, Sears, and Kmart. But so far, their reviews have been so-so. At least the movie selection going on sale's good. Star Trek (yes the new Star Trek) will be on sale for 10 bucks at Walmart/Kmart. Watchmen, the Dark Knight, and a couple other good movies will be on sale for 5-7 bucks at Best Buy.

Well, I've got a weekend and another half a week to clear before turkey day...and the impending shopping nightmare afterwards. Until next time, guys!

This is going to be the worst week for me.

-I have a triple lab to write up for Fluid Mechanics. It involves finding the mass flow rate (mass of fluid per second as it flows through a channel) for a varying channel of different diameters (a Venturi meter, an Orifice meter, and a Rotameter). Good news is I got most of my calculations figured out (I think)...but my Fluid Mechanics teacher and his Harvard degree better be in a generous mood when I go in tomorrow to ask for help with getting my formulas figured out. I have to write 3-4 pages for each of these devices as a separate lab and they're due by Friday. So I have to find the time between now and Friday (with being in class all day mon and wed, and at work tues and thurs night) to write it.

-For Calculus 1, I have to use the school's Maple program since my laptop fritzed out and my Maple software with it. So I will have to go to my school sometime and do a dozen of these software problems and turn them in by Friday at the earliest. But my Calculus teacher's pretty lenient since he knows I lost my Maple and we just suffered a rather annoying test for his class.

-For Advanced Manufacturing Techniques, I have to do a 3-5 page paper on Computer Integrated Manufacturing in APA format, Double Spaced, by Monday of next week. It'd be easy for me to type it up once I get the structure down. And I can easily find the info online.

I re-iterate...WORST. WEEK. EVER. But if I survive it, it'll be downhill from there.

March 9th, 2010. Final Fantasy XIII is due for its North American release. That was Square's big announcement today alongside its new trailer. This news astounded and saddened me. I am excited that I'll get to play the game 3 months sooner than expected. But now I have to save up money for it. Let's see...I got a 75 dollar gift card to gamestop. 240 bucks for 4 games (FF13, White Knight Chronicles, Star Ocean: The Last Hope International, and Bioshock 2), minus the 75 bucks...that is 165 dollars. X_x or...I get the essential games I want...which is Bioshock 2 and FF13...and I wait to get Star Ocean 4 and WKC...or I could beat some of the new PS3 games I got and sell those off so I can get SO4 and WKC...heh.

Currently playing: Fallout 3 GOTY, Borderlands, Demon's Souls, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Dragon Age: Origins CE

Upcoming must-haves: Assassin's Creed 2, Bioshock 2, Final Fantasy XIII, Star Ocean 4 International aka Star Ocean: The Last Hope International, White Knight Chronicles

Oh, I also aced my 4th PS3 game. Bioshock 1. >_> Survivor without Vita-Chambers? Surprisingly wasn't as brutal as I thought. So far, COD4 on Veteran is still up there.

Okay for all of you AC2 fanatics of mine! Spike TV is going to be premiering the short film based around the upcoming game, Assassin's Creed: Lineage at Midnight EST, Thursday, November 12th. Which means some of you might wanna take thursday off or drink a few Red Bulls and pray they hold up until the film finishes. Since I got nothing better to do tomorrow morning (aside from play video games and do homework before I go to work), I might try to watch it. But odds are it'll be up on Youtube within the next day or two at the earliest. Also note that Assassin's Creed 2 is Street Dated for November 17th and all those who preordered it with Gamestop (at least) do get a special downloadable map for preordering the game.

Okay, people. I got my assortment of new games for the winter. Assassin's Creed 2 will arguably be the best for last of my winter 2009 lineup, with Bioshock 2, Star Ocean 4: TLH Int'l, and White Knight Chronicles due out late winter, winter 2010...I'll post a review for AC2 when I get it next week and manage to play some of it. Otherwise, these micro-reviews I provided should exemplify the least bias I have for each of my new games, lest some of you want to use them to encourage (or discourage) buying them.

Dragon Age: Origins - 9/10

-This is KOTOR all over again! Is dice rolling present? Maybe...even on the PS3, the graphics are good (enough for me). Not on par with Mass Effect or Gears of War or even Uncharted 2, but still good. Why does it not get a perfect score? Ultimately, it's KOTOR's battle system all over again. Auto-attacking and such, skill charts...oh, wait. There's also the conversing with people that get XP, finding items to get XP...not saying that's a bad thing. I did go into this game expecting either that or a Champions of Norrath/Baldur's Gate theme to it...the game's been a lot of fun for me so far. Good for fans who love Bioware's stuff. I know I love their stuff. Least with this game, you can customize your char based on race, upbringing, class, and even their likeness (its as diverse as Mass Effect). To sum it up, it's a nice simple sit-down RPG that has a great story, dozens of hours of gameplay...just don't expect to visit the same exact areas. I'm playing as a Human noble right now...does that mean I'll visit different areas if I play as a Dwarf...or an Elf? -gasp- We'll see!

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - 9.5/10

-Let's face it. With me, a 9.5/10 equals a game that is just amazing. A 10/10 is a nonexistent score with me. It defines a game that EVERYONE MUST PLAY...but every game isn't for everyone, right? For a PS3 exclusive, the game looks amazing, plays amazing, sounds amazing...has a lot of replay value, and the multiplayer (which I intend to try out soon) is the only thing that differentiates this game from the first one. What could be better than a great game you can play by yourself? One you can play with others! And there are very few games I get addicted to...this happens to be one of them.

Demon's Souls - 9/10

-HAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDD...duh. That's the best way I can put this Atlus RPG. Plays out just like a dungeon crawler, but the intention is you're forced to die a few times to learn. And hurry back to where you died to get the Souls you worked so hard to harvest or you lose them...just like if you die again and have to go back another time. However, there is a trick to it. Since you have to fight your way back to get to where you died, if you make it, you can assimilate your souls back on top of what you already earned. But if you die, just fight your way back, add that new total to what you earned. It's a potential way to earn Souls very quickly. Now, it is a beautiful game. Gameplay's pretty solid. RPG elements are great. And I'm tempted to try the multiplayer out online to see what it can do. Otherwise, this game has been selling out since its release. That's a gimme that people love it. And it is the most challenging rpg I've ever played, up there with Shin Megami Tensei. Oh, wait. It's Atlus. Haha. But yes, do not let the challenge discourage you. >_> I'm hooked on this game.

Borderlands - 9/10

-Cliffy B (of Gears of War) called thisgame the Diablo of this generation. The game's pretty addicting. Fighting wastelandish foes, doing quests, using one of 4 pre-made specialized chars tailored to your playing style...it's cel shaded. Graphically, it's not true 3D, so a lot of people are complaining. But not me. I think the cel shaded graphics make it easier to keep an eye on the game without glimmer blinding me because they had to shine up someone's skin. Initially, I wanted to give this game an 8.75/10, but I figure once the online issues (bugs that keep a player from keeping skill points they earn online, etc) get straightened out, the game will be what it deserved to be. And then I wanted to give the game a 9/10...but there's NO GOLD TROPHIES! On the one hand, it's good since the game won't be too difficult to ace. But come on...even 1 Gold Trophy would have been nice...=) But this game's very fun, to sum it up. So it does get a 9/10 from me.

Update: As it turns out, thereARE Gold trophies present in Borderlands. An updated trophy list posted online corrected a previous error.

Oh, and good news. I was able to get my router reset and configured so only I can access it now. And to make it better, I got my PS3 set up with a wireless signal now. =D So look for me online via Demon's Souls, Uncharted 2, Borderlands, or LittleBIGPlanet soon, folks. My PSN name is XSkittleKrazyX. So, hit me up with a friend invite so we can play sometime! Until next time!