Hey guys! I have two weeks off from school and I'm going to use it! I had a big blog written, but that's when I get the "page cannot be displayed" losing all of it.:( Here is a quick run-through.

1. Bought FFVII, MGS, and WA from PSN.

2. Still playing Dissidia. I know, it's long.

3. Watched the VGAs. I thought the winner for GOTY was a refresher.

4. Started reading Wizard's First Rule. Much different from the show.

5. Started watching Misfits. Think Heroes with more teens and on HBO. Also a plus is that the cast does not exceed a student body but of 5 main characters.

6. Guitar playing has gotten much better. Strange tuning + major chords FTW!:P

7. I'm asking for guitar effect pedals for Christmas. What are you asking for?

I bought Dissidia last week and I am enjoying the game. My favorite characters to use are Squall, Cecil(obviously), and Firion. I'm not too far, but far enough from the beginning. Right now, I'm saving PP to buy more characters(yes, you must buy characters, mainly the villains). It is a fun game for any Final Fantasy fans out there, just to see characters you dislike *cough*Cloud*cough* get beaten to a pulp.

Of course school started for me last week, so I have been adjusting to my courses. I have 3 AP courses this year, being English IV, Government, and Economics(the two latters are one semester courses, with Eco replacing Government at the end of the 1st semester). I'm going to retake the SATs and take the ACT for the first time. I didn't do so well on my first test, because I was very nervous(my hands were shacking and, in short, I freaked out), but I think I will be ready this time.:)

My birthday is next week, so I'm gearing up for that too. Dissidia was an early present, but I don't know what else I want.:P Maybe the new Persona game for PSP. I still need to play star Ocean: First Departure, Final Fantasy VII, and finish up Metal Gear Solid and Wild Arms. Darn you AP courses!!!:P

I just thought my PSP wasn't getting enough love, so I bought several games that I wanted, but did not buy at release(I rarely buya handheld game at launch unless it has much hype behind it like the upcoming Dissidia Final Fantasy). The new games are:

and......

that's not all..................

I have only played Tekken and Valkyrie Profile, and I enjoy both games. I will begin First Departure after I finish Lenneth once(it has multiple playthroughs). My impression on Lenneth will be in the next blog.:)

Now I have not forgotten about the Dragon Quest IV impression, so here it is.

It is good.

Kidding. What if all reviewers did that?:lol:

The game is enjoyable if you like old-school JRPGs. "I like FFIV/V/VI, will I enjoy it?" I don't know. The Final Fantasy series progressed over its 20 year course, but the Dragon Quest series has not. The gameplayhas beenthe same since it started in the mid 1980s(?) and that is the formula they are going stick with, so if you liked the gameplay of FF1, then you may enjoy DQIV. The main thing is if you enjoyed Blue Dragon's gameplay, then you will enjoy this game.

The story starts off different than most JRPGs. It is divided into chapters, similar to a book(there is a prologue, chs, and an epilogue). Each chapter contains a new protagonist for the player to use. Think of how Heroes season 1was structured. The protagonists were all separated, and came together to defeat the antagonist. The difference is that the game does not end when the protagonists unite.

One thing that was fascinating was that the game has some slow framerate at times. Yeah, framerate issues on a DS game! It's true. When I went into this one town, the framerate slowed how dramatically. I could still move, but it was like the character was tip-toeing. SE just put too many NPCs on screen at once. It's not too bad or annoying, but interesting in a way that I did not know that is possible with a DS game.

Overall, I would recommend this game for people who enjoy JRPGs, old-school RPGs, or Square-Enix games.

I bought Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen last week. After I finish it, I may write a review for it.

In other news, I finally wrote a song with lyrics!:) It is hard for me to write lyrics(instrumentals fine with me), so usually I have only instrumental songs. I will try to write lyrics for all of my songs. For those who do not know, I made a goal to write 8 songs by the end of summer vacation. I halfway there.

Well, E3(and my school year) is over and I really miss only one of them the most.:P I took my SATs yesterday. I think I did well for my first time, but not too good.:( I will take it along with the ACT this school year. I have a summer reading list with actual work, which is pretty taxing, but I can do it. I must read Crime and Punishment and How to Read Literature like a Professor. I bought the first book, but I have yet to read it(I will today though). I need to continue polishing my programming knowledge before school starts again and I also need to finish my game design document before the contest.

Now for the E3. Because of school, I could not watch it all on GS, but I saw a glismpse of Sony's(hence the emblem). I must say that it was a pretty good E3. I need to watch Nintendo's, but by what I've heard, they didn't have a great one compared to the other two. My main game I was excited for was Golden Sun DS. I played the entire series and waited for a new game for years. I thought Nintendo did an Earthbound on it and left a quality game behind, but I now know that they were developing a new one in secret. I cannot wait for the game to be released, but I guess I have too.

When I heard Team Ninja is working on the new Metroid game, I thought, "And so begins Samus in things we thought would never see in our lifetime." They said that Metroid: The Other M will stick to the cla$$ic Metroid formula, but with Team Ninja, you never know.

I am very interested in Project Natal's potential for gaming. What they showed could change some ways of how developers make their games. I know people said this for the Wii, but with Natal, the player can input anything into the game(i.e., the kid with the skateboard. Skate could do something with that). Granted, if they do develop games for it, the games will be only for Natal, and rely on people owning the things for Natal. Now I know the Sony fans are now saying, "What about the EyeToy? You are only promoting Natal because you own a 360!!:(:(:(" Well, I have not forgot about that one. Truthfully, I'm not too surprised for it, since Sony made the concept of it with the Eyetoy on the PS2(I had that and it was like the Wii[in a good way] before the Wii was thought of. Incredibly fun). With that, I thought of it as an upgrade from the PS2 EyeToy instead of a entirely new feature. I was impressed by it, and I really hope they keep that sword-fighting game in the final copy. I want to see what Sony does with this feature and if it will be treated exactly like the EyeToy on the PS2 or not. Only time will tell.

I saw the demo for Assassin's(my apostraphe button isn't working well with me now:P) Creed II and I must say WOAH!!!!

[spoiler] You can kill with two blades, inside a cart of hay, and on a bench!!! [/spoiler] I am a little skeptical on the story a bit, but only because the first game hinted at the next game taking place in Japan, and if you know me, you know how much I like Japan.:P The gameplay has not change too dramatically, with the only major changes being the smoke bomb, using the enemies weapons, and flying(ok maybe it has changed a good deal:lol:). This game is a want, but I hope they make the game longer than it's predecessor.

I also watched several scenes from Bioware's Mass Effect II and Star Wars: The Old Republic. I really need to get a job with this company! With a few of my ideas, they will be releasing some killer games!:D Ok, not time for daydreaming, time to finish this blog!:P

Starting with Mass Effect II first(no pun intended). I really like the changes made to the game shown in the demo. The framerate seems better(and as great as ME was, it did have some minor framerate issues at times), the weapons seem to pack more firepower and the biotics seem to look great. The story(where the game really shines) is still shrouded in secrecy, so the only thing we know about it is what they hinted at E3(which didn't help at all, lol). My major guess is that something happens to the Normandy and only one of the crew from the first game(not Shepard himself) is left on it and debriefs the new character on what is actually happening in the game, not what the government told you.

The second game, Star Wars: TOR looks to be an amazing game with polished graphics and flashy cinematics(watch Jedi vs Sith. Better than all 3 prequels some say.:P) The story isn't shrouded in secrecy such as ME2, but is talked about mainly through actual cutscenes from the game. I won't talk too much about it(story), but I only wish the game was not a MMO. I like the KOTOR series but I just don't see it going into a MMO direction. I wonder if they will release it for 360 too with Gold members playing online for free. The only reason I could see that is because you must pay for a Gold membership compared to the PS3 which has a free online multiplayer(which I would like if I had a PS3:P). Bioware is now owned by EA, so EA wants cash above all else which is why I think they would not release it on the PS3 because they could not earn any cash from the online.

Now for Square-Enix. I enjoyed the new trailer for FFXIII and watching it being played on the Xbox 360. However, the game didn't show us anything too new. I wonder why SE forgot about Vs XIII. I guess it shows how much progress they actually have on the game. For you Vs XIII fans, I would expect a late 2011-early 2012 release. Now for the big news. SE announced FFXIV for the release of 2010. *hears cheering* And it's a MMO *hears booing* I want to know what Square was thinking when they decided to release FFXIV as a MMO and during the same year as XIII. The latter is terrible business sense and the former is terrible in terms of the fans, but I guess several thousand people will purchase the game.

In other non-related E3 news, I just applied at Frys Electronics(for those in Texas and California, you know the place). I hope I get a response this week.

Also, is anyone planning to buy DJ Hero? I'm not, but some of the tracks are catchy.

Hey guys, it's been quite awhile sine I last posted. I've been studying to up my grades to an A, and I'm so close. Just one c.lass stands in my way(US History with an 89!!!!:cry: ). I will get all As by the end of the semester, I'm very determined to do so. After school ends, I'm taking my SATs, so I'm also studying for that(I need to study some more today, so I will after this blog post). I do well on the excercises for a Junior in advanced c.lasses, but I'm trying to do better.

A friend of mine told me how to apply online at AMC theater, since I was having trouble finding the application and I applied when I got home. Wish me luck that I get the job!:)

I've been beginning to write more songs. I'm up to 3 which are simple to learn, but enjoyable to play. I'm still trying to write lyrics to the first song.:P

I've also been working on my game design document for the Developer for a Day contest Gamespot has. I'm nearly done with the second segment(out of four), and it's looking pretty good too!

I haven't bought any new games, but I hope E3 show us some good games that may be released this year.

Hey everyone, how is it going? I'm doing well. I'm having a little trouble in CompSci with arrays, but hopefully, I will overcome it. I saw Watchmen, which would be a great movie if I had not read the comic before watching it. I was pretty disappointed with one scene when [spoiler] Roscarch cleaves a guy. In the comic, he sets his house on fire, which was more brutal IMO. [/spoiler]

Did anyone else watch the demo of FFXIII? I did and the game is going to be pretty darn good, if I must say for myself. From the demo(all on Japanese), my favorite character is Snow. He would remind you of a mixed between Riku and Zell.

I finall got a new amp My first one died on me(do not buy guitar equipment from a friend, alright?:P), so I got a better one. It is a 222 amp by First Act. The line is inspired by Adam Levine of Maroon 5. It has an amazing overdrive effect and a good treble sound too(playing Brainstew on it is amazing, purely amazing). I have a question for you guitarists out there. What is the point of the Gain switch? I just don't see the point of it. I tried it out too.

I'm nearly finished with learning Today by Smashing Pumpkins, and I am in the middle of learning Stairway to Heaven(I like the intro which is the hardest part to learn because of the finger placement).

Spoonman.:P In a past blog, I said that I wanted to get all As in my courses. I am so close to accomplishing that!:D I have an A in Computer Science, Chemistry, Multimedia, and PE and I am close in US History(we only have one grade on there, and I got a high B on it, English, and Algebra II.:)

I am now attempting to learn Spoonman from my Rock Band 2 Songbook. The riff is tricky, because one part does not sound right when performing it and it is an instruction in the songbook. Now I am going on youtube and watching live Soundgarden vids to see how Chris does it.

I need to work on my entry for the Game Developer Contest GS has, but I can't think of anything for the story right now.:( I don't want to wait another year for it.

A big sickness is going around in my school. I was sick for a few days, but maybe I am immune now(no I did not give it to anyone).

I am starting to write my own songs, but I have the instrumentals for one song and the lyrics do not really go too much with it. The Foo Fighters make it seem so easy.:P

I blame Lightwarrior for tagging me.:twisted: I guess I will say 10 things about me, but not with much explanation.

1. I think Final Fantasy VII is very overrated

You may have known that, but I just do not think that it's that great. It's like what I think of Halo- it's good, but not great. IMO.

2. I want to be a part of the AI group in Bioware

I wanted to be a battle programmer, but I think being an AI programmer would be pretty fun. If a game is extremely hard later down the road, you may of have me to thank.:P

3. I think Led Zeppelin and The Beatles are overrated(a little)

Now overrated does not mean it is bad, just a little overhyped. Their songs are really amazing(especially Led's), but some(like Stairway) just don't do anything for me. I can understand why they are popular(they deserve it), but sometimes, some of the things I hear are a little overhyped. Same goes for Nirvana.

4. I can play 7 or 9 songs flawlessly

Some are such songs are Smells Like Teen Spirit, 7 Nation Army, Free Fallin, Knocking on Heaven's Door.

5. I wrote one song

Still not complete, but it is a start.

6. I watch Abridged series all the time

Yu-Gi-Oh, Naruto, Bleach, DBZ, and Yu Yu Hakusho are some that I watch on the daily basis.

7. I liked a girl who turned out to hate me/I like a girl who thinks of me as her friend

Was an awkward middle school experience. The second part is right now. I like a girl who thinks of me as her friend, but has one of those over-protective boyfriends. I can take him on, it's just I rather not resort to violence.

8. I would like to be on Heroes

My power would be that of Lelouch from Code Geass with the limitations of it too. I could make it work.;)

9. I write Game documents in my spare time

I haven't had much spare time, but I try to write a few ideas down when I can.

10. I sell Yu-Gi-Oh cards at school

Yes, it is a high school, and yes, it's towards high school students. Overall, I have made $70-$75 from it. I bought a few things I need for my guitar.

I guess I will choose SemiMaster, Soulless4Now, N8A, and Bulletsword.

Time to extract my revenge on unsuspecting people!:twisted:

My progress report has come to my house, and it has improved in some spots. In English, I now have a 82 instead of a 77. With my major grade project added on, it should be higher. I've been talking to my counselor about some college requirements, and I have decided to try my hardest to get all As in all of my classes this semester. That way, it will look really great on my transcript, and hopefully bump my GPA up a lot(I'm standing at a 3.35 on the 4.0 scale, while I want a 3.5). Soon, I will take the SATs, even though I am a Junior. I have to sign up first though.

My next set of news is that I created a guessing game and a rock, paper, scissors game using Java. It is text-based, but fun noe the less. Once I get into CompSci 3(long story, don't want to go in it now), I will learn how to make actual games(or the techniques to do it)

During Spring Break, I will take my permit test. I have been procrastinating on this for a long time now.:lol: This time, I will take it though. I need to drive so I can get a job and buy my own games and program books.:P

I want to see the Watchmen, but I want to read the graphic novel first, which I can't get yet since my school's library has been closed all week.:( I don't want to pay $100 for the actual one either. I guess I have to wait.:cry: Have you gus seen it yet? How is it? Is it worth going to the movies for?