Man I hate getting older! A post by an old and cranky gamer!

Of course not because I don't want to live, but because I suck at video games now!

I remember when the NES was the gaming system to have, I could kick butt at any game right out of the box, with no help whatsoever. During the time of the Super Nintendo and the Sega Genesis I was a butt kicker too, without a doubt. It was actually during the Sega Dreamcast, N64 and PS1 days, where I could tell I was starting to slip, but I could still hang with the big dogs. I really started feeling myself going downhill during the Nintendo Gamecube and PS2 era; however I remained steadfast that I wasn't losing my touch, you know the denial stage of life. Now, with the Xbox 360, PS3 and the Wii I find myself breaking out my glasses just to see, sometimes feeling dizzy just because of the camera movement and taking a lot more time to beat these games then I would back in my heyday!

I'm also getting my butt kicked by people who sound like Eddie Murphy did back in the 80's, but on helium. These kids all use this new internet/video game language which goes right over my head, like why am I a "noob" if I use the grenade launcher in Call of Duty? It's not as if I'm hacking or doing something underhanded to access it, it's available at the main menu! That and isn't the point to kill the opposing team, so what's the difference if I do it with a bullet or a grenade, trust me either way I'm not much of a threat.

I talk to people now who comment about friends they play with, of course I assume a buddy sitting on the couch next to them, but they're referring to someone they never saw in person and have only met online. Why do people say "LOL" instead of actually laughing, or "BRB" instead of saying I'll be right back, is it a way of being cool? I can completely understand doing those things through text messages or IM, but in real life, come on man!

I don't really have an issue with any of these things. Just like all old people I like to complain about the new generation and of course tell longwinded stories, as I'm sure you can tell by this post alone. I'll play video games until the day I die, I'll be gray and wrinkled, using a walker and wearing Depends, all the while still playing video games. The good side of getting old is I'll have my walker if I do get dizzy, my Depends so if I need to use the bathroom I don't have to stop playing and if I do poorly or if the game sucks, I'll forget about it in a couple of minutes as if it never happened.

I have to run out to the store now and pick up some Bengay-mer for my aches and pains! I know lame, but in my defense I am old and losing my mind!

Michael

I personally love playing video games, but honestly I don't finish many of them. I always plan to, but something new always comes out keeping me from doing so. So needless to say I have many titles, across all three consoles, that are just sitting on my shelf collecting dust and all of which I am planning on finishing (yeah right).

With that said, the games I do finish are because of something that kept me playing until the end, most of the time it's the story. The worst thing however, is when you put all your time and effort into finishing a game, and then the end just plain old sucks. I was wondering what game you finished, the whole time enjoying the run, while only to be disappointed by the lackluster ending. Please, just to be courteous to our fellow gamers if you are to reply, start of by stating the name of the game you're talking about just to avoid ruining the game for someone else.

Mine would have to be the Incredible Hulk for the Super Nintendo! The end of this game was so anticlimactic it wasn't even funny. Of course this game was beaten not because of the story, but because I have always been a big fan of the Incredible Hulk. It's been a while since I beat it and all I can remember is the final boss was the Leader and you couldn't be the Hulk to beat him, believe that. The Leader never even moved, he just stood there on the edge of a cliff, and you actually had to turn back into Banner and punch him ONCE, to throw him off the ledge! What ever happened to puny Banner, Hulk smash!

If I remember correctly after being disappointed by the ending, I beat the game to pieces with a hammer, which turned out to be more fun than the game itself!

Michael

A couple of people have told me about Warhawks, and I must admit it sounds interesting. This may sound like a crazy question, but would you compare MAG to Call of Duty or is it something completely different?

I was just wondering if games that only offer online game play and are totally void of any type of single and/or multiplayer campaigns are a mistake. I'm not knocking either of the above mentioned titles, honestly I have never played them, they were the only examples I could think of for my question.

There are many games that offer online play, however we all know based on how well the game performs determines whether or not the servers remain up, thus making it possible to even play it online or not. Depending on when you decide to get into the game, you may not have much of an opportunity to play it before they shut it down, leaving it a barren virtual world. Also, what about resale value, if the servers are shut down then there's no real reason to buy the game, is there?

I may be completely ignorant in regard to the whole situation, I am really just wondering. Any advice and or feedback would be appreciated.

Michael

I am aware that Nintendo currently has a system out andI wasn't talking about their more current software, but more so their classics. Like them or not, Nintendo has a long and respectful history in gaming, they have had a big part in making gaming what it is today. If not cross platform then maybe they could do more collections, like Sony has with many of their bigger franchises.

I was wondering why Nintendo hasn't released a greatest hits collection, similar to what Konami and Capcom have done? I know Nintendo has the Virtual Console on the Wii, but what about those who don't own the Wii. Think about it, wouldn't it be cool to have a collection that would contain such classics as Zelda, Metriod, Super Mario Bros and Kid Icarus? Also some rareities like Kung Fu, Pro Wrestling, Rad Racer and Excitbike? Now I know these titles, and the NES for that matter are not for everyone or even that relevant to some gamers today, however if you grew up in the eighties and enjoyed playing video games then I'm pretty sure these titles would bring back some fond memories.

I know exclusives are all apart of making money, but as a title gets older is it really worth keeping it to yourself? Actually releasing a disc based collection for the PS3 and Xbox 360 could be a lot more profitable for Nintendo in the long run. In regard to the virtual console, I'm not sure how many people actually use it, but I don't really see a big following. I could be wrong, but I just think these classics should be available for all gamers to enjoy, regardless of their system of choice.

Michael

I love playing Call of Duty, both Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2. However, I do have some complaints. I think it's time for some new "perks"; the standard assortment is getting kind of stale in my opinion. Below are two ideas I have, check them out and let me know what you think. Also, if you have any other ideas feel free to add them to the list, who knows maybe the Call of Duty Gods will read this post and surprise us in the next installment.

Rambo: This perk would allow you to dual wield two primary weapons, just as John J has in pretty much all the Rambo movies. The pro version would give you the ability to go topless and to scream as you're firing your weapons.

Blade Runner: This perk would make it impossible for someone to kill you with one slash of the knife. I personally think the knife is a bunch of crap anyway, when it comes to the Call of Duty franchise, this is one thing in my opinion Medal of Honor got right. Numerous bullets versus one knife slash, I mean come on man! The pro version would cause anyone who tries to knife you; to break their blade, leaving it useless the rest of the match.

Well here's all I have to offer, any other ideas?

Michael

I have been an Incredible Hulk fan all of my life, I know not the most masculine thing to admit to, however it's true. After saying what I just did, I feel as if I'm attending one of those "anonymous" meetings. Anyway, I loved the comic book, the late seventies television series, the Hulk movie (not meaning the Ang Lee one of course) and the Incredible Hulk Ultimate Destruction video game.

In regards to video games, as the titles implies, the Hulk hasn't been all that incredible as of late and to me that sucks big time, as Peter Gabriel would say. I've played pretty much all the Hulk titles leading up to Ultimate Destruction and pretty much all of them sucked. Honestly after Ultimate Destruction I was fearful to play any of the later released titles, mainly because I didn't want to lose that great feeling that was left from Ultimate Destruction.

Now for my questions, has anyone played any of the Incredible Hulk titles released after Ultimate Destruction, and if so were they worth playing? Also, is there any news about future titles?

Michael

I am using the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 250gb special edition with a wireless router. Could the system and/or the router by the issue?

I've downloaded the demo from Xbox Live when it was released and haven't been able to play it once. I get all the way to where it's looking for a session to join then I either get kicked or the game freezes. I've tried to uninstall and reinstall a few times, thinking maybe there was a problem with the download, and still nothing. Am I the only one having this problem, is everyone else just moving along just fine, or is what I'm experiencing normal? If you have been able to play the demo, what do you think?

Michael