I got tired of having the PS2 so I took my Cube back from my brother. I've been playing Super Smash Brothers alot lately, trying to reclaim some of my erased life, I also got Pokemon Sapphire, being a long time pokemon fan, another run can't do me any hard, plus I want to have some strong pokemon when Diamond and Pearl comes out, so if you can transfer from Sapphire to them, I can... I'm still playing Mario Kart alot, it's wierd how addictive that game is, when I had my original DS I hardly ever touched it anywhere, but I pull my DS Lite out in public just for a quick race...

Top 10 Game Countdown

Number 3:Kingdom Hearts

There is so much to say about this game it's hard to start. Firstly I'd like to say this awesome creation didn't recieve this rank because of a great gameplay concept, or stellar graphics, or anything like that, heck I only put about 20 hours into it before beating it. What gets you is the wierd world that is created when Disney characters are mixed with Squaresofts... You want to know what happens next at all times, what new enemy you'll face, the new worlds you'll explore, and KH has some awesome cutscenes with good voiceovers. If you have a PS2 you should definately pikc this one or KH2 up!

Ok, so now that the shock of getting my DS Lite has worn off I have some time to recouperate my thoughts and give a full-fledged blog post. I'll start with my DS Lite Hands-on.

DS Lite Hands-On

The System- You remember your old Bulky, dim lit DS right? Of course you do, it was the best system in the world until it's younger brother the DS Lite came out, giving the Handheld a complete overhaul with the same price, the DS Lite succeeds in many ways.

The Size- 30% smaller doesn't sound like too much, but once you feel this sleek thing you never want to look back. It fits snug into your pocket and no longer does the top screen awkwardly protrude out, it snaps together with the bottom to provide a better feel.

The Screens- Mostly the same as the original DS's, the creens on the Lite have one MAJOR improvement, and that is the enhanced bright lit screen. With 4 levels of power YOU can choose how you want to play, and the brightest setting actually made me aquint at first...

The Buttons- With a smaller D-Pad A la' GBA Micro, the Lite's movement becomes more responsive and less burdening and painful on the hands. The smaller, raised buttons also add an easier to play feeling, and the more responsive and smaller L and R Buttons, are less stressful to reach. The Misplaced power button has now been moved to the side and changed to a power switch, and Start and Select are now about the size of a pin-point and directly beneath the face-buttons.

Other Improvements- The volume slider is more intuitive, the glossy finish on the Lite gives it a sleeker appeal, and the stylus is now longer and thicker, making it more comfortable to use.

Bottom Line- The DS Lite is a great system and an awesome improvement over the original, and for $129.99 you can't beat it. If you own an original DS and have some money to shell, it's definately worth the upgrade!

Ok so, now that that's over with, i'd like to get to the actual blog post.:D I've been powergaming Mario Kart DS, and so far I've beat 50cc, and 100cc all the way through, plus 4 cups on 150cc, but as fun as this game is, the frustrating luck option severely angers me. But that's what Mario Kart is about right? Also my friend (Smurdzilla)'s birthday is this weekend, and he got a DS Lite Sunday as well (Along with MKDS and NSMB, and a USB Connector) but he can't open it until his B-Day, which kinda sucks but is understandable. So I'm working on a couple of Ghosts to go along with his B-day present, it'll give him something to do... ^_^

Top 10 Game Countdown

Number 4: Tony Hawks Underground (THUG)

Ever since I played THPS for PS1 I was a hooked Hawk fan, I even dabbled in the real skateboarding world myself for awhile, but mostly I found the virtual Hawk world to be a little more forgiving. THUG is what I think to be the top of the franchises Prime. By introducing the new go anywhere storyline, adding new moves (Walking, Wallplants), and by throwing in a nice Classic Mode, THUG appealed to all fans. And we ate it up. I've clocked many hours into this great game, unlocking every bonus, beating every challenge, completing every goal. I made my own boards, skateparks, goals everything and I never grew tired. That's why I'm looking for it right now, I need to play it again. I also enjoyed THUG 2, but the funny Bam-filled story and crazy super unrealistic goals (Find Bigfoot?) was a serious letdown. Here's to hoping that Tony Hawks Downhill Jam for Wii can quench my Hawk thirst.

I know your probably getting tired of all these Lite refrences but it's over (I think) I finally have my DS Lite. It's great, it's so Light, Small, and Bright! Mario Kart is crystal clear, and it feels and plays so good! Now I just have to work to save up money for my Wii again. Good thing is my mom asked me to sell fireworks with her this year. If I work with my Grandma (Who I usually work with) I only get about $150, but with my Mom, I'll probably get around $1200!!! I wouldn't even know how to begin buying stuff! Also, I'll post my number 4 in the Top 10 Countdown later, right now I want to play my Lite...

So, I had to make this deal with my brother (It's gets kinda coplicated to explain) but the main part is I have to lend him my Gamecube for awhile and in Return I get to borrow his PS2. At first I was a little mad, but it's been a nice eye-opener for me. I can try out a few games I'd like to beat before this gen is over, and best of all I can buy or sell any games I want for it, I made my Brother swear he wouldn't do anything to my GCN games. My only game I have right now is Spartan Total Warrior, which i'm addicted to. It's such a good hack-n-slash, and makes me respect Sega. On an even brighter side, I get my DS Lite Sunday, and I'll probably grab Brain Age as well...

Top 10 Game Countdown

Number 5:Super Smash Bros. Melee

96 Hours, 96 hours of my life put into this awesome game when my baby brother erased it. I had every character, level, bonus, and all the trophies except 3! You can't find a better 4 player fighting game, or better fighting game at all for that matter! With all the unlockables and challenges, this game will keep you amused for months, and it's still fun to pick up and play.

I had a pretty cool day, It started with a dying hope, I got to the final boss in the 2nd Palace on LOZ2, got him to 1 health, and got hit by a fireball, and died...whoop-dee-doo, game over, return of Ganon, blah,blah,blah. Anyways, we went to see X-men 3 today and it was a really good movie, beter then X-2, and even though this is called "The Last Stand" (Showing that is the end of the Trilogy) It had a cliffhanger ending, one that another 5 movies will probably be built on... Then we went to the videostore and could each rent one game. My little bro got Incredibles:Rise of the Underminer, my other bro got Shadow of the Collosus (A pretty nice game, aside the wierd controls), and since I had just got done reading the book, I got The Da Vinci Code. Aside the blocky presentation, it holds up nicely mixing the best of Stealth, combat, and puzzle solving. Plus we only have the games for 5 days and I've heard it's only a 10-hour game, so yeah, it's a nice game (I really like the cryptology puzzles).

Top 10 Countdown List

Number 6: Spyro the Dragon

There is alot I need to say about this game, so I'm going to try to sum it up. While I'll always love Crash Bandicoot, I'm afraid Spyro won me over more. Although his first game was my defianate Favorite, Ripto's Rage and Year of the Dragon were both great sequels. I can't count the time I spent exploring every corner and niche of every world to find all the gems and secrets. After it's trilogy on PSone, Spyro like most other Sony only franchises went down... Many more sequels have spawned some great Spyro ideas (Ice breath, Bubble breath, ect.) but none captivate me the same as the original. So, being a lover of the series, I was happy to hear a new Spyro game coming out this year that takes the Purple Dragon back to his roots.... 

I've been playing alot more Zelda lately, especially LOZ2:AOL (Also known as Link no Bouken) and I still am stuck on the 2nd Palace, yet I am getting closer to the end each time. While most Zelda Games have great combat in the Dungeons and it's actually the puzzles that stop you, AOL, is the excact opposite. There are practically no puzzles, it's just defeating the hard 2-D enemies... I do have the Life Spell now, even though it cost almost all of my MP, but it does let me live ALOT longer (It's like having 6 lifes instead of 3....). I've also been playing Minish Cap on the Side, and I'm getting along nicely in it. Who knows, maybe I'll beat the Zelda's before summer is over, it's all based on the time...

Top 10 Game Countdown

Number 7: Mortal Kombat 2

This spot was a close tie between MK2, and Resident Evil 4. Sadly I had to puch RE4 off the list to make room for this. MK2 was my favorite game on SNES, because it always seemed there was more to do... I remember when I seen my uncle use the Dragon Fatality for the first time, that's what hooked me. Everyday I would call my dad and get him to look up codes and moves on the internet, and soon I was unbeatable, knowing every move and fatality available. Even my Uncle who taught me everything I knew cowered in fear of my video tape I mad (Logan's MK Kickin' Video!) which shocased me taking down the computers with loads of different characters on the Hardest Difficulty. So yea, I played 3 alot as well, but once MK went into the next-gen I left it alone. Until I picked up a copy of Deception one day and it refueled my love for this series...

So I have finally decided to get a DS Lite. It's going to be great, Me, my bro, My 2 cousins, and best friend will all have one, meaning ultimate pwnage to them all! I'm still trying my goal of beating all the Zelda's, but with 2 months to go and only LOZ beat (Not to mention that 2 is extremely hard and I hat it now!) I don't know if it can be accomplished. I'm going to keep trying, but with my DS Lite coming around the corner I'll have even more games to play...

Top 10 Game Countdown:

Number 8:  Crash Bandicoot Warped

Another PSone classic, I was totally into this series during the console's lifespan. I beat Crash 1 & 2, not to metion CTR (Crash Team Racing) and I still wanted more! I got it in this great Sequel to a Sequel. I remember getting it on Valentine's Day from my Mom, (She was also a Crash Lover) and almost beating it that night. Of course I played it over and over, got every crystal, every gem, memorized every level! It's sad to see where this series has headed now, and though I'll always love Super Mario 64, I'm afraid Crash 3 beat it to a pulp. Crash has spawned only 2 more Sequels past 3, and they were pretty much disastorous, and mostly happened when the switch from Naughtydog to Traveler's Tales occured. I'm waiting for a faithful new adventure for Crash and friends...

Ok, here it is, the question:

Should I get a DS Lite or stick with my SP?

Let's look at the Pro's and Con's

Pros (Getting a DS Lite)- I'll have a DS, My friend might be getting one, my brother and cousins might get one, the only way to play Phantom Hourglass and other DS exclusives...I can still get a Wii easily ($200 + Gamecube)

Cons-It'll cost about $100, I've had a DS before and sold it, there is a slight chance something could go wrong and I not be able to get Wii...

So the Pro's overdue the cons, but I need some advice, what do you guys think?

Top 10 Game Countdown:

Number 9: Animal Crossing

One of the newer games on this list, Animal Crossing is slightly underated, most are put off by it's kiddish apperance, but inside the loveably cute graphics lies a game with HUGE replay value. No matter what you like to do: Fish, Dig, Collect, Talk, Buy, you'll find it in AC's everchanging world. I'm really waiting for a sequel, because Wild World just didn't get me like the first one. At least I have my good ol' town of Byzantin to tend to until AC2 comes out....

So today kinda sucked...I let my brother borrow my DS and he tried to clean it... with Pledge! So now it doesn't even work... I'm making him give me $50 dollars, but now he's saying he's not going to repay me... I should've known... So now I have a predicament..I can use my Wii Fund to go get a DS ite, and then I'll have about $200 before the summer is up in my Wii Fund (Which is enough). Or I can just keep my Wii Fund and I'll have about $350 at Wii Launch... What to do? On a lighter side, today I'm beginning my top 10 Best Games of my Life countdown...! Every Blog I'll post the next best game!

Top 10 Game Countdown:

Number 10:Megaman Legends

I got this game WAY back when I had a PSone, and this thing consumed alot of my life... I've never been a huge MEgaman Fan but this one was special, the Branching storyline, multiple upgrades, and everchanging Boss Battles provided loads of Replay Value, and the Side-Quests and Dungeons made it feel almost like a Zelda game... Allthough unable to stand up tp todays standards, Legends provides a Solid gaming experience, one I still haven't forgoten....

So I did get to go to Gamestop today, and I traded in Metroid Prime Hunters...I've already beat it, and I was loosing interest, so I picked up Mario Kart. It's really addictive! And it'll come in handy when we go on vacation later this summer.... Also I have figured out what my DS looks like now. It's sloppy Rust color sharpie-job makes it look like it came right out of the Junkyard...And I love it! If I can post a pic of it someday I will, it's pretty cool... And I really need to get working on Zelda, but I left my GAmecube controllers in my mom's car, so I can't tonight, my goal tommorrow is to beat LOZ...and begin working on Adventures of Link.... Whew....