BEFORE READING: THIS BLOG CONTAINS SPOILERS TO GEARS OF WAR 2.  DO NOT READ AHEAD IF YOU WANT TO LEARN EVERYTHING BY PLAYING THE GAME.

There are many things that I cannot figure out for the life of me.  Some of these include how people can stand listening to country music for more than 5 seconds (and enjoy it), or how others can feel satisfied with themselves after winning an argument in an online forum.

But the thing that I really do not understand is how anyone can possibly be saddened by the death of a video game character, particularly a video game character that whines way too much and doesn't really even know how to fight.  I don't think that I can count how many times in the past two or three weeks I have seen topics on the Gears of War 2 forums that say something along the lines of "Poor Carmine... **SPOLIERS**", or "OMG CARMINE!!!!!!!!!! (caps)".  I guess if you were somehow attached to him, then whatever floats your boat, but I do have something to say about those posts.

As a general rule in the forums, it is common sense that you warn others about spoilers if your post contains any.  I would just like to ask you, please, that if you do decide to post a funeral for Carmine, DO NOT INCLUDE ANYTHING IN THE TOPIC.  That is spoiling a part of the storyline for everyone else, even if you do write **SPOILERS** at the end of it.  They would have read the spoiler because you posted it right in the topic, out there in the open for everyone to see.  Even though I personally hated the character, I knew that he was going to die before I even started playing the game because of the topics that were posted on the forums, and I was avoiding spoilers so that everything in the game would be fresh and a surprise to me.  I would have appreciated finding that out on my own.  Please have some common decency for your fellow gamers and leave the spoilers out of the topic. 

Thank you - Port5

I have seen Star Wars over a hundred times, and it never ceases to amaze me. With such an incredible storyline and characters that I can actually care about, it's hard not to be amazed. Darth Vader has to be the best villain of all time, with the classic story of his fall and then redemption. Sure, the movies can be corny at some points. But those parts can easily be overlooked with everything else that is fantastic in these movies.

I have been a hardcore Star Wars fan ever since that day when I sat down and watched it for the first time with my uncle. Even though many people would disagree with me, I consider the movies to be some of the best ever made. Yes, the acting in the newer trilogy does leave something to be desired, but I find them to be some of the most enjoyable movies to watch over and over again. The brilliant storyline, the impressive special effects, and of course, the lightsaber battles have made me want to be a Jedi since I was five.

Of course, this blog was not created as a movie review, however. As most of you already know, The Force Unleashed was released this week, and it has been received with mostly negative reviews (or I guess I should say "good" reviews, however to most people, that is a negative thing). Since I love Star Wars, I decided to go out and buy it anyway. I am typically pretty picky about the games that I play, and I love the game. It is like a brand new Star Wars movie, with new characters and more force power than has ever been seen before. Yes, it does have its flaws, and the critics did get it right for the most part. But, if you think about it, didn't they get it right with all of the other Star Wars movies?

The game is mainly focused on the use of the force and not using your saber, unlike the Jedi Knight games that were released in the late 90's and early 00's. The main draw for many people to the Jedi Knight games was the ability to use a lightsaber. The games were great; however, the force power use was definitely not something that people bought the game to do. The story in those games was paper thin and extremely superficial. Of course, who cares about the story when you have a lightsaber? Force Unleashed takes an entirely new approach, mainly because instead of playing as a good guy in a world set after the events of Return of the Jedi, you play a Sith Apprentice by the name of Starkiller in a world set in between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, which is where the biggest gap in the storyline is.

One thing that I have noticed with the reviews is that there almost seems to be a pattern. The critics hated the newer trilogy (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith). They were particularly critical of the acting. But all of the Star Wars fans that I have talked to about them still loved them. Everyone still went to the theater to see how the story was unfolding, and, of course, to see Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader. I know that it's only seven dollars to get in to see the movies in theaters and this game costs $60. But out of everyone that I have talked to (who are mostly Star Wars fans, however, some are of them are not) none of them regret buying this game.

If you liked the newer trilogy, you will like this game. Even if you didn't like the newer trilogy, there is still a chance that you will like this game. Some things are better in this game then they were in the newer movies. Still, it does have its flaws, which the reviewers did a good job of pointing out to us. But the movies all had their flaws also, and yet most of us were able to overlook those flaws and see the movies for what they really were. The game is far from perfect. It's not the best game ever made by any means. But with a completely new storyline that is surprisingly compelling (really, it is - even the reviews were fans of the storyline) and with characters that are actually acted out well (the voice actors in the game are fantastic) and with all of the new things that have never been seen before in the movies, this game is totally worth it to all Star Wars fans out there. Unleash the Force!

Super Smash Brothers Brawl. By a long shot, the biggest game on the Wii so far. I must say, I was thrilled when I picked up my copy of this game. I had highly anticipated this moment from the day that I got my Wii... but, to be completely honest, it was probably the biggest disappointment that I have ever experienced. Why? Everyone that I have told this is willing to argue with me until they are blue in the face, and I expect everyone that reads this article to argue also. To be honest, I can't believe that everyone likes this game. Of course, it could just be the fact that no one wants to admit that it was a disappointment because of all the extreme hype surrounding the game, or maybe everyone was just so hyped up for this game that it was impossible to let them down. What I am trying to say to all of you is that this game is a total and complete letdown. Why can nobody see this? Maybe it's because of the Nintendo theme. Well, if that is the case, then let's all take a step back for a minute, shall we? -- What would happen if we stripped Brawl of the Nintendo theme? You all know the answer: it would be one horrible game. Some may argue that the same would happen with any other game. That's not true: some games, yes it would (Halo 2); but with others (Halo 3) that isn't the case. I am a Halo fanboy and I am still willing to admit that Halo 2 was a huge letdown. Maybe in the next chapter in the Super Smash series, the series will redeem itself, like Halo did. But, for now, I am here to tell you that Brawl was a disappointment and that is the only point that I am trying to make here. Now, like I said earlier, I completely expect every single one of you Brawl fanboys out there to rip into me about this and try to prove me wrong. I eagerly await all of your comments.