Summer is just around the corner. In fact, I get out of school this Friday for summer break, and you have no idea how excited I am. Aside from hanging out with friends and partying, gaming will play a large part of my summer. Once I get paid for my grades and chore money, I plan on buying this:

Now what I'm about to tell is going to shock you: I didn't like Super Mario Galaxy all that much, but this looks like it's A LOT of fun. I've seen the trailers and video reviews and it looks like it'sa HUGE improvement of its predecessor. It just looks so... fun! And they brought back Yoshi, which makes me happy because I loved Super Mario Sunshine for having Yoshi in it (along with many other reasons), and Yoshi actually gets to have a big role in this! My brother keeps telling me to "rent it first" but I'm going to buy it, and if I don't like it (which is very unlikely), I'll take it back. But I think I might actually like this, it looks like it's a lot of fun.

Anyways, getting back to my plans for the summer, I'll be taking going on a 8-day trip to the Oregon coast, and I'm very excited for it. It takes fourteen hours for me to get to the Oregon coast, and let me tell you something: that fourteen hours is usually fourteen hours of PURE TORTURE. I have no idea how my mom can just sit there and do nothing the whole time without going insane. Luckily, however, I plan on buying these games to keep me entertained (thank goodness):

The Mario and Pokemon franchises seem to do a good job at keeping me entertained for long periods of time. I haven't played a Pokemon game in ages. The last time I played a Pokemon game was back when Pokemon LeafGreenand FireRed came out, so I'm kind of looking forward to the long fourteen-hour trip to get to Oregon.

Anyways, to conclude this blog, this just covers the gaming part of my summer. There isn't really much else I'm doing over the summer, so it looks like I'll have a fun summer full of laziness. What are your plans for the summer?

I'm going on a long road-trip this summer and it's going to take two days by car to get to my destination, and I'm sure that I am going to be bored out of my mind if I don't find something to do. I'm trying to decide what Nintendo DS game I should get, and I want to know what to get now so I can do carefulmoney planning in advance. I want to know what I should get, and that's where Nintendo DS fans come in. Which of the following would you recommend I buy? I can only get one of these because I only earn about $26 a week from household chores (some of which goes to my saving's account)since I'm not old enough to get a job yet.

Anyways, I want to know what to get so I can plan my money carefully in advance. What do you Nintendo DS fans recommend?

TheGameCube had a lot of great games for it. I'm doing this blog post to share what my top10 GameCube games were.

10. Lega Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

Okay, I know I'm going to get a lot of crap for this, but this game is actually surprisingly fun. I used to play this with my little brother all the time, and we had fun with it. Don't judge me.

9. Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut

Even with all its spazzes and glitches, this was a fun Sonic game. I don't care what you think. :P

8. Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix

Say what you want, but this game was great for those who didn't own a PS2 or XBOX because this was the first Dance Dance Revolution game to show up on a Nintendo console, and I loved it.

7. Sonic Heroes

I find this one to be a lot of fun. It's the most like a 2D Sonic game than any other 3D Sonic game, and I love the old 2D Sonic games.

6. Sonic Adventure 2 Battle

I love this game, I don't care what you think. It's my favorite 3D Sonic game. The soundtrack was awesome, and it was also a lot fun.

5. Super Mario Sunshine

When I first got my GameCube, I got two games with it; Super Mario Sunshine and Super Smash Bros.Melee. I actually loved Super Mario Sunshine a lot, even though I sucked at it (I was eight when I first played it). This took me years to beat because I would always give up, try again, give up, and then try again. Recently though, I played this game through for the second time, and I loved it. It's fun, challenging, and it's also one of the best looking games for the GameCube. It's also very underrated.

4. Super Smash Bros. Melee

I have A TON of fond memories with this game. My friends and I used to play this nonstop. In fact, one of my friends came over every day to my house just to play this game (his parents were too cheap to buy him a GameCube). I remember my family was having a party and all of our neighbors were there and my friends and I were upstairs playing this game to avoid the chaos of the party, and then my mom came upstairs and asked: "Can I play?" I was actually quite surprised when she asked. She played at Zelda and totally failed at this game but we all laughed and had a great time.

3. Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Again, MEMORIES! This was another game that my friends used to come over all the time to play (I was the guy with all the consoles and games :P). We played this game to no end, and my friends pretty much earned everything for me because I'm pretty sure they loved it more than I did. You're probably thinking: "Uh... you're friends were using you..." and I know they were, but they really only used me for my video games since all of their parents were too cheap to buy them games and stuff. Anyways, this game really is a lot of fun. Right now I kind of wish I had Mario Kart Wii...

2. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

This was the first Zelda game that I actually got into. I loved its compelling storyline, unique visuals, and outstanding gameplay. It was also very challenging (to me), and it's currently my favorite Zelda game, and so far it's the only Zelda game I've beaten. I simply have to play it a second time through sometime!

And now for #1 of my GameCube favorite. Drumroll please.... *drumroll*

1. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door

I remember after playing the first Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64 I thought, "Wow, nothing can top this!" but this game made me eat my words. When I started playing this game, I got so hooked on it that I'd ignore family, friends, and just about everything else. Once it sucks you in, it simply will not let you go. I've beaten it about umpteen times becuase it's that good. After my first time of beating it, I did nearly every side quest just to squeeze every last drop of enjoyment out of this game. Today, it still remains as my favorite GameCube game, my favorite Mario game, my favorite RPG, and my all-time favorite video game. If you have never played this game, I feel so sorry for you.

And that's my list! :D

After getting Wi-Fi for my Wii a couple of days ago, I decided to take a look at the Wii Shopping Channel, particularly the Virtual Console. When looking at it, I was very pleased with the selection of old games. Not to mention that they are very cheap! The NES titles cost only $5. That's a great deal. So decided to come up with a list of games I should buy from the Virtual Console.

I want this one because I love the Paper Mario series, and since they haven't come out with Paper Mario 4, I decided this would be the next best thing to Paper Mario.

I want this one because I've decided I can't really call myself a Mario fan unless if I've played some of the 2D platformers.

I want this one because I believe it's Mario's first console outing, (Mario Bros. for the arcade being his first outing ever), and I think it would be interesting to see how Mario first started out with this one being his first actual adventure. I have played Mario Bros. before, but that one isn't really an adventure; it's more of an enemy-stomper type-thing that stays in one place the whole time. So technically, Super Mario Bros. is Mario's first true adventure. I also want it for the same reason as Super Mario World.

This one is labeled by many as Mario's greatest adventure, and it also introduced the special suits that were later re-introduced in Super Mario Galaxy. I want to play it and see for myself if it actually is Mario's greatest adventure. And like I said before, I can't myself a Mario fun unless if I play the 2D platformers.

Now you may notice that Super Mario Bros. 2 is absent from my list, and there's a reason for that. I used to own Super Mario Advance for my GBA, and that contained both Mario Bros. and an enhanced version of Super Mario Bros. 2. and Super Mario Bros. 2 was fun and challenging and all, but it didn't have much staying power.Don't get me wrong, I liked it and all, but after playing it about a jillion times, I got bored of it, especially with how hard it was. So I've decided that I don't want it for the Virtual Console since I've already played it a jillion times before.

The best about the virtual console is that buying all of these games will only cost about $26 all together! That's a really good deal! I'll be sure to buy these games as soon as possible since I've been a bit tired of all the new games out there.

I've never played ANY of these games before, so this should be really cool playing them the first time through. Keep in mind that I'm not really an old school gamer because I'm only 15, and the oldest systems I owned were the Sega Genesis and the Nintendo 64. My brothers are also not much older than me, and they were very young when these games came out so we never owned an NES or SNES.

I'm very excited to get these though! Playing these the first time through should be a lot of fun!

And on another note, I would've used the word "cl*ssic" instead of "old," but for some odd reason I can't use the word "cl*ss."

Notice: this is the start of a blog type-thing I'm doing called "The Best and Worst." It will basically point out the best and worst of things. It can range from video game characters or even games themselves. This time, it will be focusing on 3D Sonic games. Now onto the blog.

As we all know, Sonic has had a rather rough experience when it comes to 3D games. Everyone's opinions differ when it comes to the best and worst Sonic 3D games, and I am here to share my opinion.

First, I will start off with the worst 3D Sonic titles.

Now before your start yelling at me, let me make this loud and clear: JUST BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE WORST 3D SONIC GAMES DOES NOT MEAN I THINK IT'S A BAD GAME. THIS IS JUST MY OPINION AND I AM ENTITLED TO MY OWN OPINION.

Sonic and the Secret Rings was NOT a bad game, but it wasn't great either. This game was horribly frustrating. Now I'm not someone who has anger issues, but this game certainly brings out the worst of my anger. Now keep in mind, I don't think it's a bad game. It does fall under one of the worst 3D Sonic games though due to its extremely frustrating moments with the horrible controls. In fact, this game could've been a lot better had it not been for the controls.

Now for the next one:

This one goes on the "worst" list because it IS a bad game. This game did absolutely no justice to the Sonic franchise. It served as the sequel to Secret Rings, and it ended up just being worse than Secret Rings. It was shallow, boring, and at-times frustrating. It was also too short. Overall, this rightfully deserves its spot on the "worst" list.

And finally:

I don't know what was going through Sega's mind when they made this. This game was filled with gimmicks, swearing, and dull levels and missions. This game is also a perfect example of rushed production. It didn't even feel finished at all. The graphics were dull, the controls were awful, and the levels were no fun at all. This game was intended for Shadow fanatics at the time, and that age group was around 8-12 or so. The weird thing is that it's really hard to determine what age group this game was really aimed for. It threw in the word "damn" more times than I can count, and normally kids around 8-12 don't like swearing all that much. I mean seriously, what age group was this game really aimed for? You can't just throw a bunch of profanities, mild or not, into a game that is mostly aimed for kids. The basic scenario would end up something like "GASP!!! MOM!!! HE SAID THE HELL WORD!!!" and the mother would be like "OH NO!!!! WE MUST TAKE THIS DEVIL GAME BACK!!!" Now that's a bit exaggerated, but you get the point. Overall, Shadow the Hedgehog was a horrible game. I remember picking it up when I was 10 because I was a Sonic fan (but I wasn't a Shadow fanatic), and I thought the concept sounded like it could've been cool, but even back then I didn't like it.

This concludes the "worst" list. I'm sure you're probably thinking: "GASP!! SONIC 06 IS NOT ON THIS LIST!!!" but I have never played it so I can't judge it.

Now onto the best 3D Sonic games:

First I'll start out with this:

Right now you're probably thinking: "OMG NOOOBB!!!!" but I don't care what you think. I love this game. Every once in a while, I'll go back play this game because I love it so much. I remember my friends and I would often play the multiplayer on it and have a fair amount of fun with it. This will probably remain as my favorite 3D Sonic game for many years to come.

Now onto this:

This will remain as one of the most underrated 3D Sonic games of all time. It's true to the 2D Sonic feel, and it's a lot of fun to play. This is one that every Sonic fan should play.

And last but not least:

Although the night levels are enough to make you want to punch a small child, the day time levels of this game are fantastic. They are true to the 2D Sonic spirit, and they are super fast.

Undetermined list:

I don't know if this game belongs on the "worst" list or the "best" list. It's a lot of fun, but it's very glitchy and Big and Amy's stages are boring. So this one goes under the "undetermined" list.

Now I know these are all small lists, but it's all my opinion.

I finally got internet for the Wii, and I had no idea that it was so simple to get it! We ended up setting up the internet for it when my family got a Neflix disc that allows you to stream movies to it via your Wii. This should be a good thing though! Maybe now I can get Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 this summer, and many other downloadable titles!

As we all know, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is coming out, and if it's a success, it will be a step in the right direction. A step in the direction isn't necessarily a reboot though, and it's going to take a bit more than that in order to actually get the Sonic franchise back on its feet. The question is though, what more will it take in order for Sonic to get the proper reboot? More 2D Sonic titles? Or maybe even games like the day stages of Sonic Unleashed?

What do you think?

I went to GameStop today and looked under the pre-owned section and bought Okami for only 20 bucks! It has a bit of a slow start, but it has potential. I'll just have to wait and see.

Many people have have theories on what Sega's doing wrong. Some say it was the 3D transition that killed the Sonic franchise. Others say it was the transition to the Next Gen systems that killed Sonic games. My theory, however, is none of the above. Sure somethe problems began during the Next Gen transition, but that wasn't the major problem with Sega.

I believe that what Sega is doing wrong is that they are spending too much time experimenting. Now you may be thinking: "What the heck is that supposed to mean?" but it'll make more sense as I explain this. I will give you some examples of Sega wrongly experimenting.

Sonic Riders - Sonic isn't supposed to have hoverboards. Sega tried to make Sonic a racing game with a twist, but that's not what Sonic games are supposed to be. This one is an obvious example of Sega wrongly experimenting, and this was before the Next Gen transition and when the Sonic franchise started going downhill.

Sonic and the Secret Rings - In this case, Sega was experimenting with the Wii. They tried out the motion thing by changing the controls from fine to bazaar. This is where the game went wrong, and it suffered greatly because of it. So basically, Sega experimented with using weird controls. Now you may be thinking"Well of course they changed controls, they were making a debut on a new system!" well yes, I know, but they didn't have to use motion-based controls. Sega wanted to try out the new motion-based controls of the Wii, but that's where they went wrong.

Sonic Unleashed - In this case, Sega tried to introduce something new. And that was "The Werehog." This example is pretty self explanitory. They tried changing Sonic into something he's not, thinking it was a cool idea, and that's where they went wrong.

Sonic and the Black Knight - Also pretty self-explanitory. Sega tried experimenting and turning Sonic into a Medieval game, but this ended in disaster.

What are your thoughts?

Just today I learned about Project Needlemouse. Now some of you may be thinking "How did you just figure it out today? You livin' under a rock or something?" But in truth, I don't keep up with video game news that much.

Anyways, getting back on topic, if you don't know what Project Needlemouse is, I'll fill you in. It's basically going to be the next Sonic game which will be released this year. Basically it's going to be a 2D side-scrolling game. They're trying to give long-time fans what they want by giving them a game similar to the old school style. And on Sega's blog, they confirmed that In Project Needlemouse you will only be able to play as Sonic. A good thing? Yes, certainly. As stated on their blog, people play Sonic games to play as Sonic! They want to play Sonic games for the sense of speed! Not to have to go through tedious collecting and shooting levels. Now you may be thinking I'm slamming on the Sonic Adventure games, but I'm not. I'm just saying the shooting and collecting levels either could've been omitted, or have been made better. Getting back on topic, playing only as Sonic is a great idea. People love Sonic games for the speed! Now of course, playing as other characters isn't entirely a horrible idea if it were to allow you to play as Shadow or some other speed-oriented character.

Hopefully, in this game, Sonic won't be changed in any way, shape, or form. We don't want another frickin' Werehog (Sonic Unleashed, I am talking to you). But it seems that Sega has been listening to the fans and figuring out what they want. They even stated so on their blog.

Now as some of you may know, there have been many dissapointments in the Sonic franchise. Shadow the Hedgehog (a perfect example ofkilling potential),Sonic Unleashed (Werehog... seriously? What the heck were they thinking?!?), andSonic and the Black Knight (Since when do animals use swords??). Now I'm not going to say Sonic and the Secret Rings was a dissapointment because it was actually a good game, it just that the controls take some getting used. And of course there was the Sonic the Hedgehog '06 dissapointment that I'm not going to hop on the bandwagon for because I haven't been able to play it because I don't have an XBOX360 or PS3. But to sum it up, none of these games have been able to give Sonic the reboot it needs, and my hopse are that Project Needlemouse will give it the reboot and return Sonic to the glory days, but then again I don't want to set myself up for dissapointment. But right now, my hopes shall remain high, and they may change when more is revealed about the game.

Now I'm sure hardly anyone is going to read this since I'm not a popular Gamespot user, but oh well. This ends my second blog post.