So, I sell a lot of stuff on Amazon.com. Recently (like, this past week), I sold a DS game, but I forgot to check to make sure the game was inside. It turns out I left Metroid Fusion in there and didn't have the right game in the case. Hmm...I learned this because the guy I sold it to e-mailed me. I told him I'd straighten it out and he could just send MF back to me and I'd send him the game. But then I noticed...the guy was some Senior Software Engineer from EA. I will not disclose his name for confidentiality purposes. I asked him what his job included, and he told me the following:

"I've been at EA for quite awhile (13 or so years), working almost exclusively on Sony consoles. The past couple years I've been working on the PS3 figuring out the graphics hardware and finding a use for all the SPUs. I've assisted on quite a few games recently doing low-level (assembly) work, various optimizations, helping find obscure bugs, and other things on Madden, TigerWoods, Godfather, etc. and not tied to a specific game for very long; allows me to travel, meet other people, and see different places.

"Anyway, I can send you a bunch of EA games if you're interested. I have a pile of unopened games on my desk at work. I can type up the list on Friday. Or, I can check the company store for more recent games. We get a bunch of free EA games each year, but I never play them. Lately I've been more interested in the DS and the Wii. I find those platforms far more entertaining."

Wow. So he's going to send me the PS2 version of Madden 07, FIFA 07, NCAA Football 07, Burnout Dominator, and Need For Speed: Carbon all brand-new, FREE!!! How's that for a lucky shot? I bet you're all jealous.

I'm really glad there's a steady stream of information on SSBB coming now from the new website (www.smashbros.com), but it seriously feels like a dripfeed of new content! So, in agitation and boredom, I'm going to write a little something.

Here's characters I KNOW will be in the game even though they haven't been announced yet.

• Donkey Kong
• Yoshi
• Bowser
• Fire Emblem character (or two)
• Ness
• Luigi
• Captain Falcon
• Peach
• Zelda (poss. without Sheik, though)
• Other Pokemon besides Pikachu (one or more)

I hope that DK will look like he did in Jungle Beat - that game had looks, all right. And Bowser...I wonder if he will look as menacing as he did in SSBM. I still wish they'd use the Star Fox Adventures character model for Fox, but that's already out of the way. It hardly matters what Fire Emblem characters they do use, seeing as they're all so similar from game to game.

I know these characters will be in this game because: a) They've been in past games; b) They've become staples of the series (unlike Pichu, Dr. Mario, Falco, etc.); and c) Nintendo would be stupid to limit the amount of characters in the game.

I hope all the original characters from SSBM make it here in one form or another, meaning Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers, etc. but it's hard to know.

I also hope that downloadable updates to the game (stages, characters, costumes, etc.) will be available sometime after release too.

That's all. You can vent here too if you want. 

I'm updating all of my reviews to have the Good/Bad stuff that GameSpot has. I don't know how to make their fancy lines and bolding, but it helps show a synopsis of what my general opinion of the game is. Please, PLEASE read my reviews people! I have a lot of them, and I've spent quite a bit of time on them as well. They aren't bad at all, so please tell me what you think.

In a previous blog post, I put my top ten games of all time, but offered no explanation for any of them. Here is where I will do it. Remember that my rule is this: unless it's a spinoff, games cannot be from the same series. So Mario Kart and Super Mario Bros. could both be on this list, but not SMB and Super Mario World. See?

10. Mega Man X (SNES)

I have lots of fond memories of being able to master this very tough SNES game. I was so proud when I beat the end boss again and again, and I got so good at it that I nearly passed the game with no powerups or anything. This is my favorite entry in Capcom's flagship series, and it makes me all the more sad that they haven't made a killer Mega Man game since, except perhaps X2.

9. Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

The sequels were bigger and, possibly, better, but this game was so fresh and original, and the graphics are still impressive today. My dad said all during the N64 era that DKC had better 3D graphics than any of the new games. Whatever. Anyway, it's one of the best platformers ever made, and one of Rare's crowning achievements, and the sequels are also great.

8. FINAL FANTASY VIII (PS-X)

This is the game that introduced me to the marvelous world of RPG's, and it's still my favorite. I've played through almost every single FF game, but the humanity and integrity of this game, plus its powerful characters and amazing storyline, all make this an absolute favorite for me. I even own the soundtrack to this game. How nerdy can you get?

7. Banjo-Kazooie (N64)

This is one of my very favorite games for the N64. It blew Super Mario 64 completely out of the water and became one of the crowning achievements of the 64-bit era. The sequel was much more adventure and less platformer, so this remains my favorite.

6. Perfect Dark (N64)

Perfect Dark became one of my favorite games very recently. I loved GoldenEye 007, but this game is hugely better in every way imaginable. I even like it better than Halo. The multiplayer is incredibly addicting, and this is about the only N64 game I still play except for the virtual console games I have. A classic, indeed.

5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2)

This was a hard one. The series as a whole is so awesome, but each game improves dramatically upon the last as far as story and presentation go. MGS3 is much better with the nice camera and special features, too. I've never tried the online game, nor will I ever, but the core game is fantastic and intense. I liked the characters best in this game...except there's no Otacon. Oh well.

4. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)

Another tough call. This is my favorite Mario game, but...only by a bit. Super Mario Sunshine almost beat it. This one has nostalgic value going for it, so that helps. I like this game a lot better than Super Mario World, though. Can't we bring back the bright orange fire power suit? I always liked that...

3. Resident Evil 4 (GCN)

I was torn on whether to try this game or not. Until less than a year ago, I had a strict "No M-rated games" policy which I didn't even break for Halo or Perfect Dark or anything. That lasted for over eight years, I think. But that started to change, and I had to set my limits somewhere. I will not play God of War or Grand Theft Auto, but something about this game...it's amazing. The boss battle with Del Lago? I could do that all day. I can't think of a single flaw in this game that bothers me one bit. Not one. I have never been blown away by a game this dramatically, and I was actually tempted to put this at #1...but no game can beat Zelda and Metroid Fusion for me. It says something when I almost replace those with this game. Can't wait for the Wii Edition.

2. Metroid Fusion (GBA)

So Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion came out the same day. Metroid Prime blazed new trails and was an amazing achievement. Metroid Fusion completely perfected the Super Metroid formula and actually TOPPED it. I still play Metroid Fusion through on occasion, and I can't believe it's still fun. Short game, my butt. It's got the best replay value of any game I've ever played.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

Oooh...hard one. Wanted to put Wind Waker here because I love it so much, but...this is where Zelda really ARRIVED for me. The earlier games were fun and all, but this game made the series my very favorite. This game still speaks to me in ways other games can only dream of. Perfect? Oh yes, even after all these years. Just played it through on the virtual console, and I noticed details I hadn't before. I've been playing the game since it came out and I'm STILL surprised by the awesome design choices. I think Wind Waker feels more fresh and original to me, but this one...ah, this one. It can't be topped, and if it is I'll eat my hat.

Share your opinion of your favorite games ever, or on my opinion as well! Go ahead, don't be shy!

I bought the GameCube remake of Resident Evil, and I'm using GameFAQs to find my way around with Jill in Easy mode. Call me a wimp or whatever, but I hate mindlessly wandering around in the game. So far, I just did all the Death Mask things and fought a couple bosses. I just saved at the cabin where the creepy zombie girl thing is. This game is quite a bit creepier than RE4, but I haven't jumped out of my seat yet like I did in that game. (Dang chainsaw dudes...) ANYway, I updated my review and all, so stop HATING me because I was so harsh on the idiotic gameplay and inventory and ammo and puzzles and...well, I'm still annoyed by some parts of the game, but I'm hooked. So there.

Remember the days when the big, high-production games were platformers, RPG's, and adventure games? What's happened to that? The most high-budget, hugely hyped games are action games like Halo, Gears of War, etc. I see that changing again sometime fairly soon - people will tire of the violence and endless shooting, but what will come next? There's a few industry shifts going on that suggest a few things...

For one, the casual gaming crowd is growing rapidly with the DS and Wii. Such games as Brain Age, Nintendogs, etc. are all the rage now. A short-term fad? Maybe not. Maybe that's where the industry will move - one half will become more and more complicated to sate the hunger of the hardcore gaming masses, and the other will cater to this new evolving crowd. It's a very interesting time to be a gamer, because there's no clear-cut best console or style of game.

I personally want to see the return of excellent, high-budget platformers like Banjo-Kazooie, Super Mario 64, and Rayman 2. The N64 days did a lot of things very right. What do you all think? I want to hear your honest input.

If you've read my reviews (read them if you haven't - I spent a lot of time on them), you'd know that I really hate two of the highest rated survival horror games on the GameCube. With the Wii, though, I'm feeling like retrying some of these games and trying to understand why some people enjoy them. Here's a list of games I intend to try out on the GameCube that I've disliked in the past, or I've never tried. Tell me what you think.

• Eternal Darkness
• TimeSplitters 2
• Resident Evil
• Resident Evil 0
• Wave Race: Blue Storm
• SSX 3
• Tomb Raider: Legend

Well, I gotta say that the Wii has some genuinely interesting games right now, but all the ones I was interested in playing before launch kinda bombed. Red Steel was a waste of time, and Raving Rabbids turned out to be nothing more than a wacky minigame collection. Ubisoft promised that it would be an adventure game with all kinds of depth and weird humor. That never happened. Now they've announced a Wii-exclusive sequel, and I'm just really hoping it will deliver on the original promise. I don't expect Zelda-caliber length or anything, but having a solid adventure with great minigames and better graphics would be very much appreciated.

I still haven't played Raving Rabbids, though. I'm going to use one of my Game Crazy free rental things for Hollywood Video. And Madden 07. Yeah.

In response to IGN's bogus Game Boy Advance top 25 list, I have crafted my own that I think is vastly superior. Tell me what you think. The Game Boy Advance was an awesome portable, so it was a little hard to pick.

20. Mario Kart: Super Circuit

This was the first time Nintendo's celebrated series went portable, and it (thankfully) played more like the original game than the N64 game. Single-cart multiplayer was revolutionary for the time, though primitive by today's standards. Nevertheless, it is a solid game through and through.

19. Fire Emblem

Some people really love Fire Emblem. Others, like me, find it amazing at some times but irritating otherwise. Either way, it's great to see Nintendo's popular Japanese franchise finally make it to the US. Now if they'd only allow you to revive your characters...

18. FINAL FANTASY Tactics Advance

Sure, there was Tactics Ogre, but let's face it - Square-Enix rocks the world. FFTA is a huge game, to the point that it deters some from playing it. Still, it's incredibly addicting and a great amount of fun. The fact that it's portable is a definite plus.

17. Pokemon LeafGreen/FireRed

Many people have fond memories of Pokemon Red and Blue, including me. GameFreak saw fit to remake the two and update them. Though the gameplay really hasn't changed much over the years, it's nice to have a complete update to waste your life away on.

16. WarioWare: Twisted!

The first game was amazing, weird, original...whatever you want to say. The DS game was disappointing. But the third game to be released here, with its gyroscopic shenanigans, has just as much charm as the original. It's just the fresh revisioning the new series needed, and thus it earns its place in the top 20.

15. Golden Sun

Okay, I really don't like Golden Sun. But I can recognize a solidly-made RPG when I see one. The great visuals and not-too-generic storyline helped, and the fact that you use magic outside of battles to solve puzzles was pretty cool. Random battles are stupid.

14. Astro Boy: Omega Factor

Don't write it off because it's some weird, cartoon-anime licensed game. I swear it's amazing fun. If you haven't played it already, it's dirt cheap, so there's really no reason not to. Treasure is great at making this wonderful kind of action game.

13. Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2

Yeah, the first SMA stank. This game heralded in the good SNES ports, and it in and of itself was a great port of an old classic. Now why couldn't we have ever gotten Super Metroid...?

12. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3

It was killer on the PS2, and it's pretty darn good on the GBA. It's great to see the addictive qualities of THPS done well on a portable system. It's even better than THPS2

11. Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire

Ruby and Sapphire really take the cake for the best GBA Pokemon games. They introduced the Pokemon abilites, had all sorts of new Pokemon, had double battles, and loads more. A lot of fun to be had here.

10. Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

This is the one that fans wanted from the start, and it came late but hit hard. E-Reader compatibility, refined visuals, etc. all made this game shine. (Though it is kind of a rip-off that this game was packaged alone - Super Mario All-Stars on the SNES had Super Mario Bros. 1-3 and The Lost Levels on one cart. Geez...)

9. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords

Yeah, another port, but it's one of the great ones. LttP was one of the best Zelda games ever, and the Four Swords multiplayer spawned a full-fledged GameCube sequel. That's nothing to scoff at.

8. FINAL FANTASY VI Advance

The pinnacle of 2D RPG's, FINAL FANTASY VI (or III, if you prefer) was a stunning achievement in storytelling on the SNES. The last of the FINAL FANTASY ports on the GBA, it's also got the least new features. But the core game is so good, it hardly matters. It's safe to bet that this is the last good game for the GBA.

7. Metroid Zero Mission

Why couldn't Nintendo do more remakes like this? It feels like an altered version of Super Metroid, and it rocks. Metroid Fusion was quite a bit more original and amazing, but that doesn't make ZM any worse.

6. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

It took a while, but finally there was an original Zelda game on the GBA. It's not as long as the past Zelda portables (Oracle of Seasons/Ages), but it holds its own as a great entry to the legendary series. It's too bad the sidequests weren't better, but the dungeons were brilliant as usual.

5. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega MicroGame$

The wackiest game you'll ever play. WarioWare was never quite as fresh as it was with the first entry. Its bizarre sense of humor, shallow-yet-addictive gameplay, and loads of minigames and microgames made this one the best portable game for long trips with friends. Trust me. Try getting really insanely high scores on Paper Airplane, Skate Board, or Jump Rope, and you'll know just how addictive it is.

4. Advance Wars

Intelligent System's flawless strategic gameplay started here. It's so addictingly fun that it's near impossible to put down. Future installments would improve upon the original, but they still don't have the raw originality and simplicity offered here.

3. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

Konami's revered series really found a niche on Nintendo's portable, and it nearly reached the high standard set by the PlayStation classic Symphony of the Night with Aria of Sorrow. Though its gameplay really isn't that much different from past Castlevania games, AoS had the innovative Soul Capture system that allowed you to use your enemies' moves against them. It also had a great story that was continued on in the DS game Dawn of Sorrow. Great hand-drawn artwork made this game shine even more.

2. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Has there ever been a funnier game than SS? Well, you'd be hard-pressed to find one. You'd also have a hard time finding an RPG that's more fun than Mario & Luigi. Say all you want, but its gameplay rocks! This game was really ahead of its time, and it's really too bad that its sequel was so drastically inferior.

and finally...

1. Metroid Fusion

Yes, Metroid Fusion takes the top spot on my Game Boy Advance list. Why? Well, it may have to do with the perfected controls, the amazing storyline, the revealed personality of Samus, the awesome bosses, the kickin' graphics and sounds, the Metroid pedigree...well, you get what I mean. Some say it's too short. I've played the game through over ten times and I'm still not sick of it. If that's not replay value, I don't know what is. If you don't have this game, get it right now. Or else.

I'm a list maniac, okay? I like doing it. I hope somebody enjoys/benefits from my lists, but regardless, here goes:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
2. Metroid Fusion (GBA)
3. Resident Evil 4 (GCN)
4. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2)
6. Perfect Dark (N64)
7. Banjo-Kazooie (N64)
8. FINAL FANTASY VIII (PS-X)
9. Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
10. Mega Man X (SNES)

Please note that I have a rule about these top ten lists - no two games can be from the same series, unless they're spinoffs, such as Mario Kart or something like that. If you want, you can list yours here as well under my same rules. I was kind of torn, since I grew up on the SNES and N64, but...this is a pretty good list, I believe.