Activity again! But it's nothing major, unless you like reading about what other people buy. I went on my yearly(?) buying spree not long ago and picked up a bunch of stuff, much of it used games. First of all, I picked up a DSi, which I'd been planning on doing for months but had never worked up the nerve to shell out for one. I also picked up Sonic Rush the same day. Fun stuff. I feel like doing the rest in list form, mostly because I'm lazy and have stuff I need to take care of (Contradictory, but oh well.).

1. Metroid Prime Trilogy: I wanted to upgrade from plain old Corruption, which I'm mailing to a friend of mine at some point. Haven't gotten the chance to play it yet, but the packaging is spiffy.

2. Hotel Dusk: Room 215: I haven't ranted much about this one, but I love this game. And with the recent announcement of a sequel, I'm pretty pleased. I got this one used, but the Club Nintendo code was unused, so that was a nice bonus.

3. Elite Beat Agents: Better than Ouendan. Deal with it. Is the track list all that great? Well... It could be better and more expansive, but it's fun, and the story has a good sense of humor to it. Also used, but the Club Nintendo code was used (though it was left in the case...).

4. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars: Surprisingly very good. I'm impressed with how smoothly the game runs. I'm not all that enamored with the camera setup, but I can deal with that. At times, the dialogue is a little clumsy, like Rockstar tried to think of some of the most awkward places to cram in the F-word, but I can forgive it. It's weird, because I'm having more fun with this than I did with GTA4; maybe a heresy, but this one seems more concerned with enjoyment than realism. There's probably a very late review on the way...

5. Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days: Awkward title aside, this one is pretty fun. The battle system feels familiar, though in a good way, and the level of character customization you can achieve by the end of the game is really nice. It almost feels like they took the Element system from Chrono Cross, decided to make it govern your entire character (as opposed to just techniques), and mashed that up with Kingdom Hearts. Like I said, fun. There isn't a whole lot in terms of new content, and the Disney worlds feel pretty bland, but it's otherwise pretty enjoyable from start to finish.

6. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story: Great stuff. If the other M&L games are half this good, I'll need to check them out. Haven't finished it yet, but the art direction and battle system are great, and the writing is charming and hilarious at once. Worth a look, whether or not you've played the others. Probably a review for this on the way, eventually...

7. The Bourne Trilogy: I guess there's really not much to say about this. Probably my favorites from the action thriller genre. The only problem is the shaky cam in the sequels, which can occasionally really detract from scenes. Otherwise, great storytelling and fantastic action sequences.

8. "And Another Thing...," by Eoin Colfer: I'm a sucker for the inaccurately named Hitchhiker's Trilogy (now on its sixth book out of three), so I had to pick this up when I heard they were continuing the story. I have to say, I'm really impressed with how well Colfer keeps to the spirit of the original Douglas Adams books. It's not spot-on, but it's about as close as you can get without raising Adams from the dead and telling him, "Write another one!" Consider it recommended, if you're into science fiction/comedy.

9. "John Dies at the End," by David Wong: I've been on about this one on multiple occasions. It's one of my favorite books, largely because of how well it blends elements of Stephen King's horror and tone into the comedy elements of Douglas Adams and then throws the mix into a big bowl of Lovecraft. It's a very strange, ridiculous adventure into the hellish realms to which a drug central to the book's story exposes those who take it. (That sentence was awful, but I'm too lazy/busy to correct.) The new edition released in September and if you look at the Amazon reviews... Well, you'll notice people like it a lot. It's worth a look. Check a library.

10. Charlie Wilson's War: Tom Hanks womanizes and fights communism. What more do you need? Philip Seymour Hoffman? Okay, you got it. Watch this movie or something.

11. 007: Quantum of Solace: It's not quite as deep and brooding as its predecessor, Casino Royale, but Quantum of Solace delivers all the snark and action of the first with a lot more tension. The intrigue of Casino Royale is largely gone, and you'll be lost without having seen it, but Quantum of Solace is a satisfying followup. If you saw Casino, check this one out.