Twelve emblems adorn the right side of my profile page here.  I used to care.  Right now, I don't.  I can't.  They don't matter.  None of it does.

It's just not important.  None of it is.  Not being an officer in the CCU, not being an officer in the DS Union, nor even being a GameSpot moderator.  It doesn't really matter if I can get the CCU focused on graphics as much as written contributions.  It doesn't matter if I can get the DS Union to take off.  Heaven knows we've got good people as officers and some great ideas, but it just doesn't matter.

I've spent just under a month as a GameSpot moderator, and it's been pretty cool.  Now, when someone does something in the forums that is against GameSpot's Terms of Use, I can nip it in the bud myself.  I love that.  It's not a power thing.  It's about helping keep the forums on the very best gaming website clean and friendly.  It's an honor to be doing this, but really, it just doesn't matter.  Or rather, to say it better, I can't let it matter.  Not now.

I've let this dream of becoming a video game journalist fog my vision for too long now.  I have a wife, and two great kids, and an obligation to serve my country to the best of my ability.  Granted, I'll never give up on my dreams, but right now the returns fail to justify the sacrifices.  Perhaps there are people here on GameSpot that want me to such an end that they feel they need me.  But they don't.  My busy wife Amanda needs me.  She needs me to shoulder more of the day-to-day responsibility she could once carry on her own.  That was before she started working.  She needs to know that when she's gone, I'm giving Arielle and Adam my fullest, most devoted attention; that they are better than "taken care of".  That they are loved.  And they are.  I don't love anything more, and I never will.

To say that I need to rethink my priorities doesn't fully capture the state of my situation.  I've been a reasonably good husband, but I can be so much better. . . so much.  I'm a loving daddy, but I don't give myself to my children like they deserve.  It kills me that I've let it come this far, but it's not too late to do right by them.

I have to go for awhile -- at least long enough to remember what is truly important and what isn't.  To remember what matters, and what doesn't.  When I find the balance, perhaps then I'll come back.

This is sure to be a very long hiatus, and it's certainly possible that I might not be the same when and if I come back to GameSpot full swing.  If it costs me my mod badge, that's okay.  If it costs me my status in the CCU and in the DS Union, I'll live.  I'm not a quitter--I refuse to be one--but sometimes you have to know when it's time to let go.  And for me, that time has come.

Farewell.

 "You don't have to stop partying just because you stopped breathing."

- Guitar Hero II

Based on the demo included in the November 2006 issue of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine

If you're a fan of the first Guitar Hero, then you're sure to be foaming at the mouth in anticipation of the sequel.  The fresh new demo, packaged with the latest issue of PlayStation Magazine, has just enough to keep you sane as you wait for the November 7 release date, with four playable songs on any of four difficulty settings.  Retailing at about $10, the inclusion of the Guitar Hero II makes its purchase a no-brainer.

The songs run the gamut in terms of difficulty, with "Shout at the Devil" (Motley Crue) being the easiest, and the classic "You Really Got Me" (Van Halen) a few notches above it.  The feel-good rock number "Strutter" (Kiss) is the third hardest of the lot, introducing the first batch of three-note chords, while the eclectic structure and shifting tone and tempo of "YYZ" (Rush) represents the song you're most likely to get stuck on, if any.  These four songs all sound terrific and authentic, despite being covers of the original tracks.

If you are any good at the first game, then you'll feel right at home with this demo, although the addition of the three-noters is sure confuse even the most practiced hands.  They come in all varieties, from triads of closely spaced notes, to tricky 2-to-1 and 1-to-2 variations that will throw you off if you don't pay close attention.  So, even if you can hammer through "Bark at the Moon" or "Cowboys From Hell" like there's no tomorrow, you'll spend an appreciable amount of time adjusting to Guitar Hero II.  And damn if it doesn't feel great.

Visually, it's almost identical to the first game, with a few noteworthy exceptions.  Among them is the new visul effect that occurs when you miss a note during a combo.  Messing up a small combo simply shakes the fretboard, while flubbing up a big one rattles the fretboard and causes the screen to momentarily dim, much like lights would do during a power surge.  It takes a little getting used to because it can be quite jarring, but it adds a lot of excitement and tension when the combo meter is full.

If you've been tracking Guitar Hero II at all, you've heard that it is more difficult than the first game by a long shot.  Well, thanks to the demo, that rumor can be laid to rest.  It's true.  Even if you are reasonably good at the first game, chances are the sequel will own your face off at some point.  Take this as an example.  Kiss' "Strutter" has a note structure and tempo comparable to that of Cream's "Crossroads" from the first game.  The thing is, "Strutter" is a second-tier song, while "Crossroads" is one of the most notorious high-tier tracks of the original.  Take that as you will, but be ready to swallow your pride.

If the demo is any indication, Guitar Hero II is absolutely sure to live up to the hype.  Unfortunately, lefties will have to wait to till November to shred the new songs, as the demo doesn't allow you to flip the controls around in the options menu.  That little hiccup aside, this demo is a must-play.  Go pick it up and get a little practice.  You're gonna need it.

Being an officer and a leader of the Community Contributions Union is an honor and a privelege.  I've long felt that our union is among the best available on this site, and have felt we should be officially endorsed by GameSpot for a very long time.

If you've never been by the CCU, come have a look at what we do.  Our biggest focus is a weekly magazine called ReviewSpotting that is posted in the General Games Discussion board, but we've recently begun branching out into graphic and video contributions as well.

Recently, the CCU has been nominated for awards in two categories: "Union That Should Be Endorsed" and "Best GameSpot Help Union."  I'm usually not one to toot my own horn, but I truly believe the CCU deserves recognition for its contributions to GameSpot and its users.  If you agree, stop by and vote for us here.

Thanks for the support.

I still remember the very first thread I made on GameSpot.  After doing my ritualistic rings around the forums, I'd come to the conclusion that I had nothing meaningful to contribute, and I readied myself to log off and get some sleep.  But, in keeping with my ritual, I didn't do that.  Instead, I dug through the same threads, again and again and again, as though trying to catch them withholding new posts.  The corners of my eyes began to tingle and burn, much as they are now, but I couldn't peel myself away from the computer.  One more thread.  Dud.  Alright, just one more.

It was yet another conversation about Grand Theft Auto that hooked me.  You know the type: "stop blaming games for your actions/parents are irresponsible/Nintendo is for kids. . ."  We've seen and heard them all.  But I hadn't.  Or at least, I hadn't seen enough of them to just roll my eyes and walk away from the discussion.

That thread must have gone on for at least a dozen pages, and at some point a user had the "audacity" to call the GameCube (and Nintendo as a whole) "kiddy".  Oh I couldn't stand for that.  Weeks and weeks of flicking through the forum pages in silence ended that night.  How could someone call Nintendo kiddy?  What right have they?  Some nerve. . . I'd set him straight.

And so it happened.  I had etched my very first words on GameSpot's crowded walls with a rant about what maturity really means, and why people who call Nintendo "kiddy" only do it because it was they who were kiddy.  Oh yeah, flipped it on 'em; they weren't expecting that.  I even used all caps at one point, which I knew was frowned upon, but hey, they started it.  Big babies.

I meant well with that thread, I really did, but I was the worst kind of fanboy back then.  I was the guy who thought Ratchet and Clank was a wasted effort simply because it wasn't a GameCube game.  It sucked as PS2 game.  It just had to.  I was one of those guys that got insecure if a GameCube game got a lower GameSpot rating than I wanted it to.  I denied it all, though, trying to convince myself and other that I wasn't a fanboy.  I was one of "those".

A lot has changed since then, though.  I just got done updating my 'Now Playing' list, and I was rather pleased with myself.  I bought Panzer Dragoon Orta tonight, even though I don't own an old XBOX yet.  One of my buddies brought his over here, we played PDO for a bit, and then he left without packing up his console or his prized copy of Ninja Gaiden Black.  That's pretty cool of him, and I'm really thankful, because PDO is shaping up to be exactly the type of rail-shooter I've been aching for.  So far, it's got just the right measures of complexity and difficulty that make it feel rewarding without being confusing.  If this keeps up, I'll be ready to list it as an all-time favorite. And wouldn't you know it?  I don't give a damn that it's not a GameCube game.

Had it not been for that first post, I wouldn't have run into a GS user named Grammaton_Cleric.  Suffice to say he saw through my overlong speech and identified it for the fanboy spillage that it was.  I hated him for it.  I convinced myself that he was just a self-righteous prat and tried to forget everything he said.  But he sowed a seed.  And would you look at what I'm playing now?

Guitar Hero - [PS2]
Only two songs away from five-starring everything on Expert.  All I need now is really long hair.
Super Mario Sunshine - [GCN]
So what if it's "not as impactful as Mario 64".  Tell me, what is?
Mario vs. DK 2 - [DS]
Borrowed from EBgames; I'll let you know how it turns out
Panzer Dragoon Orta - [XBOX]
Halo wasn't enough to get me excited about the XBOX, but this gem at $10 sure is.

Am I a complete and total loser if I keep blogging about how cool my wife's life is?  Yes?

Sue me.  Her life rules, and parts of it belong in my blog.

As many of you know, she's is the store manager at our town's one and only EBgames.  Apparently there are these ginormic conferences held by the big three gaming companies each year, and EBgames/GameStop managers are required to attend.  Required?  I don't know a GameSpot forumite who wouldn't give his left leg (never an arm or hand, though. . . we needs our thumbs, don't we?) to go on a four-day vacation to a fancy hotel in Dallas, TX and listen to the bigwigs give bleeding edge, reliable info on their next-gen strategies and whozeewhatzees.  My wife is getting paid decent money to attend an event I'd give a paycheck to be at.  GameStop and EB might slowly be becoming too corporate for their own good, making it extremely hard to love this job, but you gotta love the perks.

Speaking of, I haven't really gotten into those yet.  Amanda called me yesterday, elated to tell me that the Regginator himself would be giving Nintendo's conference.  First, how cool is your wife if she thinks it's rad to be around Reggie?  None of the other managers knew who he was, but my wife wanted to score a photo with the guy; maybe an autograph.  Cool.

After Reggie was done reading off the list of names of asses to be kicked (or possibly somewhere in between), he informed the attendees that they'd be receiving some free loot from Nintendo.  It's not uncommon for these store managers to make out like bandits at these events, apparently (last year, Amanda's former boss scored an XBOX 360), but the list of freebies was better than expected.

One free classic controller.  What can I say?  I was pretty mad and confused when this wasn't packaged with the Wii (although cynics would have sneered even if it had been), and now I...er.. Amanda is getting one for free.  In addition to that, sh...we... I'm getting 7500 free Wii points.  For those who aren't keeping up, that's equivalent to 75 smackers.  Thanks, Nintendo!

And that's not all.  They're giving us... er... them... some free DS games too, none of which have been released yet.  Amanda listed about three or four, most of them RPGs, but only one stood out: Yoshi's Island 2: Yoshi on the Go (or something close to that).  When she told me, I was pretty much stoked.  The other games don't mean much to me, but the new Yoshi?!

She also picked up a little baggie from Sony.  Not expecting much, she was surprised to find a new copy of Shadow of the Colossus inside, as well as LocoRoco.  Of course, the usual assortment of lanyards and tee-shirts was also in place; pretty cool swag for nerds like me.  But it's really just filler.  We all know it's just filler.

So yeah, Amanda's in Dallas right now in a sweet hotel, checkin' out the Wii, PS3, and 360, eatin' and drinkin' on the company dime, gettin' free stuff. . .

. . .and complaining to me on the phone about being "so tired".  Gee, it must really suck being in Dallas having the time of my life.  Poor thing.

P.S. I love my wife.

ReviewSpotting #42 is titled thus.  Here's a snippet:

"No seriously, it is.  Check it out.  Everyone featured in this issue reviewed a game and scored it in the 8's.  GameSpot calls games rated in that range "great".  Now you see.  "Oh", you say.  "I scored my game in the 8's too, does that mean I'm in the issue?"  Well, before I answer, I submit to you this: if some shooples are dooples, and all dooples are gooples, then are all gooples for sale on eBay?  They probably are, but I doubt it. . . because it's unlikely.  Great!"

Congrats to the winners, thanks to all who helped bring all the extra features, and thanks to everyone for putting up with my insane, sleep-deprived banter.

For some reason, the various developers of the Star Fox games have refused to listen to public outcry and just give us a pure, on-rails, Star Fox game.  Since the N64 classic, we've been given an adventure game that many don't believe was even intended to bear the Star Fox brand.  Star Fox on foot versus. . . dinosaurs?  Then there was Star Fox Assault on the GameCube, which was like a slap in the face to series fans.  It gave the illusion of being the true successor to StarFox 64, but behind the smoke and mirrors was a game that had Fox fighting on foot as much as in an Arwing.  Yuck.  And now we have a StarFox game for the DS.  Naturally, asking for just a plain, entertaining trip down memory lane was asking too much.  With a unique platform such as the DS, asking for anything "plain" might always be too much.  Let's explore.

There is one small, overlookable feature involving the DS' microphone worth mention.  Basically, there is a feature in the options menu in which you verbally answer a series of questions about yourself.  "What is your favorite color", "what are you doing right now", and so on.  After you're done with these questions, the game allows you to set your voice patterns over the characters' in-game gibberish, making everyone sound a little like you would if you spoke "Animal-ese".  It's not a major flaunt, but it's a much different one, that's for sure.

Of course, you knew there would be a map.  There has to be; it's become a DS staple.  And just like the many other examples of maps taking over the DS' second screen in a good way, it proves to be both useful and entertaining in Star Fox Command.  Between sorties, the Star Fox team takes their places on the map located on the bottom screen.  Here, you are prompted to use the stylus to draw out flight paths for them, engaging enemies and recapturing bases along the way.  Not only is this a giant leap away from anything the StarFox series has seen, it represents a pretty cool implementation of the touch screen for strategy games.  How much you enjoy these sequences will vary depending on your personal tasted, but there's no doubt it's a creative function that we can expect to see in future DS games.

Gimmicky mic options and strategy sequences aside, there are certain moments in the game where it feels like it was made for the DS.  For example, it feels great to steer the Arwing with the stylus.  Slowly move it up the screen, and the Arwing slowly gains altitude, matching your movement speed of the stylus.  Give it a sudden, quick jerk to the right or left, and its movement is equally sudden and quick.  This very fluid, nuanced control is perfect for a flight-based game, much like it is perfect for the FPS genre, and it wouldn't work with the d-pad.  Instead, pushing up would make the Arwing move up at the same rate every time.  A push of to the right on the d-pad would initiate the same exact degree of turn every time.  Had that been the case, flying around in Fox's ship would have been stiff as a board and far less entertaining, making the touch controls an absolute blessing.

But then there are the moments when it becomes clear that StarFox Command over-flaunts the DS' features.  Barrel-rolls are the best example, and the biggest culprit in driving the experience with the game down.  To do them, you have to quickly slide the stylus back and forth on the touch screen.  Think about that.  Weren't you just trying to steer with the touch screen?  Yeah, you were.  So if you're trying to chase down an enemy whose flying sporadically around the sky, or trying to deflect bullets as you fly through one of the famous rings on the map, why would you want to wildly slide the stylus back and forth?  It doesn't make sense, and it makes doing this simple maneuver much, much more annoying than it needs to be.

This goes for pretty much everything else as well.  To speed up, you have to double-tap on the top of the touch screen.  Okay, fine.  Now consider that to gain altitude, you have to touch the top of the touch screen.  Hmmmm. . . does this mean that every time you accelerate you get an undesired, unavoidable change in altitude?  Although it is momentary, and you can eventually get used to adjusting to it, the answer is yes.  Why not let "up" on the d-pad do the accellerating, while "down" did the braking.  While we're talking about it, why not let left/right do the barrel rolls?

This, or something like it, would have been the ideal way to design StarFox Command.  It would give the precise, fun stylus-based controls a chance to shine without causing the controls to become more complicated than they needed to be.  But due only to the fact that the default, unchangeable controls put too much emphasis on the touch-screen, the verdict is clear.  Star Fox Command, though fun, overflaunts what the DS has got.

Full review, by Mystic_Flames
Full review, by ShenlongBo

I took my DS with me to work last night.  I do that a lot, even though I very, very rarely get the chance to actually play it there.  But last night was almost an exception.  Last night, I actually got it out of my bag, and popped Metroid Prime: Pinball in it.  I even powered it up.  And then my cell phone rang.  Figures.  Can't a guy catch a break?

It was my wife, Amanda, on the other end.  She'd gone out late with some co-workers and their friends to have coffee because, according to her, she can't sleep well when I'm at work overnight.  Nothing like a midnight coffee binge to help ease you to sleep, yes?  I'll never figure women out.

Anyway, my game was still on the main menu when the call came through, so I wasn't that upset that she was interrupting this rare chance to goof off at work.  Good thing, too, because this would have been a bad night to give an exasperrated "Helloo?!"

When her voice came through, she sounded antsy, but I didn't say anything (figured it was the 100,000 cc's of caffeine coursing through her tiny body).  It wasn't a caffeine-and-sugar rush though.  It was worse.  This is what you would have heard if you were sitting in the room with me:

"Hey Boo, wha' sup?"

"Are you serious?"

"Where?"

"Are you okay?"

"...how's the car?"

"...great."

Then from one of the guys in the room with me: "That dudn't sound good."

"Do you need me to come down there?"

"Alright, just call me when you get home.  Love ya, bye."

There were eyes on me when I hung up.  Eyes that reflected the sentiment of the gossip-seeking ears that they shared heads with.  So I coughed it up.

"My wife. . ."

There was a bit of a pause, maybe three or four seconds long.

". . .hit a h-"

Another pause.

". . .hit a horse. . . with the car."

Imagine the looks that got me.

I answered all the usual questions.  How?  I have no idea.  Yes, she's fine, thanks.  No, the car's jacked up.  But not too bad, it was a baby horse (Amanda kept calling it a baby horse on the phone).  It just smashed the passenger's-side windshield, bumped up the hood, and somehow smashed the side by the gas tank.

One of the guys in charge offered to take me to the scene.  When we arrived, there were police lights flashing, and a semi was pulled over on the side of the road.  Amanda looked fine considering how bad she felt about taking out a "baby horse".  She still couldn't just call it a horse.  In fact, when she walked me over to the car, she pointed out that there were "baby horse guts" on it.  They couldn't just be horse guts, or even just guts, could they?  No, these were sacred, poor little cute sweet innocent baby horsie guts.  Her sensitivity made me laugh on the inside.  I just couldn't help it. 

The semi that was pulled over a hundred yards in front of my car?  It had normal horse guts on it.  Amanda probably wanted to call them "mommy horse guts", but she held back.  Apparently someone's cattle got out of their corrals, and a few animals made their way to the highway.  That's a bummer. 

This all kind of reminds me of those stupid sparrows that like to fly car-height in front of me instead of taking advantage of all that nice, high, safe sky above us.  Animals, eh?

Anyway, things are fine.  The man whose cattle got out is going to have to pay for my car, as well as the semi.  Best wishes to him during the holidays, and I mean that sincerely.  But I just can't afford to pay for this myself, nor should I have to.

If you read this, please take a moment to check out Amanda's blog too.  She feels awful about "what she did to that baby horse", so I'm sure she'd love the support and feedback.

...Don't think for a second there won't be "horsie" jokes once she's not so sensitive.  By Sunday, I'll be telling her to "quit horsin' around", and to "hold her horses".  Ha!  Good times.

I scored it a 6.5.  Bummer, yes?

Take a look.

And there it is.  We know the price, we know the date, we know the package, and we know the games we'll get to play when it arrives.  And suddenly, we aren't happy campers anymore.

At least we've finally gotten over the name.

I'm surprised by all the grumbles, especially about the $250 price point.  Yes, Nintendo stated that the Wii would retail at under that.  Is there anyone out there who seriously expected that to mean anything except $249.99?  Sure, we all had our daydreams of a happy $200 sticker, but daydreams is all it ever was.

So, maybe it's because I didn't fool myself into believing otherwise that I'm not as disappointed by the price as so many others.  As soon as I heard "under $250", I instantly thought "right. . . by a penny."  And I was serious.  That said, I'm still very much looking forward to settling a Wii into my home as soon as I can.

The launch date is surprising, though, and it's hard to ignore the fact that Nintendo isn't running a steamroller over the downed, injured Sony by issuing a much earlier launch.  On the other hand, they're probably banking on the fact that once "all 400,00" US PS3's are sold out, the gamers who didn't score a PS3 will put their $600+ towards a "why not" Wii.  That, and all the gramammies and grampappies who might have been about to drop over $600 for a PS3 will hope little Jonny will enjoy a nice, clean, erm. . . inexpensive. . . Wii instead.

But what's with the hardware announced to be launched with the system?  Why isn't the Wii launching with enough controllers of every kind to fill every available slot?  Nintendo's talked a big game about bringing gaming to the masses, and then they launch this family-uniting system with one full controller?  And Wii Sports?

Bingo.  That's Nintendo for you.  While I'm only speculating on their release date rationale, I can guarantee anyone that Nintendo knows once the moms and dads out there give Wii Sports a try, they're going to be hooked.  Once they figure out they can play multiplayer without sharing the controller, they'll already be sold on buying one, two, or even three more.  I want to give Nintendo the benefit of the doubt here and call this smart business, but really, this is just cheap and low.  Seriously Nintendo, it wouldn't hurt to give back every once in a while.

Nevertheless, I'm sold, and I think this has been a very productive showing for last gen's underdog.  The Virtual Console is a bit overpriced, yet intriguing ($5 to play Mike Tyson's Punch-Out again?  Sold), the launch line-up looks to become the mack daddy of all launches (thanks in no small part to the new Zelda, officially cited as a Wii launch game), and a handful of tech we wouldn't expect to see in any Nintendo console, most of which involves some matter of internettery and Wii Connectoroo's and other somesuch.

So whether you're happy, disappointed, or livid about today's Wii announcements, one simple truth remains: you're paying attention.  PlayStation What?  Micro Who?  Exactly.  Yes, this shock and excitement will soon pass, and yes, people will get over their bellyaching soon enough, but right now, and probably for the next few days or so, it's all eyes on Wii.