In Defense of the Ouya

There?s been, what I believe to be, a completely uncalled for outpouring of hate against the Ouya from internet skeptics and the gaming media. Maybe ?hate? is overstating it a bit, certainly, but unjustified skepticism is more like it. The Ouya certain has risks and liabilities involved, however a lot of Ouya hate has spawned from a misunderstanding of what the console is and what it is intended to be.

Not Just Another Android

A lot of people are confused by the Ouya?s use of an Android operating system. If you?re thinking of the Ouya as some sort of stop-gap between mobile and console gaming or ?play mobile games on your couch? machine, you are confused as to the intended purpose of the console. The Ouya is a full-fledged console intended to foster creativity in the gaming industry and primarily empower independent developers to be able to easily develop and publish their games. Revolution comes from the ground up. Getting the independent developers on board, who are on the cutting edge of creativity and innovation in the gaming industry, is essential to a console?s success. Games like Braid, Bastion, and Super Meat Boy sell like hotcakes to dedicated console players who haven?t even scratched the surface of the creative, independently developed, games that are available on PC. The choice to employ a variant of Android as the operating system is, once again, to empower developers with a familiar infrastructure and NOT to ensure the ease of porting mobile games to the console.

8 GB FLASH STORAGE!?

Hardware concerns are frequently cited in terms of Ouya?s viability, but those who raise them should do some research. I don?t need a long paragraph for this. The Ouya will support USB hubs, external drives, and all other types of USB accessories. And why wouldn?t it? For those who maintain their skepticism, please check through the comments section of the Kickstarter.

Conspiracy Theorists

I?ve heard some pretty funny accusations of the Ouya. Some people think it?s a ploy to get bought up by Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo. Some think it?s a vaporware scam to take idealistic gamer?s money. Others think it?s useless or simply too good to be true. These concerns range from highly unlikely to completely outlandish. The people involved with this project are highly respected and established members of the gaming and technology industry. They know what they are doing and, more than that, they are visionaries. These people are true believers in the product they are trying to produce, and so are we. How else could they have made so much money in such a short time? In fact, here?s a conspiracy theory for you. Gaming journalists who range from highly skeptical to outright hostile to the Ouya are attempting to ensure the continuation of their symbiotic relationship with the big game companies and console manufacturers in whose pockets they live. Hmm?

A Prayer for Cleansing

The Ouya raised 3.3 million dollars in two days, and that number is only getting bigger. You?ve got to wonder why that is. When you look at the gaming ecosystem as a whole, things aren?t so bad. Sites like GOG ensure the proliferation of classic titles that could be lost to the flow of time, and DRM free no less. Humble Indie Bundles distribute indie games at a dirt cheap price and with, again, no DRM. Steam has frequent sales and ethical policies that are pro-consumer. But when you look at the console, things start looking a lot darker. Enormous publishers include punitive and anti-consumer online passes that violate the spirit of First Sale Doctrine and hurt the gaming industry, muscling independent game stores out of business and ultimately stifling creativity and risk. Big companies make the barrier to entry for console gamers higher and higher with high prices and deliver games in pieces through DLC just to raise their profit margin, rather to cover any legitimate costs incurred by development. The Ouya serves as the anti-christ to exploitative and unethical gaming companies who lie to their consumers with impunity. These same gamers are the ones who have been supporting the industry before it was the enormous industry that it is today and yet because of the runaway success and cultural acceptability of AAA titles the very people who made this possible are exploited, some without even knowing it. The highest offense is when companies dupe gamers into believing development cost and server upkeep cost sob stories are justified and they defend the additional charges they are paying as justified when the facts just don?t add up! Ouya is about freedom and empowerment of consumer and developer. It?s about telling publishers to screw off, and we?re voting with our wallets. Maybe it can?t and won?t replace the AAA big budget Call of Duties and Maddens to which we?ve become accustomed, but at its worst it will be a haven for independent developers to let their creativity flourish and make the games we want to play at prices we want to pay. Ouya is here. What?s the worst that could happen?

Recently I was surprised to find a lost gem on Xbox Live Arcade. Out of nowhere like a shooting star, Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, one of my favorite 2D fighters from the PS2, arrived on XBLA this week. I was overjoyed, and it got me thinking about some of my more unrealistic dreams for XBLA games that I usually don't tantalize myself with.

Well today - I dare. In no particular order, here comes my top picks for Xbox Live Arcade (or PSN, for that matter!)

Odin Sphere

System of Origin: PS2

Why?: As one of the most gorgeous games of all time, Odin Sphere's hand drawn graphics scream to be re-rendered in high definition for all to see. Odin Sphere was a complex and engrossing side scrolling action RPG with a beautiful story. It played like a dream and was simply fantastic. Unfortunately, the game was plagued with slowdown, which hampered its appeal. A re-release could solve this problem and give this well deserving and under appreciated title new lease on life.

Likelihood?: Pretty much zero. The question has been asked and answered by Vanillaware. Though the game is well suited to XBLA in many ways, it also is a pretty enormous game which might pose a problem. I think it's safe to say that the only way to play this game is to snag a PS2 copy.

Jet Force Gemini

System of Origin: Nintendo 64

Why?: Jet Force Gemini was one of the most fun games on N64. It had massive guns and a good balance of collect-a-thon platforming and third person shooting. Gears of War, eat your heart out, because Juno was blasting nasty bugs in third person long before the Cog Soldiers got onto the battlefield. This cartoony romp is backed by tight gameplay. And since the N64 controller hasn't aged well, a new input device would do the game a lot of good. Also added online for the game's fantastic multiplayer? Sold!

Likelihood?: Uh, maybe? 30-40% chance? I mean, it's a Rare game, so why not? The game didn't establish itself in the minds of gamers like Banjo-Kazooie, but it is about time the franchise gets revisited. Rare surprised me with the re-release of Perfect Dark. However, the fact that it hasn't really been hinted at whatsoever doesn't bode well for it's release. I have some hope, but I'm not holding my breath.

Rival Schools

System of Origin: Playstation

Why?: A fun and frantic fighting game, Rival Schools was one of the earliest 3D fighting games in arcades. The Playstation port defines how console ports should be handled, adding an entire disk of meaningful supplementary features, while the first disk contained an almost arcade perfect port (with a few additions). The game was well loved by fans and spawned a sequel on Dreamcast (which never made it to the states, but is heavily downloaded by internet pirates). The game's characters even get their share of nods in more recent Capcom titles (Kyosuke was featured in Capcom vs. SNK 2, and Batsu in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom). A great way to lay down a foundation for a possible sequel, or just make an extra buck, would be re-releasing this game digitally. The graphics would definitely need some cleaning up as they haven't aged well, and hopefully the re-release would be of the superior Playstation version, but I would love to experience Rival Schools all over again.

Likelihood?: Once again I am going to say this is a possible release - but still unlikely. It's never been discussed and Capcom has plenty of other games they can re-release that would make them a lot more money.

Street Fighter III: Third Strike

System of Origin: Dreamcast

Why?: Hailed as the standard for competitive fighting games, this beautifully drawn and elegantly designed fighting game is perfectly balanced. It's easy to learn, yet difficult to master. I honestly think that more than any other game on this list, seeing this game in high definition has the potential to bring me to tears. An upgraded competitive online system like that of Street Fighter IV could reinvigorate the drive of fighting game players the world over to master an admittedly intimidating game.

Likelihood?: Almost zero. While the game is incredible, it was also very polarizing. It abandons all but four of the Street Fighter staple characters and uses a plethora of new mechanics that alienated a lot of long time players. Despite being balanced, nobody can agree on whether Third Strike or one of the many Street Fighter II iterations is the truly definitive Street Fighter experience. Although there are many Dreamcast re-releases on the horizon, Third Strike sold poorly, and this game would confuse and confound newly gained Street Fighter IV fans. Street Fighter III: HD Remix would be a dream come true, but chances are it will just remain a dream.

Phantom Crash/SLAI

System of Origin: Xbox/PS2

Why?: Phantom Crash and its spiritual successor SLAI are fast paced mech combat games that offer a wide range of customization and a cool cyberpunk aesthetic. The games were definitely under appreciated when they were released, and blow any competitors (coughArmoredCorecough) out of the water. Hell, even the graphics hold up pretty well. Just slap a high definition coat of paint on and you'd be good to go.

Likelihood?: Doubtful. The games were simply not popular. I am sure Genki has no reason to believe they'd do any better this time around.

Panzer Dragoon Saga

System of Origin: Sega Saturn

Why?: While I have never actually played this game, Panzer Dragoon Saga is hailed as one of the best RPGs ever made. Despite this, the game is extremely rare, and serves as one of the holy grails for game collectors anywhere. So why should Sega re-release this on XBLA? Because I want to play it, and so does everyone else. It's re-release seems like a no-brainer.

Likelihood?: Impossible. Despite the foolproof success of a re-release of this game, the Sega Saturn has some of the most unique infrastructure for a home console. That is why you rarely see its games re-released anywhere, and it's why you'll never see a re-release of Panzer Dragoon Saga. The only option is a full remake, and that certainly isn't going to happen.

Xenogears

System of Origin: Playstation

Why?: Now, this game wasn't hailed as the best RPG ever by many, but I can assure you that it is. Xenogears has an innovative combat system, beautiful graphics, and probably the best story in a video game ever. In high definition it would look incredible, and a new generation of gamers deserve to play this masterpiece. For any RPG fan, Xenogears is essential.

Likelihood?: Although I don't see any big hangups involved in releasing this game over XBLA, it's size is discouraging. Likewise precedent is equally so. How many full RPGs do you see getting the fond treatment of an upgraded re-release for XBLA or PSN? A straight port through the PSN's Playstation Originals service is much more likely. While I would be happy with that, this is a game that deserves to be lavishly upgraded.

Team Fortress 2

System of Origin: Xbox 360/PC

Why?: "Now wait a minute, here!" you might be thinking. "This game is already on 360!!!". Yeah, that's true. But it's time for Valve to re-negotiate their contract. An XBLA re-release of this game would serve as a great way to get the MASSIVE overhauls that have occurred in the PC space for TF2 that were denied to 360 players. The fact that it was done with Portal sets a precedent for this kind of thing. I wouldn't mind paying another 15 dollars to get the current version of TF2 on my 360. It could also reinvigorate the competitive play for the 360 version.

Likelihood?: Honestly, I doubt Valve has even thought of this. And everyone who wants to play the current version of TF2 is most likely already doing so on their PCs. While Portal WAS re-released with additional content, Portal is also a pop-culture phenomenon. TF2 is not. So you should probably download Steam.

Phantasy Star Online

System of Origin: Dreamcast

Why?: Because I want it. And I want it to be free-to-play. That's why.

Likelihood?: Absolutely zero. Won't happen. I mean, first of all, everybody but me hates this game. And if that isn't enough of a reason, incurring server cost for launching a free-to-play version of an dated critical and commercial failure would be downright stupid. This game will never be on XBLA, and I don't blame Sega.

GodHand

System of Origin: PS2

Why?: Released at the end of the Playstation 2's life cycle, GodHand is the beautiful swansong of the now defunct Clover studios. Though Clover alum have gone on to fame and fortune with Platinum games and Bayonetta (and enjoyed many past successes before their commercial dud, GodHand) GodHand represents a very similar development strategy to Bayonetta and is almost a more rewarding game. GodHand has the same outrageous story, over the top action, and harsh difficulty, but offers a great deal of depth in the way special moves can be upgraded and changed. Throughout the game, Gene's fighting **** changes a great deal.

Likelihood?: Unlikely, but as always, almost anything is possible. A GodHand re-release might be in poor taste, due to Capcom milking the hard work of employees that they fired, but I can't say that it wouldn't be a success. Bayonetta is popular, and using that popularity to catapult a GodHand re-release into the limelight would be a shrewd business move. It may have been met with a lukewarm response on PS2, but the system was on it's way out at the time. I think the current attitude of gamers would be very receptive to a game like GodHand.

While most of my picks are pretty unlikely, I didn't write this list to alert the public of forthcoming titles. These are games I think would be well suited to the XBLA service, and well deserving of another run through the public eye.

Video Games, Politics, and Why They Can't Seem To Get Along

If you are a politically active gamer, you probably know that gamers are the least politically active demographic. While there are semi-effective political groups out there that lobby on behalf of gamers, they really lack the punch of other lobbyist groups; because everyone knows that the gamers are not aware of anything going on politically with their entertainment medium of choice.

It is a really frustrating situation. We have so many significant political issues about video games being debated, such as digital ownership rights, the way video games are taxed, how games should be rated, who should be accountable for their content, and whether or not selling a M rated game to someone under 17 should be something for which a seller is criminally liable. These issues have the potential to change the face of gaming as we know it, more so than any technological advance or new piece of hardware, and yet politicians know that they don't have to come down on the side of gamers and advocate for their rights - because most gamers don't even know who their local representative is. There's no incentive and no constituency to defend.

But there are a million and one blog posts about why gamers should be politically active. And there are a lot of theories as to why they aren't. Well, here's another. Video games don't talk about politics. Ever.

Think about it. What games can you think of that contain a significant political parable to a hot button issue in our current political landscapes? Veiled critiques of organized religion and one-world government do not count, these things are left overs from cautionary sci-fi short stories from which many game narratives take a plethora of cues. Nor does the anti-Middle Eastern and anti-Russian propaganda of most recent modern war games. Movies, books, music, and television all discuss politics incredibly frequently. Why don't games?

For video games to discuss politics is of paramount importance. The reason movies, books, music, and television are taken seriously as artistic mediums despite being fit for mass consumption and mass entertainment is because they can do just that. Irrelevant and solely narrative focused representations of all those mediums exist, but that is ALL that exists of video games.

It's understandable why developers and publishers are afraid of presenting an argument for or against certain topics such as abortion, gay marriage, the war or terror, the war on drugs, or the war in the Middle East. I mean, look at Six Days in Fallujah. Video games are already the punching bag of the media, with major news outlets turning decade old games into this week's headline. Any game with content that remotely pushes the envelope comes under an incredibly high degree of media scrutiny. When a game tries to stimulate some political dialog and present a new way of looking at a political issue in a timely fashion, it is totally lambasted. But shouldn't that motivate developers all the more to set the bar higher for what a video game can say about our life and society?

Imagine a game that discussed the health care controversy in a way as concise and poignant as, say, John Q (a film definitely before its time). While the media would be in an absolute uproar, its message would get across load and clear. A political message presented in a game narrative has the potential to be so explosive that it reaches absolutely everyone. And it's an opportunity that's been shamefully passed up by developers and publishers with the money and resources to weather the media storm.

I am not a developer, and I don't have all the answers. I can't tell you an effective way to make a game narrative that facilitates a political dialog through effective allusion to a hot button issue and simultaneously facilitates fun or innovative gameplay. But we can find that answer. Someone needs to make the game that is going to define video games as more than a medium for children, as something that can create a mature exchange of ideas, and define our generation.

This is a plea to developers and publishers everywhere. Please, with your next big title, make us think! Give us a unique way of looking at a current event. We, as gamers, we NEED this. Despite the fact that most of us don't even realize it. If gamers were discussing the political implications of the latest game, that opens the door to debate and dialog about real political issues among gamers. And most importantly it opens the door to the most important issues of all - ours. Gamers, developers, publishers, take a stand on something. It's a gamble, but you won't regret it.

Seriously folks.

After reading the reactions to Mortal Kombat vs. DC I had to weigh in.

I know few of us will admit it, but Mortal Kombat sucks. It has always sucked. It's a gaming atrocity, a testament to the ignorance of it's fans. The game got by on gimmicks alone, blood and fatalities. Whether it's SNES era or Deadly Alliance era the games have been god awful. The combat systems have been poorly made. In the SNES era the system was poorly thought out and very clunky, and in DA era they were way too complex for their own good. There's no technical merit to these titles. There's no Mortal Kombat tournament scene, and that's because the game has no competitive potential, and even the easiest most pick-up and play fighters like the Smash Brothers games and Dead or Alive wind up having some sort of serious competitive scene go along with them (however misguided). It's seriously one of the most poorly maintained franchises in video game history and it's been bad from day one. Ed Boon realized that even if the people who bought his game didn't.

Which is why I commend him on his attempt to reboot the series (even though it didn't really help the last time). The removal of the gimmick of fatality and outrageous amounts of gore show true evolution that the series needs. Yes, I see the same concerns you do. The addition of DC characters and move to a T rating compromise the very roots of the series, and seem very transparently to be attempts to widen the fanbase and increase sales. But things like this would be genuinely alarming if the series didn't suck on every level. But it does. The roots you loved were withered and dry from the moment they appeared in the soil of gaming. So there's not really anything they can do to muck things up even worse.

It's true, granted, it's almost a departure from one gimmick to another. But the DC characters are going to be involved from the ground up. And even though it doesn't make much sense, we are enjoying a medium where more outrageous things happen every day. This isn't any less plausible than turtle shell shooting go-karts, psychic children that save the world single handedly, or anthropomorphic animals that can break the sound barriers.

I can't even imagine the mental process for people suggesting that Ed Boon is "selling out" considering the fact that Mortal Kombat was made to cash in on the popularity of asian culture and 2D fighters at the time of release. The games started out as little more than a joke, and to anyone with remotely discerning tastes in video games stayed that way. People who enjoy these games... I honestly wonder if you guys are playing the same game as me. Is there some secret Mortal Kombat where balanace, fluid combat, and interesting and well designed characters exist that I missed out on? Have I just been playing the distorted shadows of the real Mortal Kombats hiding somewhere in between this universe and the next? Do I need to make it to the garden of Eden to play the installment of this series that doesn't boarder on unplayable?

Seriously. Rejoice, MK fans. Your game has a chance of being taken a little bit more seriously than it was. All I know is that if I don't seen Green Lantern, there will be hell to pay. Deathstroke would be nice too.

1. Star Ocean: The Second Story (PS1)
2. Chrono Trigger (SNES)
3. Legend of Zelda: OOT (N64)
4. Gears of War (360)
5. Dead Rising (360)
6. Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (GC)
7. God Hand (PS2)
8. Resident Evil 4 (GC)
9. Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1)
10. NBA Streets (PS2)


I'll go into greater detail into the list at a later date, but yes I truly believe each of those games deserve a spot there.  I also hope NBA Streets Homecourt brings back what made NBA Streets so magical.

Why don't people review games anymore? Seriously, all the user reviews I end up looking at are just twice the size of the description. I know you guys can muster up more than five sentences! ):

You know, I loved Ocarina of Time. Didn't you? Didn't everybody? Didn't, for it's time, have the best graphics? Didn't it have the best puzzles? Wasn't it highly accessable? Wasn't there some innovative design choices? Didn't it have some mechanics from other games that were perfected?

If you answered no to any of those, then you're wrong. "But it's my opinion!" I don't care. Opinions can be wrong.

There's something wrong with gaming today. Now, what I just said may seem kind of harsh and discounts personal preference, but I am not saying you have to like OOT! NOBODY HAS TO LIKE IT! But you have to realize that when it was created, it was the best game for a while. It defined gaming, it shaped the future of gaming, it was an amazing and brilliant title. It had everything anybody needed to have fun. If you didn't have fun with it and disliked it, that's you. But just because you dislike it doesn't make it bad, because I doubt anybody could bring forward any huge legitimate complaints as to how OOT plays badly or was badly made.

I like Samurai Warriors 2. I have a ton of fun with it. I still realize it is a dreadful game. It's a sequel to a sequel to a sequel, but all those games might as well be the exact same game. The titles are nowhere near fresh or innovative. But to me, they are still fun. I'll play one or two Warriors games a year, and I will enjoy them a lot, and I will never pick them up again. It's still a horrible game. Just because I like it doesn't make it good.

The point I am trying to make here is, games you like and games that are good are not the same thing. You can dislike a good game and you can like a bad game. That is what personal preference does. You cannot, however, call a game bad because you dislike it with no legitimate points. That is a disturbing trend amoung gamers.

It seems like, now, nobody has the ability to look at a game objectively. Whether or not they like it decides the fate of the game. Each game has qualities that can be gauged and decide how good or bad the game is, and these are not up for debate. How good or bad a game is is not subjective. It is fact. Features exist in genres that are good or bad, and you can feel free to dislike them, but if they are genre staples, then they're good.

It's like when people reviewed Enchanted Arms (which I think is bad, by the way, but enjoyed to an extent) they bashed it simply because it was an turn based RPG. Not because it was a bad one. Which is stupid. It had turn based stratigic combat. That's what some JRPGs have. And just because you don't like that doesn't make it a bad mechanic. However, the stratigic combat was boring and the golems were stupid and stat calculation didn't make sense and there were a million other problems with the game, the biggest of which that it was just incredibly unoriginal.

If you dislike lettuce, and then eat a salad and call it a bad dish, you would be wrong. It's just because you don't like lettuce. The solution isn't to tell all your friends to stop eating salad, it is for you to stop eating salad and shut up.

Anyway, the biggest and most recognizable case of gamers confusing their opinion for a legitimate "good or bad" virdict of a game is with Gears of War. Oh, and let me count the ways. Now first, there are the people who just run around hating Gears of War. They say nothing as to why it is bad, and tell everybody who thinks it is good that they are wrong. Then there are the ones who love to compair it with Rainbow Six Vegas. Their opinions have a little more merit, because at least what they are saying makes sense to an extent and they're not hating Gears just to hate it. But they hate Gears because they hate lettuce, and they're eating the salad for the tomato. Rainbow Six Vegas is just one big tomato. Meaning... Rainbow Six is a tactical shooter, and they like tactical shooters, and dislike the arcade-y kind, which is what Gears of War is more like.

Now, I will explain why Gears of War is A GOOD GAME, if you guys missed the memo. First, it's not a tactical shooter, so you can stop compairing it to Rainbow Six Vegas.

Gears of War is innovative in that it has active reload. It's a great new feature, and it brings fast paced and exciting action to someplace nobody thought it could be, reloading.

Gears of War's story has a lot of potential, and the interactions between Alpha Squad can range anywhere between funny, incredibly cool, or even the occasional emotional exchange.

Gears of War has incredible graphics, however these are just the icing on the cake.

Every aspect of Gears of War is designed with care and feels like the developers knew and cared about what they were doing. It takes things from old games and does them better. It has great hit detection (why are people saying it doesn't?). It has great pacing. It's cinematic. It has consistant (and in my opinion, good looking) art design that actually puts you into the world. It has a campaign that is a lot of fun and puts you in a lot of diverse locations, the fact that it is short doesn't make it bad, it depends on whether you like short or long games. It's just a fact that's there to consider. Not to mention the brilliant co-op.

Also, it has multiplayer, with lots of different modes and impending downloadable content, so the replay value is infinite.

And I think the biggest thing that makes it a better game than R6V is that it is more accessable. Yes, essentially every design choice and mechanic in GoW is a LITTLE bit better than R6V, but it's the accessability that GoW has on R6V. On it's easiest difficult, Gears is easier than R6V and on insane, it's just as hard, if not harder.

Just because you dislike Gears of War doesn't mean it is a bad game. 

Just because you like Rainbow Six Vegas better than Gears of War doesn't mean it's a bad game.

Now I realise I have sort of gotten off topic with this Gears thing, but I just wanted to bring out a well known example of the disturbing inability for gamers to look at a game objectively, to really look at it's merits and examine the game, beyond whether they personally like it or not.

Good game =/= a game you like. Not all the time, anyway.

Thanks for reading.

I finished Kingdom Hearts 2. I completed the Journal 91%... but I decided to go ahead and just look up the secret ending online, and to be honest I wish I hadn't. The destruction of a good franchise is not something I like to see, but I think that's whats coming with Kingdom Hearts' next installment. I'm sad to see Sora and the gang go, but all their loose ends were tied up, except that note from the King...

Wonder if we'll ever know what it says.

Either way, the series as all gamers have known it has come to an end, and I'm sad to see it go.

I think I'll get around to reviewing it at some point.

It has 1 TB of memory.

ONE TB!!!!

Full specs...

• *BASE_PRICE: [+475]
• CAS: NZXT Nemesis Elite Aluminium Mid-Tower Case 420W W/Window, Temp.Display & Fan Control [+23] (BLACK COLOR)
• CASUPGRADE: 12" COLD CATHODE NEON LIGHT [+10] (BLUE COLOR)
• COUPON_PS: $15 Manufacturer Mail-In-Rebate when system is configurated with Aspire Power Supply
• CPU: (939-pin) AMD Athlon™64 X2 3800+ Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology [+154]
• CD: (Special Price) LG GWA-4161 16X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER [+9] (BLACK COLOR)
• CD2: NONE
• CABLE: None
• FLASHMEDIA: None
• FREEBIE_CU: FREE! AGE OF EMPIRE III
• FAN: AMD ATHLON64 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK
• FLOPPY: 1.44 MB FLOPPY DRIVE (BLACK COLOR)
• HDD: 1TB (500GBx2) SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16M Cache 7200RPM Hard Drive [+550]
• HDD2: NONE
• IEEE_CARD: NONE
• KEYBOARD: Logitech Deluxe 104 PS/2 Keyboard (Black Office Pro Keyboard)
• MOUSE: Logitech Optical Wheel Mouse (BLACK COLOR)
• MONITOR: 15" TFT XGA 1024x768 LCD Monitor (2TONE - BLK/SIL) [+155]
• MONITOR2: NONE
• MOTHERBOARD: (Sckt939)EVGA nForce4 SLI Chipset SATA RAID Dual PCI-E Mainboard w/GbLAN,USB2.0,&7.1Audio
• MEMORY: 2048 MB (1GBx2) PC3200 400MHz Dual Channel DDR MEMORY [+195] (Corsair Value Select)
• MODEM: NONE
• NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD
• OS: NONE - FORMAT HARD DRIVE ONLY
• PPU: NONE
• PRO_WIRING: None
• PRINTER: None
• PRINTER_CABLE: None
• POWERSUPPLY: Aspire SuperAlien 500 Watt See Through Power Supply w/ Fan Speed Control [+59] (BLACK COLOR)
• RAID: NONE
• RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
• SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS 24/7 LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
• SOUND: Creative Labs SB AUDIGY 4 SE [+42]
• SPEAKERS: NONE [-5]
• TEMP: NONE (AS SHOWN)
• TVRC: None
• USB: Build-in USB 2.0 Ports
• USBHD: NONE
• UPS: None
• VIDEOCAMERA: NONE
• VIDEO: NVIDIA Geforce 6200 Graphics with TurboCache supporting 256MB 16X PCI Express VIDEO CARD
• VIDEO2: NONE
• WNC: NONE
• WAP: NONE
• ZIP: NONE
• _PRICE: (+1667)
• _view_: detail

It's not really supposed to be a gaming PC, since I'm not really a big PC gamer, but I suppose if I updated the graphics card it would work well. But, I am also no computer expert, so in the long run building this thing was probably kind of dumb with my limited knowledge... BUT OH WELL! Yeah, I just plan to listen to lots and lots of music, and watch Bleach on it. It'll do fine.

Well, today, I sold all my 360 games with the exception of Condemned, Oblivion, PDZ, and DOA 4. And I picked up...

Table Tennis
SLAI
Monster Hunter
Rez
Kingdom Hearts 2
Suikoden V
Indigo Prophecy
Devil Kings
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks
Front Mission 4
God of War
Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition
The New Super Mario Bros.


I think I'm set for the summer.