Okay, I tend to consider myself a lover of all videogames in most respects but one thing I just can't stomach is the fact that many people buy sports games every single year. They just HAVE to have the latest version of Madden or Fifa because it must be better then the previous game in some way, right? Well, frankly, no. That is not the case. This year's Madden '06 will be hitting the dusty pile of sports games at your local pawn shop in 8 months or less. Sports games can always be found on the "Pre-owned" shelf at every EB or Gamestop simply because people rush out to buy the new version, trading in (or trying to trade in) last years game. Now, EB and Gamestop know this. That is why on every special offer they have concerning trading in a certain number of titles to receive a free game there is ALWAYS fine-print declaring "No Sports games". I"m serious, check your fliers next time.

Now, why do people do this? I still have the 2002 editions of Madden and Fifa and that suits me fine. Do updated rosters really deserve fifty dollars of your money? How about a clunky new game mechanic (yes, Madden '06's passing cone, I'm talking about you) or some slightly tweaked franchise mode? Now, Sega sports had the right idea with their 2K5 games. They marketed them at a 20-30 dollar price which is really what sports games need. At that price I may consider getting the next year's version and it won't be nearly as costly. And the thing is they didn't cut quality to hit those low-prices. NHL 2K5 is probably the best hockey game I've played in years and NFL 2K5 outscored the new Madden game on many sites, including Gamespot. Methinks thats why EA thought it wise to effectively eliminate Sega Sports, they just couldn't compete. Basically what I'm trying to say is, don't let EA do this to you! Enjoy the games you have now, they are likely comparable to the new product in practically every way. Perhaps buy every second year or third, you save money and you allow some time for the developers to come up with something truly worthwhile.

I just found out today that Majesco is furthering the recent trend of digging up classic movies and making them into games by making a game based on Martin Scorsese's 1976 film Taxi Driver. Now I know many other film franchises are being turned into games but those films all have some features that could actually apply to videogames. The Godfather and Scarface are both focussed on organized crime which translates fairly well to 3rd Person action games. Taxi Driver, on the other hand, isn't a film about gangsters or drug trafficking, its a story of a man's descent into madness due to his first-hand look at the ugly side of New York City. It is a dark, serious look at a cab driver named Travis Bickle and how his experiences turn him into a vigilante of sorts, battling against crime while seriously breaking the law himself. This was NEVER meant to become a mindless action game. The story is supposed to end and leave you thinking about what you just saw. It was never meant to have a videogame couterpart. I highly doubt Martin Scorsese approved of this game and I definitely think Majesco has gone way to far with this decision. What's next? Casablanca the Game where you battle evil Nazis as Humphrey Bogart? Seriously, stop ruining classic films!!!

I know many great games were made in Canada but how many actually feature Canadians? Well, one does...Eternal Darkness. One of the many protagonists in this superb "Survial horror" game from Silicon Knights is a Canadian firefighter named Michael. I was really quite surprised and pleased to see a Canadian featured in a game and the fact that he packs some of the coolest weapons in the entire game was pretty cool (despite our strict gun laws). I'd like to congratulate Silicon Knights on making an excellent game and for showing the gamers of the world that Canadians can be cool too.

Yesterday, Thursday, was definitely a great time for me on Gamespot. First, I got another question answered "On the Spot" and it sparked some interesting conversation about Sega. My question concerned the new Shadow the Hedgehog game and I was pleased to see it answered on the air. The second surprise happened shortly after that. I noticed there was a new "Let's Gamespot" so I decided to watch it. During the show Jeff said that they were out of T-shirts to give away and the trivia Robot was now in charge of DLX. This annoyed me because I always enjoy answering the trivia and a free shirt is always cool, especially a Gamespot shirt. Well, one of the three winners of the last giveaway in awhile (or ever) was yours truly. What a glorious day.

Should have mentioned this when it happened but I've been pretty busy (Resident Evil 4). My question was on the latest episode of On the Spot! I was extremely happy when Ryan MacDonald read my question right at the end of the show. It was about Mark Ecko's: Contents Under Pressure and it was answered by Ricardo Torres! That alone made it worth the cost of subscription to Gamespot Complete!

Well, I was out shopping for Resident Evil 4 when what should I see but "The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap" sitting on the shelf. I had heard it was good and was planning to get it after the price went down a bit. Then I noticed the price they had posted, $20. 20 Canadian bucks. "No way!" I said to myself, "this has to be a mistake. I grabbed a copy and went to get it scanned to make sure someone didn't just mess up the label on the shelf. The guy scans it and it is ,in fact, $20. As soon as I heard that I grabbed another copy. He scans this one too and it is also 20 bucks. So I bought two copies of the game for the price of one and its all thanks to some weird mix-up. Woohoo, an unexpected surprise! Then I proceeded to go to Best Buy and buy what I was planning to get in the first place, Resident Evil 4.

Started the game on Adults mode when I got it and I just beat it. Great game, congratulations go to Capcom for improving upon an already awesome game. Silvia doesn't really factor into the game as much as she could have but it doesn't really matter, still great fun. I also really enjoyed thestory in this one. Great ending and a funny yet compelling plot. No Metal Gear Solid, but still entertaining enough. Now that I've gotten a few games out of the way I can finally buy Resident Evil 4!