Well, a momentous event occurred today... I finished packing! Yes, everything I own is now in boxes and has either been put in storage, or has been moved to where I live now.
So begins the process of UN-packing. Yay... :)
(See? I can do short Journal Entries. :P)
Just got home a few minutes back, so I thought I should bash out a quick message to you all out there in Gamespot Land. By now, I think you all (should) have celebrated New Year's Eve, and I hope you had a good one. :)
Personally, I went to one of those formal dinner things - y'know the ones with entertainment, good food, plenty of alcohol, those sorts of parties - with Anna, my sister, her husband, and some of their friends. We all got dressed up and had a great time.
Just about to dash out the door again to catch up with some of Anna's friends for dinner tonight, so I'll have to run away again in a second. In the meantime though, I would like to wish you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR, and shower you with kisses, hugs, and hearty handshakes (take your pick... ;)) for that whole passing midnight thing.
I wish you all the best in the New Year, and look forward to spending some more time with you all here at Gamespot. Now all I gotta do is make it through the next week, and then I'll be a whole year older again! :)
Even while you celebrate, don't forget to:
GAME ON! :D
Good morning, everyone! For me (over here in Australia), Christmas is now over and we've hit Boxing Day. For some of you (I suspect), Christmas is still going - so I would like to (again) wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Hope you're enjoying your days and not eating TOO much... :)
In my last post, I mentioned how I had managed to score myself some very Zombie presents. Well, that trend has continued it appears - it has become a very Zombie Christmas in the Brandon / Forrest household. Now, not only can I play Zombies!!! the Board Game if I choose, but my sister managed to surprise me yesterday with a kewl lil' Game for the X-Box called Stubbs the Zombie - Rebel without a Pulse.
Now, I haven't managed to play it very much (given I haven't been home much these past couple of days), but what I've seen looks kinda fun. Running around and eating people's brains and turning them into Zombies is kinda kewl. OK sure, I can't roll my head around yet - like the manual says I can eventually do - but I'm looking to enjoy doing that as I eat my way through the Game's various levels. Good fun all around. *grin*
The other Game I ended up with this Christmas is a kewl lil' RPG called Dragon Quest - Journey of the Cursed King. Mum had no idea what to get me for Christmas, so as per usual I wrote up a list of stuff I wouldn't mind getting hold of, and this one was on the list. Michelle raved about this one when she played through it, and it looks kinda kewl - so I figured I'd give it a go. Haven't managed to play it at all yet, but I'm looking forward to trying it out. The only problem is that the case is kinda broken, so I'm gonna have to return it to my local Game store and get one with a not broken case. Annoying, but ultimately not that big a deal.
Also managed to spend the day with my immediate family, and enjoy an amazing meal - cooked by my brother-in-law - of Turkey and Ham (both tasting quite nice, I might add). Very relaxing day overall, and everyone enjoyed themselves. My parents were given a BBQ by my sister and Anna and I are hooking them up to Broadband, so they're quite happy too.
How did all your Christmas Days go? Did you get what you were hoping for? Did you get a chance to spend it with your family and loved ones? Feel free to share your stories too - I'm always happy to hear about other people's fun days... :)
In the meantime, don't forget to:
GAME ON! :D
Well, good evening ladies and gentlemen of the World of Gamespot. (A much kewler place to hang out that it's Warcraft equivalent - fewer Plague Bearers too... :)) I hope this message finds you in good spirits and good health.
Just gotten back from spending an early Christmas with my future parents-in-law, and just relaxing before heading out to midnight mass. We've spent the last two days up in Jamestown visiting Anna's folks - given that they are three hours away, we figured we'd go up and visit them before Christmas Day, so we could spend the actual day with my family, and not have to rush around so much...
Now we're being domestic around the place a bit, tidying up and preparing for Christmas Day itself. Later tonight we're gonna head out to Church for midnight mass with my Mum, and then off to get some well-earned sleep. Spending Christmas Day with my Sister and her hubby, so that should be nice and relaxing, I hope. :)
Actually managed to score a couple of presents early, which was nice. Mr and Mrs Forrest got me a kewl Alien figure made out of nuts and bolts, although they think it has something to do with Star Wars - something I'm not gonna correct them on, as it's a kewl gift. Anna got me some kewl covers for my Wiimotes, and an add-on for an awesome board game called Zombies!!!
Just quickly, if you've never played Zombies!!!, then you have to check it out. Just imagine every Zombie movie you've ever seen, or Game in the same genre - that's basically what Zombies!!! is about. I've noticed references to Dawn of the Dead, Evil Dead, Dead Rising and Resident Evil - just to name a few titles in that genre. Give it a go sometime - I'm sure you'll love it. :D
NEhow, I just wanted to pop on and make some noise at you all before I head off for the evening. So (even though I'm a lil' early), I would like to wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS, and I hope you spend it with people you love, and relax as much as possible. ('Coz that's what I'm planning on doing. *grin*) I'll CYA all again in the near future, so take care, K?
In the meantime (and particularly at this time of year...) don't forget to:
GAME ON! :D
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Land of Gamespot - I've had enough. It's been a while coming, but I've finally decided to stand my ground and face the onslaught head-on. I don't know whether I will survive the challenge I face, but I'm willing to at the very least try and make it through the End Times...
Yes, I''m talking about actually finishing a Game. :D
(No, don't gasp - I really mean it!)
As many of you are aware, I own quite a few Games, and I never seem to have enough time to finish any of them - mainly because I tend to wander from one Game to another as the fancy takes me. This means I tend to get bits done in many Games, but very rarely complete one. (It's also why I am a life member of Geeceepass)
So I need your help at this time. I need to decide upon a Game to complete. But first I need to decide on which Console the Game should be played. (This is where you guys come into it) I'd like to call for a vote from all of you as to which Console I should complete a Game on first.
Your choices are:
(Now I don't actually own a GBA or a PSOne, but I have Games for both systems, so I'll include them in the vote)
What I need from you is an idea as to which Console I should start with. Most amount of votes will win. I'll leave the vote open for a few days, just to give you a chance to think about it, K?
Let's see what you all think, eh?
In the meantime, make sure you all continue to:
GAME ON! :D
I was looking through my Games list a day or two back, and I tried looking at it a lil' different. What I had noticed was that I could sort the list by various topics, and one that caught my eye was the Genre heading. So after clicking on it, my list was reorganised somewhat. What I saw was quite interesting, as I was just not aware as to how many different Genres of Games I own...
For example, I own at least one Game in each of the following Genres:
That list is kinda scary, as I had NO idea that there were so many (and varied) versions of the same Genre. I look at a FPS and didn't consider that the time period it was set in would make a difference - but it does.
So do any of you out there own Games from different Genres from the ones I've listed? If so, what's the Genre and what Game is it? I'm interested to know what else is out there...
In the meantime, make sure you all...
GAME ON! :D
Evening all, hope you're doing well. Just a short one (for me, NEhow) for you tonight, while I'm recovering from a rough day at work.
It has come to my attention that Gaming - while it has brought joy to people all around the world - has also created a whole new sort of problem for our medical people to deal with... I refer to the Gaming Injury.
In recent times, I have seen (firsthand, I might add) two good examples of this one. Let me explain the stories of these poor unfortunates:
Injury 1 - Guitar Hero Back
A friend of mine (who shall remain nameless for her sake) recently had to go see a chiropractor to sort out a problem she was having. It appears that she had some serious lower back pain that was causing her some grief in moving around and playing with her children.
After a consultation and some questioning, it became apparent that her problem stemmed from a marathon session of Guitar Hero, during which time she had played many a song. Her posture during this time was allegedly not great, and she was quite tensely holding the guitar controller. Both of these things contributed to her back problem.
So now she needs to take more regular breaks, otherwise she will need a return trip to fix her Guitar Hero Back...
Injury 2 - Wii Arm
Even more recently, I was witness to another form of Gaming injury. This one, again suffered by a nameless lady (whom I live with...) was due to an excess of playing a certain Game.
After the release of the Wii, I had taken the Console across to a friend's place (said friend had suffered Injury 1, actually *grin*) and we were playing a bit of Wii Sports. Several of sports Games there involve quite a bit of activity (Boxing and Baseball are two good examples), and given that the Wiimote is motion senstivie, a fair degree of movement on the part of the player.
So after a particularly vigorous session of Baseball (in which a 185 metre home run was hit), our poor Gamer suffered her injury. This one involved some muscle soreness in the arms and shoulders which persisted for several days. Said lady now needs to be careful when playing on the Wii, so that she doesn't need to see a Doctor.
So heed my warning, ladies and gentlemen. Gaming is fun, but you need to make sure you Game safely. Injuries are not fun at the best of times, but getting them while you Game is just not on, K?
(Actually, do any of you out there have any other examples of Gaming-related injuries with which you've had experience?)
So while I make sure Anna doesn't hurt herself any more, make sure the rest of you continue to:
GAME ON! :D
You ever have one of those days where it seems the day is just never gonna end? Where time seems to slow, and things just seem to drag? Well, I've had a time like that here at Gamespot. Actually, I've had seven MONTHS like that (almost to the day in fact), but who's counting?
Some of you would know fairly well about the infamous "Level 20 Glitch". Y'know, the one where you only advance one or two percentage points each day, regardless of how much you do here at Gamespot? Well, I've been suffering through the evils of Metal Slime now since May the 11th this year, and the end just has not been in sight for oh so long...
Truth be told, I haven't been as active this year as I have been in times past, which definitely has contributed to the slowness of my advancement. But even so... Seven Months? That's just crazy talk.
So it is with great joy that I announce that the magical time of Level Advancement has come upon me once again. I've been rescued from the slime and you may all now refer to me as WerePaladin, the...
Rescue Ranger
Sounds a bit better than the last title, doesn't it? :)
NEhow, just thought I would jump in and let you know about this special occasion. Now I can go off and add in all those Games I've bought over the last couple of months that I've been hanging off on entering - due to the fact that they would do very little to advance my level. So for those of you who check in on my Gaming habits from time to time, you'll notice my list jump by ten or fifteen Games all at once. No, I haven't won the lottery - just catching up on stuff, K?
While I go off and do that, the rest of you should make sure that you continue to...
GAME ON! :)
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of the Land of Gamespot. I hope this warm night finds you well. :)
I figured I should sit down and try and answer some of the questions I've been asked about the Wii in recent times, just to help some of you with your life-altering decisions about obtaining yourself Nintendo's new Console. I had a couple of queries myself when I was considering it (briefly), before I decided to go ahead and join the Revolution... I mean Wii. *grin*
Firstly, this one is gonna be quite long, I suspect - so bear with me. So here's a few general points:
1) Is the Wii backwards compatible with Gamecube titles?
Yes, but with some restrictions. Any Gamecube title I've played on the Wii has worked just fine, but if you wish to save your progress to a memory card, you'll need a Gamecube card to do so. So far (in my experience), the Wii memory seems to be reserved for Wii savegames.
Also, to play a Gamecube title requires a Gamecube controller. Having said that, the Waverbird seems to work just fine - no conflicts with the Wii wireless controllers - so you have the option of wired or wireless Gaming.
2) Just what do you get in the Wii Play pack?
Well (in Australia at least), the Wii Play pack comes with a Wii remote (Wiimote? Is that the right term?), and a copy of the Wii Play Game. Wii Play is a simple set of mini-games that teach you the various techniques involved in using the Wiimote. Most of them are quite fun, but tend to involve a single technique (pointing the Wiimote, twisting the Wiimote, and so on...)
Please note, in the PAL Wii Play pack, there is no nunchuk controller - this must be purchased separately. Annoying, but not the end of the world.
3) Can the Wii be used online?
Sorta. :)
The Wii has an inbuilt wireless adapter - which is kinda nice given I have a wireless network set up at home - which enables you to connect to WiiConnect24. This seems to be Nintendo's version of X-Box Live, but it is still in it's early stages.
Almost immediately after connecting, I downloaded several updates for the Console, and I suspect I will be downloading more over the coming weeks and months. Much like the X-Box 360 has regular updates sent across X-Box Live, the Wii firmware will be updated on a semi-regular basis.
At this stage, I have no online Games for the Wii, so I am unsure as to whether multiplayer online Games will be supported. I suspect that the answer to that one will be a big Yes, but I don't know how and when that will happen. (Twilight Princess doesn't seem to have a big online multiplayer mode, so I'm gonna have to wait a while until some other big titles come out to confirm this one...)
4) What the heck are these "Channel" things?
The Wii startup screen has a whole bunch of "Channels" you can select using the Wiimote. These channels (currently) include:
Now at this stage, the News and Forecast channels have no content associated with them in Australia. The Disc Channel is basically the Game launch area, where you can launch a given 'Cube or Wii title. The Mii Channel (more on this one later) is where you can create your Mii's to run around and play with on the Console. The Photo Channel is where you view and edit photos from an SD card - either from a mobile phone or camera.
The Wii Shop Channel is the X-Box Live Arcade for the Wii. Here is where you can purchase (and spend) your Wii Points, and get hold of some classic Nintendo Games (and also some from other Consoles). At this stage, I have not downloaded any Games, although I have my eye on a couple - so I'll have to get back to you on what they're like. The Classic Controller I purchased with my Wii - which I believed (incorrectly) would substitute for my 'Cube controllers - is all set and ready to be used with these classic titles.
The Wii startup screen has four pages worth of Channels, and each page seems to hold more than ten Channels each. So obviously Nintendo intends to release further Channels in the future. More on this one when I find out what they are...
5) What's a Mii?
A Mii is a lil' avatar you can create for yourself on the Wii Console. It is possible to create as many Mii's as you like, and you can tweak their appearance to suit your own personal desires. They can be tall, short, skinny, fat, have funny eyes, a moustache, kewl glasses - whatever you like. In Wii Play and Wii Sports, the Mii is used to play the Game - for example, when you play Baseball, your Mii is the character holding the bat.
Mii's are kinda kewl, because they can "Mingle" with other Wii Consoles. When two Wii owners play a Game together, it is possible your Mii will go and visit their Console and hang out in the Mii Plaza with that owner's Mii's. You can also store up to ten Mii's on a given Wiimote, so you can take them around to a friend's place and let them invade his / her Wii while you play Games together.
Personally, I've found it kinda kewl that my friends and I have all been able to create a Mii each, so that when we play the multiplayer Games, we can recognise who is who quite easily. Each Mii tends to keep track of your various settings (such as your left or right handedness) for a given Game as well, which is nice.
6) Does the Wii have Achievements like the X-Box 360?
Again, sorta. So far, the minigames I have been playing have been allocating Medals for various achievements. Hitting a certain number of home runs, or returning a certain number of balls tends to earn you Medals - bragging rights amongst your mates.
The Wii Message Board also tends to keep track of these achievements, and other moments of note. Whenever you use a new Mii for a Game, it records it in your Messages. It also lets you know when you earn a Medal, and what activities you've been up to on a given day. (My fiance seems to think she'll use this to keep tabs on how much I play on the Wii... :))
It's still early days, but I suspect I will be able to send messages via WiiConnect24 to other Wii owners and keep in touch that way should I so choose. (Just gotta find some other Wii owners out there - would any of you like to be a Wii Friend? *grin*)
That'll do for tonight. I'm sure there will be more I think of in times to come, so check back for more updates on my experiences with the Wii, K?
And if any of you have any further questions - feel free to ask. I may not know all the answers, but I'll be happy to find out if I can. As time goes on and WiiConnect24 develops somewhat, and as more titles comes out, I'm sure my experiences with the Wii will grow, and I will enjoy it even more than I do now.
(I mean, you gotta love the controller. A wireless controller which is motion sensitive AND has a nunchuk style attachment which is also motion sensitive? How kewl is THAT? You gotta try hitting the punching bag for a bit in Wii Sports with both controllers and see if you build up a sweat like I did... *grin*)
NEhow, I should go and get some sleep. Busy day shopping and packing again tomorrow. (And hopefully I'll make it out of Level 20 and into some new territory finally). You take care of yaselves out there people, and don't forget to...
GAME ON! :D
Well, guess what? I've got my Wii and I'm quite excited about it! :)
Managed to pick it up at the midnight release at my local Game Store (dragged along Anna to guard me should someone wanna mug me for my Console), and managed to set it up and play the thing later that day. Had one or two technical issues - couldn't figure out why the cordless controllers weren't working, and then I checked the back of the Console, and realised I hadn't plugged in the Sensor Bar... Oooooops! :D
Since then, we've played a bit of Tennis, done some Bowling (I managed to knock down 91 pins in one bowl - how good is THAT?), and play a decent session of Legend of Zelda - Twilight Princess. Even managed to try out some of my old 'Cube Games on it, with varying degrees of success.
I've actually discovered a few things, which may benefit some of you out there. Firstly, the "Classic Controller" you can purchase seems to be only useful for the downloadable Games from the Wii Shopping Channel. It doesn't seem to replace the old 'Cube controller, as I discovered when trying to play Metroid Prime. When I plugged in my Waverbird to the top ports on the Wii, I also discovered that it works just fine - another cordless controller to add to the collection then. Thirdly, I discovered that to use my old 'Cube memory card was fine, but that I couldn't transfer the data off the card and onto the Wii Console - kind of a bummer.
Now let's not forget I'm handing over my 'Cube to a mate of mine, so it means I'll need to get hold of a new memory card and another Wavebird if I wanna play any of my old 'Cube Games. Annoying, but not the end of the world. It was like discovering that the Wii Play pack (y'know the one with the extra controller and Wii Play Game) doesn't actually come with an extra nunchuk controller - you have to purchase that separately. Also annoying, as all of these involve spending more money to make the Console all bright, shiny and perfectly running...
On the good news front, my Wireless Network is working fine with the Wii. The Console has its own built in wireless adapter, so I don't have to worry about my Netgear Adapter being on the fritz right now. No cords running across the lounge room, thank you very much! So I'm pretty happy there - now all I gotta do is buy myself some Wii Points and start downloading some old school Games... Fun, fun fun! :)
NEhow, I'm on a break from work - got another course this afternoon - so I better get back to sorting out stuff here at home before I run away again. Hope you're all doing well out there in Gamespot Land, people.
(Oh, and don't forget to...
GAME ON! :))
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