Halo 2 is now simply a multiplayer game for me, I have completed the single player twice and I have little to no interest in doing it again, I am enjoying the online play, I am also enjoying the multiplayer I am getting just around the TV with friends.

GTA: SA sits in my PS2 begging for attention, a game that I have gone back to but just feel tired of after the hours of my life it has already taken, I am sure I will come back to it but overall right now BLAH

Metroid Prime 2: Still in my opinion the best of the bunch but I am slowing, my brain hurts from having to run all over the place the storyline is great and all but all this damn walking back and forth is making me crazy.

Half Life 2: Maybe I need it on X-Box, because as good as it is, I can't get into games for PC anymore.

I found myself playing Soul Caliber 2 last night , on the last night of November....

I think that truly says something about gaming today

-Z

Its the day after,
The calm after the storm

All of the "Super Games" are out and spread over my coffee table like coasters

And call me crazy but I think I like Metroid Prime best,
The Storyline has kept me into it, this whole light side/darkside angle has turned out to be an interesting and unique aspect of the game that I just did not expect, and as much of a pain in the butt as it has been it has made for one hell of a game to this point. Anyone who is calling this game a re-hash or more of the same just hasn't played it, but I guess in all fairness it never has stopped the fanboys in the past.

GTA:SA is a good distraction after work for a few minutes its a great game where I can play and finish a mission then have dinner, but I just can't sit their and play it for hours on end

Halo 2 is a great multiplayer enviroment, and Half life 2 seems great but I will be the first to admit I am not a PC gamer, even when I had my PC hooked to my TV, I will play it more when its out for X-Box

-Z

*Yawn*
I think these midnight openings to get new titles will be the death of me,
I think I have played enough of Metroid Prime 2 and Half life 2 to weigh in on the "Super Games" of November

Metroid Prime 2: Its pretty well Metroid Prime, but I loved Metroid Prime so the new storyline, and one that seems to be a touch more drawing then other Metroid Titles makes it work, So far I can't agree with a 9.1 its very low, The Graphics are first rate and the smoothness of the gameplay is better then the first one I find, I am falling off narrow cliffs less and less. I love Paper Mario 2 but I find it very hard to see how GS could have rated Paper Mario Higher then this?

Half Life: The Hermits were bang on, this game is BREATHTAKING, the detail that went into the game is just stunning, there are points were you just have to stop and look at the detail that was put into almost every aspect of every level of this game, and then at about six this morning with two hours before I had to leave for work, I realized this is a 9.2? Well what gets a 9.8 in PC land if this doesn't

Halo 2: LOve the Live, its a pain in the butt yeah, But I have a HUGE Friends list so it works out.

GTA: SA: Great game but in hind sight how is it the highest ranked of the above games?

-Z

I just finished reading an article that made me shake my head,

Well more so then normal.

This Lemming Vs. Sheep Vs. Cow Vs. Hermit thing is really starting to reach new lows,
Or maybe they have always been this low but being newer to Gamespot it seems like a new low,

I don't care about console sales,
I couldn't care how much money Sony, or Microsoft or Nintendo are making

All I care about is the product in my home,

I am amazed that all these kids are debating fiscal data when most of them couldn't even explain to me what it means? I will tell you one thing though these kids may have great futures as Economists because they all seem to take the same piece of sales data and give nine different explainations for what it means.

And it still floors me how old the average gamer is nowadays? Its making me feel old?

So I think I will vent on the reality of the "System Wars" on my own corner of the world here on my Journal for the two that read it.

PC: I can't say anything positive or negitive about PC, its been around for the average person since I was in elementry school, so the titles are endless and it and my Sega Master System first introduced me to the world of gaming.

I think Hermits make alot of sense, Best Graphics, Most games etc,

But I can't play games on my PC, If I can chatting on MSN or ICQ and I can play Civ or AOE or something to that extent while I am doing other things thats great but even when I wired my PC into my home TV, I wasn't inticed to play it more. Its just not my cup of tea, and Ironically enough I have a New PC but I don't really do anything short of using it to chat, work or download Camcorder or Camera pix and video into

Gamecube: Don't care about sales, Don't care about hardware, Don't care about how people feel Nintendo has lost its edge. I have almost every system that has been created and I will stand by the fact that a system (like PSone) that produces games upon games doesn't make it a better console. Games like Metroid have kept me more occupied then DMC, MGS and Killzone combined. There are more games on Gamecube that I can pop in when I have friends over then anyother console I own, Some of my favorite titles are for Gamecube. Say what you will but there are few games on the lanscape that are better then: Metroid Prime, Eternal Darkness and Zelda WW

X-Box: Lemmings can go on about graphics and hardware but it doesn't matter, most game designers don't use the full force of a consoles power in its lifetime, But the processing power is what has always sold me on X-Box. I find it laughable at the "Cows" that will ask how many AAA exclusives does X-Box have?

I think that may be the dumbest logic I have heard, If an AAA title comes out on three platforms which is a multisystem owner going to buy? I always buy my sports games on X-Box and the reason I do this is because for two years I had no choice and bought it for Ps2 and the first X-Box sports game I bought the loading was faster, the gameplay was smoother and the HD option made it that much more appealing. For the sake of research I bought Soul Caliber on all three platforms, and Gamecube's first was great, because I think Link made more sense then Spawn, but the X-Box version was also awesome, the PS2 version was lackluster? If you only own a PS2 then sure its great that you can play it but if you have two or more why would you want to?

PS2: Times to face that facts,
Why did I buy a PS2, Two reasons:
It was new and it was my only option at the time
For the first year it was a bus wreck there was some games that were pretty good but I think most gamers will agree it was a graveyard of bad titles. I will always buy new consoles regardless of who makes them, but as an average consumer if I was faced with a choice why would I buy it? X-Box acts as a DVD player and an MP3 Jukebox has the better versions of most multiplatform titles you don't have to go out and buy memory cards or network adapters and there is no need for a multitap on the off chance you may have more then one friend. With GTA: SA coming out for PC and X-Box what is the point? Most of the AAA titles that every Cow has in their signiture are games that I have no doubt most of them have never played and list them just because they happened to score a 9.0? I own most of the AAA games in this enviroment and I will tell you that if my PS2 died tomorrow I would not rush out to buy a new one,

I have owned all the new gen consoles since about three weeks after each of their launches and I just can't see where this blind loyalty comes from?

I miss the days of Saturn and SNES

-Z

Since moving into to new Condo, it seems everything that was cutting edge and "cool" has found its way into my bedroom or one of the guest bedrooms and everything else is being slowly replaced by my lust for Bombay Company and Pottery Barn, But this time I took it to the next level and upgraded the whole Home Theater,

Yeah it was a spur of the moment sort of thing, and after hauling the old 36" up the stairs to my bedroom along with all the other crap I had wished I had put more thought into my choices but after it was done and I was ready to go pick out my new system I was ready to roll.

To make a long story short my shopping list included:
-42" Panasonic TH42PX20
-Harman Kardon DVD22 PS DVD Player (Yes They do make DVD players I was just as stunned)
- A Rogers HD PVR DIgital Cable Box
- Bose 701 (R) For thr Front and Sides
- And something Bose for the Rears and Center (Yeah I can't remeber)
- Velodyne Sub

I kept my Harman Kardon AVR 330 reciever because its only a few months old and I am quite happy with the sound,

But the issue I have and I think a few others may run into this as well is that I can't have an S-Video AND A Comp cable connected at the same time on Video 2 ?

Now this is somewhat of a pissoff?
Yeah I know, why would you ever uses S-Video? Well my Laser Disc player only has RCA's and S-Video
So that is a HUGE piss off, so of course one of my friends who drew the shortest straw and offered to help me set this up asked me how often I watch laser discs, I wanted to throw him off the terrace, its not about how much I watch it its about being able to when I want to ! so I caved and hooked it through RCA, now the real issue is that I have a TON of RCA devices and of course I needed to get a new RCA Selector Box, this one has a remote which I think is just awesome.

So finally its hooked up , the cables are hidden away, everything is pushed into place I plop down onto my sofa and on it goes and guess what....

NOTHING.

No Snow, No Blue Screen, Nothing a Black Screen.

I kid you not, two hours of checking and re-checking ,

I unplug and re-plug the Comp cables going to the selector, and power down and re-power the PVR and all of a sudden Boom !

Now is it just me or is spending six hours hooking up a TV and Sound System a bit nuts?

Anyway I am all whined and cried out

-Z

I was stunned to find that someone out there seems to read my journal, which makes writting a touch more rewarding and a bit less like talking to my invisable friend online,

I have to agree 100% that Halo 2 and GTA: SA SHOULD NOT be compared but sadly they are.

And if at gun point I was FORCED to pick on I would pick Halo 2, because I just like games that I can play with friends,

But the points about GTA , in regards to the many of the neat new aspects,
Like eatting and gathering a gang and getting fat, and dressing !

Hey that is awesome,

I think ripping off Casino's is really cool, and I think they RPG aspects of building up skills, is ultra great,

But the game remains similar,
CJ gets in car, CJ chases down guy ,
I have to admit they have mixed up some of the missons, I enjoy the home invasions and I like that they added a degree of "Stealth" to the game,

But for me a Re-Hash is:

Mario Party 4 - Mario Party 5
GREAT new minigames, different things to do, different boards, VERY different skill set required for those new games,

What I consider a move forward and away from a re-hash
GTA 2 - GTA 3,
An overhaul a great game taken to the next level.

As much as I LOVE playing GTA:SA and the sheer size of the map blows my mind, it is just Vice City with a few cooler aspects blended in, but its nothing earth shatteringly new to me,

KOTOR was earth shattering for me, That sort of set-up with Star Wars characters I loved it
Disgrata blew my mind because it took tactical RPG's to a new level (all be it a MUCH more complicated one)
Gladius, Stat with a halfway good storyline????

For me all brought something new to the scene, GTA and Halo 2 didn't do it for me, they didn't blow me away,

Thats why to me they are Re-rash

My leanings towards Halo 2 are as follows,
I love the fact that a game with such massive maps supports 16 player online,

I am not hacking away at GTA but I do have a beef with its high graphics score,

Thanks for Reading !

-Z

Hype means nothing,
PS2 Owners had nothing to talk about other then Killzone,
X-Box Owners had nothing to talk about that wasn't Halo 2
Sheep Metroid 2, etc.

Do I disagree that GTA:SA should have got a 9.6?
Yeah, I agree with every stat except graphics, its the same situation as Vice City and that was released forever ago.

I really do enjoy GTA:SA, but as someone who doesn't have to jump aboard the bandwagon because I have all three consoles, GTA at this point simply takes a backseat. Halo 2 was amazing was it much like the first one? Yes and No.

But it is a shame that in the race for GOTY that GTA:SA gets the early lead? Over Halo 2 and from what I am being told MP2 as well because of a poor preview?

Thats a heap. If that is the case with all due respect to Gamespot I will have to start taking reviews with a grain of salt, because I think my game standards are simply different to that of Gamespot.

Killzone a 6.9? Thats very strange? Because for a PS2 FPS I really enjoyed it, Maybe the 8.2 I had originally heaped on it was high but its a solid 7,5

Halo 2 a 9.4? This is this Gen's Goldeneye, a game that will be played not for its 15 hour single player mode but for hours and hours on its true and unique multiplayer engine,

Then we have GTA: SA with a 9.6?
This is the year of the Re-hash no doubt.
and in all fairness I am yet to play MP2 or HL2, but I think I can safely say that GTA is the KIng of the Re-hash, it doesn't make it a bad game, but replace CJ with Tommy V and you could have called this game an expantion pack.

Halo 2 offers me larger levels and Live SUpport
Metroid Prime offers me a new story with newer weapons
Halflife offers me a beautiful Graphics engine with all sorts of new features,
GTA gives me what? They changed the music a few cars made the map bigger and made the main character CJ ?

In the age of re-rash why is the biggest Re-hash leading the charge for GS GOTY?

I am starting to look at the average of the rankings as a more fair gage of what a game really and truly is,
and so far I see this

Halo 2: 9.8
GTA: SA: 9.5 (Based sheerly on low graphics scores)
KIllzone 7.3
R&C3: 8.7

As someone who owns all these games, I agree more with the average rather then the GS score,

But I guess we are living in an age where the fanboys out number the gamers, and I guess that some scores have to reflect the needs of the many rather then the few.

-Z

I am not a fanboy,
I am and was looking forward to GTA:SA, Halo 2, and MP2 with the same excitement, because all that mattered to me was the fact that I was getting 3 AAA titles added to the "Wall",

After hearing all the hype and praise about KIllzone, I bit the bullet and bought it on the Tuesday it came out after work, I had the need for some mindless FPS, I will admit I did see the IGN review prior to buying it and with the outcry from PS2 fans I figured something may be up, It didn't deture me from buying the game, once I got it home I have to say I was impressed it was pretty good, the game had sort of a creepy eyre to it which made a very strong first impression.

As the game went on, I had issues. The AI was crazy hard in the sence that it would go nuts and attack anything or be very slow and stupid to the point where on of the enemy units could be inches away from me and not notice me.

The levels were beautiful, but from a combat stance not very well laid out it was very hard to out flank your enemy, a complaint I shared with the IGN reviewer.

It is a good game, but has found its way out of my PS2 already releasing it so close to GTA:SA was a poor idea.

I think that the review of 6.9 on gamespot is harsh but I can see and understand many of the complaints,

In the past I have said perhaps a 8.2? now that I have played a touch more I truly do feel that the game was about a 7.5, the biggest knock against my opinion is that I need a game to hold my attention or it hits the wall never to be seen again, and Killzone as much as it was entertaining at first, it was an average FPS.

As for R&C, I had NO INTENTION of buying this game,
But again I bought into all the hype that it was a GOTY darkhorse and that the review it was handed on Gamespot was almost tragic, so again I weened and bought it.

This game is NOT a GOTY contender, not by ANY means.
Its a serviceable game, its not bad but its not made for gamers, its made for the newer gamers in the market place, it brings less to the table the Voodoo Vince did (Another member of the wall)

I think this game is just something that the so called "Sheep" were hoping to rally around and say look another AAA title, but I highly doubt that many of them wanted to buy it.

-Z