Just about to brain hemorrhage on Pokemon. After getting the first 151 (see previous post), I got inspired to keep going to see how many consecutive ones (I have seen this referred as a living Pokedex) I could get before Black/White came out. I made it to 253 (completed all of the Gold/Silver ones and made it to the Ruby/Sapphire starters). In all I had a total of 322 different Pokemon on my HeartGold cart, and that not counting the dups I had to evolve once I trained them up. Counting all my games I had 404 total, so not far from really collecting them all before Black/White. Well, I picked up Black/White on the day it came out and have been glued to them ever since. I hated most of the new Pokemon at first, but they are starting to grow on me. I haven't really started a spreadsheet/checklist like I did the other games, but I know I have over 50 different ones collected in Black already with 4 badges. Playing White too when I feel like it and have 2 badges and numerous Pokemon there too. I do feel the break from Pokemon coming soon though. I have other things to get to, most non-game related, but also I really feel like I am cheating on Dead Space 2 and really want to get back to it....

First of all, I will admit, I am probably in the "too old" crowd for Pokemon. I am in my 30's. But I still play the game.

In my defense, it all started back when Pokemon was first out and was big. And to be honest, I hated it at first the way it was drowning the TV and airwaves. But all that changed due to my little sister. I was already an adult at that time, but my parents had recently divorced and my little sister who was really small at the time needed "big brother" support. So I started taking her out and all to make things better. Well, she was into Pokemon, and really wanted me to take her to Burger King all the time to collect all those toys they had in the kids meals. So I started taking her and helping her collect them all. This story is starting to get to long, so in a nutshell... that started changing my mind about them some, and then I went ahead and got the Pokemon Red game (she had Blue) so I could play the game with her and trade and all that. I have been hooked ever since. I don't play it all the time, but usually for several months each year (minus a few years I lapsed), I dig it out and start playing again. I even go to Pokemon events now, like last weekend I went to the Pokemon Black/White event in Cleveland, OH so I could download the Celebi they were giving away. I feel like an old man there, but I usually quickly go there to download and then try and get out of there.

Anyway, back to the title of this post, over the years I have had several times that I was really close to having all 151 of the originals, but something would always happen. Back when I was playing Red with my sister, I would sometimes take it to work and play it during break time. Well I think I had about 145 or so on that cartridge, and a friend of mine wanted to try it out. I started a new game for him and warned him not to save. Unfortunately, he was having problems and asked my help, and I wasn't thinking and started doing what was natural and in a split second, I overwrote my whole cartridge. I wanted to die, and to be honest that deflated my enthusiasm for some time, and I never got that close on that cartridge again. Skipping several generations were I got a lot of Pokemon, but didn't really go after completing the originals, I finally got close again with Pokemon Diamond. I dont know the exact number I had, but I think it was roughly 140 of the originals, and many more of the newer ones since. Anyway, I had my DS in my jacket and was walking across a parking lot while shopping. For some reason I dont remember now, I reached in my pocket for something, and when doing so, knocked my DS out. Unfortunately it hit the pavement hard. I was upset and picked it up and made sure it was okay. It was, and I moved on. What I didn't realize though, was that my Diamond cart had flown out and went to neverland. I did not realize this for a couple of weeks since I really wasn't playing it that often at the time. Well, once I did I went back, and the cartridge was obviously no where to be found by that time. That sucked... Well, anyway, I have been playing the games again a lot lately, and made it my mission after finishing HeartGold to finally complete the original 151 (by evolving a Dratini to Dragonair **had skipped ahead and done Dragonite already**)which I generally feel are still the best. As of today, I finally accomplished that. I actually have the first 168 (up to Crobat). I really have 383 different Pokemon on the cartridge now, but my delight is I finally have all of the originals. Since I dont just easily evolve them (I train them with the right moves etc first, which is why I haven't done it the easy way a long time ago), I don't think it will be anytime soon before I complete any other substantial set, such as getting all of them through Gold and Silver, which is my next goal, but to a lesser extent. I just know I will abandon the carts I have now for some time once Black and White are released.

Well, this turned into a monster blog that it wasn't suppose to, but this was a big accomplishment for me when I thought about it. I just can't believe it took me that long in hind sight...

Well, I find myself obsessed with Lunar: Silver Star again. So obsessed, I crafted a makeshift banner for it (above). Doesn't do it justice, but I don't have anything but "Paint" to work with right now... Not that I am any good with other tools anyway..

Anyway, this is my third version of this game to buy and obsess through. It is about the only thing I can think about doing during my leisure time (Which is bad, because I need to focus more on unpacking from moving). Anyway, I originally played through on Sega CD, and then got the Silver Star Story complete version on the PS1. Now going through it again with Harmony on PSP (and I still have and display my other versions on my desk). I love this game, and can't imagine it will ever get old for me... I just feel a little sacrilegious getting it being done through Xseed instead of Working Designs. Boy, do I miss them. I really hoped they would come back when I heard rumors of them talking to Microsoft a while ago.

Anyway, one of my all-time top 10 games. One that I feel everyone should at least try. Now I just have to hope they bring back Eternal Blue as well. Well I gotta run... Peace

I am sitting here doing some web surfing and thinking, and I find it so sad how much society as a whole has lost its class or respectability. Since I am posting this on a game site, I will start with what I found yesterday with gaming...

If you are bored, go on YouTube and do a search of "The Pro Xbox Live". You will find a clip or two of "The Pro" who is a moderator for Xbox enforcing temporary gold bans on a couple of players who was violating the ToS while playing MW2. One was a kid, who is said to be about 12 who is swearing up a storm with MFing and talking about doing bad inappropriate things to the moderators grandmother, etc. Both this kid and the guy making the video are using hacks to cheat in the game and getting an obvious unfair advantage. Anyway, getting to the point, they acted terribly and unfortunately this type of thing is becoming so common in online gaming and to a certain degree the Internet as a whole. Why are people at a point that they feel so entitled, and think it is fair to act this way to others? Sure, I have talked a little smack while gaming, but I do so in a fun playful way, and I never use profanities or do anything to offend someone. If it seems like I am, I will apologize and stop. And the whole cheating thing.... How is that fun or gratifying? It can't feel great to be a cheater... and also ruin the experience for others..

Moving to an actual personal thing, last Saturday, I was involved in a car accident. I was waiting behind two cars in the left hand lane of a two way road, with the front car waiting on traffic to turn left. Well, it was close to an intersection, and I guess the car coming up behind me wasn't watching the road, and was probably trying to get through the light, and she rear ended me very hard. I would guess going 30 to 40 mph. Anyway, the force obviously then slammed me into the car in front of me. Once this happened, the girl in the car in front of me jumps out and starts calling me a gd mfer and going all crazy. I tell her it isn't my fault and to look behind me, and upon doing so she then proceeds to run to the car behind me and does the same thing again. The sad part is I was in a huge car that was my mother in laws, so I was ok. The car that hit me was a really small car, and it was crushed very badly, and it was obvious that the driver and passenger was badly hurt. Airbags deployed, painful sounds, etc. The whole front of the car was pretty much flat. And this woman was running screaming profanity at them... I understand people get upset, but this was ridiculous. Anyway, a while after the people who needed it were taken care of, I see this girl being put on a stretcher and carted off. If she was so hurt, why was she running around doing this? I took way more of the impact than she did, and I was okay. I just don't understand it. She acted inappropriately to some hurt people, and then it looked like she was then going to take advantage of the situation. I bet she tries to milk them or their insurance company...

This post is going on longer than I intended, so I will try to keep this last one short. There is a video out there of a basketball game between the Idaho Vandals and Utah State Aggies. Its towards the end of a close game, and the Idaho player goes to the free throw line. An opposing fan is sitting court-side almost in front of the basket, and proceeds to strip down to his underwear, climbs up on his seat and gyrates in front of the player and makes him miss. I would be lying if I didn't admit it is mildly funny, but again, that is so classless and inappropriate... And what about people with families there?

Maybe I am turning into an old man, but I just hate that things like the three examples above have become so commonplace. Why don't people have a little dignity and why don't they treat others with a little thought and respect? Ok, I will get off my soapbox now, but this has been a bad week, and I just felt like sharing this on here...

With already having a 360 and PS3 and thinking the whole motion thing is probably a craze that would die, I resisted a Wii for a long time. Well, there have been certain games catching my eye periodically (No More Heroes, Mad World, Dead Space Evolution, Rune Factory, etc..), and now with all the price drop and holiday specials, I finally took the plunge.

I dont usually buy games and accessories at Walmart too much, heck I dont usually shop at Walmart that often, but they had a promotion this week to buy the Wii and geta $50 gift card. That brings the system to $150. I went ahead and broke and got it. Plus I know my wife has had interest in it too(You should have seen her playing what I think was Monkey Ball back close to launch at a store display... classic). I know she also wants to play Wii Fit and the new Super Mario Bros. Anyway, I havent even opened it yet, but it should be fun.

I dont know that anyone even reads my blogs, but if you do, and you have some good Wii games to suggest, I would appreciate it.:P

OK, I have been busy and or lazy since before my move to Washington DC, and haven't put out a new blog entry in a long time. Well, I went to see the Transformers 2 movie last night and decided to get back to this since it has been so long. So on to the movie...

I don't know where to start really. I will say that though I am always pro-generation one and nothing else, I did really enjoy the first movie. If you check back to my June 2007 blog review on my personal website you will see this. Unfortunately, I have to say I do not feel the same about this one. I wouldn't say I hated it because there were some things I liked, but for the most part I left very disappointed. Getting to my specific complaints though, there were many.

First off, I really did not like this Fallen character, and what he represented. First off, he was made into the "leader" of the Decepticons, and Megatron was just a chump next to him. That was just retarded to me and probably any real Transformers fan who thinks about it. I am sorry, Megatron answers to no one. That was always the way it was and should be. Heck, he didn't really even answer to Unicron in Gen one when he had to. I just didn't like Megatron at his best in the movie being second in command, and at his worst in some points in the movie, just being a regular Decepticon drone for the most part.

My second complaint has to do with the technology in the movie, and there are two distinctly different parts about it I didn't like. First off, I thought it was retarded that the US military was complaining in the movie that the Autobots wouldn't share their advanced weapons technology with them. This was dumb because A) They should have gotten all they needed from the many years of having Megatron frozen as a captive in the first movie, and B) They didnt seem to need it anyway. All through the movie they are shown fighting Decepticons, and a lot of times, it seemed that they were really beating them, or at least holding them to a stand still. They didn't need better technology apparently. Finally, where the hell did the Decepticons get the technology to make humanoid robots? The girl who was after Sam at school was a Decepticon soldier?!? While she wasn't hurting my eyes to watch, if they can make these, they should have won this war instantly... I don't know, make robots of world leaders or something?!?!?

This is getting too long and too negative so my other complaints I will try to shorten up I guess. Maybe I am an old man, but I thought there was a lot of risque things in this movie for its rating. I know its not human, but dogs humping each other, robots trying to hump humans (the aforementioned Sam and robot chic, as well as a Decepticon drone/spy humping Megan Fox leg). That and some of the dialogue. I know it is 2009, and nothing in the movie offended me personally, but it is suppose to watchable by kids too, and if I had kids, I would not be comfortable with showing some of the things it showed or did, to my young children. Final complaint, Devastator was a bust. Humans and the small Autobot Mudflap were pretty much keeping him in check, and besides that humans pretty much finished him off with an aircraft carrier gun. Guess that goes back to my earlier technology complaint, but still, we are talking Devastator here. He shouldn't be going down like that...

Anyway, that is enough complaining, though if you pushed me I could give you more. I did like some of the things like the military and Autobots working together. That makes sense in the real world if it was real. I liked most of the action, though I wish it wasn't so close up you couldn't really tell what was going on. I liked that old gen one characters were remade into this one (if you have to remake them). Devastator, Soundwave, Ravage, Jetfire, Skids, and Sideswipe are ones I am thinking of at the moment. I generally like Shia LaBoeuf as Sam. He gets a little too corny at times, but for the most part he is cool and likable. No complaints about Megan Fox of course. I also liked they brought back the funny Sector 7 guy from the first movie back and kind of made him a hero... And the coolest part to me was personal. A large scene in the movie was at the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. I went there with the family last week for Fathers Day not knowing it was in the movie. It was so cool seeing so many things I saw at the museum being in the movie. Especially the Blackbird(Jetfire) and just seeing them walk around it and thinking, "Hey I was walking in the same spot". We took pictures of the museum while we were there, including a couple of awesome Tranformers IMAX displays I will have to throw up on facebook or on a seperate page on my website. Anyway, kind of dorky in a way, but the truth. Well, time to put this to bed. I don't regret seeing this movie, and I am glad it was made, but I do feel it was a step back in my fandom of this movie series. I even got a few of the figures when they came out a few weeks ago to put on my desk that I won't be able to enjoy as much now. I do feel that this is a movie that people who have no previous Transformers history will enjoy more than those of us who grew up on it. I would rate it a B to B-.

Well, if anyone wonders where I am online the next few weeks (mostly Xbox live and PSN), I won't be on much because I am moving from Cleveland to Washington DC. It will be hectic. Packing this week, and moving on the weekend. Will be crazy. So getting internet disconnected and reconnected will also cause downtime even if I do find a few minutes to game here and there.

Should be fun to get a new start though, and it will be interesting living in the nations capital. The Japanese fan in me thinks it will be cool to see the cherry trees blossoming the next few weeks there. That is something I never thought I would see. Well, see everyone soon....

I was just thinking the last couple of days, that I think I am back to full Japanese mode lately. That probably doesnt mean much to most people, but while it is always with me to varying degrees, there are certain times that I really want all Japanese stuff all the time when it comes to recreation.

Now is one of those times, and when it comes all I want to do is play JRPGs, watch Anime, eat the food, etc.

I guess part of it is the deluge of great Japanese inspired things I have gotten lately. Funimation finally got Kanon #6 out, and I recently got 4 and 5, so now I am back to watching that show and it is good. Also, I have found myself mixing in some repeats of my favorites such as Rahxephone, Cowboy Beebop, Evangelion and Shuffle, though I not watching all of that as much as I am finding it sounds as I write this. All awesome shows though. I usually like to really like to immerse myself into it too by drinking some of the Japanese pops I have been buying lately at the Sushi restaurant I go to and from World Market. Sure for the most part they taste very similar to the american drinks, but it is fun to pop that marble in and let it roll around as I drink from the glass bottles.

As for JRPGs, I cant get enough of those either, and my newest one is my main reason for writing this (Ar Tonelico 2). It ,Run Factory 2, and Infinite Undiscovery I have really enjoyed, as well as picking up a few other JRPGs for later, such as Mana Khemia (Love the NIS games, have almost all of the PS2 ones they have made). I have been trying to write a few reviews on Gamespot lately, and really want to for Ar Tonelico 2 because I am enjoying it so much, but I should probably wait to get more into the game. I have invested probably about 4 hours into it the last couple of days, but I hear it is over 100 hours in length.

Anyway, it is all cool. I know Japan is a different world, but I really love a lot of their culture. Its times like this that I can put away my Xbox 360 games like Dead Space (which I like alot), achievements, and my other normal nongaming American things, and not miss them for a little while.

Wow, this self reflecting blog got way longer than it was meant to.... I guess now I am getting too full on myself...lol

Well, with the holiday season, I got more games to add to my collection. When updating my website and the list I created, I realized I have hit the 100 game milestone for Xbox 360. And this list does not include arcade games.

I have mixed feelings about this. Obvious it is great to have so many games, and it might be a bit of a bragging right for some. I have to admit though, I look at it and feel a little ashamed of myself... lol Mostly because I do not think I have played half of them. I had passed the same milestone back in the original Xbox hayday, and though I say I will eventually get around to playing them all, it seems I never will as the collection grows. As it has been put by one of my friends on this website before, it is mostly from me getting sucked into great buy one get one deals at Gamestop. On that same note, I do not buy most of my games at the new $59.99 price. Unless it is something I really want, or get as a gift, I usually wait until it gets down to at least $30, or I buy some used, a lot for for around $10 to $20 dollars each.

Either way, it does add up to a lot of money though, and I cant help think maybe I should have done something different. The even sadder part is that my anime collection is much the same. Well, I guess I wouldnt be a true diehard gamer if I stopped now. Its nice to spend on the things you enjoy.... My wife would probably kill me if it was all added up though.

If anyone reads this and wants to see my list, the links are:

http://www.thesmeltingpool.com/games.html

or for my anime:

http://www.thesmeltingpool.com/anime.html

I used to use Gamespot for my list, but kind of quit earlier this year when they changed formats. Plus my list makes it easier for my wife to see what I want or have. Also I find pictures make an easier graphical way to digest how nice my collection is compared to them all crammed in my shelves....