I've been playing Puzzle Quest on my PSP for quite some time now. I've completed every side quest and collected every rune. Basically, the only thing I have left to do is defeat Lord Bane. There's an appropriate character name if I've ever heard one. I have no idea why, but I just cannot beat this guy. Getting to him was absolutely no trouble at all. I didn't find the game all that challenging. But I've reached the level 50 cap with my warrior, and every time I face Lord Bane, he kills me in a matter of a few turns. Grrrr.....

In unrelated news, my birthday was yesterday. Most of my friends and family happened to be out of town for weddings or conferences, so I spent the day relaxing and catching up with a friend I haven't seen for a long time. I got Mario Party 8 and Korinpa: Marble Mania as presents, along with a few more Best Buy gift certificates to add to my PS3 fund. I can't say I'm disappointed with Mario Party, because I wasn't expecting much at all. It's more of the same. But I own every one because it's a nice, leisurely series that I can play with family who know absolutely nothing about games. Marble Mania seems pretty entertaining, although I get a bit frustrated with the controls at times when I have to manuever the Wii-mote in ways that the human arm was never intended to twist.

I also went and bought myself a copy of Crush on the PSP. It's a bit ironic, given that the storyline is about a guy who has to tackle his psyche to cure insomnia, that this game keeps me up until all hours. The brainteasers are challenging without feeling cheap, and the art style is nifty.

I finally got back into Twilight Princess also. It's a great game, but I stopped about halfway through because I just didn't have enough time to play it. It's one of those games where you have to invest at least an hour for each play session if you want to feel like you're making any progress at all. I think I'm just about done. I've got 2 more temples to go, and then I like to go through and explore every nook and cranny to collect as much as I can. The music has definitely grown on me, and I love playing it, but I still don't think it lives up to the likes of Ocarina or Link to the Past.

Ah well. That's about it for now. These things always end up being longer than I initially intend them to be. Any advice from Puzzle Questers would be greatly appreciated.