Cheah, I beat Metroid Prime: Hunters last night at about 2330EDT. Took me about 45 minutes to do it, but I finally beat the game. I feel sorta accomplished, but my record for beating the game is like 11:23 hrs, and that's, well, slow, even for me. Anyway, I'm up for the next challenge, like fighting through the other apparent parts of the fight. Seems like there's 2 movies I missed the first time around.

Lemme tell ya folks, I'm impressed. It's totally badass, and this is my first DS. It kicks the ass out of any portable in existence. Now if only I had a wireless LAN....
That would be nice. 'cause right now, I'm looking at that $40 adapter. That isn't too good; I've been waiting for my dad to set up and get a wireless network, but progress has been slow. Nevertheless, I set it up, plug in Metroid Prime: Hunters, and start kickin' ass! Oh god, I love this thing! Get one! Next comes the Wii...

Yeah, I reserved that thing on Sunday (9/3) and I'm getting ready to play some Metroid Prime: Hunters! First though, I have to fight through the lines to pick it up, and then buy a copy of Metroid Prime: Hunters. Whaddya think? Should I just buy the game this week so I don't have to worry about plunking down an extra $35, or should I wait till launch day?
I reserved the system at a small EBGames outside of Charlotte in a major shopping center. It has a Costco, Sam's Club, Circuit City, Target, and a Best Buy down the street, so I shouldn't worry too much about availiability, just the lines. Here's something that irritated me, though: I had to pay $25 minimum just to reserve. Was it worth it? I think so, since the DS Lite Polar White sold 600K in the first days of release. Of course, most people would have bought one by now, but Onyx just looks so much more badass. This is the only reason I didn't get one then: the color sucked, and I knew they'd come out with new color schemes in a few months. I just had to wait from June to September. The reason I didn't get the standard DS is because the launch line-up was meh, and Nintendo frequently updates their handhelds, if only for a different color set. I really wanted black, anyway.

That all aside, I am getting one on September 11th, which is not only the 5-year remembrance of a day that we Americans will never forget, and also my parents' anniversary. Getting a ride will be difficult. They said they might be going out to dinner by themselves. What the hell; it's their day, but the coincidence is annoying: reserves can fail and someone else can grab the system I want! They don't restock for 2 weeks, I lose $25, and I may hunt around Charlotte searching for an unclaimed DS Lite (which will only make me lose more money on gas)!

Bloody hell.

Porter Ridge High School outside of Charlotte NC has never won a football game. Until now.

We lost every single game up until now, so our current season record is now 1-2. Last season, we lost everything in our conference, and now, for the first time in history, WE WON!!!! I was there on the field, playing the last of 5 plays when the clock ran down to zero. 33-8: Pirates win! That was so bad-ass!

I've been thinking about this for a few weeks, albeit not very heavily. I've got a lot of stuff to attend to these days (hard to believe, eh?). But one question came up after all of my thoughts and hopes of the Wii: Where can I get one with the least effort and without a heavy reserve charge? I initially thought that I could get one directly from the NOA Online Store, but they only sell extra parts, but no full console. Craptastic. I'll have to go to EBGames, GameStop, Circuit City, BestBuy, or Wal-Mart. I'm not sure about Manifest (read below).

My next question was "Where can I get Metroid Prime 3: Corruption?" Surely Wal-Mart is not a good idea, nor any of the other aforementioned stores. I also checked the Nintendo Online Store, and the only game I saw that they sell directly was Electroplankton. God dammit!. So now, I'm theorizing on the best outlet to purchase Metroid Prime 3. If I go to a store like Manifest, a Charlotte store that sells DVDs, CDs, and some games, I run a mild chance that I'll be able to get Metroid Prime 3. This is not a great alternate. In Manifest, I would still have to pay for a reserve charge, and it's a fair haul to get over there. I might be able to get my dad to get it, but again, no guarantee. I also have football to contend with, and I don't know how the Wii's release will screw my schedule up. We'll see; I'm not sure how I'll handle a midnight release vs. picking one up around 1800EDT on the actual release day vs. (this is the worst possible alt) wait until the weekend and hope I can find a Wii, a copy of MP3:C, and a place that actually has each of these items still in stock.
Inherent problems:

·        With a midnight release, it will take several hours out of my life, at midnight, and I will need to sleep it off. I can't afford that during football.

·        Getting it at a large retailer like Wal-Mart runs another non-guarantee, and they frequently lose a reserve, so I can't come back later and pick it up. I'd have to wait another 2 weeks for the next shipment. I don’t want to resort to that option.

·        Getting the stuff on the weekend after is a crap idea. NOBODY in the USA will have the Wii or MP3:C. I'd have to wait another week. That would suck ass.

·        Reserving the stuff at a Gaming Store (EBGames, GameStop) runs a fair guarantee that I will get the stuff. Although, they always have a midnight release at launch, so a 0000EDT wait would be stupid. I'd have to wait until my dad goes by the store, and picks it up. Then, all I'd have to do is pay the reserve and wait.

·        Reserving at a place like Manifest has a limited guarantee. I think they only sell used games and systems, so a brand new Wii and MP3:C are unlikely to be there.

·        Can't buy direct from NOA. That sucks.

·        Buying online from a large retailer may take a long time. It's also way more expensive. For orders over a certain price, I may get a break in shipping. However, since the demand is so high for the Wii, it's unlikely that they'll send one. Express shipping is expensive, and it's unlikely that they will give me a price break for anything faster than standard shipping. Again, about 2 weeks.

So what is my best alt? I suppose that reserving at a local large retailer or gaming store is the best way, but checkout is gonna be a pain in the ass. Even at around 1800EDT, it will be crowded and irritating to get the stuff and go. The only question is, which will be the least painful? A local Wal-Mart is frequently crowded around here, but I like the idea of using the Self Checkout. Most people don't use it, so they'll either buy at the electronics section or at the main checkout. Still, gaming stores hold a reserve historically better than a big retailer. The problem is, people flock to these stores, and given their minuscule size, it will be crowded.

What should I do here? What are you going to do?

You know suicide runs right? We did those for a half an hour. Running around like morons for 52 minutes. Jumping, sprinting, rope agility skills, and all kinds of other crap. Four guys puked. I'm surprised I didn't vomit also. I suck ass at running, and I survived without blowing projecticile chunks after 52 minutes of this crap. It's the day after, and it feels like a hangover for running. Another thing I don't understand is this "runners' high". Running for exorbitant amounts of time and puking all over myself seems a little wasted. The last part we did was a squat jump, in which you hunker yourself down like you're sitting in a chair, then jump into the air. Do that 10 times, and take a 10-second break, then you do 3 more sets after that. That exercise is designed to make you hurl bile all over the floor if you hadn't already from all the running. Sucked. Then that was it. I came close to puking my guts out later, but I sucked it in. Now I can't move my ass, back, calves, hamstrings, or my abs. Oh yeah, we did inhuman abdominal workouts, which caused near-vomiting in many subjects. You couldn't pick yourself up after that. God almighty.

Anyway, I have to go back to that on Wednesday, and I don't feel up for it. If I have to do any more than what we did on Monday, I'll definitely puke, and possibly pass out. It's gonna suck, and it's only gonna get worse and hotter.

The one thing that keeps me alive and convinces me to keep going--We're not doing this in Florida, and I thank my Dad for landing the job up here in NC every day when the going gets intolerable.

Ho-lee crap. I can't wait to get this game. Once I see a cheap black or dark green Wii, I'm snagging this game. Check the video and the screens. I can't wait. YES!!!

You know what I'm gonna do? Catch up on my sleep and play Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. I might go around to EBGames and see a setup of MPH, then drive around in Charlotte in my Pimpmobile, the Volvo 740 GL hatchback. It's a beige one. I wish I had more plans, but I'm bored as hell most of the time. Maybe I'll catch up on my flying again...that Piper Archer II is looking mighty sweet every weekend. If weather permits, I'll be flying that thing around all day. Chances are bad this Saturday, but I'm hopeful later in the week. If I can't fly, I'll just drive that Pimpmobile around... See youse guys later; I've got better things to do!

Damn this game looks good as hell. I'm gonna delay myself for the DS Lite, but that's going to be difficult. I can't wait for this game! It's been released since Monday, but I forgot to mention it. after all the delays, it truly looks worth it. Get this game. I'm seriously. Get this game. Get a DS (or wait) and I'll be waiting to find you. Since Tuesday I've been playing Metroid: Zero Mission and Metroid Fusion. I finished those up. Now I'm up to Metroid Prime and after that will be Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Just a bit of training and getting used to the inevitable cramps. I've already got my left wrist acting up, and my thumbs are fairly used up. The GBA SP is a decent platform, and it took maybe an hour to get used to it again (I haven't played since October; shame). But, I've still got what it takes. I actually got better proficiency on difficult pick-ups and bosses than I used to when I was "really good". Nevertheless, I was still about 15 minutes slower than my best records, which were pretty damned good. I also forgot where some of the pick-ups were in Fusion, so that slowed me down and got me a mediocre ending shot. I remain good, however. I just need to get a DS...and Metroid Prime: Hunters. And so do you.

I saw the ad on 2 different stations so far: Comedy Central during South Park and the local Fox affiliate. Damn, that game looks cool as hell. Still, I'll wait until the DS Lite is up for retail, so I don't get slammed with the heavy and bigger DS (the original version), and I might wait for a good color. I'm more partial to black with silverish appointments, like the current DS's 'Titanium' edition, which is half and half.

I can't wait, but I'm going to anyway; what the hell. Delayed gratification is a frequent issue with me, but it's worth it. Sure, it probably won't be an original edition with the inherent glitches, like secret worlds and code breaks, but that's not a concern. I don't like having to put back-breaking effort into a coding error. Nevertheless, I stoked to get this nooch-worthy game (watch Mallrats) which comes out on Monday. Bong.