..............No. I am not dead. Yet somehow being inactive (for the most part) for about a year now hasn't stopped me from leaving this site. Looking at this new layout, however, has inspired me to go back on reviews that I have done in the past. I'd like to think that my writing skills have somewhat improved since then, so I am going to take the time to re-edit my old reviews and perhaps pave the way for fresh new ones.....maybe.

Anyways, for the first time in a long time, cheers.

Robin Sachs (known to the gaming community as Zaeed Massani in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3) passed away a few days ago. Rest in piece good sir.

Rumors have been shown about details of the next Sonic game (which should hopefully be announced/teased in the coming month). And I got to say, I am very impressed by what is supposedly included. Of course I won't give my hopes up too much about all of the details becoming true, but I'm excited for the announcement regardless.

From what I can tell, it's a combination of several Sonic games. We have the 3D/2D gameplay of Sonic Unleashed/Colors/Generations, with Sonic Adventure's emphasis on multiple characters, with each character having their own unique abilities to reach pathways unreachable to others (Sonic 3 & Knuckles andSonic Advance). Then we have multiple pathways leading to a different level alaShadow the Hedgehog, except this time they all lead to the same finale (and no a** pull Last Story completely ruining the choices you made). There are supposed to be 20 or so levels not including bosses. It's going to be released on all current platforms as well as next-gen consoles. All of the best developers are working on this game.

What do you guys think?

So....how about that end of the world? I don't know about you guys, but it's devastating where I live. There's raining fire and brimstone and everything. Next thing you'll know a giant moon with a nightmarish face is going to crush us.

Recently Bioware's Mass Effect page on Facebook has been receiving a lot of negative feedback. This has nothing to do with ME3's ending, but rather people blaming this series for the deaths of the innocent children in Newtown. Apparently Adam Lanza's brother liked the series, so obviously that meant Adam was influenced by Mass Effect to kill kindergardeners. Of course, we have seen this story before where people blame video games on violence in the world. But it never gets any less frustrating to hear constantly. How would you know for sure if Adam himself liked the series? Don't you think that there are other serious psychological issues to consider? People, quit using games as a crutch to blame on a terrible tragedy. Mass Effect doesn't deserve this.

P.S., my heart goes out to the people of Newtown.

Yeah, I have a tendency to not stick to more current games, and thus I have been missing out on many great games. I have been focusing either on games I missed out on previously or have just been in a bad financial situation. Regardless, I managed to play a few, and here are my thoughts on my "Top 4" games of the year.

4. Asura's Wrath

Fans of grand-scaled, intense anime should certainly look into this. I picked up a used copy one day, and me and my cousin fell in love with it. I certainly wished it focused less on QTEs and more on solid fighting gameplay, but its story and setting more than made up for it. It's a beautiful game with fantastic music and relatively good voice acting. Honestly, I still don't understand why this wasn't just an anime to begin with (it's what this game basically is). If you aren't really a fan of cutscenes and QTEs, I still recommend this as a rental just for the story alone."

3. Shank 2

I was a big fan of the first Shank, and I found the sequel to be even better. This mainly has to do with the control. The control felt more fluid and accessible, and thus made for a more satisfying experience. Other than that, its still a great looking and brutal game that any fan of the hack-and-slash/beat-'em up genre should play.

2.Kid Icarus: Uprising

This umong one of the best games in my (slim) 3DS library. It's a fun, cheesy adventure that had me smiling the whole way through. I loved the various weapons at your disposal that you can also customize. The on-rails sections were fantastic, while the on-foot combat is a bit cumbersom but still enjoyable. Obviously, my biggest grip concerns the controls. You definitely want the 3DS stand for this game.

1.Mass Effect 3

My opinions have changed up a bit since I first reviewedMass Effect3, but not so much in a negative sense. I regarded this as being my favorite in the series, but now I think that the first Mass Effect is about to take that position. Regardless, this is a fantastic game. Say what you will about the finale, but I can't deny the overall quality of the series and how much fun I had the whole way through. The combat is at its best here, the visuals are fantastic, and there are plenty of big moments and set pieces that I rank as some of the best in the series. If you haven't played this game and still wish to, I do advise you to: A) Play the other two games before hand (or at least use the interactive comics), and B) Be mindful of the ending (I recommend downloading the extended cut).

Games I still want to play:

-Dragon's Dogma

-Lolipop Chainsaw

-Resident Evil: Revelations

-New Super Mario Bros. U

-Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge

Can you guys recommend me some others?

Anyways, cheers ;)

Geez, I haven't updated since the Nostalgia Critic blog post. Basically, it was a general lack of interest. I simply don't feel as compelled to review games or post any more. I haven't made a review since Mass Effect back in June. I also neglected to notice my three year anniversary on this site.

Well, as far as gaming is concerned, I am having to postpone my purchase for a Wii U until I find another job. Once I do, I will be sure to get these games: New Super Mario Bros. U, Ninja Gaiden 3, and maybe Zombie U. Until then, I have been focusing on games I haven't played in quite a while like L.A. Noire, Ninja Gaiden (Xbox), and Final Fantasy X.

For my holiday wish list, I am really aiming more toward a larger 3DS library. I am really loving the demo for Theatrythm: Final Fantasy. I am also hoping for Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Code of Princess, andResident Evil: Revelations.

That's pretty much it for me. I may post a best of 2012 blog (even though I haven't played much from this year).

Cheers;)

Well, after four years, Doug Walker has finally stopped with his Nostalgia Critic reviews (though not necessarily the end of the character). Doug is now setting for a new direction and reaching for new material. Personally, this is a good move on his part. After four years, his material eventually started to go stale and there was only so much he could do with the character for this long. I'm looking forward to the new material he has in store for us. What do you guys think?

Oh my god....I am typing a blog post for the first time in ages (simply had nothing to say)! But now I do, and it will be on the latest piece of DLC for Mass Effect 3.

In comparison with the previous pre-ending DLC content "From Ashes", there is certainly more meat and intruigue in this package. The locals you visit are beautiful (especially when you reach an ocean planet) and it's rather interesting in knowing a little more about the Reapers. But in the end, unless you really want more context about the Reapers, this DLC is actually a little unnecessary (especially if you have the Extended Cut). Keep in mind that as of posting this blog I have yet to see how the Leviathan DLC effects your talks before the final choices.

So, is it worth the 800 MS Points? Well, if you are already disgruntled at Bioware, then I already know your answer. But for everyone still interested, I would actually say no. It's good, just unnecessary.

*UPDATE: After giving the endings a few more watches, I have grown to appreciate what they were able to do. Most glaring plot holes are filled up, though it is still a shame the Indoctrination Theory is not a prominant explination in the end. For what it's worth, these endings are satisfying, gripping and certainly make me feel compelled to go back and replay the series whenever I feel the need to. Mass Effect 3 (as well as the entire trilogy for that matter) was a big favorite of mine, even during the contreversy. Now, with the inclusion of this EC, it remains to be that way.

Below are my original impressions.

Well......um.......I'm actually a tad conflicted in regards to this extended cut. On the one hand, I was finally given a sense of closure. I now know what has become of my squadmates as well as the other species. That's good to know. Plus we are actually given an option to outright refuse the god child/Harbinger (though, unfortunately, ending that comes with it is the worst one) However, I am afraid that the Indoctrination Theory MAY have been disproven unless the best Destroy option is still any indication (which was the option I chose). I still don't like the fact that Shephard's state after the Citidel in this specific ending is still left with a cliffhanger. I wanted to see if Shephard was actually alive and living the rest of his/her life with friends and loved ones.

Maybe in time the new ending will start to process and I will grow to appreciate it. In the end however, I do wish Bioware could have done a little more.