So, months ago I sold my Xbox 360 thinking I was done with violent games...

Then Gears of War came out and the online worked in Ultimate MK 3... so I got another Xbox 360 and played more violent games.

Close to the PS3 launched and it became clear what a disaster the console is, I realized that I wasn't done with traditional games and it seemed the 360 is a good place to get those. I still may get a PS3 someday if Fumito Ueda makes something as wonderful as Ico or Shadow of the Colossus again, but other than Gradius 6 and Virtua Fighter 5, there is nothing coming out for the PS3 in the next year that appeals to me in the least. The 360 on the other hand has Mass Effect, Assasin's Creed, Bioshock, Viva Pinata, Halo 3 and Forza 2, so I decided to cough up the money and reinvest in one. If only the system had games where you didn't just shoot guys.

Sadly, I haven't played the system at all since I bought it. All I do is play Wii.

Zelda is remarkable. Better than Okami (which I believe was one of the best games of last gen) in many respects and is complete in ways that other games can't compare to. The level of detail and care that was put into the game is truly astounding and the quality of the puzzle design is incredible. It's upsetting that some journalists preferred Gears of War to it; considering in one game you saw people in half and yell "EAT **** AND DIE" and in the other you solve intricate puzzles and get an equally satisfying feeling from shooting things (picking off people while riding on epona is great). Zelda's design makes other games look like they were made by people who simply didn't care. Especially when compared with games on the XBox 360, it shows how none of the next-gen games have the attention to detail of some of the best designed games of last-gen. Also, the writing and character designs in Zelda is hilarious, which no next-gen game has managed to be and only Amped 3 and Viva Pinata have attempted. Along with Okami, Chibi-Robo, the Tamogatchi Corner Connection games and Elite Beat Agents, Zelda is one of the funniest games of the year.

Oh, and I wanted to mention how Gears of War, regardless of how fun it is, makes me embarrassed to play games. The ending credits in the game are so dumb and stereotypical of the "Xbox crowd" that I had to turn my system off. Pictures of a bunch of nerdy guys who sit in cubicles all day doing complex math to get the physics working in the game were photographed and put over a red and black background with rap that was trying to make it seem more "street" or something.
Regardless of how well Cliff designs games, he's still some faux macho dude with ridiculous hair and that credit sequence makes that pretty clear.

Maybe he should make another Jazz Jackrabbit and stop putting gel in his hair and I'll like him more. He does seem like a good guy, just a remarkably insecure one.

Anyway, I've played lots of Zelda and lots of Virtual Console games. I'd take playing Gunstar Heroes, Ristar, Mario 64, Ice Hockey, Bomberman 93, Alien Crush or Super Star Soldier any day over being yelled at by homophobic teens on XBox Live.

I think it's a little disappointing how a lot of the Virtual Console games are more solid than many new games. Ice Hockey for example, regardless of its imperfections, is perfectly balanced and anyone can pick it up and play it. Gunstar Heroes also is more intense than any of the new shooters on XBox Live and has more replay value. Also, Bomberman '93 may just be the best bomberman game, and it is 14 YEARS OLD.

Oh well. Maybe in a year from now the XBLA games will be better and I'll have managed to get a terrible case of Wii-elbow and have sworn off the system forever.

I think I'm outgrowing this hobby... Well, at least the violent games. On XBox Live I've been called names more times than I could imagine in the past few weeks and this is all coming from zit-faced teenagers who shouldn't be playing M-rated games in the first place. The level of macho agression on the service is sickening. The moment I beat someone with Ken and am told the only reason I beat him was because I'm a cheating homosexual I decided its time to sell the XBox 360.

So I did!

I hardly used the thing anyway and the only reason I got it was being crazy and buying every game system.

I think that the Wii will begin a trend of only buying Nintendo consoles. I am starting to become sickened by violent games (they're much more mean spirited than they used to be), I don't care about graphics (even though I have an HDTV), and the only thing I really play is my DS, so why not?

Hell, every friend of mine loves my nintendo games and the only games I can get people to play on other systems are Gitaroo-Man, Rez, Guitar Hero and Karaoke Revolution. Most likely games like these will only be on the Wii next time around so I might as well save myself the embarrassment of explaining to girls why there's a giant xbox under my TV.

With my DS, there's never any embarrassment, even with the more nerdy games (Ouendan, Daigasso, ect) because they just look silly and fun. My girlfriend bought a japanese pink DS, Ouendan, Trauma Center, Pheonix Wright, Animal Crossing, Meteos and Tetris because they are all just silly and fun, and she hasn't played videogames since she was a little kid, but she still wouldn't ever be intereted in RPGs, war games or anything that takes itself seriously because those games just aren't as fun.

I think a huge problem with this next gen is that guys who play macho games are going to seperate themselves from other people who play games. These people actually IDENTIFY with the people they're controlling and thinking its cool to snap necks and shoot guys. They're all over the forums here and it makes me feel immature to even be playing games. It also makes them sound creepy as hell. I'd rather identify with the blocky guy playing tenis.

One of the dumbest games I've played in a long time. I bought the game thinking it would be a nice challenge and would have the same atmosphere of the first game, but I forgot how much I hate the dumb dark images in a lot of games. I made it through about half of the game and had to stop because it struck me that I really just didn't like hearing that kind of music and really don't like looking at negative images. It embarassed me the way playing Prince of Persia: Warrior Within did.

Castlevania manages to have a cheesy theme and make interesting looking worlds and music; how the hell can't Devil May Cry get it right?
Oh, and if I want a hero with a bad attitude, I'll stick with the dude from Blackthorne. DID YOU SEE HIM KILL THE DUDE WITHOUT LOOKING?!?!

These forums are filled with people that are completely insane.

Oh, and Nintendo, thanks a lot for making the friend code system the way you did; now all forums about the DS are filled with nothing but people begging others to race them or trade fruit.