After two playthroughs and a ton of confusion, I finally got a 100% completion rating.  Huge thanks to CodingGenius for nudging me over a couple of big bumps in the road (not the least of which was my own stupidity).

The review is up and posted.  I really loved the game, but I honestly don't see a sequel in it.  Enjoy the review.

***EDIT***
If you're going to try to get 100% completion, you're going to have to do ALL 50 ERRANDS!!!  Every strat guide and faq I found said you only needed to do 30.  Not so.  And you don't have to kiss the boys (if you don't want to). :P

Well, let's take stock of this feat...

Two months, officially 85 hours, 19 minutes spent, 100% completion.  I'm ready to play something else.

The review is written and posted.  As always, feel free to let me know if you agree with me or just think I'm an overly windy doofus.  Also, if you go back to my earlier blog posts, I made a wishlist for the next installment of Grand Theft Auto.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

After several requests and much procrastination, I've finally gotten some pictures of my gaming setup ready.  So, without further ado...

The Rig
The Games
Strat Guides and Books
Logitech Driving Force Pro and the seat I built for it

The bright yellow carts in the top left corner of the games pic are the Channel F games.

To all my friends here on GameSpot, I'm about to get a little cheesy...

I just want to wish you all a very happy holiday season, no matter which one (or ones) you celebrate.  Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah (I had to look that one up to spell it!), and Happy Any Others that I missed.  I hope you all have a great 2007, full of success and happiness.

The Pirate

I'm a game collector. I'm a member of the most active collector's union (the Candid Collector's Union) on this website. I have a decent pile of games sitting prettily on shelves in a room my wife has not so affectionately dubbed "Man Land." Game collecting, like gaming itself, is addictive. And now, I'm going to curtail that addiction.

But why, you ask. You have a great start there...why stop now?

Well, I'll tell you.

You see, while I have a decent sized collection of games on a pretty good amount of systems, I'm playing them on the equivalent of an abacus. I'm playing on a failing 20" tv with no special sound system or system selectors.

So, I've decided to rebuild my gaming rig. Here's the plan...

I'm thinking that a two tv system is the direction I'm going to go. Both 32", one regular flat-screen CRT (for the old-school stuff) and one LCD (for the next-gen systems, which I will be purchasing at the earliest available opportunity). Add a 5.1 capable surround system and we're in business. Total estimated cost: $1,500 (donations are always accepted ;) ).

So, I guess I'm not really quitting the collecting gig. And if I see a game I just have to have, I'll probably pick it up. But in the meantime, I can catch up a little bit on the games I've bought and haven't gotten around to playing.

I finished my review editing. None of the content was changed, but I cleaned up some rogue commas and one atrocious sentence...mess in the Contra review. I edited all of them EXCEPT GTA III and Super Mario Bros. If you left an opinion before, please do so again.

Incidentally, I'm always up for some constructive criticism. I always make a blog post when I finish a game (it's been awhile) to signal a review. If you have any suggestions or thoughts (especially if you disagree) drop a line in the comments section of the game's particular blog post.

I've been reading back through my reviews and I've found a couple glaring grammatical errors that I just can't let go. So, if you agreed (or disagreed :evil: ) with my reviews, go ahead and re-state your feedback. I'll let you all know when they're done.  The content won't change, but they'll look prettier and I won't be so embarrassed.

Guess who didn't have anything to do this weekend? Review will be up shortly.

**edit** Review's up.

It took awhile, but I finished Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2). 100% completion. The review should be up pretty soon.

**edit**Review's up.

You've been working on a dungeon for over an hour.  You're completely flummoxed.  You appear to be going in circles.  Do you reach for a strategy guide to see where you messed up?  Or do you suck it up and work your way through it, emerging cussing and disheveled three hours later?  I've had this argument with any number of people.  I personally don't think that using a strategy guide or faq for a game is cheating. 

I don't have the time to spend hours and hours figuring out sticky parts in games.  If I don't get it worked out in two or three tries, out comes the book.  I don't sit there and use the guide step by step.  I merely use it as a booster when I get bogged down.

Unfortuately, I'm also a completist.  I try to get every possible hidden item, complete every optional mission, and unlock every secret in any given game.  Take Grand Theft Auto III for instance.  Had I not used the strat guide to find the hidden packages, I'd still be playing through it the first time. 

When I think of cheating, I think of invulnerability codes, extra ammo or money codes, or anything else that might grant an unfair advantage in the mechanics of the game.  Looking at a faq may tell you how to proceed through a particular game, but it doesn't make it physically easier.

So, what do you think?  Are strat guides cheating?  Are those of us who use them any less talented than the people who play without them?  Are faqs the steroids of videogaming?  I yield the floor...