Hey it's valentines day :) and I thought I would post some pictures of my room and my collection of video games. :P

On another note, I wrote a blog a couple nights ago on Halo: Combat Evolved. I will be the first to admit I was half asleep when I wrote it so keep the critisizm to the minimum. :)

Here are the pictures I promised: :D

Some games and what not :P

Overview :)

Some of my systems (handhelds not included)

Random Controllers, magazines, wires... :lol:

-Jorler

Hey everyone!

I haven't posted a blog, an actual blog, for quite awhile. Gamespot, and all its users are so great I thought I would write up a blog that goes into greater detail on my life atm :D .

Well let's start off with school. Right now school is my most time consuming activity on my plate. My accumlative GPA is 3.68 and with my current schedule it's going to be tough to maintain. With a lineup of Pre-Calculus, Chemistry, Spanish 2B and this outrageous Intergrated LIterature class that I hate, getting A's and B's is going to be tough! :P . I've always been pretty good at math, but Pre-Calc is just a little overwhelming :( . Chemistry is pretty complicated, but I figure if I can just apply myself I can pull off an A or a B. Espanol es muy mal :lol: I know school is a boring blog topic but I had to include it if I wanted to write an accurate day in my shoes blog... :?

When I get home from school I ususally ignore any homework and jump on Gamespot. I ususally go on the forums for a bit than log off. At this point I need to go to work.

I work at a pet store, it's pretty fun, but can get gross in a hurry! :lol: When I get home from work I want to play video games, very bad, but I ususally do homework. IM JUST KIDDING!!!! I play video games :lol: I know it's pretty amazing how I pull off good grades with my work ethic :D .

I'm currently playing Halo: Combat Evolved. I never have been a real big fan of the Halo Series, but this game quickly changed my mind :D . Like this game seriously is one of my favorite fps games EVER! After I beat Halo, I'm gonna play Halo: 2, should be fun. I really like playing trilogys and following the story behind the series.

I've been a health freak lately, so I try to go to the gym twice a week. My parents got me a Oz Fitness pass for christmas and I love it. Exercise gives me a lot of energy throughout the day and I got to say, I'm getting pretty toned :D I also play basketball for my high school and I finally made the varsity team :D It's fun, but I can't wait for golf in a couple weeks! :D

So anyway, thought I would write a slightly more personal insight on my life and what I'm up to atm! :D

-jorler

Ok, well I've been gone from Gamespot for quite sometime now. With school, job, and sports, video games just couldn't be fit in. That was until just yesterday I started playing Mario Kart Wii and I was hooked once again. I thought to myself, how could I ever give this hobbie up? :D

During my time without video games I sold my Nintendo DS (I regret it now). At the time I was desperate to say the least for gas money so I cashed in on the mario kart red DS.

Just in these last few days I have beat ALL the expert staff ghost on Mario Kart Wii, which felt good. Besides Mario Kart, I'm also (re)playing Star Wars Battlefront 2. The first time I really enjoyed this game, but skipped a few space battles and other little extras. So replaying this game through should be a treat.

So just thought I would write a quick little blog to update my gaming and gamespot status. I'm going to be active again here on gamespot and look forward to new blogs (w/ more detail) and video speed runs of some of my mario kart racing.

-Jorler :)

If you want a sig, banner, avatar or more, go to designerdawg.blogspot.com

It's awesome.

After spending some time with Wii Sports Resort, I decided to write a review of it: Wii Sports Resort Review. It's pretty short, but I think it turned out pretty good. Hope you enjoy it.

Ok, so to fufill my promises, I'm going to post some pictures of my trip to Yellowstone. I hope you guys like them!

Here is a pretty random geyser. The water in it was really silver like, for some reason :P

Here is a buffalo, up close (well zoomed :)) Everyone was scared of these creatures and I was just like, psshh, I will kick their @$$. Ya, not a good idea :lol:

Here is my family, I'm on the right. I look pretty young, but I promise I'm 16, :lol: When I'm driving, people are always like, "how old are you?" And I say Im 16... oh well. My sister in the middle, my mom and dad. Their all great!

These are the Grand Tetons. They are huge mountain peaks and make for a great picture. We were just driving at the time.

Here is a huge waterfall, one of my favorite things in Yellowstone.

On top of the waterfall. I would of jumped if... well...if I could fly :P

My new banner, you like?

My blog header, I may make a new one.

Well I hope you like my pics, and enjoyed reading!!! :D

If you could read my spaced out title, you already know the news, I'm back from my trip. Yellowstone was nothing short of amazing--everything from the geysers to the wildlife-- no wonder they call this place a National Park. I would highly recommend this ga... I mean place, to anyone looking to go. I will probably post pictures another time, but I have to keep this brief, I want to go to bed! :D

While I was there, I did a LITTLE bit of gaming. I played Pokemon Platinum. I highly enjoyed this game. I have clocked 28 hours and while taking my time have nearly reached the end. Then again I have the pokedex to fill :P

Tomorow, If GameStop has them, I look forward to purchasing God of War, God of War 2, Halo, and Halo 2. I think this will cap my gaming for the summer. These are all great games and I think I will have fun with them :)

Looking forward to posting and reading on Gamespot while I'm here. Although, my mom is already talking about a camping trip for next weekend... ah!

That was kinda' brief,

-Jorler

First thing is first, I am going to be gone on a trip for a week. I'm leaving tomorrow and I'm really excited. My trip is to Yellowstone National Park. Anyone heard of it? Its a pretty famous national park. Im sad Im going to be gone for a week and not be able to be on Gamespot all that often. The good thing is we will be staying in hotels so I will be able to check up on Gamespot. By the way, I was just kidding about a week without me being impossible, more like a blessing... :D

In other news, I just bought Pokemon Platinum for the long drive. I'm not usually into Pokemon but I bought this hoping it would be fun. I haven't started yet, because I want to save it for the drive. I will post my FC soon, so I can do some battles.

I will miss everyone!

Sports Games...No Thanks

I enjoy playing sports as much as the next person, but when it comes to sports video games, I prefer to say, "no thanks." A combination of factors have turned me off to these games. Don't get me wrong, I play an occasional game of Madden here and there, but I wouldn't consider myself a fan.

Madden's Latest Advancement

This generation of sports games are looking more and more realistic, but don't let this fool you, there are many flaws.

Some of the problems sports games have:

NBA Basketball games are yet to master the defensive controls.

Many sports have ongoing transfers(or trades), franchise to franchise, thus disrupting the rosters (this only applies to people who don't have their system connected to the internet).

Weak AI is another common flaw. Without online modes, you are faced to play AI (AI being the computer oponent, for those not familiar). If the computer is easy to a boring extent, the game also is boring.

Superstar Juggernaut is an easily described term. In many sports games a single player can have stats that are normally nothing short of impossible (or very close).

NBA Live 09 is one of those games where superstar juggernaut can come into play

The impossible is possible... for example countless touchdowns where the only strategy involved is lobbing a pass to Randy Moss. This is very common in Madden Video Games. In real life these near impossibe plays happen maybe once a season, but in the video game it happens many times per game.

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"The Best of the Best"

While most sports video games are lacking essential elements, some are spot on:

Tiger Woods 10-Wii- This game is an example of a sports game well done. It shows people that video games and sports can co-exist. It gives you a feel of realism, but you still know your playing a video game.

Punch Out!!-Wii- More of a puzzle game than a sports game, Punch Out is a very well done game by Nintendo. It gives you the feel of a sports game, with the innovative aspect of puzzles.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!

Am I Alone?

Does everyone notice how expensive gaming has become? For as long as I can remember gaming hardware has been rather pricy, but lately it has reached all time highs. The amount of accessories, controllers, games and hardware needed to enjoy the full potential of games, can cost an arm and a leg. For the average consumer, this is a bad thing, but lately I just think of my video game purchases as an economy booster!

The PS3 and Xbox 360 both contribute to this costly era of gaming. You want a game near its release? Well prepare to dish out a mere 60 bucks, and to ensure your purchase, a five dollar fee is required. Makes you think twice when buying new releases.

Not only are the games expensive, but the accessories are as well:

Microsoft:

Xbox 360 Controller: A controller is a very basic accessory for gaming and a necessity when it comes to local play. To enjoy some key functions on the Xbox 360 expect to pay prices of $40 dollars, maybe more.

Intercooler for the Xbox 360: Now this is a genius move by Microsoft. Make their systems more vulnerable to overheating, thus making about $10-20 dollars in the process (per purchase). A smart move by Microsoft, resulting in us (the gamers) spending more money.

Microsoft Points: The XBLA is one of awesome features of Xbox Live, but to buy some of the content you first need to buy points. Some say these points are well overpriced and I have to agree.

PlayStation 3:

PS3 Console: This is very well debatable, but many people, including myself, think Sony's latest system, the PlayStation 3 is overpriced.

PS3 and Xbox 360 both have their share of rip-off, but none compare to the Wii.

Wii:

Wii Mote: An extra Wii mote, a necessity for many "party" games, is at a flat price of $40 dollars. Let's not forget the fact that an extra $20 dollars is required if you want a nunchuck as well.

Cl@ssic Controller/GameCube Controller: For games like Mario Kart Wii and SSBB, many people prefer a generic controller. To acquire a controller of this sort, you need to either purchase a GameCube Controller or a cl@ssic one. The Cl@ssic Controller usually goes for prices of $20 dollars. The GameCube Controller really depends on where it is purchased.

Wii Balance Board: Many games have utilized the control of the Wii Balance Board, but to be an owner of one, $60 or more dollars is needed. I consider this a very innovative accessory, but it doesn't come cheap.

Wii Motion Plus: Nintendo Wii fans have always wanted 1:1 motions on the Wii and finally we get it. The new Motion Plus is an attachment that mirrors your images better than ever. The price of this wonderful piece of hardware is $20 dollars. Note: Many games come bundled with M+, which can be cheaper.

Plastic Wii Sports Attachments: Cheap, pointless and $10 dollars!?!?! Doesn't makes sense to me either.

The hardware nowadays is amazing, but we definitely don't acquire it easily. Enjoy gaming while you can, because gaming is always going to be expensive.

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Soapbox: If you haven't noticed, I have been writing an unusual amount of editorials lately. This is due to the fact that I am trying to be included on the Soapbox. I will continue to write editorials just as often if included on the Soapbox, so I hope you enjoy my writing!

---Jorler333