Right, so I have been MIA from gamespot for a while due to the wicked work schedule layed out for the month of October, but I'm happy to say that I am not MIA from the gaming world. While pulling the insane amount of night shifts for my Energy Trading job I was able to play around with the new DS I picked up. Looking for a game that would allow me to eat up time like crazy during my long nights on the job I decided to try Animal Crossing: Wild World, a game I heard that is good for doing absolutely nothing. I must say the cute little world is quite alluring and the fact that I have already had people visit my town and shower me with presents via DS Wi-Fi is quite cool. While I am working for money to pay off debt in real life I can mimic the same scenario in the game. Doing work while I'm working, even though it does not pertain to actual work. Twisted isn't it?

I have completed the Rubix Cube. I estimate I logged about 6 - 8 hours working on the problem which isn't bad since it takes me less time to beat some of the video games I've played in the past. I give the cube credit...it was a worthy advisary. I guess I've learned that video games do not rot your brain and make you dumb. If anything, the puzzles that are implemented in some games like God of War and Zelda only helped since they have taught me to sit for long periods of time and continue to solve the puzzle instead of just giving up. Hooray for patience and persistence!

So I was walking through the mall on one of my many trips to EB and I stopped at a kiosk to browse some board games. As I was looking around at all the old games I loved as a kid the 3x3 blue face of a Rubix cube caught my attention. I had never tried one and always wondered if I had the nerve to toil with the many different algorithms of solving one. I bought the cube and have been locked in battle ever since. My controllers are collecting dust and my electricity bill is slowly declining as I battle my old school foe. So far I have been able to get the first layer done but my algorithm gets screwy after that. Rubix Cube: 1, Ken: 0. Stay tuned!

(my dad and I chatting)

I've been offline for a few days due to a scheduled weekend visit from my Dad who hails from the east coast. We chilled and I took the opportunity to show him Battlefield 2142 and Company of Heroes. He is big on WoW so if I didn't expose him to other games he wouldn't know what he's missing out on! He liked both games so maybe we will get to play online together when he gets back to the east coast.

My engagement party was this weekend and it was very nice to have so many family members come together. Family and activities outside the condo are always going to be way more important even though I love games!

10/9/2006 Recruit - KSThrac

I had been tailing the enemy Titan in an APC making sure to stay out of view when I finally heard the alert that the enemy shields were down. Switching from the driver seat to a launch pod I rocketed myself up onto the enemy Titan and began my assault with a few other recruits who had made it on.

The defense was light and we made quick work of anyone standing in our way as we destroyed the 4 consoles and entered the main reactor room. Now, the Titan training video would have you believe that the main reactor is easy to destroy, but that thing took several clips of ammo and too many rockets to count before it finally blew.

Panic set in as I realized I only had a few seconds to get my butt off the ship. Recruits climbed over the top of each other trying to all get to the exit screaming "Go go go!" As I reached the back of the ship I realized that I had not yet figured out how to deploy my parachute, but not wanting to stay on an exploding ship I jumped anyway. Those that had jumped before me looked so happy floating gently to the earth as I went screaming by, mashing buttons all the way down. I said my last prayers and cratered as the enemy Titan exploded overhead. I consider it a small sacrafice to win a battle. I will write again soon.

Yours truly,
KSThrac

I played this game a long time ago but found myself recently playing it again and thought I would write a little plug for it. If you havn't played it yet and don't suffer from carpel tunnel or pains from rapidly clicking your mouse then you should definately give it a try. You can find it at PopCap.com. The game requires some clever strategy within the confines of your aquarium. Should you upgrade your quality of food? The amount you can feed at one time? Should up upgrade your laser before or after you invest in the carnivore fish? Lots of rapid clicking excitement. Who says a game has to be 3D for it to be any fun.

Well I finished the first MGS as the marathon continues. The game was really good but I played it on Normal and found it to be pretty challenging. I sure did use the f-word a lot as I had to attempt bosses multiple times before I figured them out. I took down all of them without looking up hints or tricks on the net...I think that makes me pro ;)

In a previous blog I had asked the question of whether or not I should give the series a shot. I had a number of comments saying I should definately run through it. I set Paper Mario aside and threw in my old MGS disc for the PS1 and pushed power...NOTHING! The discs mocked me for having had them in my collection but never played them. So tomorrow I will head to my local EB Games to pick up Twin Snake for the GC since that will probably be easier to find then an old PS version with no scratches on it. I'm stoked to run through the series in preperation for MGS 4!

Last week I won both my games and this week I lost both games. I need a streak!

Ok time for an honest inward look at myself. I have MGS for the PS in my collection and yet I have never given it a fair shake. The furthest I can remember playing the game is the part outside where you square off against the enemy sniper, and I faintly remember something about a wolf? Anyway after I finish Paper Mario I was planning on running through Windwaker but now I'm thinking I might give the MGS series a shot. I could run through the first one and the second one has really good reviews. Is the third one worth playing? Establishing my loyalty to the series could help get me excited about the new one for the PS3. What does everyone think?