Level 40. Over 20 k posts. I need to stop. >__> I'm past the Eschelon of the Gamespot Elite and I've entered the People Who Are Probably 30 and Live With Their Moms Eschelon... and I'm only 16. >_______________>

Luckily, a little something happened today, and I might ot be able to back off from the site for a while.

Pics related.

And here's my funny pic for this blog.

So if you've read my end of the year blog from 08, you would probably know that I have a certain emblem I'm pretty proud of, that being the Top 100 Reviewers Emblem. Well I just recently received a PM that informed me that I will be keeping that emblem. :D So yeah. W00t.

In other news that won't bore you to death... well actually I guess I really don't have any news. :? Umm... Well I guess I'll just leave you guys with a funny pic.

So I come home yesterday from a party and my parents start asking all sorts of questions about the Wii and what all it can do. I'm a bit confused by this because all they really do on mine is play Wii Fit, and even then they odn't do it a lot. All of the sudden, my dad picks up a bag and pulls out a big white box with the familiar 3 letter word "Wii" written on the side.

Yeah. My parents bought their own Wii just so they could play Wii Fit. :| I always thought my parents were a bit smarter than that. >_> Their logic was that since I'll be leaving for college in a little over a year, they'd not be able to play Wii Fit while I was gone, so they went and bought their own. I guess that's a little conforting since it at least shows that they have some motivation to lose weight (not that they really need to lose that much anyway), but still, it's a bit of a waste having 2 Wii consoles in the same house. >_>

Whatever.

Funny pic.

It is on this day, that two years ago, I acquired my Wii. It is also two years ago today, that a large snow storm started causing school to be out for the following two weeks. Today (as well as yesterday), we've been closed. Will the cycle continue? :o

Obligatory funny pic.

So as the semester comes to a close, exams come to a start. Well I just finished exams yesterday (although not after having school closings for 4 days surrounding the weekend delaying the exams until Thursday of last week 8)). As of yesterday at 3:15 PM, exams were finally finished. Pretty cool right? Well, today was a snow day. So yeah. It's not a big deal, but it's those little things that help you through life. :P

Oh, and I've got a funny pic. I forgot one for my last blog so I hope you all enjoy this one. :P

Just saw this movie yesterday night... wow. This is up there with The Dark Knight, heck, it could even be better than The Dark Knight (which up until yesterday I thought was just about the best movie I've ever seen). Clint Eastwood was absolutely incredible, and played a racist 'Nam veteran perfectly. The movie has everything (and as long as you have a poor sense of gumor like myself) you'll enjoy Clint's constant racial slurs.

Gran Torino is going to be the best movie anybody will see this year. If you don't see it, you're missing out on one of the greatest films of the decade.

2008: One of the most historic years in history, or just another year? While I don't have the authority to decide that (yet ;)), I'll be looking over just what happened this year, from my perspective. Watch out, this'll be a big blog. Those with a feint heart may need a bag of chips and a Mountain Dew to make it through this.

First off, my top 3's. 2008 had a lot of surprises. GTA4 outscoring Galaxy as the highest rated game of all time (well the PS3 version anyway :?) is something I never expected. Heck, Gamespot giving out two 10's is a pretty big deal. But what else happened in the real world? Itunes and the App Store and the Iphone outselling the Motorola Razor this year is pretty big. But for me, these are the biggest ones.

Biggest Surprises of 2008:

3. Wait... what? - So everybody knows E3 sucked. I know pretty darn well too, just check out my emblems for E308. You could say GS didn't cover the right stuff, but I really, really doubt it. ;) Anyway, what the heck happened with Final Fantasy? Has Square lost their minds? Integrity? Kittens? Who knows. All I know is, Microsoft picked up a pretty lofty t3h w1n this E3.

2. WTF Multimedia - Nintendo has never put more into a system than what is needed. Never. Heck, they usually leave as much out as possible. So what the hell are they doing with the DSi? I am not sure, but I really like it. Show me that you can put all that stuff to good use and you can consider me a costumer.

1. C-C-Combo Breaker! - Sure, during the last month or so leading up to the election pretty much anybody could have told you that Obama was going to win, whether he deserved to or not. Is he? I don't know, ask me in another 4, maybe 8 years. I wouldn't call it a victory for Obama though. I see his presidency as the fall of racism. Thank you America, you finally proved that you could ignore skin color.

Runners up: The Dark Knight, Ipod Touch

Now let's be a little more pessimistic. Some might say that 2008 is the greatest year of gaming ever, but is it really? No, but I'll save that for later. How about politics and stuff like that? There's been some pretty big things there too. What about my personal life? Not everything could have been peachy keen (seriously, who thought of that saying, and who even says that? >_>) in the world of nf2.

Biggest Disappointments of 2008:

3. The loneliest number - Yeah, I've never been a ladies' man. Maybe I'm too polite? Too shy? Too something, I know that. I've had some female troubles before, but never to the extent I experienced this year. Of course, I wouldn't be complaining that much if it had happened only once, or with only one person. Basically the same issue happened not once, not twice, but thrice (yeah, that does mean three times). THRICE! While I've been able to avoid spiralling into depression by hanging out with my friends and using escapism, it's still pretty saddening knowing that an object of my affection will blow me off for someone else every time I actually get close to them.

2. "Go be gay somewhere else!" - Yeah, I'm talking about the anti-gay laws passed in California. Reading number 3 on this list, you could probably figure out that I don't fall into that category, but I can (and do) openly sympathize with the homosexual crowds. When they finally gained the right to get married in California, I had actually gained a glimmer of hope that society might one day accept them. However, in the past month four anti-gay laws were passed in California. Four. Not only can they no longer get married (which that debate in itself is just retarded, this is a secular nation, drop the bible from politics, please), but now they're treated worse than before. And when you consider that California used to be the best place for a gay to be well.... gay that's a pretty hefty hit to any progress we might have made.

1. Why try when you're at the top? - Now I'm sure my #1 is going to be fairly obvious at this point, but I shall continue my ran-... thoughts. Nintendo... what happened? Every year, you've been the publisher with the highest review average for games. The chances of that happening this year are slim to none. Where's the Zelda trailer? Where's Star Fox? Where is anything? You can confirm these games to Mordor and back, but one does not simply create the fastest selling console of all time and then leave it to fend for itself in what was probably the most crucial year of the generation. Nintendo, you're losing your fanbase constantly. You need to put your games out, or at least show what you've got. I'm glad you're thriving as a business, but I need to see that money go towards your games.

Runners up: Indiana Jones, E308

Now before I continue, I need to say that I apologize if anyone is offended. None of the terms I used were intended to be derogatory in anyway, and should not be taken as such. I realize that my opinion on things may be very controversial being an incredibly liberal atheist. Again, I apologize.

Moving on, my stats for this year.

Profile views: 9222
Friends: 115
People tracking me: 299
Forum Posts: 20680 (>___>)
Comments: 556
Blog Posts: 129
Sexayness: over 9000
Written Reviews: 15

An addition I'm making this year is my favorite emblem. It's not a difficult choice for me, but here it is.

Power and Influence
Those who rank amongst this hallowed 100 greatly benefit those searching for critical information about games. These individuals' thoughtful, analytical reviews tend to be much more detailed and sophisticated than most of the so-called professional game reviews you could find elsewhere. Sure enough, the top 100 tend to be prolific writers and avid game players.

Oddly enough, I'm actually pretty proud to have this one. I've always seen myself as a poor writer, but I'd say some GS staff members disagree.

Now onto my best friends on Gamespot. This is always a pretty tough one, but I think I'll be able to able to do it with minimal offense to people. :P Oh, and I'm only doing 5 this year.

5. Willy105- How could anybody not like Willy? He's basically the ideal person everyone should aspire to be... so if I don't see more Diddy avatars this year you better watch out. :evil:

4. Shinno441- Ever since I quit being an officer in my unions, I haven't really talked to you a whole lot. Still, you're one of the few people I can play against online competitively and not worry about any sore feelings (on either side :P).

3. Chazasul- Even if I don't see as much as I used to, you're randomness always put a smile on my face. :oops: You need to come back.

2.magiciandude- Sure, we've never really connected that well, but you tolerate me for some pretty extended periods on that chatroom. :P Plus, you like Ike. Can't go wrong with that.

1.kansasdude2009- Despite your insistence to capital the 'n' in my username, you've remained by best bud on gamespot. I'm sure you weren't too excited when I quit, but the fact that you still value my insight on what goes on at NDU is not only surprising, but it makes me remember why you're my best friend here.

Other mentions: Haziqonfire, FireEmblem_Man

I haven't seen enough of either of you during the year. :( I'm sure if that changed, one of you guys could top Captain Kansas. :P

Next, is my favorite picture I've seen this year. This is a hard choice, but I have to go with this.

For my final part of this blog, I'll be posting my review (which would be a new review written from scratch for this blog) for my Game of the Year.

World of Goo

It's certainly is hard to believe that a team of three people, one of them not even being present during the entire development, could make a game of such high quality as this. 2D Boy, if for some reason you ever read this, I have but one thing to say: "Wow."

Part of the beauty of World of Goo is that World of Goo's story could be perceived in a myriad of ways. To avoid spoilers, they will not be discussed. However, looking past what would seem like a simple, one layered story lies a message about society. What is that message? Play the game and find out. In each level, the player can read some signs which were made by an anonymous person who calls himself "The Sign Painter." The signs usually provide ways clues on the level, but can frequently hint at other ideas relating to the story and the hidden message behind the story.

Gameplay is where World of Goo really begins to standout from the mundane puzzle game. Goo balls being sprawled about on the ground, small structure- somewhere on the map- and the objective is to guide a required amount to a pipe that transports them somewhere. The extra challenge comes in the form of OCD awards, which challenge the player to complete a level under a certain amount of time and rescue a certain amount of extra goo balls. The extra goo balls are used in an area where the player can compete to build the largest tower of goo. WiiConnect24 is used to acquire live updates of other players towers as they're being built, creating a simple yet addicting addition to an already fantastic game.

Connecting the Goo blobs together by picking one up and holding the glob near the pre-built structure will allow the goo to be added to the structure with a preview of how the new addition will look. While the idea sounds simple, the game expands on simple scaffolding quickly. Eventually, the player will be constructing bridges, swings, and basically anything else. As long as you have enough goo, you can build it.

Of course, more than one goo type exists. Some goo balls can inflate like balloons, lifting your goo structures to avoid the perils of this odd, odd world. Others are basically coated in industrial gorilla glue so they can stick to essentially anything. Some are immune to death, allowing you to use them as supports against harsh terrain. Exploiting World of Goo's goo and using them efficiently is key to attaining those extra goos for your tower.

However, World of Goo does have some flaws. Moving the screen around a level can only be done by moving the pointer to the edge of the screen, meaning that basically every button aside from the A button is unused. Using the d-pad to move the camera should at least be an option, since everything else in the game is done with the pointer, making some panic situations a bit difficult to deal with. In later levels, selecting one particular ball of goo can become a difficult task because of the mass of goo balls surrounding the desired ball.

Graphically, World of Goo looks like Tim Burton made a cartoon on Nickelodeon. Each chapter (which is a different season) provides a unique setting. Spring being more cheerful and innocent, winter being harsh and forgiving, and fall and summer providing anything in between. Of course, there are other settings, but due to spoilers, they will be overlooked in the review text. The game runs smoothly, with little if any slow downs even with hundreds of goo balls raining down from the sky, or a structure almost a mile tall crumbling down to earth.

World of Goo manages to use physics to its full advantage. Physicas play a major role in making structures. As such, a slender tower will begin to sway as gravity and even the goo balls moving around it affect the weight distribution until some outside force acts upon the tower to support, or destroy, it. The player has the ability to make sound using the wiimote, and wherever the sound is being played, the goo balls will attempt to be as close to the sounds as possible. Doing so can help to balance a precariously swaying tower, or swing a vine shaped line of goo to the goal pipe.

World of Goo's soundtrack is top notch. Few video games manage to reach movie quality music. World of Goo not only achieves this feat, but the music being played seems like the soundtrack was made specifically for that level, despite most of the music being used multiple times in many different scenarios. The goo balls are given some life by the use of cheers, sometimes evoking a comical feeling. Hearing a black ball of goo with nothing but two eyes cry, "Woohoo!" provides no small amount of satisfaction, and oddly enough, does not seem to grow old.

Overall, World of Goo provides a fantastic and unique experience that cannot be found anywhere else. The physics and the wiimote's pointer function are used ingeniously throughout the game, and solving each puzzle never fails to elicit a sense of accomplishment. The dark, surreal setting of the game is expressed perfectly though the game's cut scenes and the signs in each level. World of Goo exemplifies the dreams of indie creations in a simple yet addicting masterpiece.

9.0

Last year for my end of the year blog I made a list of my top most Disappointing and my Biggest Surprises of 08. Another blog after that I made a list of my stats and my top GS friends. I'll probably do the same thing this year, but I'm wondering if anybody has any sort of request for me to add to the next one. If I like it, I'll fulfill the request. ;)

Oh yeah, and I made a blog header a week or so ago. You like?

Since I'm here and I have you attention, I suppose I'll briefly go over what I got for the holidays:

Guitar Hero World Tour (band kit) for Wii
Extra Guitar
Tales of Symphonia 2
The Dark Knight on DVD (w/ Digital Copy for my Ipod)
New cellphone
Clothes
Random hygiene related things (razor, body spray, you know the stuff I'm talking about)
Some kind of necklace that I'm calling my pimp chain

And I believe that's it. Oh yeah, and the Kobe led the Lakers to beat the Celtics (just for future reference, I root for players, not teams. I just like Kobe more than any Celtics player). Overall I can't complain.

Also, since the picture from my last blog was a hit, I'm thinking about adding a pic to every blog from now on, just to spice things up a bit. :P

Yeah I'm back to playing Pokecrack again. I'm not sure why, but I just can't seem to get away from it. I do have a reason for playing though. Since I'm guessing Platinum is coming out next April (like D/P did) I decided I'd get a head start and get my team ready for my first Platinum run through. But since I like to multi-task, I figured I'd plan things out so I could use my Plat team in competitive battling after I finish training them in the game. Sure it's going to be hard and I'm sure it will become annoying, but hey, I've done more tedious tasks in video games before.

In other news, X-mas is in... what 11 days? Am I excited? Not as much as I should be with me knowing what I'm getting (which is a good bit). Perhaps my maturity is showing not only through my facial hair but also my personality? :o Inconceivable! I do know one thing though. This week of school is going to be long and boring... well more than usual.

For the few fans of my reviews, I might be putting another one up soon, probably on GH WT (which I'll be getting on X-mas), ToS2 (same as GHWT), Chrono Trigger, World of Goo, or hell maybe I'll just pick some random game. Point is, I'll probably be writing up another one, partly in hopes that I'll keep that Top 100 emblem for a third running.

Oh yeah, and I've got a funny pic. :P

That's right. I can now play what is considered to be one of the, if not the best RPG of all time. Chrono Trigger, I now bestow unto thee my life for the next month or so. 

With break being this week I should be able to spend most of it doing nothing. Well.... not this year. Those AP coursess I've been complaining about all year have once again given me another reason to hate them. Interestingly enough, all of my non-AP coursess have given me absolutely no homework over break. Imagine that. So reading a book and writing a report on it, writing a 5 page research paper, and outlining 3 chapters (that's about 100 pages of outlining) are what I'm doing this week. :|

I have to admit, being a Nintendo fan is becoming increasingly difficult these days. I'm finding myself constantly being disappointed this year with the performances of several Wii games, ToS2 being a major one (although I have to admit I didn't exactly expect it to score amazingly well anyway). Sure next year looks great, if not amazing with several titles coming out just in the first quarter, but what about right now? Sure I can't really complain that much, I mean I just bought Chrono Trigger, but what about the Wii? I can't think of any killer apps that came out or will be out this season. You could say I've been looking at other systems a bit more enthusiastically lately. 

Anyhow, hope everyone is enjoying their break and the Europeans aren't bored to death still being in school. :P