Top 5 Smash Bros. Characters

I was kinda bored so I thought I'd post my top 5 favorite characters from Brawl. You might be able to expect details later, but I'm not making any promises. I would still be maining with Sonic til just out of nowhere I kinda sucked with him. I still like him, I just don't know what happened. He even got replaced by Ike. That's quite a transition. I like Trainer because he's "Super Effective" against pretty much anyone. You just gotta use the correct Pokemon.

1. Pokemon Trainer (I main with him)

2. Ike

3. Sonic

4. Samus (and Zero-Suit Samus)

5. Olimar

Lol, Email craziness

I just checked my gmail account. Its the email address I use for things I know I'm gonna get:
A) Spam
B) Stuff I don't care about
I have 326 messages since last time a checked, a couple months ago. But, check this out, I even have a "Spam" folder that has 909 messages. I wonder how the other 326 messages slipped by that? I have everything from a $1000 Wal-mart Card, CSI training (how to get my Forensics degree - wtf?), testing Dell laptops, my college options, 2 min. quiz to get an iPod touch, etc. Its pretty hilarious to me. Not that I'm gonna sit here and read all 326. But the good thing about gmail is it has like unlimited storage (well, that was an exaggeration, but, ya know...gmail). My "Spam" folder is where it gets even funnier. I got this one email from a "Mary" telling me about how my Credit Card Debt has been canceled. Uh...thanks? I wish I had a credit card, I woulda just saved a bunch of money, lol. I have many, many weight loss emails (what, am I FAT?!?!?!):
1. Health Labs - Drop 20 lbs for Summer
2. Health News - Shed 25 lbs. in 20 days
3. SlimNews - Drop 17 lbs. in 27 days for free!
4. Health News (again?) - Josh drop 23 pounds before in 30 days. (what's that mean?)
...the list goes on and on. that's about 1/4 of what's on the first page. I also got an email from "JapanesesSecret" saying "Women needed age 25-55." I don't even know where that came from - since I'm not a woman nor am I ages 25-55. Funnily enough I didn't get anything from Viagra or any type of ya know...growth hormone. I know this isn't as funny as it would be if you were sitting here looking at my inbox yourself, but I thought someone out there might get a laugh out of it.

What is "good" metal anymore?

I was just reading an article about Avenged Sevenfold, and this mostly comes from the comments I was reading at the bottom. There was this guy, "Retrograde" who commented how back during the Waking the Fallen days, A7X had that "stereotypical post-hardcore look" and now they've gone to a "faux 80s wank rock look." This guy obviously has no idea what he's talking about when it comes to metal itself. Since the 80s, there has not been much of it, we can see from the decline of bands like Iron Maiden, Guns N Roses (ya, I know Axl hates everyone), and Pantera (ya, I know...Dimebag). Us metalheads haven't had much to survive on besides crappy death metal (ya, I hate death metal), and bands like A7X. These people aren't stuck in a dimension where time ceases to exist. They are going to progress from "post-hardcore" to "faux 80s." And isn't this very reminiscent of the 80s? Isn't this what metalheads want most in this rap-infested world we live in? A lot of us would give just about anything for metal to be on top again. And I think bands like Avenged Sevenfold are helping out our cause. Another guy, "Tag" responded to "Retrograde's" comment with "well, it pretty much is the next incarnation of metal. Well, the start of the next metal incarnation at least..." That's the point I'm trying to make. If bands like A7X continue to grow, they'll blow crap like Fall Out Boy and 50 cent and whatever else people listen to these days out of the water.

On a different note, I wanted to comment on the "faux 80s" thing. Have you ever stopped to realize that unlike some people (Retrograde), all the guys in A7X grew up in the 80s? Its kinda hard to be influenced so much by bands that dressed like that, then turn around and be preppy or something. As much as I'd hate to use gangstas as an example, look at them. How do people like Lil Wayne and Usher and Chris Brown dress? Now, walk outside, somewhere like central Florida. And tell me how you see people dressing. Ya, thought so. Its just natural.

Hope I didn't waste too much of your time with my rants which may or may not have made sense. I'm not going to bother to read through it to check that.

Gangsternisms

You might hear me say this word sometimes. So I'm putting my definition here. I'm also pretty bored.

Gang·ster·nis·ms (gāng-stĕr-nĭs-ŭmz) - v. An action taken by a gangster or gangsters. (The gangsters are always so caught up in their gangsternisms.)adj. used to describe actions made by a gangster or gangsters (Look at all the gangstas, going about with their gangsternisms.)

As you can tell, there isn't much of a difference whether you use the word as a verb or an adjective - so it doesn't really matter how you use it, so long as you're talking about gangstas.

New Release Dates

Alright...all of a sudden we just got a bunch of release dates for some of the big games this year. so I figured I'd go over all the ones we now know.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Wii, 360, PS3, DS, PSP, PS2) - September 16

Mercenaries 2: World In Flames (360, PS3, PC, PS2) - August 31

Alone in the Dark (360, Wii, PS2, PS3, PC) - June 24

Ninja Gaiden 2 (360) - June 3

Dead Space (360, PS3, PC) - Halloween (presumably Oct. 31)

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) - June 12

Grand Theft Auto 4 (360, PS3) - April 29

Alan Wake (360, PC) - Sepember 26 (Europe - I imagine U.S. won't be too far off though...)

Killzone 2 (PS3) - September 26 (Europe - see above)

Scream Aim Fire Review

Like my Bioshock review, I am aware that this is a little late. But, what can I say? I'm lazy. Anyway, here we go...

This album is hard to describe. It's distinctly Bullet for my Valentine, yet its hard to compare it to "The Poison" because the styles are different, yet remain unchanged. You got all that? What I guess I'm trying to say is that this album is distinctly Bullet for my Valentine, while retaining its own sound and style that's different from "The Poison."

Ya, I will say there is less screaming on this album. But it retains its heaviness. When there is screaming, its heavy and loud - just the way we like it. Also, BFMV followed through on their promise that this album would have the same ridiculously catchy choruses as the last album. The weird thing about this album is how it sounds different. Like I said, it sounds different, yet still remains the same. You'll have to listen to it yourself to understand what I'm saying. I can't figure out what's different about it. Whatever it is, its still awesome. Something you'll notice are the guitar solos. The most substantial thing about them is that Matt & Padge must have learned to sweep pick or something. This is something that I don't recall hearing on "The Poison," but you'll find in tracks like "Scream Aim Fire," "Eye of the Storm," and (my personal favorite) "Deliver Us From Evil."

The lyrical content of this album is mostly different from "The Poison." On there, you'll hear those eerie songs about love and loss and memories, but here, its more spread out. There's still songs like "Say Goodnight" and "Forever and Always," but now there's songs like "Waking the Demon" that recall how the members in Bullet were picked on a lot in school and how one day they're snap and are not going to take it anymore. Just like in "The Poison," the lyrics are written so "fans can make connections with our songs," according to Matt, and that's something any Bullet fan will agree with.

This is a solid effort put forth by Bullet in their sophomore album "Scream Aim Fire." It boasts some impressive tracks, but doesn't hold as many memorable songs as "The Poison." But Bullet's going in a good direction - they're not going to turn around to be the next Fall Out boy (thank God) - And they definitely aren't going to leave their metal roots behind.

8.5/10

Tracklist:

1. Scream Aim Fire*

2. Eye of the Storm

3. Hearts Burst Into Fire*

4. Waking the Demon*

5. Disappear

6. Deliver Us From Evil*

7. Take It Out On Me

8. Say Goodnight*

9. End of Days

10. Last to Know

11. Forever and Always*

*Bonus Tracks*

12. Creeping Death (Metallica Cover)

13. Ashes of the Innocent*

14. No Easy Way Out (Japanese bonus track - Cover of the "Rocky IV" theme)

*denotes essential downloads

Bioshock Review

Ya, I know Bioshock came out approximately 7 months ago, but I didn't have my 360 until mid-January, and I didn't have Bioshock itself until a couple of weeks later. But now, a month after that, I have my review for this awesome game.

First off, let me say that this is one of the most well-written games I can ever remember playing. Everything clicks, everything makes sense, and everything is explained throughout the game. And there's even a twist worthy of "Saw" a bit more than halfway through. This really adds a lot of fun to the game, and you're not walking around killing Splicers for no reason.

The gameplay itself is great. You have your standard weapons that include a pistol, shotgun, and machine gun, along with some other cool weapons like the grenade launcher, crossbow, and chemical thrower. Each of these guns have 3 types of ammo that can be used at any time adding a lot of variety to your weapons. Everything is aimed through little reticles on the screen, and some weapons like the crossbow, pistol, and machine gun have a down-sight aiming option, but since combat is to fast-paced you'll rarely be using this. Along with your weapons are also plasmids, which are genetic modification enabling you to use special powers such as shooting lighting out of your hand, lighting people on fire, and freezing people. Those are just 3 plasmids, there are a lot more such as Cyclone Trap (places a whirlwind on the ground that launches enemies into the air), Insect Swarm (shoots a swarm of bees at enemies that can attack large groups), and Telenkinesis. The plasmids mixed with the standard weapons make for limitless possibilities when it comes to killing your enemies. The most fun way to do that is to be creative, never kill 2 enemies the same way. A question you'll often ask yourself (especially against Big Daddies) is "How will I go about doing this?" Will you launch an enemy into the air and have them land in an oil slick which you proceed to set on fire? Or maybe you'll cover a gas tank with mines and use Telekinesis to throw it at your enemy. You'll make so many spectacular kills, there's just so way to explain it.

Onto the enemies. They are as follows:

Splicers:
-Thuggish Splicer
-Leadhead Splicer
-Nitro Splicer
-Spider Splicer
-Houdini Splicer
Big Daddies:
-Bouncer
-Rosie
Security:
-Security Bots
-Security Cameras
-Turrets

--Machine Gun
--RPG
--Flamethrower

Along with these enemies, you'll fight bosses that will be modeled after certain types of Splicers (which I'll get to in a moment), such as Dr. Steinman (Leadhead Splicer), Peach Wilkins (Nitro Splicer), and Sander Cohen (Houdini Splicer). The main boss though, is the Big Daddy. These huge guys are the protectors of the Little Sisters, who harvest the all important ADAM from dead bodies. You are going to have to harvest or save the Little Sisters, and this isn't possible until the Big Daddy is killed. There are 2 types of Big Daddies. The Bouncer is the one you've probably seen before. He has the caged helmet and the drill on his arm. Though he's easier to kill than a Rosie, he's cooler...You just can't beat the awesomeness of that drill. The Rosies carry around Rivet Guns and will throw mines at you. These are generally harder to kill because it involves direct combat - its very hard to lure it into traps since it can attack from long range.

The Splicers are your main enemy though. These are people who have used plasmids and other tonics to genetically altar themselves to the point where they've been driven insane. First, the thuggish splicer. They attack with blunt weapons. The leadhead splicer will attack with either a pistol or a machine gun, but you use a melee attack when at close range. Nitro Splicers will either throw grenades or molotov cocktails at you. Spider Splicers can walk on the ceiling, have incredible agility, and will attack by either throwing these hook things at you, or running up close and whacking you. Last, the houdini splicer has the ability to teleport in the middle of combat. They attack by shooting fire (or in one or two cases, ice) out of their hands.

Security is the last of your enemies. Making up the security in Rapture are cameras, bots, and turrets. The main thing about all of these is that they can be hacked, which will make them friendly. Once you get to the point where you can easily hack anything, you won't have to worry about security anymore.

The graphics in Bioshock are absolutely incredible. The ting you'll be most amazed by though, are the water effects. They way the water shimmers and reflects and everything else water does is just great. Everytime you see the water (which will be a lot, Rapture is prone to leaks and stuff), you'll be like "Whoa!" The people and everything also look great. The best part about this is that you won't see any stupid glitches like splicers running through Big Daddies or people standing in the floor (much like I've seen far too much of). The physics engine and AI also contribute a lot to the game. The enemies are smart, and often you'll be using the environment around you to attack them (since we all know plasmids are much more fun than guns), and this turns out to be easy since the physics are so realistic. Fire Spreads. Water conducts electricity. This is the kind of stuff that makes Bioshock such a great game and fun to play.

Last thing I'll talk about is the sound. The sound design in Bioshock is ingenious. From footsteps to weapon sounds, to music, to voices, everything just works out perfectly. In a dark room glowing from the only light coming in through the deep-sea windows that has 50s music playing, you'll be given a sense of eerieness that makes you feel isolated, yet you know you're not alone. This is what is creepiest about Bioshock. You'll also notice the way the splicers talk. Some are religious, others are just plain crazy - you can tell from the way they talk. You'll probably get a bit freaked out when you can hear a splicer mourning for a lost child or shouting threats into the air from around corners. On the subject of voice overs, the Little Sisters will probably give you the creeps once or twice. You can hear them referring to corpses as "angels" just before they plunge their huge needle into the body and start drinking the blood they extract. Other sounds that were extremely well-done were those of the Big Daddies. Hearing the low clunking footsteps of the Big Daddies and their whale-like moans in an otherwise empty location is very creepy and very cool.

So, everything said, Bioshock is an incredible game. You'll definitely play this through a couple times due to the immense amount of exploration and experimentation that is possible in it, or maybe it's because you want to see both the "good" ending and the "bad" ending. Either way, you'll be having fun with Bioshock for quite a while.

10/10

Random Stuff...

Its been a while since I posted anything here. But I feel I'm overdue for a couple things:
1. A Bioshock Review.
2. A Review of Bullet for my Valentine's "Scream Aim Fire"
3. Taste of Chaos stuff.

You can expect most of this tomorrow (or later today - since its 1:30 AM right now), since i'll probably be kinda bored.

Avenged Sevenfold

Avenged Sevenfold has released their new music video for the song "Afterlife" from their latest self-titled album. Its pretty cool, 'cept Zacky's hair looks a little funny, and they cut out the first part of the solo as well as the orchestral breakdown before the solo. Too bad...But for all you crazed A7X fans out there, here's a link to the video. Here.

Dead Space Trailer

Quite possibly my most anticipated game of 2008, Dead Space. A "Trailer" was released, and its still looking pretty awesome. Once again, don't lose faith just 'cause EA's developing it. This isn't some movie based game or Madden '09 here. The game's officially to have been said to be due out on Halloween. Which makes sense with what people working on it have been saying. According to Executive Producer Glen Schofield, "This team has worked on some tremendous properties but we have always wanted to work on something that was darker and creepier. We are all such huge fans of the horror and sci-fi genres; we wanted to create the most terrifying game we could, and keep the player on the edge of his seat the entire time." Yay! So, look for this on the PS3, PC, and 360 this Halloween. Until then, check the trailer.

Bad News for System of a Down Fans

Ya, that's right. They probably won't be getting back together. Former guitarist Daron Malakian said in an interview. According to him in an interview with MTV, "There's no talk of System doing anything. We're not planning on doing anything. If anyone's holding their breath for a System record, they're going to turn blue and pass out. It's a long ways away, if it ever even happens. We don't even talk about it - none of us. This (Scars on Broadway) is my band right now." But, if you look at this from a glass-half-full perspective, all he said was that none of them are talking about it right now. That doesn't eliminate the possibility of a reunion in a couple years. Maybe they'll do what all the 80's bands seem to be doing nowadays (having reunions, touring, recording, etc.). I'm sure they can't feel like System was complete after only making 5 albums. But, all I can say now is good luck to Serj, Scars on Broadway, and whatever Shavo's getting into right now.

2008 Game predictions Part 2

The 2nd part to what games I think are going to be awesome in 2008.

Ninja Gaiden 2: This shouldn't need any explanation. Ninja Gaiden was one of the best games on the original Xbox. It has essentially been remade a number of times on different consoles (i.e. Ninja Gaiden Sigma on the PS3), along with an expansion pack-type thing also on the Xbox (Ninja Gaiden Black), but this is the first actual sequel and is a 360 exclusive (for now - mark my words, it will find its way to the PS3). Ninja Gaiden 2 is going to be bigger and bloodier than before and it lands here June 3.

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames: This is the game that should've come out last November, but has been delayed until this August. I wouldn't be surprised about another delay though. Its been delayed twice (to my knowledge). First, from November to March, then from March to August. There could've been one in between though, I hadn't checked for a while. Anyway, gameplay videos I've seen look amazing (on the current-gen anyway - those poor people stuck in lastgenland). So, let's hope it finally does make its way onto the 360, PC, PS2, and PS3 this August.

Alone in the Dark: This survival-horror game is coming to the 360, Wii, PS2, PC, and PS3 this June. I personally don't know much about it, except the fire is awesome. I think that the background graphics (walls and stuff) could use a slight touch-up, but other than that, it looks pretty sweet. If you want any more info, I would suggest asking my friend Carlos about it.

Splinter Cell: Conviction: Another Splinter Cell game, even though that's not a bad thing. It looks like gameplay's taking a turn here - you won't be able to survive by just sitting in dark corners. Sam Fisher is now a full-fledged fugitive and pretty much won't have any type of support, whether from 3rd Echelon or his friends. You're going to have to learn to use your environment as a weapon rather than relying on guns or whatever other stealthy tools you've come to know and love. This is making its way to the 360, PC, and DS sometime in Q2 (hopefully).

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: The newest Star Wars action game that pus you in the place of Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and takes place between Episodes 3 and 4. I don't know a whole lot about what the gameplay's going to be like, but if this turns out to be a gem in the Star Wars gaming franchise, there shouldn't be any excuse for you to miss it. It should hit shelves in August on the 360, PC, DS, PSP, Wii, PS2, and PS3.

Fable 2: "Fable 2" is really all you need to know here. Sequel to one of the best games to be released on the Xbox, is stepping it up. Now, you'll have more choices and consequences of your actions. Be a polygamist, but don't let your wives find out, or they might have a couple words for you. This time around, you'll also have a dog. He acts as you HUD or danger detector. Its rather hard to explain, but should be pretty awesome. More new features include: pregnancy for female characters, gambling, online co-op, and jobs. You wil lalso be able to download Fable 2: Pub Games from the XBLA before the games release. You can make money gambling there, then when Fable 2 is finally released, transfer all of that money to your character. Just don't expect to see this game til late thie year.

Prototype: I think this game has some serious potential, if it can get away from the Spiderman-esque feel it has. Running through the bustling streets is not something I care a whole lot to revisit (not saying Spiderman 2 was a bad game, it just doesn't need to be redone). But other than that, you play as a shape-shifter with no memory of his past on the run from the military as you try and solve the mystery of his existence. Along with the shape-shifting ability, you can even "consume" people, allowing you to take on their appearance in tight situations where you need to avoid detection. It still needs a lot of work, but we also have most of this year to wait - maybe Radical will fix its flaws by then (the graphics also need some work).

Alan Wake: The story here is rather complicated, but I'll try: Alan Wake is best-selling suspense novelist who gets his inspirations from his eerie dreams triggered whenever he's sleeping near his fiancee. But when his fiancee disappears, he stops dreaming, and sleeping all together. He eventually moves to the town of Pride Falls in Washington and checks into a sleep clinic. After partially being cured, he finds a girl who is eerily like his lost fiancee. She looks the same, and whenever he's sleeping with her (no, not like that), he has his dreams. But now they're starting to happen in real life. Now he's got to figure out what's happening and yadda-yadda-yadda. there is more to it, but you won't find it here (well, maybe here, just not now). It sounds more to me like a movie than a game, but maybe that's a good thing. Not sure as to what the gameplay's going to be like, but the graphics and everything associated with them look pretty sweet. Hopefully it won't be long before we see this, Europe's release is March 21, but there hasn't been a date set for the US yet. I'll keep ya posted.

Brutal Legend: There's literally almost nothing known about this game, except you play as Eddie Riggs who is pulled back in time to learn his true purpose. And the rest has to do with the awesomeness of metal, heavy metal, rock, etc. As far as I can tell, you're gonna be bashing beasts with guitars. Why? I don't know. I'm sure we'll find out in due time.

Gears of War 2: It has officially been announced (about time too), and should be here this November!!! There's VERY little known about it at this time, it was just confirmed yesterday or something. But, if it in any way follows Gears' footsteps, we're looking at a potential game of the year.

There's my top games for 2008. Let's hope they turn out to be as awesome as they're looking right now.

My predictions for... (Part 1)

best 360 games of '08. I know some of these aren't exactly 360 exclusive or anything, in which case, they can also apply to whatever other systems these games will be available for. Even if its the PS3.
Too Human: Makers of this game have experienced some horrible luck over the years. It was originally planned for the Gamecube/Playstation (and I mean the playstation 1), but experienced numerous delays and finally, a cancellation. But now this third-person action game is nearing completion on the 360 and is due out in the U.S. hopefully some time in May.

Dead Space: Kind of a third-person shooter from what I can tell so far (from the teaser you can see below). I understand that its being developed by EA itself, but I think it has some serious potential. I mean, God of War, one of the greatest games to be released for the PS2 was developed by Sony Studios in Santa Monica. I mean, would you have expected a Sony developer to do that? Anyway, the game's director, Glen Schofield, says that they aim to make the "scariest game ever." This one's definitely up in my top 5 most anticipated of 2008. Too bad its due out probably sometime in Q3-Q4, around October, and I'll be sure to make posts about it anytime I get some news. Really the only thing I can see holding this back is it being multi-platform. You know what happens to potentially good games when they come out for more than 2 systems at once. This one's for the 360, PS3, and PC. Personally I think that PS3 owners can wait, since they were stupid enough to buy the stupid system. In the mean time, check it out on IGN since I couldn't possibly post everything here.

Halo Wars: Ever wanted to play an RTS in the Halo universe? Well this is your game. I'm personally a huge fan of Strategy games. And I also like Halo (even if its pwned by Call of Duty 4). Possibly the best news about this is the Halo franchise wasn't handed over to some nobody. It is being developed by the one and only Bungie Studios. I have no idea what the story/campaign mode is going to be like here, to the best of my knowledge, the story ended in Halo 3. I guess we'll find out in due time. This will ship hopefully some time in July, if not, sometime in Q2-Q3 of this year. Hopefully.

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty: This one's coming out on the 360, PS3, and PC. Its a first-person shooter that asks: What if the Nazis were never defeated in Europe, and they tried to expand their evil reign into the U.S.? Its due out February 26 (this month!), and I have high hopes for it.

Tom Clancy's Endwar: It seems games are FINALLY moving away from WWII. This one in particular focuses on the apocalyptic WWIII (which, according to this is in 2020). You'll play as either the US, Russia, and Europe, each with their own pros/cons. Its a strategy game, and probably the coolest part of it is not the amazing graphics, but the voice-command. Yes, it is thoroughly tested. You won't say "infantry" and have your men think you said "in the tree" or "I am three." The developers have tested it with multiple accents and everything you could want, and it works. IT WORKS! Its also due out around September for the 360, PC, PS3, and for some reason, the Nintendo DS.

Fracture: Not much known about this. Its a shooter where special grenades can be used to altar the environment around you. I know that's vague and doesn't sound too interesting - just look it up and see if you think differently. Due out in July.

I'll end this post here and make part 2 later.

Gaming

Ok, what I would like to do is post reviews of games I've played recently, but most likely, I won't do that til I can experience online, since online gaming is becoming such a huge part of games today. Obviously I don't have the money to put reviews of every game released on every system (as cool as that would be), but I will do games I get. What I can put right now are partial reviews of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Gears of War (this one will be in another post). Both for the 360 (Cuz I have one now)

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
This is the game FPS lovers have been waiting for for a VERY long time. Let's go over some of its attractive qualities:
1. Its a very well done wartime shooter.
2. It DOESN'T take place in World War 2.
3. The writers get you to really hate your enemies (by this I mean the main dudes - Al-Asad, Imran Zakaev for the most part).
4. Its one of the most intense shooters you'll ever play.
5. Its graphics are seriously amazing (on the 360 anyway).
6. It DOESN'T take place in World War 2.

Now I'll get to reviewing the actual game. The campain mode is probably around 7-10 hours long (which may not be that long, but hey, that's still like twice as long as Halo 3 :) It involves you ("Soap" or Sgt. Jackson depending on the mission you're doing) going through mostly Russia and the Middle East on missions searching for terrorist leaders. These missions are intense, and can get pretty hard at times (and I hear Veteran mode is quite good at reducing people to tears - I wouldn't know for sure as I'm too scared to try it). There a wide variety of weapons, all unique and fun to use, they all have pros and cons though. for example: There's this one (I can't remember the name) that is very powerful, and a really fast rate of fire, and a huge clip size, but it takes FOREVER to reload. As for gameplay, you're gonna have to get used to using cover, because you're going to need it. Aiming is dead on, the AI isn't stupid, and its just fun. The enemy AI for example, is smart. They'll lob grenades at you, they'll lob your grenades back at you, they'll find cover, and if you were to come in close up to them, they're not going whip out a sniper rifle, they'll switch to melee, which is the most effective (and bloodiest) in these situations. The sound system is well done. That meaning you won't hear fire crackers exploding when you fire your SMGs, and the orchestral scores are well-written. As I mentioned before about graphics, they're seriously amazing and realistic (if someone walks in on you at the right time you might hear them comment or ask why you're watching war footage), and they're some of the best I've ever seen in a game. Also, be sure to sit through the credits, there's a mission afterwards called the "Mile High Club" that involves rescuing a hostage on a plane. Pretty fun. When you complete the game, you'll also unlock a mode called "Arcade Mode." In this, you can go through all the missions on any difficulty you want and try to get high scores and whatnot. There's also a mission select mode, which I love cuz not many games seem to have this, and its annoying to play 3/4 of the way through a game to get to your favorite mission. Other than this though, there isn't much replayability, which is the downside. You could go back through and get the enemy intel for cheats and achievements, but that's it. But I guess you could have fun (and end up with less hair than before) by trying the game on Veteran Mode. You'll just have to go online if you want to play more. But online should get you hooked enough to keep playing for a while (especially with its create a class and everything it has to offer that isn't just deathmatches and CTF).

In closing, this is a seriously awesome game, and you should totally get it. It blows Halo 3 out of the water. A must have for any shooter fan or 360/PS3/PC owner (sorry Wii, blame Nintendo).

9/10

"As I scream aim and fire, the death toll grows higher!"

Yes, I got "Scream Aim Fire" Saturday. I would post a review (along with reviews of games I've gotten or played through recently), but whenever I've been listening to it, its mostly been a background noise and I haven't paid much attention to it. Mostly due to Gears of War. But when I can post an accurate review, I'll do that.

My Top 5 Video Game Weapons

My top 5 favorite video game weapons. I don't care about what you think, or Final Fantasy (or Kingdom Hearts :P)

5. The Ancient Sword (I dunno if it has a name) - Shadow of the Colossus.

Why?

This sword is awesome. It is the only sword able to bring down any of the 16 massive colossi - some of the largest bosses you'll ever face. This is possible cuz of the magical properties it has, what with being able to locate colossi and their vulnerable areas. It must also be pretty sacred (and powerful) if all those spiritual guys were so insulted that Wander would have it, and so afraid of what it is used for and has done.

4. Pikmin - Pikmin and Pikmin 2

Why?

How can you not love these little guys? They will and want to give their lives for you. They are also your ultimate tool and body guard. You can control up to 100 of them at once, and use them to collect treasures, and kill monsters that threaten to attack you. You can launch them at enemies or order them to swarm enemies, then they'll take the bodies of their victims to give you either Pokos (money) or seeds (for newbies - more Pikmin). They're small, fierce, and effective - making them a pretty cool "weapon."

3. The Striker - Resident Evil 4

Why?

All I can think of to describe this as is a semi-automatic shotgun. It doesn't require pumping, it's powerful and has a pretty quick rate of fire. And fully upgraded, it is really a force to be reckoned with. Get the 100 shots per clip upgrade and you'll be ready to face nearly anything (nearly = regenerators/iron maidens) that the game will throw at you. Extremely effective at close and mid-range, with its spray/cluster fire, you don't need to be really accurate to own with this gun. Let's just leave it at this. Don't leave the merchant without one.

2. Blades of Chaos - God of War

Why?

Count up on your fingers, how many weapons are so dark, fierce, and powerful, that they could only be forged in the foulest depths of Hades and bestowed upon someone only by the God of War himself. How many did you get? ...Thought so. The Blades of Chaos are seriously awesome. Kratos's go-to weapons can slaughter anything Kratos comes into contact with. He can throw them certain distances given the fact that their chains are seared to his flesh, making them useful in many situations, not just up-close stuff. They also offer many combos and special moves that basically carve "Pwned" into enemies' bodies. What I put her can't come close to describing how truly awesome the blades are though...you'll just have to play God of War yourself.

1. The Lancer Rifle - Gears of War

Why?

If you have no idea what this is, you're probably thinking "why give number one to a stupid machine gun?" Here's why. It's not just a stupid machine gun. It's a stupid machine gun with a chainsaw on the end. This makes for some of the bloodiest, coolest, and most brutal kills you've ever seen. 2 of the most effective weapons seen in any action games, combined into one. What makes it even better, its your default weapon. No money out of your pocket or any stupid, impossible to beat challenges to go through. With this, you're covered from long distances, since the gun's really accurate in itself (and holds up to 660 shots), but when you need to get out of a tight situation, you can rev up the chainsaw for some ownage in its finest form. This is most effective against dying enemies, as its extra satisfying to plunge those revolving spikes into your victim's chests. Its also pretty cool to see the blood spatter all over the scene, or, if you're looking on from afar, to see all the blood flying EVERYWHERE from the victim's body. If that doesn't give you a good idea of how brutal and awesome this gun is, pop in gears of war and find out for yourself.

A whole ton of crap

Maybe that was an exageration, but there is some stuff to post about. Bullet for my Valentine's new album "Scream Aim Fire" was released today. I don't have it and probably won't til this weekend (maybe I can get a review or something out then), but you can check it out. If you wanna get it, your first option is obviously to go to the store and buy it. But, if you're fat and lazy, you can download it from the iTunes store at this link: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=272102094&id=272102066&s=143441. You can also get it here: http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/3514796/Scream-Aim-Fire/Product.html?P36=79GZ6P (though you have to pay it Euros - Europeans will be fine with this). Best Buy also has it on their website for 9.99 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8660157&st=bullet+for+my+valentine&type=product&id=1787308).
Also more news on my 360. Its fun. I like it. I beat Call of Duty 4 :( Not that that's a bad thing...but now all I have is arcade mode cuz I don't have Xbox live, and no one else in my house is in to gaming in any way. So I'll have to get Live and/or Bioshock pretty soon. I would tell more but I don't know what else to say.
I would put news about SSB: Brawl in this paragraph but on account of there's been ZERO interesting news lately, I won't. All I can say is that you obsessive American Wii gamers could get it imported from Japan tomorrow (Jan 30) if you're willing to go through the trouble (tell me how awesome Olimar and Trainer are).
Finally Taste of Chaos tickets are now up for sale (and if I remember correctly, they're cheaper now that in the Presale [suckers]). I don't actually know if they're on sale everywhere, but they are in the place I care about: Orlando. So, visit www.tasteofchaos.com to see if the tickets are on sale if your city.
That's all I can think of to post, so I'll probably go play some Call of Duty 4, or eat or sumthin.

360!!!!!!!!!!!

So, pretty much anyone who knows me knows that I've been basically obsessing over getting a 360 from about the time Bioshock came out, approx. 1/2 year ago. Well, Saturday, January 26, the day of victory finally came. I got a 360. And Call of Duty 4. But since I'm tired and am about to shower, I'll hafta keave you there and write more about it for tomorrow (total cliffhanger yo! wtf holy crap you moron how can you do that you piece of crap wtf?). Yay!

Avenged Sevenfold

If you ever needed proof that Avenged Sevenfold is awesome, just go to Iron Maiden's "Somewhere Back in Time" tour this year. What's this got to do with A7X? "British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN have announce that AVENGED SEVENFOLD will join them as special guests at Twickenham Stadium on July 5, Paris Bercy July 2 and 3 and a number of dates in Finland and Scandinavia on their 'Somewhere Back In Time World Tour.'" The full story is here at http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=89224. So, all I can say now is, Suck on that A7X haters!!! And, be sure to catch A7X on the Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour with BFMV, Atreyu, Blessthefall, and Idiot Pilot (http://www.tasteofchaos.com/).

More BFMV

Hey, for those who can't wait for BFMV's new album, "Scream Aim Fire," they now have it streaming in its entirety on their myspace at www.myspace.com/bulletformyvalentine.

I'm posting something about Ashley

I response to an e-mail I sent...

"sweeeet..... now add sometihing about me." -Ashley

...There you go.

"Casual" Gamers

I don't like casual gamers. "Why?" you ask? Myself, or any fan of Nintendo can tell you exactly why. Everyone's (especially Nintendo's) focus right now is on casual gamers. What's that mean? Why doe it matter to hardcore gamers? It means that everyone *coughnintendocough* is coming out with all these crappy, family friendly games that have no real value. "So?" you ask? Let's put it this way, the hardcore gamers, yes, the gamers who game as a hobby, who love video games and who enjoy video games - especially good ones, are being neglected. Let's make a list here. Using Nintendo as an example, because Wii owners understand the annoying pests that are "casual gamers" more than anything. We can say that the Wii probably already has more games out than the Gamecube ever hoped to have. That's a good thing. Right? Wrong. Let's make a list of good Wii games, that people have heard of, and are enojoyed by hardcore gamers.

Metroid Prime 3
Super Mario Galaxy
[Eventually] Super Smash Bros. Brawl
The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess

That's about as good as it gets. That's even including 3rd party games (notice how there aren't any 3rd party games there anyway). Now, let's see all the crappy Wii games meant to appeal to the casual gamer.

Mario Party 8
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games
Wario Ware: Smooth Moves
Carnival Games
Wii Sports (count this, if you will.)
Wii Play
Boogie
Game Party (wtf?)

...that's just some of them. And essentially all any of those games are is about 20 minigames in 1 box. What was going on there was Nintendo was using big names (Wario, Mario, Sonic) to attract casual gamers who will recognize these and buy them simply for that reason.


"Oh, it has Mario in it, it must be good." Is what they're thinking. Now, if Nintendo's going to continue going down this path, I would like to give them some advice. Go ahead, cater to casual gamers, just because there's more of them than hardcore gamers. But if you're going to do this, at least put some more 3rd party games out there. And not crap like Call of Duty 3 and Medal of Honor. I mean good 3rd party games. Studios like Ubisoft, Bioware, 2k Games, [sometimes] Capcom. Buy out Square Enix if you will (I'm not a fan of FF, but I know they're out there). Just try harder to appeal to everyone, and not just focus on the money (that includes yen). You won't have to work harder to crank out great games, it will make hardcore gamers hate casual gamers less, and everyone can be happy. Do you know how well Call of Duty 4 and Bioshock sold? Those are Hardcore gamers playing those games. And think of it this way, you can still make your precious cash off of stupid, gullible casual gamers, along with the extra money made from having good games hardcore gamers will want to buy. I hope I made my point clear, and didn't appear to be rambling on and repeating myself here...

Bullet for my Valentine

Yay! 1 week from today, Bullet for my Valentine is releasing their 2nd studio album, "Scream Aim Fire" They released their "Scream Aim Fire" EP record earlier this month with the singles "Scream Aim Fire" and "Eye of the Storm" They're music video for "Scream Aim Fire" is also now up on Youtube. So far on their site, they haven't posted any sites to where you can preorder the album. So I guess you'll either have to find it on your own or just get it in stores January 29. Also, go to www.myspace.com/guitarhero3 to vote for Bullet's song "Tears Don't Fall" to be available on Guitar Hero 3. Or you can vote for System of a Down's "Chop Suey!" Just don't vote any of the other ones, they're no good :) Finally, be sure to catch Bullet for my Valentine, along with Avenged Sevenfold, Atreyu, Blessthefall, and Idiot Pilot on the 2008 Rockstar Taste of Chaos Tour. You can get dates and ticket information http://www.tasteofchaos.com/

Video Game News

I thought I might as well make my first post about gaming. I'm gonna miss Otronicon this weekend (shut up Carlos), which is sad. But, to make myself feel better, I'll post about gaming and gaming news. I'll start with Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

For those of you out of the loop on this, I'll add some recent updates here. But seriously, if you really care, you'll go to http://www.smashbros.com/.

Some big news this week, another delay! Now the release date is scheduled to be March 9. I feel safe posting this given that I'm at my commputer...alone...out of harm's way.

Also, Sheik has finally been added as a character. The bad news? She hasn't changed. A bit. Every move is exactly the same. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but really, they couldn't have just spiced her up a bit? Like Link (I'll use this comparison since he's from the same series), they made his boomerang now unleash a tornado when used, making it more powerful. They couldn't have at least let her use her chain to grapple? Or maybe lit some dem darts on fiah. But maybe there's a reason for this. But I don't know (or really care...).

More character news. Olimar!!! Your favorite little dog-like thing from Pikmin! I'd say he's my new most anticipated character, now replacing Pokemon Trainer. I like these guys simply because they've got such a unique fighting style. I'm most excited though, to see the Pikmin in action. Those guys are awesome. I want to see each of their effects on enemies...what the red ones will do, blue, yellow, purple, white...And their final smash was also announced this week. It's called "End of Day," and fans of Pikmin will understand how at night Olimar and his pikmin leave the planet so as not to be slaughtered by nocturnal creatures. Like gangstas (but not really). Their final smash will be just that. They jump into the ship and fly out of the stadium. In their absence, the remaining brawlers are mauled by nighttime creatures. And to finish it, the ship comes crashing back down in the morning and causes an explosion, which will hopefully finish whoever didn't get KO'ed by the animals.

Now since I don't have a Wii, nor do I really care for one, I'll put some other news here. 360 games to come in 2008! (I don't care if they not exclusive)

Fable 2 - Sequel to one of Xbox's best games, due out Q3 2008.

Lost Odyssey - Due out in America Febrary 12. One of Microsoft's attempts to appeal to (no offense) ignorant Japanese gamers...you know, the ones who play Final Fantasy 24/7. The good news is, this one's made by Mistwalker, which was founded by *ahem* Hironobu Sakaguchi. You might know him better from Square Enix.

Halo Wars - got no news on when this is supposed to be shipping. Just think, Halo RTS.

Too Human - One of my personal favs. These guys been workin their butts off still, after so much bad luck and so many cancellations, Too Human's finally due out in '08. This one's story is for another post, or you could check it at http://www.ign.com.

Turok - Didn't appeal to me at first, but it's shaping up to look like a good game. Due out 2/5.

Rainbow Six Vegas 2 - Not being a big fan of the franchise, I got no comment. Due out 3/11.

Dead Space - I know, its developer is EA, but I think it has potential...a lot. And the director's comment on how he plans to make "the scariest game ever" has got me psyched. Due out some time in 2008. Gamestop says it ships October something.

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames - First game was awesome, let's hope #2 (which is working under a different developer) will be better! Due out April 08.

...that's all for now. Yes, there;s other games, but I have to pack, and my mom wants me off the compy. My next post won't be til at least Monday. Til then check out my friend Carlos' (http://carlossspot.blogspot.com) coverage of Otronicon at OSC this weekend.

First Post - Welcome!

Mah first post here. Yes, this is the blog of me, Josh, and no, I'm not emo. Right now, I'm not sure what I plan on putting here, but so you know what to expect, I'm a HARDCORE gamer, love music, could be considered a musician, and, uh...I do stuff. Ya. So, check back here whenever, if you care. You could also check out my Facebook profile (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=643085850) if you wanna know more in your endless quest for knowledge.