Despite a very annoying power outage about 2 minutes before the ending, I finally finished Assassin's Creed II last night. The in-game clock put my time in at around 22 hours, and one of the chapter-ending achievements finally pushed my gamerscore over the 30,000 mark. I really liked the first one, but this game is easily one of my favorite of this console generation.It's the first game I've played enough to warrant installing to my 360 hard drive.

I only have two minor complaints. First, a few niggling control issues never really cause too much trouble, except in hectic race-against-the-clock scenarios where Ezio jumps in a completely different direction than the one you intended. I'm also in the vast minority of people who prefer the pacing of the original game. My favorite aspect of Assassin's Creed is the DaVinci Code-esque conspiracy. I wish there would have been more time spent outside of the Animus and more emphasis put on the background information provided in each of the glyphs. (For those who are interested, GameFAQs user IrvineTomoe has posted an excellent analysis of what each glyph means.)

Also, as a little teaser for anyone still working through the narrative, the ending has one of the funniest lines I've heard from a video game in a long time. On the Giant Bombcast, Jeff Gerstmann said something about the ending revealing a huge hint as to where the next Assassin's Creed would take place. If anyone knows what that hint is, please PM me because I must have missed it.

I still have a few minor achievements to nab, but I can't wait for the recently announced DLC packs. In the meantime, I'm working on reviews for the new Scene It? games, so look out for those if you're interested.

Yesterday, I scheduled the first step of my medical licensing board exams for May 28. 2010. That was the first available date that was close enough to where I live. No big deal, except that I'm getting married 2 days later and I start my third year rotations, two hours away, the following week. I think we'll have time for a honeymoon somewhere in there. I just can't figure out if I'm an idiot for scheduling one of the biggest EXAMS of my life 2 days before the biggest DAY of my life, or if I'm a genius because when Emily is freaking out over minor details I can say, "Sorry honey, I have to study!"

May 14 - last day of 2nd year classes
May 28 - NBOME Step 1 Exam
May 29 - rehearsal dinner
May 30 - wedding
June 2 - birthday!
June 7 - first day of 3rd year rotations
Insanity throughout

On the brighter side, I'm starting to lean more toward specializing in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. My dad is a hematologist/oncologist for mostly geriatric patients, and he thinks I'm insane for wanting to do what he does in pediatrics. I might be. We'll see.

At various points in your medical education, you reach a point where you have to ask yourself whether or not all your effort has been or will be worth it. Most of the time, you tell yourself that everything you've done up until this point has been a step in the right direction that will ultimately get you to your career in medicine. Sometimes, it becomes difficult to keep your head above water and reassure yourself of what you know to be true.

You're away from family and friends, and you spend any time you have outside of the classroom inside of a library. There will be some exams where, regardless of how hard you study or how much you think you know, you'll do poorly. It's discouraging, because you begin to feel like nothing you do to prepare has any effect on the outcome. You begin to resent the professors for writing ridiculous questions, your classmates for somehow outperforming you, or your friends outside of medical school who are busy starting their own families instead of wasting four more years and another $150,000-$200,000 after college.

I have plenty of things to look forward to at the end of my second year. I'm getting married in May, and I start clinical rotations in June. I'll actually be getting hands-on experience with real patients instead of pretending to treat actors with fake medical problems. I'll be leaving Pennsylvania and moving in with my wife to a brand new house.

But when you're stuck inside every weekend preparing for a 2-3 hour exam every Monday morning, it's difficult to think that far ahead. You start getting run down, tired of treading water and going through the motions. I know that it will be worth it in a few years when I'm starting a family and doing what I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember. It's just that right now, all I can remember is that I should be studying instead of typing this.

Originally posted on Doctor Fishypants.

So I hear that Mr. Martinet let it slip that Nintendo is working on a new Mario game. In honor of this momentous occasion, here's another world-exclusive scoop, brought to you by my infallible detective skills. Are you ready? It's a doozy. I'm going to shock you. Here it is: the sky is blue.

I'm not really sure what passes for news these days.

It's always nice when I get to post about the positive effects video games can have on people. It's even nicer when I can post about video games having a positive effect on the medical community.

Children's Miracle Network is a non-profit organization that raises funds for more than 170 children's hospitals. To date, it has raised over $3.4 billion through mostly individual donations. Microsoft has partnered with the charity to provide three Children's Miracle Network pediatric hospitals an "Ultimate Gameroom experience."

From now until October 16, you can visit the gameroom giveaway site to vote for your favorite hospital to receive a gameroom upgrade. You get 10 votes per day, and each time you vote you're entered to win a free Xbox 360 console. And while you're at it, take a look at Child's Play. It's another video game charity that donates games to pediatric hospitals for patients to play while they're recovering. Last year, I donated Lego Star Wars to Akron Children's Hospital in Akron, Ohio. It doesn't seem like much, but giving a kid something else to think about and enjoy while they're in the hospital can really help improve their morale. It's encouraging to see the video game and medical communities come together for good causes like these.

Originally posted on DoctorFishypants

NursingSchools.net has put together a list of the 100 blog posts you should read before going to medical school. The posts are divided into 8 categories, including: Getting In, Getting Started, Financing School, Advice from Med Students, Getting through School, Residency, Your Education, Testing, Life After Med School. The list covers a huge variety of topics like how to write an admission essay, money saving tips, how to maintain a social life, and (my personal favorite) a guide to not being a pre-med ******bag.

I'm honored to be included on the list at number 48 for a post I wrote over the summer reflecting on my first year of school. I'm happy enough that anyone just reads DoctorFishypants, let alone sees fit to include it on a list like this one. I wish I had a resource like this when I first applied to medical schools. Information from college advisors is useful, but it really helps to hear things from the students' perspectives.

Last night, I drove down to Cincinnati to see Video Games Live with my future sister-in-law, Allison. I've been waiting for this concert to come close enough to Cleveland since it was announced back in 2002. I bought tickets for a Columbus show at one point, but the event was cancelled shortly before the concert. I'll try to post a much more in-depth write-up later, but the concert was well worth the wait. By far one of the best performances I've ever seen.

We sat in the pit in the 4th row. I posted some shaky cam footage I shot during the Super Mario Medley on YouTube (the file was too big to upload to GameSpot). You can find that video here. I also posted some of the pictures from last night on Facebook, which you can find here (even if you don't have a Facebook account).

All in all, I really can't recommend it enough. Cosplay contests, a Michael Jackson tribute putting the sprite from Moonwalker on the Genesis into other popular games from the 80s and 90s, live-action Space Invaders, a meet & greet with Tommy Tallarico, Jack Wall, and Martin Leung (of blindfolded YouTube fame), and newly added music from Metroid and Chrono Trigger (the most requested games up until this point). If you live near an upcoming concert, you need to buy a ticket.

The post below originally appeared on DoctorFishypants.com

Last week, at the American Osteopathic Association's (AOA) annual business meeting in Chicago, delegates representing osteopathic state medical associations, specialty societies, interns, residents, and students throughout the country adopted positions on a number of health care issues of concern to patients and physicians. Among these resolutions was a measure recognizing physically active video games as an element of a patient's fitness and therapeutic exercise routine.

Below is an excerpt from the AOA's press release, available here.

Once labeled an unhealthy activity, video games have received acknowledgment from the medical community that their use can be beneficial for one's health. Members of the AOA House of Delegates approved a measure that physicians consider recommending physically active video games, such as those games that encourage players to perform traditional exercise routines in their homes, as an element of a patient's fitness and therapeutic exercise program.

"As an osteopathic internist, I encourage my patients to increase their level of physical activity to help them improve their overall health. A few of my patients have found interactive video games to be a good fit for them in terms of flexibility and variety compared to traditional exercises," said Geraldine T. O'Shea, D.O., a board-certified internist and chair of the Bureau on Scientific Affairs and Public Health, which submitted this policy.

The policy also authorizes the AOA to encourage additional research about the health benefits of using physically active video games as part of both an exercise routine and physical rehabilitation.

Personally, I'm excited about the possibility for research into the health benefits of video games. There are far too many sensational stories about the potential negative effects of video games on children (most notably, violent video games). While these studies and their results certainly have merit and parents should take great care to make sure their children are not exposed to potentially dangerous media, it's nice to see video games portrayed in a positive light once in a while. I extend my compliments and appreciation to the osteopathic medical community for being on the leading edge of this avenue for research.

To learn more about osteopathic medicine, visit the website of the American Osteopathic Organization. For more information regarding this video game resolution and the other policies discussed at last week's conference, visit the AOA's media site.

I'm not sure how many people still read this blog after 150 posts, and I don't normally ask a lot of those of you who do. But if everyone who reads this post could do me a favor and take a few minutes out of your day to read this post on DoctorFishypants.com, I would really appreciate it. We don't need to start a long discussion about it, but I am curious how many people have ever heard of osteopathic medicine in the United States. I hadn't before I applied to medical school a few years ago.

I say United States, specifically, because osteopathic medicine outside of this country is a completely different entity. Most D.O.s that practice worldwide are trained only in osteopathic manipulative treatment. The scope of their practice does not usually include traditional medicine. (See the comments section of my previous post for more information.)

Anyway, thank you to those who take the time out to read the article or post a comment. I would post it here on GameSpot, but it doesn't really have anything to do with video games. I try to keep most of the posts on this blog at least somewhat related to the industry. And even if no one comments here or on DoctorFishypants, at least I'm getting the word out about osteopathic medicine for anyone who might have the slightest interest in applying to medical school

I was recently contacted by a representative of the American Osteopathic Association who thought I might be interested in the AOA's upcoming business and policy meeting. Representatives of the nation's more than 67,000 osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) will convene July 17-18 for the AOA's Annual House of Delegates Meeting in Chicago, IL. Delegates representing osteopathic state medical associations, specialty societies, interns, residents, and students will vote on organizational policies surrounding a variety of health care issues, such as prohibiting the advertisement and sale of raw milk and the recommendation that physically active video games could be considered as a component of a patient's fitness routine.

Here is an excerpt from the pre-meeting news release about the video games resolution:

Physically Active Video Games: After years of being blamed for contributing to America's childhood obesity problem, many video games are now incorporating a fitness component, such as exercising with a virtual trainer or following a dance routine. Delegates will vote on whether physicians should consider recommending physically active video games as an element of a patient's exercise program. The policy also would direct the AOA to encourage additional research about the health benefits of using physically active video games as part of both an exercise routine and a patient's rehabilitation.

As a medical student considering pediatrics as a career and as an avid video game player for over 20 years, I can't help but be excited about the potential for mutual benefit here. Patients have a hard time committing to long-term fitness goals because it's difficult to stay motivated when your exercise routine isn't particularly stimulating. And video games have long been one of the many scapegoats for America's childhood obesity epidemic. I am certainly guilty of blaming a lack of physical activity on a video game once or twice myself. But with new titles like Wii Fit and EA Sports Active introducing what seems to be a lasting trend of fitness-focused video games, the potential benefits to health care can't be overlooked. I'll be following developments on this front closely.

About D.O.s and Osteopathic Medicine

• What is a D.O.? - Information about the differences and similarities in training between an osteopathic physician (D.O.) and an M.D.
• Osteopathic Medical Profession Report - Statistical information about the osteopathic medical profession.

Now that I'm on summer break from med school, I thought it would be fun to get back into reviewing some games. My review for Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled went up on GameSpot yesterday. Basically, if you like any of the billion JRPG remakes that have already come out on the DS, you'll probably like Black Sigil.

Other than that, I've just been travelling during my free time. I went to Niagara Falls with Emily. Pictures are here for anyone interested. Right now I'm in Cincinnati visiting her family for the weekend, and I'll be back here next month to finally catch Video Games Live, which I've been dying to see since it started.

I finished Assassin's Creed, Too Human, and Bioshock. I can' wait for Bioshock 2 and Assassin's Creed 2, but I'll be perfectly fine if they never make another Too Human. That game is an exercise in tedium. I've started playing Lost Planet in preparation for the sequel. Mass Effect is probably next on my list, if I ever get tired of inFamous. I love having nothing to do over the summer.

Now that my first year of medical school is over (more on that later), I'm finding myself with absolutely no responsibility and plenty of free time. I decided to go back and catch up on a bunch of games I'd tried out a while ago and then never finished.

Starting with the game highest on my pile of shame this console generation, I restarted and finished Bioshock. What a great game. I only have two complaints. The audio diaries were an innovative way to tell Bioshock's narrative, but the garbled sound effects and combat craziness made it really difficult to understand what they were saying sometimes. Also, the plasmids were a lot of fun to use, but there were almost too many to choose from. I never used the bee plasmid, and I actually played through the majority of the game (except the final chapters) by shocking enemies and then running up to them with the wrench. Other than that, I loved it. I can't wait for the sequel.

Then I turned my attention to Too Human. I'd read all of the reviews and knew exactly what to expect going into the game, but I figured I should really see what a game that's been in development for 10 years looked like. Prey didn't turn out too bad. How much worse could Too Human be? That game is an exercise in tedium. The story is almost incomprehensible due to a complete lack of exposition, the combat is mindless, death is inevitable (so much so that they gave me 5 achievement points for my 100th dirt nap), and that infuriating death sequence is one of the most unfathomable design decisions I've ever seen. I don't think I'll ever play Too Human again.

Finally, I picked up Assassin's Creed again. I love that game. I can understand how its repetetive nature was a divisive point for a lot of people, but I really enjoyed it. I was very invested in the story and I think the presentation values were impressive (even the altered Ubisoft logo at the startup screen was a nice touch). Assassin's Creed 2 will be a day-one purchase for me.

I've started playing Lost Planet again, and when I'm done with that I'll probably give Mass Effect another shot. I want to get through the games that have sequels coming out so that I'm all caught up. In unrelated news, this may be the first year that I miss E3. The conference starts on my birthday when my dad and I will be heading out to a Porsche racetrack to get some free racing lessons. Then on June 3rd I'll be heading to Niagara Falls for a few days with my fiancee. I love having nothing to do!

I always seem to post new blog entries when I'm procrastinating studying. I'm having particular difficulty tonight studying for my last clinical neurology exam tomorrow because the fact that I'll be done with my first year of medical school on Thursday gives me very little motivation to do work now.

Anyway, I opened a bag of airline peanuts tonight that I had from an old flight and noticed that it had a warning printed on it saying, " Warning: Produced in a facility that processes peanuts and other nuts."

Really? You don't say. This presents two possibilities. Either there are far too many lawyers in this country or, perhaps more frightening, there are far too many people in this country who really are so stupid as to need that message on a bag of peanuts.

I don't usually use this space to get up on a soapbox, but I came across the Think B4 You Speak campaign on Twitter tonight and figured that this ad in particular works well for this site. Most of you know it's a big pet peeve of mine, especially among the less considerate members of this site. According to new statistics, suicidal ideations in gay youth are 3-7 times that of the general population, while as many as 16-37% of transgendered individuals have made at least one suicide attempt (an increase of 64% from previous studies). It's an important issue to me, as a medical student, that all my future patients are treated with the same respect and that all couples, gay or straight, are given access to the same health care benefits. Unfortunately, I'm preaching to the choir here. The people who are interested enough to read this blog are the people that don't need convincing. Still, I think the ad is awesome

I'm a big fan of role-playing games, but I very rarely finish them. In fact, the only RPGs I can remember finishing within the last few years are the Mario & Luigi games on the GBA and DS. I came very close to beating the original Final Fantasy remake for the PSP, but the final boss frustrated me to no end and I ultimately gave up. RPGs are the perfect games to play in bed while you're waiting to doze off. Mindless level-grinding doesn't seem so bad when the entire reason you're playing is to make yourself tired.

In that regard, I finally found a copy of Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride on the DS. I've been searching for a long time, but it seems to be in pretty short supply. I've never actually played a Dragon Quest title (although I do own DQ VIII for some reason). I was a bit skeptical about the first-person combat (I've never played a Phantasy Star game either). But I'd much rather play an old-school RPG remastered for the newer consoles than a new RPG with ear-grinding dialogue.

So far, I'm enjoying it. The story progression doesn't go as quickly as I'd like, but the art design is charming and gives me something pretty to look at while I grind away. I also seem to be at a loss for money. Everything in the game is very expensive, and monsters don't seem to drop all that much loot. The translation/localization is all done very well except for one minor yet glaring mistake. It comes up so often that I have to believe it was done intentionally as some sort of tribute to the original release that I'm just not aware of. After every battle, regardless of how many monsters you kill, you get a message that says "The enemy are defeated." It's got to be some sort of in-joke that I'm just not privy to, right?

Link to original DrFishypost.

Back in December of last year, I took my girlfriend, Emily, out for a private dinner for her birthday. We'd been dating for 7 years at that point, and it was only a matter of time before I had enough money saved up for an engagement ring. I proposed at dinner, but because I was still in the process of applying to medical schools, we couldn't really start to make plans for the big day. Now that I'm nearing the end of my first year at school, and we have a better idea of where we're going to be next year, we can start planning the wedding for Memorial Day weekend of 2010. To that end, Emily and I put together a website for family and friends to visit for information, announcements, photos, etc. Take a look at http://emilyandbrianfishman.com and let me know what you think. It's cheesy, but I'm pretty sure that's a requirement for these kind of occasions.

Hi there! Long time no see. Just a quick post to say I'm still around. I can't remember the last time I made a forum post that wasn't in Ask the Mods, but I would if I could. The truth is med school is just kicking my ass lately. I'm doing fairly well, but that's only because I spend the vast majority of my time in the library (where GameSpot, Giant Bomb, IGN, 1UP, Facebook, and Twitter are all blocked).

I'm much more active on Twitter these days than anywhere else, mostly because I have access to it via my cell phone and iPod. If you're interested in keeping tabs, follow me at http://twitter.com/DrFishypants. Hopefully I can catch up with folks soon.

Just a short video that my fiancee (or is it fiance? - silly French spelling) took last weekend at my White Coat Ceremony.

Best PS3 Game: LittleBigPlanet
I realize that most people will put Metal Gear Solid 4 at the top of their list of PS3 games this year, but because stealth is my absolute least favorite game genre, it isn't even on my radar. LittleBigPlanet is a great 2D platformer in an age where they are becoming fewer and farther in between, and it fosters incredible creativity with its editing tools. WipEout HD and echochrome follow closely behind for their refinement and originality, respectively.
Honorable Mentions: WipEout HD, echochrome

Best Xbox 360 Game: Burnout Paradise
Burnout Paradise is another game that gets my nod moreso from personal preference than sheer quality. While both Burnout and Grand Theft Auto IV are amazing games, I found myself playing Burnout much more often. This is probably because it lends itself better to playing in smaller chunks or, when I do have enough time to devote, to better online experiences.
Honorable Mentions: GTA IV, Fable II

Best Wii Game: Mega Man 9
The fact that Mega Man 9 makes my top spot for best Wii game this year says more about the utter lack of quality games on the Wii than it says about Mega Man 9 itself. A game that is released on all 3 major platforms shouldn't be the best game of the year on one of those platforms.
Honorable Mentions: Super Smash Bros. Brawl, World of Goo

Best PSP Game: Patapon
While God of War: Chains of Olympus and Crisis Core: FFVII are certainly great games, they feel more like PlayStation 2 ports than bona fide PSP titles. Patapon, despite its lack of a pause option, is a great fit for the handheld and is one of the most original games to come out this year. Anyone with a PSP, headphones, and $20 should try it out.
Honorable Mentions: God of War: Chains of Olympus, Crisis Core: FFVII, n+

Best Nintendo DS Game: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
I don't know what it is about leveling up or using a newly found item to access another area of a huge, creepy castle that always has me hooked. If there's a Metroidvania game out there, I'll play it.
Honorable Mentions: The World Ends With You, Professor Layton and the Curious Village, Chrono Trigger

Reposted from Doctor Fishypants

Best Action Adventure: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
While Grand Theft Auto IV was certainly a bigger and arguably better experience, my pick for best action/adventure title goes to Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia simply because I put much more time into it. It's a much more challenging game than its predecessors on the DS, and its improved level design limits backtracking. It's nice to see 2D platforming mechanics come back into sty1e.
Honorable Mention: GTA IV

Best Driving Game: Burnout Paradise
Criterion reinvented the Burnout franchise with the latest installment. Moving Burnout to an open world with an event at every intersection (and no loading screens) was an ambitious endeavor that they pulled off nearly without a hitch. While the lack of a retry option made some events frustrating, the ability to drive around an entire island and instantly jump online with friends to complete hundreds of objectives or create your own races really extended the game's lifespan. Criterion continues to support Burnout Paradise with free updates that include motorcycles and new objectives, and those willing to pay a small premium will soon be able to nab iconic cars like the Delorian from Back to the Future.

Best Fighting Game: Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Mortal Kombat has been my favorite fighting game franchise since I was a kid. I realize that the games have gotten somewhat stale over the past few iterations, especially in comparison to recent offerings from Capcom with Street Fighter IV and Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, but I've always found guilty pleasure in playing through each new MK game. I was skeptical about MK vs. DC Universe because I have absolutely no interest in comics and saw the game (and its family-friendlier T rating) as a desperate cop-out. Now that it's out, I like the return to c1assic 2D mechanics, but I have no interest in the half-hearted story or the DC characters. So with that, my nod for best fighting game of 2008 goes to Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the simple fact that it encourages social interaction with friends who are actually sitting on the couch next to you instead of with strangers only interested in griefing online.
Honorable Mention: Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

Best Platformer: LittleBigPlanet
Ever since I picked up my first NES controller, platformers have been my favorite video game genre. Since the advent of 3D gaming, the platforming genre has been rather stagnant. The really successful platformers have remained largely 2 dimensional. 2008 saw a resurgence of the genre with unique titles like n+ and PixelJunk Eden. The newest installment of the Castlevania franchise, Order of Ecclesia, was easily Konami's best effort on the DS so far. But Sony blew its competition away with LittleBigPlanet. It's the platformer for kids who grew up wanting to be game designers. And while it will take a very dedicated individual to create levels of the highest quality, Sony seems ready to foster this kind of creativity by continually releasing downloadable level packs. Honorable Mentions: n+, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, PixelJunk Eden

Best Puzzle Game: Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Professor Layton and the Curious Village is a thinking man's puzzle game. I love block-droppers like Lumines, Dr. Mario, Tetris, etc., but the challenge in Professor Layton wasn't in timing or racing against the clock. Figuring out the solutions to hundreds of brain teasers left me scratching my head in frustration until finally figuring out that the answer was so obvious the entire time. Combine the excellent puzzles with an engaging narrative and some cutscenes that were pretty impressive by DS standards, and you've got the makings of a great franchise.
Honorable Mention: Dr. Mario Online Rx

Best Rhythm/Music Game: Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 may not be the most original option for the best rhyhtm game of 2008, but it is the refinement of an already exceptional design. Guitar Hero: World Tour may have superior instruments, but it owes much of its success to simply copying ideas from Harmonix. An excellent assortment of fairly priced downloadable tracks ensures that anyone will be able to find something they like. Let's just hope the inevitable annualization of the franchise doesn't drive it into the ground.
Honorable Mention: Patapon

Best Role-Playing Game: Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger has long been on my list of influencial games that I should have played a long time ago. I'm a big fan of old-school Japanese RPGs, and I own the PlayStation version but never got around to playing it. Now that it's out on the DS, I'm having a great time grinding levels and enjoying the (somewhat convoluted) story. With my hectic schedule these days, Chrono Trigger is the perfect game to play for 30 minutes before going to bed.
Honorable Mentions: The World Ends With You, Fable II, Fallout 3

Best Shooter: Gears of War 2
Anyone who knows me is aware that first or third person shooters are not exactly my cup of tea. Prey was the first FPS I played since Doom, and since then there have still only been a handful of titles I've tried out, let alone finished. I'm not particularly good at shooters, and I just don't have the motivation to finish one once I become frustrated. But Gears of War 2 had me hooked the entire time because I was able to play the entire game cooperatively. The story is somewhat less laughable than the original, and the visuals are amazing (even though the entire game is mostly a couple different shades of gray). I may even hang around in the multiplayer for a while. That is, if the achievements are easy enough to get.