It's been a while since I've posted (as usual), and I've played a lot of games in the meantime. In that regard, I have lots of opinions about them, whether I've played them for countless hours or simply run through a portion of the story mode. Better get started, since this could last a while:

Bioshock: May as well start with a big name. I have mixed feelings about this game. On one hand, the atmosphere is mindblowingly amazing. Few games can match the polish on the graphics and sound, and the world they create begs to be explored. On the other, battles rarely feel fresh and fun, as emphasis is placed on plasmids (awesome the first time, increasingly annoying afterward). Also, the hacking minigame is the most annoying thing on the planet. However, I'm not too far in the game yet, so I'm sure my opinion will change for the better soon.

Call of Duty 4: Wow! Where Bioshock seems to miss the mark as a shooter, this game nails it in every regard. Single player campaign rarely has a dull moment, and the online multiplayer is among the best out there. An absolute shame that the next game is supposed to return to WWII, as this is a huge step forward for the series, and even for the genre as a whole.

Guitar Hero 3: Given this is my first Guitar Hero game, I've loved nearly every moment of it. The song selection is full of hits, though admittedly some have rather boring guitar parts. Also, hard and expert seem ridiculous in their difficulty level, especially given the introduction of the final button. As a new player, learning a new button while dealing with the huge jump in difficulty is downright silly. Still, an overall great package.

Crackdown: Not that new, but it's new for me. The free-roam gameplay is a blast to play, though it does get repetitive after a while. Being superhuman has to get old at some point, I suppose. It's worth noting that the game gets a burst of fun each time you level up your Agility, as you'll be able to go farther faster, practically reinventing travel through the city each time.

Advance Wars: Dual Strike: The best game on the DS. No, really. Nothing even remotely touches it, especially if you limit the playing field to strategy games. Need any incentive? This game came out over two years ago, and not even titles like LOZ: Phantom Hourglass can touch it's brilliance. Find a copy. Find a copy now. At the very least try Days or Ruin, which comes out next week and looks just as great!

Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass: Speaking of Phantom Hourglass, this game is truly a disappointment. It's not the controls (those are great!), but rather the fact that the game is short, puzzles incredibly easy, dungeons few and short, bosses fairly unexciting, and the fact that you have to go through one dungeon six times. I haven't actually beaten the game yet because I don't want to crawl through that dungeon again to face the final boss. Sad how Nintendo can make such silly mistakes with one of their flagship series, yet somehow they did. Still, it's worth playing, as the touch controls are fun and many aspects still very well done.

Mass Effect: Bioware has once again proven to be the undeniable master of RPGs. This RPG/Shooter hybrid is full of fun, from the intuitive conversation system to the huge array of sidequests and planets to explore. Sure, it's easy to pick out flaws in this game, but this game does 10 things well for every thing it messes up. Also, with a game so gargantuan in scope, it's amazing that they didn't screw it up entirely. This is an achievement in gaming, and should be cherished by everyone.

Final Fantasy VI Advance: This game was great...for a while. But after 10 hours or so of play, the game started to dry up. Like Final Fantasy III, the game shows its age the more you play it (just not nearly as badly). For example, NPCs walking around cities have a tendency to get in your way more then just look visually appealing. Blitz commands are often unresponsive, requiring you to do awkward movements with the d-pad that can easily be misread by the system. Also, the group splitting scenes where you would control three parties at once were absolutely painful to play. Still, the game often looks gorgeous, and many of the scenes you encounter are simply unforgettable. In particular, the opera sequence is a work of genius. Like Phantom Hourglass, it is worth playing despite its flaws.

Viva Pinata: Okay, so I only played this one for an hour, but I just thought I'd note that it was one of the most boring hours I've played in a long time. I'm sure the game gets better as your pinata farm ages, but the game has almost no early-game appeal. This is the kind of game that makes you wish the game would just continue with old series instead of trying new material, simply because it doesn't feel like the new material is worth it. Where is my new Banjo game, Rare?

Beautiful Katamari: Yep, the game is definately getting stale. With harder challenges, less environments to roll up (!), and lots of insults from the King of All Cosmos about your lousy rolling, I think I'll just learn to ignore any future offerings. This is the perfect example of a great series gone horribly wrong. What in the world have you done, Namco?

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga: I thought I'd end with this because, somewhat surprisingly, this game is really a lot of fun. Yes, a lot of us have already played the majority of it, but that's what makes this game shine. You can play as nearly everybody, levels from past games have been retooled to make the experience even better, and new levels are actually quite fun to play. Perhaps most importantly, they redid two of the vehicle levels from the original game (most notably the podrace) to make them more accessible to players, while still allowing players to play the originals without having to work too hard to unlock them. If you haven't played them yet, you should: it's not KotOR, but it's still among the best Star Wars games you can find.

I've left out a few (Tales of Symphonia and PGR3/4, among others), but you have to stop at some point, right? Perhaps I'll talk about the stragglers some other time. For now, it's late, and 11 games ought to be more than enough!

It's time to look to the future! Well, mostly. 2007 is looking to quite possibly be the best year in gaming ever, and even after the gaming avalanche that has started with Bioshock, we still have an amazing selection to look forward to in the future. With that said, here are my picks for the Top 10 Most Exciting Games, released anytime from now on:

10. Eye of Judgment

I love card games. More importantly, I love trading card games. They're just so fun to collect and play with! However, given that the closest card shop near me is 2 hours away, I tend to have few to no people who can play with me. When any card game gets an online adaptation, I'm usually listening. When a game is specifically created to be played with a video game system, not even being on the expensive Playstation 3 can stem my curiosity. I'm with Penny Arcade on this one: Eye of Judgment looks awesome.

9. Rock Band

Guitar Hero is awesome, but why be limited to guitars? This natural evolution of the idea will undoubtedly be hampered by the price, but the end result ought to be sweet. If you can't get some friends together to make a band, make one online. It will be worth it.

8. Burnout Paradise

Burnout is awesome! In a continual effort to perfect the formula, Paradise gives you an open city to race in and the ability to see your opponent's reaction when you smash them to pieces. I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

7. Digimon World Dawn/Dusk

Yes, a Digimon game is on the list. Being an enthusiastic fan of the anime, I've been waiting a while for a polished Digimon game to arrive. Thankfully, with an awesome fifth season on the way to the US, we're now going to get a good Digimon game. If you've ever been a fan of the series, you should look into this game. If the nostalgia doesn't get you, the quality of the game will. Give Pikachu a rest and give this game a chance. You might be surprised.

6. Grand Theft Auto IV

It's Grand Theft Auto! Is there really anything else to say? The game ought to (finally) look good, and that may just be worth the price of admission alone. I just don't know enough to rank this game any higher.

5. Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Touch controls scare me. However, if there's one thing I know for certain, it's that Legend of Zelda titles tend to be good. Really good. They're the kind of games that you just don't want to put down because they're so stupidly good. I'm still skeptic about the all-touch control scheme, but so far reports from Japan are that it's still fantastic, so I'll be looking forward to this glorious return to the cel-shaded seas.

4. Project Gotham Racing 4

In case you didn't know, Project Gotham Racing 2 is one of my favorite games ever. So far, one of the biggest reasons for getting a 360 has been PGR3, but now that PGR4 is right around the corner, my priorities are starting to change. When I finally get my 360, this will be one of the first games I get so that I can satisfy my crave for quality racing. After all, the next F-Zero game doesn't appear to be coming anytime soon, and this is an amazing substitute. I do love my sports cars.

3. Bioshock

This one just came out, so I can safely say that this game is worth obssessing over. It's currently the fourth best rated game ever! The graphics are gorgeous, the setting amazing, the storyline captivating, the enemies scary, and the gameplay all too much fun. At least, that's what I hear. I have been speculative of this game (the trailer of the Big Daddy drilling through the main character's hand still freaks me out), but now I'm all too excited about spending some time in Rapture.

2. Halo 3

It's Halo 3! Even without the fancy trailers and ridiculous promotion I'd be excited about this game. More importantly, the game seems to be doing everything right, with a mid-game map editor, beautiful graphics, and as always some of the best shooting action on the planet. Halo 2 on Live was insanely fun. With the 360's capabilities, this one will be even better.

1. Mass Effect

When Bioware makes a game, people pay attention. Why? Because their RPGs are among the best out there. In particular, I love KOTOR. When I first saw the game I didn't think much of it, but once I played it I was hooked. It was just too amazing to believe. Now there's Mass Effect, and it's raw potential makes even Halo 3 look underwhelming. The game has it all: the best graphics I've ever seen, a huge universe to explore, what's sure to be a killer storyline, and they even managed to turn it into a shooter. The dialogue sequences that made KOTOR so memorable are back as well, and now you get to hear your character talk as well while you choose your words on the fly. Everything about the game looks perfect. If it isn't perfect, Bioware's doing an amazing job making it look like it is. Chances are this will be the first game I get for the 360, and it ought to be worth every penny and more.

It's a blog post about everything! I've had a lot of subjects on my mind recently, but many only warrent a paragraph or two, so this will be a little of everything.

First off, something not about video games: I saw the Simpsons Movie today, and it was definately worth the wait. Fans of the television show will find that it is very faithful to the series, poking fun at every topic they can while keeping you interested in the main plot. However, there are a number of questionable scenes (it definately earns its PG-13 rating), so you may want to avoid bringing children.

E3 has come and gone, and it went largely as I expected it to: Microsoft has proven that it's still the top of the heap with a lineup of awesome games coming soon, Sony has proven you still shouldn't buy a PS3 yet as the majority of the exciting games are still far from release, and Nintendo is still emphasizing that the Wii is for everyone (which will probably allow it to surpass Microsoft soon enough). While I'm pleased that Sony brought out some heavyweights (MGS4, R&C, etc), I still think Microsoft "won" because of the sheer volume of games coming out in 2007, which is what I've always wanted to see from E3. The PS3 is looking better, but I'm far from convinced it's worth $600 ($500 if you count the "fire sale"). Nintendo is just too wierd for my tastes right now, though I have to admit Wii Fit looks like it could be a really great program (not game, program).

I'm always playing with "old" games, and most recently my game of choice was Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. I finally beat it, and I must admit I'm a tad disappointed with how it turned out. The story was just way too wierd for its own good, and I can't help but feel that the game ended a lot earlier then it should have. This is where my latest hope comes from: Bioware has a mystery MMO in the works, and I've got a hunch that it will be based on the KOTOR universe. Why? I've heard that they've liscensed the HeroEngine for the game, which is from an upcoming MMO that molds the game experience around the decisions of the player. That sounds perfect for an MMO based on KOTOR. As far as I know there hasn't been any information on what it's based on yet, but with Star Wars Galaxies having killed itself in the past few years, it doesn't seem all that hard to believe.

I've also played through Phantom Dust recently, and I had a blast. I've been using a Swift Arsenal for a few weeks now, which does a lot better then a Single-School Puny Arsenal has any right to. I don't have an active Live subscription right now, but I'm thinking this might just do well online once I do. I'm glad they decided to localize this gem, and I'm excited to hear that the creator has plans for a sequel. It's quirky, but it works.

Finally, I'm currently toying around with Anarchy Online again. You see, I'm a veteran of the game, having first started playing before even the "booster pack" Notum Wars was released. Their free play program has allowed for a rejuvenation of sorts, as expansionless "froobs" get to play with the excellent core game. The game is pretty old, having recently celebrated its 6th anniversary, but I still believe it is among the best MMOs out there. Maybe it's just the nostalgia talking, but I believe that it's still as fun as it was when I first started playing 5 years ago. In case anyone is interested in playing with me, I'm "Alotrel", an Omni Adventurer on RK2 (Rimor).

That's it for now, tune in later to hear about more old games and how Bioware is not making the KOTOR MMO that I want...

First off, a quick aside: I finally got to play SSX Blur at a demo booth last month. Sadly, I was greatly disappointed. It's probably because I only played for about 5-10 minutes, but I couldn't help but be annoyed the the tracks were all redecorated tracks from 3 and On Tour, that the characters looked almost nothing like they did in the past, and I simply couldn't figure out how anyone could do well with the seemingly unresponsive controls. Perhaps it does get better as it goes on, but we ought to expect more.

On to the real purpose of the article: why I have yet to get a 360. You see, I'm a big fan of the original Xbox. It was the only console I owned for the majority of the last "console war", and therefore easily became the console I enjoyed the most. Therefore, it seems natural that I should run out and purchase a 360 Premium or Elite. However, I simply didn't have the money for a while, and as time went on I found less and less reasons to enter the next generation. It's not because of the competing Wii and PS3, but rather the things about the 360 that continue to worry me.

Primarily, I'm worried about the obvious: the infamous Red Ring of Death. You see, my old Xbox broke down in a similar fashion twice. The first time was in Summer 2002, mere months after the release of the system, which was odd to say the least. The next time was 2005, which I wrote about in my very first blog entry. As you can probably guess, I didn't like losing nearly 3 years worth of save files because my Xbox suddenly decided it didn't enjoy working anymore. Now, after reading into the 360, I hate hearing how I'm likely to buy into the exact same situation. While it is nice to be able to remove my hard drive in this case, I'm still sick of seeing my system die for no apparent reason. The new 3-year warranty regarding this error shows that Microsoft is recognizing this problem, but I'd still rather wait and make sure that their new systems are actually being fixed as well.

Second, I've heard that the power cable comes with a rather large "brick". Again, bad memories of the Xbox haunt me regarding this, mostly due to the fact that the power cable of my old system was recalled due to a fire hazard. Given that the old cable lacked a "brick" whatsoever and that this one is supposed to have a huge one, I can't say I feel too comfortable. Is this an unreasonable worry? Probably, but I reserve the right to have them when an otherwise harmless looking product is found to have a chance at failing and burning down my house. That's scary!

The third problem is something I'm already partially familiar with: microtransactions via Xbox Live. On the original Xbox, while most downloadable content was free, some content packs like the original releases of Halo 2 maps required a "minimal fee". In the greatly upgraded Xbox Live on the 360, I understand that this content is much more frequent. Being a gamer who hates paying too much, I can't stand that these releases are allowed to continue. Additional content is always nice, but you better deliver when you ask us to pay for additional content. Oblivion, for example, looks like a definate buy should I get a 360, but there's no way I'll pay for some decorative horse armor. Again, maybe I'm just blowing this out of proportion, but it doesn't take too much of this to drive me nuts.

Of course there is plenty of reason to go ahead and buy one anyway. There are sequels to some of my favorite series (PGR, Halo) as well as exciting original titles (Mass Effect, Gears of War). There's the comprehensive Xbox Live Arcade, with titles ranging from Pac-Man to Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved. There's a more comprehensive Live experience, from the aforementioned Marketplace to the Gamercards to the achievements that can be earned in each game. Still, $400 for the Premium and $480 for the Elite is steep, so I'd rather wait until Microsoft finally decides to have a price drop. Despite not having a price drop at their E3 press conference, I'm confident that the rising threat of the Wii will eventually cause a drop in price to compete, thereby nearly guaranteeing my purchase.

In short, I'm just wary of the potential problems with 360, and therefore are tempted to continue waiting until problems ranging from minor (Price) to major (RRoD) are fixed, or at least improved. As much as I love what is offered, I'd rather make sure that it's worth every penny first. I had my problems with the original, and there's bound to be some with the 360, but I'd rather avoid what I can. Till then, patience is a virtue!

I just got back into On Tour and finally beat it, and now I just can't stop thinking about the obvious comparison between it and it's prequel, SSX 3.  The thing is, SSX 3 makes SSX On Tour look like a terrible game, even though it is technically SSX 4.  Why is that?  I think it's time for a rant!

Reason #1: The Rock Theme Sucks!  Whoever thought that SSX needed to be injected with horrid sketchbook-style menus and rock 'n' roll music needs their head checked.  SSX has traditionally always been about style, with it's amazing locales and wild characters tearing down the slopes.  SSX 3 did it perfectly, utilizing fluid graphics and a killer soundtrack that made you feel one with the mountain.  SSX On Tour seems to be an exhibition on what SSX absolutely does not need.  I'm thrilled that Blur fixed this.  Speaking of graphics...

Reason #2: The graphics are worse!  Maybe it was just because I played 3 on the Xbox and On Tour on the PS2, but the graphics seem notably worse.  The only real improvement I saw was the killer snow weather effects, which seemed oddly cool for a game that generally doesn't take itself seriously.  The rest felt as if it was rushed, not comparing favorably to its predecessor.

Reason #3: What happened to my characters?  First off, you get to play through the game as a created character.  That would be cool, except that the character editor is horrid.  I eventually got someone I liked, but it was almost entirely because of the outfit, and not due to natural features that a character editor ought to allow you to create.  Also, the returning characters were given a rock makeover, and they didn't even do it well.  I could also complain that Griff didn't return from 3 (more props to Blur for that), but that's somewhat unimportant.

Reason #4: The courses are boring.  If you've ever played Tricky, it's hard to forget the wild tracks.  The first three games all had amazing courses, each accented by some particular theme or obstacle that made it tons of fun to explore.  On Tour doesn't do that, seemlessly blending together different themes and tracks so that you can't be sure what is what, and I still don't have a clue what some of them are named after beating the game.  There are some fun parts (like a gigantic jump off a dam), but most of it is lost to bad design.

Reason #5: Longer isn't better.  The thing is, most of the tracks are criminally short and are really quite easy.  To add difficulty as the game goes along, multiple courses are chained together to create long, tiring challenges that often aren't all that challenging.  In fact, it just makes it frustrating when one mistake on a course ruins the work you had on the two courses before.  Ironically, this leads to the Legendary Shred, equivalent to 3's All-Peak Race except with 4 people racing against you, being only about half the length and not nearly as exciting.  What a shame.

Reason #6: There are too many shortcuts.  My final complaint (for now) is that the game literally has too many shortcuts.  You see, shortcuts have been one of the mainstays of the SSX series, allowing for exciting new experiences that often help shave time off your races and rarely offer extra areas for your tricks.  This time, there are so many you can't be sure what you should do in a race.  This often leads to embaressing losses as the computer knows exactly where the best routes are, especially on the harder difficulties.  It takes forever to really learn a course, and even then it's still hard to figure out exactly what to do.

There's more to complain about, but that'll do for now.  Please note that On Tour really isn't a bad game; it's just that it sucks in comparison to the other titles in the series.  Do yourself a favor and pick up 3 instead, and hope that more SSX games like it are released for the next-gen.

S.L.A.I.: Steel Lancer Arena International is a really cool game. It's that special game that only a few end up actually playing, but for those few it's a golden experience. In fact, it seems like it was really only made for a few people in the first place. You see, it is a sequel to the game Phantom Crash, which as far as I know went largely unnoticed. I played Phantom Dust out of curiosity, since I've always been a Mech fan, and while the idea seemed neat the game was extremely limiting. You had three arenas total and three types of "Scoobie", which made the game get very old very fast. Yet somehow I could see a killer game just waiting to be made, as if it simply hadn't been given enough support in development.

So it would come to my pleasant surprise when I watched a random video on a Official Playstation Magazine disc to find that the game looked surprisingly like Phantom Crash, except this time it was now S.L.A.I., was on the PS2 instead of the Xbox, and had lots more to do along with an online mode. I knew I had to play it. The only way I could find at the time was renting it at a local Blockbuster, since apparently no one had copies to sell otherwise, and I had a blast. While the online was relatively empty, I enjoyed fighting for ranks against people around the world and joining a clan to play with frequently. I hated returning it simply because I was having so much fun. Unfortunately, it took one and a half years to find a copy to buy due to lousy retail, but now that I own it I know it was worth every penny.

Why is it so fun? I'm not entirely certain myself (though I've got some solid theories). The graphics are subpar, the gameplay repetitive, the story uninteresting, the music strange and sometimes annoying, and even the online server had been shut down by the time I managed to buy it. Professional criticism rated it rather harshly in many cases, and its difficult to simply find a copy in stores due to the horrid release. Yet somehow everything is worth it, as all those lame elements come together to make something strangely fun, and all the difficulties seem worth it. Is it just nostalgia? I'm inclined to say no.

You see, what this game does do exceptionally well is the immersion factor. You're a gamer who has entered the global sport of rumbling, where your partner chip helps you to remotely control a mech in fast paced combat with other players. Each region has its own arena, with "rankers" who represent the elite in each rank of competitor for night and day, along with a Regional Ranker who represents an expert of the sport, while the three world rankers (1st, 2nd, and 3rd) are the elite who have conquered all territories. The entire thing takes place through a special computer network hosted by the FIRA (a fictional rumbling organization), and you'll quickly be acquainted with bloggers, enemy teams, and the personalities of the different digital shopkeepers and organizers. Everything is finely tuned to enter you into the experience, and once you are in it, everything starts to make sense.

Now you aren't just playing some lame shooter: you're entering a global battlefield filled with varied, intelligent opponents on your quest to become the best there is. You'll be customizing the ultimate machine of doom to take down all opposition, and even look good while you're doing it. There will even be your own personalized mix of songs that plays in the background, like war drums to accompany your conquest, and with the curious variety of songs you may just find some new favorites. All of the games flaws melt away into an enjoyable experience that needs to be seen to believe.

This game obviously isn't for everyone. I imagine that most players would in fact find it rather trashy. It's unfortunate, but certainly understandable. I doubt there will be another surprise sequel for this series, but I'll take this one success. If you are willing to tone down your expectations for the game and simply learn to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, you may just find something to love in this hidden gem. At the very least if you do manage to find a copy of this game nowadays, it won't cost you much. I stand firmly by my 9.0 rating, and hope that anyone who reads this agrees too.

As you may have noticed by now, I love Pokemon Diamond.  I also have quite a few gripes with it.  Unfortunately, I had problems with every single one of the GBA Pokemon games too (which I'll try not to go far into).  That's because none have yet to live up to the reputation set by three of the best games ever created: Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal.

Here's a quick history lesson on Pokemon.  First was Red and Blue in the US, and they were good.  Not perfect, but most certainly good.  I had Red, and loved the game beyond anything else.  Then came Yellow, which enhanced the original two and provided a link to the sweet first season of the anime.  I got it, played it, and again was hooked.  Next was Gold and Silver, which introduced a huge amount of new features, enhanced graphics, two playable regions, 16 gyms, and the legendary battle against Red atop Mount Silver.  In my mind, they immediately became the best portable games ever made, and therefore two of the best games ever made.  Crystal hooked everyone else who hadn't gotten it yet, and even charmed experienced players with the new version of the storyline, the introduction of the Battle Tower, and the ability to play as either a girl or a guy.

So then came Ruby and Sapphire, which were prettier, had new Pokemon, and introduced contests and double battles.  Now, it was in no way a bad game, but it didn't have the same charm that GSC did.  Fire Red and Leaf Green did little to help with its reimagining of the original pair, though the introduction of some of the missing Johto Pokemon as well as wireless had me coming back for more.  Emerald seemed like an unnecesary rehash of Ruby and Sapphire, and didn't offer nearly as cool features as the third games of the previous two generations.  As for Diamond and Pearl, I've said what I need to by this point.

Why was the Gameboy Color generation so darn good?  Maybe it was the creative gyms, as Johto is the only region to not start with a Rock gym and the only one so far to have Normal and Dragon gyms.  Maybe it was the radio system that allowed you to change the local tunes and even help progress in the game.  Maybe it was that the time of day really felt like it mattered to the world, unlike D/P where it seems like it only matters for evolution and certain catches.  Maybe it was the two regions, showing a future self of Kanto while allowing you to fight through 16 gyms.  Maybe it was the battle with Red, whose incredibly powerful Pokemon made the entire journey completely worth it.

No, the true reason is that they did all of this and much more, allowing you to do more then any other Pokemon game ever.  So now that we know that remaking games isn't out of the question, we need another iteration of Gold and Silver.  After all, with today's technology and the near perfect gameplay of these fantastic games, it's both a sure moneymaker for Nintendo and a treat for addicted fans like myself.  Heck, they could go the extra mile and make an extra large 3-4 region battle royale, with the ultimate prize being a return appearance by Ash/Red.  It seems like Pokemon is capable of adding more of everything else, so it hardly seems like this is out of the question.  I'm eagerly looking forward to the future of Pokemon, and with luck such a future will involve a long look at the series' brilliant past.

First, a quick note: I forgot to actually change the rating for Pokemon Diamond!  Still, I have my doubts that anyone really cares...

Anyway, it is time to examine the 9.5's.  I'll give a quick summary as to why it is fantastic, and then why it isn't quite worthy of a 10.  Also, it is worth noting that I won't say anything about Pokemon Diamond, because I've already made my thoughts on that game pretty clear. 

Banjo-Tooie: A brilliant platforming game that left me addicted for a long time.  Great controls, brilliant graphics given the system, but unfornately was pulled down by annoying FPS sections.

Dark Age of Camelot: One of the best MMOs , siout theremply put.  Nice graphics, huge amount of races/classes, and three distinct regions to play in.  The biggest problem?  It's an MMO, and does little to try to fix the genre's inherent problems.

Donkey Kong 64: Given that it was made by the same company as Banjo, the same ideas apply here.  In particular, the boss fights are extremely fun to play around with, and the world is superb.  This one's flaw is that the minigames range from boring and easy to infuriatingly difficult to complete, making earning every last Golden Banana at times appear utterly impossible.

Final Fantasy X: Great story, very classy battle system, and some of the best music ever seen in a video game.  However, the Sphere Grid is more annoying then inventive, and Blitzball could have been so much better.

Forza Motorsport: It's Gran Turismo with damage and online play!  Too bad the car selection is limited and its a pain to have to race against far superior cars to unlock said superior cars, particularly when it is an endurance race.  Also, why isn't there a prompt upon entering the game to log in to Live?  Using a seperate menu that is easy to forget to place on the online scoreboards is silly.

Guild Wars: A brilliant new look on the MMO genre.  It's too bad that the instanced areas frequently become just as repetitive as their wide open counterparts that are often just as fun to play with.

Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker: One of the more painful 9.5s to give.  The graphics are gorgeous, the combat is some of the best yet, and it has one of the most enjoyable stories in gaming.  Unfortunately, there are too few dungeons, the sailing often becomes more boring then fun, and the hunt for triforce pieces feels forced and is extremely annoying.

Project Gotham Racing 2: Eight cities, the Nurburgring, tons of sweet cars, great controls, enjoyable graphics, the awesome local radio stations, and a great class/difficulty set-up.  With so much detail already put in, how could they be so careless with Online by not letting us know when a game is in a race or not?  I shouldn't have to spend 5 minutes at a time looking for an open room that didn't just start their 6-8 minute 'Ring race.

Soul Calibur II: It's Soul Calibur!  The new characters are nice (Talim!), but I rather dislike the dungeons I have to trudge through.  Also, an exclusive character for each console is a pain, especially since while Gamecube owners were happy to have Link, Xbox owners like myself might have felt cheated with Spawn.

Star Wars KOTOR II: Like the 10-earning game, except with better gameplay all around.  So why is it not ranked 10 as well?  Because the story simply isn't as good, and the characters not as enjoyable.  It's minor, but it's enough.

Star Wars Rogue Squadron: For being extremely cool.  That is, except for the snowspeeder missions that simply aren't as fun as they should be.  Maybe it is just because I suck with the tow cables, but it felt gimmicky and annoying.  Otherwise, the missions are creative and it's a blast to be a pilot in the Star Wars universe of huge ships and very powerful guns.

That's all for now.  If you happen to have any comments on these ratings, please speak up!  Besides, if someone is actually reading this, I'd like to know what you think (or at least know you exist)!

Alright, after playing Pokemon Diamond some more, I realize that I simply can't keep it at 10.  The game is still extremely addictive, which is worth a lot on its own, but it just has too many flaws that I can't ignore, including the ones listed.  Here are a few extras to note:

-Too many items!  I hate to say it, but it needs to be even more sorted if I have to sort through so many items in the first pocket to find a lousy Repel.  Which reminds me...

-Where is the Item PC?  What a rip!  This is how I avoided the former problem in earlier games, but now its gone!

-Mystery Gift isn't Mystery Gift anymore!  OK, so it still is technically there, but you can't get random presents by connecting with friends anymore.  Instead, it seems to only work for events (online and off) and Pokemon Ranger.  I don't know about you, but I rather like my daily items, no matter how bad they might be.

-Too many legendaries!  Why not worry more about making some more cool areas with cool prizes other then Pokemon your friends will hate you for using?  Heck, why not just worry about making better legendaries instead of like 15 of them?  That's what makes them special, not just that fact only one of each is in a game.

-Finally, the contests are extremely annoying now.  At first, I admittedly enjoyed it.  However, later on intelligence is thrown out the window as you frantically try to throw every accesory you can on to avoid losing tons of hearts and dancing gets plain ridiculous.  Pokemon should be a strategy game, not a twitchy fashion contest.  Master ranks are unfairly hard to get because of these pointless additions.  At least I can agree with the new 3 judges rule...

Now, I can't bump it down much, as I still love the game, so I'll keep to my general .5 point scale and rank it at 9.5 for now.  Thank goodness for dynamic ratings.  To make up for it, I'm promoting SSX 3 to 10 because I have no idea why I put it at 9.5.  I think the game literally is perfect.  All it is really missing is online, which is forgivable for the time frame.  Some of the old courses would have been awesome too, but what is presented is absolutely incredible.  I have a hard time seeing how any snowboarding game, even another SSX game, could possibly top this.  Well done!

Still not at talking about the other ratings yet, but I'll do it eventually.

Before I sign off, I would just like to note that I recently cancelled Xbox Live.  Why?  Because quite frankly I'm tired of paying for the small community still on the old Xbox Live, though I still enjoy Halo 2 and PGR2 online.  I'll change back once I buy a 360, assuming I buy a 360 one of these days.  Maybe for Halo 3 and PGR 4... 

Before I go in depth into the main topic of this post, a few little notes.  No, I'm not going to continue discussing game ratings this time, though I don't think anyone actually cares about that anyway.  I'm mostly just trying to start writing these right now just for future reference.  It's amazing sometimes to look back at how much different you are even mere months before.  Also, it's just nice to get some thoughts into writing for once.  If anyone else actually tries to start reading this junk, all the better!

Now, on to the real topic: Pokemon Diamond is amazing.  I picked up my copy last Sunday, and safe to say it has blown me away.  In fact, it has surprised me in more ways then one.  I never would have guessed that so many at my high school still enjoy Pokemon.  Even seeing some of my classmates with DSes this week has been a shock.

More importantly, Diamond lives up to the Pokemon tradition of making the older games look bad.  The Pokemon universe has never looked this good, with fantastic visuals that seemlessly blend the traditional 2D styling of the handheld games with the 3D possibilities of the DS.  At first glance it may not look special, but stuff like the Valley Windworks and Spear Pillar should relieve all doubts.  I particularly liked the two Cathedrals in the region for their towering beauty (though one of them is definately not a church).  The battles look sweet too, with updated sprites for the older Pokemon and amazing battle effects with each move.  New moves may be more interesting for their visual presentation then their actual damage/effects.

Sinnoh, the new region, is surprisingly well built.  The region feels dynamic with a non-linear feel.  Though you will usually only have one path open to you, the game does a good job of making it feel more like a suggestion then a push.  The new gym leaders are interesting enough (with Fantina being a notable exception), and the Elite 4 is the one of the most brutal yet.  The champion, as usual, has an awesome presentation, making the 5 challenging fights completely worth it.  I love the music before the fight in particular, which consists of a tense yet beautiful piano solo. The rest of the soundtrack is enoyable as well, though I've always had a weakness for the Champion bouts. 

As for the gameplay, its the same as ever, and that certainly isn't a bad thing.  You have tons of Pokemon to collect, the many challenging boss fights, the evil criminal organization bent on taking over the world, you know the drill.  Taking down Team Galactic is a ton of fun, including some of the funniest grunt commentary ever.  The return of Day and Night is definately welcome, as it brings back one of the best elements from the Gold/Silver/Crystal generation (which is arguably still the best).  Touch control, while not looking special at first, really is quite useful, utilizing large colorful buttons to make control just that much easier.  The new underground area is surprisingly fun, though it still could have been better (I'll get back to this).  Online is great, as anyone could guess, especially since it comes packed with voice chat.  As for the new Pokemon, its hit and miss (I'll also detail this in a sec).  Overall, a great package. 

Now, the game isn't perfect.  I may have rated it 10 already, but even games worthy of such high praise can have their faults.  Here's a list of some gripes I have:

-While some of the new Pokemon are great, too many are just plain boring or even ugly.  There were simply too many times I ran into a new Pokemon only to be either unimpressed or digusted.

-The Elite 4 might actually be too powerful.  Maybe I just didn't train my Pokemon properly, but even with my thorough playthrough of the game I still managed to be just barely stronger then their weakest Pokemon.  Having to train at Victory Road always has been and always will be a pain.

-Quite a few of the new Pokemon aren't actually in the Sinnoh Pokedex, and some of the exclusions aren't even legendaries.  That's just weak.

-In order to obtain Manaphy, one of the legendaries, you have to complete Pokemon Ranger.  Why is this bad?  Because I actually have to go out and buy Ranger, and it seems like the spinoffs these days just aren't that good.  I've still got a bad taste in my mouth from the incredibly boring and frustrating Mystery Dungeon.

-In another attempt to cash in, many of the Pokemon need to be caught by having specific GBA Pokemon games inserted.  Since many of these (maybe all) are already version exclusives, it just makes it more of a pain to catch 'em all.

-Finally, in the most unforgiveable fault I've seen so far, there are a total of 5 fire Pokemon in the Sinnoh Pokedex, spread out among 2 evolution chains, one being the starter Fire Pokemon and the other being Ponyta/Rapidash.  Now if this were something like Ghost or Dark I might not have a problem, but we're talking about one of the most important types in the entire game.  How they could have possibly left such an obvious flaw in the game's balance baffles me.

But still, the game is great, and should be bought by anyone who has even a remote interest in Pokemon.  The game is extremely well done, and lives up to the Pokemon name.  I just hope that they are a just a little more thorough for Pokemon Platinum and Titanium...

(Here's hoping that the next pair is actually called Platinum and Titanium.  Seems like one of the few worthy choices left...)

Nope, I'm not dead, and I'm still pretty dang pathetic, in case my old blog post didn't make that clear.  Anyway, in case anyone cares, I got Ocarina of Time (and it rocks), the deletion of all my Xbox saves has actually proven to be a great learning experience (I now am considerably better at PGR2, for instance), and I'm still trying to finish updating my collection (it just keeps growing!).

As for interesting news, I've got a copy of Pokemon Diamond preordered which I plan on picking up this Sunday.  Safe to say I can't wait.  Also, I finally found a copy of S.L.A.I.: Steel Lancer Arena International, which is a severely underrated game that I believe every Mech fan needs to play.  Even with online disabled (because no one was playing, sadly), the game is a lot of fun and an experience that is difficult to forget.

Anyway, I've finally rated all the games in my collection (though the collection itself is still incomplete), and it seems like I should justify all the ratings I gave.  Simply put, I'm going to throw out a sentence or two about each game stating why it got the rating it got.  To make it simple, I'll only cover the 11 games I rated 10 this article, as not all of them are self-explanatory:

F-Zero GX - Because it is quite simply the best futuristic racer ever.  Amazing graphics, fantastic gameplay, tons of pilots, plenty of tracks, a great soundtrack, and one of the hardest difficulties out there (while still being possible) help make it one of the best titles on the Gamecube, and IMO one of the best games of the generation.

Golden Sun - An amazing RPG with an engaging storyline, a great soundtrack (especially given the sound limitations), and the creative uses of psynergy make this a standout among the huge amount of GBA games.

Golden Sun: The Lost Age - For continuing the original, and perhaps even surpassing its quality.  There's a reason that people are still hoping for third Golden Sun to be made. 

Halo: Combat Evolved - For making an FPS work absolutely perfectly on a console, not to mention singlehandedly selling Microsoft's first game platform.  A work of genius.

Halo 2 - Like the first, but with a better single-player mode, energy swords, and Xbox Live play.  Need I say more?

Jet Set Radio Future - The incredibly addictive graffiti gameplay, trippy visuals, and the strangely addictive music all help to make this one of the most unexpectedly awesome games on the Xbox.

Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past - Beautiful graphics, an engaging world, and some of the best dungeons and bosses in the series help to make this one of the best games ever made.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Like LttP, except in 3D.  Leave it to Nintendo and the Zelda series to be the first to perfect the 3D experience and still be unrivaled in it after so many years.

Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - With the many interesting masks, time based gameplay, and possibly the best Zelda boss ever (Goht!), MM just gave us more reason to keep loving the Zelda series.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - A triumph for Bioware, KOTOR has an engaging storyline that is continually changed by the player, with some of the most unforgettable characters in video game history (HK-47!), it is what all RPGs should aspire to.

Super Mario 64 - What OoT did for adventure games, SM64 did for platformers.  Nintendo's ability to create instant classics is unmatched in the gaming community.

Super Smash Bros. Melee - Take the killer SSB formula, add in more stages, items, and characters, update the graphics, and set the multiplayer possibilites to infinite, and you get one amazing game.

Tony Hawk's Underground - This is debatable, but THUG did many things right: introduce a fantastic storyline, put in tons of creative challenges, make the character creator even better, update the tricks, and still maintain the classic Tony Hawk formula.  In my book, that's more then enough to earn a solid 10.

That was a handful.  Next will be 9.5s, of which many were extremely close to 10s.  I might even change my mind on some of them before my next blog entry (like I did mid-writing with the Golden Sun games, which I think I wrongfully put at 9.5 for both).  After all, my last one was back in 2005... 

My Xbox just broke a little over a week ago, and was sent in for repairs yesterday. This has been incredibly hard for me. Not only am I suffering just because of lack of my Xbox, but I am VERY scared that I will lose my saves, which I have accumulated over the last 2 and a half years. If that happens, I may never be the same again.

Well, at least my Nintendo 64 has stopped collecting dust. I recently picked up F-Zero X and have been having a blast with it. I also plan on getting Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Time, not only because I need stuff to play for a week or two but because I for some reason haven't gotten it after owning a Nintendo 64 for over 6 years. I mean Majora's Mask was great too (and I already own it), but why haven't I ever gotten the other one for so long? I can't wait to pick it up, but I really don't want to head over to EB Games at the moment. Tommorow probably.

And on one final note, I'm updating my collection today to show all the games I own for the Xbox, N64, and PC. I just finished the Xbox titles, and will work on N64 next and maybe PC later today. I'm already quite amazed at how my collection could be worth so much money. Then again, I don't have all the boxes and intruction manuals for a lot of stuff...