Yesterday I took a day trip to NYC. I hadn't been there since 2004 and since my Mom's job was hosting a bus trip my son and I went along for the ride.

I spent the majority of my time in NYC around Times Square and Rockafeller Plaza. My son and I spent over an hour in the Time Square Toys r Us. We were both in awe since both of us had never been inside such a huge toys store. We took a ride on the ferris wheel inside and just had a blast. I checked out the video game section downstairs and ended up buying X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I guess you could call it an impulse buy. I downloaded the demo on Friday and I really did enjoy it but I was going to buy it when the price dropped. Instead of waiting I found myself at the cash registar with it....I'll blame that on the atmosphere, all the bright lights and loud music got to me.

I wanted to check out the M&M store but unfortunetly I didn't get around to it. But I did spend some time at the Nintendo World Store. I walked away a little disappointed.

I had never been to the Nintendo World store and I didn't really know what to expect. I thought that it was going to be this huge store filled with Nintendo goodness. Turns out the store isn't that big. The first floor of the store is mostly dedicated to Pokemon. There are cards, games and all types of Pokemon merchandise for sale. There is also a DS Bar where a few DSi's were set up and you just tell the person behind the bar what game you want to play and they get it for you. The final thing on the first floor is this DS sitting area where tournaments are held. It sat right in the middle of the floor and it was really comfy!!!

Upstair is basically a bunch of flat screen TV's with Wii's hooked up to them. The entire store was so crowded and it was really hard to move through all of the craiziness going on upstairs. People were playing ExciteBots: Trick Racing and Wii Sports. There was a nice size section for shirts, sweatshirts, pajamas and hats. Another wall had Wii games galore. And there was also a wall dedicated to Nintendo plushies and figures. There wasn't a lot to chose from but I managed to find a few things that I thought were cute.

The cash register area had a lot of different odds and ends like stickers, PEZ like dispensers, gummies, mints and stickers. I also had fun looking at the glass display of Nintendo things. There was a damaged original Gameboy from Desert Storm, some exclusive DS designs, a Famicom and other cool things.

I had a good time....I always do whenever I head to NYC!!!

I've never realy had luck with sales. Whenever a really good sale comes around I never seem to know about it or I don't have the money to take advantage of it.

For the past couple days I've been reading about this massive video game clearance sale that Best Buy was going to do but I wasn't quite sure if it was really going to happen. I woke up this morning and checked the Best Buy weekly ad to see if the sale was the real deal and once it was official I couldn't wait for the store to open at 11:00 am.

The deal is pretty sweet since there is a big selection of games on sale for $9.99. Yes I did say $9.99!!!! If that price sounds good to you should check out the Best Buy website to see the list of games....or better just drive to your closest Best Buy to see for yourself.

Here are the games I bought for $9.99:

• 007 Quantum of Solace (boxset which comes with T-Shirt) (360)
• Infinite Undiscovery (360)
• Too Human (360)
• Overlord Raising Hell (PS3)
• Soul Caliber IV (360)

I also managed to raid the clearance bin before I left I bought:

• Zoo Keeper (NDS)
• Luminues II (PSP)
• Feel the Magic (NDS)
• Guitar Hero On Tour Decades (NDS)
• Unsolved Crimes (NDS)

And since the didn't have any ExciteBots: Trick Racing games at Best Buy I drove over to Gamestop to pick the game up. I mad it clear to the clerk that I just wanted the game and not the bundle (game and steering wheel) but they still managed to ask me if I was sure.

So I just wanted to share the sweet Best Buy deal with all of you and I hope you got to take advantage of it. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

....I'm actually not a business woman but my recent purchase is making feel mighty important (for some strange reason).

My previous phone, LG EnV, clunked out on me and I was no longer to make phone calls or hear any sound from the phone at all. So I waited a couple weeks and finally I gave into temptation today, walked into the Sprint store and bought this Blackberry Curve 8330.

I've had it for a couple hours and I have to be honest, I'm overwhelmed. There is just too much to do on this phone. I figured out the basics; making calls, text messaging, internet(facebook, twitter, email) but for the life of me I can't figure out how to change the ringtones or wallpaper. Maybe it's time for me to open up the manual.

Other than that, nothing much has really been popping off for me. Same old same old. Still buying games and trying to find the time to play them. Right now I'm sitting down and watching the NFL Draft waiting patiently to see what team my cousin is going to. Hope it's the Ravens!!!

Before I go I wanted to invite those of you that still read this blog to check me out on Twitter. Looking to tweet mostly on video games but you might get something random every now and then. If any of you have Twitter accounts post them so I can follow you. I'm fairly new to all of this.

Check you all later!

Finally an ending to a pretty random/crazy day.

The day started wonderful with the sun finally making an apperance after raining for a good two straight days. I took my son out to ride his bike since it was so nice. After that we hit up 7-11 to get a slurpee....a must have when the weather is nice. Then we hopped back in the car to drive 45 minutes away so I could finally see what all the hype about Play N Trade is about. People have been recommending me to the store so I can get my hands on some retro games for a good price.

After driving there I get out of the car only to be disappointed that the store is no longer there. What a waste. I guess I'll continue to use Ebay as my number one source for retro games. But to put the cherry on top we get home, chill out and watch some TV. It's been a while since the last time I've actually sat down and watched TV so I turned on HBO. Low and behold this movie just started:

Now how random is that. And let me just tell you that, after watching this movie 20 years later, I can't believe how cheesy it is. But it's still essential to all gamers out there . Just wanted to share that with you guys. I'm gonna go back and finish up watching Don't Mess With the Zohan.

Happy Easter Gamespot. Hope everyone is enjoying this joyous day and I'm thankful that it has finally stopped raining> My goodness, don't get me wrong, I enjoy the rain sometimes but when there is too much of it it just starts to become annoying. I don't have anything special planned for today. I'm basically sitting back and playing some games and I just might actually end up watching TV. I just got back from taking my son bike riding and I figured I would sit down and update you guys on what I've been up to lately.

Last week I celebrated my 29th birthday and I had a blast. I went out to eat with my husband, son and father and law and then my mother in law, brother & sister in law and nieces and nephews came over afterwards for icecream cake. My main gift was the DSi which I picked up at the midnight launch on April 5th. Pretty cool iteration of the DSi but I'll talk more about that in a future blog.

I also got a bunch of DS games so now my DS collection is huge and my parents got me a new digital camera. The following are some of the games that I got over the past couple weeks:

• Wheelman - Just picked this up yesterday since the price has already dropped to $40.
• Sonic and the Secret Rings
• Ninja Blade - So far so good. I need a break from all the shooters recently
• Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure
• Lux Pain - love the art style but the localization stinks
• Final Fantasy Echoes of Time
• GTA Chinatown Wars
• Broken Sword DS

Thats all I can think of right now for some strange reason I'm having a brain fart. I'm going to head out of here to play some more Ninja Blade. Enjoy the rest of your day!!!

Yesterday I had the afternoon off so I picked my son up from school, went over to my Mom's house and helped her put some tunes on her Ipod Touch and then headed home. I really only had one thing in mind and it was Resident Evil 5. I know I haven't really mentioned it here but I did end up getting it when it was released a few weeks ago but I didn't play too much of it. Yesterday my objective was to finish up RE5 so I could finally give my impressions on the game. It turns out that things started to get a little frustrating (Chapter 6 I'm looking at you) and I ended up powering down the 360 so my husband and I could watch some TV.

This morning I woke up around 7 am and laid the normal mode to rest. Yes I finished the game and I'm going back for seconds on Veteran. RE5 was a thrilling ride that really delievered. I thought the story was great, it focused on events that happened in the previous games but people that never played any of the RE games would still be able to follow along. At first I had some gripes with the gameplay and thats just because it took some getting use to. By now we all know that you can't run and shoot, and suprisingly that didn't bother me, it was the fact that the controls still feel a little clunky(as far as the turning around and things of that nature). I love the music in the game, especially the final boss fight, and the voice acting was well done.

One thing that I miss about Resident Evil is the scares. RE5 wasn't scary at all. Some of the enemies and bosses were kind of creepy but I found myself longing for that moment to jump from something scary. This game is more action than survival horror and with that being said it does offer some tension at certain parts of the game. I guess when I want to get my survival horror fix I'm going to put in a Silent Hill game.

So playing and beating the game I can honestly say that so far this year Resident Evil 5 is my favorite game. I know it's too early to say stuff like this but the game was awesome. Who knows, Bioshock 2 could come out this year and be mind blowing. But for now I'm going to give Capcom a pat on the back for making the game and I'm off to start playing it again.

No one makes me feel as special as Nintendo . Turns out that Club Nintendo wants to show some love to their Platinum members by giving them a 'sneak peek' of the new DSi before it is released in weeks.

I was surprised to see an e-mail from Club Nintendo giving me the low down on this event and I quickly RSVP'ed. I took a second look at the invitation and realized that this 'special' event is being held in Virginia. Usually Virginia isn't a problem for me since I live in Maryland and Northern VA is basically part of the Metropolitian area. The location of this event is inside a Gamestop in Southern Virginia, which is basically 2 hours away from where I live. Does it sound crazy that I still want to go?

My husband, son and I are setting out on Sunday afternoon to take a mini road trip to go see the DSi. The invitation says that I'm only allowed one guest, but hopefully I can sneak my son in there. I don't know what to expect from this but I can say that I am excited. I plan on taking my camera to take some pictures of all of this but I'm not sure if thats going to work. Apparently I'm supposed to bring a DS game to test out on the DSi, any suggestions?

I just wanted to give you all an update on my platinum status. Most of you probably thought that the title was referring to Pokemon Platinum....got ya!!!

I've spent the majority of my weekend messing around with my newly aquired MacBook Pro. I went with my mother yesterday so she could buy herself a new MacBook since she said this year and a half Pro was too complicated for liking. After spending a day trying to get it connected to the internet, I finally have everything up and running and I have to say I'm digging it.

So far I've messed around with iMovie which is amazing, it really does put Windows Movie Maker to bed. iTunes is the same but it's just more convient. iPhoto is pretty cool because you can tag people in photos, Garage Bands looks like it wiill be useful if I ever decide to do a podcast. Safari, on the other hand, get a big 2 thumbs down from me....I just don't like it at all.

So that's basically been my weekend. Besides that I've been gaming, but mostly on the DS. Spending a lot of time with Pokemon Diamond and Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars. I'm also slowly working my way through RE5 (on Chapter 5...almost done!!).

But right now I've got to go. I should have been to the grocery store and back hours ago but this MacBook ate up all of my time today. Catch ya'll later.

So I might be a little late on this post but I thought I would share with you my excitement for the release of the DSi. Last week I hit up Gamestop when I picked up my copy of Killzone 2 and reserved myself a black DSi.

I know a lot of you are skeptical on this new iteration of the handheld but Nintendo has me sold. Will I use all of the funtionalities it has to offer? No. It's definitely not the 2 crappy cameras that are getting me hyped for the release. The thing that I'm most excited about is DSiWare which is going to be comparable to WiiWare. Sure there is a lot of garbage on WiiWare but I'm hoping that DSiWare will deliver. Matter fact I would love to see some older GBA, GBC, GB games that I missed out on.

On top of all of that the games that are coming out within the next couple of months are crazy!!! There's Peggle DS, Henry Hatsworth, Zubo, Tokyo Beatdown, GTA: CW, Starfy, TrackMania DS, Flower Sun and Rain, Kingdom Hearts 352/2 Days...the list could go on.

So with the combanation of the potential of DSiWare, better screen and ton of great games, the DSi is something I'm definitely counting the days for. 31 days if you were wondering .

March, so far, looks like it is going to be yet another great month for gaming. Here are the games that I'm looking forward to getting this month.

Madworld (Nintendo Wii) - Looks like its going to be pretty fun. I'm curious to see what this game is all about. As of right now the only thing I know is that it's gory and it looks great.

Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360) - This is my most anticipated game for the year and can't wait to get my hands on it in 2 weeks. I'm curious to see where the story is going with this one. In order to get ready for the new release I'm playing through Umbrella Chronicles to refresh the story.

Grand Teft Auto Chintatown Wars (Nintendo DS) - I'm not certain if I'm going to pick this up or not but I definitely have my eyes on it. Apparently this DS game is supposed to be bigger than all of the GTA games on the PSP. Crazy huh!!!

Resistance Retribution (Sony PSP)- The only reason I haven't played Resistance 2 is because this games story is after Resistance. The game is looking awesome and hopefully it plays well too.

Pokemon Platinum (Nintendo DS)- I'm a sucker for the Pokemon games. Right now I just started playing Diamond over again since I only got 5 hours in and then stopped playing. I'm excited for the game to be released and I'm ready to (at least try) to catch them all.

What games are you looking for this month?

Yes the title of my blog is the title of an actual game. Crazy huh?

Well after listening to this weeks Hotspot I stopped off at Gamestop to see if they had any copies of the game. I guess I was in luck because there was only one left. When I got home I was curious to see what was inside this hefty PSP box. To my surprise the regular edition of the game comes with the game and the complete soundtrack plus a Penny Arcade comic.

(the Prinny plushie and case weren't included even though I wish they were)

So for the sake of me writing out this long title I'll just call it Prinny. Okay so Prinnies are from the Disgaea series which I am totally clueless about. I don't know just not my cup of tea. Prinny however is platforming action RPG that is not only fun to play but totally addictive. You start off with 1000 Prinnies (basically lives)....I don't know what happens when those lives are used up. I hope it doesn't start up back at the beginning of the game. The story is actually pretty simple but the way it's presented is cool. This chick named Etna wants her Prinnies to retrieve all of the ingredients for her Ultimate Desert which was stolen from her. Surprisingly the game is funny but there definitely isn't anything funny about the bosses at the end of every level. I know I'm going to have trouble with the game since the first boss already gave me some trouble.

I really can't talk to much about the game only because I've only completed the tutorials and the 1st actual level but I just wanted to share my admiration for the game with all of you. If you are looking for a new game to pop into your PSP check this one out.

Okay....I give up. After being indecisive for so many months on wheter or not to get this game it didn't take long for me to give in. I've been wanting to get into fighting games for a while now and this seems like te perfect place to start.

I walked into my local Gamestop on a whim to look at the used PS2 collection they had and I walked out with the game. I'll probably start playing it in about 30 minutes. Hopefully I won't get too frustrated

It's been a little over a month since my last blog post here on GS and I have to admit I'm missed it. I'm still blogging on my site but I'm not focusing on video games, its more personal. I'm in the midst of trying to start an actual video game related site but I keep procrastinating. Not to mention I'm not even clear on the direction that I want the site to go in. Once I get everything under control you guys will be the first to know.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been adding more games to my collection. I hit up Circuit City and took advantage of their liquidation sale and got Conan(360), Sam & Max Season 1(Wii) and Mushroom Men Spore Wars all for less than $60. Last week I bought House of the Dead Overkill, Loco Roco 2, Dark Cloud 2 and Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection(360). Today I used the rest of my Best Buy gift card and a coupon to get these 2 games:

Once my husband finally stops watching TV I'm going to pop in Deadly Creatures. It's gotten average reviews and the general consensus is that it's a pretty good game. I have played Big Bang Mini and it is a blast. The game play is simple and fun and all the colors look beautiful on the DS. Those of you that have a D should check this out....did I mention that the game is only $20 and there is a lot of content on the little cartridge.

I've typed enough for the day and I'm excited about getting back into the swing of things.

Long time no talk to Gamespot.I hope all of you out there are doing well!!!

I've been pretty busy lately and haven't really had too much time to actually blog but I did manage to follow in the footsteps of others on this site and start something up over on Blogger (st3ph2d3f.blogspot.com). That's probably going to be where I do most of my blogging from now on. I wanted to start up my own blog just because lately I've really been getting into game and trying to think about where I want to go with this passion. I haven't figured out exactly what I want to do, but I know I want to be able to share my knowledge and opinions with others. I don't want to think about it too seriously since now is not the time to be thinking about career changes (obviously because of the economy), but at least I can try to start writing more freely.

Even though I'm changing my blog location I just want everyone to know that I'm still going to be on GS all the time. You'll see me in the forums and I still have my mod duties to do!! I'm just changing things up a bit.

I've also been spending a lot more time on YouTube.I've been doing some reviews among other things and I'm really enjoying it. If you're interested check out my channel.

Another year has passed and I think it's safe to say that 2008 was an amazing year for video games. Wait....I think I say this every year, but I really mean it this time. There were so many amazing new games in 2008 that it made it hard to come up with only 10 favorites. So without further adieu.....here are my Top 10 Favorite Games of 2008

10. Prince of Persia

I just got into the game and it impressed me so much that it made my Top 10. Prince of Persia looks beautiful and while the game play is simple I find it way less stressful than the last two games in the series.

9. Little Big Planet

I wish I was more creative so I could take advantage of everything LBP has to offer. Even though I haven't used the tools to create my own levels yet I'm still having a blast playing through the single player with friends.

8. Grand Theft Auto 4

Way toooo hyped but it didn't disappoint me. The story kept me interested, the voice acting was great and the experience was great. I just wish there was a little bit more to it.

7. Dead Space

Great suvival horror game that takes some getting use to. The story wasn't that great but the creepy environments made up for it. Can't wait to get more details on on the sequel.

6. Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts

It's impossible to think that a Banjo game could be anything other than a platformer. Once I played the game it instantly won me over with it's charm and humor. Nuts and Bolts is crazy addicting and I'm definitely going back to it soon.

5. Saints Row 2

Yes, you are reading this right. I liked Saints Row 2 more than GTA IV. I had a lot of fun with Saints Row 2 just because it was so over the top and funny.

4. Mario Kart Wii

My household has held plenty of Mario Kart tournaments (which I should record someday). Mario Kart is a blast to play and a must own for the Wii. The new tracks are fun but as usual even though it get frustrating when the game cheats.

3. Fable 2

I haven't beat this game yet but I love it so far. It is keeping me more interested than the original Fable did and thats a thumbs up. The environments are beautiful and the story is alright but I think it's amazing the amount of suff available to do.

2. Burnout Paradise

Love the racing genre and although I was skeptical of the open world direction that Paradise went in after a couple of hours of play I was hooked. Who can forget about all of the free downloadable content that has been offered to add more value to the game. So far I've spent about 60 hours in Paradise City.

1. Metal Gear Solid 4

A breath taking end to the series. The presentation alone blew me away and made it hard to believe that I was actually playing a video game (reminded me more of a movie). The story, voice acting, graphics and gameplay were all top notch makng it easy to play for hours at a time.

Honorable Mentions (games that were hard taking off my list)

-Lost Odyssey

-No More Heroes

-Condemned 2 Bloodshot

-Left 4 Dead

-Gears of War 2

-Valkyria Chronicles

-Fallout 3

Happy New Year!!!!

I know I'm a few hours early but I might not be too coherent around midnight so I decided to post this blog now. No big plans for tonight, just staying at home with the family and the drink for tonight is Baileys.

Anyway I wanted to do this blog to focus on 2009 and what I look forward to accomplishing(or at least hope to).

-Read more books - Thank you Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

-Finally go on a cruise in the summer -If it all works out the fam should be finally heading on a cruise at the end of July. I'm crossing my fingers!!!

-Take up photography - been taking a lot of pictures lately and I'm getting into it. I just want to learn more about the hobby.

-Finish up more games (I have a whole list that I'll share with you at a later date)

-Become more of a collector - lately been eyeing video game figurines and stuff like that.

Thats all I can think of now but that's more than enough for the year. Is there anything that you guys plan on accomplishing this year?

Before I go I just wanted to let you know that you will be seeing more blogs from me within the next couple of days. Tomorrow I should have my Top 10 Games of '08. Each day after that I will have something up about my favorite CD's and movies of '08. I'll be wrapping it up with my most anticipated games of '09.

So with that being said, I'll say it again, Happy New Year Gamespot....now excuse me while I go finish up my drink

I wanted to wish everyone here a Merry Christmas. I hope you've been enjoying your day so far. I'm feeling a little under the weather today (runny nose, itchy throat) so I'm at home trying to relax.

I wanted to share what I got with you all:

-some clothes (a sweater, 2 tee shirts and a blouse)

-The Tales of Beedle the Bard and Eclipse

-3 Disc Blu Ray version of Wall-E

-Dexter Season 1

-tripod for my camcorder

-Sonic Unleashed (360)

-Motorstorm Pacific Rift (PS3)

-Prince of Persia (360)

-Persona 4 (PS2)

-Gift Cards (Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, Kohls, Target)

I'm going out tomorrow morning with my mom and son to see if we can catch any deals. I'll stop by Gamestop since they're having their buy 2 used get one free sale. Valkryia Chronicles if first on the list....any other recommendations?

Enjoy the rest of your day guys!!!!

I'm counting down the days until I'm off for Christmas. This week I have to work on Monday, Tuesday and unfortunately Christmas Eve. I'm not too upset about that though since I get off at 3pm and then heading to my brothers house for a party. Its a tradition for my family to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve and also my brothers birthday since he was born on Christmas. I can't wait to be around my grandmother, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins. There will be plenty of food, laughter and drinks!!!

Last night my hubby and I went out on a 'date'. We hit up the theaters to see Will Smiths new movie 7 Pounds. It was pretty good and I loved the way the story was told by the end of the movie my face was damp with tears and my eyes were a bit red....I'm pleased to say that I wasn't the only woman sobbing in there. . After that we went to Uno's to eat some famous Chicago deep dish pizza and watch the Cowboys lose to the Ravens....great night indeed.

I had an awesome weekend and right now I'm wrapping it up by baking cookies with my son. I know Santa doesn't come until Thursday but that will just give us another excuse to bake him some more in a couple of days. Enjoy the rest of your weekend guys.

Aww...Frosty never looked so yummy?

P.S - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is amazing...so far my favorite book of the series (Just thought I'd let you know)

Just thought I would give you all an update on some of the things I've been up to....

Games:

For starters I just started Fable 2. I'm only an hour in and it's a great game. The amount of stuff to do is a little overwhelming but I'm getting the hang of it. Surprisingly the story caught me but and the environments are beautiful. Once I play some more I'll give more detailed impressions, but for now it'sa definite thumbs up.

After messing around with Playstation Home over the past couple of days I can say I'm not impressed. Home does have some potential but for some reason I can't get past the loading times, the fact that you have to pay real money for items, and the lack of activites to do. Other than that it is pretty fun to just chat with your friends or play a game of pool or bowling. I'm not sure how often I'm going to use Home but I won't judge it too much since it is just a beta.

Books:

I managed to pick up a book and finally start reading. Right now Im reading through Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I was in the Borders yesterday and saw a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. I picked it up and it inspired me to finish the series up!!!

Movies:

I'll finish up this blog with my recent obsession with Blu Ray movies. After watching The Dark Knight in Blu-Ray I really think it spoiled me. Everything looks so crisp!!!! I'm still waiting for the prices to drop but hopefully I can snag Wall E, Kung Fu Panda, Narnia Prince Caspian and Wanted all in Blu-Ray

-I really want to buy Persona 4 but the last thing I need is an extremely long JRPG. But I really want it

-I'm such the procrastinator. I still haven't even attempted to go Christmas shopping yet. It's gonna have to wait until sometime next week.

-Sonic Unleashed demo isn't all that bad so I'm gonna keep it on my Christmas list

-HOME is out tomorrow. Kinda skeptical about it but we shall see.

-Slowly but surely becoming addicted to YouTube

-Turkey Hill egg nog is delicious

-Just set a goal to try to get 60K gamerscore before the end of the year. Lets see how I do under pressure

-I really want to read a book (and there are so many that I want right now) but the video games keep calling me.