ZeroAnd09

I got a new phone last month.  Ever since then, I've been swarmed with texts and calls from people looking for an "Emily".  At first I was polite, and told them this was no longer her number.  A month and a half later, I'm screwing with them because they just won't stop.  Here's a transcript of the latest: Texter:  Hey Em?? Me:  She's getting dressed.  What's up? T:  Who is this? Me:  The guy who just took her to "pound town".  If you know what I mean. ;) T:  I'm Young... So no... Lol Me:  Well Young, I get at least 5 texts/calls a day from people thinking this is Em's number.  Best I can figure is that she has a new number and didn't tell you. T:  Whooooo sry Me:  Not your fault.  Have a happy new year. T:  U to!  I was just with her this is weird!  Who t u Me:  I'm a guy who got a new phone last month and has since been plagued by people calling Emily. T:  I'm...

  I've been waiting for a proper sequel to the Parasite Eve series since I finally got around to beating PE2 a few years ago.  Is this the sequel I've been looking for?  Time will only tell, but with Square's habit of screwing the pooch as of late, I'm a little concerned.

1. Snakes 2. Children singing 3. Open water All perfectly reasonable.

For those in the know, or those that don't live on Mars, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is out.  It's the last big hit of 2010 and I don't know if I can jump back in. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love World of Warcraft.  From the lore to the incredibly immersive world, Blizzard has crafted what I consider a perfect fantasy world.  What absolutely kills it for me each time I come back is the community.  Granted, I play on one of the oldest servers in the game, but WoW has a reputation for making Xbox Live look like and example of tolerance. What draws me back is the chance to play with old friends again, new classes, and a totally revised world.  I really want to create a Worgen and unleash the fury as a warrior. What gives me pause, is the community.  I hate them with a passion.  Stories like this  are what keep me at bay.  It's a community full of elitists unwilling to help.  Thankfully, I have a group of friends to play with, ...

December 1: Unbound Saga  (360) Lucha Libre AAA Heroes of the Ring  (Wii) Trials HD Big Thrills  (360) December7: Venetica  (PS3) Kung-Fu Live  (PS3) Blimp: The Flying Adventures  (PS3) Bejeweled 3  (PC) SBK X: Superbike World Championship  (PS3) World of Warcraft: Cataclysm  (PC) Tron Evolution  (PS3, 360, PC) Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: Duel Transer  (Wii) December 8: Marvel Pinball December 12: Super Mario All-Stars Wii  (Wii) December 14: Marvel Pinball  (PS3) Under Siege  (PS3) December 17: Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions  (PC) December 21: Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam  (360, PS3) Trackmania DS  (DS) December 22: A World of Keflings  (360)

November 1: PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure  (Wii) Intellivision Lives  (DS) Robox  (Wii) Hello Kitty Party  (DS) November 2: Atari's Greatest Hits: Volume 1  (DS) MAG: Escalation  (PS3) Goldeneye 007  (Wii, DS) Minute to Win it  (Wii) Hoard  (PS3) Auditorium  (360, PS3) Pro Evolution Soccer 2011  (PSP, PS2) Busy Scissors  (DS) Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011  (Wii) James Bond 007: Blood Stone  (360, PS3, DS) The Amazing Race  (Wii) Wheel of Fortune  (Wii) Ys: The Oath in Felghana  (PSP) EyePet  (PSP) MegaMind: Mega Team Unite  (Wii) MegaMind: Ultimate Showdown  (360, PS3) MegaMind: The Blue Defender  (DS, PSP) Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2  (360, PS3) Blood Drive  (360, PS3) Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage  (360, PS3) God of War: Ghost of Sparta  (PSP) November 4: King of Fighters: 2002  (360) Xbox Kinect  (360) Kinect S...

My impressions of the first Mass Effect were mixed. On one hand, I really hated the Mako driving sections. On the other hand, the game kicked all kinds of ass when I was focused on the story. I was playing when the second had come out, so I was torn on whether or not I should continue Commander Shepard’s journey. Thanks to the phenomenal ending sequence in Mass Effect, I was sold and out buying Mass Effect 2 days after the last credit rolled. BioWare took what worked in the first game and made it better. Then they went the extra mile and took out everything that made the game unbearable and banished it to the lowest circle of Hell. Gone is the tedious leveling system and the absolutely terrible Mako exploration. In place, there is a sleek and focused leveling system. A planet scanner replaces planet exploration and makes gathering resources a little more exciting. Gone are the vast amounts of armor and weapons. This outing features upgradable weapons and armor that you can customize...

I have been a slave to the Fable series. From those first few fateful steps into the world of Albion to the resurrection of my dog, I haven’t been able to get enough. Lionhead sank its claws into me with this series. I had been watching the third installment for a long time. Did Lionhead manage to sink their claws in further, or is this my chance at escape? Fable 3 doesn’t start like the previous entries. In fact, there’s not much that it does follow. Fable does away with many old practices and introduces many new features. Unfortunately, not all of them panned out the way they were intended. For example, Fable 3 does away with the traditional menu and brings out “The Sanctuary”. When you press start, you are transported to a room where your butler, voiced by John Cleese awaits. From here, you can choose where to go and manage your property from a map in the center of the room. Or you can use any of the other rooms to pick an outfit, choose weapons, change game settings, or manage y...

Today was the hardest day of my life.  Today, I held my unborn son.  We found out last Friday that we had miscarried.  Even if she had stayed in bed the entire time, we still would have lost the baby.  I don't know how or why.  I thought we were safe, making it through the first trimester.  Yesterday, we went back to the doctor for the confirmation.  We were scheduled to have the remains removed today at noon.  This morning, the baby passed on its own.  At 6:45am, I held my unborn child's lifeless body.  I doubt I will ever experience anything more painful. He was the best part of me.  His tiny body fit into the palm of my hand, and I could not let him go.  This was my son.  I've never loved anything so much in my life. We headed to the hospital right away.  An ultrasound was performed, with Mom being in optimal health.  It was then that we handed our baby's body to the doctor.  I will never see him ag...

You know what I've realized?  Life is good.  I have a wonderful life.  I have a woman who loves me, a child on the way, and one hell of a video game collection. Growing up, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with my life.  Five years ago, I still wasn't sure.  I've taken life at a very laid back pace.  For a long time, my philosophy has been, "Whatever happens, happens."  I think it has worked out.  Life is on track for being awesome. For the first time in a long while, I feel content.  I sit at the in laws, just having eaten.  I'm fat, happy, and very warm in my fleece.  It's truly the little things that add up and make everything sublime.  For a long time, I've wondered what my purpose in life was.  What role I was meant to fill.  I'm shocked to admit that once I learned I was going to be a father, I felt like I had acheived my purpose.  The primal drive to pass on one's genes.  It's so simple, I d...

October 3: Wii Party  (Wii) October 4: Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs  (DS) Shantae: Risky's Revenge  (DS) Racer's Islands: Crazy Racers  (Wii) October 5: Castlevania:  Lords of Shadow  (360, PS3) Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction  (PSP, PS3, 360, PS2) John Daly's ProStroke Golf  (PS3) NBA 2K11  (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, PC) Def Jam Rapstar  (Wii, 360, PS3) Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light  (DS) Enslaved: Odyssey to the West  (360, PS3) NBA Jam  (Wii) Left 4 Dead 2: The Sacrifice  (PC, 360) October 6: Comic Jumper  (360) October 8: Lionheart: King's Crusade  (PC) Dragon's Lair Trilogy  (Wii) October 11: Sonic the Hedgehog 4  (Wii) October 12: Who's That Flying?!  (PSP) Alan Wake: The Writer  (360) Sonic theHedgehog 4  (PS3) ZhuZhu Pets: Featuring the Wild Bunch  (DS, Wii) Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals  (DS) Sniper Elite  ...

Now that I've realized I can post pictures and videos in IE9 with compatibilty mode on, here is that picture of my offspring.

Me being the sucker I am for what I consider the greatest RPG of the past decade, was estatic to hear that I could mend ties with the wayward love of my first character in Dragon Age: Origins.  After playing it, I want my admission fee back. Witch Hunt takes place after the main campaign and promises to tie up loose ends with the most enigmatic character in the game.  This is a lie.  Witch Hunt takes two hours at the absolute most to complete and I'm fairly sure my unborn child could beat it, it's so easy.  Quite literally, I didn't have to set up any tactics.  I just let the party do what they wanted and breezed through the DLC on normal. But it's not about the length they say.  That's a lie as well.  The focus on this expansion is Morrigan and finding out what she's up to.  Long story short: you meet up at the very end and talk for five minutes.  Nothing is resolved, and you're left with a $7 teaser for the next game. This is by far t...

What sucks about sick days is taht you have to be sick to get them.  What is nice about being a gamer on sick days is that I get to catch up on my backlog.  Today's agenda looks something like this: 1.  Download and move my saves onto my new 16GB memory card for the PSP Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Cool Boarders Final Fantasy VIII flOw Hot Shots Golf 2 Jean d'Arc 2.  Download Left 4 Dead 2 and all available DLC for only $6.79 on Steam *3:  Track down that bitch, Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins and find out what happened to my kid. 4.  Enter a state of nirvana What are your plans for the day? *added

Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 are on sale in the Steam store.  Normally $20, you can pick up a copy of either game for $6.79.  Get both for $10.19!  Throw in that Steam has free DLC for both and you have one hell of a deal.

So, the saga that is Borderlands, comes to a close.  Unfortunately, it closes on a rather weak note. Claptrap's revolution finally addresses the final scene in Broderlands, the activation of the Interplanetary Ninja Assassin.  Claptrap has since then gone beyond his programming and raised a robot revolution to free the enslaved "race" of claptraps.  It is your job to bring him down.  Funny thing is, you've been hired by the people that activated him to kill you, Hyperion. Compared to other DLC offerings, Zombie Island and General Knoxx especially, Revolution is on the meager side.  Start to finish, I had it beaten in two hours.  Of course, I was doing this on my 61 siren against play through #2's level 50 enemies.  Long story short, there was little to no challenge.  My 41 hunter on the other hand, is having one hell of a time.  It would appear that it is a balancing issue.  Revolution sticks to the comedic gold that makes Borderla...

I love me some Borderlands, that's no secret.  But there's a stipulation with that.  I usually only play solo or split screen with my girlfriend.  Now, you may ask, "Why don't you play online with everyone else?"  Well, put simply, 90% of the Borderlands community (for 360) are cheaters.  The very large majority of people I have played with break the game to the point where it isn't even fun to play anymore.  They give their characters extra levels and talent points outside the normal amount (Level cap at this writing is 61, going up to 69 shortly and players are running around at 70).  They have modified guns that kill anything with one shot.  They have shields that can't be broken.  They use talent point generators to fill out their talent trees.  It goes on and on.  What astounds me, is that I'm the weird one because I dont' want any of these perks.  "Why wouldn't I?", you may inquire.  Well, I play games ...

I've been AWOL.  And with no real good reason.  Well, that's not entirely true.  I'm going to be a father!  ...And for whatever reason, I can't upload a picture.  Oh well, edits and updates are in order.  Due this week: reviews!  Specifically Halo:Reach and Borderlands: New Revolution.  I'll have more later.

At the Gearbox panel at PAX yesterday, it was announced that the level cap in Borderlands would be raised to 69.  The current cap is set at 61.  Oh yeah, this is also going to be free.  Expect the bonus levels to drop around the same time the Game of the Year edition releases in October. via Kotaku

September 1: Alien Breed Impact  (PS3) September 7: NHL 11  (PS3, 360) Dragon Age: Origins: Witch Hunt  (PS3, 360, PC) Brunswick Cosmic Bowling  (Wii) Otomedius Excellent  (360) Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker  (360) R.U.S.E.  (360, PS3, PC) 101 in 1 Sports Megamix  (DS) Kung Fu Rider  (PS3) EyePet  (PS3) Start the Party  (PS3) H.A.W.X. 2  (360, PS3) The Sims 3 - Fast Lane Stuff  (PC) Dawn of Heroes  (DS) Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep  (PSP) NHL Slapshot  (Wii) Sports Champions  (PS3) Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions  (360, PS3, Wii, DS) UFC Undisputed 2010  (PSP) Aion: Assault on Balaurea  (PC) Batman: The Brave and The Bold  (Wii, DS) September 8: Amnesia: The Dark Descent  (PC) Plants vs Zombies  (360) Dance!  It's your Stage  (360) September 10: Racers' Islands: Crazy Racers  (Wii) Recettear  (PC) September...

Exteel, a free to play MMO from NC Soft will shut down its servers September 1, 2010.  The statement from the official site reads: "All good things must come to an end Tuesday, July 27, 2010 — NCsoft has made the decision that the Exteel franchise is no longer financially viable. On September 1, 2010 at normal maintenance time, all Exteel servers maintained by NCsoft will shut down permanently. This is a global shutdown, and not based on our server alone. NCcoins will no longer be available for sale through our website, and Game Time Cards can no longer be used to add additional coins to any account. Current Game Time Cards that have not been applied can be used for any other NCsoft game. New game account and forum account creation will be disabled. We encourage anyone who has coins currently on your account to spend them as soon as possible. Please use all of your coins as no refunds will be provided. In late August, we will have an event where all items will be...

    Video Games | BioShock Infinite | Debut Trailer XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

    Video Games | City of Heroes | Going Rogue Launch Trailer XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

    Video Games | Dragon Age 2 | GC 10: Debut Trailer XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

August 2010 August 1 Alter Ego  (PC) August 3 Superstars V8 Racing  (PC, 360, PS3) Monster Rancher DS  (DS) Disney Sing It: Family Hits  (PS3, Wii) Dora's Big Birthday Adventure  (DS) August 4 Castlevania: Harmony of Despair  (360) August 9 Enjoy Your Massage!  (Wii) August 10 Madden NFL 11 (PS2, PS3, PSP, 360, Wii) Scott Pilgrim vs. The World  (PS3) August 11 Monday Night Combat  (360) August 12 Burn Zombie Burn  (PC) August 13 Academagia: the Making of Mages  (PC) Victoria 2  (PC) August 15 Xyson  (PC) August 17 City of Heroes: Going Rogue  (PC) Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days  (PC, PS3, 360) Ys Seven  (PSP) Everquest 2: Extended  (PC) Top Gun  (PS3) Gold's Gym Dance Workout  (Wii) August 18 Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light August 24 Crazy Pig  (DS) Elemental: War of Magic  (PC) Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar  (DS) Mafia 2  (PC, PS3, 360) ...

Well, holy hell, it's been a long time since anything has been posted.  A few things can contribute to that.  One being a new full time plus job.  The other being my current subscriptions to three MMORPGs, World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, and Aion.  "Why?", you may ask.  I don't have a good answer.  All three are time sinks for the one thing I don't have much of, time.  I should probably impose a strict schedule for my gaming to allow for regular updates.  But as I've covered before , I feel that gaming isn't something that should fall prey to a schedule.  Gaming is a release, something done to unwind after a long and stress filled day. There is a balance somewhere, I just need to find it. 

Limbo is the first entry in Xbox Live's Summer of Arcade.  It's a 2D platformer/ puzzle game with a simple design and premise.  Don't be deceived though, Limbo will test your abilities to the fullest. Limbo follows a boy in his adventure to find someone.  There's no written story, no cinematic or interactions that reveal anything about our protagonist's motivation.  Limbo is a monochromatic world where you must continually move forward. The design is simple with the boy and most objects being blacked out.  The background is filled with shadows and brilliant points of light.  It is enchanting and haunting at the same time.  The only sounds heard are the boy's foot steps and ambient noises based on his environment. The game starts off as a platformer and then ramps up into a puzzle game.  The transition comes about an hour into the game.  The difficulty of the puzzles increases exponentially.  This can lead to some incredibly frustr...

I'd like all of you to meet my best friend, Ryan.  Ryan plays Call of Duty.  A lot.  He also draws comics.  Comics that I'm going to put up here.

From the official Gears site. "The fate of Carmine lies in your hands! For the first time in franchise history, Epic Games and Microsoft are giving fans the chance to decide the fate of a character in Gears of War 3. By purchasing avatar gear on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, fans and gaming communities around the globe will decide the destiny of the newest Carmine brother set to appear in Gears of War 3, with all the proceeds going to the Child’s Play Charity. Keeping with the series’ tradition, Clayton Carmine will be introduced in the trilogy’s final chapter, and like Anthony and Ben, the newest rookie brother runs the high risk of meeting an early death. However, unlike in the previous games, the Xbox community will choose whether Carmine lives or dies by purchasing special Gears of War 3 avatar gear on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Starting July 29, two new avatar t-shirts will be available on the Avatar Marketplace on Xbox LIVE—one shirt reads “Save Carmine,” and the other reads “Carmi...

Finally!  Clayton Carmine has been revealed for Gears of War 3!  My multiplayer experience will be complete! 

What happens to games when they become popular?  They become filled with scammers and douchebags.  When playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, I receive multiple messages from scammers (both text and mumbled voice), promising instant levels through the use of the mysterious 10th prestige lobby. What is the 10th prestige lobby?  A fabled place where those who have leveled up to 70 ten times over can host a game where they set the rules.  Rules like, a single kill will net you a level.  The idea is that you pay 1200-1600 Microsoft Points ($15-$20) for a match and you'll snag some easy levels.  What boggles the mind is that you don't unlock new weapons or skills.  All you get is a title and emblem.  Something that can be earned with time and dedication. That's assuming the seller is on the up and up.  More often than not, you'll pay the price and then never hear from the seller again.  I can't say I feel bad for those that fal...

July 21 - Limbo July 28 - Hydro Thunder Hurricane August 4 - Castlevania: Harmony of Despair August 11 - Monday Night Combat August 18 - Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Buy all five and get 1200 free Microsoft Points.  Buy three and get 400 points.

Bob over at Insert Token  posted this question.  I typed up a rather long opinion.  What is yours? From an outsider's perspective, it can be intimidating. The Xbox 360 controller has 11 buttons, plus two analog sticks and a d pad. But everything is intimidating if you lack knowledge. Think of your first day on any job and how scared you were of messing something up. The same thing applies to controllers. Because of this, just like training a new employee, I start with easier games to initiate those unfamiliar with the controller. As they grow more comfortable with the controller, I increase the complexity of the games played and soon enough they can use the controller without difficulty. I'm of the opinion that if a chimp can learn sign language, you can learn how to use a controller. You just have to get rid of the mindset "There's too many buttons, I'll never learn to use it." You are awesome, you can do anything, including kicking your kid's butt ...

Today is a sad day for everyone on Xbox Live.  Microsoft has announced that they will no longer continue 1 vs 100.  This is an absolute shame.  For the past two seasons, Kim and I would log in almost every night to play.  It was fun and different.  It made for an excellent break from sawing the Locust Horde in two. For the announcement, click here.

I have a lot of games.  Last count put me in the lower 200s.  I have a lot of games I need to review.  I have a lot of games that I need to beat so I can review them.  I feel kind of trendy typing this up on a laptop. Supposedly the folks at Penny Arcade have this same problem, only they don't do so many formal reviews.  They've put into place a white board with a gaming schedule on it.  While I like this idea, it frightens me that my collection has reached a point where I need to set a schedule to make sure I'll play every game I buy.  At the moment, the games I own but have yet to beat are: Alan Wake Devil May Cry 4 Divinity 2 Final Fantasy XIII Infinite Undiscovery Overlord 2 Prince of Persia Red Dead Redemption Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope Tales of Vesperia X Blades Mass Effect Dead Space: Extraction Monster Hunter Tri Trauma Center: Second Opinion Persona 4 Phantasy Star Potable Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria Haunting Ground Sc...

Epic games have been in the business of revolutionizing the gaming industry. They started with Quake and continued with Gears of War. It was released in November 2006. Gears of War follows the members of Delta Squad on the planet Sera. Players assume the role of Marcus Fenix as he fights the subterranean race of Locust Horde. The Locust are hell bent on wiping out the human population and it’s up to Delta to find a way to map their massive subterranean tunnels and deploy the Light Mass bomb and wipe them out. Where Gears is truly revolutionary is the gameplay. It is played from the third person perspective. It uses a cover system that has since been mimicked in nearly every shooter made since. The “A” button controls everything from sprinting to enter cover and taking evasive maneuvers. Popping out of cover is as simple as holding the left trigger to take aim and the seemingly never ending horde of enemies. To make things easier, players have access to an impressive lineup of w...

I bought Marvel Ultimate Alliance a while ago and then purchased the DLC.  My brother-in-law purchased it a few months after me and was unable to find the DLC.  Turns out it was a limited time offer.  Yet I never read anywhere that this was the case.  To compound the issue, players with the DLC couldn't play with those that did not have it.  The player base as effectively grouped into two, the haves and the have nots. Well, there has been a lot of complaining on that point.  Now the DLC has returned.  But once again, only for a limited time.  You only have until December 31, 2010 to purchase the DLC. Get it here For those not in the know, the two primary DLC are as follows: Juggernaut playable character Psylocke, Magneto, Cable, Black Panther, Carnage and four new simulation missions.

I have a love hate relationship with working on computers.  Generally, I love the technology and by relation, fixing said technology when something goes wrong.  But when people can't take simple precautions such as installing an anti virus program or not opening every email and clicking every link, it makes me want to do bad things.  I just spent six hours doing work like this.  While it is easy, my inner rage is rising.  The catch 22 is that if people took the time to learn how to do these little things, I'd lose 80% of my business.

Well, I'm back on the crack pony.  The editor and my good friend Bob Presswood of Insert Token paid me in WoW accounts for contributions to the July issue (order yours today!)  I thought it was fair.  But now I must manage my addiction to this game.  And I really need to get Dirtelf  some better gear.  It's been nearly a year since I've played.  So if you play on Mannoroth and are an Ally, drop me a message and we'll get something going.

July 5 Furry Legends  (Wii) July 6 Persona 3  (PSP) Despicable Me  (Wii, DS, PS2) Crackdown 2  (360) Tournament of Legends  (Wii) July 7 Monkey Island 2: Special Edition  (360, PS3, PC) ArmA 2  (PC) Blacklight: Tango Down  (360) July 9 Battlfield 1943  (PC) July 11 Dragon Quest IX  (DS) July 13 DeathSpank  (PS3) NCAA Football 11  (PS2, PS3, 360) Mytheon  (PC) July 14 DeathSpank  (360) July 16 Puzzle Quest 2  (DS) July 20 7 Wonders II  (DS) Trackmania  (Wii) Arc Rise Fantasia  (Wii) Need for Speed World  (PC) July 27 BlazBlue:Continuum Shift  (360,PS3) Starcraft 2  (PC) Clash of the Titans  (PS3, 360) Ace Combat: Joint Assault  (PSP) Guilty Party  (Wii) July 30 Commander: Conquest of the Americas  (PC)

Whipped up some SC4 wallpapers for the loyal fans of this series.  Nothing fancy, but still ready for proud display on any screen.  All the images are 1280x1024 resolution.

Video Games Zelda: Skyward Sword E3 2010: Debut Trailer XBox 360 Playstation 3 Nintendo Wii