Old Gaming Memories

I bought Rainbow 6:Vegas today on the way to work. I'm working 5 pm to 1 am tonight, so I'll probably try it out when I get home. It really brought home some of those old NES memories to have a game and not be able to immediately play it.

I used to buy a game and go back home and play it immediately. That was when I was in college and later when my kids were little and my job and other activities not as all consuming. Now, with 2 kids, a job that is much more involving and a wife witth her own career, I can't always say when I get to play.

Suddenly I was back in that mindset of when I was a Timmy myself. I had just gotten The Adventures of Link or Double Dragon or Super Mario 3 and I couldn't play it until my Mom was done grocery shopping or I had walked the dog. So I did what I used to do, I got out the manual and I read through it.

My conclusion? Manuals now-a-days suck. With playable tutorials and voice overs, there's no need for a detailed "How to Play" or "Story" Section.

Seriously, have a look at the "Introduction and "Character Descriptions" could they be more generic? It seems like stuff we used to get for free is now $10 more and in the "Collector's Edition."

DDR for 360

So, I've got DDRMax 2 for my PS2. I've got 2 pads. Do I get the new 360 version of DDR, DDR Universe? Will a PS2 to USB converter work for this?

I really got the game more for my wife than anything. And the idea of hooking up a corded device to my new $400 white box is appalling and frightening to me. I know at least once I slipped and pulled the PS2 out of the entertainment center and onto the floor with the old game (yes, I am THAT uncoordinated). But I think the PS2 can take a beating better than the 360.

I only did DDR to kind of change up my workout routine (so I'd go for 4 week bursts of working out, rather than my usual 2 weeks). I think now I'd rather play Oblivion while on the elliptical, if I can do that without killing myself (both IRL and in the game). And the wife says if we moved the elliptical into the room with the 360 she'd Zuma her way to better health on the elliptical.

There was a short (very short) conversation about moving the 360 from the room with the 52” HDTV and surround sound to the room with the 27” SDTV and the elliptical. It went something like this:

Her: “You know, we could…”
Me: “No. Absolutely not.”

I think that was the one argument I have won in almost 7 years of marriage, so I thought I’d document that here.

Oh, and here’s a shoutout to Ben Kuchera at Ars Technica who kind of inspired this post.   I also claim most times to use the word "elliptical" in a non geometry related blog. Can I get a bump on my Gamerscore for that?

Chainsaw Heaven

I've been playing through the campaign as Dom in Gears of War. A buddy of mine at work and I had not quite beaten the game when we were assigned to different shifts. We agreed to not go past this point until we could do it together. So I went back to where I was in the game before we started playing together and went through those levels again, tthis time working on my skills in the hopes that I could (a) be cannon fodder less frequently when we continued and (b) be cannon fodder less frequently online. I watched some videos by a guy named nismojoe on youtube, which helped me see how important good movement and reloading can be. I started using the chainsaw (I actually picked up the locust sub-machine gun on my co-op game, I was more use to tactical shooters, so the small bursts were like a warm blanky in GoW) and prefecting the active reload system as well as the sniper and torque bow. Anyway, I thought I'd put these videos up since they helped me so much.

Crackdown - Or just Crack?

So, Crackdown is coming out and I want to know everyone's opinion on this.  The demo will go on at 2 am PST on the 23rd. (quick math), that should be right when I'm getting home (unless I get switched back to days before that).  So that means that I'm sure I'll turn on the box, start the downlaod and go to bed.  And when I get up (between 1-3 pm) I'll hear "Why was the xbox on?" 

 I love being psychic. 

Any case, enough of my life,  What is this game to you? 

• A $60 ticket into the Halo3 multiplayer beta? 
• A "good guys" GTA clone? 
• An average game doomed to ridicule for the H3 add-on?
• A stinker that they needed to "sweeten" to sell?

I haven't heard any bad things about the game from the media, but I haven't heard any really good things either.  Call me crazy, but when they start touting the "Art Direction" and the "Lack of slowdown" I start wondering if they made graphics compromises.  Give me a shout, agree or disagree, just get it out there.

Gaming at 4 am

So, who games at 4 am?

(raises hand)

Who games at 4 am who has 2 kids, a wife and a (I think) respectable job?

(looks around, mine is the only hand up)

That's how it seems to me.  I work at an oil refinery (no, I have no control over oil prices and yes, they hurt me too) and sometimes I have to work at nights.  Someone has to be out here making sure no one gets hurt (at least I try to) and no one blows anything up.  So a few nights ago we had someone have a massive heart attack and I sat there as a first responder, feeling the guy's pulse fade and wishing the guys with the O2 and AED would show up (that's Oxygen and Automatic External Defilibrator for evryone else out there).  What did I do when I got home?  I talked with my wife (yes, she'll let me wake her up at 4:30 am, because she's wonderful), I got a large glass of bourbon and put a little Coke in there and I played Gears of War.  I run into a bunch of idiots in the only 2 games that were going on and end up playing the campaign.  Where were you, Aussie gamers?  It's hard out here for a gamer, but even harder when you see all your friends online when you're going to your first meeting of the day and convince people that welding without masks is a "bad thing, mm-kay?"  ANyway, just wanted to vent, and it's almost lunch time here (that's midnight for the next week or so).