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Reviews and Feature Writer

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Notice: Cubed3 are no longer accepting new reader blogs (as of 17th January 2015). Existing blog entries will be available to read, archived below.

DSi & GBM Impressions, and soon to be Internet AWOL

Now Playing: the 'How many body parts can I twist' game
Now Listening to: The tumble-dryer in my computer. That's what it sounds like anyhoo.
Now Watching: ...Shit, telly's off. :0

Awesome little thing, wouldn't you say? Anyone who's anyone has a DS in some form nowadays, and recently I decided to upgrade from a Lite to one of these babys. So for those on the fence about doing the same thing, or just curious for a hands-on viewpoint of this one, have no fear! The lanky bloke is here!

So, first up, what you see. As per usual when given a choice of colours, I hesitated between White and Black, mainly because I was unsure as to which would be better suited for my greasy palms. Thankfully as I found out, the DSi doesn't have that shiny exterior that fingerprints love to plaster themselves all over. Instead, it has a Matte surface; feels nice and surprising not-cheap. I will say though that it scratches easily; thankfully something that is simple to take care of, but a carry case would still be useful in this instance.
Next up, size and weight, or lack thereof. If you thought the Lite lived up to its name, you haven't felt anything yet; the DSi might as well be floating. The hinge, so often cracking under the slightest pressure on past DSes, feels conpact and secure here; probably will still break just as easily, but I guess that's what guarantees are for.
Now for the screens. Oh man, the screens. Play a DS game on these beauties, and you'll never want to go back. I honestly can't wait to see how fantastic Okamiden will look on this machine. Smilie Crisp and clear, with old games looking more vibrant than ever. The speakers are greatly improved too; Maximum volume now actually sounds max instead of a whisper. The switch on the side that deals with volume can be picky, but ya get used to it.
The Buttons are an instant throwback to the DS Phat's clickly pushers, none of that looseness Lite owners have to put up with. The shoulder triggers have been thinned a bit (probably to comply with the Camera state of things), but they're okay with a little practice.
And now we get to the big boys, the two cameras. Its common knowledge that both are embarrassingly low in Megapixel number, but for 0.3, they take surprisingly good pictures. Certainly won't be taking the place of a good ol' snapper anytime soon, but they should work well for future games.


Next up, the internal stuff. Now, as everybody and their grandmothers know (oddly fitting nowadays), the DSi is missing the GBA port. Tragic, I know, but luckily there is a great solution to that I'll get to in a minute.
Turn the unit on, and the 4-part menu of the old DS is gone, to be replaced by a scrolling one with empty gaps for downloads and stuff, not unlike the Wii Channels system in spirit. Bit of a pain in the ass how you can't make the machine bypass this whenever you just want a quick game of YuGiOh, but hey, we'll get over it. From this menu you can choose to play the inserted game (real-time cartridge switching! OMG!!), change option settings, or download a demo from the Nintendo Channel (so THAT's where the old menu got to! Smilie).
The Music part lets you play tracks from an SD Card, which handily slots into the side of the DSi. Lots of fun can be had from this when you experiment with the sound changers; ever wandered what Gusty Garden Galaxy would be like in 8-Bit? Wonder no more. Oh yeah, and the sound quality is pretty good. Rather handily, when you have a pair of earphones plugged in the music will continue even in standby; useful for carrying around, although the idiot who forgot to assign L and R to skip tracks should be sacked.
The Camera Menu lets you mess around with your snaps, transfer them to SD card and whatnot. Turning your mother into Stretch Armstrong should raise a giggle, and using the clips elsewhere like Flipnote Studio and as a header on the main menu comes in useful.

One thing I will say that I don't like about the DSi though, is the battery life, and the trouble it brings to the table. It undoubtedly uses more juice than either of its predecessors, and whilst you can minimize and negate the problem almost entirely, sacrifice is needed.
Have another look at the pic. See that Yellow Light on the far left of the three bars? That's the Wireless Connection indicator. It was automatic in past units, but switchable here, which saves a fair bit of power in moving to the Off position. Doing this though, makes you lose any kind of machine connection to anything external, be it Broadband signal or another DS, which is a bigger teeth-clencher than it sounds.
The Screen Brightness on higher settings drain the well quite far too, although thankfully still vibrant on a lower setting.

Overall then, my advice is the following; if you're currently DS-less (and I hereby have the right to deem you insane), this is your best bet. For those intrigued in upgrading, I say hold on a little while longer. The DSi just screams Future Potential, but that rosy outlook isn't here yet.

And now for the perfect companion to the DSi, the tiniest handheld games machine in the world; the Game Boy Micro.
I've seen all too many times the most common complaint and ironically the biggest compliment of the Micro; the screen size. I can reassure anyone thinking they'll need a telescope to play this thing, in that the screen is perfectly visible in all areas of text, graphic and colour. It is clearly visible to anyone using it(and if not you, where the heck are your glasses?), and is a joy to use.
The sound quality from this unit packs a surprising punch. No-one expects a sub-woofer from the Micro, but it is pretty damn sweet both with and without Earphones. The faceplate altering is a welcome customizing option, good luck finding any for sale though.
The most obvious praise I can heap onto the Micro is its frame. This thing is seriously tiny, and you'd now have something to put in that small jeans pocket that's always empty. The size might make you believe that it would be a nightmare to hold and use, but unless you're the BFG (and I'm pretty dang close), there's no issue whatsoever.
Battery life is also surprisingly good for what must be the smallest rechargeable in the history of the world.

IMO the best way to play GBA games (rivaled only by the GBA Player on the Gamecube), these awesome mini machines aren't exactly expensive anymore, and well worth tracking down.

_____________


Phew, now all that's out of the way, now for business. As you all undoubtedly know from the way I've been shoving it in your faces lately, I'm off on my Hols tomorrow. Am going to Devon for about a week; lovely place, and lots of the extended family to meet and greet too. As such, I'll be away from any kind of Internet Access (oh how will you all live without me? Smilie), and as per a self-imposed restriction, any videogame machine or comparable device (the Horror, THE HORROR!).

So, I hope you guys enjoy the review I fina-f**king-ly finished a couple of hours ago (the clip looks shit, but I put a lot of time into it, honest!Smilie, Oh, and whomever wants the second Gif has my permission), and I'll see you all next week. Smilie

Oh, couple more things. First up, sorry to the rest of the news crew that I wasn't around more to help out; I said to jb that I'd help fill the void, and it didn't pan out that way. Again, my apologies.
Second, I'll give my thanks right now to all those who have or will award me with Stars this week, since I won't be able to on Sunday.
And lastly, I'll have some photos to share with you all upon my return; we'll have to see how I match up to the monuments at Stonehenge! Smilie

Blink and You'll Miss Me! - A Recent Events Blog

Now Playing: Pokemon Platinum
Now Listening to: Looking Back (thanks Ross! :D)
Now Watching: Bleach

Well, finally have a solid opportunity to do a little blogging; I've been rushing around like mad the past few days. Why, you may ask? Simple really, these little pills, the pack being given the fancy name of Citalopram. I probably should explain a bit better.

Not sure if anyone else here can relate to this, but do you ever have those moments where you just feel as if you're worthless? Nothing? That no-one would miss you if you ceased to exist? I'm ashamed to admit that I have, and not just recently either, but for the past 8 or so years (colliding with starting High School in fact, fancy that). These thoughts and feelings can develop, to such an extent that you seriously consider cutting yourself, or even ending it all, trust me on that one. Thing is, I've thought this way for so long, that I believed it just to be a part of who I was, never realizing that it was a problem that would accelerate beyond my control if left to develop, and that's exactly what it did. I never did seriously try to take my own life, but with work being so soul-destroying as of late, I became worried that these thoughts were becoming far more frequent.

Not long ago I decided to look up over the internet for others that felt the same way, and I found a special Mental Health Site that I won't link to here. After reading what others had to say, I enlisted and poured my own heart out to them, and thanks to their advice, I actually had words to give to my Doctor last week, words that gave the verdict of Depression; not the unstable straight-jacket kind, but quite severe nonetheless.

She understood, as all good doctors do, my plight, and set me these medium-dosage pills for one a day. I've forgotten the specifics of how they work; just something about releasing some kind of chemical in the brain that stimulates the psyche, words to that effect. I started giving it a go on Tuesday, and, well...

How to put this...You guys know what I'm like on here, correct? Brash, snarky, up for a laugh, augmentative at times, right? Well, outside of the internet and company of my family members, I'm quiet, reserved, and I admit, scared to death of practically my own shadow. I always attributed this to my timid nature, but now I know that isn't the only main cause of things. Things have gotten better in the last few years, but there has been no significant leap. Until now.

Right from the get-go on Tuesday, I walked out that door grinning from ear to ear, hardly able to keep still in one place beyond a second. I could say Hello and Good Morning to people without withdrawing or not being able to look into their faces. I could walk properly down the street without fearing that I'd trip over something. I could talk to my colleagues at work like any regular person; hell, I could even look the prettiest one in the eyes without doubting myself. You guys know me as who I am on C3; this is how I am everywhere now, and it feels great, absolutely fantastic. Smilie

...make no mistake, I'm no fool on this subject. I'm well aware that I need to make some real effort to work with these pills to regain the confidence I once had (never though to the point of arrogance, never again), and in a few months, to stop taking them completely. I vow to myself and to everyone around me that I will do this, no matter how hard it will be.

Just wanted to summarize with these two words; Thanks Everyone. I never really talked about being Depressed here before, largely because I wasn't aware I was, but I didn't even mention the symptoms, so many of you wouldnt've known. Thanks for the Stars, thanks for enjoying what I write, and thanks for treating me with respect, as I will no doubt continue to do so for all of you. Again, thanks.


Just to show that I haven't lost my touch with entertaining Blogs, here's a little something that I think the Nintendo Fans can appreciate; you may have seen it before, and you may not have.

Phoenixus' London Trip Blog of 4 o'clock Wake-up-Calls and Crowd Paranoia

Now Playing: Line Rider
Now Listening to: The Touch
Now Watching: I have no earthly idea

Hey all, just returned from my trip down to the nation's capital, so I wanted to share some gruesome details and poorly-lit photos with you all.


My phone going bonkers wakes me from the land of nod this morning at 4, and after throwing it across the room, I get up and have brekkies. Half an hour later me and my brother (the non-evil one) are scooting off towards the Train Station for the Rail service direct to London. Two hours on there (First Class! Suck on that peasants!) - plenty of time to wake up a bit from this dreary state;


Mmm...Brains...

We got into Liverpool Street at about 7 or so, and proceed to catch the Circle Line to um, *buggers off to Google Maps* South Kensington, where we caught the District line to Earl's Court.
Ho-ly-Fuck, I never expected the lines to be THAT long. Even though we had paid for and sent off for our Comic Con tickets early, the line stretched around the building, and by the time it has started moving an hour later, it had doubled up. Nice bitterly cold wind and boredom aside, I didn't mind the wait too much, saw a couple of Naruto Characters and a decent L (who I saw later was a talented artist), and it was cruelly amusing to see newly arriving folk end up at the back of the line.
So anyhoos, we get in at 9, and commence straight to get tickets for my bro's autograph signings.


Bloody poor lighting, but at one of the quieter moments

First up was that Suresh bloke from Heroes, it was an open line so we waited for a bit, and I bought one of those expensive autographable photos for my brother to use, as a birthday present. Nice bloke, difficult to recognize though because of the beard and glasses.
Next up was Danny Trejo, awesome bloke but had never heard of him before, same with Michael Ironside who also kicks ass; t'was hilarious to see the bloke waiting in from of us take a pic with a Woolworths disposable camera with Mikey though.

Anyway, finally we get around to looking around the stalls, and what do I see?


Drooooooooool

Fuuuuck, I wanted that Master Sword replica there and then, but the cost (£65 was a shot in the gut) and the thought of what the Underground Security would fire at me from any hint of a weapon made me rethink. Might look into Ichigo's Bankai Sword too.

Looking around the other stalls and self-consciously stopping myself from splashing out money left and right (especially on this, right Superlink?), I eventually came across the Videogaming Zone;


Doesn't look like much does it?

Looked a bit bare-bones, but going around there was a healthy variety of consoles and games going on, and the Sonic 2 tournie had started, so that looked exciting (didn't enter myself, was too late Smilie ). Saw a SNES with a Super GameBoy and Tetris, and a Wii and Gamecube side-by-side playing Brawl and Melee respectively. Saw this too, although I have no idea what the hell it is;


?

Sat down for a quick bite to eat in the conference area nearby, and took one last look around. Found an awesome Japanese stall with proper Jap food an' everything. Would've tried some, but you know how it is; you end up not liking it, that's a hell of a bit wasted.
Saw more cosplayers, namely a few Lara Crofts (not surprising since Keeley Hawes was signing pics too) and far too many Jedis for it to be healthy. That Bloke dressed up as DoA's Ayane will probably be the stuff of my nightmares for months to come; but that cute Namine lookalike might abbreviate that somewhat (no photos, sorry).

Ended up back at the front of the Court, where a certain Transformers movie prop was stationed. So, like a bell-end, I go and stand in front of it;


Don't I look THRILLED?

The movies are fine I guess, but nothing beats the original Animated one, listening to Dare and The Touch is all the proof you need on that one.

And that, as they say, is that. We then both went exploring in London, but chances are you guys don't want to hear about boring stuff like seeing the Houses of Parliament (boo, hiss) and Big Ben; those of you friendly with my Facebook page can see the photos, although I'm fond of this one so I'll post it here;


Glasses - £5. Haircut - £6. Being in a decent photo for once? Priceless

I'll leave you with a little easter egg I found in the underground;


Not quite, but damn close

My question is, where the heck were you guys?

London Event C3 Reminder

Now Playing: Da Conduit & Stardust HD Accelerator :P
Now Watching: Harry Potter Movie - I'd kill to be in Rupert Grint's boots for Movie 7/8

Hey all, just wanted to remind you guys about this London Film and Comic Con I'll be dashing to on the 18th.

First up, the bit I mentioned before about the Video Gaming Zone has been expanded. Fancy entering Tournaments and Winning prizes? Look here for all you need to know (I'll be entering the Sonic 2 one for sure; not certain if it's a two player race or Best Time Wins, but it should be fun). There should be loads of other non-tourney games to play, but I don't have a list or anything on me.

Second, a few alterations to the guest list. Have a gander here (Eve Myles hubba hubba Smilie and see if you want to spend time in a loverly long queue for their autographs.

Again, for payment details and times click on this exhuberantly and excruciatingly long sentence that is far too long but I'm going to keep it going anyway until my fingers start to bleed and my keyboard goes to hell with bruises and decapitations ah to buggery with it. I'll be there early and hang around until 12 or so; you guys know what I look like (worst luck), so most likely scenario is that you'll have to introduce yourselves, preferably with your forum name so that I don't stare at you blankly for five minutes.


For those of you not at all interested in this event, and have since regretted clicking on this blog, here's a couple of videos for you to like hate watch. I'd appreciate a couple more subscriptions *hint hint*.

Oh, one more thing, I'll have my Camera. Smilie

Cubed3 Londoners? Keep Reading...

Now Watching: 'Absolutely Nothing! Which is what you're about to become!'

Howdy to you all, just prepping up a post after dealing with the PDC 2009 and Sin & Punishment Reviews (read them, they won't bite). Got a little something for those of us lucky enough to habit Eastenders-ville.

Firstly, as not to bore anyone, check out this page for a synopsis on most of what I'm going to yak about. Done? Right.
Every so often Collectormania hold these events for the Film and Anime obsessed Nerds Educated People among us all. Typically, you'll see miles of Japanese-dominated product stalls and endless stacks of Comic Books as you walk down the jam-packed aisles. Most people will be queuing up to meet and get Autographs from people like that guy who banged his head on the Entrance to Detention Block AA 23, or Kiera Knightley's Butt-Double. Not my thing, but good for them. These events are usually good fun (been to one of 'em twice now), although they really need strong Air Fresheners for that BO smell that lingers around. Bleh.

Ahem, where was I? Oh yeah.
So, basically, I don't live in London. Shock horror, I know. But for one day, Saturday 18th of July to be precise, I'll find out a little of what it's like, because I'll be popping along to this event with my non-evil Brother. Tickets are booked, and days-off are arranged. I'll be there, question is, will any of you guys be?

A couple of things that may sway you into deciding. I can't see this lot posted on the site (might have been changed, might just have been posted in the Forum section, who knows), but there will be Dedicated Fan Areas for Vic Mignogna and Spike Spencer alongside them actually being there; Mignogna is a FullMetal Alchemist artist, not sure about Spencer, although he does sound like a famous person.
There will also be a lot of Cosplayers around; maybe you guys would join in or something? I'd make an awesome Seto Kaiba, if I had blue eyes and good teeth of course. Oh, and lots of money. Smilie
One thing that may sway you lot, there will also be a Video Gaming Zone. Big one too, full of DDR machines ['This is Japan, of course the Museum'll have DDR'], Console Games and Retro Stuff. Unfortunately, that'll all this leaflet will tell me, so take it how you will.*

To get in from 9-11 o'clock , it's a Tenner, and from 11-6, it's a Fiver, although those of you lucky enough to be classified as Kids only have to fork over £3; in which case bugger off since you're too young to be on this site. I'll be there with my brand-spanking new camera asking a Cloud Cosplayer to simulate chopping my head off, so maybe I'll see you guys there too. Smilie
_________

On a completely unrelated, but equally as joyous note, I've now got Metal glued to my Teeth; a little something I've been waiting half my life for. And I'm overjoyed about it, so I'll give a star out to anyone commenting on this blog, multiple times if need be (although Captian and Prince are disqualified by default).


*Leaflet is 1 to 2 months old, so may not be accurate. If not, tough luck.

Phoenixus' Hyper Amazing Blog Post of E3 Expectations, Predictions and General F***-Ups

Now Playing: Night at the Museum 2, which no-one seems to care that I bloomin reviewed. :(
Now Listening to: Rising Star
Now Watching: Britain's Got Talent - *Chuffed that Diversity won*

Your well-loved schizophrenic Reviewer/News Writer/Card Player/SuperNerd Phoenixus here, with a quick writeup of E3-rated doodah. Smilie

Since 2006's show ended, E3 has been a complete shell of it's former self. I wouldn't bring up individual cases, but it's fair to say that the last two trade shows have been nothing less than cringeworthy from all involved. Then again, I liked Wii Fit, so best take my opinion with a grain of salt. Smilie

So then, Nintendo's show is a mere three days away, and given the nature of what I'm doing here, that's da one I'm focusing on. Sonys and Microsofts Conferences will be of my interest too, 'xcept I don't know when they are, so tough cheese.

I've learned my lesson, and I'll be keeping my expectations low (don't worry, this blog won't be swamped with 'Port of Wind Waker' & 'Port of Star Fox Assault'-alikes, I like to be a little more imaginative than that, I'm just going to lower myself to the extent of 'not caring' when the time comes.)

Without further ado, lets press some more keyboard buttons;

Nintendo

- Big, BIG focus on future of MotionPlus, in particular for third party games. Nintendo reveal new Wii Remote with MotionPlus built-in, looks exactly the same as regular remote.
- Wii Fit Plus turns up, and provides another classic Cammie moment for Neogaf drones to make gifs of. Late year release in two SKUs, one with a Balance Board, and one that doesn't require it at all WHATSOEVER.
- New Wii_________ game that Nintendo will actually show off correctly. Many get excited for it.
- Loads of lovely graphs and statistics (hey I'd brag too if I was in their position), pie graphs too (mmmm, pie).
- Iwata comes on stage to announce that anyone from this point on that uses the word 'Casual' will be hunted down by the NintenNinjas, have their tongue cut out, and be shyrukened to death.
... (hey, I can dream can't I?)
- Brief trailer montage of games like No More Heroes 2, Turtles Smash Up, Tatsunoko vs Capcom, Sin and Punishment 2, and Arc Rise Fantasia. New clips bundled within reveal Sonic & the Vampire Light, Viewtiful Joe 3, Balloon Fight Wii, and Mario Party 9 which looks considerably different to all before it.
- Demonstration of Red Steel 2 and The Conduit onstage. Iwata claims a big push for the upsurging Western Market and unveils a Nintendo-developed FPS.
- Gunpei Yokoi's Ghost Shigsy turns up as expected (not on schedule though), and reveals Retro's mystery game, the sixth title that was canned before.
- Bit of DSi talk, reveal of Handheld Virtual Console that will launch with Super Mario Land and Tetris by the summer.
- New DS Trailer featuring FF5 DS, Dragon Quest 9, and The World Ends with You 2.
- Wii Virtual Console talk: Goldeneye 'On the way', Sega Saturn Games being considered, Amiga added to Console selection. Reveal of Star Fox 2 for the service.
- No Zelda Wii or Galaxy 2 Trailer, although Pikmin 3 suddenly becomes the talk of E3, due to the unique planetary concept of Wii menus where you can visit friends' Photo Channels and swipe their clips.

Sony

- Everything's been leaked already (cue 'have a look at that topic thing I made earlier' plug), so who cares? Smilie

Microsoft

- Bloke no-one has ever heard of walks on stage, talks about Xbox Live services, videos, and deal with Sky TV.
- Motion Cam fully revealed and talked about, mention of possible Wii ports (Smilie), aiming for 'Casual' (Smilie ) market.
- Kojima pops up on stage and talks about Metal Gear Solid 4 port, then walks off when questioned about MGS5.

...yeah, I'm a little mis-informed about non-nintendo stuff. Feel free to post your own babble predictions below.

A Viewtiful Blog

Now Playing: Hazard a guess?
Now Listening to: Rolling Star, Warriors
Now Watching: Endless viewings of my Brother's DVD collection
Image for


Nah, don't worry, this isn't a review or anything (that is found here, hint hint), I just wanted to go over my latest experiences with the game.

As many of you know (oh wait you don't, well then hold up, I'm telling you now), I've had my copy of Viewtiful Joe for the Gamecube since the Christmas after it was released. Got it with a certain high-speed racing title that proceeded to kick my ass (and subsequently get traded in), and for the first year or so I managed to get stuck on a boss. You can guess which one, I'm sure. Smilie

Viewtiful Joe is as difficult as finding quality journalism at IGN Nintendo. That is no exaggeration, and I'm only talking about Kids (a.k.a Wusses) mode. After finally learning about hitting the Fireboulders at Mach Speed, and dodging Five High & Low spinning attacks in a row, I limped past that sonofabitch lion, and thought I was up to the ending. Ah, happy thoughts, but no flying in green tights, pity.
...wait, THE FUCK IS THIS? Giant hand comes out of nowhere, and I end up on a Spaceship where the only thing missing is Vader's breathing. Cue disappointment that I hadn't conquered this arsehole of a game, but relief that the (rather enjoyable) challenge wasn't over yet. So, after getting through a few conveyor belt corridors, bashing rockets to destroy the Star Destroyers Star Ships in the background, and fighting Fire Leo rejects (without knowledge of Joe's best moves I might add), I finally get to ohmygodwhataspoiler. I kick his ass with a giant robot, after putting up with his Lightning Bolt Spamming, and then proceed to kick the living daylights out of his other form. Ending ensues, all is right in the world, and Viewtiful Joe The Video Game gets ready to go back on the shelf.

...except, not. Adult Mode, that damn Adult Mode, selectable from the main menu. Taunted me, it did, like it was saying 'Hah, you had to bail out on wimpy Kiddies Mode, I'm way too nails for the likes of you'. So I don't put the game back, I take up the challenge, and years later (rather recent in fact), I finally complete that one too, after hours of pulling my hair out, and re-constructive GC Controller surgery. But wait, what's this? V-Rated Mode? Fuck that, I ain't that suicidal. Smilie
But of course, I do it anyway. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck! Never has a game beaten the crap out of me as much as this one. It was a struggle to even get past the Second level, lord knows how I managed to reach the Seventh. Though I'd probably contribute it to learning some new tricks for the bosses, like the falling Stalagmites for Charles, and the relentless stay-on-him tactic for ditto Another Joe. All is at least possible up until the second area of the seventh level, where Satan himself must have set the difficulty. Seriously, Metal Leos, annoying little Smilie-type bastards, those hulking great Yellow things, the frickin lazers that try to rip me a new one, it's relentless. Just when I considered the entire level an absolute impossibility, an epiphany happens.

I take it all you VJ owners/players out there have heard, or used, the Red Hot One Hundred technique right? That move you use by Zooming, Slowing and Punching? Yeah, well so did I towards the end of my Kids Mode completion, and it was useful.
...except up until just yesterday I had been doing it wrong, all those feckin years. Such a simple mistake, and I never realized it. Whenever I used the move, I pressed Punch repeatedly. Yet, you're really meant to hold the frickin button down. When I found that out yesterday you could've cooked a marshmallow by holding it near my face.

So, with this new (it might as well have been new) move at my disposal, I went for it again. Area 2, Level 7. I can't tell you how satisfying it was to destroy those Metal Leos in one continuous strike, I fuckin hate those things. Those little Ninja twerps said Sayonara too after I fisted them to holy high hell. So, past the vertical gas chamber, and I'm up to the last boss again.

This time wasn't so bad, even with the increased difficulty, as I had memorized his attacks, and how to avoid each and every one of them. It all came down to timing, and boy did I suck at that. Managed it eventually though, and got up to the final, final boss.
I reiterate: Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. In every playthrough before this one, Final Boss v2 was a piece of cake, a cakewalk, the cake is a lie etc. Not so here, he schooled me good, I couldn't beat the bastard, even with Red Hot One Hundred Ultimate. So, due to my brother wanting to use the telly, I had to give up. Ballllllllllllllllls.

When I selected my current avatar, I swore that I wouldn't change it again until I had beaten this game on Ultra V-Rated (the hardest of all modes, unlocked right after V-Rated). I'm sticking by that vow, believe you me. Smilie

Step #1 - Provide Storage Solution. Step #2 - Inflate Points Cards Prices. WTF Nintendo!?

Now Playing: Pokemon Diamond- 'I never knew the Pokeradar was so useful' :o
Now Listening to: Brighter Side, SAGA


Howdy Peeps! I'm back from an unexpected and highly irritating absence involving the cunts at BT and the many woes of moving home. So, what'd I miss?
DSi launch is the main one I think. Was tempted to get one for about a couple of days, but the overly-high price and reminder that I have a nice rare Triforce-Golden Lite swayed me from the trade. Any Dsi owners care to tell me what their newest purchace is like? I'm all ears (and nose, and hair, and eyes, and every other humanly body part).

Anyhoos, wanted to get a little something of my chest that not many seem to have noticed, and the title I so carefully selected for this piece seems to have done the basic job, but I'll delve deeper.
Late last month, Nintendo finally gave us the memory solution we've been waiting for. It isn't a completely flawless solution (eg. VC and Wiiware Block sizes can't heighten too drastically due to data needing to be copied over before use), but it's a damn good and effective one.
Now, I'm by no means an effective character describer, but I'd imagine the conversation at Nintendo Europe's Board of Directors meeting straight after Update 4.0's release went a little something like this;


Dumbass in Charge; *Clasping Fingers together and leaning back on Chair* Okay fellows, now that we have silenced the Fridge-Emptying Complainers and made things a little easier for people to buy games online, what else should we do to increase sales through our Download service?
Random Dumbass #1; *Finishes picking Nose* Well sir, we could just leave it as it is, and hope people can telepathically know what's on our service without telling them.
Dumbass in Charge; Yes, good show Percival! Anyone else?
Random Dumbass #2; Still hold off on offering any Weekend or Holiday deals on games!
Random Dumbass #3; Make sure we don't offer any of the awesome Wii Channels the Japanese get!
Dumbass in Charge; Yes, yes, excellent ideas gentlemen! I shall forward these to the Wii Online Departme-
Smart Bloke that knows what the fans want; Excuse me sir, but this is a load of bollocks. None of those suggestions are useful ideas. What we need are more titles being put up for download each week, a poll for gamers to choose the titles they want in the next month, more advertising, half-price offers, greater variet- *Trap door collapses, a Splash, then crunching of bones is heard*
Dumbass in Charge; *Releases trap door button and presses intercom switch* Stacey, no need to feed the Sharks today. *releases switch*
Just for that indecent act of logical thinking we all witnessed right now, I'll be asking the Pricing department to raise Points cards prices. Anyone disagree?
*Others gulp and shake their heads*

...something like that anyway. Smilie

Seriously, after hearing the news that Europe would finally be getting the chance to choose how many Wii Points we want to buy in the shops, I was happy, since I rarely ever needed to use 2000 in one go anyway. At the time I thought the pricing details for the cards wasn't taking Euro conversions into account or something.

Well, looking in HMV today, ah saw da truth with ma veri oon eis (don't be fooled by the 17.99 on the 2000 card, it's just an offer price). HMV aren't the only ones, GAME are about to make the switch; I was lucky to get a Wii Card at the original price just before it happened at my local store.
Double the original price for a 2000 points card to get only another 1000 is an absolute feckin rip-off. Every N64 and most decent Wiiware titles will now cost a Tenner or more? Dunno about you guys, but from now on I'm waiting for the discounts and offers before I stock up on points. FU Nintendo, greedy bastards.

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Good to seeya guys again anyway. Just noticed I've dropped down the Stars Ladder, so I'm-a gonna have to do a little something about that. Smilie

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow...or it should be...

Another boring Sunday, another almost meaningless Blog post, but bear with me, you might like it.

Anyhoos, remember that little C3 Holiday I took throughout the grand old month of January? (Fuck this year's going quick already) Well, turns out that by sealing meself away from the hullabaloo of gaming's riches, I seem to have damaged my enthusiasm for my beloved hobby. Well, if you read Damaged as Obliterated, it fits better IMO.
Mores to the point though, I just don't really care about playing games anymore. Even picking up Broken Sword (which was a right feckin rip-off, I must say), and the enjoyable, but not in a desperately-gotta-play-one-more-level-kind-of-way Madworld, felt more like a what-the-hey moment than a necessary one.
So, with my sense of nostalgia gone, I had no qualms about getting rid of what probably amounts to half of my original collection. Out of sheer Sunday Boredom, I'm going to list said losses below. Take a look, and regret that ya didn't buy them off me. Smilie

Despite all this though, I'm still weirdly attached to the community of gaming, if not the actual act of it, so don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Smilie

Help me C3, you're one of my only hopes.

Now Playing: Final Fantasy IV DS
Now Watching: FullMetal Alchemist Episode 20

Okay, shitty nerdy Star Wars Reference aside, I do need a bit of advice here, as my situation is a little complicated.

Right, I've mentioned before about my brand spanking new job right? Don't think I said it was Argos before, but I wanted to post in detail here.
This Argos job is in a new, recently opened store in the city, about 25-30 miles from where I live. I take two bus journeys to get there, 3 hours worth of travel time a day I'm guessing. I'm enjoying it there, all good fun, a little stressful sometimes, but it doesn't matter.
Now, I don't mind the travel too much, but I have expressed an interest in moving into said City for quite a while now, and aimed to as soon as I secured a job. In this case though, new Argos employees are always employed on a two month Temporary basis, and usually (but not all the time) Permanent afterwards. I'm no different, except mine is Part Time, 16+ hours. I like it there, the higher-ups seem to be impressed with my work, so it's all good. As long as the chance of not being kept on after the two months exists though, I didn't want to make any unnecessary movements.

Now here's the problem; my Brother (the one I like, not the one I completely despise and currently live with), shares a rented house with a Housemate in the City. She recently lost her job, and hasn't been able to get a new one, so she has to move out by the end of the month. He will too, if he can't find anyone to share with, and since he can't that leaves me. He really doesn't want to move out, or back into the family home, as the rent rate there is really good, and he would have to put up with the same travel complications I do.

The Landlord has agreed to keep the rent, excluding (or including, I forget) gas, electric etc, at 500 a month. Since I'm only earning about 350 Minimum at the moment, my Brother would pay 3/5 while I pay the rest.
That would leave me with about 150, 1/3 of which would go on that son-of-a-bitch Home Learning Course that I can't get out of, and another portion of it on the remaining Travel Expenses.

I suppose I could try asking for more hours, but I doubt they would increase them substantially enough to make a big enough difference. And there are other factors too.
Right now at home I help out quite a bit; Cooking, Cleaning, Dealing with the pets. I'm just glad to help out my parents really (although that makes me sound like a goody-two-shoes, trust me, I'm not Smilie ). I'd imagine the (thankfully small quantity of) rent money I give them helps out a fair bit too. But there is my other Brother to consider - He can be a real pain in the ass in so many ways it's indescribable. Right now I'd like to think it's me keeping my Parent's spirits up after yet another shouting match with that insufferable prick; I'm the only one that doesn't put up with his shit with a passive attitude, but I dread to think of what it'd be like there without me.

Not only all that, but this request to move in with my City brother has come out of pretty much nowhere. He needs a Yes or No quite soon, but I need a time to think about it. Lord knows there are much smarter people on this site than I, so I'd really appreciate hearing what you guys can advise.

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