Why does 2009 suck so much?

Is this some kind of sick, f*cking joke? I mean, really, what the hell? 2009 has thus far built itself up to be the year where nothing seems to go right. What now you ask?

My Xbox 360 just red ringed!!!

First we lose almost all of our money because we moved to a new state and the economy went to sh*t. Then I get a kidney stone and now have $2500 in hospital bills to pay. Then our cat gets sick and we have to pay $450 to find out he'd be better off dead. Next came the realization that Wife had accumulated far more in school loans than we had expected and it's now time to start paying them off.

AND NOW THIS!!

Here I am, building a joystick for my 360, and the damn thing breaks before I even get to use it. CRAP!! This is ridiculous! Now I'm going to be without the 360 altogether for a few weeks while I sit and wait for Microsoft to fix it. We're already hurting for funds as it is, but I know they're going to make me pay to send it in. THIS SUCKS!!

AARRRGGG!!!

UPDATE -- I tried the famous "towel trick" on my 360 and while it appeared to work, that wasn't entirely the case. The console will now turn on and get into the dashboard, but it locks after about a minute. I'm just going to send it in. Oh, and it looks like I don't have to pay for shipping, so at least that's something.

No title required.

You know what I haven't done in a really long time? Post on this blog, that's what! I really don't have a good excuse either as I basically just forgot about it. I'm such an ass.

Life is progressing in Minnesota, but very, very slowly. Wife has begun rehearsing for a play/musical that opens at the end of January, and I have not been doing much of anything other than slowly looking for a job. While the hunt continues there are a few potentials just over the horizon. I may actually get to do some web development...for money! Wow!

Gears of War 2, such a good game. I loved the first game, and it's pretty much the only reason why I wanted an Xbox 360 in the first place, but the sequel, man, so good. My sleeping schedule is now entirely out of whack again because I've been playing Horde mode online until the wee hours of the morning. It seems to be improving my overall game as well because I'm doing a lot better in the 5v5 matches. I've never been very good at FPS style games on consoles (I'm a keyboard and mouse kind of guy), but I think I'm finally getting the hang of it.

I just watched this interesting (and fun) video that compiled a whole mess of videos of kids this year who received Nintendo Wii's for Christmas. It was a heartwarming compilation, but I must not be ready for kids yet because a lot of the videos I found a tad annoying as the kids just seemed over dramatic. Don't get me wrong though, there were definitely a few winners in there, like the kid who broke down in tears. Oscar nomination anyone? Click here to see for yourself.

I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the kids though because unfortunately it seems most people lose interest in their Wii after only a few months. The innovation wears off and it becomes just another gimmicky toy. Now, if you only own a Wii and no other game console, then that's a different story entirely. I hope for their sake that that's the case.

Have a fun, happy, safe, enjoyable, memorable, digestible and unforgettable New Year's Eve! I'll see you next year!

Obsessed with fighting games.

May 1992; Knott's Berry Farm, California. It was the end of my 6th grade year and everyone on the high honor roll list had secured themselves a sweet trip to Knott's. Oh and how sweet it was going to be! When we finally all piled off the bus and made it into the park, I heard from a far, "Boomerang! We're going on Boomerang!" This was the newest ride at the time, and while not yet a fan of roller coasters, I didn't want to be the odd man out. I found myself shaking with fright but it wasn't enough to pull me out of line. We rode.

As was to be expected, despite the fact that everyone else had an awesome time on the ride, it was the Boomerang that would come back, as they do, to knock me to the ground. Well, not literally, but close enough. I felt miserable; completely sick to my stomach.

I spent the next handful of minutes standing by a very nice trashcan, feeling sick and wondering not only if I was going to throw-up, but how embarrassed I might be if I do. In the end though I didn't, which was the preferred choice anyway. Unfortunately, during my close encounter with the trashcan, I had told my friends to just go on without me. I knew I wouldn't feel up to any other rides any time soon. Upon feeling better I slugged my way over to the arcade and found myself dwindling down the remaining hours of the day with what little money I had to spare. This is where it began.

I'm sure I played lots of games that day, but there are only two that I remember. Street Fighter and Street Fighter II. I remember seeing Street Fighter II and thinking to myself, "Hmm, I should probably start with the first one." I think I was just scared of being challenged by someone who was already familiar with the game. I also knew no one touched the original game anymore so I would be safe. Well, it didn't take long to figure out that the original Street Fighter was one of the hardest, least responsive games ever made. I don't think I even reached for a second quarter after the computer wiped the floor with me. I swallowed my pride and walked over to the corral of Street Fighter II machines.

Blanka is who I remember most from this experience. Whether I played as him, or couldn't beat him, he is who I associated the game with most at first. Later it would be Ken as my older brother took ownership of Ryu. I came to find out quickly that I sucked equally as bad at Street Fighter II as I did the original game, but at least it felt like I was in control of what I was doing, so I kept at it. I remember, for me, the most daunting thing about the Street Fighter games was the fact that they had six buttons per player. It seemed like too much from far away, but once you got in there, it all started to make sense.

This wasn't quite the moment that I got bit by the fighting game bug, but it was certainly the beginning. At least now I knew that when I saw a fighting game, wherever I might be, I wouldn't be scared to approach it.

To be continued...

It's that time of year!

What time of year? Video game season, that's what!

Every year around this time all of the big name developers and publishers get ready to release their new masterpieces upon the world. It's an adventure that lasts a little less than two months as we build up to Christmas. This year there seems to be an abundance of games that I'm interested in. And surprisingly, there are more console than PC games this year.

I've decided to share my list with you now, not so much for the purpose of sharing, but more for the sake of my not having to worry about forgetting any of them in the future. Lucky you.

- Fallout 3
- FarCry 2
- Fable 2
- Gears of War 2
- Call of Duty: World at War
- Guitar Hero: World Tour
- Mega Man 9 (yeah, yeah, I'm late)
- Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (hopefully)
- Quake Live (I know it's free, but pleeeeease!)

Whew! And you know what the awesome part is? I have no idea when I'll even have time to play any of them! Hooray! ... *sigh*

Honestly, as much as my time has been cut a bit short as of late, it may free up a tad as the next few months go by. Let's keep our fingers crossed. I've got a few Xbox 360 friends who would definitely be interested in some co-op Gears of War 2, so here's to free time and open schedules!

Cheers, mate!

Early in the morning.

Just about breakfast time.

I'm sorry, I had to. It's just after 1:30am and as usual I am still awake. Not for much longer, but awake none the less. A good friend of mine, in honor of the release of Mega Man 9, has decided to run an all night solo marathon through all nine "old school" Mega Man games. He may be crazy for thinking it can be done, but that doesn't mean I'm not completely jealous that I can't be sitting right there next to him.

These all night (or all weekend) gaming marathons are starting to creep up more and more. From Zelda to Mario to Mega Man to Final Fantasy, gamers are more and more showing their dedication to the games they love. Sometimes it's for charity, other times just to say they did it. Either way, that's one bandwagon I think I'll be jumping on sometime in the near future.

But what will I play?