Jump to content

Watashi Wa

Premier Retired Staff
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,498

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Watashi Wa

  1. Watashi Wa
    Anyone going to the concert this weekend? I totes wanna ride with some friends so we can all see our favorite bands together. Then afterwards we will invite the bands to hangout at Waffle House!
     
    OMG I can't wait
     
    Also who are your favorite bands?? lol
  2. Watashi Wa

    Paradox

    By Watashi Wa,

    The Escape Artist - August Burns Red


    Open your closed mind. (Open your closed mind.)
    Close your open mouth.
    You're pushing more than you're pulling.
    Every word that you say passes through my...
    Open your closed mind.
    Close your open mouth.
    You're pushing more than you're pulling.
    Every word that you say passes through my.. ears.. before it even escapes your lips.
    No one learns from someone they hate.
    Your mouth is like a grenade.
    No one learns from someone they hate.
    Your mouth is like a grenade, blowing everyone away...
    Oh...
    How many have you pushed away, and how many have you saved?
    How many have you pushed away, and how many have you saved?
    Pick and choose based on a face, but it's all in the heart.
    Pick and choose based on a face, but it's all in the heart that carries weight.
    Don't judge until you've taken it all in, 'cause in the end you'll pray to stay above the flames..
    Open your closed mind and close your open mouth.
    You're pushing more, you're pushing more than you are pulling.
    Every word that you say passes through my ears before it even escapes, before it even escapes...
    Open your closed mind (Open your closed mind) and close your open mouth.
    You're pushing more, you're pushing more than you are pulling...
    Open your closed mind and close your open mouth.
    ~~~~~



    I am not a very vocal person. Unless I have something to say, I usually remain quiet and listen to what others have to say. I encourage everyone to think about what you feel you have to say before you actually say it. Realize that this website is an eclectic one: there are many different values, opinions and beliefs represented by our member base. We are all not going to agree with everyone else, and the chances that what we have to say will persuade someone that they are 'wrong' is slim-to-none. We all seem to think that we are the only person that is steadfast in our beliefs and that our words will wash over anyone willing to listen, bringing waves of eye-opening realization of the truth to those blinded by ignorance. The truth is, this isn't going to happen and that is perfectly fine. We have every right to our own opinion, and so does everyone else.

    When tempers start to flare, we automatically start building up defenses to what others have to say. "No one learns from someone they hate. Your mouth is like a grenade blowing everyone away." We start flinging around words that not only cut, but that will leave deep scars in the minds and hearts of others. Why do we do this? We're just trying to persuade them that we are right. How could someone believe so differently from what I believe? Isn't it obvious, their beliefs are wrong! Saying things like this will essentially deafen the ears of those we are trying to speak to. No one likes hearing they are wrong about anything - it goes against our very nature.

    Everyone has the free will to choose what they believe is right and wrong. We should all come to respect others beliefs whether or not they fall in line with our own. It's not our job to make anyone believe what they do not want to believe.
  3. Watashi Wa
    Friday was about the worst day possible. I awoke at 3:50 in the morning to make it to my 6:00AM flight to Detroit. Upon arrival, I was informed my flight to Boston was cancelled and that I had been rerouted to DC, then to Boston. My flight to DC was delayed once, finally got to DC and my flight to Boston was delayed twice on top of maintenance issues with the plane. I finally landed in Boston around 7:30, close to about 8 hours behind schedule. I essentially missed the whole first day of PAX East. Bummer.
     
    Because I was late, Nate couldn't get in to PAX either. That's what I was most upset about. Lesson learned.
     
    Friday night/Saturday morning was awesome though! Aaand that's about all I will say.
     
    Once PAX started on Saturday, things really started to pick up. We played Fallen Frontier (Metroid-vania style side-scrolling shooter a la Shadow Complex), then waiting to see Battlefield 3, which is going to be HOT. Seriously, that game looks amazing. Usually, I'm not one to say "OMG those graphics were awesome" but honestly, the Frostbite 2 engine is coming along very nicely. Most impressing to me were the lighting, smoke and fire effects. Oh, and the 'SPLOSIONS. B) I'm pretty much sold on this game already. All I want to hear about now is multiplayer, which if it's anything similar to BC2, I will love it. I think DICE released the footage today that they were showing at PAX. Everyone should watch that.
     
    After BF3, Nate and I went to wait in line to see a public demo of RAGE. Due to our streak of bad luck, we got right up to the theater doors (literally) and were told the room was full. Bummer.
     
    We then waited around and played a little Halo: Reach in the console freeplay area until the Rooster Teeth panel. Of course, RT did not disappoint and brought with them some serious lawls. Now excuse me while I go get some purple-flavored drink.
     
    Saturday night was the continuation of the Omegathon. The game of choice was Jenga. This was not your typical game of Jenga. The blocks were much larger, and the spire of blocks stood about...four and a half feet tall? I don't know, I'm horrible at estimations. However, this was the most intense thing I have ever watched with my two eyeballs. It would be futile to try and describe this event because any description I could conjure would not accurately describe the atmosphere in that room.
     
    Next were the concerts. Video Game Orchestra, Paul and Storm, and Jonathon Coulton. Yes, be jealous, because it was hours and hours of unabridged AWESOME. Halo theme, Zelda theme, ________ is the name of my __________ cover band, DELICIOUS WATER, Still Alive, All we wanna do is eat your brains!
     
    Naturally, the three of us being huge Halo fans, we entered the Halo: Reach tourney as there wasn't much we wanted to do on Sunday. We waited around in line (do you see my face?) until we were able to enter the room. We (or Andrew, rather) noticed a few 'pro' players were in the room. Eventually we sat down at a table for our practice round and absolutely demolished our opponents 29-9 or so. The tournament featured the two new matchmaking maps from the Defiant map pack. Our practice and first bracket match were held on Condemned. We waited for our team to be assigned a station. Our time came, and to finish our streak of unfortunate luck, we were of course matched against the team with one of the pro players. The match started, and the other team managed to secure the lead while Nate, Andrew, T and I tried to get our act together and start working on teamwork. About halfway through the match we were down by at least 7 or 8 points. Did we give up? NO! We pushed and continued playing to the best of our ability and managed to get the lead at 43 to 41 with only one minute left on the clock. All we needed was to hold our position and pick off anyone daring to enter our territory. Well, somewhere in the last minute of gameplay we gave up 9 points and only gained 2 because we lost. That last minute went by so fast I hardly realized what happened. Anyways, it was still one of the most intense and exhilarating games of Halo I have ever played. After the match, we got respect hugs from the other team. They obviously weren't expecting as difficult a fight as we put up, as evident by the many screams I heard from across the table during the match. It was fun, that's all that matters. Well, we all got free Defiant Map Pack codes. That counts for something too.
     
     
    And then late Sunday afternoon rolled around and everyone went home and I was very content yet sad at the same time. I never expected to have as nearly a fun time as I did. Nate and Andrew (and Andrews friends), you guys rock. Last weekend was literally one of the most exciting moments of my life. I finally got to hang out with Nate, who has been a very good friend of mine for psshtt....close to 6 or 7 or 8 years now? Andrew, you're just as awesome. I am already very much anticipating whenever we can hang out again, be that PAX East 2012 or sooner.
     
     
     
    Just one more thing...those pilots, you know how it goes...
  5. Watashi Wa

    Party Hard

    By Watashi Wa,

    Gotta say, I do look pretty awesome in bold teal. In the words of Andrew WK, "Let's get a party going/When it's time to party we will always party hard/Party hard."
     
    Congrats to all the other promotees as well. You's gaht some work tah do.
     
    Also, in exactly 7 days I will turn 21. I'll also be at PAX East in Boston. With Nate and Mandrew.
  6. Watashi Wa

    New Lego Product Ideas

    By Watashi Wa,

    This semester, I am taking a class called Principles of Marketing. We have one major project due that was divided into three segments. We were told to choose a company we would want to do a situational analysis on. My group decided to analyse the LEGO Company. At this point in the semester, we are supposed to come up with some new product that LEGO could market efficiently.
     
    It just so happens I am involved with a website full of members that are crazy for LEGO.
     
    So, I'm going to crowd-source this.
     
    If you could come up with a new line (like Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc.), set, or product (doesn't necessarily have to be a LEGO set, just LEGO related), what would you do?
     
     
  8. Watashi Wa

    Post-christmas

    By Watashi Wa,

    Hello, fellow bloggers. I haven't updated in a while, mostly because I've been incredibly busy with finals and, more recently, holiday activities, but for the next two weeks I am completely free.
     
    I hope all you guys' holiday festivities were joyous and merry, just as mine were. Christmas Eve was spent at my sisters' house and included our now annual family gift swap. This year, my brother-in-law drew my name and decided to purchase Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, and the Half-Blood Prince all in paper back to add to my collection. Looks like I've got some reading to do this break.
     
    Christmas Day, I opened my few remaining gifts. From my second older sister I got Inception on Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy. Interestingly enough, it came with a copy of the shooting script. Hopefully that will provide some insight into the mind of Christopher Nolan as he shot this amazing movie. Next, I got a Finn the Human key-cover as well as a Jake the Dog key-cover from my younger sister. If you know what those two characters are from, good on you. (For anyone interested, this is a picture of me as Finn the human for Halloween. )
     
    My 'big' Christmas present from my mom and step-dad was the new Xbox360 S. I knew what I was getting, so it wasn't much of a surprise. I am, however, still extremely thankful. I went to plug it in to migrate some saved games from my old Xbox to my newer, better Xbox and unfortunately...the new Xbox was broken out of the box. It wasn't the fabled RROD, but rather, to the best of my technological knowledge, something was wrong with the video card in the Xbox. I could turn on the Xbox and it would be fine for about 5 seconds before it would freeze and the green light would turn red. This happened whether I used the composite cable or my HDMI cable. I also tried on my own personal TV and the family TV upstairs. So, we packed it back up and sent it back to Amazon yesterday. With Amazon's great customer service, I got the replacement 360 today. I hooked it up and everything works fine and I am now in the process of updating it and migrating all of my data.
     
    Yesterday, me and my sisters went to our dad's house to spend time with him and his family. The food was good, and much to my surprise, the presents were pretty good too. I was gifted a $50 gift card to Best Buy, $25 from one of my aunts, and $25 from my grandparents. Not too shabby.
     
    So, to recap:
    Xbox360 S Adventure Time key-covers Inception Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Copy $50 Best Buy Gift Card $50 cash Now, for the next two weeks, I just plan on resting and catching up on some of the games I've been meaning to play. Currently, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Halo: Reach are taking up most of my time. At some point I'd like to get into Fable and Dragon Age. I also want to keep reading The Chamber of Secrets. Geez, these two weeks are going to fly by! Maybe I can even put up the rest of my Bionicle collection for sale...
     
    Well, hope you guys had as great a Christmas as I did! 2011 is just around the corner!
  9. Watashi Wa

    Deathly Hallows

    By Watashi Wa,

    Such an excellent and enjoyable film. Indeed, splitting the movie into two parts was probably the best decision the directors could have made.
     
    It's been over two years since I read the last book, but from what I remember, this movie was pretty spot on. Some parts got shorter scenes than others, but it's better than those scenes not being in the movie at all, which would have happened if the movie weren't split into two parts. The acting, for the most part, has been the best yet. Special effects are all still marvelous. Everyone should see this movie.
     
    I cannot wait for Part 2.
     
    I have a crush on Emma Watson.
     
    Cowboys & Aliens looks freakin' AWESOME.
  10. Watashi Wa

    Planning My Future

    By Watashi Wa,

    About a week and a half ago I had my bi-annual appointment with my advisor. Nothing new was discussed; she mostly just pointed out which classes I now had access to since I have completed more prerequisites. The only real reason why we even have these appointments is so we can get our pin number to log into Webster to actually register for classes once they become available. Also, early registration! One of the perks for being an upperclassman.
     
    Conclusion after much planning and schedule-making: I am going to have a very busy year and a half ahead of me. I found out I have 17 classes left, and my scholarship will only pay for 15 of them. Looks like I'm going to be taking two summer classes and that either me or my parents are going to pay for them (or we split the costs, maybe?). What really threw a wrench in the works is that some classes are only available in the fall and some are only available in the spring. In the end, no matter how much I try to make my schedule work, I could very easily be screwed if, for example, a class I can only take in the spring is only offered at the same time I have to take another class. I go to a relatively small school so upper classes only have one or two sections available at the most.
     
    Spring 2011
    Monday/Wednesday
    MNGT 3460 – Organizational Behavior 9:25-10:40 AM
    INFO 3010 – Java 2 12:45-2:00 PM
    (two hour break? Ungh...)
     
    Tuesday/Thursday
    FINA 3610 – Financial Management 1 either Online or 9:25-10:40 (chances are I'll take this online so I don't make 2 trips into town, a 25 minute drive)
    MNGT 3100 – Management of Organizations 10:50-1:20 (second half-term)
    MKTG 3310 – Principles of Marketing either Online 6:20-8:55 (first half-term)
     
    My school is trying to shift most of the Business School classes to online. I'm kind of wary about taking online classes, especially upper level. I typically do better when I attend a real class. Most of this stuff isn't going to be things I want to teach myself.
     
    It also looks from here on out that my classes are going to be spread throughout the day, rather than packed together. This doesn't bode well for transportation costs, unless I move into an apartment with a friend. I don't think I make enough money to support that extra costs, though. Who knows, my parents paid for my dormatory, maybe they could help me with an apartment?
  11. Watashi Wa
    I don't know about where you guys live, but down here in Alabama the weather has been absolutely gorgeous this week. We've had the windows open in my house during the day. There is absolutely no humidity at night. It. is. marvelous.
     
    The highs have only been in the mid 80s and the lows have been upper 60s. I love it. Driving with my windows down at night, blaring music like The Album Leaf, Sufjan Stevens, Tegan and Sara, and Eddie Vedder is an almost surreal experience.
     
    Today is October 1, which means Halloween is just around the corner. I wasn't too excited until I figured out a cheap/easy costume to make. I've decided I'm going to dress up as Finn the Human from Adventure Time.

     
    Hopefully this weekend I can get around town and look for some blue shorts, a green backpack, and some sort of white (possibly furry) material I can make that hat out of. Or, if you know where I can get some of these items online for cheapish, leave a comment.
     
     
  12. Watashi Wa

    Abandoned

    By Watashi Wa,

    Hello, everyone. It's been almost two months since I last updated. That's too long. So, here I am.
     
    Last weekend, four of my closest friends and I went camping at Chewacla State Park in Auburn, Alabama. This was the first time any of us had been to this State Park. We chose this site because my friend Joel (the one with the epic beard in the following pictures) had heard that there were some neat waterfalls, creeks and a lake. Around this time of year, it is not unusual for the temperature to peak in the lower 90s and reach a low of upper 60s at night so we wanted to go somewhere we could swim. Unfortunately, it hadn't rained for nearly 5 or 6 weeks before our trip, so none of the waterfalls were active. The lake was still high enough we could swim in, but there were a couple of families there with younger kids that demotivated us from doing any sort of fun jumps off the high-dive in the middle of the lake.
     
    The highlight of the trip didn't come until Saturday afternoon. We were hiking along the creek when we noticed a path across the stream that led up to some sort of clearing. Much to our surprise, when we took the path we came up on an active open pit rock quarry (being Saturday, no one was working). None of us expected this. We probably weren't more than 5 miles off the interstate. Still, he quarry truly was awesome. Giant rock walls brushed flat from hundreds of explosions greeted our eyes. We followed a road eastward to try and get a better glimpse through the trees. We noticed a couple waterfalls along the cliffs. All water travels to the lowest possible point, right? What we found was some of the strangest looking water I've ever seen.
     
    We continued along the road and eventually came to a plateau of sorts. My friend David is not fond of heights, so when I walked right up to the edge, he nearly lost his stomach. After we left the cliff, we found where the water from the quarry lakes are pumped to. I thought it was pretty hardcore.
     
    One of my friends left late Saturday night. Another left early Sunday morning. David, Joel and I were left to pick up the rest of the equipment. We woke up around 10PM. I instantly noticed what sounded like leaves rustling very lightly above our heads. I was still somewhat delirious, so I didn't realize that it was actually a light rain starting to fall. What started out light soon ended up drenching us from head to toe. Luckily, we were able to get our stuff out of the tent and pack the tent away before the rain really started to downpour. We rinsed off at the bathhouse and changed into drier clothes. Joel pointed out that whenever we three are the last to leave, we always get rained on. From what I can remember, this is true. We didn't let our misfortune ruin the trip for us; we actually found it quite funny. After we dried off, we drove into downtown Auburn and stopped at Five Guys to get some lunch.
     
    So yeah, that was pretty much the greatest camping trip I've been on. Aside from the fact that there was a No Burn Code after 10PM. That didn't stop us from our deep theological discussions we normally have. We have another trip planned for late October, but with a much larger group this time. We go to Fort Toulouse and play Capture the Flag or Attackers & Defenders (with glow sticks as the flag) in a Civil War fort around midnight. Civil War forts are -incredibly- creepy in the darkness of the midnight hour.
     
    I've also been fairly busy with school and work. I'm coming up on midterms (already?!?!), and I usually work 2 or 3 nights during the school week now. Any time I would have for BZP has been absorbed by Halo: Reach. I probably don't need to go into detail on my thoughts of this game. Those who care probably already know, and those who don't care...well, you don't care anyways.
     
    I'm going to make a sincere effort to update my blog more often. I enjoy writing down my thoughts, even if it's just to get them out of my head. Who knows where that may lead us.
  13. Watashi Wa
    I normally don't update unless I have something specific to talk about. At the moment, I don't have much else to do so I will be writing this during loading screens in Oblivion.
     
    First off, Oblivion. For the most part, I really enjoy this game. The only major complaint I have about this game is that the enemies/monsters level with you. I shouldn't have to fight a level 20 sand crab. Fortunately for me, my Destruction skill is at 96 right now so I am rocking some pretty powerful spells. The combat system is pretty bare bones. Why there isn't a lock on feature is beyond me, especially for magic spells. I think what I enjoy most about this game is the fantasy setting and elements. This genre will always be my favorite, and chances are if an Elder Scrolls V were to be made, I would end up buying it. There is so much that could be improved that I think another ES game could be really awesome.
     
    I've also been playing a little bit of Red Dead Redemption here and there. This game is very unique in the fact that there are almost no other western-shooters on any of the current gaming platforms. This game has its pretty fun moments, but I can only take so much of it at a time. After a couple of hours, you just feel like you're doing the same thing over and over again, even amidst all of the mini-games Rockstar tried to spice up the game with. The multiplayer, oddly enough, is really fun. I've only played a few hours at the most but I enjoyed what I experienced. I essentially got this game for free (after I traded in a ton of old games for my 360, my original DS, and a few other items) so I think it was a pretty good deal.
     
    Probably the best thing that's happened to me in the past month or so (besides getting a job) was getting two games for less than the price of one full retail game. I got Blur for $20 at the end of June and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 for $12. I probably wouldn't have bought either of these games if they weren't on sale. Blur is a great game. The singleplayer is exactly what I'd expect out of a kart racing game. Battlefield singleplayer was pretty mediocre. However, the online aspects of these games really shine. Unforunately, next to no one bought Blur. I rarely see more than 1000 people on at a time. Battlefield is a different story. I mostly bought this game to hold me over until Reach (SEPTEMBER 14th HURRY IT UP). I really enjoy Battlefield online, even though I've only played one gametype. My favorite class is probably the Medic. Reviving people is so much fun, and it gives out points like nobody's business.
     
    Currently eagerly anticipating the release of Halo: Reach. This game is seriously going to mess with my grades this semester. I'll have to practice some major discipline to stay on the Dean's list this semester.
     
    Interestingly enough, I'm excited to start this semester. Intro to Mass Media and Java should be interesting classes. Business Writing should be easy; I don't know what to think about Issues of Global Trade (if it's anything like Economics then blehhh). Stats 2 will probably be the class that gives me the most trouble.
     
    My job has been going pretty smoothly. I should get paid tomorrow, after waiting over 3 weeks for my first paycheck. Hopefully it will be pretty sizable.
     
    I've been reading the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels and boy are these a riot. I've finished the first two and am eager to start the rest. I've enjoyed them so much I may actually start buying them. If the movie is anything like the novels, we should be laughing the entirety of the movie. I'm excited.
     
    Anywho, I'm starting this movie called Gigantic on Netflix for my 360, so I guess this is goodbye for now. I hope you all had a fantastic summer, and have a great school year!
  14. Watashi Wa

    Inception!

    By Watashi Wa,

    What. A. Movie!
     
    Inception has certifiably placed Christopher Nolan in the slot of my favorite film Director. With the success of both of the new Batman movies, Nolan is able to both write and direct a completely new story that is entirely gripping and entertaining.
     
    The concept behind the film may be difficult to understand at first. Essentially, its the world's biggest "Yo dawg", if you can pardon the meme usage, to ever be created. The main characters are able to project their selves into peoples dreams, and even dreams within dreams. They use this extract information from victims. Without giving to much plot away, the concept of "Inception" deals with the premise of placing ideas into peoples dreams so that they act in a certain manner to create a desired outcome.
     
    The plot is incredibly unique and extremely smart. The acting is top notch; expect from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Cillian Murphy (Scarecrow from Batman Begins). However, the roles played by Ellen Page (Juno), Joseph Gordon-Lovitt (500 Days of Summer, 3rd Rock from the Sun) and even newcomer Tom Hardy were excellent choices as support cast. Even with so many characters, all of the actors worked really well together and I never noticed that one was doing better than another.
     
    Also, Hans Zimmer composed fantastic music. I mean, its Zimmer, what more needs to be said?
     
    I generally love optical illusions, stories that make you question how you think; Inception was no different.
     
    So far, we haven't had any great movies this year. Inception is 2010s first "must see."
     
    Seriously, go see it. It was awesome.
     
    Warning: the ending may make you rage. But in a good way.
  15. Watashi Wa
    I just got a job!
     
    Or atleast, I'm going in tomorrow at 9:30 to start training. I guess they can still tell me to not come in...but still!
     
    I'm so happy right now I can't even contain my excitement.
     
    Also, I edited the title: now with a hint of Futurama.
  16. Watashi Wa
    Everyone should check out our new Trusted Traders. There are three additions: -Sidorak-, Toa Ausar, and Bionicle Raptor. Hop in that topic and congratulate them.
     
    Also, notice the slight changes to the Trusted Traders program in this topic.
     
    Now, onto my next project...
  17. Watashi Wa

    Interview

    By Watashi Wa,

    For any of you that don't know, I haven't had a job since May of 2009. I have been actively searching, however. I have sent online applications to Toys'r'us, a local Cafe, Booksamillion, Target, Best Buy, and Gamestop. I haven't heard from any of them. It's been a somewhat depressing ordeal.
     
    Just the other day a friend of mine called me and said she new someone that is opening up a yogurt shop in town. Of course, I was eager to jump on the opportunity. After I found out my dentist appointment was actually scheduled for a different day (a miracle, of sorts, because I thought I would miss the guy at the yogurt shop) I drove to the shop and filled out an application. I scheduled an interview for 12:15 Friday afternoon.
     
    Now I'm lying in my bed at 3:37 in the morning typing a blog on this website because I can't fall asleep. The nervousness is killing any thoughts of sleepiness I thought I had. I started a movie at 1:30 in hopes that I would fall asleep. Didn't work.
     
    And just as I thought, writing it all into a computer has helped me relax. No longer does my stomach feel as if a hurricane is churning violently in my stomach.
     
    I'm praying so hard that this job opportunity goes through. It would make me feel so much better...
     
    If this fails, I'm most likely going to explore the local restaurants to see if any of them are hiring. Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday, Chili's, Outback. My sister supported herself in college as a waitress at Carrabba's. If those don't work, Wal*Mart and Costco will be my last resorts.
     
    Goodnight. Hopefully I will report back this afternoon with good news, or at least a chance of hearing good news within a few days.
  18. Watashi Wa

    E3: So Far

    By Watashi Wa,

    Want:
     
    Halo: Reach (Space battles!)
    Gears of War 3 (4-player co-op/intense battles!)
    Dead Space 2
    Bulletstorm
    Metal Gear Solid Rising (my jaw literally dropped at this game)
    Medal of Honor
    Fable 3
    Dust: An Elysian Tale (the art of this game looks amazing)
    Xbox 360 'slim'
     
    And that's all only from the first day of E3!
     
    I thought Microsoft had a decent event. They started off with a bang with showing Call of Duty: Black Ops, MGS: Rising, Reach, Gears 3 and Fable. Then they started showing off Kinect and the casual games that are releasing with that. I'm not too excited for any of the games, but the technology that is behind those games is completely unprecedented in anything we've seen so far. Kinect will really start to shine in the coming months when seasoned developers start to bring Kinect to more "hardcore" games.
     
    I'm eager to see what Nintendo has regarding the 3DS and any info on the new Zelda and Metroid games. Sony, on the other hand, I think has a lot to catch up with concerning Move. I'm not too interested in any of the games they have to offer, either.
  19. Watashi Wa

    Dear Paolini

    By Watashi Wa,

    Dear Christopher Paolini,
     
    WHERE IS BOOK 4?

    Sincerely,
    Your readers.
     
    Does anyone have any suggestions for series that I would like, based on the fact that I like the Inheritance cycle (please don't come in here to hate on that series). I was in a Cracker Barrel in Virginia and found an audio book that caught my eye - the author is Naomi Novik. The series I found is apparently an alternate history set in the Napolean era which sounds freaking awesome. Any readers of this series?
     
    Feel free to suggest other fantasy series/novels you guys have enjoyed. I hope to be able to read more abundantly this summer.
  20. Watashi Wa

    Alan Wake

    By Watashi Wa,

    Has anyone else out in BZP-land played Alan Wake?
     
    I just finished the game today and I'm looking for someone else to discuss theories on the ending scenes of the game.
     
    Overall, the game was assuredly entertaining. The story is definitely the game's strongest element, but the gameplay follows closely behind. The lighting effects are the most beautiful and life-like I have seen in any game, period. Not only with the flashlight, but in the environment throughout the whole game. Shadows move and sway with the light; atmosphere is drastically altered when the sun disappears behind the horizon. The flare guns and flash bang grenades are gorgeous. At times I wished I had more of each just to watch them explode on my screen.
     
    The narrative and story-telling methods in this game really set it apart from its contemporaries. You find random pieces of a mysterious manuscript that Alan has supposedly written strewn across the forest and parts of the town. Sometimes, these pages describe an event that will happen in short time; or better yet, it will describe an event that has just happened, but from the perspective of another character. This fundamental tool gives the player an opportunity to better understand the world and people that surround Alan Wake. There are also radios in houses that you can find and listen in on a local talk show. Not much story comes from these, but they definitely make you feel as if you're actually in Bright Falls, the location for the game.
     
    My only complaint is that this game is extremely short, even compared to games like Halo, Call of Duty, and other recent blockbuster games. Of course, it probably doesn't help that I'm right in the middle of my first Oblivion playthrough and that game is grand in scale. However, I understand that for story driven games like this, it's a little selfish to expect a lengthy game. If it was any longer, the quality of the story probably would have been compromised to try and stretch with the length of the game. In all I probably didn't play for more than 10-12 hours on my first playthrough. I am, however, going to play the whole game again once, if not two more times.
     
    Remedy did a great job with this title. I normally don't buy DLC (save for games I absolutely love or spend ridiculous amounts of time playing), but I'm going to invest the money for the second DLC episode (you get a free code for the first DLC episode).
  21. Watashi Wa
    So yesterday after my Astronomy class I got home and noticed the SNES that was sitting on a shelf in my room after my mom rediscovered it in a closet upstairs. I decided to hook it up to my TV and switch it on.
     
    It still works.
     
    But don't bump it, or else it will freeze.
     
    I blew on the inside of my favorite SNES game: Super Mario RPG. This game is probably what really drove me to love and appreciate video games. Even as young as I was, I knew that I would be playing games from then on. Still to this day, action/adventure games and RPGs are among my favorite types (FPSs would be up there too).
     
    This game is so awesome. I never beat it as a kid, but now I'm about half way through it after only playing for one day.
     
    Playing the SNES brings back some great memories. Countless hours playing with my new step-brother (the SNES is his, anyways). Hiding the timer under our pillows so our parents wouldn't hear it when the timer went off. They knew we played more than 20 minutes a day.
     
    Still, I think it's great to see how much games have changed, not just graphically. Playability, controls, rewards, scope, interaction; it's all changed for the better. In a way, it makes me appreciate my 360 that much more.
     
    Anywho, just a little nostalgic post. Carry on!
  22. Watashi Wa

    Metal Metroid

    By Watashi Wa,

    I just found a web page that has various themes from various Metroid games redone with more METAL.
     
    Not really my type of metal, more of a classic 80s metal. Still.
     
    METAL METROID
     
    Oh internet.
  23. Watashi Wa
    Who else gets that nervous feeling deep in your gut before you take a test/final? I most certainly do, even though I know that I'm probably going to be just fine. Still, something about not having a real class for nearly two weeks before the final is making me double-guess myself. The last two class sessions, we watched Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" and the week before that we watched F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." Both were very entertaining films, but since then I feel as if I haven't even read the material we covered since Exam #3 back at the beginning of April. Plus, this final is worth 25% of my final grade. So, I think my anxiety may be a little justified...
     
    In other news, to my surprise I found out that my grandfather has up to $1200 saved up for me to use towards college classes. I had not needed this money before due to my scholarship (pays up to 15 credit hours tuition). However, I'm a little bit behind where I should be; 9 credit hours in fact. I'm going to try and see if there are any good summer classes left available and hopefully register for at least two. If I'm lucky I can get my last science/lab out of the way, and maybe Managerial Accounting? That way, I won't be taking Managerial Accounting and Statistics 2 at the same time in the fall (why hadn't I noticed that fact when I registered for fall classes?).
     
    I'm still looking for a job. Even if I end up taking a few classes, I would like to make money on the days I don't have to go to school. My (well, not really mine anymore, since I'm not really "youth" anymore. I'm more of a leader now) youth group is going on a trip to Detroit in August to National Fine Arts Competition. After the competition, they will be swinging by Cedar Point in lovely Sandusky, Ohio. I. Must. Go. No. Matter. The Cost.
     
    Well, blogging to myself has relieved some of my nervousness. Now it's time to go review more of my notes on Modern American Literature...
     
    (I can't stop thinking about Halo: Reach, either)
  24. Watashi Wa

    Iron Man 2

    By Watashi Wa,

    Aaaahhhh so good.
     
    I honestly thought it was much better than the first one. The action was top-notch, along with the acting. The addition of Mickey Rourke, Scarlet Johansson, and Don Cheadle were excellent choices. I actually laughed when Don Cheadle first appears on the screen and he says "Yes, it's me. I'm here; deal with it." For those who don't know, many people were 'outraged' that Don Cheadle replaced Terrance Howard as the character James Rhodes. Jon Favreau also plays a role, in addition to directing the movie. Samuel Jackson has an appearance as Nick Fury, to further the Avengers Initiative.
     
    The suit itself has much more screen time in this movie, so fans should be appeased. The whole final chapter of the movie is Iron Man whooshing around and totally being awesome in general. War Machine was not a lame clone of Iron Man, either. Whiplash as a villain was also interesting; I would have liked to see more of him in the film, but I understand why he didn't fight Iron Man as much.
     
    Great summer film, I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes comic book adaptations and action flicks. This film may not be as brilliant as Dark Knight, but it definitely fills the void while we wait for Batman 3. God knows this film was also better than Spiderman 3 too.
     
    Also...stay after the credits.
×
×
  • Create New...