I say "See Snakes on a Plane! It's a fun movie!" Do they go see it? No.

No one cares or trusts my judgment. I don't know why. I guess it's just my unique tastes that turn people away from my opinions. And they say I should be proud of being different...Well, I should be, 'cause no one else cares that I'm different or will take notice. Someone has to take notice to my individuality, and that person has to be me. -_-

I say, "Guitar Hero is awesome and fun!" Do they believe me? No. I try and force them to play it, but they're not interested. Ariel goes to play the game, 'cause he's already played it (he actually kinda actually trusts me!). Now everyone's like, "WOW! I WANNA PLAY!" ...WTF? Lamez0rz.

I don't think Kara believed me when I said Katamari Damacy was a fun game. I let her borrow it, and she fell in love with the game.

I know fun stuff when I see it, but no one cares when I want to share it. Sure, you might say "Well, they should think for themselves!" Yeah, they should, but they don't. People usually do listen to their friends. How many times have you heard someone watching a movie or reading book as a result of a "recommendation from a friend"? It happens pretty often, but you'll never hear "recommendation from J.R."

Fscking lame.

Last night, I actually did my reading assignments for History and American Lit. The weirdest part it, I actually paid attention to what I was reading, and I was even INTERESTED in what I read in my History textbook. Huge WTF @ that.

I had to read "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" by Bret "Not The Hitman" Harte for American Lit. We had already been assigned this story back in high school, but I didn't read it then, so last night was my first time reading it. I got my stupid Literature textbook and started reading. I later found it very uncomfortable to read the book. There were many reasons for this. The book was heavy, making it uncomfortable to hold up and read. The pages were thin, and my air conditioner fan would blow the pages around and disrupt my reading. The book was actually paperback, macking it difficult to steady it on my bed as I read. About 1/5th through the story, I had a brilliant idea: look the story up online and read it on my Macbook. That means no flappy pages, no turning pages, no need for another light source, and no hassle! Honestly, I have no idea why we still use books in their current form (pages bound together between a back and front cover). It's so impractical and annoying. It's so much easier to read books electronically, on a screen or something like that. Really, all books should be transferred to a digital medium so I could "Ctrl + F" them and not have to deal with turning pages and all that crap. They'd also probably be cheaper.

Yesterday was my first day of class at Paris Junior College. It wasn't as bad as I thought. In fact, I kinda liked it. Much better than high school in a couple of ways...

My first class (U.S. History) Monday started at 9 AM, so I get to sleep in more than those silly high school kids. :D Though when I go to the building, which is across the street from the actual school) there were like...no parking places. I drove around, and was lucky enough to find the last remaining open space. I parked next to Autumn Jordan and I smiled at her, but she either didn't notice me, it wasn't her, or she hates me, 'cause she didn't pay any attention to me. Whatever.

Of course, since it was the first day, we never really did anything in the classes. In History, the teacher introduced himself (I forgot his name and I'm too lazy to look for my schedule), and talked about the class, gave us a syllabus, then talked about history and stuff. I hardly know anyone there. The only people I knew that were in the class were people I hardly ever never talk to. There was this really hawt girl there, but I dunno anything about her and I'm not gonna ask 'cause I suck. I apparently get to use my laptop to take notes in this class. Weee. However, the individual wooden desks really suck, and it might not be able to fit my lappy.

American Literature was next. It starts at 11:15. Remember my little "battle plan" map? Well, I drew it wrong. I was supposed to go to building 2, not 20. So I ended up parking far away from my class, and I got lost and blah blah blah. The class itself is really cool, 'cause the desks/tables that we sit at are elevated above the teacher. Really neat. I also finally knew someone in the class. I currently sit next to Brad Ashmore, my former office assistant buddy from 7th grade. Yeaaah. Again, we didn't do anything in that class, really, 'cept talk about...the class. I think I have homework, too, but I'm not sure. I have to read some story I already read (maybe) a year or two ago. Whatever.

Aaaand...that was it. Kinda. I would later have Digital Arts at 5:30 that night. Damn...that wasn't at all what I was hoping it'd be. I was really excited about it beforehand, 'cause it was a computer classing dealing with Photoshop and Illustrator! Sounds great, huh? Not when the majority of the people in the class are old people who don't know much about following instructions or using a computer. Also, the class is three friggin' hours long. Soooo boooooring. Hopefully that's just 'cause we're learning Photoshop, which I'm already familiar with. Maybe the class'll pick up once we start Illustrator. If not, I'm definitely dropping the course. :P

Tuesday (today) was my second day of class. I would have only had one class today, Speech, but a while after I got to the class room, some guy came in and said that the Speech instructor was ill, so I didn't have class today. Wooo.

So I went to Wal-Mart and bought some school supplies. Then I headed to GameXchange and bought WWF No Mercy for the N64. However, when I got home and played the game, I found it unremarkable, mainly 'cause I didn't know who any of the wrestlers were. I guess for N64 wrestling, WCW/nWo Revenge will have to be my favorite. So after I picked my sister up from school, I returned No Mercy and bought WWE: Day or Reckoning 2 for the Gamecube instead.

Now I'm tired of typing.

I've spent most of tonight preparing for school tomorrow. I'm pretty good, but I'm not sure where my classes are. That's why I drew out a "battle plan." Click on the image below to view it full-size.


I got all my books ready.


Yeaahhh...I think I'm ready for this...maybe. I dunno. I'm nervous. I hope I know some of the people in my classes. I hope I don't get lost. I hope I get up early. I hope I actually go to sleep TONIGHT (that means before 12 AM). I went to church this morning at 9, which means I got 4 hours to sleep, so hopefully it'll be easier to sleep tonight.

Anyways, that's it. Wish me luck, guys.

Oh yeah, and if you haven't noticed, the blog's been redesigned to match my MySpace.

A new gaming blog! I plan on reviewing some games...and stuff. Also some gaming news that I think people should know.

It won't be popular, but whatever.

http://gamez0rz.blogspot.com/

is awesome. Go see it.

I downloaded San Andreas recently after reading a hilarious topic on LUE about plane crashes.

This happened to me while I was messing around with cheats. XD

But it's still a fun game.

I've got 150 dollars thanks to my municipal band check (finally). What do you guys think about me buying Guitar Hero with it? That'll set me back 70 bucks, leaving me with 80 dollars, still enough for FFXII. Think Guitar Hero will be a good investment?

Labels: Guitar Hero

Hey, Josh. There's a party tomorrow at my house. It'll prolly start around 7. It's not really a party, though. I really can't think of anything to do other than play video games. Originally, swimming was part of the plan, but my dad says that won't be happening because the pool is unclean. My mother said we should restrict it to the pool room, but I say we could probably still have fun in my room, with the computers and video games.

Anyone can come, I guess, but I warn you that if you don't like video games, you're prolly not gonna have fun. Also, Zac Ressler is having a similar party that night, so I mighht leave my party to go to his later, if I even remember where he lives. I don't know.

Oh yeah, my parents are paying for pizza, also.

A few days ago, I went shopping with Jessica during the tax-free weekend thing. My mom let me borrow her credit card, and I bought stuff! I actually went shopping! I bought 2 shirts (technically 4, as each outfit consisted of an overshirt and an undershirt), 3 pairs of pants, and some socks. Other purchases included a 50 pack of blank CD-Rs and a 256 MB SD card. Figure two shakes from Braum's in there, too.

I did spend some of my own money, though. After a small venture at Goodies, we headed to GameXchange, where I proceeded to purchase Mortal Kombat: Deception for the Gamecube, in anticipation of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon for the Wii/PS2/Xbox.

When Deception was first announced, I was really hyped for it. I really wanted this game! Then the game came out, and I never got it. I rented it a few times, but that was it. Still, it seemed very awesome. 2 fatalities per character, stage fatalities, classic characters, Puzzle Kombat, Chess Kombat, and a single-player adventure that was Konquest mode. The game may not be the best fighter out there, but there's loads of kontent (haha) to make up for it. It's a good game. I think I can actually get people to play this game with me, since I'm still new at it, and the chances for instant kills with the death traps makes me a beatable opponent. The same, sadly, cannot be said for Soul Calibur II, or even III. No one will play me in those games 'cause I own with Cervantes. =[

In other news, I've also been playing Killer7, which I purchased used from Hastings for a measly 5 dollars! And it's the Gamecube version, too! Hastings has no faith in Nintendo, as the PS2 version is 25 dollars more. The PS2 version is also the inferior version, due to it's longer load times, worse graphics, and worse controls. Haha. Man, I friggin' love this game! I rented it back when it first came out. This game has seen a lot of hatred due to it being so "different." But man, it's awesome. The story is unbelievable. The twist at the end is so cool! Gah! <3


This is an awesome scene from one of the later chapters, "Alter Ego." It's actually the final "boss fight" of that chapter. It features "The Handsome Men", a parody of the Power Rangers, yet a popular terrorist group in the world of Killer7. This is a good video to demonstrate the different personalities of Harman Smith. It shows each member of the Killer7 duking it out with a member of The Handsome Men. All the fights are predetermined, though. Also, the guy playing in this video has a seriously under-powered Dan Smith, as I owned Handsome Blue with one shot. :P As you can tell, the game is really weird.


Now, here's the most disturbing scene in the whole game. It presents a clear contrast to the very silly scene with The Handsome Men. Here, Curtis Blackburn, and assassin who deals with organ trafficking, confronts his old partner in the business. Curtis is a sick old man, and is referred to that many times in the game. Curtis and Pedro took orphans for their organs. I think Pedro took the guys and Curtis took the girls. So Curtis lives with a bunch of orphan girls, then harvests them for their organs, and hangs their bodies on hooks under his pool. Yeah, sick crap. Don't worry, though, Dan takes him out, "Trying to die in style? Gimme a break you sick old man."

Another interesting note is that Curtis trains a girl to be her apprentince and aid him in his sick little business. The girl is "Ayame Blackburn" and she's apparently a big fan of anime, as she wears an anime doll mask on her head and speaks in Japanese, likes to give off a flash intro whenever she introduces herself to the Killer7. It's kinda funny, but kinda disturbing.

I'd post another video or two, but I can't find one of the ending, which is one of the most beautiful endings ever in a game or any media.

I'd also post a clip of Samantha Sitbon abusing Harman Smith, but I don't think that'd be in good taste :P

I just realized I never actually posted the trailer for portal in the previous post. Hehehe. Sorry 'bout that (Not like anyone noticed anyway, 'cause no one actually read the post). So here it is:

Shiz, man. I've been pretty bored, despite the fact that I bought two new games recently: Killer7 and Half-Life 2: Episode 1. In this entry, I'll discuss my experiences with Half-Life 2: Episode 1.

I wasn't really too keen on the "episodic content." Episode 1 doesn't really make me feel better about it, but it's still pretty good. At least I don't have to wait 7 years for a sequel, right? Yeah.

Anyways, Episode 1 is a weird name. Shouldn't the first Half-Life 2 be episode 1 of Half-Life 2? Then this would be Episode 2? Or they coulda just stuck with the initial title: "Half-Life 2: Aftermath." I think that would've worked better.

The graphics are pretty much the same, too. The difference is in HDR lighting, which gives the game a more realistic look, at least when it comes to lighting effects. The stutter bugs seems to have come back, though. Ugh. Sometimes I love the Source Engine, but I hate it more than ever now that I found out that the engine is the reason behind the stuttering. I can run Doom 3 and Quake IV just fine on high settings, but HL2 on even the lowest settings can = stutter mania.

As for the actual game, it's entertaining. Though the weapons and gameplay mechanics are essentially the same as in Half-Life 2, it presents a real different experiences. For one, you're not alone. You've got your buddy Alyx to tag along with you. You'd usually expect a character like that to be a nuisance while playing, but Alxy is quite a bit of help. I usually found myself running low on ammo, and Alyx apparently has an infinite amount of it, so I just shine a flash light on some zombies and she shoots them for me. She's usually got something to say about something, and it's not really annoying, repeated dialogue. And you never really have to defend of coax her to do something. I like this. Valve did a good job at creating a support character like this.

As for other changes that make it feel like a new experience...you don't get the freakin' crow bar 'til near the end of the game! 'course, by that's only an hour or two into the game, since the game is so damn short. So in the beginning, you're only equipped with the gravity gun, and soon after that, the super gravity gun. It's not as fun to use as it was in the original HL2, though. You'll be yearning for a real gun.

When you finally get a gun, though, you won't be able to see anything to shoot. I'm not sure what exactly was going through Valve's mind, but Doom 3 was proof that an FPS game which is 90% black and dark isn't that enjoyable, but at least Doom 3 had a flashlight with infinite batteries! In Episode 1, we're fighting zombies in the dark with a handgun with limited ammo, a shotgun with limited ammo, and a flash light with limited power! Gah! 'course, Alxy's presence makes it less frustrating, but it's still not a fun time at the park. However, the darkness presented some pretty neat gameplay elements. You're able to use flares in this part of the game. You can light them and walk with them, put them somewhere, or even burn zombies to create a new light source! That was really cool, though I usually didn't have many opportunites to do that, 'cause my flares kept going out before I found a zombie to burn.

Episode 1 puts Gordon (the main character) in a lot more "tight situations" than in the original game. It's so surprising whenever you find yourself in these "Oh, shiz" situations, and it's really funny and pretty entertaining to find a way out of them. One of these situations is pictured to the left. I was XD'ing when I fell into this trap. The commentary on the game even mentioned that such a situation would be really unlikely, but they found it fun, and it is. I'll write a little more about the commentary later on.

The game was really short, though..really short. At first, I didn't think it was worth 20 bucks. A lot of the game was a bit too similar to Half-Life 2. There were no new weapons, only one new enemy, and the environments were pretty much exactly the same as Half-Life 2's. The game only lasted a few hours. I was surprised that it had come to an end the day after I bought it. I was like, "WTF? ...that's it?"

However, after I beat the game, I remembered that the game featured an optional commentary mode, where you could click on icons at various points in the game and hear some commentary from the developers of the game. That made, along wtith the game itself, made it worth 20 bucks. Even if not, I probably would've bought Episode 1 eventually anyway. I don't think it'll be going down in price, due to it already being cheap.

After Episode 1 is completed, a trailer is shown for Episode 2. Episode 2 will be worth every penny of those 20 dollars! The game seems to be set place in a forest or wilderness setting, much different than the urban setting of Half-Life 2. And also, the game is coming with Team Fortress 2, and PORTAL! Holy crap, Portal looks phenomenal! Check out the trailer, which I'll post below the next paragraph.

Okay, I'm done for now. That probably wasn't an very in-depth impression on Episode 1, but I'm no journalist. Anyway, watch the Portal trailer. Byeee.