- Last night I managed to take down the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth Colossi in Shadow of the Colossus. And each one was absolutely exhilarating; I know I’ve probably already said it before, but I can’t recall the last time a game has actually made me say “Holy shit!” out loud. Plus I’m extra proud of myself for not consulting a strategy guide any further. And Jesus Christ is the music amazing; December 7th can’t come soon enough (I think that’s when the soundtrack comes out in Japan).
- So here’s something insanely awesome: I’ve always been curious about Kingdom Hearts, the Square action RPG that features Disney characters, but have never actually tried it out due to all the complaints regarding shitty control. And while I’ve always kept a close eye on part 2, since it does looking even more amazing, I never figured that I’d ever give it a serious chance. Well that’s all changed now because its been revealed that there’s now a Tron world!
- Here’s even more awesome news: Sam & Max are coming back!
- And just received word from Gaming Age that Guitaroo Man is back in print, so for those who missed out, keep an eye out for it. This is two great things in one: a great game that deserves to be in more hands will be, and retarded game sellers on eBay just lost another means to take advantage of folks.
- Here’s a look at all the unlockable cars in Ridge Racer 6. Looks awesome. I know many diehard racing enthusiasts aren’t a big fan on Namco’s non-realistic automobiles, but its fucking 2005 and its about time we got more cars on the road in real life that look as if they belong in the sky.
Though my interest in 6 has been diminished severely due to my recent re-visiting of part 5, in which I was reminded of how completely nonsensical the controls are. This sounds incredibly lame, but I still haven’t been able to complete the first heat, and I’ve been trying for years. Why the hell can’t Namco just make another Ridge Racer like R4?
BTW, for those who might be interested, here’s the intro to the ill-concieved R: Racing Evolution. Thank God the series didn’t go the oh-so boring “realistic” route (only Gran Turismo should do Gran Turismo, thanks). But the only reason why I still hold onto my copy is, aside from having V.s Pac Man included of course, is Namco’s brilliantly awesome stylized anything.
- Following up on the news that Keita Takahasi, the creator of Katamari Damacy, plans on moving away from games to design playgrounds, someone at the GAF pointed towards these: pics from his presentation at the GDC this past March where he showed off an example of a piece he did in art school where he studied sculpture. Its a coffee table that transforms into a robot:
- And later this afternoon, I’m gonna give this a try: Super Mario Wars is a death-match game with Mario.
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- I haven’t had too much time to surf the game for non-game related stuff, aside from indulging in my latest guilty pleasure: reports from shitty indie wrestling shows (hell, bad indie wrestling is what makes this country so great).
But I did find out something that makes me a bit sad: Coke plans on phasing out Vanilla Coke by the end of the year. The thing is, I don’t drink Vanilla Coke, or any form of soda really. So why the sadness? Because I’ve always wanted to try it out. But I still have a chance, right? Wrong. The thing is, I can never have soda. Ever.
Long story short: I used to be a hardcore soda drinker. I started around age 4 and it was my main form of liquid for close to 20 years afterwards. The worst was during college where I averaged about 1 and a half of those two liter bottles a day (or just one of those monster three liter bottles they sold at a deli near the dorm… I think they’re illegal at this point). So yeah, I was a Coke fiend. Then in 2000 I got super ill and couldn’t keep anything down, let alone Coke. Shortly afterwards as things returned to normal, I decided to stay off the soda. And since all expected caffeine headaches got lost in shuffle, among all the other medical ailments I was dealing with at the moment, I was able to easily kick caffeine habit. The fact that I immediately lost 20 pounds over the next two weeks from doing nothing but not drink Coke made me stay far, far away.
But over the years, I would become almost afraid of cola, much like a recovering alcoholic would be afraid of booze; I dare not take even just one sip for fear of falling of the wagon. At this point, I’m quite happy with drinking mostly water (hell, I even found stuff like real fruit juice too sugary now that my sweet tooth isn’t as sharp) but I do miss soda. It worst when I hear a can being opened, and the resulting fizz is like a siren’s song wailing from a rocky, yet inviting coast. Sometimes, when no one is watching, I’ll sniff the bottlecap of freshly opened bottle of Coke… yeah its pretty bad. But I’ve been soda free for over five years now, and will remain that way till death.
Though I fondly recall loving the taste of Coke with vanilla added at Johnny Rockets… this is before it became canned, of course. That’s the thing; another reason why my battle to remain pure has been so tough is the soda renaissance that’s been going on in recent years. Coke with lemon, the appearance of orange Fanta on American shores (it was by far my favorite drink growing up at the military base in Korea many years ago). But in the end, I’ve won. So I must bid farewell to ye foe…
- In other news, today at work was another contest to see who’s ex-girlfriend was the most psycho, and needless to say, I won once again. I have to admit that I am somewhat proud of being king of the bad girlfriend stories. I have tons of intricate, convoluted, and downright insane tales, but my simple “I was so stressed that I was shitting blood” seems to guarantee an instant win.
- Lastly, and on one last video game related note, but its a personal one: the death of Spready Bear, it seems, has been greatly exaggerated! I’ll have more info as it develops…
