Battlefield 3

Date played: December 29th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 90 minutes
Session fun rating: 9/10

I had fun with Battlefield 3 today. In fact, I started my session with a few matches of Team Deathmatch which I selected by accident. It turns out it's actually kind of fun but it has problems. While DICE wisely chose to use small maps for this stuff, they also didn't really use a good method for spawning. It happened more than once that I spawned either in front of an enemy who then shot me to pieces or behind an enemy, which I shot to pieces.

It's funny because it's true!

Nevertheless, it was still fun. At first I was getting killed a lot but I was playing on maps I had never played on before, one of them a shipping yard/dock. Once I understood the map layout a little better, I quickly realized that it was very small and that I would have to set up shop somewhere to have any kind of success as a support class. I also discovered that this game has REAL suppressing fire. In fact, in one case where our team was trying to push through a choke point, I started firing lots of bullets in the general direction of the enemies and to my surprise, it allowed our team to move forward.

The trick is that there is a built in mechanic for suppressing fire that blurs the enemy's vision if bullets fly too close to them. I even got a few kills out of it! It was truly an amazing moment to have my giant machine gun spitting round after round and watching my team benefit from that. I love this game.

I also played a few matches of Conquest and I've been on top of the leader board a lot. The secret is that I wasn't getting that many kills, I was just smart with my movement and was able to stealth capture many flags as well as defend them. Lots of points up for grabs when capturing flags...

Mario Kart 7

Date played: December 29th
Platform: 3DS
Time played: 15 minutes
Session fun rating: 7/10

The Tanooki tail is better than it seems at first

I found something interesting after getting a Streepass from my buddy at work. It seems that he gave me a special Grand Prix up to complete. I did it and noticed nothing different aside from the fact that my friend's Mii was in the race.

I also played a few online races and didn't fare that well. I placed 2nd a few times and I mostly kept to the podium. I finally unlocked a new glider thing, this one is blue and looks like a parachute. It adds acceleration and removes a bit of weight so I think it's worth equipping. I'm also rediscovering the uses of the Tanooki tail, it seems to be a very good defensive item, better than I first thought. It seems that it acts as a permanent shield from any item that would hit from behind, except the blue shell and the bob-omb.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Date played: December 28th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 120 minutes
Session fun rating: 9/10

I turned in a bunch of Thieve's Guild side quests, things like burglary and such. Those are a nice change of pace for me but I wanted to get some better shouts so I decided to keep going with the main quest. I rescued that weird dude from the Ratway and headed back to Riverwood to meet Delphine. I quickly learned that I would need a new shout to defeat Anduin, the evil dragon that caused all this hubbub. I was then instructed to seek the help of the Greybeards once more.

Mine is the one that says Bad-Ass Motherfucker on it.

When I got to their retreat, I found out I had to use a new shout to clear out fog and wind that was blocking the path to the Greybeard master Paarthurnax, the only one who could help me learn it. It turns out that fucker is an elder dragon who protects the spot where Anduin was killed the last time. He's been sitting there, meditating for millenia. Sounds boring. Now I have to head somewhere else to get the shout but I was real tired at that point and I forget the details. We'll see next time I guess.

Mario Kart 7

Date played: December 28th
Platform: 3DS
Time played: 20 minutes
Session fun rating: 7/10

I played a few online matches today and had some success, usually placing on the podium at the very least. However, there was one race, on Waka Hulu I think it's called, where everyone beat the shit out of me and I placed 8th. I'm not sure exactly what happened but it seems like everyone passed me by using some sort of shortcut. Either way, outside of this race I had a good time and can hold my own even against much higher ranked opponents.

Super Mario 3D Land

Giant Tanooki Goomba!

Date played: December 26th
Platform: 3DS
Time played: 30 minutes
Session fun rating: 8/10

I played through a the levels of World 5, including the Bowser level. Again, the levels are really inventive and look great. I don't really have much to add though, I just think it's one of the best platformers on the market.

Nostalgia galore!

Date played: December 25th
Platform: N64, Dreamcast
Time played: 60 minutes
Session fun rating: 10/10

I ordered a bunch of old games for 5$ each off Ebay and received them just in time for Christmas! The oldest of my brothers came over to visit and we spent some time trying some of the new games out.

Gurl, you UGLY!

Top Gear Rally: This is a game that we rented as teenagers almost every weekend for the N64. There weren't a lot of rally games on that console and being huge rally fans, we loved Top Gear Rally. Unfortunately, it's not a very good game by any means. While the handling has a cool unique feel, the graphics are garbage, there aren't many tracks or cars and the music sucks balls. We played split-screen for a bit and one single player race. This game is still fun but very old.

Multi-Racing Championship: Another N64 rally racing game but this time, it has a more arcade feel and faster races. Again we played split-screen and it was pretty fum but my car was MUCH faster than my brother's... It looks better than Top Gear but the handling isn't as enjoyable.

Dark Rift: Here is a shitty N64 fighting game, back when polygons were a novelty. This is another game we rented a lot but it does not really hold up at all. It's a very simple game with seemingly no real mechanics outside of three attack buttons, grabs and blocks. We played a few fights in VS and my girlfriend even came in to play and kicked my ass.

Wipeout 64: I never actually played this before but I've been a huge Wipeout fan and wanted to see how this one plays. After playing a few races in three player mode and while it looks bad, has a lot of fog and bad music, it plays pretty good and is quite fun.

Diddy Kong Racing: This is another N64 classic from my teenage years. Me and my four brothers played dozens and dozens of hours of this game. I played three player races with my bro and girlfriend. It turns out I suck in the kart but rock in the hovercraft and do well in the airplane. My brother won the most races though.

Re-Volt: This is a game I played exclusively on PC and only at a specific friend's house. It's another racing game but this time it features RC cars. I got the Dreamcast version and it plays quite well still. Again, we played split-screen mode and enjoyed our time with the game.

Batman Arkham City

Date played: December 25th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 60 minutes
Session fun rating :8/10

I've had my eye on this game for a while but I was busy with Skyrim but my girlfriend thought better and bought it for me for Christmas! Yay for free games! I had loved Arkham Asylum when I played it two years ago so I have high expectations for the sequel. I've only played a short portion of the game so far but I like what I've seen.

The motherfucking Batman, that's who.

The change of setting from the prison to the city makes for a better hub world and the missions I played as good as anything in the first game. Hanging from gargoyles knocking out unsuspecting fools below never felt this good. I also played a short bit as Catwoman but didn't really get a good feel for her yet. I also confronted Harvey "Two Face" Dent and The Penguin, both of which are great. I'm barely scratching the surface here but Arkham City gives off a great first impression.

Sonic CD demo

Sonic Boom, Sonic Boom, Sonic Boooooooom!

Date played: December 25th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 10 minutes
Session fun rating: 7/10

Well this game still holds up pretty well today. I played through the short demo twice and boy, it's good old Sonic with weird music and slightly better graphics. I think this is where Sonic was at his best, although I have yet to play the last few games in the series. Oh and if you ever play this, do yourself a favor and change the soundtrack the the US version. It's worth it if only for the intro movie; Sonic Boom baby!

Renegade Ops

Date played: December 25th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 70 minutes
Session fun rating: 9/10

Shit blows up in this game

I finally bought this fucking game. I've been wanting to play it for a long time and I had some money left on my PSN account so I just went for it.  Good thing I did too, this is easily the best game in it's genre that I've played.

I am using the girl that has an air strike and she is a lot more useful than the EMP van from the demo. I played through the first three missions and while the mission structure is the same throughout, the things I'm shooting are quite different. Trucks, tanks, foot soldiers, transports, missile launchers, all sorts of evil things die by my hand!

There was even a helicopter section which was really fun and well made. I had to use it to go blow up a big battleship. The bosses are super cool too with giant flying machines and other gadgets. Add amazing graphics and crazy physics to the mix and you've got a winner. I can't wait to try split screen!

Mario Kart 7

I got this kart!

Date played: December 25th
Platform: 3DS
Time played: 40 minutes
Session fun rating: 6/10

Bah, I was bored and played three Mirror cups. I really don't have much to say... It was pretty easy and quite boring but I want to finish all the cups. At least I unlocked a kart in the process, it looks like the Mario Kart 64 kart.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Ancano bit the dust

Date played: December 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 400 minutes
Session fun rating: 10/10

This game will consume me. This time, I had a nice wedding with my mage dark elf soul mate. She moved in to my house in Whiterun, runs a store and cooks meals, all a man could want from his dark elf wife. I also completed the Winterhold College quest line and became Arch-Mage. It was pretty awesome actually...  I went through a giant dungeon, beat a bone dragon, got the staff of Magus and defeated Ancano, the good mage turned bad.

I also did some more quests that are all pretty disjointed from one another. I explored more Dwarven ruins, killed a couple of giants and did my regular enchanting/alchemy/blacksmithing routine. I am now level 38 and nothing seems to stand in my way! FOR SKYRIM!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

J'zargo approves

Date played: December 22nd
Platform: PS3
Time played: 75 minutes
Session fun rating: 9/10

Skyrim was all about the administrative work today. I spent my time making potions, gear and enchantments. I've spent a lot of gold on buying materials and good soul gems so that I could make Daedric armor and boots. The only part I am missing now is the helmet but I think I'll keep using my dragon priest mask. I also made a few bits of equipment for J'zargo, my loyal Khajit companion.

When I went to buy some Daedric hearts in Winterhold College, I was attacked by an Elder dragon, the strongest I have faced so far. I took my time and used a bunch of my newly created potions to buff up. I was also using poisons on every sword hit and he went down fairly quick even though it was obvious that he had way more health than I was used to.

I also proposed to a cute Dark Elf mage from the College. My argonian DOES have a heart!

Battlefield 3

Date played: December 21st
Platform: PS3
Time played: 50 minutes
Session fun rating: 4/10

Well my friend recently got a PS3 and when he asked for games we could play together, I suggested Battlefield 3. What I didn't think of is that this guy is a complete noob when it comes to console gaming. He's been out of it for a long time, playing mostly MMO's on PC Mac. First, he had to download a huge patch. Then, he had to figure out how to read messages sent in PSN, we had to text each other to figure that one out. Then he had to activate his online pass, which he didn't even know existed. Finally, we managed to get in a squad together. Unfortunately, the first game we played we were put on opposing teams (WTF EA...).

This sums up my experience last night

In my case, it was great. I decimated the other team in one of my best games ever played with a beautiful 22-4 score. On my friend's end, he got killed by me multiple times and didn't get a single kill the entire match. While that may sound bad, don't forget that this guy has only played MMO's for the last few years.

The next game, we got a Karkand map pack match and he didn't have the maps. It took me five minutes before I realized I had to back out and try again. The third time, he was STILL on the opposing team but this team, his PS3 locked up after a few minutes.  I am not impressed with EA and wish they had guys from Bungie working on their online stuff. This is unacceptable. I want to play with my friend and the matchmaking is too dumb to figure out he doesn't have the maps and that we wanted to play together.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Is this guy in Skyrim? Time will tell!

Date played: December 21st
Platform: PS3
Time played: 20 minutes
Session fun rating: 8/10

I completed the dwarven dungeon. I killed some more Falmer and Dwarven automatons before reaching a chamber where a Cyrrodil mage was hiding. when I gave him a special crystal I looted, he asked me to help him recalibrate a huge magical artifact using fire and frost spells. After messing around with the (badly designed) puzzle, it revealed that the staff of Magus must be in a location called the Labyrinthian. Sounds scary.

Now I have to report my findings to the College, surely they will send me to that place next. I wonder if I'll get to fight Magus! That would bring back memories...

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Falmer Elves are ugly as fuck

Date played: December 20th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 90 minutes
Session fun rating: 8/10

I'm still focusing on the Winterhold College quests for now. I had to explore the Mzulft dwarven ruins. This was my first time in a Dwarven place and I fought automatons! I also had to exit the dungeon to unload loot for the first time and go back in to continue. It's because of the quests I had in there had me collect ten cogs which weight 10 each. After dropping off those things at the College, I was attacked by a Frost dragon and killed it easily.

Deeper in the dungeon, I found Falmer elves, weirdos with no eyes. Again, pretty easy to fight. I didn't have time to finish the dungeon but I look forward to seeing the end of it.

Mario Kart 7

Date played: December 19th
Platform: 3DS
Time played: 40 minutes
Session fun rating: 9/10

Well, I've unlocked all the characters for Mario Kart 7 and had at least one star on each cup. The two remaining characters were Metal Mario and Lakitu. I think Lakitu is a great addition since he's just so cute! Completing all cups unlocked the mirror mode cups which I haven't tried yet but should be interesting.

Aww, he's so cute and cuddly! 

Now that I've finally unlocked all the characters, I jumped online for the first time and did about five races. My weapon of choice seems to be Donkey Kong with the Zucchini kart and Slim wheels. It makes me very fast with low acceleration and medium handling while still having a lot of weight to push people around. The only problem is that when I am hit with items, it takes a while to get back to speed. However, I'm pretty good at keeping a nice racing line, popping mini turbos often and taking advantage of my top speed. Of the five races, all of which were against six or seven people, I've managed one win, three second places and one third place.

It seems that most people online use high acceleration and high handling with low speed which gives me a chance to plow ahead of the pack by simply driving well. In fact, in the race I won, I placed at least 6 seconds ahead of everyone else. I'm loving the online so far and look forward to playing some more.

Game Boy Advance Ambassador special

I still think this is the best handheld console design

Date played: December 18th
Platform: 3DS
Time played: 60 minutes
Session fun rating: 8/10

Nintendo finally released it's 10 free GBA games to it's ambassadors, or as I like to call it, the "Take these free games and shut up!" group, the TTFGSU for short. Granted, I'm happy with my 3DS and I'm actually pretty happy with the way Nintendo handled us loyal customers who paid more than the device was worth. I didn't get to try all the games but here is what I played.

Warioware: Yes please, best time waster on GBA.
Zelda Minish Cap: We shall see, I've never played it but from the 5 minutes I tried, it seemed well made and looks interesting.
F-Zero: I never understood how to play this game well, it seems I can never take corners without hitting walls. Maybe I have to let go of the gas or something?
Mario vs DK: Looks like a really cool puzzle game. The graphics have this weird look to them but the game itself seems fun.
Mario Kart Super Circuit: Another weird one. It handles like Super Mario Kart and it really bizarre compared to MK7. I probably won't play this one very much.
Wario Land 4: Standard issue platformer n.162.
Kirby and the Amazing Mirror: Err... not what I was expecting. It has a big map with lots of paths and Kirby has a cell phone. That's right, a cell phone.
Yoshi's Island: I have a special relationship with this one as it was the first game I bought with my Super NES. In fact, the SNES was the first console I bought with my own money at the tender age of 12. I love this game haha!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Date played: December 17th, 18th and 19th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 300 minutes
Session fun rating: 10/10

Oh my God I love this fucking game. This is easily my favorite game of the generation and I don't say this lightly. I just love the freedom and size of this game. I've infiltrated a Thalmor embassy, killed some dragons, explored caves and dungeons, met some messed up people and befriended a bunch of mages at Winterhold College.

In fact, I've been mostly focusing on the Winterhold College quest line because it was interesting and mysterious. I think I'm nearing it's end though as I now have to retrieve a legendary staff that will help decipher a magical artifact I found earlier.

Daedric armor is fucking bad ass

 I also spent some time making a few Daedric armor pieces. The problem with making those is that they require a Daedra Heart to make and a good amount of Ebony. The Ebony isn't a big problem, I just have to visit a few vendors and spend some hard earned gold. The Daedra Hearts have been more difficult however. I found one in a room in Whiterun and will keep going there to get it whenever it respawns. I also found one of the mages in Winterhold sells them but they are 900 gold each and he only had two. I made Daedric Gauntlets (pointy fingertips!), a Daedric Sword and a Daedric Shield then improved them and enchanted them. Now all I am missing are the armor and boots. I'm skipping the helmet because I am using the Dragon Priest mask that gives 70 extra stamina.

I simply can't wait to play again and see what else I'll discover in this huge world. 60 hours in and I'm still having fun.

NHL 12

Next time

Date played: December 18th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 40 minutes
Session fun rating: 9/10

I played two online matches against my friend and lost both games. In fact, he blanked me, winning the first game 2-0 and the second 1-0. I was really rusty during the first game and couldn't manage any offense, he simply dominated the game with his coachless Habs. However, I stepped up my game in the second match. I outshot, outplayed and outsmart him in every possible way...except scoring. I was really dominant in that second game but Carey Price was just amazing and stopped all of my Sens offense dead in their tracks. Next time Irronhammer, next time.

Mario Kart 7

Date played: December 17th,18th and 19th
Platform: 3DS
Time played: 90 minutes
Session fun rating: 7/10

Well, I'm grinding along in the single player campaign in short bursts. I managed to win all the 100cc cups and have won six of the eight 150cc cups. 150cc has been a little bit tougher, I've been finishing in second place and third place at times but still managed to win the cups.  I did have to retry a full cup once and it was due to bad luck getting hit with items at the end of the race.  I literally dropped from first place to sixth with the finish line in sight.  It was frustrating but it will be over soon and I can finally start playing online.

Shy Guy fits right in with the old Mario Kart crew

The reason I haven't yet is because I want to unlock all the characters and as many kart parts as possible before doing so. I have unlocked five characters so far.  Shy Guy, Wario, Wriggler (the supid caterpillar that turns red when angry), Daisy, Queen B (the big bee from Mario Galaxy) and Rosalina. I like playing with larger characters so Wario and Queen B have been pretty good for me but I still stick with Donkey Kong as he's not annoying and is manly.

I also tried the local multiplayer with my friend from work using download play. It works surprisingly well and even offers all the tracks in the game. The only limitation seems to be the characters and kart parts available. He was stuck using Shy Guy with a standard kart. I won of course, knowing the courses and mechanics better than my friend but during the second half of our GP, he was sticking pretty close to me and was competitive. He says he'll get the game for Christmas so maybe we'll play some more after that!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Date played: December 16th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 75 minutes
Session fun rating: 9/10

I talked to Delphine in Riverwood and she wants me to infiltrate the Thalmor in Solitude. Solitude is way up in the North-West section of the map and I've never been there so I fast traveled to the closest place I had been and started walking.  Along the way, I found a dungeon that I had a quest for so I just went in and cleared it.

It was another of those Draugr and trap infested places but it was fairly short.  At level 33, I am pretty strong and didn't meet much resistance.  The last boss was super easy.  I also got to try my new enchant that gathers soul gems when killing an enemy.  While it works and is useful, I quickly realized that it would be more efficient to have two weapons, one to fill soul gems and one for fighting.  I will be making another Ebony sword and enchanting it with something more lethal.

Wow.  Just, wow.

After this, I continued my journey to Solitude and when I found it, it was quite a sight.  That city is fucking huge and is built on a very high cliff.  It truly looks amazing when approaching it.  After speaking to a few people, I had to stop playing but I have a lot to discover in this city I think.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Date played: December 15th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 90 minutes
Session fun rating: 10/10

Ebony armor looks badass

I completed the Hircine quest line today and it was one of the more interesting quests so far.  I reached a cave in the West and it had a bunch of dead hunters at the entrance.  The area was bathed in an orange color and it looked really cool.  The quest asked me to kill the werewolf I got the cursed ring from but when I got to him, he begged for forgiveness.  Being a werewolf myself, I showed no mercy and killed him on the spot.

I then had a conversation with the demon, Hircine who thanked me for the help and gave me some light armor which I sold shortly after.  I also completed a little quest that asked that I kill some giants and headed back to Whiterun to do some smithing, enchanting and alchemy.  I am now sporting a full Ebony set, minus the helmet, including a new sword, something I haven't had for 10+ levels.  I decided to enchant it with something that fills soul gems when I kill enemies with my sword but haven't had a chance to try it yet.  Next, I will continue the main quest I think, I feel like it's time.

Rage demo

Date played: December 14th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 15 minutes
Session fun rating: 6/10

Yes, it looks that good

I didn't really have time to play this properly as I had limited time and I think I need to give it a second chance. For starters, it looks simply incredible. The graphics are industry leading and it runs at a smooth 60 FPS the whole time which is impossible to appreciate in videos or screenshots.  It gives a great first impression.

The demo starts off in a city and what put me off right away is that there are a bunch of people to talk to but none of them seem to have anything good to say and your character doesn't speak.  There are no dialog trees or anything, it really feels lifeless even if it looks great.  I explored the city a bit and found some cards on the floor (I assume it's for some sort of mini game) then headed to the "dungeon" area.  Here's where it kind of failed for me, the combat just didn't seem fun.  Maybe it's just because I didn't take time to properly play it but it just left a bad taste in my mouth.  I will try it again when I have more time to give is a fair chance.

Rayman Origins demo

Couch co-op rocks

Date played: December 14th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 20 minutes
Session fun rating: 9/10

I had played this demo already but my girlfriend was home this morning and we decided to try co-op together and it was great!  She found the character selection lacking but once she got moving, she seemed to enjoy herself.  The funny sounds and cool music helped I think.  We've played quite a few 2D platformers in co-op together, stuff like Kirby's Epic Yarn (100% bitches), Little Big Planet 2 and New Super Mario Bros Wii so she was immediately on known ground.

I think I might pick this up when it drops in price a bit, which shouldn't take long at all.

Ratchet and Clank All 4 One demo

Date played: December 14th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 15 minutes
Session fun rating: 3/10

This should have been good.  The demo wasn't.

I'm a big Ratchet and Clank fan, having played most of the PS2 games and the two PS3 games.  However, I really wasn't excited for All 4 One and it turns out, it was with good reason I think. The demo was definitely underwhelming.  I played it in co-op with my girlfriend and while it looks great and handles well, it just feels like co-op was forced into it.

She was Ratchet and I was Captain Quark.  We blew up boxes, punched some dudes and shot some giant monsters.  It was all right but I will not be buying this, it feels like a cheap cash in.

Mario Kart 7

As you can see, Bowser and DK are heavy and Princess is light.

Date played: December 14th
Platform: 3DS
Time played: 15 minutes
Session fun rating: 8/10

I went through a quick 100cc Grand Prix this morning before work and as usual, I am having no problems winning. I unlocked a new kart that works for me, the Zucchini. I've also settled on using Donkey Kong and some skinny wheels.  I like DK so far because he is not as heavy as Bowser but is still a heavy.  I like being able to push people around and I can maintain good speeds.

It's also becoming clear to me that the the Flower Cup is fast becoming my favorite.  All the tracks are really good in it. Wuhu Loop is the circuit track, Mario Circuit is plain fun, Music Park has some cool musical corners and Rock Rock Mountain is full of action, steep climbs and crazy handglider jumps.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The previous owner of the cursed ring

Date played: December 12th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 90 minutes
Session fun rating: 10/10

I decided to explore a bit today and went to one of the holds I had never seen, Falkreath. On my way there, I stopped at a suspicious looking house and found a big dungeon hidden beneath it. I explored it and found a nice cache of treasures.

Falkreath is a small town to the south and it seems to have a few cool quests so far.  In fact, in the jail, I found a dude that had a cursed ring, the ring of Hircine and he gave it to me.  The only problem is that it transforms it's wearer into a werewolf at random times, not exactly the most practical thing when in a town.  I then had to seek out a giant deer that holds the spirit of the hunt.  After killing the deer, the spirit talked to me and asked me to go kill...something before he could lift the curse on the ring.  I found this quest very interesting so far and will keep going with it until the end before doing other things.  At least that's the plan.

Mario Kart 7

Date played: December 11th and 12th
Platform: 3DS
Time played: 100 minutes
Session fun rating: 8/10

I played MK7 on and off during the last two days, playing single player cups.  I completed 50cc and did two about four 100cc cups. For one, the new tracks are mostly very good and have a lot of underwater and flying sections compared to the retro cups.  Also, 100cc is definitely a little bit harder as I ended a few races in second and third but still managed to win all cups during my first attempt.

Wuhu Island!

There is also a very cool new feature for the series in MK7, point to point courses. These are easily the highlight tracks in the game. They have Wuhu island in there, the island that was in Pilotwings Resort and Wii Sports and is easily one of the better tracks. The new Rainbow Road is also fucking awesome!  There is a section of it that takes place on the moon!  THE MOTHERFUCKING MOON!

Mario Kart 7

Date played: December 10th
Platform: 3DS
Time played: 50 minutes
Session fun rating: 7/10

I bought a new oven this weekend because my old one simply stopped working and was very old.  After picking out a nice new oven (POWER ELEMENT), I stopped by Gamestop in the same mall and grabbed Mario Kart 7.

I have a long history with Mario Kart.  In fact, Super Mario Kart (Mario Kart 1)is the game that got me to buy my first system with my own money back when I was a 12 year old kid.  I played that one for hours and hours with my brother.  We spent all our time doing versus and time trials, no balloon fighting bullshit here.  In fact, we were so fast on one of the tracks that some of the time trial times were exactly the same.

Then we moved on to Mario Kart 64 (Mario Kart 2).  We didn't like it as much as most people did.  We preferred Diddy Kong Racing and Crash Team Racing.  It was still a fun game but it's the one I spent the least amount of time with.  I played Super Circuit (Mario Kart 3) briefly for GBA on an emulator and while it was fun, playing on an emulator just isn't the same.

The one I spent the most time with is Double Dash (Mario Kart 4) for Gamecube.  To this day, I still think it's the best Mario Kart (we'll see if 7 can best it!).  Again, I played a lot of multiplayer but this time, it was with my girlfriend.  The two person karts and the fun tracks really hooked us for a long time.

Mario Kart DS (Mario Kart 5) was a disaster.  While technically, it's a fine game and should be the best of the bunch, it was also the first with online play and the infamous snaking technique ruined it completely for me.  Then Mario Kart Wii (Mario Kart 6) came out.  I ignored it completely for the longest time.  I just didn't enjoy playing on Wii, I didn't care for the plastic wheel, I thought bikes would be a dumb idea and I thought stunts were even worse. Then I played it.  It's actually a really good Mario Kart game with fun tracks, good online multiplayer and lots of karts and characters.

Cue Mario Kart 7, the first to have a number in it's title!  I only played single player to unlock new karts and characters before heading online. I also chose to try out all the retro tracks before trying the new ones so I did the four 50cc retro cups.  So far, I'm impressed but not entertained. The best part of the game so far is it's graphics and performance.  This game looks better than any Wii game, runs at 60 FPS and has beautiful and easy on the eyes 3D.

The boring part is that it's single player Mario Kart.  I really wish they would let us unlock all this stuff online and in multiplayer, like Call of Duty basically.  Single player is boring as fuck.  I never dropped below second place during a race and I never got any good items of course.

Speaking of items, there is a cool new item, the tanooki tail.  It acts as a sort of shield I guess where you can swat away dangerous shells and such.  Another cool addition is that there are three parts to a kart now, all of which are customizable.  There is the body, the wheels and the glider, so that's cool.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, there's a motherfucking handglider in this game. On specific jumps, the kart will spawn a nice wing that allows the player to glide in the air for a short period. 

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The patch arrives, the game still hard freezes

Date played: December 10th and 11th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 70 minutes
Session fun rating: 8/10

Fucking open world games.  I turned in my Forelhost quest (the quest giver was an imposter!) and turned in another quest at the Winterhold College.  Then I went back to Whiterun to do some smithing, enchanting and alchemy.  I spent a good chunk of time making potions and as soon as I went out of my house, my PS3 froze completely.

This is not the first time it has happened but this time, I had no patience and just stopped playing until the next day.  I then finally got to finish my smithing and enchanting.  In fact, I can now make Ebony armor, I even equipped myself with a new armor, shield and boots.  I also killed a Flame Dragon just outside of Riften and did a quest for the Black-Briars that involved stealing a horse and it's ownership papers.

Oh yeah, I'm using a new follower too, a mage Khajit.  He seems to really help with his shock magic and it's kind of cool having an Argonian-Khajit team. 

Sideway New York demo

Great concept, average execution

Date played: December 10th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 15 minutes
Session fun rating: 4/10

I tried this game out at random really.  It turns out it's really a 2D platformer with a neat concept.  It's about a kid out gets turned into a graffiti and is now confined to the walls and roofs of buildings.  The game is still 3D but all the action is 2D.  The best part is that sometimes, you get to transition between a roof and a wall and the perspective change is really cool.

However, the game itself isn't really fun and it has a few technical problems.  The framerate is the biggest offender.  For a simple game, it sure is chuggy.  It also has very basic gameplay.  Move forward, punch bad guy, jump up platform, collect collectible.  I will not be buying this but I appreciate the concept.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Draugr are stronger in the Dragon Cult

Date played: December 9th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 100 minutes
Session fun rating: 9/10

I am still going going through the Dragon Cult's dungeon at Forelhost.  This has been one of the tougher dungeons so far as the enemies are quite strong and the place is riddled with traps of all kinds.  Swinging axes, rotating doors of death, pressure plates, arrow machine guns, deadly mage runes and even a rising platform with spikes at the top.  After playing for a few minutes and having Lydia die three times from traps, I decided to send her back home for the rest of the dungeon.

I even ran into some undead that have a disarm shout.  It sucks because my sword gets blown away somewhere in the room and it can be hard to find.  At one point, I even relied on my flame atronach, my shield bash and scrolls to deal damage while I tried to find my weapon on the ground.  After fighting a shit load of dudes, I reached the last boss which was very difficult for me. I really had to micro manage the whole fight.

First, I kited his minions out of the room and fought them off slowly before taking on the masked mofo. I then had to use a lot of healing potions and such.  I was actually applying poisons on almost every strike.  It worked out though, I killed him and looted his powerful mask.  It gives 70 more stamina!  All I have to do now is turn the quest in.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Date played: December 7th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 80 minutes
Session fun rating: 9/10

Today was mostly aimless for me in Skyrim.  At first, I picked a random quest from my quest log that asked me to kill a giant.  On the way there, I stopped in Riften and picked up a few quests and checked out the vendors and such.  I discovered a new ritual stone that allows brief invisibility I think.  I skipped it, it seems like the Warrior stone is still best for me.  Then I reached the spot to kill the giant.  This was much easier than the first time I fought giants.  I pretty much destroyed them without much effort.

I then found a dude on top of a mountain that asked me to essentially clear out a nearby dungeon.  It's full of spectral warriors, mages and undead.  I cleared out about half of it before having to stop playing.  I get the feeling that this game will NEVER end.

Skyrim = The Never Ending Story

Battlefield 3

The Rambo method works in BF3

Date played: December 7th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 40 minutes
Session fun rating: 6/10

I wasn't really feeling it today.  In fact, I think it's because I was expecting to play the Back to Karkand map pack but as usual, Sony doesn't want my money!  It seems that every time I try to buy something off the PSN store, something goes wrong.  This time, I tried to add 25$ to my PSN wallet but I got an error message that said "Could not add funds".  I know the credit card works and I know the information is correct on the online form.

Either way, I gave up and played two matches online.  I did pretty good, I'm spending more time trying to lay down suppression fire. Usually, suppression fire in games means firing in the general direction of the guy and hoping he gets scared enough not to poke his head off.  However, in BF3, there is a mechanic where the enemy player's vision is blurred if suppressed.  This makes it much more important to fire in the direction of enemies, even if they are not seen.

Little Big Planet 2

Best. Box art. Evar.

Date played: December 5th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 50 minutes
Session fun rating: 8/10

I don't really know what got into me but last night, I didn't feel like playing something violent or serious so I popped in LBP 2 and played a few community levels.  The thing that is just great with this game is that it always has new content and people are really skilled and dedicated when it comes to making levels.

I played a Sonic level that was sort of boring but had amazing music.  I played a "Walk through the forest" level that was simple, pretty, happy and pure fun.  I played a third person racing game.  I played retro games like Pac-Man (in which I ranked 3rd out of 67 players!), Asteroids, Space Invaders and an amazing reproduction of Berzerk.

Berzerk is one of the earliest memories in my life.  I clearly remember the great box art, the smell of the box, the red carpet I was sitting on, the tips my grandma would give me, the crazy running animation and the click-clack of the Atari 2600 joystick.  I think I played Pac-Man first but Berzerk still holds an important place in my early childhood.  In fact, I think I should start hunting eBay for a 2600, it would make a nice addition to my retro game room.

Cruisin' USA

I love it when women shake their tits at me.

Date played: December 4th
Platform: N64
Time played: 30 minutes
Session fun rating: 6/10

I was playing in the basement with my daughter and she was engrossed in a game of make-believe gardening. I saw Cruisin' USA in my shelf from the corner of my eye and I got the urge to play.  As it turns out, I played the whole game, getting from San Francisco to Washington DC.  I didn't even remember but there are faster cars to unlock and I managed to win the blue Corvette.  It's surprising that this game is still fun, even if it looks like crap and handles weird.  

Uncharted 3

Date played: December 3rd and 4th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 110 minutes
Session fun rating: 9/10

I finally started the "real" game here, which means I started shooting bad guys in the face.  Our group went through the tunnel they found the last time I played and after a lot of platforming and pipe climbing, I reached a room full of treasures.  The nasty lady was there and she found out that the ring she has is a fake then stormed off.

We then stole the item, found a map with it and decided to head to France to find a chateau that Francis Drake wrote about.   It feels really good to be out of the darkness of the cave and out in a French forest.

As for the Chateau, well, it turns out it hid a bunch of underground passages and rooms filled with old relics and out of place puzzles.  We managed to find half of an amulet with crucial information on the lost city of sand but as we were heading out, the bad guys found us and set the Chateau on fire.  This is where I played the best part of the game so far, a daring escape from the flames and falling debris.  It's all so cinematic and exciting!  

Super Mario 3D Land

Date played: December 3rd and 4th
Platform: 3DS
Time played: 80 minutes
Session fun rating: 9/10

Screenshots don't do this game justice, it looks way better than this.

This game keeps getting better and better.  I went through the second half of world 3 and all of world 4.  Things are getting a bit more difficult, the levels are more complex and there is less room for error than before.  They also bring back a bunch of old Mario tropes like the falling donut blocks, red coins and the end of world air ships.  Add to that a bunch of new things like the 3D puzzles and you've got one of the best Mario games in years.  In fact, I think it's the best Mario game since Super Mario World.

Battlefield 3

Date played: December 3rd and 4th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 110 minutes
Session fun rating: 8/10

Tank killer

I played with my brother again and this time, I didn't have a lot of kills but we still topped our team's scoreboard, simply by capturing flags and supporting our team.  It felt good to play with someone who uses their head when playing.  We work well together as I am support and he is assault.  I give him ammo and cover his ass while he blows shit up, watches my back and revives me when needed.

I also discovered that I'm pretty good at rushing a tank from behind, sticking two packs of C4 on it and blowing the fuck out of it.  It turns out, most tank drivers don't look behind them. Sucks to be them!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Date played: December 2nd, 3rd and 4th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 300 minutes
Session fun rating: 10/10

FUS RO DAH!

I played lots and lots more of Skyrim.  The highlight of my play time is the main quest which I continued.  I had to retrieve the horn of the windcaller or something.  When I got to the objective area, the horn was gone and I was greeted by a lady who told me she knew how to find it.  Somehow, that involved fighting a dragon which I killed easily.  I was also apprehended by another dragon who spoke to me but I didn't understand him and he left.

I then retrieved the horn and brought it back to the Greybards who taught me the last word of the "Force Push" spell.  The spell is now useful as it knocks enemies down for a good period of time.  I also discovered that the lady is part of a group called the Blades and she has some missions for me.

I also started the Mage College's missions.  They sent me to investigate some ruins which hid a bunch of weak enemies and a large magical orb of some sort. Then I was sent to retrieve some books from a rogue magic school.  This was a really interesting mission that has a good dungeon.  I fought mages in there and my many potions came in handy to buff myself against magic.  There was a pretty tough fight against a lady that wields shock spells like the Emperor from Star Wars. I also did a bunch of little quests, as usual, including killing another dragon and learning a new shout that basically makes a decoy to distract enemies.  I don't think it will be very useful for my build.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Date played: December 1st
Platform: PS3
Time played: 120 minutes
Session fun rating: 9\10

I spent a lot of time forging, improving, enchanting and concocting.  I am now able to make Orcish armor and weapons.  I had a bit of spare cash so I spent a lot of it on materials to make armor and weapons to skill up my smithing skill.  I am now wearing all Orcish armor except for my weapon.  It looks pretty damn cool too and I can see my face again!

I killed all of them!

I also leveled up my alchemy skills and made a bunch of new potions.  I'm actually using an Android app that shows all the recipes and all the ingredients.  It made my life so much easier!  I don't have to test combinations of ingredients and waste good materials to discover their effects.  Some may say it's cheating, I say it's being efficient.  My enchanting is leveling pretty well too and I have now noticed a difference in the quality of my enchantments.

I then went out on a short quest that had me kill my first giant.  These guys are pretty tough because they hit REALLY hard.  However, they are slow and usually don't come in groups so with a few potion buffs, I killed two giants and four mammoths.  There were really good fights because I felt like I really had to be careful and pay attention.  I've noticed that I could almost block all damage from a mammoth attack.  It feels nice to really see my character progress like that.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Time!  I want some.

Date played: November 30th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 60 minutes
Session fun rating: 8\10

I didn't actually do much this time.  I talked to a few quest people in the College of Winterhold and did some crafting.  I wish I had more time!

Battlefield 3

Patches suck on PS3

Date played: November 30th
Platform: PS3
Time played: 20 minutes
Session fun rating: 7\10

I played one quick match of Conquest.  I actually tried out the suppressor for the M249 and I think I like it.  I still kill people quickly but the recoil is better and the enemies can't find me as easily.  I made a great flanking move at one point and managed to mow down four guys in a squad from behind.  That was VERY satisfying.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, the main reason I only played one match is because there was a giant fucking patch for the game.  A grand total of 45 minutes to download and install the patch reduced my available play time quite a bit.  At least it seems to have a lot of bug fixes in there but I haven't really noticed a big difference so far.