FaLaLaLaLa LaLaCa-Ching

Well RuFfNeCk must have loved my last entry because he bought me the Prince of Persia game guide for Christmas...very funny! This Christmas was filled with good homemade food, our new baby of course, my all my non-gaming friends getting the Wii (go Nintendo) and my newest favorite game: SingStar ABBA. Rock on!!!!! As for other gaming, I've been playing a little Beautiful Katamari, wishing they would make another one for the 360 and fix the controls since we can't expect a Katamari game for the PS3 because they don't make games for it anymore (new name: Blu-Ray3 hahahahahaha). I'm also watering turnips and whatnot in Animal Crossing: City Folk while I wait for RuFfNeCk to play co-op with me in Fable II and Halo 3.

The baby is growing like a weed and most people are surprised that I haven't been taking a slew of pictures, posing her with the 360 and so forth. Being the geek that I am, I'm sure I'll get around to it...maybe in 2009...

The Sophisticate and the Lumberjack

I'm convinced that there are two types of gamers in terms of how they play games: the Sophisticate and the Lumberjack.

There are those gamers that like to leap before they look, that live for a machine gun, some grenades and a flame thrower. They dread sniper or escort missions because these missions slow down what they've come to do: kill in large numbers as fast as humanly possible. No time for blocking, typically the Lumberjack likes to hit as many buttons on the controller at once, a "button masher" if you will, and has no time for dilly dally, such as enjoying fine looking scenery or listening to entire conversations before hitting the A button. Kill! Kill! Kill!

Then you have the Sophisticate. They like to make plans before a mission. Getting their weapons nicely loaded, making sure their health is at full capacity and always check out surroundings through the scope on their sniper rifle before moving in for the kill. They prefer to attack from afar and will learn every combo in existence in order to maximize enemy damage when they do come into close combat. They thrill at the knowledge that they must use cunning and hit a button to block enemy strikes. They love the dance of combat: block-two-three, hack-two-three, block-two-three, slash-two-three...

Neither style is wrong mind you, as long as the gamer enjoys the game, it makes no difference how the game is played.

My point is this: the new Prince of Persia game is pretty, has great humor and a good story but I don't dig the combat. I am a Lumberjack and proud of it...

ICandee SMASH!!!

That's Right, Beg For My Forgiveness!

With my 360 due back possibly today, RuFfNeCk showed me the NetFlix feature on the new dashboard. After seeing it, I decided to take matters into my own hands and throw in some truly great cinema with the horrible crap he had added to our instant queue. I wasn't sure that this NetFlix thing was going to be any good and I admit to being somewhat bitter since my 360 commited suicide but all was forgiven when I discovered a gem on NetFlix. A beautiful piece of cinematography that no one should be without. That's right: today RuFfNeCk's 360 will be playing Xanadu. Woo hoo! Go 360!

Wii Wii Wii All The Way To My New Home

Since my 360 has betrayed me, I decided to try out Animal Crossing: City Folk on the Wii. With the exception of being exactly like Animal Crossing and Animal Crossing: Wild World respectively, this is a great game. It's enough like the original Game Cube version to bring back fond memories of many many hours wasted (or used wisely as I like to call it) and enough like the DS version with it's welcomed improvements, that I can see wisely wasting valuable hours on this one as well. After all, it's the only game that keeping us from trading in the Wii anyway...It's all on you Animal Crossing!

P.S.-Insult to injury: RuFfNeCk got in on the new Dashboard beta...UGH!

360 Degrees of Separation

The night of the 360's launch was horrible...at least in terms of the weather. It was pouring so hard that I saw the Ark go by at one point and even Noah couldn't find a 360 anywhere. I was one of the lucky ones, having pre-ordered my 360 at a store where I was known by the employees, so it was a night of hanging out with other gamers and enjoying the excitement of my very first midnight console launch. I bought two games that night: Kameo and Perfect Dark Zero (oh how far we have come). I couldn't join Live that night (due to router issues which was fine since that paved the way for me to meet my husband, RuFfNeCk) but once I hit Xbox Live I was hooked and have been loving my 360 and the Xbox community ever since.

Once we got married, RuFfNeCk was worried that I wouldn't play games anymore (I think he equated it with the whole "no sex after marriage" scenario and I tend to believe he'd be much more upset about the "no games after marriage" than the other...) Then when I got pregnant, he got even more worried because with children come more things to get done and I have to admit that games have been definitely relegated to the "when I get to it" section of my life since ICandee Jr was born a month ago. Even the lure of Fable II (though hard to resist) was no match for my beautiful newborn daughter. Until she finally decided to sleep that is and then it was on! I even tricked RuFfNeCk into taking her a couple times so I could get some gaming in...life was good....

Until, one sad day, I learned my 360's true feelings for the change in my life status. No longer could my 360 stand being pushed aside for another...no more could he take the insult of being passed by without acknowledgement...so almost 3 years to the day, I found this in my living room:

That's right my friends, my day one launch system has left this world for another. I am heartbroken and gameless...(well, I mean I still have the PS3, Wii and DS to play but whatever it still stings...) I feel like the Bumpus' dogs just ran in and tore my Christmas turkey to pieces...

I have never felt so betrayed...so alone...crap now the baby's crying. You better be glad I have a new baby to occupy my time right now Microsoft! I, your biggest supporter! I, your biggest defender! How could you do this to me?! ME?! Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Fable 2 Rules! Oh Right, And I Had A Baby!

Jumping catfish, no blog since August?!?! Whoops! Well, luckily I have a good excuse...I ended up trying to push a baby out for 2 and a half hours on top of the 15 and a half previous hours of uncomfortable-ness so I figure I get a freebie on not blogging for a while. :)

In other news, Fable 2 is awesome! There's some major changes from the first game but it's still Fable...I can't help but remember the first one fondly since it was my first Xbox game ever.

Anyhoo, here's what you really came to see: the most beautiful baby in the world!

It's Raining Games...Hallelujah!

RuFfNeCk's friends from NY came down this weekend for our rocking baby shower and in the down time all we've been doing is playing video games. You'd think that it would get old after a while but therein lies the beauty of video games...they never do...

Mario Kart Wii, Fable II Pub Games, Geometry Wars 2, Rock Band, SingStar, even Boogie Bunnies for pete's sake have all made an appearance over the course of the weekend and I couldn't be happier! It's always fun to settle in with a good video game but there's just something about playing with friends that makes it even better.

Viva la video games!

A Girl's Best Friend

Some husbands bring home gifts for their wives: jewelry, flowers, tickets to a show they've been wanting to see. Men seem to be encouraged to do this even more when their wife is pregnant (9 weeks until our gamer girl is here!). Now I love all of those things, but I love even more how well my husband knows me: last night he brought home to me the pre-order code for my free Xbox Live Fable 2 pub games.

Oh yes, there will be gold and items to be won on Wednesday...I can't wait! I want to start Fable 2 with as much cash as possible. Gimme gimme gimme Muwahahahahahahaha! And apparently my limited edition comes with a hobbes figurine (one of the enemies from the game, not the imaginary/real tiger...although that would be cool too).

Still Pregnant, But Now With More Breakdancing

Between working full time and the baby beating the bongos on every organ in my body, I have not been able to play games all that much. Although I did get Go Go Break Steady yesterday. (Or as I like to call it, "Boom Boom Zuma") If you like rhythm-y, puzzle-y games, definitely pick this one up (Man, I love the Arcade!). It has a fun multiplayer aspect as well. Other than that, we've been getting ready for our gamer girl's arrival (almost 10 weeks to go!).

Since this blog is so very interesting today, here's a picture of RuFfNeCk's Mighty Muggs collection (that I started for him anyway):

Finally, A Spectator Sport I Can Get Behind

I am not a big sports fan. I don't have a team I root for, I don't watch draft picks or stay glued to the TV for an entire season. I don't get all fired up and yell at the TV when my team does something bad (or good). I've never really even experience that feeling of "one more point, don't choke don't choke don't choke" Until now...

G4 is airing the championship in 4 episodes, the first of which I watched last night. It was like watching a major sporting event. They had commentators, flashy graphics, replays and some girl in tight clothes. I was really impressed and actually found myself on the edge of my seat at various points. Maybe it helps that I like watching people play video games. RuFfNeCk turned to me at one point, slightly embarrassed that we were watching it to which I responded, "What's to be embarrassed about? We're gamers. This is gaming. It's exciting and I've totally bought into it."

Now I just need to get wicked good at DOA4 so I can join the fun...either that or convince them to add Beautiful Katamari to their line up...

ICandee, You Game side note of the day: Checking out the CGS My Space, I ran across a blog entry explaining how G4 was going to run the episodes and found this little gem: "G4's young male viewers are passionate about video games," said Neal Tiles, President, G4. To which he then added, "Maybe females play video games...we don't know...and frankly...we don't want to know. That's a market we can do without." Tool...

ICandee's Top Five: Not Gaming Edition

Sometimes I'm just "blah" about playing anything but still want to do something gaming related. Something to keep me connected while I wait for inspiration to strike on what game I'll play next. The thought occurred to me the other day that I may not be the only one this happens to and so with that thought in mind...

Please to enjoy...

ICandee's Top 5 Gaming Things to Do When You Aren't Gaming

1. Read: Masters of Doom

This book tells the story of John Romero and John Carmack, co-creators of Doom and Quake. Very interesting read, a must have for any gamers library that includes more than games.

2. Listen: The Katamari Damacy soundtracks

RuFfNeCk would argue this in favor of the Final Fantasy soundtracks, but for me the Katamari soundtracks from Katamari Damacy and We Love Katamari are ones I actually listen to in my car so they get top billing. Fun, quirky, sentimental and full of pop Japanese music from these games was the first set of game music that didn't want to make me knock myself out with my own controller after hearing it over and over.

3. Watch: King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

This documentary chronicling the rivalry between Donkey Kong champion Billy Mitchell and challenger Steve Wiebe is not to be missed. It's either the funniest thing I've ever seen or the saddest thing but either way it's the best documentary I've watched in a while. Not even gaming is exempt from a seedy underbelly.

4. Wear: Gaming Gear

I recently discovered splitreason.com a site for all your gaming gear needs and found quite a few that I would love to have myself. Now, as is the case with most geek wear sites, their womens section consist mainly of underwear (We wear shirts too you know!) and some cartoon character squeezing where you boob would be but their mens section is pretty extensive and enjoyable. They also have a collection of Zero Punctuation shirts which is cool.

5. Buy: More Games

OK, this was RuFfNeCk's suggestion for my fifth non-gaming selection but I reminded him that because he now works for the "gaming man" at a well known game store, he's become a corporate shill and his opinion means nothing. Of course, that was his cue to wave a shiny piece of free gaming schwag in front of my face and we just ended up making out for a while. So go buy more games!

If there are other things you do to game when you aren't technically gaming, please do share with them with the whole class! (And by class, I mean me)

No Time for Love Dr Jones!

RuFfNeCk walked into the room last night with a brand new copy of Unreal Tournament III for the 360. I promptly shouted, “yoink!” as I took it from him and said, “So long sucker!” to Lego Indiana Jones (at least for now).

So how come no one told me about Unreal Tournament before??? Hello??? (And yes, I have been living in a cave) This game is awesome! All run and gun, all the time! Lots of explosions, body parts flying everywhere…wowowowowowowow! And that was before I discovered the Link Gun…hello Lover! This may be the game that actually renews my interest in multiplayer…hmmmm, we’ll see…

ICandee’s Random Thought of the Day: headless animal crackers still weird me out.

Oh Say Can You See...The Artifact Piece on That Ledge

Ah, the land of the free...the freedom to play whatever games I want, when I want...at least until the baby is born...

I am making progress on Lego Indiana Jones. Sure there are other games that I'm wanting to get back into (Ninja Gaiden II for one) but this one has got me in it's plastic clutches and I'm unable to see past it. I woke up with the Chinese version of "Anything Goes" from Temple of Doom this morning. Always a good sign when you start dreaming in pixels. /sarcasm

So on this 4th of July, our Independence Day, I will be further investigating my co-dependence on gaming...What a country we live in!

USA! USA! USA!

Happy 4th everyone!

ICandee Jones and the Temple of Completion

I'm not the type of gamer that has to get 100% completion in a game. I applaud those gamers but am certainly not one of them. That was until freakin' Lego Indiana Jones came out and now I'm obsessed...

Where's the package on that level? Why can't I find that last artifact piece? Why, for the love of Pete, do they not allow camera control??? I've decided that this is my new quest: to get 100% completion on Lego Indiana Jones...See you all in 2015...

Cat Opts for Fitness, Dog Could Care Less...Film at 11

All Knocked Up and Nothing to Play

My gaming A.D.D. is at an all time high. How is it that I want to get into a game and find myself with nothing to play? I'm stuck at this boss in Puzzle Quest (Puzzle Quest of all games!), Lego Indiana Jones and I are involved in a love/hate relationship (RuFfNeCk says when I play the game it goes from an E rating to a AO rating with all the cussing that occurs) and everything else just isn't grabbing me. You know, I used to look at my closet like this and I've come to realize that not only has our gaming shelf taken my closet's place but that the shelf gets all the money my closet used to come to expect...

Not that I'm complaining!

In conclusion, photographic evidence that I've got nothing to play:

Delusions of Gamedeur

Games bring forth a lot of emotions from most gamers: the thrill of beating a difficult level or boss, the frustration of not beating a difficult level or boss, the joy of hearing the little ding that tells you you've made that last achievement...it goes on and on...

Games also take you out of your everyday life to deal with the problems of someone else for a while. Whether it's Master Chief's fight against the Covenant, Gordon Freeman's fight against the Combine or the Zuma frog's fight against those colored balls that hate him so much for some reason. You're fighting for them but you're not really them.

For me, the true "Delusions of Gamedeur" come from games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band. I mean, who doesn't want to be a rock star? Sure, I love the feeling I get as I decimate half the ninja population in Ninja Gaiden II and I love knowing that baddie ain't getting up again once he gets a taste of my grenade in G.R.A.W. (and I hopefully I didn't take myself down with him in the process) but there's something to be said about the pure ownership that you only get with Rock Band. Name your band, create a logo, design the perfect outfit and let's not forget the fans....sweet sweet fans....Have others join your band and for one brief shining moment, ...you are that band...you are there...

And that's not a bad place to be....

ICandee Jones and the Cave of Frustration

I was so excited to finally get my hands on Lego Indiana Jones. I was even more excited when I started the game and heard that trademark music...This was going to be awesome!

I got less excited when I realized that the baddies could shoot guns and throw spears while all I had were my fists and a lousy whip. Sure, I suppose that's true to the series and the game does try to help by allowing you to pick up chairs, bottles and what not in the area to throw at baddies, but by the time I pick up a chair, try to get a little closer so I can aim to throw it, I (and my dreams) explode into a thousand pieces...On the other hand, I can usually pick up a gun that's been dropped and you do get some time with a sweet rocket launcher..."Nice try Lao Che!"

It's like getting mad at a child for dropping their juice on your just mopped floor: they didn't mean to drop it, they look so darn cute and forlorn you can't yell at them or punish them, so you wait until they're out of earshot before you let loose the cussing and moaning that you now have to start cleaning all over again.

Welcome to Lego Indiana Jones...

"Have at You!"

So far the best thing about Ninja Gaiden II is the feeling that you're fighting 12 billion copies of the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I'm serious, you cut an arm or a leg off and these guys still keep swinging! There is only one word to describe such brutal unnecessary gratuitous disgusting over the top gaming carnage of this sort: AWESOME RuFfNeCk came a-runnin' last night when he heard me yell, "Holy crap, I set them on fire and they're still coming after me!" AWESOME For my first real experience with Ninja Gaiden, I'd have to say that it was a great success. Don't leave me Itagaki!

The River Will Run Red With Blood....and Legos

Now that we're officially a "Game Stop" family, every new game on the horizon is pre-ordered in my household. Yet this week it doesn't bother me as I will be spending much time with two of those pre-orders: Lego Indiana Jones and Ninja Gaiden II. Woo hoo! We also got our free copy of the new Rachet and Clank for the PS3 today so there will be plenty of Gaming ADD going on for me in the coming days.

Let the games begin!

P.S.-RuFfNeCk is doing his part to help out the female gaming community...we are in fact having a girl...

Much More Important Than Burnout

Why Burnout Why?

You know how

everytime

you

crash

or

get

a takedown

and

they feel

like

they have to

make a

great

pause

and

s

l

o

w

down

the

action

to show

you

your

crash

or

takedown

?

I

really

hate

that

...

GTA and Other Hit and Runs

Well I finally did it...I tried my very first Grand Theft Auto game. Let me tell you of my great success...

I started the game and was driving away with my cousin when the camera started doing some unauthorized movement. I ended up with some sort of top down vision and couldn't see where I was going. What the...??? I was ready to quit then and there (wonky camera is my biggest gaming pet peeve) when my darling husband said, "Wait, what are you pushing up on the left thumbstick for?" Duh, I'm driving...was my snarky reply. It was then I learned that I was not to push up and/or down but only side to side to steer the car. Apparently the "wonky" camera was due to my "wonky" steering. Well, I never! After a few dozen more stops and starts, I finally dropped my cousin off, shouted "screw you cars!" and took a nice relaxing stroll up the street...

Till some frakker in a red Geo looking car decided to run me over and took half my health. That was enough for me to jerk his smarty pants backside out of his car and steal it. That'll teach you to run over someone buster! Muwahahahahaha...

Except that the little bastard hung on to the side of the car and I dragged him for about a mile of so. He finally let go and was hit by an oncoming car. Well, I told him to let go! And off we went...

I say "we" because the guy was going off to the clubs with a buddy or something because when I finally couldn't take anymore of driving without pushing up on the thumbstick, the passenger guy jumped out of the car with me and started chasing me! Everytime I got enough ahead of him for him to be off camera, RuFfNeCk would say, "OK, you lost him" so I would stop and he'd be right on me again punching me! So I then decided to "be a man" as it were and kick his butt back to the Geo....

Except that I couldn't figure out which button was the kick ass button and I finally just ran away until he was off camera again. At one point I heard tires screech and then a very audible thump. I ran faster laughing at the irony that out of the three of us getting hit by cars, I was the only one alive...and still unable to drive a car...

What the heck is wrong with this game???

What The Heck Is A User Name?

My caring thoughtful husband decided to "format and reinstall windows". What a sweetie...

What my sweet caring thoughtful husband neglected to mention was that I would log on to find that all of my bookmarks, passwords and sites were "formatted and wiped". (Why it would never occur to me that this would happen escapes me...I blame the baby) So instead of bringing you exciting tales of gaming amazement, I'm now spending my Saturday morning trying to locate every site I've ever been to and the passwords that go with them...

Except that got boring so here's a Weezer video...

Pork and Beans

Pregnant Gamers For The Win!

I finally decided that it was time to really start playing games again and I think the baby is giving me super gaming strength because I totally whomped everyone's online backside in Mario Kart for the Wii. In your face anonymous kart drivers!

RuFfNeCk has been GTA'ing himself into oblivion every night and has asked me to try it out. Here's where it gets tricky: I've never played a GTA game before. Not because I find it objectionable and not because I'm one of those gamers that will only play "Arty-No-One-Knows-About-
It-So-It's-Cooler-Than-All-Other-Games" games but I've never played GTA for one simple reason: sandbox. I'm not the Leader of Linear by any means but I can't have free reign in a game. I start 20 missions and completing none *cough*Oblivion*cough* and I wind up wandering around endlessly, laughing as I chase people around with a flamethrower while avoiding the cops. *cough*Crackdown*cough* I say give me the illusion of freedom while secretly leading me around by the nose *cough*Call of Duty 2*cough* and I'm a happy woman...well, I am a little happier if I have a flamethrower...

Did The Writer's Strike Not Apply to Blogs?

Oops, oh well...

Let's play some catch up, shall we? The Office, Supernatural and BSG are back! I'm back! And now that my husband is managing a particular well known game store, I'm far too busy rolling around naked in piles of free gaming schwag to blog or play much of the games themselves...Due to which, I am now expecting a little gamer of my own...ah the circle of life continues...

Or it would except that Rock Band still has not added Foghat to their galaxy of stars...come on!