For those of you who don't know, I live at home right now. And...my parents are on vacation in Australia. So, I'm home alone a lot. And watch a lot of TV anyways, so their being gone has only allowed me to watch SO. MUCH. MORE.
The shows I usually watch have all come back, and I've caught up on all of them. In like...a day. So there have been some new shows that I've been watching. My mom really enjoys Revenge, so I watched the latest episode when I had to record it for her, and then caught up as much as I could on it with OnDemand, which was only a few more episodes.
Revenge is a pretty rich kid drama, much along the lines of (I assume) Gossip Girl, 90210, The O.C., etc. And I've never watched any of those, so I assume that they're super trashy. And so is Revenge. But it HIGHLY appeals to my gay sensibilities. Mostly, super campy and uber-dramatic. And there's some gay/bi dudes, so it's pretty cool that way, too. It is in no way a "good" show, but it is definitely entertaining.
I also started watching/got caught up with SyFy's Being Human on NetFlix. I had watched a few episodes earlier in the year, actually ON SyFy (go figure!) and I had watched the first episode of the British series on NetFlix, so I knew what I was getting into, but it still seemed like a really interesting concept that I wanted to watch more of. And it is an interesting concept. I think...that they focused more on the drama of the show, and it kind of brought the enjoyment level down quite a bit. If the producers would embrace the SyFy camp factor of a bunch of their other shows (like Eureka or Warehouse 13), and used a bit more of the comedy skills of the actors, I think the show would be EXCELLENT. My favorite scenes of the first season were when the three roommates are just sitting around cracking jokes on each other. If the show had more of that, and less ...vampire gangs fighting for control of Boston, I think the show would be really way much better.
I'm also (presently, at this very moment) watching Merlin. I had started to watch it last year, and couldn't get over the Smallville feel of it, but I'd heard lots of good things about it, so I decided to give it another shot. It has grown on me some (but it probably helps that I'm playing PSP while watching. Yay ADD!) What's really helping is the hoyay between Merlin and Arthur. (Hoyay stands for Homoeroticism! Yay! It refers to when audience members infer homoerotic subtext in interactions with two not gay characters written by writers who are intending nothing of the sort). But really, guys. If this were HBO or Showtime, Merlin and Arthur would be GETTING IT ON. They've almost died for each more times in the first season than Pete and Myka have in the entirety of Warehouse 13. And not in the heroic sense. In the "please don't kill the person I love" kind of sense. It's touching. Like Sam and Frodo.
So...yeah. That's what I've been doing. Anyone have any suggestions for what I watch next?
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Trip Through Time
So my first experience with an XBox comes from my little brother. My family has always been a Nintendo family, we got a Super Nintendo when I was ...6, I think, and then got a Nintendo 64 when that came out, and a Gamecube when that came out, and my mother even camped out at a Wal-Mart to get us a Wii (even though none of us asked for, or even wanted, one). Sometime during high school, we also got a Playstation 2, and a Sega Dreamcast, albeit a while after the Dreamcast stopped being popular. I went off to college, and when I came back for Christmas Break, my youngest brother had gotten himself an XBox, and a few games to go with it. One of those games was Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
I don't know if I've shared my love for Star Wars yet. In fact, I'm almost positive I have not, but that is a post for another time. I DO know that I've shared my love for RPGs, though, so the joining of an RPG and Star Wars was like crack for my little nerd heart. I devoured that game like a voracious old man who just discovered Viagra and hookers devours well...Viagra and hookers. However, Christmas Break came to an end and, since it was my brother's XBox, I had to bid adieu to it until summer break. But glory be! when that came around, he had obtained Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. And if I devoured the first game like Viagra and hookers, I devoured this one like a nursing home located in between a pharmacy and a strip club. It was an unhealthy obsession. I think I played through KOTOR2 about ...3 times over the summer, playing as different characters, using different romances, and making different choices every time. Much like I did with Dragon Age: Origins (see my old blog post: http://adayinthelifeofanerdygay.blogspot.com/2011/07/day-three.html ). Unfortunately, it was my brother's XBox, and he did not really appreciate me using it so often.
I went back to school, and came back home for Fall Break. I noticed that the XBox was free, found the KOTOR2 box, put the disc in, and booted it up. Only to find that the game wouldn't play. Baffled, I pulled the disc out and wiped it on my shirt, thinking that maybe the disc was just dusty. Still no luck. Confused and a little angry that my addiction was so close and yet so far, I pulled out the disc again, and glanced at the back. And was HORRIFIED. My brothers had scratched up the back of the disc so that I couldn't play it anymore. I couldn't be TOO mad, as it was not my disc, nor my XBox, but I was PISSED. And have been looking for the game ever since (it was not a new game when Dan got it). Now, I didn't look very hard until October 2010, when my friend Chad sold me his 360, but I did look. And this weekend, I FOUND TWO OF THEM! Now, I am a cheapskate, so I got the cheaper of the two ($23 vs. $35), and booted it up! Minus an occasional sound-glitch, it works just fine!
I started a game as a Jedi Consular (the mage), but I'm not really feeling it. In the Dragon Age series, I usually play the Rogue, so I'm thinking that I'm going to restart as a Jedi Sentinel, because I like skills, and they're somewhat useful. But playing this game after playing Dragon Age: Origins is ...unsettling. It's not just the graphical difference (with KOTOR being an XBox game, and Dragon Age being a 360 game), but I just see lots of improvements that KOTOR could make, if they were still making KOTOR games. Not that The Old Republic MMORPG bullshit. Just a few simple tweaks. Getting rid of used dialogue options would be a big help. Being better able to customize my character's looks would be nice, too. Among many other things. Things that, if Bioware were to make a new KOTOR game, they would fix on their own, based off of what Dragon Age and Mass Effect have done. IT WOULD BE AWESOME.
I'm...really tired...so...I feel like this post was a bit more ADD than my other posts (which, to be fair, are all pretty ADD). I apologize for that. Also, it occurred to me about halfway through this post that all of my posts have been more Nerd-based and less Gay-based, so...maybe I'll do a more gay-oriented post next time. I make no promises.
Also, what older games have you played lately? Or do you only play newer games?
I don't know if I've shared my love for Star Wars yet. In fact, I'm almost positive I have not, but that is a post for another time. I DO know that I've shared my love for RPGs, though, so the joining of an RPG and Star Wars was like crack for my little nerd heart. I devoured that game like a voracious old man who just discovered Viagra and hookers devours well...Viagra and hookers. However, Christmas Break came to an end and, since it was my brother's XBox, I had to bid adieu to it until summer break. But glory be! when that came around, he had obtained Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. And if I devoured the first game like Viagra and hookers, I devoured this one like a nursing home located in between a pharmacy and a strip club. It was an unhealthy obsession. I think I played through KOTOR2 about ...3 times over the summer, playing as different characters, using different romances, and making different choices every time. Much like I did with Dragon Age: Origins (see my old blog post: http://adayinthelifeofanerdygay.blogspot.com/2011/07/day-three.html ). Unfortunately, it was my brother's XBox, and he did not really appreciate me using it so often.
I went back to school, and came back home for Fall Break. I noticed that the XBox was free, found the KOTOR2 box, put the disc in, and booted it up. Only to find that the game wouldn't play. Baffled, I pulled the disc out and wiped it on my shirt, thinking that maybe the disc was just dusty. Still no luck. Confused and a little angry that my addiction was so close and yet so far, I pulled out the disc again, and glanced at the back. And was HORRIFIED. My brothers had scratched up the back of the disc so that I couldn't play it anymore. I couldn't be TOO mad, as it was not my disc, nor my XBox, but I was PISSED. And have been looking for the game ever since (it was not a new game when Dan got it). Now, I didn't look very hard until October 2010, when my friend Chad sold me his 360, but I did look. And this weekend, I FOUND TWO OF THEM! Now, I am a cheapskate, so I got the cheaper of the two ($23 vs. $35), and booted it up! Minus an occasional sound-glitch, it works just fine!
I started a game as a Jedi Consular (the mage), but I'm not really feeling it. In the Dragon Age series, I usually play the Rogue, so I'm thinking that I'm going to restart as a Jedi Sentinel, because I like skills, and they're somewhat useful. But playing this game after playing Dragon Age: Origins is ...unsettling. It's not just the graphical difference (with KOTOR being an XBox game, and Dragon Age being a 360 game), but I just see lots of improvements that KOTOR could make, if they were still making KOTOR games. Not that The Old Republic MMORPG bullshit. Just a few simple tweaks. Getting rid of used dialogue options would be a big help. Being better able to customize my character's looks would be nice, too. Among many other things. Things that, if Bioware were to make a new KOTOR game, they would fix on their own, based off of what Dragon Age and Mass Effect have done. IT WOULD BE AWESOME.
I'm...really tired...so...I feel like this post was a bit more ADD than my other posts (which, to be fair, are all pretty ADD). I apologize for that. Also, it occurred to me about halfway through this post that all of my posts have been more Nerd-based and less Gay-based, so...maybe I'll do a more gay-oriented post next time. I make no promises.
Also, what older games have you played lately? Or do you only play newer games?
Friday, January 6, 2012
Christmas Surprises
Yeah, yeah, Christmas was like two weeks ago. I'm lazy, get off my back. I'm going to talk about the games that I got for Christmas, and I needed a decent chance to play them all before I wrote about them.
Everyone have a good Christmas? I sure hope so, because I did! Some dress shirts, a few sweater vests, 8 Disney movies (Beauty and the Beast, Tangled, Up, Wall-E, The Incredibles, Toy Story 3, Sister Act, and The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe!), and 3 video games.
Game 1: A present from my youngest brother- Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection for PSP. Final Fantasy IV is probably my favorite RPG of all time. I first played it on an SNES emulator that we had on our computer, but it was called Final Fantasy II at the time. I later figured out that it was actually IV, and then it came out with Chrono Trigger as a bundle game for the Playstation. Then they released it on the Game Boy Advance as Final Fantasy IV Advance. Then again on the DS, but with 3D graphics this time! And finally on the PSP as Complete Collection. FF4: TCC is actually 3 games in one, the Advance version of IV with updated graphics, the sequel to IV that was released in different chapters, called The After Years, AND a short little interlude between the two.
Now...the problem with the fact that this is one of my favorite games is that I've played it a lot. So...I know how to beat it, strategy-wise. Also...occasionally, when I know a side quest is available from a certain point on, I will undertake that side quest ASAP. Unfortunately, the side quests typically require me to be a few levels stronger than I typically would be in a normal RPG. But since I know this game so well, I tend to speed through the main storyline, so I tend to be a few levels (just one or two, nothing major) weaker than I should be. So...I'm stuck at a part where I can continue the main storyline and lose a character for a good bit, and then only have 4 characters when I go on these side quests, or I can struggle through the arduous process of leveling, which isn't usually a problem...when I have no other games to play. However, I have the two after-game adventures that I've never played before, PLUS a few other games that I got for, or around, Christmas. So I'm having a hard time staying focused on beating this game.
Game 2: A present given to me by my younger brother, but really from my parents- Batman: Arkham City for the XBox 360. Now...I love me some Batman. I love comic books, and superheroes, and video games, so this seems like a game right up my alley, right? WRONG. Now...I do enjoy this game, I'm just bad at it. I like superhero games with teams that are more RPG-like. For instance, the X-Men Legends games, the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance games, and Justice League Heroes. Games where I control one hero, and the computer controls 1-3 other heroes and we join forces to kick ass. Those are superhero games that I like and am good at. Action games where I have open world maps and open-end quests, and combos to learn are games that I do not excel at. But...I own this game, and Arkham Asylum, and I asked for both of them. Even if I never get good at them, they are games that I am proud to own. Plus, I downloaded Catwoman, Nightwing, and Robin for Arkham City, so eventually...I need to be able to play as them. Even if I die a lot. But eventually (I keep telling myself that) I will play them, and be good at them, and will fall in love with them. For now, they are that person across the food court that is wearing awesome clothes and talking to awesome looking people that I am totally in love with, but will never have the courage to talk to.
Game 3 (and 4): A present ACTUALLY from my younger brother- Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of a New World for Wii. This is a game that I am actually really enjoying. I'd never heard of the Tales series of games, or if I had, I had never paid attention to them, but I'm really enjoyed myself while playing this. And then it dawned on me that this is a sequel to a Gamecube game, and (like many Wii sequels to Gamecube games, slash- The Fire Emblem games) there is a transfer option, so that the Wii game is ...made better/easier/whatever by things you did in the Gamecube game. So I returned X-Men: Destiny (which is a TERRIBLE game that I will review in a moment) and one of my dad's birthday presents (that he already had!) to McKay's and FOUND THE GAMECUBE GAME! So I've been playing through that, and am really enjoying it. I keep feeling like I'm at the end of the game, but thanks to my occasional glances at strategy guides and the fact that there is a second disc, I know I'm not. But if you like Final Fantasy games, Super Smash Bros, and/or the Fire Emblem series (for some reason, Tales of Symphonia just feels like a non-strategy Fire Emblem game to me, I don't know why) then you will really enjoy these games!
Game 5: Something I got for myself a few weeks ago, it just happened to be in December- X-Men: Destiny for the XBox 360. THIS IS SUCH A TERRIBLE GAME. I'm sorry. I love the X-Men. They were my REAL introduction to nerdy things. The 90's cartoon changed my life. If I ever get a tattoo, it will be the logo from one of the X-Men movies, with the X in a circle looking all metallic-y, on my shoulder blade. I. LOVE. X-MEN. But this game SUCKS. First- in all the press stuff I'd ever read about the game, everyone talked about the freedom of choice, and how you can choose to be an X-Man or a member of the Brotherhood. Maybe I didn't play far enough in the game to get to that choice, but the only chances I got to choose were side missions, nothing affecting the reality of the game. No matter what side I picked, I did this mini-game, and then I was back on the main quest. You get to choose one of three brand-new characters, and once you pick your character, you pick their powers, and all of their upgrades. Which, I initially thought would be cool. If only the powers didn't suck.
I am a person who would (in real life) prefer a power that allows me to stay at range and beat the crap out of people from a distance, like telekinesis or energy manipulation. Something along those lines. However, I have found that in games, especially those action games that I am no good at, choosing long-range powers/weapons tends to put you at a disadvantage, as you have no teammates to distract the enemies while you pick them off one by one from afar. No, all of the enemies come straight towards you, and if you have a long-distance power, you are forced to flee from them and hide behind things and generally fight very cowardly, and it is annoying. However, I also usually hate playing as "bruiser"-type characters. So the power choices were Energy Projection (long-range), Density Shifting ("bruiser"), and Shadow Manipulation (something in between, OR SO I THOUGHT). Figuring (correctly) that EP and DS were what they were, I initially chose Shadow Manipulation. After you choose your power, there's a very brief cut-scene showing your character rescue some civilians using their powers. My guy initially teleported, like Nightcrawler, and I thought "FUCK YEAH, I GET TO BE NIGHTCRAWLER!" FALSE. It was more like Wolverine. But without the healing factor. And you can't teleport, like the game TOLD YOU YOU COULD. So I played for a while, and got annoyed. They kept introducing these mutants, letting them fight with you, but not in any sort of controllable way. There's one level where you free Surge, Colossus, and Quicksilver, and the four of you are on your way to escape. But your three comrades are all doing their own thing in battles. PLUS THERE ARE NO HEALING PACKS AND LOTS OF SHIT TO BE KICKED OUT OF YOU. Enemies occasionally drop health orbs, but that does me little to no good if I wasted 50 enemies and didn't get hurt, and then a super enemy comes out, kicks my ass, and then drops an orb that heals 5 health of the 230 that he just took away from me.
Sorry...I get pissed. This game makes me pissed. But it had lots of things going for it! It has an impressive cast list, and the potential to introduce lots of casual fans to more obscure/modern X-Men characters, like Northstar, Surge, Pixie, and Caliban. And the way they kept talking about putting an emphasis on choices, I thought it would be more like an X-Men-themed Dragon Age or Mass Effect (which would be HELLA FUCKING AWESOME, Marvel and Bioware- TEAM UP!) Alas, it was not, I was sorely disappointed, and SUPER PISSED. So I gave it back to McKay's and got a good game instead. And...am seriously thinking about writing a nasty letter to Marvel, because that shit was unacceptable.
Everyone have a good Christmas? I sure hope so, because I did! Some dress shirts, a few sweater vests, 8 Disney movies (Beauty and the Beast, Tangled, Up, Wall-E, The Incredibles, Toy Story 3, Sister Act, and The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe!), and 3 video games.
Game 1: A present from my youngest brother- Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection for PSP. Final Fantasy IV is probably my favorite RPG of all time. I first played it on an SNES emulator that we had on our computer, but it was called Final Fantasy II at the time. I later figured out that it was actually IV, and then it came out with Chrono Trigger as a bundle game for the Playstation. Then they released it on the Game Boy Advance as Final Fantasy IV Advance. Then again on the DS, but with 3D graphics this time! And finally on the PSP as Complete Collection. FF4: TCC is actually 3 games in one, the Advance version of IV with updated graphics, the sequel to IV that was released in different chapters, called The After Years, AND a short little interlude between the two.
Now...the problem with the fact that this is one of my favorite games is that I've played it a lot. So...I know how to beat it, strategy-wise. Also...occasionally, when I know a side quest is available from a certain point on, I will undertake that side quest ASAP. Unfortunately, the side quests typically require me to be a few levels stronger than I typically would be in a normal RPG. But since I know this game so well, I tend to speed through the main storyline, so I tend to be a few levels (just one or two, nothing major) weaker than I should be. So...I'm stuck at a part where I can continue the main storyline and lose a character for a good bit, and then only have 4 characters when I go on these side quests, or I can struggle through the arduous process of leveling, which isn't usually a problem...when I have no other games to play. However, I have the two after-game adventures that I've never played before, PLUS a few other games that I got for, or around, Christmas. So I'm having a hard time staying focused on beating this game.
Game 2: A present given to me by my younger brother, but really from my parents- Batman: Arkham City for the XBox 360. Now...I love me some Batman. I love comic books, and superheroes, and video games, so this seems like a game right up my alley, right? WRONG. Now...I do enjoy this game, I'm just bad at it. I like superhero games with teams that are more RPG-like. For instance, the X-Men Legends games, the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance games, and Justice League Heroes. Games where I control one hero, and the computer controls 1-3 other heroes and we join forces to kick ass. Those are superhero games that I like and am good at. Action games where I have open world maps and open-end quests, and combos to learn are games that I do not excel at. But...I own this game, and Arkham Asylum, and I asked for both of them. Even if I never get good at them, they are games that I am proud to own. Plus, I downloaded Catwoman, Nightwing, and Robin for Arkham City, so eventually...I need to be able to play as them. Even if I die a lot. But eventually (I keep telling myself that) I will play them, and be good at them, and will fall in love with them. For now, they are that person across the food court that is wearing awesome clothes and talking to awesome looking people that I am totally in love with, but will never have the courage to talk to.
Game 3 (and 4): A present ACTUALLY from my younger brother- Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of a New World for Wii. This is a game that I am actually really enjoying. I'd never heard of the Tales series of games, or if I had, I had never paid attention to them, but I'm really enjoyed myself while playing this. And then it dawned on me that this is a sequel to a Gamecube game, and (like many Wii sequels to Gamecube games, slash- The Fire Emblem games) there is a transfer option, so that the Wii game is ...made better/easier/whatever by things you did in the Gamecube game. So I returned X-Men: Destiny (which is a TERRIBLE game that I will review in a moment) and one of my dad's birthday presents (that he already had!) to McKay's and FOUND THE GAMECUBE GAME! So I've been playing through that, and am really enjoying it. I keep feeling like I'm at the end of the game, but thanks to my occasional glances at strategy guides and the fact that there is a second disc, I know I'm not. But if you like Final Fantasy games, Super Smash Bros, and/or the Fire Emblem series (for some reason, Tales of Symphonia just feels like a non-strategy Fire Emblem game to me, I don't know why) then you will really enjoy these games!
Game 5: Something I got for myself a few weeks ago, it just happened to be in December- X-Men: Destiny for the XBox 360. THIS IS SUCH A TERRIBLE GAME. I'm sorry. I love the X-Men. They were my REAL introduction to nerdy things. The 90's cartoon changed my life. If I ever get a tattoo, it will be the logo from one of the X-Men movies, with the X in a circle looking all metallic-y, on my shoulder blade. I. LOVE. X-MEN. But this game SUCKS. First- in all the press stuff I'd ever read about the game, everyone talked about the freedom of choice, and how you can choose to be an X-Man or a member of the Brotherhood. Maybe I didn't play far enough in the game to get to that choice, but the only chances I got to choose were side missions, nothing affecting the reality of the game. No matter what side I picked, I did this mini-game, and then I was back on the main quest. You get to choose one of three brand-new characters, and once you pick your character, you pick their powers, and all of their upgrades. Which, I initially thought would be cool. If only the powers didn't suck.
I am a person who would (in real life) prefer a power that allows me to stay at range and beat the crap out of people from a distance, like telekinesis or energy manipulation. Something along those lines. However, I have found that in games, especially those action games that I am no good at, choosing long-range powers/weapons tends to put you at a disadvantage, as you have no teammates to distract the enemies while you pick them off one by one from afar. No, all of the enemies come straight towards you, and if you have a long-distance power, you are forced to flee from them and hide behind things and generally fight very cowardly, and it is annoying. However, I also usually hate playing as "bruiser"-type characters. So the power choices were Energy Projection (long-range), Density Shifting ("bruiser"), and Shadow Manipulation (something in between, OR SO I THOUGHT). Figuring (correctly) that EP and DS were what they were, I initially chose Shadow Manipulation. After you choose your power, there's a very brief cut-scene showing your character rescue some civilians using their powers. My guy initially teleported, like Nightcrawler, and I thought "FUCK YEAH, I GET TO BE NIGHTCRAWLER!" FALSE. It was more like Wolverine. But without the healing factor. And you can't teleport, like the game TOLD YOU YOU COULD. So I played for a while, and got annoyed. They kept introducing these mutants, letting them fight with you, but not in any sort of controllable way. There's one level where you free Surge, Colossus, and Quicksilver, and the four of you are on your way to escape. But your three comrades are all doing their own thing in battles. PLUS THERE ARE NO HEALING PACKS AND LOTS OF SHIT TO BE KICKED OUT OF YOU. Enemies occasionally drop health orbs, but that does me little to no good if I wasted 50 enemies and didn't get hurt, and then a super enemy comes out, kicks my ass, and then drops an orb that heals 5 health of the 230 that he just took away from me.
Sorry...I get pissed. This game makes me pissed. But it had lots of things going for it! It has an impressive cast list, and the potential to introduce lots of casual fans to more obscure/modern X-Men characters, like Northstar, Surge, Pixie, and Caliban. And the way they kept talking about putting an emphasis on choices, I thought it would be more like an X-Men-themed Dragon Age or Mass Effect (which would be HELLA FUCKING AWESOME, Marvel and Bioware- TEAM UP!) Alas, it was not, I was sorely disappointed, and SUPER PISSED. So I gave it back to McKay's and got a good game instead. And...am seriously thinking about writing a nasty letter to Marvel, because that shit was unacceptable.
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