I am exhausted, it is rare that a game will physically tire me but playing this week Froza 3 has done just that. I have used the force feedback racing wheel throughout my Forza career and this week’s epic events have worn-out my hands and feet. Maybe I should have worn shoes and driving gloves?

Week 16 Twenty Ten

Forza 3

Best racing game ever, it really is just that simple. Turn 10 has done it, it is complete. Forza 3 is perfection, beautiful to look at and to play, wonderfully paced with the calendar based event schedule and filled with impressive customization options. I reached level 50 and finished all but the last season of play, an utter addicting week of racing that consumed my gaming totally.

Next

Forza 3

I have but one more season left, the final championship and a few achievements left to attempt, then I can put the incredible game to rest.

Nuts & Bolts

Was making good progress until Forza 3 arrived to devour my life, but I am going to return to this disappointing world and try and slog through to its completion, despite my frustrations I am going to finish it.

Axellion, in the driver’s seat with nowhere to go.

 I can finally see an end to by 09 backlog, only silent hill shattered memory and shadow complex remain unplayed. I decided that I would pick up Forza 3 to celebrate my success and it arrived just in time.

Week 15 Twenty Ten

Super Mario Wii

Stated and finished the horribly title new super Mario bros Wii, and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. Truly classic Mario gameplay, wonderful platforming and great challenge, but it just didn’t click, the visuals are so bad and the game just feels cheap, they didn’t really seem to try that hard. It was fun, and a great throwback, but it didn’t excite me like a new Mario should.

Final Fantasy Tactics

I have been destroyed, only on the third story battle and already getting crushed, it’s funny I seem to remember this happening when I first played tactics way back on the ps1. I eventually got past it, but I do remember getting stuck like this many more times in my all too short campaign. Guess I’m going to need to try and level up before I can progress, either that or I have been missing some strategy.

Nuts & Bolts

This one has been siting unplayed for ages, not sure what possessed me to finally crack it open. Again I was disappointed, I picked it up based on Giant bombs glowing review and so far I am not wowed. I have just been too frustrated by poor level design and frustratingly clunky physics, the vehicle construction is very cool, but the actually gameplay has not enthralled me.

Forza 3

Why did I wait so long to get this one? What an amazing game, it is perfection on a disc. Gran Turismo look out you have been out classed. Everything is so highly polished, the new calendar based season mode works great, the cars control flawlessly, especially with my racing wheel. It is perfect driving simulation, not to daunting but with tons of depth.

Next!

Forza 3

I have become addicted, all hope is lost. So many cars, so many events, I haven’t even touched the enormously deep custom painting or the online auction house and already I am hooked.

Nuts & Bolts

Should I find myself with any time to spare away from the track I will continue my weird adventure in Banjo-Kazooie.

Final Fantasy Tactics

Most likely will not get much portable gaming in this week so I may not make any progress toward tactics.

Axellion, shifting into top gear.

 I have been simply raging through games lately, finished both FF13 and God of War 3 last week and have completed Bioshock 2 this week. Splinter Cell is released on Tuesday and despite my love of the franchise and of stealth gams In general I am at odds with this one. The demo was fun but leaft me with a bad taste in my mouth, feels like they forced me to be violent, force the action on me. I want stealth, I want to avoid enemies whenever possible and never is possible engage in open combat, still may be a great game but maybe not the game I want.
 

Week 14 Twenty Ten

Bioshock 2

This was a surprise; I was expecting a rip off, a cheap attempt to turn Bioshock into an unnecessary franchise, but what I got was something fantastic. The shooting has been greatly improved, the duel welding makes it a lot faster, and the defensive nature of the new little sister battles was great. The story started a bit rough, trying too hard to mimic the first game, but it became very interesting towards the end. I fell in love with this game, just absolutely engrossed with it. The finally areas were so downright fascinating, and horribly creepy. This was a great game!

Final Fantasy Tactics PSP

This has long been on my to complete list, I have incredibly found memories of playing it way back on my PSone, but I never finished it, it has weighed on my soul. I adored the art style, the incredible 2d characters, and beautiful backdrops, and the interesting war story. I only got a few hours in this week, and even then all I was able to do is the massive tutorial, but wow is there a lot of depth, they just don’t make them like this anymore, so much to remember!

Next

Final Fantasy Tactics

Hopefully I can actually start the campaign this week, going to delve deep into it, can’t wait to explore the zodiac brave story once again.

Super Mario Bros wii

Another game I have been meaning to get around too, it’s always a good time for some classic 2D Mario.

Axellion, would you kindly,

 Very busy week in gaming, completed both FF13 and God of War, and was finally able to start Bioshock 2, my 360 red ringed on the day of its release, so it had been delayed by a bit. The massive wave of games seems to be at an end, only Splinter Cell is on my must play list for April, although I am interested in Super Street Fighte r 4, been ages since I played a fighting game, who knows I may pick it up.

Week 13 Twenty Ten

Final Fantasy XIII

Wrapped this one up on Monday afternoon, what a long strange ride it was; 59 hours to completion. I had my doubts at first, it takes a long time to build up; it introduces so many elements of the first 20 hours. But when it finally does come together I fell in love with it. The story is very original, very character driven, it is utterly gorgeous, and the combat is some of the best JRPG fighting in ages. Spectacular boss battles, I think I fought the final boss five times before I bested him. An exceptional experience to be sure.

God of War III

Wow is all I can say, this game is jaw dropping in so many ways. Graphically stunning, Kratos looks insane, is scared visage and constant pissed off expression are insanely rendered. The combat is as fast and fun as ever, with a few cool new moves thrown in, it is beyond violent, the brutality has been taken to a new level of bloodlust, I can’t count the number of eviscerations and bashed skulls I witnessed. And the scale, the scale is enormous, the titans are most likely the biggest creatures in gaming, they are entire levels, the ground sifting as they move, going from running along their arms to dangling for dear life. The only fault I had was with the story, it feels a lot less epic than previous games, it doesn’t have the great mythological adventure tone, there is no great quest for a powerful artifact, it is a tale of vengeance, with Kratos systematically offing the entire Greek pantheon. The levels go from one mind-blowing spectacle to another, I great game that I need to play again. I will never forget the bloody battle with the Titan Kronos, this is a new level of massive violence.

Bioshock 2

Started on Saturday and got a few hours in, have a good time so far, I am a huge fan of Bioshock and feel it is one of the greatest games ever made. To put it bluntly Bioshock 2 is entirely unnecessary, Bioshock was complete and did not need sequel, and its story and environment were self-contained. That being said I have enjoyed my return to rapture, the same great atmosphere and eerie world, the Splicers remain a supremely creepy foe. I have been moving through very slowly trying to explore every last detail; I really love searching through every room for items and letting the seen tell a story. The audio diaries are great, but the story feels a bit familiar, everything seems like a copy of the first game, they don’t seem to say much new, it feel like a reimagining of Bioshock. I am still having a great time, but it does lack the impact of the first game, no sequel could ever come close to the feeling of exploring rapture for the first time.

Next

Bioshock 2

Will focus on my return to rapture the coming week, barring any unforeseen events I should be able to wrap it up.

New Super Mario Bros Wii

Got this one at Christmas and have never gotten around to it, I think I will start it this week. The new trailer for Galaxy 2 has me pump for some Mario.

Axellion, would you kindly

  
Again addiction has consumed my gaming this week; I played nothing but Final Fantasy 13 this week.

Week 12 Twenty Ten

Final Fantasy 13

54 hours in standing at the precipice of victory, I may even finish it tonight, but if previous bosses are any indication I am in for one titanic of a last battle. The combat has started to become a bit much, I still love the tactical nature, the need for constant attention and reevaluation, but it seems like 50 hours of the game have been spent in battle. And the final dungeon has become incredible difficult, ever little battle is a serious fight.

Next

Final Fantasy 13

I should finish it this week, I know I am very close, the only question is how epic will the final encounter be, although few and far between boss fights have been truly epic and lengthy, some of the best rpg warfare I have fought in ages.

God of War III

As soon as I complete Final Fantasy I will be picking up Sony bloody murder romp, I can’t wait.

Axellion, ready for murder

  
This week was pretty simple, it was dominated by my current addiction, I played way to much of this game and spent most of the week either thinking or play it, that game was…
 

Week 11 Twenty Ten

Final fantasy XIII

Hit 40 hours total play time this week, and loving every minute of it! It only toke 20 hours for this one to click. Everything comes together after a huge long build up. The story has finally started, there is a goal and a bad guy, it finally feels like a final fantasy game. There is a lot more character development than any previous Final fantasy, or jrpg for that matter, the entire first 20 hours were basically fleshing out and developing there back story’s, only recently has the overall epic world ending storyline started to take shape.  This game is straight as an arrow, it feel like a very long dungeon with small story breaks, then more fighting. It did open up recently, a big giant open plain full monsters and side quests.   I love the fighting, it is so fast and tactical, despite the recent influx of constant battles it has not become a grind, and I just haven’t got sick of it yet.

Splinter Cell Conviction

Being a huge splinter cell fan I have been looking forward to this one, it has changed dramatically since it was first shown years ago, a very impressive if short demo. The new style of hud is really nice looking, objectives and context sensitive moves are projected with in the environment, it feels really cool. Graphics are nice; the black and white effect telling you that you’re in the darkness is quite well done. The mark and execute technique is really fun to use but does turn me off a bit, I love the Splinter Cell games for their stealth gameplay, they have always been some of the most pure stealth experiences around. The first game is still one of my all-time faves, and I fear that they may be going away from the sneaky approach. I still feel that the CIA headquarters infiltration mission from the original is the finest stealth level ever, having to silently take down men without any casualties, it was pure stealth bliss. I love to figure out the quietest rout through an environment use as little force and as few gadgets as possible. It felt like I was being pushed to me more aggressive and violent in the demo, hopeful this was only to show off the combat and the Mark and execute gameplay. Despite my fears of less a less sneaky approach I am still looking forward to Sam Fishers next adventure, the story with third echelon appearing as the bad guy and Sam himself going rouge sounds very cool. Plus Michelle Ironsides has the coolest voice ever!

Next!

Final Fantasy XIII

I hear the game will last 50 hours so I may get it done this week, depending on how much more I grind in the open plains. The battle system is the most fun I have had with a jrpg in a long time, I can’t get enough

God of War 3

Should I finish FF13 with week, I will definitely be picking up Sony’s latest murder feast. I loved the previous games and the demo I got with District 9 was insane. It looks like another good bloody time in Greece.

Axellion, waiting for a paradigm shift

 The recent announcement of Money Island 2 receiving a special edition did not come as a surprise; the success of the first special edition had led to many rumors of the sequel getting a similar treatment. I have been waiting for this day for a long time, secretly I hoped it was coming but did not let myself get excited, on the chance it did not happen. But is it true, Monkey Island 2 is returning in all its glory.

LeChuck's Revenge has a very special place in my heart. I played it during a very influential point in my life; and it left a deep impact on my sense of comedy, storytelling, and forever cemented my love of gaming. That may be a bit hard to swallow; it is after all just another adventure game, although I consider it to be the greatest adventure game ever made. There was a spark, a strange pull it had over me as a kid, I had never even heard of Monkey Island before, let alone played it. My little mind was blown away by the absurdity of its characters, the deviously ridiculous puzzles, and its surprisingly deep narrative. The richly visual world sprung to life, a truly brilliant amount of detail is found in what was at the time impressive graphics. I have such found memories of my quest for Big Whoop; every puzzle, every moment is engrained into my mind. The jokes are still with me, and they still make me smile just thinking about them.

The illogical quality, the utter disregard for good taste and proper storytelling conventions impacted me, I was Guybrush Threepwood, and yes I was a might pirate. So many timeless moments that have remained with me, as I forgot most of my childhood Monkey Island 2 has remained. Visions of Wally the cartographer, the morbidly obese Governor L. Phatt, or the voodoo doll of Largo LaGrande still live in my imagination.

A few scenes sickout in my mind; one in witch Guybrush picks up a dog, placing it eloquently in his pants, the look on his tiny pixelated face is pure gold, it may have been only a few pixels but the hilarity in his face was priceless. Another was the spitting contest, experimenting with different combinations of grog to achieve the perfect spittle. Or the absolute geniuses of the final battle with LeChuck, reusing the voodoo spell from the opening chapter. And who could forget Stan and his previously owned coffins, convincing him to enter a coffin giving me a demonstration of its roominess, only to have Guybrush nail him in, the dark humor and absurdity left me slack jawed. The act of nailing the coffin shut may be the single funniest think I have ever encountered.

My quest for the treasure Big Whoop stands a one of my greatest entertainment experiences as a child, it meant a lot to my young self and still does. The sudden shock ending, making me question the reality of the adventure left me in utter amazement. It was a truly epic quest, sending me throughout the Caribbean on a grand comedic adventure. Going back to play it in recent years, I was stunned to find there was no voice acting, in my mind Guybrush had a voice, he spoke in my imagination and in my memories. My fantasy of the game will surely never live up to the reality, but that will not change my reverence for the experience.

LeChuck's Revenge stands among giants; it lives with games such as Super Mario Brothers, Final Fantasy 6, Xenogears, Super Metroid, ICO, among others that defined my love of games as a medium. The games that meant something personal to me, the experiences that remained despite time.
I am literally giddy with anticipation. There is little worry of my found memories being destroyed. After the superb respect paid in the first special edition, though some have complained about the controls, and perhaps I am blinded my nostalgia but I never encountered any such issues. I have all the faith in Lucas Arts ability to remake my youth. Forget Halo Reach, forget Super Mario Galaxy 2, and forget StarCraft 2. Monkey Island 2 special edition: LeChuck's Revenge is my most anticipated game of 2010 bar none. Finally hearing the voices of characters so dear to me will be an important moment to me, nailing Stan into his coffin, and listening to his cries for help.

For me Monkey Island 2 was a seminal moment, it was my star wars, it defined my taste in videogames, it placed me on my path to being a gamer. My original journey to the treasure of Big Whoop will never be forgotten, I am ready to reimaging my youth. 

Another week down, another week closer to the summer and riding season! But enough about bikes, Monkey Island 2 is getting a special edition! This is huge, I know it was sort of expected but I am such a huge, gushing fan of Monkey Island 2, I can’t help but get unbelievable excited. I have such found memory of playing it way back when, it defined my video game youth, I can’t wait to live it again! Most anticipated game of Twenty Ten

Week 10 Twenty Ten

Mario & Luigi

I am getting close to finishing this one off; it has waned in recent weeks. I have all but lost my love of the comedy and style of the early game, it’s just annoying now. The active combat is good but has become almost more work that fun.

Porta

Decided to give portal another play thought with word of the sequel coming, but in all seriousness I just wanted the new achievement for fining the mysterious transmissions that were added in recent days. It was great fun going back to such a wonderful funny and puzzling world, Valve did an amazing job with the subtle narrative, the strange twisted GLaDOS and the scrawled messages of previous test subject bring so much creepy atmosphere, truly one of the greatest games ever made.

Final Fantasy XIII

Wow, I am so shocked by this game, In both good and bad ways. It is unbelievable gorgeous, technically a feat of engineering and artistically astounding, the design work that went in to this world is insane, it is so over the top as to defy imaginations. I put in 15 or so hours and the game still feels like it is building to something; it is painfully straight forward with a very strangely mysterious with plot. It has basically been one long 15 hours dungeon, with a few small story sequences. The story I have been privy to is good old fashioned Final Fantasy melodrama, but it has focused on character development. I feel like the game is spending an extremely long time to build these very unique personalities before setting up a more epic story, I can only hope. I do miss EXP, I really do. I just like to level up, it is something I expect to do in an rpg.

Next

Mario & Luigi

I will tray and finish this game this week, and be done with it for good.

Final Fantasy XIII

Despite my worrying feelings about the lack of epic, I did have a great time with 13 last week; the combat is refreshingly quick and visceral, very different than anything before. I can only hope my patience with the story will pay off, it did seem like things were finally starting to peak and begin to have a conservable goal to the adventure.

Axellion, shifting paradigms

 
This anouncment makes me very very happy. We all saw it coming but I am still unbelevable excitied that it was finally acounced. I tried and not get excited before they anounced in the fear that is would not happen, but here we are.
 
Monkey Island 2 has a very special place in my heart, i spent countless hours as a kid playing the original. I think i can remember every sceen and every puzzle. This may be one of the most important influances on my impresnable youth. There is no onther game that left such an indellable impression as my time with LeChuck's Revenge. 
 
I am literal giddy with anticipation, my most wanted game of 2010 bar none

Started and finishes a play through of portal today, got the new achievement for finding radio transmission. What a clever little addition, 26 hidden radios each with a certain spot to receive a transmission. Its great to see valve adding a bit of extra game play to this old fav. The radios were mostly very well hidden and it provided a good refresher on portal puzzles, a great way to spend my morning. The ending has changed but only in a very very tiny way, setting up a sequel. Its very weird for a developer to go back two years later and tack-on a reworked ending, just so the sequel can have more of a connection to it, very strange indeed. It looks as if portal 2 will be set in aperture laboratory once again. I cant wait!