Got back from an 11 day trip a few days ago. Now trying to process what happened in Colorado. Makes everything else seem small and stupid.

In gaming news, I downloaded Persona 2 on my Vita, and I love the hell out of Theatrhythm.

I have never played Spelunky until after I watched the quick look yesterday. I went and downloaded the free version. I loved it but using the keyboard was killing me. Well, I got home from work and played it with my XBOX controller, and just, wow. The game is incredible. I like it better than Issac, but it is very similar. The game is incredibly hard, but super fair (most of the time). I'm trying to shove it down a few friends throats, but they don't seem that interested. I'm hoping the prettier version, that they can play on their Xbox's might just push them over the edge. I've been Facebooking and Tweeting about it like crazy though, the game is that good.

I have not played either Metal Gear Solid game that came out for PS2 since their release. I purchased the Vita HD collection and I'm very happy that I did. First off, the updated graphics combined with the amazing Vita screen make for a stunning experience. While I expected to enjoy 3, as my memories of it were good, I was surprised by how much I loved playing through MGS2. I remembered not liking the Raiden section of the game, and I remembered being very confused by the plot. I guess the years have lessened the disappointment over not playing as Snake, and I was much more focused on the game, and enjoying it, so I wasn't just trying to blow through it. I had a ton of fun, and I now understand the convoluted MGS plot better than I ever had before.

Once I completed the two games I started messing around with the original Metal Gear ported from MSX. I had no idea that the NES Metal Gear was a shitty butchered port (source: the internet) because it originally came out for the technologically superior MSX system. Also that Snake's Revenge wasn't even a "Kojima Joint" if you will, and that Metal Gear 2 for MSX is the real sequel. I began Metal Gear, and have played up to getting the second keycard. Pretty cool stuff.

I'm super excited for Sony to finally get their shit together with PSONE games on the Vita, as I intend to replay MGS on it. I'm also going to start messing with some of the VR stuff on MGS2. I'm not promising I'm going to complete it all, but I want to check it out.

The Vita gets a lot of shit, and certainly looks like it is doomed...

However I freaking love Wipeout and Hot Shots Golf so much. I play them both all the time. Wipeout is SO hard, but you can get better, its not impossible. The graphics are stunning. I'm wondering when the promised additional stuff is going to show up. Also, they need to fix multiplayer.

I'm slowly working my way through the E3 bombcasts, and it's pretty sad when the best thing about E3 is the Giant Bomb coverage. It seems insane to me that all these companies constantly complain about the costs of making games, and then have the exorbitant booths and marketing campaigns and whatnot.

So I was not expecting much from E3, but Nintendo really let me down. I wanted to be salivating for a WiiU after the show. They showed me nothing that made me desperate for their new hardware. Still, the Mario game looks pretty sweet, and I'll give anything from Kamiya a chance. Thinking about it now, Platinum and Nintendo could be a good pairing, as Nintendo needs more edgy stuff, and Platinum needs money and freedom. I am incredibly excited that Fire Emblem was officially confirmed for a US release.

Sony and MS were more of the same, I can't believe how "meh" I was on stuff like God of War. I loved God of War 3, but I guess I feel fatigue at this point. I played through the HD releases right before three, and I'm just done with it.

Last Guardian and Final Fantasy Vs are kind of the sad last nail in the coffin of the traditional Japanese development process. FFXIV too. So sad.

I just finished listening to the GB Day one podcast. I was so glad when Jeff said "Its a shooter where you hide IN FRONT of the cover". I love some of the stuff that has come out of the indie game movement, LOVE it. But the Cards against humanity guy came off like a total hipster doofus. I'm sure that game with the dots is very pure and fun... but so is Virtua Tennis and it is also beautiful. (Disclaimer, I'm talking about the original VT). I thought Jaffe made a ton of good points. PS hipster dude - The show would be a lot more depressing without any of the big pubs there, I promise.

I'm going to commit to a blog post once a week. Who cares if nobody reads it, it is a good exercise.

I exercised a bunch of backlog demos recently, which was nice. I finished off Beyond Good and Evil, RE: Revalations and Mass Effect 3. I also have been working on Scott Pilgrim. I also popped in Catherine for the first time ever. Very cool stuff.

Diablo and the new Magic the Gathering set coming online have interrupted my other non-portable gaming in a major way. I like Diablo a ton, and I'm running through Nightmare now. On my portables, I'm still playing my online Hot Shots Golf tournies every single day, and loving Disgaea. On my 3DS I'm enjoying Mario Tennis (Camelot Rocks) and working my way through Tales.

Speaking of my Vita, I am becoming very frustrated with Sony. I wish my UMD's could get me some kind of discount on PSN PSP software, and the fact that my PSone games and my minis don't work yet has gotten me pretty upset. The hardware itself is wonderful.

So yeah, I haven't turned on a console since the HRAP broke.   I have however, been enjoying my 3DS ambassador games.  The Balloon Trip mode of Balloon Fight is totally amazing. 
 
I was in the 3DS eshop today and was completely appalled.  They actually have a big button looking thing, saying in big letters 3D GAMES.  There are FOUR games available, 3 of which are 2 decade old games reprogrammed for 3d and the other is complete garbage.  Are they fucking kidding me?  4 games in 6 months??   Is there even ONE person in the company that could give me a real reason that this is case?  Not PR bullshit, but the actual decisions that led up to this?  
 
As the corporate culture in America breaks down further and further, is it possible that NoA has been caught up in it to?  People making nonsensical decisions and no checks and balances to make sure that the idea is quashed?  I work for a large company that is poisoned from the top down, where there is no accountability and no execs stay on for more than 3-5 years, because they are just looking to get a few big bonuses and then jump ship, and it seems that more and more companies in America are following the same model (Every decision Kotick makes is purely based on short term profits, all other ramifications be dammed) 
 
There is at least triple the 3D content for JPN 3DS's, which is still not great, but much better than what we are getting here in the USA. 
 
I'm very frustrated with Nintendo right now, YET I am drooling for Starfox tomorrow.  I wish I could quit you, Reggie. 

My HRAP EX is broken.  I found out last night.  The USB wire is on the fritz.  The stick only registers as connected to the console if the USB wire is pulled taut upwards or to the right. 
 
I'm going to look around online and see if there is a somewhat easy way to splice out the damaged area of the wire.  Putting in a new wire would be difficult, as the end that plugs into the stick is four wires that go into a white plastic thing that plugs into a little green board and is covered in glue.  So splicing is option one. 
 
Option two, I guess, might be acquiring an all new funky USB wire, and plug it into the board. 
 
Option three would be to take it to the local guy who fixes RROD's and DS shoulder buttons and stuff.  I'm pretty sure he can do it, he's very good. 
 
Last option is just taking out the Sanwa buttons I put in, and taking out the stock JLF in there, and buying a cheap stick and transplanting them into it.  
 
I was in total shock after I realized it was broken.  Total betrayal!!!  I'm not great at this stuff, but I really hope I have what it takes to splice it out.  Every other option costs money, and money is pretty tight right now.  My backup stick is a garbage Tekken wireless stick, which is at a buddy's house, and he's in Florida for a week and a half, so I can't even go get it.   
 
Moving on to other, more positive stuff... 
 
Dr. Strange looks like a fantastic character.  I've had to rethink my team, Thor and Tron are so great, but they may be less so in UMvC3, I know Trons assist is going to be nerfed hard.  Only Akuma is a sure thing right now, and I look forward to taking characters both old and new through the gauntlet  and see who shakes out as my new team members. 
 
PMA!!!!

I've been playing fighting games all my life, but didn't have decent comp for a long time.  I thought I was awesome because I was able to school all my friends. 
 
As internet play began to spread, I realized how terrible I really was.  I got an arcade stick (HRAP EX) for STHD in anticipation for SF4.  I'm decent at SF4, but my real love is MvC 3.  Well MvC2 really, but that has transfarred to 3.  I played the hell out of it, but honestly I'm pretty bad at execution.  I'm a decent fighter, but my combos were pathetic. 
 
I practiced and watched videos online, all to no avail.  I could never get demon flip into dive kick OTG to lift the guy up and continue my combo with Akuma.   
 
I took a month off from the game.  It wasn't planned or anything, I just started playing Darksiders and playing a ton of Magic the Gathering Online and MvC3 fell to the wayside.  I picked the game back up, as both the UMvC3 news and EVO got me all hype to jump back in.  I'm 1,000 times better than I ever was!  I can't really explain it, its like I was trying too hard before.  I can now do strings and combos better than ever before, and I've been incorporating all kinds of new strategies into my play.  The game is much SLOWER for me now, its so awesome.  Being able to get a full combo off of almost any kind of touch really gives me a much better chance at victory. 
 
I've never experienced getting this much better at something by taking time away and stepping back (mind you, I wasn't burned out or anything like that, I have NEVER been nearly this good).  I've taken my first step into a larger world.  :)