Two days to go until Brutal Legend gets here, so I'm making a little blog here just to share my excitement.  Being in school, sadly I won't be able to pick it up until the afternoon (rather than right when stores open like I'd like to), but electricity is palpable.  Beyond any questions of the campaign that I may have, I can be certain of two things.

1.) The game's gonna be funny.  I've only seen about 15 minutes of the game being played, but I've already cracked up more than I have in the entirety of some games.  A lot of it is due to the writing, but the game is also just terrifically voice acted as well.

2.) The multiplayer is going to be interesting.  I finally saw it being played proper, and I really want to get my hands on it.  It certainly doesn't look to be a SUPER refined RTS, but it does look like fun.

With that, I'll leave anyone foolish enough to read this with a series of videos.  Enjoy.

  

   
 
  

   
  

  

Brutal Legend , since its inception, has been one of my most anticipated game of 2009.  I've watched my hopes for it grow and grow with every new piece of media released for it and it was up there alongside Modern Warfare 2 among my "must buys" for this back half of the year. 
That is until I played the demo for it.  Approximately three hours ago, I downloaded the (quite massive actually at 1.6 gb) Brutal Legend demo and am, for the most part, was very underwhelmed by what I experienced.  Now I KNOW all of this is just a demo, so techinically it doesn't represent a final product of any sort, but I feel like the game only succeeded in providing doubts for the scrutinizing eye on the quality of the final product. 
My nitpicks include:  

1.) Janky Framerate:  Even when the game didn't have all that much going on on the screen, the game's framerate took numerous notable dips.  Now, I'm not usually one to complain about framerate or anything, especially when it's only occasional, but this happened quite often, making me wonder if there is something wrong with my save file for the demo or if the game is REALLY just that prone to become a slideshow. 
 
2.) Same Old Same Old:  This is more of a personal gripe than anything.  The thing is, I've already seen this part of the game far too many times.  I blame myself for watching too much game media for Brutal Legend, but I still feel like the folks at Double Fine could have provided us with a fresh slice of the pie instead of just rehashing the same demo they've already done a video on. 
 
3.) Unsatisfying Combat:  From the second I took control, I just felt like something wasn't quite right with the way the combat controls.  I don't think it's an inherently BAD combat system, but I do think it could have stood to handle a little bit more like some other action games, IE less with the lock on system and more with the free changing combat.  Maybe it's because the game is going to need controls like this later (as it is supposedly going to play more like an RTS than an action game) but then that only serves to prove my point that the fucking demo shouldn't have BEEN that part of the game! 
 
So those are my nitpicks.  By no stretch of the imagination does this mean that I've completely written off Brutal Legend, and on the contrary, I still intend to pick it up this holiday season.  However, I've adjusted my expectations and, to my chagrin, I don't feel as if this is a day one purchase any longer.  I look forward to the game proving me  wrong.

So, after resisting the charms of Nintendo's DS Lite (mainly because of my possession of a superbly working original fat and my outrage that Nintendo was "Pulling this shit again"), I resolved to get the DSi if only because I felt like it'd been long enough that I'd possessed the system in order for me to justify a "trade-up".  This resolution was made some months ago when the system was first released and only NOW do I find myself an owner of the shiny new hand-held.  Although my DS playing stands to remain on hiatus for a little while as my PSP is about to gain my top-spot of handheld useage for a little while (what with Dissidia coming out next week), I'm very excited to start putting the DSi through its paces.  Am already thrilled about:  

1. The size.  Having the original and extremely un-wieldy original DS for so long makes this thing feel like a goddamn cell phone.  Still feels hearty and rugged, though, which is a good thing, and I appreciate the matte-like finish on it as the finger smudges constantly left on my PSP when I play pisses me off to no end. 
2. The camera.  As one who enjoys photography (even if I'm not particularly good at it), I'm glad to have another (and extremely fun) option for photo-taking besides my cell phone (weird how I've mentioned a phone twice now.  Hm...).  Not to mention, a flood of nostalgia from my old Gameboy Camera days hit me as I was messing with all the various filters and activities present on the DSi camera. 
3.  It's BLUUUUUUE.  Ahem, sorry.  It's just after having the DS with it's dull silver finish and not wanting the somewhat cliche'd black constituting the other option, I went with that insane electric blue.  I dunno what it is about it, but it makes me smile every time I look at it. 
 
So, another self-indulgent blog, but whatever.  Hope to be enjoying the DSi soon.  Maybe I'll buy Chinatown Wars after Dissidia's had it's run, although by that time I figure Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days (how the fuck do you say that?!) will have arrived and I can play some of that.  *shrugs*

So my 21st birthday is coming up here in a couple weeks and, good parents they are, my mom and pop asked me what it is I wanted as a gift.  It obviously was going to be video game related, so I wrestled with what I was going to get for a little while.  At first, I figured I'd just ask for a DSi and get it over with, but after some deliberation and a trip to my local Best Buy, I changed my mind.  Instead, I chose to get a nice little package of goodies instead of one big one that I'd probably only use on occasion, and both would have cost about the same amount, so I think I went with the right choice.  My birthday package included:
1.  SFIV Ken Fightpad:  Something I've been wanting for some time, but just could never find and/or never felt like I NEEDED so bad to shell the money out for.  However, with my stalwart Street Fighter playing, and my inevitable getting of other fighting games, I figgered it'd be worth it to just throw in there.  Not to mention, my Best Buy just got a crap load of 'em, so the shock of seeing them in a store pretty much forced my hand.
2. Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood:  A somewhat guilty pleasure of mine was the first Call of Juarez game.  Now that this one seems to be more solid and fleshed out, it was a no-brainer to get it.  Plan on getting into it this weekend.
3. 4000 MS Points: With a slew of XBLA games coming out that I wish to purchase, this also seemed like a no-brainer.  Plan on shelling out the first of it next week when I buy Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition.
I'd like to thank my mom and dad (although they'll never read this) for perhaps my most ergonomically sensible birthday gift in some time.  I'll definitely enjoy all of it.

Yeah... arrived home today from work hoping to get right into some Battlefield action.  I'd been waiting for the game for some time now, and seeing as I was utterly surprised when I heard it was coming out on July 8th a week ago, I was doubly excited to play.  However, my first inklings that something was wrong was when I couldn't FIND THE FUCKING GAME.  I figgered there were some server issues or something (also thanks to the tip of a friend), so I thought maybe they took the game off the market while they ironed out the problems.  Still, as there was no word from anywhere, I dilligently searched and eventually hunted it down.
After DLing and hitting the tutorial, I attempted my first quick match.  Could not find a game.  Second try.... third try... tenth try.  After about 15 to 20 minutes, I finally got into a game, and hey, it's pretty fucking awesome.  Now my buddy gets home and wants to get in on the action, so he invites me to get into a squad with him and we're gonna hit the Pacific theater together.  Only problem is is that about a half hour later, we still can't get into a fucking game.  On top of that, every time it attempted to join a game and failed, the squad menu fucked itself over and we'd have to make a new lobby.
I understand that the game has only been out for half a day now, and that I'm sure DICE and their people are "getting right on it", but this is just fucking brutal.  I understand when you're dealing with online multiplayer, you're bound to go through some issues.  But still... this is DICE.... making a BATTLEFIELD game... with online multiplayer as the only feature.  You're telling me they weren't prepared?  That's bullshit.
I'm not saying to write-off Battlefield:1943, as when it actually worked, it was a great experience and DICE has made a great game.  I'm just saying that when I purchase a game, I expect to be able to play it right away.  I'll likely update this when I'm able to play which, God-willing, will be later today.
Peace out.

*UPDATE* 7/9/09
Alright, I just got done playing about three hours online and the game is fantastic.  The tradgedy though, I couldn't get into matches using the Quick Match or Join a Squad feature.  Instead, me and my buddy had to go fishing through our recent friends lists for people who were in joinable sessions, attempt to join, and then attempt to invite the other guy so we could be in the same match.  Ultimately, not exactly the arduous task I want to go through each time I want to play, but hey, I forgot all about it whilst I was playing.

*UPDATE* 7/10/09
By Friday, July 10, I'd played only about 6 hours of the game, mostly due to the lack of ability to connect within a reasonable time.  However, last night, they seemed to have solved that problem, only for me to be bombarded by two NEW problems.

1.)  Lag.  It's a little difficult to play the game with the amount of lag I was experiencing.  Not only could I not snipe effectively, but I was being killed by players who either were able to shoot me before they even had come over the hill they were climbing up as well as who I had just pumped a clip of bullets into.  The problem was also that the more I was getting killed by these problems, the worse I was playing, exacerbating my situation.

2.) The play with friends option is still FUCKED TO SHIT.  Me and my buddy Pukit got into a game as a squad using the option, and proceeded to complete our first map.  The second game began and I discovered that my squad now had somebody else in it, and Pukit had somehow been kicked.  The kicker was that I couldn't even end this squad and invite Pukit back because he'd been placed on the OTHER team.
WTF, Battlefield.  WTF.