RenegadeSaint

Welcome toThe Haul.

Well, my spending has curtailed a bit, much to the benefit of my bank account and those receiving Christmas gifts from me.  Shall we?

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 - New

• Price: $34.99
  
• Location: Amazon
• Comments: The sequel to last year's best RPG and I'm a big Atlus fan.  Also came with a nice art book and soundtrack.  I'm a sucker for extras.

Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories - New

• Price: $14.99
• Location: Amazon
• Comments: I had a $5 gift card and figured this one was cheap enough to warrant a purchase.  I've already played a bit of the Japanese version, but it would be nice to understand more than every 20th word.

`Nick

Great game!

Holy crap!  So many comments!  Okay, here we go.

@Bru: I know!  Those stupid jerks at Ubisoft totally got me to buy a game I would've waited months on.  And yes, I'm glad you said it because it had to be said.

@Master:  I've had a lot of luck with NewEgg, but I only order from them occasionally.   And you should totally get a DS if an opportunity presents itself.  There are literally hundreds of good games.

@Sched:  I'm excited to play P3, but I have a feeling it will be a while.  Stupid school.

@Brandy:  Credit cards = BAD!!!  I can't believe all the crazy good deals lately.  It's really draining my checking account.

@Albedos:  Nice get.  That's definitely the reason I pre-ordered.

@Claude:  Thanks, Zombie Santa.

Blogging can be a great experience, but my interest definitely waxes and wanes.  You seem to be pretty consistent with it and as long as you're enjoying it, keep up the good work.

I love Christmas for both the Christian aspects and the gift giving aspect.  It's a great time to see my family, appreciate this world, and enjoy my life.  I'm glad you've found a happy balance with it as well.

I can totally see Fallout 3 winning a lot of GOTY awards.  I didn't get into it this year, so it's between Castlevania (DS), Fable II, and Gears of War 2.

They have Windows for Mac...

MS wants Windows on every Apple machine and every PC. They make money by selling their OS, not computer hardware. I don't think I can dumb it down any more than that.

Welcome toThe Haul.

So I know I said I'd be cutting back on my purchases, but there have been too many good deals to pass up lately. This Haul is a hefty size, but that's partly due to the Thanksgiving holiday stopping me from receiving a couple of packages that should've made last week's edition. Either way, I got some decent stuff this week.

On another note, I've been playing quite a bit of Professor Layton lately and I am really enjoying it, despite a few quirks.  My biggest problem with it is the repetitive nature of solving all of the puzzles. I love a good brain teaser, but there's nothing else to do in the game. Yes, you're solving several mysteries in the process of playing through the game, but you don't really do anything to solve them; you just progress the story by solving riddles. I still recommend it, but if you dislike puzzles or feel dumb when you can't solve one, then this game is not for you. I'm also a little antsy to finish that game up so I can start another DS game, which you'll see down below...

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES Bundle (PS2) - New

• Price: $19.99
  
• Location: Amazon.
• Comments: I used to be a huge RPG fan and this game has received some amazing marks, piquing my interest. The FES version is bigger and better and this special package comes with the art book and original soundtrack that were released with the game's first run. In case you were wondering, the sleeve case is exactly the same as the one that came with the original release. Also, great price.

• Price: :( ... Still totally worth it.
• Location: Amazon.com
• Comments: Simply one of the greatest games ever created. I bought this in spite of already owning the original SNES version and the PS version (Final Fantasy Chronicles). I've beaten it more times than I can count and I will beat it again as soon as I finish Professor Layton. I am overjoyed to have this game sitting on my desk. :-D Also, I pre-ordered, so it came with a two track sampler soundtrack.

Prince of Persia Limited Edition (360) - New

• Price: :(
• Location: Amazon.com
• Comments: The game looks great and I wanted the LE, so I pre-ordered. It cost the same amount as the standard version, so it's understandably lacking in extra content. There is a nice sleeve cover and an extra disc containing a documentary and the music of the game.

Ridge Racer 7 (PS3) - New

• Price: $9.95
• Location: Amazon.com
• Comments: Cheap PS3 exclusive. Also, not a bad game.

• Price: $44.99
• Location: Amazon.com
• Comments: I'm not terribly interested in this game, so I was mostly just jumping at the price. I have heard a lot of good things, so I'll probably run through the single player and see how it is, but I don't see it lasting. This "Kollector's Edition" has some of the worst packaging I've ever seen (it's literally falling apart already) and the game disc is in a sleeve with the extras disc, so I can't put it out on my shelf. Also includes a comic book and lithograph.
• Recommendation: Do Not Buy

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Limited Edition (360) - New

• Price: $29.99
• Location: Newegg.com
• Comments: This game looks spectacular and I've been waiting for a price drop on the LE for a while now. Includes comic book, map, and Sgt. Matt Baker action figure.

`Nick

My roommate actually had to ban himself from Fallout 3 because it was taking over his life.  I really need to get into it, but I'm afraid it will devour my soul.

If it comes in at $10, I'll bite.