Sparky_Buzzsaw
Sparky_Buzzsaw's last update: Sparky_Buzzsaw is getting his game on after a week in St. Louis.
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Nov. 6, 2009
Nov. 5, 2009
  • They're a definite improvement, though the Uncharted 2 one is kind of appallingly sexist.
    1 day, 21 hours ago
  • I hate being labeled by what I play or on what system.  What the fuck does it matter?  Who gives two shits if I play games on my PC, 360, Wii, or PS3?  Do die-hard fans of anything realize just how retarded they sound when they attack other people for liking something different?  It's not racism - it's nerdism, and it only makes the person spouting it look like a ...
    1 day, 21 hours ago
  • Sparky_Buzzsaw replied to the topic Speedy McSpeederton Trophy in the Borderlands board.
    Funny side note related to this.  For about, um, ten minutes, I thought the Ludicrous Speedway was the short circular track where you face off against a mini-boss in the buggy.  I scratched my head for a while on that one.  "31 seconds?  That's cool.  I can do it in five!"  Yeah, I'm feeling pretty stupid.
    2 days, 2 hours ago
  • Drama, trolls, codes under the lids of pop bottles, most idiots who can't be bothered to learn grammar, and anyone who doubts how awesome Pee Wee Herman was.  All completely useless.
    2 days, 3 hours ago
  • Six to eight-ish, depending on how much I've eaten that day.  Blackout drunk, maybe thirteen or so.
    2 days, 3 hours ago
  • Do you mean to say "can have too much of" or "can't have too much of?"  As phrased, the question implies that you're asking what we love in games and can't get enough of.  But in your examples, you seem to say "can have too much of," meaning you've... oh, never mind.  Like Driadon, I love loot-based RPG's.  I also tend to love most every turn-based RPG out there to some ...
    2 days, 7 hours ago
Nov. 4, 2009
  • I'm assuming you're talking original scores here.  My picks - Quest for Glory 5, most orchestral versions of the major themes from the Final Fantasy series, the jazzy Leisure Suit Larry theme Al Lowe had on his website for a time, Halo 3, Shatter, and just about any orchestral Mario.  Come to think of it, I really like orchestral performances of most game scores.
    2 days, 19 hours ago
  • Sparky_Buzzsaw replied to the topic
    2 days, 20 hours ago
  • Super Mario Bros. totally offends me.  Bowser's just looking for a little action.  Can't blame a brother for trying.  Koopa Workers of the World, Unite! 
    2 days, 20 hours ago
  • Sparky_Buzzsaw commented on Jeff's editorial review Band Hero
    You had me at Spice Girls.
    2 days, 20 hours ago
  • Sparky_Buzzsaw unlocked 4 achievements in Borderlands
    2 days, 20 hours ago
  • I have a large collection of JRPG's I'd never play in front of anybody.  The Disgaea series comes to mind immediately, as does Phantom Brave.  I've played all the old Leisure Suit Larry games up to the last two, and I have no guilt about them - anyone who spends time playing or watching them will realize just how flat-out funny they were.
    2 days, 21 hours ago
  • @Claude: Come to think of it, I think I've asked that question before and I think we started bullshitting about how awesome the brain bore was along with most of the weapons in general of the first two Turoks.
    2 days, 22 hours ago
  • It's not the size that matters, it's how you use it.  Yes, really.  Look, a game's scope doesn't matter squat if there aren't enough interactions to warrant the scope.  In the same vein, a game with smaller scope packed with stuff to do is just as entertaining as a larger overall world.  I enjoy a large overworld too, but it's not crucial, especially in a game where the focused story works so ...
    3 days, 3 hours ago
  • Sparky_Buzzsaw replied to the topic I'm stuck fairly early on in the Borderlands board.
    I'd recommend going to some slightly lower-level areas and searching weapon crates for better equipment.  If you're pulling decent experience from the enemies, kill 'em all on the way.  Also, that Sledge area is a great place to kill some enemies and get some good equipment, so keep hitting that early part until you've got what you need.
    3 days, 9 hours ago
  • Call me old-fashioned, but I like to leave a little bit to the imagination when I read a review.  I think Giant Bomb's reviews are generally pretty spot-on as far as length and depth of the reviews.
    3 days, 10 hours ago
  • Put on your blue suede shoes and board the plane, boys and girls, because your sideburned, peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich eating hero Sparky has returned with yet another Gaming Update.  No, I'm not the ghost of Elvis.  I just rock, and I rock hard!  Dancin' Robots, Rednecks Galore, and a Fistful of Boomstick  It's fair to say that Borderlands is my new flavor of the moment.  I just finished up my first playthrough last night, ...
    3 days, 10 hours ago
Nov. 3, 2009
Added by Sparky_Buzzsaw on Nov. 4, 2009


Put on your blue suede shoes and board the plane, boys and girls, because your sideburned, peanut-butter-and-banana-sandwich eating hero Sparky has returned with yet another Gaming Update.  No, I'm not the ghost of Elvis.  I just rock, and I rock hard! 
 
Dancin' Robots, Rednecks Galore, and a Fistful of Boomstick 
 
It's fair to say that Borderlands is my new flavor of the moment.  I just finished up my first playthrough last night, and holy crap, what a game.  Look, I know all the haters claim it's unpolished or buggy, but I'm here to tell you that other than (very) occasionally getting my buggy stuck in the odd corner or crevice, I've encountered no serious bugs or problems.  This is not a game to be missed simply because BobGizmoGrizFan390 tells you not to check it out.  This is a gamer's game, damn it, and you owe it to yourself, your country, and the universe in general to check it out. 
 
If I had one complaint about the game, it's that the quests get sort of repetitive.  A greater enemy variety would also go a long ways towards increasing the replay value.  Regardless, these issues are trivial and hardly deal-breakers.  Gearbox, keep this general formula going with any sequels you have planned, and you'll have one giant, rabid, slightly stinky fanboy on your hands. 
 
A Priest, a Rabbi, and a DS Walk Into a Bar 
 
Since I was on the road for most of this last week, my DS got some sweet, sweet gamer lovin'.  I packed up a few classics, and mostly played some meatier RPG efforts.  Mostly, I worked on leveling in Final Fantasy IV up until the "magnetic cave" level, which annoys me to no end.  Clever idea, terrible thing to fight as a gamer.  Eh, I'll plow through it on my next trip.  I also delved a bit deeper into the excellent Chrono Trigger, which I'm still thoroughly enjoying.  I'd love to see new Chrono games either on the Wii or DS, as I've enjoyed both immensely. 
 
Those Things With Pages.  You Know, Books? 
 
Since my Gaming Update is a little light on padding these days, I thought I'd expand out to write about any noteworthy books I've read or movies I've seen recently. 
 
Picked up a ton of books in St. Louis.  Started with C.S. Lewis's Abolition of Man, which I'd read back in college and want to re-read.  I also decided to pick up a collection of the Narnia books, since I'm working on the backbone of a fantasy world and I want to revisit all my old favorites. 
 
Also picked up Diana Pharoah Francis's newest, "Bitter Night."  I'm not normally a fan of contemporary fantasy, but Francis's other novels have all been superb, so I picked this one up and read most of it on the plane home.  It's one hell of a page turner, and I highly recommend checking it out. 
 
Also picked up but have not delved into - Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn and The Gathering Storm, Andy Remic's War Machine (Remic's a guilty pleasure - fun pulp sci-fi), and a couple of Terry Pratchett novels. 
 
In the dollar theater, I watched The Hangover.  Holy hell, I laughed hard.  I watched this several hours after the hardest moment of my life, and if it could pull me out of that funk so well, you know it's gotta be good.  The casting choices are excellent, and the comedic timing is just spot-on. 
 
Question of the Week 
 
Since Borderlands advertizes itself as having "gazillions" of guns, I figure a gun-related question is in order.  What are your favorite guns in video games, fictional or otherwise?


Added by Sparky_Buzzsaw on Oct. 27, 2009


Hey folks- 
 
I'm going to be traveling to St. Louis tomorrow.  Although my business there is a funeral, unfortunately, I'll be spending a few extra days there to visit friends and take in the city.  If any of you are St. Louis-ites and know of some excellent areas to visit, I'd greatly appreciate the tips.  I'm looking for just about anything - tourist spots, great restaurants unique to the area, shopping areas, and other fun and random stuff.  I'll be staying near St. Charles, and keep in mind that I'll be traveling primarily by taxi, so if there are any spots where I can visit multiple things at once, that would be ideal.  Fire away your thoughts, and thanks in advance.


Added by Sparky_Buzzsaw on Oct. 26, 2009


Sorry, guys.  Gaming Update is going to be brief today.  I lost one of my best friends on Sunday, and I'm just not all that enthused about games right now. 
 
BORDERLANDS

 Awesome game, slick multiplayer, and a hell of a start for what I hope will be a series of games.  Gearbox knocked this one out of the park.  Color me addicted. 
 
Other games I picked up during the Amazon/Toys R Us sale

 Lego Star Wars & Lego Indiana Jones (only going to keep one and use the other as a birthday present to a friend - any suggestions on which one to keep or give?) 
Burnout Paradise (another birthday present) 
Tony Hawk Underground (sadly, no Project 8 was available) 
The Bigs 2 (a gift for a family member) 
 
Question of the Week

What are your interests outside of video games?  Got any fun hobbies or the like?



Added by Sparky_Buzzsaw on Oct. 20, 2009


Welcome, you hooligans, once again to the man-god Sparky_Buzzsaw's (hopefully) weekly blog, where I discuss all the games I've been playing and any gaming related topics that spring to mind.  Readers of my last post know that I've been purchasing up a mad, mad storm of games.  Let's take a look at the first batch to arrive today, courtesy of Amazon's 3 for 2 sale. 
 
First up is Ratchet and Clank Future, a PS3 Classic (or so it tells me on the packaging).  I was thoroughly addicted to the demo.  It was the first game demo I've played through multiple times in the last couple of years, so I was stoked to get this one in the mail.  Haven't got very far into it, but let me tell you, besides Mario and his funky crew, this is adventuring and platforming at its very best.  As soon as I get a PS2 (again), I'll be buying the older R&C games as well as the new one to get myself caught up. 
 
Next up?  Civilization Revolution.  I played this once, way back after it was first released, and I thouroughly enjoyed my brief time with my brother's copy.  I only had a brief dose of its quality gameplay.   
 
And finally, it's time I felt a little funky with the new Ghostbusters!  I've been playing that for about an hour and a half, and I don't think you could wipe the smile off my face.  This game is everything I wanted from a Ghostbusters game.  It's high-quality writing, the gameplay is solid, and the voicework is, of course, fantastic. 
 
Tomorrow brings my copy of Borderlands.  From Toys R Us, I'll also be receiving copies of Wii Sports Resort, Metroid Prime Trilogy, Lego Indiana Jones, Burnout Paradise, and The Bigs 2, all of which will be gifts for others.  It was a hell of a sale, and I'm glad it hit when I had some extra cash on hand. 
 
Questions of the Week

How have you all been?  Played anything particularly exciting or awesome?



Added by Sparky_Buzzsaw on Oct. 17, 2009


You can breathe a sigh of relief.  Good ol' Sparky's back, and guess what?  My laptop has returned to the land of the living with me.  It's been a long couple of months, but I'm not here to bore you with the details of my personal life.  Look for new entries in my weekly blog, starting sometime this week with what I've purchased from sales at Toys R' Us and Amazon.  Suffice it to say that I won't be short on games for a long, long time. 
 
Drop me a line or a comment, folks.  Tell me how you've been and what you're playing.  I've missed ya, Giant Bombers, but never fear.  Big Daddy Sparky's back, hopefully for a good long while.


Sparky_Buzzsaw's Reviews
Put on your spandex and swing the night away (X360)
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance gets all the basics right.  It's a bit unspectacular and leaves something to be desired in terms of replayability, but I certainly can't fault the core gameplay or the fun selection of characters.  It's ultimately a good game that could have been amazing, but falls just short.  GRAPHICS ...
Reviewed by Sparky_Buzzsaw on Aug. 14, 2009
Great sequel that eliminates most of the first game's flaws (XBLM)
Banjo-Tooie is a shining example of how game developers can learn from their mistakes and go on to create something amazing.  It eliminates almost all the problems of the first game, while still maintaining the solid gameplay and the sense of colorful fun from the first.  This is one of ...
Reviewed by Sparky_Buzzsaw on July 27, 2009
Solid 3D platformer action, with a few notable flaws (XBLM)
Banjo's adventures have aged admirably well.  Rare's classic platformer holds up even today as one of the better releases to date in the genre, and young and old gamers alike will find a lot to enjoy here.  If you can look beyond some bland design and gameplay choices, this is ...
Reviewed by Sparky_Buzzsaw on July 27, 2009

0 out of 1 found this review helpful.
Wormy multiplayer brings down an otherwise fantastic game (XBLM)
Worms 2: Armageddon is like a big, juicy, unblemished, crisp red apple.  You bite into it, you savor it, it's practically an orgasmic experience... until you discover that little tiny worm inside, flipping you off and aiming a bazooka at your skull.   This Xbox Live re-release is as thoroughly addictive ...
Reviewed by Sparky_Buzzsaw on July 10, 2009

1 out of 1 found this review helpful.
Technically sound and well-written, but tough as nails. (DS)
Covenant of the Plume is deceptively slick for a strategy RPG.  It drew me in with its sweet, sweet nectar, got me in a dark alley, and then beat the holy hell out of me with its sudden spike in its difficulty.GRAPHICS AND SOUND-Square Enix pulls off one of the ...
Reviewed by Sparky_Buzzsaw on July 9, 2009
Surprisingly solid strategy RPG with a great deal of depth (DS)
Devil Survivor was something of an impulse purchase for me, and surprisingly, it's a purchase that really paid off.  Devil Survivor is an RPG with turn-based strategy elements, and has a lot to offer gamers with its depth and replayability.GRAPHICS & SOUNDDevil Survivor is pretty much a meat-and-potatoes game when ...
Reviewed by Sparky_Buzzsaw on July 2, 2009
Technically sound, but bogged down by a weak story and characters (X360)
Blue Dragon is a really mixed bag.  On the one hand, if you're looking for a meaty traditional JRPG with some great bonus content, Blue Dragon is an excellent choice.  But on the other hand, if you're tired of cutesy anime-styled characters, weak plotlines, and laughably bad dialogue, then you'll ...
Reviewed by Sparky_Buzzsaw on June 26, 2009
Deep turn-based strategy outweighs the atrocious story (DS)
Let's get this out of the way first - if happy-go-lucky anime makes you want to tear your hair out, steer well clear of this and any Disgaea game.  Fans of anime or those who are only slightly annoyed by it will find a deep, addictive strategy RPG to add ...
Reviewed by Sparky_Buzzsaw on June 18, 2009
A bit difficult at times, but great hack and slash action! (PC)
When I hear the words, "It's like Diablo," I definitely get interested.  Diablo 2 remains one of my most-played games of all time, and I crave hack-and-slash RPG's in a similar vein.  Thankfully, Titan Quest offers up a sizable, fun experience very much "like Diablo."GRAPHICSFor the most part, Titan Quest ...
Reviewed by Sparky_Buzzsaw on June 18, 2009
Still addictive, but very difficult (PC)
Galactrix is a game I really want to like.  I adored the original for its blend of classic gameplay with RPG elements.  Galactrix still has those basics, but the difficulty has been ramped up, almost to the point of being frustratingly broken.GRAPHICSGalactrix has cleaned up some of the menus and ...
Reviewed by Sparky_Buzzsaw on April 23, 2009


Date Joined: July 29, 2008
City:
Gender: Male
Alignment: Neutral
Points: 1,130 Points
Ranked: Ranked #925 of 59,021
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MTV's Club Dead
game - 94 points
Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games
game - 81 points
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume
game - 80 points
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
game - 40 points
Jagged Alliance
game - 28 points
Les Manley in: Search for the King
game - 18 points
Laura Bow 2: The Dagger of Amon-Ra
game - 18 points
Les Manley in: Lost in L.A.
game - 16 points

Favorites
a list of 25 items by Sparky_Buzzsaw
Tracked games
a list of 4 items by Sparky_Buzzsaw
Br3adfan 2 hours, 18 minutes ago
Wow, I've only reviewed one game this year. Gonna write one now.
Sweep 9 hours, 40 minutes ago
Sweep went to bed at 5am and woke up at 5pm. WHERE THE FUCK DID MY SATURDAY GO?!?!?
GamerGeek360 23 hours, 39 minutes ago
GamerGeek360 found out that people can be very sensitive when it comes to video game viral videos. GROW THE FUCK UP! Sure, it was wrong but GTA has gay slurs in it and no one comes down on their case.
mracoon 1 day, 4 hours ago
mracoon is catching up on BSG
Claude 1 day, 6 hours ago
is playing games.
Randolph 3 days, 9 hours ago
Randolph is finally able to admit to being an atheist
TheGreatGuero 6 days, 19 hours ago
TheGreatGuero has become obsessed with Slumdog Millionaire.
BoG 1 week, 5 days ago
BoG no esta.