So it's my first NBA 2K game ever. I'm enjoying it immensely, but damn if the AI ain't a pain in the ass. I'm not really into putting it on easy or anything, so right now just trying to learn how to play. I'm gonna probably end up watching a lot of basketball this season as a result. Hell, that might even help me learn more about the real game and give me a better time in 2K. Still, excellent game, wish I could see what a modern NFL game from 2K would be like...

Video games. Yes, they are awesome, but they don't come cheap. Now if you're fortunate enough to live in a country on a major continent, chances are it's not too difficult to get to a store and buy your games. Either that or have it delivered to your door by a friendly delivery person from the online retailer of your choice. I, however, do not live in a such a place.
 
I live in Nassau, The Bahamas. Sounds great right? It sure is if you're interested in beaches, boats, watersports, fishing or any other tropical or marine themed activity. For gaming, not quite as convenient a place. Believe me, I'm not saying I want to live anywhere else, but that doesn't make acquiring games any easier. You see, the fundamental issue here is a general lack of knowledge and interest by those who are in charge of supposed "game stores". 
 
Most of the time these individuals are older persons who started a shop back when Street Fighter II was the hot shit and their outlook hasn't changed much. Games tend to be mostly of the fighting, anime or sports variety with a few exceptions made for the more popular franchises that may have slipped into the mainstream (GTA, Halo, etc). So here we hit our first hurdle: selection. I can walk into a dedicated game store or even a general electronics store, such as RadioShack, and I guarantee you will find a copy of an annualized sports game that is not just a year or two old, but a generation behind. I'm talking like NHL '06 people! Who even plays NHL games in The Bahamas? You can bet your left nut though that there are tons of Dragon Ball Z or Bleach titles to be found. Of course that's if you can afford them.
 
Which brings us to hurdle two: price. Now I understand that being an island nation means we don't have trucks or trains that bring things through, we have to rely on boats and planes. This is definitely more expensive, but I'm sorry, the premium being added to new releases is just outrageous. Let me paint you a picture: It's 2002. I just got a PS2 a year ago when on vacation in the US. I'm a GTA fan, bought and loved all the series thus far and was particularly enamored with GTA III. So Vice City is on it's way out and I'm super excited. I go down to the local game shop and as I ask the lady behind the counter for a copy of the game. She turns around with it still wrapped in shiny plastic, my eyes are glistening with excitement and anticipation. Then she says " That's $120". Seriously? Your costs for getting that game here are so high you have to charge more than double the MSRP? Now that's a PS2 game. Things have relaxed a little since then, but not by much. Nowadays if I want any 360 or PS3 game I'm looking to spend somewhere in the region of $110-130 depending on the demand for that game. Personally I find this ludicrous, which is how I got to my current situation.
 
I buy my games from Amazon. Why Amazon? They accept international credit and debit cards (unlike Gamestop, you bastards). It's not the simplest of processes, my game doesn't show up at my front door. What I have to do is use a freight forwarding company with a US address. I have to buy my games, send them to this US address, the company then packs it up and sends it down to Nassau where after it's cleared customs I then pick it up and pay any balances for shipping/customs duties etc. Up until recently, this would mean I'd be spending in the region of $80-90 a game and would get a new release somewhere around a week after it was out. Not ideal, but it works. Now however a newer company with improved service has shown up so I can actually get away with paying around $75 for a new game and have it arrive the evening after it is released.
 
Which brings me full circle really, as I can't for the life of me understand how it's possible I can buy a game online, have it brought in myself via a freight forwarder and still manage to get it at less than the retail cost here as well as sooner! The sad reality is that any store that sells video games on this island is selling to the ignorant. I don't mean that in a derogatory way, just that they don't know the other avenues available so they get caught into the trap of paying too much for too little. Most of my friends aren't hardcore enough gamers for them set up a system similar to mine for purchasing games, so their alternative is to wait until they themselves, or someone they know, visits the US and can pick up a game for them while over there.
 
Ultimately, no matter how tricky it may be, I love this hobby way too much to give it up. Even if I have to jump through hoops like a drunk monkey to fulfill it.

So I've been playing the hell out of Splinter Cell: Conviction since last week. I have to say, a lot of the negativity I've seen from previous fans of the series is unwarranted. Being a big fan of the series I was a bit wary, but it's nowhere near as severe as people make out. I've heard complaints about things like forced firefights....um, they had those in since the first Splinter Cell. The argument of "no stealth" is also a bunch of crap, you can be as stealthy as you want shooting out lights and sticking to the shadows for silent headshots or takedowns. The game just doesn't always punish you if you get seen (aside from one area each in the singleplayer and co-op story where detection is game over), and allows you tools to either get hidden again or use your exposure to your advantage. It really is quite an amazing game. Of course, if you only play through the single player campaign, then you're losing out on where the real value is: Co-op.
 
Co-op's story mode is pretty great and it's nice to have objectives as you move from place to place, but the real treat, imo, is Hunter mode. Anyone who's a fan of Rainbow Six Vegas or Vegas 2 knows what fun Terrorist Hunt is (especially on realistic). I've lost countless hours, mostly split-screen, playing Terrorist Hunt with friends. To me, Hunter mode is like an evolution of that. For one, it's a continuous set of areas that are all attached via corridors and rooms that contain weapon stashes, so there's a constant progression without having to get back to the lobby menu. Also, the fact that although there are only 10 guys in each of five areas, this number doubles if anyone gets detected. Now sure, it's fun to bust through all silent and try to take everyone out stealthily, but hey, having more dudes for you and your partner to kill isn't really a downer at all. 
 
It's amazing the sorts of crazy stuff you can pull off with a partner as well. The number of times we've managed to just save each others ass by headshotting or meleeing an approaching enemy that the other teammate didn't see, performed a double execution that takes out 8 guys at once, have one teammate who's down headshot an enemy who's choking the other teammate so that he can get free and revive him. These are just a few of the crazy situations you'll find yourself in.
 
Realistically, I could see myself continue to play this game for months provided there are new maps, guns, etc released to keep it somewhat fresh. The gameplay is fantastic and the sense of teamwork, power and camaraderie you get are unprecedented for me in a game like this. I would highly suggest checking it out, it's really worth it.