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Josh's LiveJournal:
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| Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 | | 1:07 am |
What I've been playing lately #29
 Twisted Metal 2 (PlayStation) - This is my favorite game in the series. My favorite levels are Los Angeles, Paris, and Hong Kong.  Twisted Metal 4 (PlayStation) - This was one of the two Twisted Metal games developed by 989 Studios - after a contractual dispute with SingleTrac, the developer of the first two games, developmental rights were handed to 989. The first of the 989-developed games, Twisted Metal III, is considered the worst in the series. The source code and engine for Twisted Metal 2 could not be found and 989 wound up creating a new source code and engine. However, most of the levels were too short and boring, there were very few new weapons, most of the new characters were corny, and the game felt a little buggy. Fortunately, they did a better job with this one, improving upon many of the previous game's faults. The levels are larger - The Bedroom is my favorite, and The Oil Rig, The Construction Yard (try picking up enemy cars with the crane), The Carnival, and Road Rage are pretty fun too. You can also create your own car. Rob Zombie has a vehicle in the game, and I tend to stick with that one. However, most of the new drivers are still pretty corny and it still doesn't feel like a true Twisted Metal game. If that doesn't bother you, it's worth a look. Just avoid III unless you're a completist.  Loaded (PlayStation) - This is a futuristic top-down shooter that's been compared to Smash TV and Gauntlet. Everyone is out to get you, so it's best to shoot first and ask questions later. One of my favorite moments was when I busted into a padded cell and the straitjacket-clad occupant went after me. Each level requires quite a bit of backtracking, and it can get tedious after a while.  Extreme Pinball (PlayStation) - The most recent acquisition in my pinball video game collection. Four tables are available for play, and the game reminds me a little of Crue Ball on the Genesis. It's a shame that the load times are so long.  True Pinball (PlayStation) - Played a few rounds on the Babewatch table.  Pinball (NES) - I'm pretty sure this is the best pinball video game that involves penguins. Then again, there aren't a lot of them out there.  Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES) - This time around, I beat the game without warping.  Dark Arms: Beast Buster 1999 (Neo-Geo Pocket Color) - Another top-down shooter, and this one has action RPG elements - you gain experience and can upgrade your weapons as you progress. Also, there are a LOT of zombies. That alone makes the game pretty awesome.   Fatal Fury: First Contact, Puzzle Bobble Mini (Neo-Geo Pocket Color) - Finally, here are the other NGPC games I've spent time with since my last entry. Current Music: Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | | Monday, June 29th, 2009 | | 4:35 pm |
What I've been playing lately #28
Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES) - I "fed Wart his vegetables" once again, but didn't play through every level like I usually do - I used the warp in 1-3 to get to world 4, and then used the warp in 4-2 to get to world 6. Pinball (NES) - After beating SMB2, I decided to have a little NES pinball marathon, starting with the system's first pinball title.  Pin Bot (NES) - If I ever get the chance, I'd like to play the actual table someday.  Rock 'n' Ball (NES) - After you lose your last ball, you have two options - "CONTINUED" or "END." Seriously, it says "CONTINUED." Along with the corny box art, the game provides some pretty corny quotes from your opponents after you win or lose. Here are a few of them: "Wow! I can't help dancing here!" "Oh no! What a good player you are!" "Gee I wouldn't lose on the skateboard." "You are strong! I have got a crush on you!" "I will go boy hunting to be in a good mood."  Rollerball (NES) - Developed by HAL Laboratory. The game's table has a skyscraper theme. After this, I put Pinball back in the top loader for a few more rounds.  4 Wheel Thunder (Dreamcast) - Completed the Arcade Outdoor series.  Puzzle Link 2 (Neo-Geo Pocket Color) - Like last time, the entry ends with two NGPC games. This time around, they're both puzzlers. Puzzle Bobble Mini (Neo-Geo Pocket Color) - This and Puzzle Link 2 are the only puzzlers I own for the NGPC. Yet I have three fighting games for the portable (Fatal Fury: First Contact, Samurai Shodown! 2, and SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millenium. That's SNK for you. Current Music: Stone Temple Pilots "Plush" | | Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 | | 2:36 am |
What I've been playing lately #27
4 Wheel Thunder (Dreamcast) - I've completed the Arcade Indoor series, and now I'm working my way through the Arcade Outdoor series.  4x4 Evolution (Dreamcast) - I recently completed the Night Series and the Manufacturer's Cup. Completing the former unlocks the Endurance Series, one of my favorite parts of the game (unsurprisingly, the Endurance Series in the sequel is one of my favorite parts of that game).  Hoyle Casino (Dreamcast) - I don't have too many casino games in the collection - I've spent more time with the casino offerings in GTA: San Andreas than in any other video game - but I saw this for a buck at a CD/Game Exchange last month and figured I'd check it out and trade it off if I didn't like it. And after trying it out, I've decided that it's not going anywhere. I've spent the most time with Blackjack and the slots, but I've tried out the game's other offerings as well - Texas Hold 'Em, Pai Gow Poker, Video Poker, Craps, and Roulette. Fatal Fury: First Contact (Neo-Geo Pocket Color) - I haven't spent much time with the portables in the past week, but I did play a couple NGPC games. Here's the first one. Puzzle Bobble Mini (Neo-Geo Pocket Color) - And here's the other one. Current Music: Anthrax "Lone Justice" | | Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 | | 1:34 am |
What I've been playing lately #26
4x4 Evolution (Dreamcast) - The PS2 version of this game is one of my favorite racers on the system. The Gamecube version of the sequel is one of my favorite racers on that system. With that said, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that I added this to my Dreamcast collection. I'm slowly making my way through the races and hope to eventually complete it like I did with the PS2 version.  Test Drive Unlimited (PS2) - I recently started playing this again for the first time since it made an appearance in #21. Notable vehicle purchases include a 1973 Pontiac Firebird Super Duty and a McLaren F1 LM.  Dream Pinball 3D (DS) - I purchased this in April, and since then, it's spent more time in my DS than anything else. Currently, I've been spending most of my time with the Aquatic and Amber Moon tables.  Tetris (Game Boy) - Alexey Pajitnov completed the development of Tetris in June 1984 - 25 years ago. I had to play a few rounds in celebration. Current Music: Bad Company "Live For the Music" | | Monday, June 15th, 2009 | | 10:51 pm |
| | Tuesday, January 6th, 2009 | | 11:18 pm |
Two video game shirts I bought at Hot Topic (and one I didn't)
So, I'm at Lloyd Center on Sunday afternoon, and I decide to look around Hot Topic. They had some new video game shirts I hadn't seen before. I bought the Zelda "skull" shirt shown below:  I was at Clackamas Town Center tonight, and looked around Hot Topic again. In the clearance section, I spotted several gaming shirts, mostly for newer games such as Resistance: Fall of Man, Call of Duty, Halo 3, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Not retro enough for me. Then I spotted this Mortal Kombat shirt:  That's more like it! But were there any in my size? One had a price tag that had "2XL" handwritten on it, but it looked a little too small... sure enough, I checked the shirt tag, and it was a medium. But I managed to find one actual 2XL shirt, and left the store with it and the techno song from the first Mortal Kombat movie stuck in my head. And now, here's one I might have bought instead of one of the other two, had either HT had one in my size:  This one might have been quite the conversation piece - first off, the Zelda cart is yellow (fun fact: there was actually a yellow Zelda cart, but it was a test cart given to Nintendo service centers that was never commercially released, and I doubt that anyone actually intended to put it on a shirt). And while it's a little tough to make out in the photo, Excitebike is two words on that cart label - what's up with that? Finally, on a non-shirt but still somewhat game-related note, I also checked out the Goodwill near Lloyd Center on Sunday, and got a PS2 memory card (black, if you're wondering) for $3.99. I walked out of Goodwill to discover that it had started snowing. That was a cool sight. Current Music: Green Day "Walking Contradiction" | | Thursday, January 1st, 2009 | | 10:54 pm |
| | Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 | | 9:45 pm |
| | Thursday, December 25th, 2008 | | 12:17 pm |
A message from Santa Butt-head
 "So, like, uh, have a Merry Christmas, and, uh, happy, uh, yuletide or something." Current Music: Judas Priest "Living After Midnight" | | Wednesday, December 24th, 2008 | | 9:16 pm |
Six great games I got as Christmas gifts
It's Christmas Eve, and I actually feel like writing an entry. Here's some of the most memorable games I've received for Christmas over the years. Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers (NES) - I can't remember which year I got this, but it was definitely in the heyday of the NES. Back then, you could ask for a game based on one of your favorite cartoon shows, and if Konami or Capcom was in charge of the development, you'd usually end up with something pretty good. Rescue Rangers was one of the better licensed games of the NES era. It's also the first NES game I ever beat. I don't have my original copy, but I found another one at a Goodwill in 2006. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (Super NES) - I don't remember the year I got this either, but it was right around the end of the SNES' heyday. This was one of the last major releases on the system, and one of the best platformers on it as well. I spent my Christmas afternoon playing the game until I got stuck on level 2-6. By then, it was almost time for dinner, and I managed to get past the level later that night. I still have my original copy, and I managed to keep the manual for a few years after losing the box, but now that's lost too. Oh well. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64) - Another one where I can't remember the year I got it, but again, definitely in the heyday of the system. I had quite a fun Christmas afternoon with this one on my brother's N64. I got pretty far in it, then, shortly after I passed the Water Temple (which was quite the pain in the ass), the game glitched and froze up. I shut off the N64 and turned it back on, only to discover that my game file was inaccessible. Couldn't even copy or delete it. To this day, I have yet to beat the game, or even get that far. I don't have that copy anymore, and I didn't even have it in my N64 collection (although I did and still have it on the Gamecube via the Zelda Collector's Edition compilation), until I found it at a thrift in June for $2 . Diddy Kong Racing (Nintendo 64) - I either got this the year before, or the year after I got Ocarina of Time. I had lots of fun racing and battling against my brothers (and a cousin who was staying over for the holiday), and the single player mode was almost as fun as the multiplayer. I still have my original copy. Burnout 3: Takedown (PS2) - I got this one in 2004, and I was hooked to it for quite some time. It's still my favorite Burnout to this day. Not only do I have my original copy, but I somehow managed to get a manual for the Xbox version as well. Anybody need it? Mario Kart Super Circuit (Game Boy Advance) - I got this in 2006, and spent a lot of time playing it at work. One of the best racers on the GBA, and of course, I still have my original copy. Current Music: The Steve Miller Band "The Joker" | | Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 | | 1:10 am |
I rarely buy CDs at Goodwill.
Yep. Every Goodwill in town usually wants $4-5 for them, and I hardly ever spot anything I have to get at that price. Still, I browse through them anyways - mostly to check for PlayStation and Dreamcast games. The Goodwill I went to yesterday had a handful of metal samplers, all 49 cents each. Most unopened, most only had 2 or 3 tracks on them. Those are the kinds of samplers that would come home with me if someone handed one to me at a concert, or if they were at the free table/box/whatever at a music store, but I'd rather spend 49 cents on something else. Then I spotted a Nuclear Blast Records sampler, titled Blasting Your Ears! Vol. 2. 21 tracks, and Soilwork, In Flames, and Meshuggah are on it. Still kind of a ripoff considering that someone once got it for free when it came out in 2005, but why not? I left Goodwill with two fewer quarters in my pocket, but gaining a CD, a receipt, and a penny. Here are the other bands that appear on the sampler: Hypocrisy, Agnostic Front, Hammerfall, Darkane, Candlemass, Bleed the Sky, All Shall Perish, Mnemic, Dew-Scented, Apocalyptica, Samael, Sonata Artica, Disbelief, Malevolent Creation, Graveworm, Communic, Barcode, and Pungent Stench (with the most amusing song title on the sampler - "Got Milf?"). How long will it be until I get another CD at a Goodwill? We'll see. Current Music: In Flames "My Sweet Shadow" | | Sunday, November 30th, 2008 | | 4:52 pm |
So, December is almost here...
...and I have yet to make a single entry in November. I haven't skipped a month since January and I want to keep it that way, but I don't have time for a very long post. So, what I can write about? Well, I did get another CD earlier this month - Project 86's Drawing Black Lines. Cost me 50 cents, and if I don't get anything next month, I've still ended the year with something other than Forty Marshas. I had a good Thanksgiving, and since I didn't have to work on Black Friday, I slept in. That's all for now. Current Music: Project 86 "One-Armed Man (Play On)" | | Monday, October 27th, 2008 | | 10:17 pm |
The Twitter songs of October 2008 (and one from September)
Over the past month, I've been doing "Song of the moment" updates on my Twitter, but I've decided to stop doing them because it seemed like they were becoming a little too abundant compared to other updates. Since I've listed all of my LJ songs here ( 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007), I figured I'd list all of the Twitter songs here as well. Radiohead "Creep" - 9/28 Megadeth "Symphony of Destruction" - 10/5 Golden Earring "Radar Love" - 10/7 silverchair "Tomorrow" - 10/7 Weezer "Buddy Holly" - 10/9 Smashing Pumpkins "Disarm" - 10/9 Nirvana "Serve the Servants" - 10/10 Boston "Peace of Mind" - 10/12 Aerosmith "Sweet Emotion" - 10/15 Faith No More "Epic" - 10/15 Eve 6 "Leech" - 10/19 Incubus "New Skin" - 10/19 Offspring "Staring at the Sun" - 10/21 Green Day "86" - 10/21 Glassjaw "Piano" - 10/22 Candlebox "You" - 10/25 Summercamp "Drawer" - 10/26 Alice In Chains "Again" - 10/26 Flaw "Whole" - 10/27 Led Zeppelin "Stairway to Heaven" - 10/27 Current Music: Led Zeppelin "Stairway to Heaven" | | Friday, October 17th, 2008 | | 10:02 am |
What I've been playing lately #25
 Super Mario Land (Game Boy) - It's been a while since I've played through this - in fact, I think the last time I played through it was when it made an appearance in #9. In my opinion, the plane and submarine levels are the best parts of the game.  Marble Madness (Game Boy Color) - Marble Madness got ported to the GBA... well, sort of. The cart also included Klax, and while the Klax port is excellent, Marble Madness only has the first three levels - that's right, after you pass the third level, you get a "Game Over" message and it's back to the start. FAIL. This brings us to the Game Boy Color port of Marble Madness, which I recently acquired. Since it actually has all the levels, this is the best portable version of Marble Madness available. On another note, it's a shame that there was a never a true sequel.  Micro Machines V3 (Game Boy Color) - This one really could have used a battery save - it's got a password save, but that's pretty inconvenient on the go. Regardless, if you liked any of the previous 2D Micro Machines games, it's definitely worth a look. Puzzle Bobble Mini (Neo-Geo Pocket Color) - Only one NGPC game this time around. True Pinball (PlayStation) - This is the rarest of the pinball games on the PlayStation (and it's also the rarest PS1 game I own now), so I was pretty happy to get it. It has four tables that look and play pretty close to real tables (though True Pinball doesn't beat any of the Pro Pinball games in the realism department). It's got some minor issues with ball physics, but it's still one of the better pinball games available for the PS1. It's also available for the Saturn, and that version's far more common. Speaking of pinball, I recently put a list of the pinball video games I own on my freewebs site - you can check it out here. True Pinball puts that collection at 44, and I have a goal to reach 50 someday. Current Music: Anthrax "The Enemy" | | Thursday, October 16th, 2008 | | 1:27 am |
| | Wednesday, October 15th, 2008 | | 11:49 pm |
Kind of like spitting on forty Marshas and the eyesores somewhere in time
Tonight, I'm going to write about some CD's I recently acquired. Two are going in the CD collection, and three aren't. First off, the ones that are going in my collection: Iron Maiden's Somewhere In Time. This is the only one I paid money for ($3.50, in case you were wondering). It's also my third Maiden CD. The other two are The Number of the Beast and the hits compilation Best of the Beast, so it's also my first Maiden CD that doesn't have "Beast" somewhere in the title. The other one is Forty Marshas' self-titled album. According to Wikipedia, Forty Marshas is a side project from Mike Malinin of the Goo Goo Dolls. It's all over the place - indie rock, pop punk, even a thrash metal song (and someone's even credited in the liner notes for "metal consulting"). Not really the kind of album I'd pay money for, but since it was free and has a couple decent songs, why not. Unfortunately, their cover of The Kinks' "Sold Me Out" isn't one of those decent songs, mostly because they let a woman who sounds too much like Courtney Love for her own good do the vocals. Speaking of Love, here's a lulz moment: she once wanted to kick Fred Durst out of your ass and show him what 60s punk rock is (and maybe she still does, you know, being batshit crazy and all). And now, the albums that didn't make the cut. There's Alec K. Redfearn and the Eyesores' The Smother Party, which can be summed up in two words: indie garbage. Then there's Kind of Like Spitting's In the Red (which I first misread as Kind of Like Spitting In The Bed). Wikipedia says they were a Portland band (that's cool) that released seven albums in twelve years (that's also a little cool), and this was their sixth. However, while I've never heard someone hack a Violent Femmes song via karaoke, I can imagine it sounding something like the vocalist in this band (that's not cool). Finally, there's Hot Little Rocket's How To Lose Everything. The problem with this one? I opened the case to discover that it was empty. Looks like someone learned how to lose the CD. In closing, I want to roll a katamari over all the stuff on the cover of the Forty Marshas' album. Also, Iron Maiden = \m/. Current Music: Iron Maiden "Stranger in a Strange Land" | | Thursday, October 9th, 2008 | | 12:52 am |
Random Joke #15
Why is a sheet of toilet paper like the Starship Enterprise? They both circle Uranus in search of Klingons. Current Music: Dio "Rainbow in the Dark" | | Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 | | 12:35 pm |
What I've been playing lately #24
Puzzle Bobble Mini (Neo-Geo Pocket Color) - aka Bust-A-Move Pocket. The game's puzzle mode has 99 puzzles, and there's also a survivor mode, and a vs. CPU mode. However, the vs. CPU mode only has eight opponents and can be completed pretty quickly. The game could have used a battery save for high scores as well, but it's still recommended. Puzzle Link 2 (Neo-Geo Pocket Color) - And this is my favorite puzzler on the NGPC. You can earn cards for use in a card battle game, though I spend more time with the main game than the card battles.  Sonic The Hedgehog Pocket Adventure (Neo-Geo Pocket Color) - I recently beat the game for the second time - however, it was the first time I beat it without using a continue. I was only able to acquire two Chaos Emeralds, though. It's a little tougher to collect Chaos Emeralds than it is in other Sonic titles due to the short amount of levels (and they can only be acquired in the first level of each zone). I also improved my times in some of the levels in the time trial mode. Fatal Fury: First Contact (Neo-Geo Pocket Color) - It's easy to play through a game on shorter bus rides.      Donkey Kong, Missile Command, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Mario Bros. (2600) - These are the games I've spent the most time with on my new 2600. Well, I haven't actually spent that much time with Pac-Man, but it's notable since it's one of the biggest bombs in video game history (and yes, it is awful). Space Invaders is the complete opposite of Pac-Man - it's almost just as awesome as its arcade counterpart. Missile Command and Mario Bros. are two more of my 2600 favorites. Did you know that you can use a Genesis controller on the 2600? Genesis and 2600 controllers share the same plug configuration - on the Genesis controller, the B button is the fire button. I prefer to use a Genesis controller for Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong, since I tend to play better that way - probably because I'm used to playing both games with a d-pad instead of a joystick.    Pro Pinball, Pro Pinball: Fantastic Journey, Pro Pinball: Big Race USA (PlayStation) - Finally, I spent some time with the three Pro Pinball games I own (I'm just missing Pro Pinball: Timeshock!). Each game in the Pro Pinball series features one table, and each one looks and operates like one you'd see in real life. They're all pretty fun, but my favorite would have to be Big Race USA, and unsurprisingly, that's the one I spent the most time with. Current Music: Iron Maiden "The Clairvoyant" | | Wednesday, September 24th, 2008 | | 11:54 pm |
As of this minute, I am officially 26.
Here's the annual backdated entry. At this very minute, Jeff, Amanda, Donny, Chris, and I were hanging out at Donny's. About ten minutes later, we left for Denny's. Current Music: Led Zeppelin "Ramble On" | | Sunday, September 14th, 2008 | | 1:57 pm |
The beginning of the 2600 collection
Remember that Atari 2600 I won in the Portland Retro Gaming Expo's survey raffle? It arrived in the mail yesterday. And talk about a nice start to my 2600 collection - I got nine games with it: Blackjack, Combat, Donkey Kong, Gravitar, Joust, Mario Bros., Missile Command, Pac-Man, and Space Invaders. Space Invaders is complete and the other games are cart only. I also got two Wico Command Control sticks and a game holder that holds 12 carts. That wasn't the only thing I got in yesterday's mail - I also got Puzzle Link 2 for the NGPC, which I had bought on Amazon. It's my tenth NGPC game. Since there weren't that many games released for the system in the U.S. (I forget the exact number, but I know that it's just over 30), that's not a bad milestone. That being said, I'm not sure how much the NGPC collection will increase in the future, as I've got most of the games I was interested in. We'll see where that goes. Off to get ready for work. Current Music: AC/DC "Back In Black" |
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