I know it's been a few weeks since my last update, so I decided that what better day than Super Bowl Sunday to type up a Super Blog update. It's been an eventful couple of weeks. We've had to go through the withdrawls of not having my grandma around anymore. But with the bad there have also been some good. My surrogate nephew Joshua celebrated his very first birthday, and of course we were there for the festivities.
It was a typical one-year-old's party with cake, balloons, and kids running around. Josh is just starting to walk around, so he was showing off in front of everyone when it was time to open up the presents. (I'm telling ya, that kid is gonna be a heartbreaker!! Ladies, watch out!) He was so cute just being a baby, and being excited about everything. (Sometimes I wish that we could all go back to those days, when we didn't have a care in the world!) It was a fun time, and hopefully we made it a memorable one, if not to Josh, than at least to his parents. (Love ya Sis!) We had some good food, and we met some good people. Let's do it again next year, what do you say? (But this time without the Chicken Dance Elmo, okay? LOL!)
And just last week my girlfriend finished her residency at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. She is now a full fledged Registered Nurse (YAY!!! We're SOOOO Proud!) It was a nice ceremony, intimate, full of laughter and tears. There were a lot of kind words said about the graduating class, it made me feel proud to know one of those very special people that will be making such a difference in kid's lives, who may otherwise see nothing but dark times ahead. She's a bright spot in my life, and I know she'll be at LEAST that, if not more, for all the kids she cares for. Congratulations, Sweetheart! I know it only gets harder from here, but you'll always have me to lean on. Count on it!Whew! Now that the serious stuff is out of the way, allow me to geek out for a moment, as I update you on my recent gaming habits for the last couple of weeks.
I continue to be enthralled in the Hyrulian majesty that is The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. I believe that I am 50+ hours into the game, and on the final stretch that leads straight to Ganondorf (The main villain of the game, for those of you not familiar with the mythos!) It's been a long and magical journey, I'm almost sad to see it come to an end. But that's why you buy games: to beat them! The last Zelda game, Wind Waker, was such a great game, which is one of the main reasons I was so excited to pick this title up. The animation, the game play (thanks to the Wii and the Wiimote), and the feel are so different from Wind Waker. True, the central story (Save Zelda and Hyrule, defeat Ganondorf) has been the same for every single Zelda title, but the Wii has injected it with new life and vigor, thanks to the innovative game play that the Wiimote brings. Slashing the Wiimote results in Link slashing his sword. (How immersive is that??) But all good things must come to an end, and so must this. A few more days, and a few more hours, and I'll be done with my quest, and once more the thirst will begin for the new Zelda title, The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass for the DS.
Our Wii collection has expanded in the past few weeks as well. Starting with Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Comic Book fanboys have been eagerly anticipating this title since it was first announced. There was a ferverous buzz surrounding it at Comic Con, and screenshots had done nothing but whet our appetites. Game designers had been promising the single largest collection of Marvel comic's pantheon EVER in a single game. Major characters, minor characters, obscure heroes and villains would all lend their talents to the game as you and your friends control 4 men teams of Superheroes in a quest to best Doctor Doom and his Masters of Evil. There are 20 playable characters to unlock, and the game features appearances by 140 total Marvel characters. As with all Wii titles, the Wiimote adds a unique aspect to gameplay, moving the remote in certain ways triggers a character's special attacks or abilities. The game play and style are very similiar to X-Men Legends, but the ability to create infinite combinations of Superhero teams is very new. I'll be sure to focus more attention to this title once I'm done with Zelda, but from what I've played, it is a very entertaining game.
Excite Truck is another title that I've picked up for the Wii. No, at first glance, this game appears to be just another racing game, focusing on trucks and SUVs rather than just cars. And granted, it is that. You unlock courses and vehicles as you go along. Earning trophies and paint jobs for your cars. This game utilizes the Wiimote in a horizontal position, and has you holding it as you would a steering wheel. Now, the actual game play is TOTALLY unrealistic. There are extreme jumps, extreme speeds, extreme turns, and terrain that morphs right before your eyes. The point of this game is to be extreme. The more extreme, the more stars you earn. The more stars you earn, the better your rank, and the more things you unlock. There are awesome leaps from unimaginable heights, and some truly devistating crashes. On all those merits alone, this game is worth just checking out. But what made it a real selling point for me, what has turned a game that was just so-so to adrenaline pumping, is the fact that you can upload your own music to race to. Up to 100 MP3s of your own music can be uploaded to a SD Memory Card and inserted in the Wii. In the game you then have the option to play your own music as you race. (And let me tall ya, there's nothing better than racing to Metallica or Slipknot with these fast and furious vehicles! Although I guess Avril Lavigne would work too! She's soooo tough!) Very fun game, very fast paced. Highly recommend it.
Next we picked up Rayman: Raving Rabbids for the Wii. The initial library of launch titles have focused more on the group/party/multiplayer aspect of the Wii, hence the reason why so many of the games are collections of mini-games rather than full-fledged adventure or RPG games. (With the exception of Zelda and Red Steel). Just like Wario Ware: Smooth Moves, Rayman: Raving Rabbids is a series of silly mini-games (Not micro-games like Wario Ware!), where your entire purpose is to outdo hundreds of Raving Rabbids (Demented-looking rabbit-like creatures) that have taken our hero, Rayman, hostage. The more games he wins, the more plungers he earns (Yes, as in toilet!) and ultimately gains his freedom. The games are fun and quirky, ranging from Disco Dancing to Jumping Rope to Rabbid Hunting with Plungers. As you go along you unlock music and outfits for Rayman allowing for some minor customization, and a way to differentiate your character when in multiplayer mode. It's a good time, silly, and fast paced. It's a crowd pleaser, and sure to be a party favorite.
And last, but not least, I picked up Cooking Mama for the Nintendo DS. This is another quirky game, designed to make the most of the DS's touchscreen and stylus. It is basically a series of culinary themed mini games, where you chop, mix, pour, stir, and fry various ingredients to create up to 76 different dishes. Each dish requires different skills and ingredients, some requiring a single step, and others more than a dozen. This is one of those games that doesn't have much of a point to it, but it's just a good time. The graphics and animations are bright and colorful, the sound is very crisp and entertaining, and it's basically a good way to pass the time. And just like Trauma Center for the DS, this game is making the transition to the Wii come March. So I wanted to get some practice in beforehand.Well, that is it for now folks. Stay tuned for more updates as they become available. (Meaning I'll try not to wait to long between posts again!) Congratulations to the Indianapolis Colts for the Super Bowl victory, it was well deserved and earned. Although I was leaning more towards the Chicago Bears, but, oh well!
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