This week the GameEnthus crew is joined by Paco(@apeachmoon) and Robby(@Robby1051) from @Gamentalk. Our topics this week include but are not limited to: Catherine, Sharpshooter, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, You Don't Know Jack, Hulk movies, 007 Bloodstone, cats in heat, Groove Coaster, No More Heroes' Paradise, EA season pass, Bastion, Xbox.com browser games and more. Hope you enjoy the show. Feel free to leave us , hopefully positive, feedback on itunes and/or the Zune Marketplace. When you are done listening check out our forums, contact us via twitter, leave us some voicemail @ 202 573 7686 or email us at podcast@gamenthus.com.
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I used the Powerup Rewards coupon to buy NCAA Football 12 for the 360 (19.99 with no trade-ins!!!!!) and I'm pretty impressed so far.
I started a Road to Glory character of myself as a QB for Hollywood Hills High School (class of 94). After about 5 minutes of playing around with the creation mode, I was on the field completing 15 of 17 passes for over 200 yards. What impressed me the most, and I certainly hope the rest of the mode is like this, is the ability to skip every non-passing play in the game. Playing sports games has become very difficult since the birth of my son. The time commitment of an entire football or baseball game makes these games nearly unplayable for me. I bought MLB 2k11 the day it launched and I've only been able to play one round of home run derby. With this new skip-ahead mode, I was able to play an entire game in about 10 minutes.
I've never been able to get very far in any dynasty mode because I just get bored of playing every single down....

Checkmate Arcade is back with episode 135 where we talk about what the hosts have been playing for the last week, what's going on with game news after Comic Con, and what our top 5 most anticipated games are post E3. Also Steven has to MGS-edit a bunch of cussing from yours truly about Capcom.

But here's what you might be interested in. Follow the directions at the end of our feature segment and you can win a copy of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night on XBox Live Arcade. Note to PSN fanboys/fangirls: we do not get freebies to give away often as this was donated by a listener to the show and fellow CAG so that's why it's XBLA only. Also we gave away a PSN copy of the game last year.

Best place to get the show is ITunes or the Zune Marketplace. Our RSS feed is: http://realmworx.hipcast.com/rss/checkmate_arcade.xml The show notes/archives are also at our British host site www.newbreview.com.

I Just always wanted to name my gaming backlog diaries that for some reason. Don't know why, but it had to be done.

Besides that, how is everyone's gaming doing this year? Since this is CAG where dreams of finishing games and having a modest selection that you'll "eventually play" go to die. So far 38 down this year so this is by far my best year in gaming ever as opposed to buying more and not knowing when to play and just buying more to kinda bury that shame even deeper.

January:

Enslaved: Pigsy's Perfect 10
Turok
Lara Croft: Guardian of Light
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled
Civlization Revolution
Afro Samurai
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (both story modes finished)
Borderlands: Claptrap's New Revolution

February:
...

I'll post pictures of my personal cosplay for my next blog but for this one I'll post pictures that I took, first couple outside of spoiler tags the rest in them:

Bridgette: So sexy!


Spider Woman: Totally wish I had asked her how she made it.



Persona and SMT:




















...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzNuCkGRqhk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0z5U4AQDv0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkXl99OqJGY

I decided to post my Otakon pick-ups last since I purchased a bunch of things. Some may notice some similar stuff icebeast has, I have too. Along with my Otakon pick-ups, I'll post everything I purchased in July.



I got two free nico nico shirts along with lots of posters. Buying frames for most all will be EXPENSIVE.



All the figures and mugs I got. Most mugs/glassware was only $5, except the Madoka one was $20 (It's very special to me). I got another Hope figure since that's what I magically got in the FFXIII box.



All the boxsets and movies I got (blu-ray and DVD).



All the T-shirts I got along with K-ON! guitar pillow and notebook.



Some of my purchased artwork. Would have bought more if I went to the Art Gallery earlier (went later on Sunday with little money and time left).


...

[B] [SIZE=4][URL="http://superphillipcentral.blogspot.com/2011/08/spc-showdown-832011.html"]If you like this article, please vote on my poll. Click here to vote![/URL][/SIZE] [/B]


It's the middle of the week, so why not begin our sixth segment of the SPC Showdown? This is where we pit games, companies, and more against each other to see which reigns supreme when all is said and done. Today we'll discover which installment of Super Mario Galaxy is best, whether ModNation Racers can outrun Mario Kart Wii, and which Final Fantasy experience on Wii outshines the other. That's just the beginning, but for now let's get this showdown started!

[SIZE=4][B]Round One: Super Mario Galaxy VS. Super Mario Galaxy 2 [/B][/SIZE]

Two of the best games on the Nintendo Wii-- nay, this generation-- bar-none, but which is king of the 3D platformer?

[B]Super Mario Galaxy[/B]

Mario and company enter territory last seen in Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins' Space Land in Super Mario Galaxy. With colorful worlds, rich visuals, an inspired orchestral score, and well-designed galaxies, Super Mario Galaxy is a treat to view as well as play. Reintroducing ideas such as the fire flower and presenting new ones such as the ice flower, Super Mario Galaxy keeps showing that Nintendo knows how to craft one amazing gaming experience.

[CENTER][URL="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n2y4QFbq-HU/Tjm1ZDh4W5I/AAAAAAAAHBI/BH0mU-lFMKg/s1600/915692_20071102_screen019.jpg"][IMG]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n2y4QFbq-HU/Tjm1ZDh4W5I/AAAAAAAAHBI/BH0mU-lFMKg/s400/915692_20071102_screen019.jpg[/IMG][/URL][URL="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wGHLM3Fyul8/Tjm1Y-hZi9I/AAAAAAAAHBA/v2Wwh1mWhlg/s1600/915692_20071102_screen017.jpg"][IMG]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wGHLM3Fyul8/Tjm1Y-hZi9I/AAAAAAAAHBA/v2Wwh1mWhlg/s400/915692_20071102_screen017.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
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[B]Super Mario Galaxy 2[/B]

Reentering the stratosphere once more for some good old fashioned running and jumping action is Mario with pal, Yoshi, this time around in Super Mario Galaxy 2. The challenge bar has been raised this time with multiple shadow Marios chasing after our hero, endurance runs to tackle where a single hit will make Mario have to begin his mission anew, and big bad bosses to defeat. Those who complete all of these challenges will be entitled to a whole new series of stars to gather, and if all of those are collected, a brand-new galaxy, the Grandmaster Galaxy will be unlocked. It is with this, an improved soundtrack and galaxies, and unforgettable galaxies to explore that I bid Super Mario Galaxy 2 with this victory.

[CENTER][URL="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V24ez4pe9OY/Tjm1k1rzj_I/AAAAAAAAHB4/EySSfNlAm0Q/s1600/960551_20100511_screen001.jpg"][IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V24ez4pe9OY/Tjm1k1rzj_I/AAAAAAAAHB4/EySSfNlAm0Q/s400/960551_20100511_screen001.jpg[/IMG][/URL][URL="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l3LIfCqcMIE/Tjm1kkcU0EI/AAAAAAAAHBw/AJASD0gW8Wo/s1600/960551_20100506_screen001.jpg"][IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l3LIfCqcMIE/Tjm1kkcU0EI/AAAAAAAAHBw/AJASD0gW8Wo/s400/960551_20100506_screen001.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
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[COLOR=#FFFF33][B]Winner: Super Mario Galaxy 2[/B][/COLOR]

[SIZE=4][B]Round Two: Super Mario Bros. 3 VS. Super Mario World[/B][/SIZE]

This duo of memorable 2D platformers are the champs of their respective systems, but which one outclasses the other?

[B]Super Mario Bros. 3[/B]

Introducing a map system where players could completely skip individual levels if desired (but with how great they were all designed, who would want to?), Mario and Luigi plowed through eight themed lands in their latest adventure. From grass to desert, water to sky, Mario and Luigi bashed goombas, koopa troopas, lakitus, spinies, and even creamed Bowser in the end after a long, arduous trek through a tank-infested dark world. This game would be remade and ported to the Super Nintendo and Game Boy Advance with the latter receiving new levels via the doomed e-Reader peripheral. Does it take down Super Mario World, however?

[URL="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wnT4KZVvEl0/Tjm1vUvBd-I/AAAAAAAAHCo/DHnhwnIafsM/s1600/gfs_28422_2_22.jpg"][IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wnT4KZVvEl0/Tjm1vUvBd-I/AAAAAAAAHCo/DHnhwnIafsM/s400/gfs_28422_2_22.jpg[/IMG][/URL][URL="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tOIVAZuOIiQ/Tjm1vFo4P0I/AAAAAAAAHCg/39aDLwKALak/s1600/gfs_28422_2_17.jpg"][IMG]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tOIVAZuOIiQ/Tjm1vFo4P0I/AAAAAAAAHCg/39aDLwKALak/s400/gfs_28422_2_17.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[B]Super Mario World[/B]

For the first time ever, players were introduced to Mario's lovable sidekick, Yoshi, a dinosaur who could gobble up certain enemies and came in several different colors. Expanding upon the map concept severalfold, Super Mario World featured secret paths leading to hidden levels, a challenging Star Road and Special World, and completing these turned koopa troopas into costumed Mario impersonators. Who could forget tackling all eight worlds, defeating the Koopalings, and chucking Mechakoopas into Bowser's cruiser in order to defeat him and save Yoshi's homeland? Plus with the new cape power-up, flying was never easier. It is with this that Super Mario World wins over a fierce opponent.

[CENTER][URL="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XxVNmejEm2o/Tjm1uvC-IWI/AAAAAAAAHCQ/W5gibj4525k/s1600/gfs_28403_2_35.jpg"][IMG]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XxVNmejEm2o/Tjm1uvC-IWI/AAAAAAAAHCQ/W5gibj4525k/s400/gfs_28403_2_35.jpg[/IMG][/URL][URL="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oTEcpgMFitM/Tjm1u3cc9CI/AAAAAAAAHCY/bpX4r3rCXr8/s1600/gfs_28403_2_51.jpg"][IMG]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oTEcpgMFitM/Tjm1u3cc9CI/AAAAAAAAHCY/bpX4r3rCXr8/s400/gfs_28403_2_51.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[/CENTER]
[COLOR=#FFFF33][B]Winner: Super Mario World[/B][/COLOR]

[SIZE=4][B]Round Three: Mario Kart Wii VS. ModNation Racers[/B][/SIZE]

Two racers revving it up, ready to go. Which will reach the finish line first?

[B]Mario Kart Wii[/B]

Doing away with snaking by having the player drift long into a boost around corners and turns, Mario Kart Wii did a lot of things right. Yes, with twelve racers that meant more chaos with items in heated races, but competent players could obtain enough of a lead where a barrage of blue shells wouldn't matter in the long run. With a fine selection of retro tracks including Delfino Plaza and Bowser's Castle (N64) and excellent new tracks from Coconut Mall to DK Summit, Mario Kart Wii also possesses some of the most fun online play to see the Wii. Does it speed past United Front Games' ModNation Racers, however?

[CENTER][URL="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LbB7aEZIuI8/Tjm1Z5s3RPI/AAAAAAAAHBg/XvEn6wzazzY/s1600/942008_20080414_screen004.jpg"][IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LbB7aEZIuI8/Tjm1Z5s3RPI/AAAAAAAAHBg/XvEn6wzazzY/s400/942008_20080414_screen004.jpg[/IMG][/URL][URL="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u1FECyoBv8A/Tjm1kSSSLxI/AAAAAAAAHBo/DSexKJPDEHA/s1600/942008_20080414_screen038.jpg"][IMG]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u1FECyoBv8A/Tjm1kSSSLxI/AAAAAAAAHBo/DSexKJPDEHA/s400/942008_20080414_screen038.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
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[B]ModNation Racers[/B]

Sony's foray into the kart-racing genre was not without faults. Regardless, it was a very innovative gem of a title. The ability to craft your own racer, tracks, and stickers was a pretty complicated process, but once mastered, you could build highly-detailed and impressive creations. But if you thought rubberband AI was a problem in Mario Kart, you ain't seen nothing yet in ModNation Racers. Opponents will abuse weaponry to take the lead from you, slam you off the road, and use any means necessary to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Frustrating as this may be, ModNation Racers is still a competent beast. It, though, just doesn't beat out Mario Kart Wii.
[URL="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wnT4KZVvEl0/Tjm1vUvBd-I/AAAAAAAAHCo/DHnhwnIafsM/s1600/gfs_28422_2_22.jpg"]
[/URL][CENTER][URL="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l-wwn8YFxwA/Tjm1lSL10hI/AAAAAAAAHCI/g9v8X__Dmqw/s1600/960619_20091208_screen004.jpg"][IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l-wwn8YFxwA/Tjm1lSL10hI/AAAAAAAAHCI/g9v8X__Dmqw/s400/960619_20091208_screen004.jpg[/IMG][/URL][URL="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WUhuWvK2bnE/Tjm1lB4pnuI/AAAAAAAAHCA/U4zUEGVSA7U/s1600/960619_112009_screen004.jpg"][IMG]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WUhuWvK2bnE/Tjm1lB4pnuI/AAAAAAAAHCA/U4zUEGVSA7U/s400/960619_112009_screen004.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
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[COLOR=#FFFF33][B]Winner: Mario Kart Wii[/B][/COLOR]

[SIZE=4][B]Round Four: Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon VS. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers [/B][/SIZE]

We have a duo of underrated Final Fantasy games for the Nintendo Wii. Which is the most classic of the two?

[B]Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon[/B]

This simplistic roguelike took players through dungeons based on the memories of the game's main village's townspeople. As Chocobo you equipped talons and other garments and entered their memories, beating down familiar Final Fantasy villains such as bombs, goblins, and iron giants in your quest to figure out the mystery behind the town. With the best arrangements of classic Final Fantasy tunes period and quite engaging gameplay, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon is a charming adventure that many Wii owners shouldn't hesitate to experience.

[CENTER][URL="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kfR-HGd0aM0/Tjm1ZXiuEFI/AAAAAAAAHBQ/rogqGWaSmDU/s1600/939442_20080701_screen010.jpg"][IMG]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kfR-HGd0aM0/Tjm1ZXiuEFI/AAAAAAAAHBQ/rogqGWaSmDU/s400/939442_20080701_screen010.jpg[/IMG][/URL][URL="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yxz7rwSz3fU/Tjm1Zm5I-QI/AAAAAAAAHBY/cOaVuB97XmY/s1600/939442_20080701_screen012.jpg"][IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yxz7rwSz3fU/Tjm1Zm5I-QI/AAAAAAAAHBY/cOaVuB97XmY/s400/939442_20080701_screen012.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
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[B]Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers [/B]

Finally, a Final Fantasy hero who isn't androgynous! The hero of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers has the power to pick up foes and chuck them into walls, explosive barrels, or other enemies in order to damage them. While the main quest is nothing more than a collection of high-production mini games, The Crystal Bearers possesses a great amount of things to do and enemies to conquer. However, all the running around and tremendous music aside, it has nothing on Final Fantasy Fables.

[CENTER][URL="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zmwkD8U0fKo/Tjm3mpgsptI/AAAAAAAAHDQ/ztA9zwkcoTQ/s1600/FFCCTCB091228_225044.jpg"][IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zmwkD8U0fKo/Tjm3mpgsptI/AAAAAAAAHDQ/ztA9zwkcoTQ/s400/FFCCTCB091228_225044.jpg[/IMG][/URL][URL="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3QuRFCkI_Ss/Tjm3mxQ6gqI/AAAAAAAAHDY/kbXmh8n5Yfo/s1600/FFCCTCB091228_223902.jpg"][IMG]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3QuRFCkI_Ss/Tjm3mxQ6gqI/AAAAAAAAHDY/kbXmh8n5Yfo/s400/FFCCTCB091228_223902.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
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[COLOR=#FFFF33][B]Winner: Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon[/B][/COLOR]

[SIZE=4][B]Round Five: Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus VS. Sly 2: Band of Thieves[/B][/SIZE]

The Sly Collection recently was released in HD for the PlayStation 3. The top two titles in the compendium go up against each other. Which outwits the other?

[B]Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus [/B]

Sly Cooper debuts in this cool caper that was originally released for the PlayStation 2. The sneaky raccoon would receive two sequels on the same system. In this title Sly goes after the sinister group of criminals involved in stealing his family's coveted treasure, the Thievius Raccoonus, a book featuring all of their family's stealthy moves. Each boss in the game has a page, so Sly leaps on poles, crawls through air ducts, swings from chandeliers, and performs other otherworldly feats of dexterity to get them back. More linear in progression than its sequels, that may be the reason I like the original Sly Cooper game.

[CENTER][URL="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8qekyCUaU8A/Tjm3aIvGa2I/AAAAAAAAHDI/S9EonuNml5I/s1600/sly_screen007.jpg"][IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8qekyCUaU8A/Tjm3aIvGa2I/AAAAAAAAHDI/S9EonuNml5I/s400/sly_screen007.jpg[/IMG][/URL][URL="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nH_7NVhQf-E/Tjm3ZmQ-7gI/AAAAAAAAHDA/LLSQXwlp-8c/s1600/sly_screen006.jpg"][IMG]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nH_7NVhQf-E/Tjm3ZmQ-7gI/AAAAAAAAHDA/LLSQXwlp-8c/s400/sly_screen006.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[/CENTER]

[B]Sly 2: Band of Thieves[/B]

Progressing more into an open-world-like game, Sly 2: Band of Thieves opened up the gameplay for Bentley and Murray to step in and tackle their own missions. Each world was its own heist. Bentley planned it out to the finest detail, and the trio of thieves would converge on the baddie's hideout, taking out objectives and missions. The goal? To stop a new group of villains from reincarnating Clockwerk, the Cooper family's sworn enemy. While the sequel isn't as enjoyable as the first, Sly 2: Band of Thieves is still worthy of one's money.

[CENTER][URL="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7iDn_S3JoA/Tjm3ZYY1UrI/AAAAAAAAHC4/7oz4aAjtT50/s1600/919949_20040310_screen010.jpg"][IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7iDn_S3JoA/Tjm3ZYY1UrI/AAAAAAAAHC4/7oz4aAjtT50/s400/919949_20040310_screen010.jpg[/IMG][/URL][URL="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-fj8zmbFqQ/Tjm3ZNtVryI/AAAAAAAAHCw/i0w6VWaf6cs/s1600/919949_20040310_screen009.jpg"][IMG]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-fj8zmbFqQ/Tjm3ZNtVryI/AAAAAAAAHCw/i0w6VWaf6cs/s400/919949_20040310_screen009.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[/CENTER]

[COLOR=#FFFF33][B]Winner: Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus [/B][/COLOR]

[CENTER]===
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Five rounds are over, and with that, we've completed yet another SPC Showdown. Stay tuned in the coming months for our next showdown where more games, more companies, and much more will duke it out for supremacy. Until next time, see ya'!...

I use to call my self a hard core gamer. I played video games all the time, hosted huge lan parties for computers back in the day and later halo parties with linked xbox's. Now i have 2 little ones at home, who of course I love dearly but as they get older my back log gets longer.

I have picked a few games which I consider kid friendly games to watch, such as blue dragon to play when I can during the day and sill play games like dead space, borderlands and fable 3 at night. I typical can play from about 10:30 pm on, if i still have energy

My daughter is even starting to be interested in game, she like kinectimals which she is a little to young for and i end up playing for her , she likes star wars legos which if we stay in the cantina she has fun with, and i have the delusion of getting her a few wii games this Christmas that maybe we can play. This as cool as it is does not help my back log.

So i put the question out there...

I'll be the first to admit I'm not the strongest online gamer. I've never been to great at FPS/3rd person games not PVP. As someone who is trying to 100% the Gears of War 2 APs, this is frustrating. It seems like, as with most, I don't constantly play and have the techniques down to where I can blind shot people, or know where exactly every item spawns.

I get that I'm going to be at the lower rung of the lists when the match is over, but what I don't get is why my Reputation keeps plummeting no matter how well or poorly I play? I mostly play Horde and are actually good at that. I'm usually the one reviving my fallen teammates. I'm down to 50/50 preferred/avoided, but with NO stats to why I'm there.

It doesn't keep me up at night, but after seeing my rep went down yet more, its just boggles my mind.

Not too many pick ups this month. I have basically everything I want right now, so im at a bit of a lull when it comes to new buys. I'll have more to get when more games im waiting for come out or recent releases go on sale, but until then my game purchases have slowed to a drizzle. Just three pick ups this month, all from ebay.



Super Bombad Racing was $5.95 shipped. Not gonna lie, i forgot this game existed, something remind me of it, and I bought it just for the cover art. Not a bad game but its hard to get in to any cart racer when Mario Kart is sitting on my shelf.

DS Phat browser was $16 and change shipped. This was a pretty good find. This version of the ds browser was never sold in stores, only available via nintendo.com's online store. It's still available there I think for $30. I got it for cheaper than it normally sells for because the seller had 0 feedback. I took...

Love Video Games? Movies? Music? More importantly, do you like to obsessively write about them? We have the opportunity of a life time to join the staff here at Ultra Mega Cyborg.

We are looking for passionate people of all ages to share their views and opinions with a growing audience of thousands of die hard fan boys just like you! It is not a paying position…yet! but you will get opportunities to travel to events, get early and exclusive access to games, movies and comics.

If this sounds like you, apply today!

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Music Editor
Do you know the difference between Dub Step and Trip Hop? Neither do we! But if Music is something that you feel passionate about and can deliver interesting and well written reviews and news articles about every genre, this position is tailor made for you.
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Like a mouse and keyboard combo better than a controller?…of course...

UPDATE: 8/9/11. Finished Dante's Inferno. By the time it was done I was ready to move on but that is not to say I didn't like it. There were better ways that I could have managed the skill tree but by the time I realized that, it was too late. It took me 11 hours and some change to finish but that is because I left the game unpaused a few times. I'd say it probably took me more like 9 to 10 hours in reality. This one is now officially removed from the backlog.

Like many others I am attempting to slim down my backlog a bit. In order to do this I have adopted a new strategy: If I have had a game for more than 3 months then I either (a) play it or (b) trade it in somewhere. If I can't bring myself to play a particular game, it's goes to the location with the highest trade in value.

The first survivor of this strategy was Dante's Inferno. As someone who first played God of War on his backwards compatible PS3, I'm surprised by...

Please check it out:

http://legacy-control.com/?p=419

The strip: Yeah, this did happen actually. Me and a friend talked about taking some medieval sword fighting classes if they were available in Cincinnati. Game of Thrones got us fired up you see. Well I googled sword fighting in Cincinnati and a blog came up. It wasn't nearly as explicit as my comic, but I had to punch it up a bit of course. I had no idea that "sword fighting" in this context was a thing, but it made sense as soon as I saw the image. Look it up in the urban dictionary if you need more info.

Gaming: Nothing much to report but some Minecraftings. My compound is sprawling, and my farming has yielded plenty . So I say, let winter come.

Life: Man am I burnt out..I need a vacation real bad. That is all.

Javis

Who would've thought that a simple web order placed on searsoutlet.com could create such a headache for me:

In June my wife and I had our dryer break down. It probably could have been repaired but we didn't want to put any additional money into the thing because it was a very basic model and was almost 10 years old. She's been wanting some of those newer, energy efficient, front loading models anyways.

That night I started doing some research online. Those things can get pretty expensive and being the cheapass that I am I wanted to find the best deal that I could. We decided that it was worth discounts of up to 40% to buy refurb or scratch & dent machines. I found a pair that seemed like an excellent buy on the searsoutlet.com so I placed an order online. I received an e-mail a few minutes later stating that they had to confirm the order by verifying the items were in stock at my local outlet store.

The next morning I received an ...

[B] [SIZE=4][URL="http://superphillipcentral.blogspot.com/2011/08/final-fantasy-iv-complete-collection.html"]Check out and vote on August's brand-new poll![/URL][/SIZE] [/B]


My interest in gaming has been wavering as of late. Few games have been tickling my fancy. It's just been guns, guns, blood, and more guns. Bo-ring. What ever is a superhero to do? Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection released a couple of months ago for the PlayStation Portable, and I played through all scenarios. Here's my verdict.

[CENTER][B]A Fantasy Complete
[/B]

[URL="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jlOexrE23SM/Tjh9d6-j9FI/AAAAAAAAHA4/yNGPTJpyY3w/s1600/615911_197545_front.jpg"][IMG]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jlOexrE23SM/Tjh9d6-j9FI/AAAAAAAAHA4/yNGPTJpyY3w/s400/615911_197545_front.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

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Final Fantasy IV has been one of Square-Enix's favorite titles to remake/port over and over again. From the original PlayStation to the Game Boy Advance, Final Fantasy IV has been around in various forms. Now the complete experience can be played on Sony's portable in Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection containing the original game with enhanced visuals, The After Years, an episodic series of games formerly exclusive to WiiWare and the iPhone, and a brand-new Interlude that bridges the two together. Is this collection the ultimate fantasy?

Meet Cecil Harvey. He's the head of the Red Wings, an airship force that is the marquis of the kingdom of Baron. Their mission is to retrieve the world's supply of crystals through any means necessary. However, Cecil begins to have doubts once his team massacres a group of innocent mages just to gain the town's crystal. The king of Baron (with a seemingly new personality) hears of Cecil's doubts, kicks him off of the Red Wings, and relegates him to a mission to take a package with childhood friend, Kain, to a faraway village. When this does not go as planned and the package is actually a bomb that sets the town on fire, Cecil and Kain only further question the motives behind Baron and its power-hungry majesty.

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Edward's kingdom is reborn in the Interlude.
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The tale of Final Fantasy IV (known back then in North America as Final Fantasy II) is a complex one with characters that grow throughout the game. Characters come and characters go, sometimes sacrificing themselves for the common good. Each party member has their own skills and abilities to separate each and every one from the pack. Cecil can use his dark knight powers to sacrifice hit points to damage enemies, Rydia can summon creatures and use black magic early on in the game, Tellah is the magic user of the party and utilizes some devastating and helpful magic in battle, and Yang can establish rank in encounters, obliterating foes with his martial arts skills.

Your party has a maximum amount of five members. As stated, they come and they go as the story permits. When one leaves, eventually another joins. In all, over ten different members will join Cecil in his quest throughout the duration of Final Fantasy IV to take down the sinister Golbez, the seemingly-omnipotent menace that thirsts for all of the crystals for unknown reasons.

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Battles are fast-paced in Final Fantasy IV.
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Battles in Final Fantasy IV were revolutionary for its time. The game used an active-time battle system, something that future Final Fantasies would feature. Each party member has a bar that slowly fills up. Once it fills to capacity, then that party member can choose an attack, spell, item, or other option in combat to utilize on their fellow party member or foe. Meanwhile, their enemies used the same concept. Certain spells like Haste and Slow could fasten or decrease the speed of a character's bar to either help or hurt their chances in battle.

Magic plays a huge part of combat in Final Fantasy IV. While not every party member can use magic, the ones that can't can use items to heal and help their fellow man or woman. Magic uses up a certain number of MP depending on the type of spell used. Some monsters are immune to some types of magic. Some will counterattack with a powerful move if magic is used on them. Strategy is key in battle whether it's with magic or items.

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New graphical effects show off the processing power of the PSP.
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Final Fantasy IV features two worlds, an overworld and an underworld. There's plenty of side content to partake in, summons to learn, extra bosses to battle, and hours to sink your teeth into. The main game lasts around 25 hours if you're really smoking. The games that accompany the main game, The After Years and the Interlude, don't fare quite as well. Not only are they far too linear in dungeon design, but they're quite short. Sure, there's an interesting moon mechanic in battle where when the moon wanes, attacks are increased in the Interlude, but that does little to make this new mode worth it.

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The Interlude introduces Cecil and Rosa's child.
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Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection has gotten smacked with the pretty stick. New higher resolution sprites and backgrounds have been crafted, and they look quite nice. They're detailed, colorful, and full of charm and character. Nobuo Uematsu's classic score is represented well. Players can opt to use the original soundtrack or the updated Nintendo DS version, and this option can be switched at any time. Overall, the PSP presentation of the game is excellent.

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Straight from the GBA version, the Bestiary.
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While The After Years and the Interlude of Cecil's compendium of adventures may not be worth playing through-- only the greatest fans of Final Fantasy IV lore should check it out, Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection is worth it simply for the original game remade in stellar form. Even if you've played this title twenty times, it's at your advantage to pick up the ultimate incarnation of Final Fantasy IV. For only thirty bucks, this collection is a steal.

[SIZE=4][B][SuperPhillip Says: 8.5/10][/B][/SIZE]...

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Cowboys and Aliens Review is on Wordpress.com frontpage

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It's one if the featured Freshly Pressed. I'm pretty excited about that. Thanks to anyone who has viewed the site.