Why Won't You Pause? Dammit

You know what really annoys me, when your playing a game and have to go answer the door. You think "I will just pause this cut scene while I see who it is", only to find out that the game won't pause or the cut scene skips. This is something that happens pretty often to me, it seems as though everyone waits just until the cut scene starts before deciding to call and ask if I want new windows or with some retarded questionnaire that I don't want to answer. Heck even the pizza guy gets in on the act and chooses the exact moment to deliver my food, not 10 minutes before when I was wandering aimlessly across some field fighting some generic monsters, or shooting some terrorist scum in the head just so I could reach the next part in the story.



With the 360 on the odd occasion there is a way around this with a couple of games, such as pressing your guide button to freeze the cut scene up until you are ready to watch it. This doesn't always work though as sometimes the action will just carry on regardless. I like RPG's and one of the main element's of a good RPG is the story, in fact it is probably what helps make or break an RPG and forms many people's opinion of the game.

Games like Lost Odyssey, Final Fantasy X, Metal Gear Solid 4 and quite a few others let you pause cut scenes and it sound's like nothing, but it really is great that you can do something so simple in these games. If anything it has helped people enjoy the games a lot more as they know what is happening in the plot lines. (Except for MGS 4, nobody knows what Kojima is on about)


It is just a shame that so many games are ruined like this for me and quite a few other people at a guess. This could be simply solved with a few easy steps such as........

• Placing a large man-eating lion outside your front door, which really would be a good idea except for the cost of keeping a lion, and the inability to leave your house for fear of being eaten.
• An intercom system set up so people can buzz you from the front door and say what they want, enabling you to tell them to sod off without having to answer the door.
• Employing a butler, this would be a great idea but would leave you even less money to buy games. Plus if there was a murder committed everyone would accuse them of doing it, resulting in the press camping outside your house and banging on your door that the butler will no longer answer.
• A replay option that is available in the menu to replay the last cut scene, enabling you to answer the door and watch it when you get back.
• Finally how about just giving us gamers the option to actually pause a cut scene, other games let us do this. It wouldn't be to hard to implement into a game and would make for a better experience for gamers.

Will some game developers actually ever listen to their audience and add features like this to their games, or will myself and many others never be able to find out an important part of the plot, while that asshole came to the door asking if we have thought about changing our gas suppliers.

My Love/Hate Affair With My Nintendo DS

I have a DS, more than likely you also have a DS as well, with around 10 or so games probably. That seems to be the average amount of games a casual DS player owns, and in this selection of games most people will have about 2 that they actually play, and 8 others they bought as A) They thought they may enjoy them and didn't or B) They were on sale or recieved them as a gift.

It got me thinking though, out of my DS games I play only a few and I only picked up and dusted my DS for the simple reason that I got an R4 card so I can play emulators on it. Something I still am yet to do, the R4 card sits among the pile of junk on my desk yet to be opened. (My desk is a complete mess with takeaway menus, scraps of paper, CD's and other crap piled on top of each other for sorting out. Something I have been sorting out for about 6 months, and it keeps growing with new things getting balanced on the mountain of shit that needs throwing out)


So as I was saying, I am now playing my DS again Nintendo's little portable machine that can be enjoyed everywhere. Everywhere that is if you don't live in a place full of scum that wouldn't think of smashing you round the head to steal anything shiny, heck even for 2 lousy pounds. (My town just seems to be getting worse all the time, and as it's the largest town in Europe that is a lot of junkie scum in one place)

Maybe you think I am being over cautious but with the local newspaper not even covering stabbings that happen in the town anymore you can see something isn't right. Heck two people got robbed and stabbed only the other week 500 yards away from my house, and about a month or so ago someone broke into a 70+ year old womans home just down the road from me and raped then robbed her. (Come to Bolton the smack capital of the UK) So as a result I am limited to where I can play Nintendo's delightful little machine.


So I am left with very few choices of where to actually play my DS, like in my garden when the sun is shining and it's not raining (That's about 4 weeks a year) or somewhere in my house, and we all know where that is 90%. (Toilet gaming is indeed FTMFW!) I have this wonderful little machine that makes me able to play games anywhere as long as it is charged up, But why would I spend my time looking at a little screen when I can play games on various systems on a 42inch Hi-Def TV. I love my DS its great and lot's of fun, at the same time I hate it for never actually using it as Nintendo want me to use it. Let's all play games using Wi-Fi while sat on the bus, or while your sat in McDonald's eating your extra large fat burger and fries with a diet coke. (Why the fuck does it never look like on the picture on display? I want that burger not the shitty excuse for a burger that I get. You know the one that looks like it has been taken out of the trash)


I know this isn't Nintendo's fault, it's mine for living in a junkie filled town full of scum. The thing is I really want to use my DS a lot more, I just can't seem to bring myself to play it anywhere other than on the toilet these days. The fact that is my only use for the system just fills me full of regret, and a little sad that I live in a place that isn't part of Nintendo's perfect world. As a result I hate my DS for making me feel this way, just as much as I hate the junkie's and scum that seem to be breeding like rabbits and dragging us back down the evolutionary scale.

Second Day At Work

Well I started a new job yesterday, so today was my second day at work. I have to say it's pretty cool, with my first day being pretty easy. While the office is pretty busy I just got asked to do something then left alone until I had finished, no asking if I was nearly done or any pressure at all. As far as first days go it wsa pretty sweet, especially when I found out we don't have filters on the computers, so I can browse what I want to and search for things on the net (Cat Porn) when I am waiting for my next job. I wasn't even looking at the clock to see when it was home time, as a result I ended up staying an extra 20 minutes until I got asked why i hadn't gone home yet.


So with my first day done and left feeling happy at what a cushy job I had the day before, I went to work for my second day. It turns out that word has got around that I can help out with other bits and bats on the pc, so I am now getting asked to do other stuff like spreadsheets, registers and reproducing booklets that they have lost the computer file for. This is all after what I know I have to do in the mornings like making sure all the work placements have turned up and marking them off on the register before phoning through to another department to tell them who isn't in.

The sad thing about it all is it's great, as every little job I am asked to do only takes me a short amount of time. Since half the people aren't really great with computers they think everything is a big job, when really half the time it's pretty simple. As a result I get to say sure I will have it all done in about an hour, then just get it all done in 10 minutes or so and do something else. (Taking my DS in to pass the time on Friday to save sitting there all the time)


Since I have shown an ability to work with a few different things on the computer, my name has been put forward to go and help out with the learn direct group in the other building. If I can get on there helping out from time to time, it would be great for my resume. I may not know a lot of things, but I know a few bits of things here and there so I should be able to bullshit my way through it. I think it is just mainly working with beginners though teaching them how to use Microsoft Office and Excel. (I have used Excel for 2 days and it seems piss easy)

The only bad things are I keep getting told to take a break, even though I am already doing sod all and trying to browse the net in peace. There is only three women I would sleep with that work in the offices where I am, and last of all there is no decent graphic software for editing so everything looks crap. Which ended up with me uploading an image to my photobucket so I could fix it at home for a project I have been working on today


September 2007 to December 2008 life pretty much sucked balls for me, thank fuck 2009 seems to be better. I know this entry was pretty shitty but meh, expect me to get back to moaning how the women in the office refuse to sleep with me, or posting something game related soon. Heck I might even throw up a picture of me looking like a spaz at work.

Wasting Money On Games

You know what its like, you see a game on sale or you pick up the game you pre-ordered 5 months before and then put them on your shelf to play at another time. As time passes you think I will play that in a while, yet a few months pass and it is still sat there on your shelf, and your left wondering why you have bought the game if you can't be arsed playing it.

I think this happens to quite a few people, myself included as I browse my shelves and see unopened games I really can't be arsed bringing myself to play. Only the other day I bought the PS2 game Odin Sphere because it was on sale and I may play it one day, but then again I probably won't and it will just sit on my shelf collecting dust.


I really am quite terrible for doing this, I walk into the store for one thing and end up coming out with about 5 and thinking to myself "Shit I needed that money for food". I just can't seem to resist buying games just so I add to my collection. Worst still is when I have bought brand new full price games, as those things aren't exactly cheap. Then there are the times I decided to import a game of plump for the special limited edition with the bonus dvd I will never watch.

It is scary to think how much money I have spent on games just to have them never getting played, or playing one or two of them for less than an hour and putting them on my shelf to never play again. I could trade them in but I wouldn't get anything for most of them, since you lose so much on trades. (Yet shops like Game sell them second hand at double or triple the price they give you)

It's not just games either, I have a Wii that last got touched about 4 or 5 months ago when I bought a new game for it. It is now just sat there unplugged annoying me saying "Wow you bought me and all these games for nothing" and it's true I have spent about 50 hours playing on the Wii since I bought it just after launch. The worst thing is the game I have played most on it is Wii Sports, so why the heck did I buy the other games for it when I knew I wouldn't play them.


Here are just a few of the games sat on my shelf still sealed.....

• Fallout 3 (360)
  
• Condemned 2 (360)
• Tiger Woods 09 (360)
• Madden 09 (360)
• Eternal Sonata (360)
• Devil May Cry 4 (360)
• Project Silpheed (360)
• Need For Speed: Undercover (360)
• Opoona (Wii)
  
• Final Fantasy 4 (GBA & DS)
• Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (DS)
  
• Freekstyle (Gamecube)
  
• Baiten Kaitos (Gamecube)
  
• Tales of Symphonia (Gamecube)
• Soul Calibur 2 (Xbox & Gamecube)
• Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter (PS2)
  
• Odin Sphere (PS2)
  

....and the list goes on with games on multiple systems, never mind the games I played for an hour or less.


The real crime in all this is I have fantastic games like the ones listed above, and yet I am playing crap like Jumper, My Horse and Me 2, Space Chimps and many other crap games that I shouldn't even think about playing. I guess it's time I took a step back and looked at what I am doing as a gamer, maybe it is time I started playing some of these games before buying any new ones. At least if I play a few of them it would not seem like a complete waste of money as it does now.

Wild Arms 5 Piracy

I really want to own Wild Arms 5, I have all the other games in the series and even imported Wild Arms: Alter Code F. There is just one problem though and that is the price, ever since the game got released in April 2008 I have been trying to purchase it. The only problem is that it only got a very limited release in Europe, as such the only ones I have managed to find are on ebay.

So why don't I just buy it from ebay? Last time I checked it was on sale at £100 new and it has been this price since about a month after it came out. £100 for a game that is supposed to sell for £25 is just bullshit, and it's the normal case of some asshole wanting to make money from people that want a game in short supply.



So why don't I buy a second hand copy of the game? Well the main reason is the ones I see all have French game manuals and sell for £60 or so. While the American versions sell for £40 second hand. I think it's great that after buying all five of the other games in the series, Media Vision and 505 games decided to screw over the fans of the Wild Arms series buy not making more copies of the game available, and having a system where some game stores don't even know the game exists, let alone recieved copies of the game for sale.

I guess I only have 3 options open to me.

1) Pay through the nose for a second hand copy with French game manuals.

2) Pay for a second hand copy from America I may not be able to play with my import boot disk.

3) Get a pirated version of the game that I would have bought if 505 games made more copies available in the first place.

Looks like I am going to be taking option 3, so thanks for the free game Media Vision and 505 games, I guess I deserve it for being a loyal fan of the Wild Arms series. It's nice to see your into rewarding your fanbase with free games, and also encouraging people to get them by pirating the games you spent so much time and money developing.

Stumble It!

Toilet Gaming

We all have done it at one time or another, your sitting on the toilet at home or at work doing a number two and you know your gonna be there a while. So you do the only thing you can do to make the time you spend in there less boring. (Yes I said doing a poop is boring, it just doesn't entertain me, and don't deny doing it) So you whip out your Phone,DS, PSP or other gaming device and play, often staying sat there playing away with your pants round your ankles longer than you need to.

So just what are some great games you can pick up and play for a quick 15-45 minute go, while locked in the bathroom? Well here are some of my favourite games to play....

Well my phone is a piece of crap, I am not one of these people that has to have the latest I-phone or Blackberry. I have a Razor phone that looked good about 2-3 years ago. Since I got a free game with my contract every month I have played some average and some great games on it. The ideal game to play is a simple puzzle game like Jewel Quest or the superior Jewel Quest 2.


The game play is simple you just line up 3 jewels to clear a line and light the tiles behind them. If you however line up 3 skulls they wipe out any tiles that are lit up where they were before you cleared them. I used to play this game all the time at work and it doesn't seem to get old, it's an addictive game to say the least and perfect to play on any phone. (Something that can't be said for 99% of phone games)


The DS is a great piece of kit, I only own the original one because I didn't feel that upgrading to a DS Lite was really worth it. I have to say that the number of games available is fantastic with the ability to play GBA games as well Nintendo gave everyone what they love, a backward compatible system. Personally I love to play RPG's on the DS, they are perfect toilet games as you can either continue the story, or just sit there and level up your characters by getting in some random encounters just so you can beat that boss a bit easier further along in the game.


This may look like a surprising choice but so far this game is everything you would expect to see in a Naruto RPG. Why would I play a Naruto game I hear you ask, well my kid has managed to brainwash me by forcing to watch Naruto with him for the last year or so. As a result I am now turning into a fan of all things Naruto. Path of the Ninja 2 see's some evil Ninja's releasing some evil spirits from a cave, and you must get 5 magical mirrors to seal the cave before the large demon escapes. Basically its an old school RPG like you would see on the Snes years ago, with the touch screen coming into play to do your chakra moves. (Basically special moves a bit like using magic in another RPG) The party system see's you being able to use a host of Naruto characters as you go about your mission, in this turn based RPG. (One to import if your in the UK as it still hasn't been released over here yet)

I no longer own a PSP, I still own about 25-30 games for the system though just incase I end up buying a new one in the future. I doubt that it will be any time soon though, as the PSP while being able to do a lot of things always felt a bit lack luster to me, and really uncomfortable to play on for more than about an hour.

Everybodys Golf features characters with oversized heads and a whole host of courses to play through. As well as this you have loads of items to unlock and purchase to improve your golfer, from better clubs to some new snazzy pants. The game just reminds me of Tee-Off on the Dreamcast, which was one of the most enjoyable golf games I have played to date. While Everybody's Golf doesn't improve on Tee-Off it is definitely on par with it. (Sorry I couldn't resist the bad golf pun, I guess I can't hit a hole in one all the time.) As each course takes around 3-4 minutes to play the game is perfect for a quick 9 holes while your otherwise engaged.

Now I know not many people have a Neo Geo Pocket Colour, but the few that have will no doubt have heard of this game and its SNK version counterpart. The Neo Geo Pocket was far superior to the Gameboy and Game Gear, the only things that really let it down was that nobody can compete with Nintendo when it comes to hand held's, and they had very poor third party support and as well all know without games your system sucks.

SNK Vs Capcom Card fighters Clash was released in two different versions, A Capcom version and SNK version. I managed to get both with my Pocket Colour, and there is very little difference between the 2 apart from the cards used in each version. The game sees you walking around and challenging people to fights using cards, kind of like Yu-Gi-Oh except less gay. The game basically sees you going around and getting more powerful cards, as you try and work out what your best strategy is with the cards you have. It's not the most thrilling game in the world, but that is why it is perfect for those lonely gaming sessions that include just you and your porcelain throne.

All four of the games are great in their own right, and are worth playing while not using the toilet. To those people still saying "ewwww" at the thought of using a system on the toilet, stop using your phone on the toilet or reading in there, it's just as disgusting.

Why do we stay up and watch crap films at 3am?

Over the last week or so I have sat down and watched some really bad films on tv, or ones that I have seen many times before. In doing so I have stayed up until 3 or 4 in the morning just to watch the end to a film that I already know the end to or don't really care about. It just seems that I am drawn into watching these films no matter how tired I am, and the best thing is the next day I sometimes can't remember what I stayed up to watch.


So just why do I keep doing it? I know I am not alone in doing this and many others do the same thing. I am just curious why we all keep subjecting ourselves to this kinda thing. It's a bit retarded to say the least, do we really need to see 2 Fast 2 Furious or Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift for the 5th time? Then there is always some crap film on from around the 80`s that we wouldn't watch any other day of the week like the Dolph Lundgren flop Masters of the Universe.


I really need to stop watching crap in ther early hours of the morning, if anything just for my own sanity, something that needs saving with the extra amount of crap stuff shown on TV over the festive period. If you could O.D. from watching crap TV I think I would be probably be six feet deep just from the last 2 weeks or so.

Thats not to say that some good stuff hasn't been shown, but it is all stuff I have watched before like Uncle Buck, Conan The Barbarian, Big Trouble In Little China and one or two other films everyone has seen a million times.


Could it be I am to lazy to turn the TV over or even off? I don't think it is, I just seem to be captivated and half to watch these kind of films to the end. It really is pretty sad that I am watching these films, when I have other stuff I could be doing instead, I guess I am just a sucker for watching crap and stuff I have seen many times before.