The Last of Me and going back to an old friend

So of my PS3 games, I've been playing The Last of Us.  Well, actually I've been trying to play that game.  I've got it on easy, but I keep dying. 

Every time I get in an area that explains a new thing to me, like clickers, or crafting Molotov's, I get stuck because I keep dying.  My first time running through those sections are usually my best.  Each time after that I get worse and worse. 

I even had to call my brother for advise because after dying 7 or 8 times I was ready to throw the game in the pool.  He explained to me what to do but I just couldn't see it in my head how I was suppose to make it work.  I got on Twitch and watch someone struggle in the same area.  He was using my brother's strategy of trying to confront the runners one at a time.  He died several times but eventually made it through.  When I went back to the game and tried it I was able to make it through on the first attempt.  But I think I got lucky.

Now, I'm stuck again.  This time I have at least 3 clickers and about 6-8 runners in one area and I can't seem to make it through.  It's right after you learn how to make Molotov cocktails.  On my first attempt I threw the Molotov too soon but was able to get several of the infected to run in to the flames before they went out.  But then I died.  After several attempts I can no longer get out of the starting area before dying.  What is wrong with me?

I was getting so frustrated that I stopped playing the game.  I thought about playing Uncharted but I was afraid that I would end up with the same problem.  I was beginning to think that buying a PS3 was a mistake.  I needed to do something before I totally regretted my decision and returned the system and games.

I went back to Game Stop and bough another game.  An old friend.  One I've played and finished.  One of the few games I've finished.  I have spent several hundreds of hours playing, and loving, this game, and it's sequel.  I bought Final Fantasy X and X-2 HD remastered.

I've finished FFX and I started playing it again before I got robbed.  Just recently I started it again on my PS2 because I was looking for something to get me back in the mood for gaming.  I had played FFX-2 for quite awhile before the break in, and only recently restarted that one making sure I played everything just right in order to get 100% completion in the game.  I'm currently stuck in that game in one area but the game lets you move to other places when you want.

I consider FFX a old friend.  I could spend all day playing that game and it would only feel like a few minutes because the time spent is so enjoyable.  And that's not counting playing Blitzball.  I could play that all day and do nothing in the story and have an even better time.  I don't know why. 

The pace of the game is just right.  The characters endearing.  The action exciting and manageable.  The combat controllable.  The story touching and very emotional at times.  I just watched one of the most beautiful cut scenes in the game last night.  It's beautiful to look at but gut wrenching when you think about what is happening and why.  And even more so if you've finished the game and you know how everything turns out.  It's just one of those games that I think hits all the right notes.  I like this Final Fantasy game better than FFVII and I think FFIX is a close 2nd.

I see 2 problems with the HD remastered edition.  1) I don't have an HD TV.  I still have an old, fat CRT TV and while I can see a slight improvement in the graphics I'm sure I could see more if I had a newer HD flat screen TV.  The font size is smaller, but still readable for the most part.  2) It seems to take a little longer to load things including the end of battle screens.  There's slight pause/delay before everything loads up.  I think it's because it's taking more time to load those new fangled graphics that I can't see on my old TV.  It doesn't effect the overall game play except that it make everything seem to take longer.

After playing the game for a couple of nights, my old friend has restored my faith in my PS3.  I won't be chucking it, or The Last of Us, into my pool.  I will probably play FFX some more before I take another swipe at The Last of Us.  But I think I'll need to watch some more Twitch before I do.

1 minute Time Travel game + 3 new games

I know I haven't blogged for awhile but that's because I've had a lot of stuff going on in my life that has made blogging (and sometimes gaming) very hard to do.  For starters my birthday was this month (the 15th).  I've gotten to a point in my life that another birthday is just another day in my life.  But on the other hand I've been feeling a little blue lately that having someone actually acknowledge it's my birthday and want to celebrate with me would be nice. 

On top of all of that my supervisor went out on maternity leave this month and I've had to tag along to a bunch of her meetings before she left so I can step in to her shoes and fill in for her while she's out for the next 3 months. 

On top of that I've had problems with my AC unit.  Right when the temperature starting hovering around 108-110.  I called the guy out the first time and he couldn't pin point what was wrong with the unit, but admitted that it wasn't functioning correctly.  He suggested either the thermostat, the compressor or the blower motor.  The cheapest fix was the thermostat, starting at $200.  My dad suggested I go to Home Depot and buy one myself.  I got one for $25 and he helped install it.  Unfortunately that didn't solve the problem.  After getting another guy to come out and have a look he found out it was the starter relay for the compressor and the compressor wasn't running efficiently.  The bad news is I ended up spending $1,116 to fix the relay and compressor.  The good news is I finally have cold air in my house again. 

So with all those things (and a general disgust with how things have been happening while playing) I haven't blogged or felt like playing for awhile.  I did buy 3 new games though.  It was my birthday present to myself.  And I needed some cheering up.  I got The Darkness 2, Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns and Splinter Cell: Blacklist.  Got 'em used and cheap at Gamestop (although I found out later I could have gotten SC:B even cheaper on Amazon . . . and new too).  I should probably stop buying new games and just focusing on the games I already have. 

If I hadn't had to spend so much money to fix my AC unit I would have gotten a PS3 bundle.  There's a The Last of Us PS3 500GB bundle on sale for $269.  Unfortunately I'd rather have cool air than a new system right now.  I'm hoping it will still be available next month or August after I've financially recovered from this.

But until then I have a new "1 Minute" game.  This time (ha ha) it's with time travel.  You have one minute to list every game you can think of that has time travel as an element of game play.   Your character either travels through time to another point in the time continuum or your player plays in two different time periods.  I'm going to rule out the Fable games.  Starting as a kid for the "tutorial" parts and then playing as an adult for the main game doesn't count.  That's just a gimmick to help you learn the mechanics of the game before getting in to the real story.  So Fable games are ruled out.  For me and for you.

So now lets get to your list.

On your mark.

Get set.

Go.

Time travel.

Don't be cute and try to reset the timer.  That doesn't count as 'time travel'.

If you can get one in a certain franchise you should be able to get all 6.

And no, I'm going to give you a hint.

You better hurry.  You're running out of time.

(hee hee)

And STOP!

Okay how many did you come up with?

Here's my list:
Chrono Cross
Chrono Trigger
Time Splitters: Future Perfect
Assassin's Creed 1-3, Brotherhood, Revelations & Black Flag
Gears of War Judgement
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Final Fantasy X and X-2
Blink: The Time Sweeper
Civilization Revolution

That's a total of 14 games.  I'm very disappointed in myself.  I thought I could think up more than that.  There's got to me more, right?

I wasn't going to included Gears of War Judgement because I was thinking it was all flashback story telling but then I remembered that you actually play in the present when the Locus storm the courtroom place.  It's not stereotypical "time travel" but you are playing in two different time periods and I said that would count.

I haven't played Blink for so long but I remember it has something to do with time.  I could be totally wrong about that game.  I think I might have to go look up the story for that game and see if I'm way off.

I will admit that Civilization Revolution was also a stretch.  But since you play in multiple time eras and things change as you play I'm counting it.  Hey, it's my game so I will allow it.

As for the Final Fantasy games I'm saying they count even though I don't understand exactly how or why.  I'm not even sure I can explain to you my reasoning in a way that you'll be understand, even if you have played the games.  I understand all the Summoners and Sin stuff (to a point with Sin anyway) but where (or maybe when) Tidus comes from and how and what Yuna does in the second game to find him is still pretty hazy to me.  I'm working on another play through of the first game and I'm slowing plodding my way through the second game (when I can get my system to load it).  Maybe when I finish the second game I'll have a better understanding.

So tell me how many you got in the comments.  Was there an obvious game I missed?  Did I have some that you think you should have gotten?  Did you cheat and read my list first?  Shame on you. 

Not again

So in an effort to recapture some of that excitement of playing video games I decided to dust off my PS2 and play some old school games. I had good intentions, but things didn't turn out so good in the end.

First I had to find all the cords and equipment I would need to play on my PS2. It's amazing how the Dualshock 2 controller feels so foreign in my hands when it use to feel so comfortable. After I got everything hooked up I put in my first disk.

I decided to start with a great game that I spent more than a hundred hours playing and even more watching dain play as well. That was Final Fantasy X. It's one of the few games that I've finished yet I still go back and play it every now and then. I was hoping this would be one of those times. Unfortunately my PS2 said it couldn't read the disk.

After a few failed attempts I tried to put in another game. This time I picked up Dark Cloud. I was so close to the end the last time I had that game that I'm eager to get there again. It's one of the few games that I don't mind replaying all the earlier stuff to get back to where I was. Thankfully that game worked and I spent a couple of hours fighting my way through the dungeon levels and rebuilding Narrune.

Unfortunately I got a little cocky while battling an enemy and I thought I would defeat them before my weapon broke with still plenty of abs left to repair it, but I somehow miscalculated and my weapon broke and is now lost forever. It was a mighty powerful weapon. Let us bow our heads in silence for the lost of my shiny, strong sword.

And we're back.

After awhile I decided that I wanted to play something else. I played a little Final Fantasy IX but thought I should really be working on Final Fantasy VII since that is the game dain and I are suppose to be playing. I put disk one in for Final Fantasy VII but that game wouldn't load either. At this point on Saturday I turned everything off and went to my parent's house of dinner and to watch the hockey game.

On Sunday I wanted to try my PS2 again. Final Fantasy X still wouldn't work. Final Fantasy IX wouldn't work either. And now Dark Cloud wouldn't load up. I finally got a game to work. That was Muppet's Party Cruise but when it started to load the first screen of the game after I logged in it froze. When I tried to reset the PS2 it wouldn't read the disk again.

While on the phone talking to dain I finally found a game my PS2 would play. Balder's Gate Dark Alliance. I played that for awhile and found that I had to backtrack through a lot of areas that I had already been. Why I was back at the Inn I can't remember. At least the game worked.

The game I really wanted to play was Final Fantasy IX. Actually I really just wanted to play Tetra Master the mini game that you can play with villagers. I pulled a disk out of my case and put it in my machine. Much to my surprise the game loaded up. Unfortunately I had put in disk 3 instead of disk 1. After 4 or 5 failed attempts to get my machine to read the first disk it finally did and I spent a couple of hours fighting my way through an open field and an ice cave before I finally got a village. By then I was too tired to keep playing so I turned everything off for the night.

I had to send my Xbox 360 back three times in one year because it started to fail at reading disks. Now I'm having the same problem with my PS2. It's only a year old and hardly been played at all. And it's been stored in a nice dry dust free environment when not in use. Why is this machine having the same problem as my 360? And most importantly WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME AGAIN?

All I want is a nice quiet evening playing a game with a great story, engaging characters and fun game mechanics. I don't need life-like graphics and nonstop action to make me happy. For someone who's use to the level of realism in current generation consoles it was a shock to go back to the spiky hair, Popeye-like biceps of the characters of FFVII and even FFIX. We've come a long way since then in graphics and power and such. Why can't we have also come a long way in making consoles that actually read the disk that they're suppose to?

It wasn't like I was sticking an Xbox game in my PS2. Those games I tried were meant to played on that system. Maybe it's not the console but the disks themselves. It's possible. It they were my original games I know they would work. I take great care with my game disks. They're the closest I'll probably get to having kids so they get all of my love and attention. Unfortunately when I had to replace all of my games I had to take what I could find on some of them. Not everyone loves their games or takes care of them as much as I do. Either way I miss playing MY games on MY machines. I'm getting deja vu all over again and I don't like it. Please no more 'disk read errors'. Not now. Not again.

Poll Results - Spilling spoilers

It should come as no surprise to my friends as to what I voted for but here are the results anyway.

When can you give away spoilers in a new game?

2 weeks = 1 vote
1 month = 3 votes
2 months = 1 vote
6 months = 1 vote
1 year = 0 votes
You should never give away spoilers = 1 vote

I'd love to be able to play a game for hours on end when it first comes out. Unfortunately I have a job, a house, and yard with an endless supply of weeds to tend to. And that's not counting all the invites I get from friends to play games with them. They're just so needy that I feel bad for them so I can't help but accept. But I'm not complaining.

What I will complain about is when friends blurt out (although innocently enough) a major spoiler to a part of a game that I haven't gotten to yet. Like "I was really sad when my dog died in Fable II" from JimBeam. What? The dog dies? Don't say another word, I don't want to know. It made it hard for me to bound with my dog (who I just acquired) because I didn't want to get too attached to the little critter. Once I got over that, I decided to make his time a joyous one. Every chance I got I played with him. I played fetch. I told him he was a good boy (it helped me pick up the ladies). And I never scolded him. Unfortunately I wasn't advancing the plot very much in my effects to give my dog a memorable life.

Since then my friends have been very good about trying (desperately) to not talk about games I'm playing (or trying to) without giving away too much information. I guess the riot act I gave them after "the dog incident" had an effect. But there have been some times I've had to unplug my headset so they could talk freely about a game and I wouldn't have a stray bit of information ruin it for me. Unfortunately there's no way for me to know when they are done talking AND no way for me to communicate with my teammates during the match.

I am a little surprised by the "2 week" vote. Seriously? I know games are getting shorter these days but who can finish a game in two weeks . . . if they also have a life? I've taken a couple of days off to play a new game but even then I haven't been able to finish a game in two weeks. Maybe that's just me.

I guess two months is a more reasonable time frame with the exception being the last part of the year. There are so many games that come out between October and December that there's no way someone could play them all. Those games will need extra time to play just because there usually is so many of them to get through.

I've know a thing or two about spoilers for a long time. Dain and I use to meet up at my parents house to do laundry and we'd bring our systems and play games. And for single player RPGs one of use would play and the other one would watch. There have been many games where I watched dain play through an area long before I got there in my own game. While it gave me pointers on how to handle certain key boss battles, it did ruin key moments in games (like the ending to Final Fantasy X). In hindsight I wished I hadn't watched him play games, but I really did enjoy those times together.

If you do need/want to talk about spoilers in a game I would suggest you make a "SPOILER ALERT" warning to all your friends. Then they can decide if they want to listen in and have moments of the game be ruined or tune your out and preserve the magic of the moment. If they tuned you out you might want to reel 'em back it when you're done discussing the game. Or not. Depending on if you prefer their silence to their usual banter.

And while spoilers are terrible things to let loose in the world without providing your friends with the necessary precautions, I do like hearing people talk about the games they are playing. I've picked up a few games based on those recommendations (and avoided a few more) and I hope to continue to do so. Just be kind and give me a heads up if you're going to blab the ending to a game. If it so pleases you.

Gaming Goal completion/addition

Since I finally found my Star Wars: The Force Unleashed game I can cross that off my list of things I want to accomplish. Yeah me! I think what I'll add in it's place is this one:

10. Play Final Fantasy X-2 along with metallicorphen.

I think he's still planning on playing this game. If so I'd be happy to play along and commiserate about how tings are going. Or not. It's really up to him. But I want to make sure orphie has COMPLETELY finished FFX first. Yes, some of the end battles are a pain, but trust me they're worth it.

It's been so long since I've played this game that I think I'll have to start over. I can't remember where I was in the story for the life of me. And I think I got distracted by some mini-games and spent more time playing those instead of the main story. But that's a Final Fantasy game for ya.

If anyone has a game they think I should play while they play along in it too (and maybe even do some co-cop campaigning if it's in the game) let me know. If I've got (and got the time to play it) I wouldn't mind a little friendly banter as we level up.

Linkin Park has it all wrong

I'm a huge Linkin Park fan. I have all their CDs, blast their songs when I hear them on the radio and sing loudly along with them while I'm driving. One of my favorite songs is "In the End", but I have to tell you they've got it all wrong . . . as far as gaming is concerned.

If you don't know the lyrics to the chorus here they are:

"I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter"

How do I know they've got it all wrong? Because in "The End" it DOES matter.

Just ask my brother kai. He recently just finished playing the story in Call of Duty 4 and he was over the moon at having finished his first video game. I know how he feels. I've finished a few games in my life too. And I have four more I should be finishing sometime (along with my brother dain --hint hint--).

There's something magical about getting to see "The End" pop up on the screen after long hours of game play. After saving Little Sisters . . . or harvesting them. After finding out your father is Sin and defeating him . . . and then realize who/what you are? And finding out long lost friends, who became enemies, become friends again in death and their Dragoon orbs await another hero. It's a sense of accomplishment. An achievement without a musical note and a score of points . . . unless you finish Portal than you have your very own musical score to listen to.

Finishing a game means your hard work paid off. Hours spent agonizing over how to finish a level and move on to the next one are answered with a "Ta-da" instead of "our Princess is in another Castle". It's a show of mental powers as well as physical endurance. You can prove that you can go days, weeks or even months between gaming sessions in a single game and yet still follow the story line to get done what needs to be done. You've endured the button mashing and you might even have the bruises or calluses to prove it. It's wonderful.

But once you finish a game that has more than one difficulty setting every gamer is faced with the same question. Do I go back and replay the game on a harder difficulty? I know some gamers that go for the hardest difficulty the first time around. In a lot of games that unlocks all the achievements on the lower difficulty settings at the same time. Even then, in a lot of games the "insane" setting doesn't unlock until you've beaten the game once before. So in order to get those achievements you would have to play the game twice. But we're not talking about finishing achievements here. We're talking about the game itself.

As much as getting "The End" message on your screen after a long gaming session, it's even worse getting the "Game Over" message. You don't have "to fall" to get to "The End" . . . at least not in any of the games I've finished. And with save files it really doesn't matter if you do. Do you remember when "Game Over" literally meant your game was over? There were no restarts from the last checkpoint or loading last save file. When your character died he was . . . well, dead. But as much as "Game Over" is devastating "The End" is just as rewarding.

So Linkin Park might not have got it right when it comes to gaming, but I'm still going to be belting out their tunes on my drive home even though I hear the shower has better acoustics. And once I get home I'll be working on that elusive "The End" and the rush of euphoria that comes with it.

Why do we replay video games?

Gamer Informer online had an interesting article about why we replay video games. I had to stop and think about it for a bit to try and see why I replay video games. Here's their eight reasons and my take on them.

#1 - Financial Limitations
It's been awhile since I've had some financial limitations on my game buying experience. It's not that I make a lot of money or I've won the lottery, it's just that I've refined my tastes in games a lot better. There was a time when the Game Cube and original Xbox came out that I wanted both but couldn't afford them. My brother dain and I compromised. He was making more money than me so he bought the Xbox and I bought the Game Cube. We'd meet up at my parent's house and share systems. Once I realized that I just couldn't play Xbox games once a week I re-examined my budget and found away to buy an original Xbox (refurbished).

I've bought several games because they were popular (Grand Theft Auto III) and haven't liked them, so I eventually sold them back. Since then I've tried to be informed about games and only buy the ones I think I'll like. I have gone out on a limb for games that looked interesting without knowing anything about them (Pikmin) but now I do a little bit of research before buying.

#2 - Nostalgia
Yes, I go back and play older games because I miss the game play. They also remind me of when my life wasn't filled with so much responsibility. Games can be an escape not just with their game play but also with the mind set they can put you in. I will always love Legend of Dragoon and I think as long as I've got a system to play it on I will always be going back to play that game. Final Fantasy IX and X are also like that for me.

#3 - Old Games/New Tricks
I'm not a glitcher. I don't use cheat codes (unless I absolutely can't get through an area without one). So picking up an old game just because someone figured out how you can get through one area without dying doesn't do it for me. I might pick it up because the first time through I struggled to beat a boss using wind based weapons but then I find out fire based weapons work much better. I like replaying games to see if there was a way I could have gotten past a point a little easier without using any cheats. Games that now have downloadable content will get a second play through by me. Same game but new stuff is always a good thing.

#4 - Unlockables
Unlockables are good. Playing a game where the choices you make determine what future missions are available is also a good thing. I like the fact that how you play the game and the decisions you make effect what actions and story lines are available to you. If you pick the good story line (being a saint in Fable or good in Knights of the Old Republic or a by-the-books soldier in Mass Effect) and having that determine what you can and can not do (even if only in dialogue choices) makes playing the game a second time to see what things are different a good game. And the "New Game+" option I first encountered in Chrono Cross (I think) is fantastic. How much do you hate getting to the end of the game and finally getting that ultimate weapon but there's only one battle left to use it in? Let us keep what we've got and start all over with the enemy adjusting accordingly.

#5 - Difficulty, Co-Op and Multiplayer Modes
I will never play a game the first time on the hardest difficulty. I'm just not that good of a player. I always start out at easy or normal. Once I've gotten a feel of the game I usually can do better but it takes me a while to get to that point. I like playing Co-Op games. I don't have to start at the beginning with someone but jumping into a level with someone else is so much easier then doing everything yourself. And if you're playing a level ahead of where you are in your single player game once you get up to that level you'll know what to do. I can't tell you how many times this has helped me in a game. For multiplayer games I will always enjoy going back and playing Star Wars Battlefront. Partly for nostalgia but partly for the fact that you can get more people in a Battlefront game than you can in a Gears of War game. The more the merrier I say.

#6 - Achievement Points
There is one thing I don't like about difficulty level achievements. If you play a game through on Hard you get the achievement for that but also the achievement for Easy and Normal as well. To me (maybe because I always start on easy) you should have to play the game at each level to get those achievement points.

And what are you going to do if you finish BioShock and realize you're missing a journal or two? You could load up a previous save or you could restart the game. Either way you're replaying the game to get that Historian achievement. A lot of games have achievements that aren't possible to get in just one go through. Mass Effect is a perfect example. If you like a game enough to replay it for achievements then why not? If you like the game have fun with it and enjoy it second time around as well.

#7 - I can't quit you - addiction
For a while there I was addicted to Star Wars Battlefront. I had to play it every night. It didn't matter what kind of mood I was in or what things I should have been doing after I got home from work (like laundry), I just had to play the game. I went through a similar thing with SSX Tricky for the PS2. There are certain games that strike just the right chord in you at just the right time and you just have to play them. It's a drug and you need your fix. And there's nothing wrong with that . . . unless it interferes with living in the real world. It's a lot safer addiction than tobacco or alcohol or other drugs. And those people that are dying playing World of Warcraft have a lot more serious issues than just a game addiction.

#8 - Who the hell needs a reason?
Exactly. A good game is a good game no matter how new or old it is. And there's nothing wrong with playing a good game.

Bucket List for gamers

So I'm just playing around on the internet when I should be working and I find some interesting articles at Game Informer's website. The first one is "The Gamer's 'Do Before Death, Marriage or Kids' List". It was published in two parts: Part 1 and Part 2. It's a list of 150 things every gamer should do before they die, get married or have kids (all the same thing as far as I'm concerned).

I went through the list and crossed off all the things that I've already done. I was surprised that I had 67 of the 150 items already checked off. It beats the number of places I've been when compared to that "1,000 places you should see before you die" stuff. That was really depressing. Apparently I don't get out much.

Some of my favorite items I've crossed off were: 1) "Buy a game on impulse, without knowing anything about it beforehand" I've done that several times, 2) "Cry/Scream/Curse/Ignore bladder/Ignore Stomach/Ignore phone call during a cutscene. Done 'em all, most of the first ones came during Final Fantasy X. Most of the last ones came during Xenosaga I. 3) "Regret Purchasing a Game", there've been several I've regretted, but I used them for trade in value. 4) "Own more than one of the same console" thank you very much Microsoft. 5) "have your eyes glaze over playing Tetris" you could include Root Beer Tapper in that one too. 6) "Team Kill once" Yep! It was a blast.

Those are just some of the ones I've already achieved. Check out the list and tell me how many you've been able to cross off your list.

When the Mini Games take over

There are some games that I will probably never finish or even get out of the first level. Why? Because they have mini games.

I remember when I first played Blitzball in Final Fantasy X. I didn't know what the heck I was doing. I think my first win was more accident than skill. But I was hooked. When I lost the tournament and Wakka had to leave the sport as a loser I was devastated. I just had to win that trophy. I restarted from my last save and played through 3 or 4 times before I was finally good enough to win. I was thrilled. Every chance I got I played a Blitzball game. Or a tournament. I traded players that weren't working for me as I tried to put the best team together. (And yet I don't understand why people play fantasy sports leagues.)

When I started to play Knights of the Old Republic I became giddy with excitement when I found myself learning how to play Sabacc. Now here's a great game. Easy to master but hard to play against the right opponent. I think I had 20+ hours of game time but only 1-2 hours of actual game play in the story. I had a Sabacc habit and I couldn't stop.

And even though I still don't fully understand how all the numbers on the cards work in Tetra Master (Final Fantasy IX) I love that game. I want every card. I'll play anyone to get them. I've logged countless hours just wandering around villages looking for someone to play with me. Can't a girl get some game around here?

And games that have mini games as part of the way you play the game (Party Game)? Just let me play the mini games and I'm fine. I'd rather spend a hour or two playing several games of Too Cool (the ice cubes) or Speed Bingo in Muppet's Party Cruise than play an actual cruise length game. And my brothers and I always want to play the Waterfall mini game in Fuzion Frenzy instead of a tournament. And Monkey Target and Monkey Bowling (Super Monkey Ball 2) are so much more fun than those mazes (especially when you're stuck getting past one like I am). Even things you wouldn't normally think of as "mini games" like Terrorist Hunt in Rainbow 6: Vegas have been taking up all my time instead of playing the story mode.

When I find these little gems in the story or a side menu I can't help but play them. And when I play them, I fall in love with them. So much so that my progression in the story comes to a screeching halt as I plug in for another mini game playing session. It took a lot of effort to go back to the story in Final Fantasy X and finish it. I still have a previous save ready so I can go back and pick up a game of Blitzball if I feel like it.

So there's going to be a lot of games that I won't get very far in or even have the chance to finish. But that's what happens when the mini games take over.

The first step of recovery . . .

. . . in breaking my Xbox Live addiction is to unplug my Xbox 360. I finally did that last night. Unplugged it. Disconnected all cables. And buried it in the bottom of my TV stand (next to my original Xbox and Game Cube).

Currently the only game system still connected to my big TV is my PS2. My Super Nintendo is still connected to my smaller TV in the bedroom. It's just to much of a hassle to disconnect that one when I'm not playing.

That doesn't mean I'm giving up playing video games. I don't think I could ever do that. I just need to play something else. My Playstation games are getting so lonely. Besides I miss playing my PS2.

There was a time when that was all I played. Even after I got my Xbox and Game Cube I always found myself playing Playstation games. I put a lot of time and effort, but especially a lot of time, into Playstation games but I only finished 2 of them (Legend of Dragoon and Final Fantasy X). I have more games for the Playstation 2 than any other system I own. And if you throw the original Playstation games into the mix, well . . . let's just say I have a lot. (PS=59, PS2=125, PSP=12, Xbox=42, Xbox 360=23, GC=24, N64=12(if I don't find the ones I think I'm missing), Super Nintendo=23, Gameboy=63(all types).)

I've been playing the Xbox 360 so long now that the Playstation dual shock controller feels strange in my hands. It didn't use to be that way. The dual shock controller use to feel like it fit in my hands. The N64 controller felt awkward. The Xbox controller felt fat and heavy. The Dreamcast (my brother's system) felt weird and unbalanced. After moving up from the simplicity of the controller for the Super Nintendo the dual shock felt like what a controller should feel like. I miss playing with that controller.

So after I rearranged my electronics it was late and I probably should have gone to bed. But I just couldn't resist playing just a little bit on my PS2. After all, why did I dismantle my Xbox 360 to have more time to play my PS2 if I wasn't going to play it? And I learned something last night. It doesn't matter if I'm playing on Xbox Live or my PS2 I'm still going to stay up playing video games much longer than I should. Oh well.

Besides, who needs sleep anyway when you have an addiction to feed.