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This week, I have been yet again put into a situation which has become distressingly way too familiar in past years, that of having to take a stand on principles, even if that stand means that I have to forfeit either a friendship, or membership in a community. Typically, this means continued presence would either mean an eternal unresolvable argument, or acceptance of a status quo which I would find completely unacceptable. I don't want to get into the specifics of those situations because that's not my point here.

What is my point? Simply this: when one has been in way too many of these situations, a rational person has to ask themselves if they are slipping into self-righteousness, a term that's hard to define (I read one dictionary site list its definition as merely thinking that one is right, which would make one self righteous for absolutely believing that the sun is hot). I tend to define it as thinking that one is right because one is right, and that's the only possibility. Clearly, I or any rational person would want to avoid that, since that is the essence of being an irrational person.

First off, as long as both sides are being rational, it is quite possible that an impasse will still be reached. This often results from a difference of opinion where true proof is either impossible or exceedingly impractical to obtain. I have non-Christian friends. I see no purpose in being a jerk to them about my faith and attempting to push Christ unwanted upon them or attempting to assert moral superiority. Indeed, either behavior would be contradictory to Christ's instruction. So we are left at an impasse should matters of faith come up. The best rational people can do then is for both to agree not to be jerks about each other's faith or try to push their beliefs onto each other, essentially agreeing to disagree since neither side can be proven wrong (Certainly, I believe the proof will be evident upon the occasion of the Second Coming, but that is unfortunately something that I cannot produce on demand.)

So, what makes a person right and another person wrong? I notice that when I've had to take a stand on principle, the opposing arguments had one or more factors in common:

* Opposing arguer persists in an argument that can be and has been shown to be demonstrably false. There's an old computer expression abbreviated as GIGO. This stands for "Garbage In, Garbage Out". In other words, if you start with erroneous premises, you will all but assuredly arrive at erroneous conclusions. When a premise is simply false, that's one thing. When a premise is demonstrably false, only an irrational person will stick by it. In a variation, a person might have a premise proven false and seemingly accept it, yet not alter their argument in the slightest. This one, I can be guilty of sometimes, but it's contingent upon the rational person to demonstrate why the argument still works. This is often tied into the next factor...

* Arguer refuses to grant that the opposing argument is a valid point of view to possess, and possible. Unless we're dealing with obvious completely objective statements (like "The sun is hot" again), there is always a possibility that an opposing viewpoint may be the correct one. If I believe point A is correct, and someone else believes opposing point B, I might make great strides in the argument by assuming B is true and then proving that B leads to an impossible or irrational conclusion. An irrational arguer for point B will not grant that point A is valid and possibly correct, and therefore will, rather than argue, lecture from a point of self-assured superiority. If arguments you know are valid aren't making a difference or immediately twisted back on you without consideration, you know this is what's going on. Longer term, this leads to the perception that the arguer is not admitting that the other person is right solely because they do not wish the other person to be right. Also, a rational person's views will evolve over time on certain subjects because when they face a superior argument, they will admit that their thesis was false and adjust it. Someone who thinks they are always right will never allow correction of their viewpoints and thus can easily become to believe the most errant nonsense, defending it as vigorously as they would gospel truth.

* Often meshed with the above is when an opposing arguer gets angry, insults you or even threatens you rather than rationally answer your argument. When I see this, it appears to me as if the person knows that your point is correct, but wants to continue on their current course anyway since dealing with you rationally may result in partial or total compromise. Usually, this happens when granting that your point is correct means that they'll have to do something they'd rather not do. I experienced a variation on this once, where the person I was arguing with answered every point with "Well, that sounds good, but you need to understand how the real world works." Details about how the "real world "supposedly" worked" were, of course, not forthcoming. The only thing I've done similar to this is conclude that the person I was dealing with was literally insane to some degree. I wasn't the only person to reach this conclusion, but rather than attempt to use this as an arguing tool, I immediately ended the relationship and wasn't alone in that.

* When an arguer tells you that you "set them off", or "set off" someone they're representing in their argument, and therefore any bad behavior is either excused or blamed on you. In every case I've seen of this tactic being used, the person refuses to make any allowances for the person they're arguing against being "set off" and your behavior is expected to be perfect no matter what. As with above, this is a distraction tactic (at least subconsciously) as dealing with the argument may lead to compromise, but making the argument about "you made me angry" (or someone else) completely distracts attention. The rational arguer knows that any unpleasant behavior they exhibit is completely their fault and no one else's. We all make choices. Most of us hopefully choose to remain mature and rational even given heavy provocation not to be. The irrational person will not only allow themselves to be set off at light provocation, but may also cross the line into deliberately getting upset to distract away from an argument they can't answer.

I've seen these things way too many times. I do a lot of examination over these situations to determine if I have done them (ask Sutton if you don't believe me) and am fairly confident that I do not. It seems those who I've had issue with do no such examination. If I find fault on myself, I correct it. Like I've done my best to put situations right where I had a valid grievance but was taking it out on the wrong person, usually only to find out that they weren't anywhere near as bothered by my actions as I was.

I do think there can be a good side to this. Some people, the way they choose to act at the current time, there's just no healthiness in any relation with them. A good relationship is one you can count on. A bad relationship will only seem good until the chips are down. And sometimes a person can flat out change and become someone that the person they used to be would be flat out horrified by, and thus a good relationship changes into a bad one. No good comes from staying in a bad relationship, a bad friendship, a bad association, or what have you.

Obviously, I might expect more loyalty out of an actual friend over someone I met on a message board and never really talked to personally, but all healthy relationships, you need to be able to trust that the other person will act rationally. Sometimes, I've failed in that, I have to admit. But I'm open to the idea as long as the other party is also open, and I can admit when I'm wrong. I have several times.

I can hope that I'll be able to stop taking these stands on principle sometime soon. But I'll never accept being told that I have to say I'm wrong when I'm not. And if you're using irrational tactics to get me to say such... then I'm not. How can I be sure that you're wrong and I'm right? Others are doing these things. I am not.

Simple as that.

Suddenly.

It's one of the strongest words in the English language. It means an immediate (or shortly pending) change from one state to another, usually a radical one.

In September, I was told I was hired for a job in Saudi Arabia, only to see that job's departure date pushed back further and further, only to be ultimately told that because none of the companies involved did their research on what exactly was required for a Work Visa in Saudi Arabia, that I did not have the job. In retrospect, I probably should have been very suspicious when I was told that supposedly 139 teachers were hired without interview based on a company's recommendation. Of course, no one took that kind of responsibility to say that they dropped the ball, but it's what happened. It isn't like I was dishonest about what my qualifications were and what they were not.

In December, my recruitment company dropped me after 2 months of not even trying to find me a teaching job. The implication was that they no longer believed that I was hirable, but I think there was some dramatic behind the scenes politics going on. At first, I was disappointed, but then I realized that it was better they pulled this BEFORE I was hired by a school they recommended as this kind of behavior would indicate that since they weren't trustworthy, the schools they worked with could very well not be either, and I could be stuck in a very bad situation with no help from them.

And yet, one month after they rejected me... essentially throwing the money they would have gotten for me being hired away.... I got hired. And within 2 months of this, I will be in South Korea teaching.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to officially announce to the general public that you are reading the blog of one of the newest teachers at Global Vision Christian School in Eumseong, North Chungcheong, South Korea. It's been a long and sometimes rocky road getting here, but it's FINALLY here. For those who had faith in me all along that I'd make it, thank you. For those who didn't... oh well. Can't always be right, you know.

The last two words of my new employer's name is what makes this even more intriguing than just the idea of South Korea itself would be normally. A Christian School. The last time I was associated with that phrase was back in my days at Point Loma Nazarene College/University. I admit that I might be a little more stuck on those days than most people, especially having reconnected with so many of my old friends on Facebook and other services. Out of 150+ friends on Facebook alone, I'd say close to 90% of them are old Point Loma friends. And I'll be quick to remember good old days with them. I'll refer to the leaders of my old councils as "boss" and jokingly attempt to give orders to members of my old councils (which are always ignored). And some people go with it, including my ex-R.A. who constantly attempts to fine me for imagined offenses. Some people don't go with it, and may even be a bit nonplussed by it.

The reasons I think about those old days a lot is simple... it was very arguably the best time of my life. And then only near the end and afterwards did I begin a slow fall and crash both in terms of life success and spiritually. As I said in a recent entry, some of this was me. Some of it was just bad luck. And some of it relates to the fact that my back has felt like a pincushion for various daggers at times. My mother's passing alone was devastating to me, and yet it seems that God has used it to accomplish so much good. The only one of these factors I can affect is myself, and I'd like to think I've learned how to handle adversity better through all this.

But coming in at GVCS makes things feel like they've come full circle. And the absolutely scariest notion about it occurred to me the other day. There were quite a few individuals of the faculty at Point Loma who ended up being Christian role models for me. I treasured knowing them, and felt they made my life and my Point Loma experience better. And there were at least a couple that... well... failed at that. And now, it's going to be me who is going to fill one of those roles. It's not part of the job description, and unlike Point Loma, GVCS isn't an institution of any specific church as far as I know, but it's there. As a sub, it's really easy to not think about the influence I have in young lives. Most of my classes, I'm only there for one day, and am probably easily forgotten by most of the kids I teach. There are some classes where I've been specifically requested to return, including one where the teacher reported to me that the class asked her "Why didn't you have Mr. Hines come back?" when they had another substitute they didn't like. There are kids I'm going to be seeing day after day after day, and I will be a factor in their spiritual walk, whether a major or a minor one.

I don't know if I'm ready for that. If I had to give that question a definitive answer, I'd say that no, I'm not ready for that.

But I'd better get ready. I promised myself that after the Saudi Arabia false alarm, I wouldn't get excited about another supposed job until I got flight information, since the date couldn't keep being pushed back at that point. And that's happened. I'll be leaving Lompoc for at least a year (assuming I'm competent enough to not be fired) on the 9th, catching a flight at 12:30 AM on the 10th. That's just a week from Tuesday/Wednesday. And that's hard to even consider at this point. 12 days. Then I take my two suitcases and carry on and go live in another country for a year, a quarter of the world away from my family and friends.

Certain things are going with me. A stuffed dog that I won from the Carrows grabbing machine that will remind me of my awesome friends from karaoke, a Rams mini helmet that should look wicked cool sitting on MY desk, and a picture of me and my mother from a 2001 trip to Sea World. She'd be going crazy with pride right about now. Hey, ma. I made it. Top of the world.

In so many ways, it seems a circle is completing and that after a long cold lonely decade, I'm reaching heights I haven't for years. It feels like God is pushing me in the directions he wants to go and I've seen Him work before by closing every door but one for me, and leaving the one He wanted me to go through completely wide open.

Let's go.

For those of you actually reading this on my blog, you'll notice that I specify Pacific time on the timestamp for this entry, and there's a good reason for it. This is going to be the last entry made from the United States for the conceivable future.

After desperately trying for this for a year and a half, emotions are running high for this. It's almost a dream position. The only drawbacks are that I'll be in a very small town and that I'll be sharing an apartment (though thankfully not a room). But on the positive side, being at a Christian school and being able to teach in my major (presumedly) are big pluses I was never anticipating. Due to the Saudi Arabia false alarm and other close calls, it probably won't completely sink in until I'm on the plane... but as my room gets more and more bare as more and more goes into storage, I find myself more and more excited.

The next time I contact you will be from South Korea, so for the final entry of this chapter of my blog and life, I'd like to go back to an old gimmick and share a song with you.

If you want to hear the song, you can go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryEjm3k6uY0

This looks familiar
Vaguely familiar
Almost unreal yet
It's too soon to feel yet
Close to my soul and yet so far away
I'm going to go back there some day.

Sunrises, nightfalls
Sometimes the sky calls
Is that a song there?
Then do I belong there?
I've never been there but I know the way
I'm going to go back there some day.

Come and go with me
It's more fun to share
We'll both be completely at home in midair
We're flying, not walking, on featherless wings
We can hold on to love like invisible strings.

There's not a word yet for old friends
Who've just met
Part heaven, part space
Or have I found my place?
You can just visit, but I plan to stay.

I'm going to go back there some day
I'm going to go back there some day 

As I speak, I’ve finished up the summer school campaign and am currently taking two weeks off to recover from a very hectic and eventful semester. So let’s go ahead and hop back into the games talk.

Diddy Kong Racing- N64:

This is another one of my inherited games. Didn’t play it much, but from all indications, it was inferior to Super Mario Kart. That said, there is a DS version of this now.

Doom 64 – N64:

Another inherited game I didn’t play much. Didn’t get very good reviews. It was a Nintendo 64 port of the classic Id Software shooter Doom.

ESPN College Hoops 2K5 – PS2:

2005 was a banner year in sports games as Sega decided to sell all their current titles in the 2K series for $20 new. So I picked this one up along with all the others. Like most NCAA based games, real names could not be used, but this game contained the option of giving all players random names so you didn’t just play with numbers (although oddly in some cases the numbers were wrong anyway). This had create a school, but for the franchise mode, you could only start out with a substandard team. I played with Dartmouth as I used to have a friend from that area. I actually got them to the Final Four… and my save file corrupted. Fun game.

ESPN NBA 2K5 – PS2:

This is another $20 title. Very good game. I would have played it more but sports games tend to clog memory cards, and up until recently, I only had 2 8MB memory cards for a very large PS2 collection. Very good Create modes, and an interesting side mode called 24/7.

ESPN NFL 2K5 – PS2:

This is pretty much the last non-EA NFL game produced and a lot of people think it’s better than Madden to this day. It had a very good announce team and side modes. One thing I liked that Madden has yet to put in is the ability to choose exactly what aspect of a play you’re challenging. Suppose in Madden you’re convinced that after a computer reception for the first down, the refs got the spot wrong, so you hit Challenge. Well, it turns out you can challenge ONLY whether or not the catch was completed, which you’re not arguing.  Still worth playing today.

ESPN NHL 2K5 – PS2:

I need an update for this series as it’s a very fun hockey game. Plus it’s one of the few games that can recognize and say the word Hines, and that’s a fun little bit of immersion that other games (including other games by this same publisher) don’t offer me.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Game of the Year Edition – PC:

A modern western RPG done very well. It clocks in at over 200 hours of game play with just the core pack alone. This edition comes with two of the DLC included (the two biggest ones). It’s a little bit of false advertising because if you were to buy the DLC, you’d get smaller bits of DLC included (such as the infamous Horse Armor) but those smaller bits are not here. Very compelling game, definitely worth the $20 I paid.

Elite Beat Agents – DS:

A very quirky music based game for the DS. This one is heavily inspired by a Japanese game, and EBA just remakes the game with American songs (or at least covers thereof). Basically, as an Elite Beat Agent, you help use music and dancing to solve various problems, and to keep dancing in time and win the game, you have to hit circles in time with the rhythm. The covers are decent, and the stories are actually somewhat amusing. This game helped me discover a few songs I liked. It is worth noting that on the level designed around Good Charlotte’s “The Anthem”, the story completely misses the point of the song, as it deliberately sounds like a rah-rah anthem, but the point of the song is that the singer does NOT want to be like the hypocrite he is singing about.

Extreme Warfare Revenge – PC:

A freeware wrestling federation simulator. You play as the head booker for a wrestling federation. You need to sign wrestlers and other talent, give everyone gimmicks, plan feuds, and put on good shows, while dealing with varying talent levels, backstage cancers, injuries and other real life worries. It has a minimal text based interface and you have to use your imagination for stories, but it is a fun game for any wrestling fanatic. The author has since moved on to a pay version of the game that I never really got into. But EWR is still available and still very fun. If you look, you can find data files with updated information on today’s wrestlers.

Eye Toy: Play – PS2:

To be honest, I only got this game because it came packaged with an Eye Toy (a PS2 webcam) for $10, meaning I got a discounted webcam of high quality (for which there are drivers on the net to use as a PC webcam) and the game for free. This is a collection of minigames using the camera. Basically you see yourself like in a mirror and you move to accomplish various things in the game. It’s a random diversion, and I have used it to keep kids occupied when roped into babysitting duty before, but I’m glad I didn’t pay more for it.

That wraps us up. When I pick up the project, we’ll look at F-Zero X, FIFA Soccer 08, FIFA Street 3, Fight Night Round 3, and the various Final Fantasy games in my possession: Tactics, VII, X, X-2, XII and XIII.

As I continue with the games project, I have realized something. With my membership in PlayStation Plus, the pay network plan for PlayStation Network, I have been receiving games, and since I legally obtained them, they would go here. The only difference between these games and regular games is that the games are only licensed for as long as I remain a PlayStation Plus member, but that’s until late October 2011, and even then, it’s pretty easy to imagine them changing this policy by then.

So here are some bonus games in the name of catching up:

Age of Zombies – PSP:

Here’s one of the oddities of PlayStation Plus. Some of the free games are registered as PS3 and PSP compatible or only PSP compatible, and yet still play on PS3. I do not own a PSP, but the game works. Anyway, Age of Zombies is a game a lot like Smash TV in which you run around from a top down perspective (or actually ¾ perspective, but same thing) shooting zombies in each of the 8 primary directions. Each stage is a different time period (5 in all), and the game is played as a parody. Some naughty language ruins the appeal for kids.

Fieldrunners – PSP:

Another top down game. Here, you build various towers to help defend your field as various forces run across it. There’s strategy involved because various forces that run across are countered by individual weapons better. For example, if you build nothing but heavy weapons, the heavy artillery that rolls across will be taken out, but individual soldiers will get through due to low rate of fire. Money is also a constant concern. You lose the game once 20 individual troops (any type) make it through the field. Oddly, I did better my first time when I went in with no strategy than I have in subsequent plays.

I believe that catches us up to today so we can continue.

F-Zero X – N64:

This is an advanced sequel to the SNES game F-Zero, this one’s a 3D racer and definitely worth some play if you like racers. These days, you can get it off the Nintendo network for Wii for $10.

FIFA Soccer 08 – PS3:

One thing I immediately don’t like about this one is that there seems to be no team creator as there was in PC versions of this game from previous years, and there’s a limit on how many stats I can give my created player (why even have a created player if you can’t make him good enough to start?) It also seems a bit harder than previous games, which makes it a bit more realistic, but so far, I have liked previous versions of this game better.

FIFA Street 3 – PS3:

I picked this one up because I really liked the NBA and NFL Street series. I haven’t played it much, but in my first playthrough, I wasn’t overly impressed because it seemed like you could never score until one team got the Gamebreaker, then could score at will. Maybe I’ll have more fun with this one later.

Fight Night Round 3 – PS2:

Actually a lot of fun, and one I might pick up for the PS3 someday. This one has all the punches controlled through the analog sticks and the control scheme really works once you get the hang of it. Awesome graphics, even on the PS2. One favorite activity of mine was to create Jack Thompson, as ugly as possible and with no stats and either beat him senseless in the 1^st round or punch him illegally (if you get my drift) until he “won”. Great career mode here, and after I retired, one of my frequent opponents became my “legendary feud” for the ESPN Classic mode.

Final Fantasy Tactics – PS:

Here we go into the increasingly misnamed Final Fantasy series. This one is a ¾ perspective tactical RPG. In combat, you move each character around the battlefield when it’s their turn, making the combat very strategic compared to the main series’ concept at the time of “everyone stand in a line facing each other and attack when it’s your turn”. The plot involves a young noble being the only one standing up for the forces of good when it seems everyone around him in power is becoming corrupt and trying to let out demons that will control the planet. This one is available for $10 on PSN and I highly recommend it. Just ignore the fact that no one has a nose.

Final Fantasy VII – PS:

This game is arguably the killer ap of the PlayStation 1 and very arguably the most famous Final Fantasy of all time. If you haven’t played it, it’s also available on PSN, but do everything you can to avoid spoilers. Trust me. One of my best memories is when a friend of mine (one of those who hosts my website as a matter of fact) played through this one while I was briefly living with him and he was on a break due to wisdom tooth removal, so he did a marathon playthrough. Another friend and I talked about how if Smash Brothers needed one more character to be complete, it’d be either Cloud Strife or Sephiroth.

Final Fantasy X – PS2:

This is the series’ debut onto the PS2, and while some people take issue with it, I like it. It’s pretty much the last appearance of the “Red Rover” style combat I mentioned above, and it’s one of the classic love stories in video game history. A lot of Crowning Moments of Awesome here.

Final Fantasy X-2 – PS2:

The first direct sequel to a Final Fantasy game. One pleasant memory I have is finding this one at a local used games, DVDs and CD store while it was still pretty new for $21. And apparently due to the low price, someone had hidden it misfiled under anime DVDs, and I guess I ruined their day. While I could do without the Grrl Power vibe, and the ATB combat system really rendered most attacks except plain “Hit guy with weapon” inpractical, this one had its moments. Though it was a pain in the butt to get the happy ending.

Final Fantasy XII – PS2:

This one is not to be confused with the last one. This one is Twelve, and the last one is Ten Two. Kind of interesting for a Final Fantasy game that there’s no love story, although romantic tension can definitely be projected between various characters. Epic ending to this one, and those who want to be computer programmers will like the combat system as you essentially make a computer program to control your characters’ combat AI.

Final Fantasy XIII – PS3:

In an issue I’m kind of surprised not to run into more often over here, my playing of this one is a bit curtailed because it’s not in English. It doesn’t sound Korean, so I’m assuming it’s the native Japanese. While some people would say this is thus my only REAL Final Fantasy game, it’s going to end up a project to actually try to play this one.

That wraps up the Final Fantasies and thus this installment. Tune in next time for Fire Pro Wrestling Returns, Flight Simulator 2002, Ford Racing 3, Fracture, Garfield: Lasagna World Tour, Gauntlet Legends, The Getaway, God of War, Goldeneye 007 and Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec.

As I continue on with my Games Review project, I’m noticing something. Basically, ever since I first went to Point Loma, I’ve lived with a certain amount of my things kept in boxes, sometimes more than others, so when I first sat down and did my games list that I am basing this off of, it didn’t include my NES, SNES or PlayStation games (or PC games from that era) unless I happened to know where they were off hand. This project is reminding me of some of those early entries, so I’m getting additions put in that were simply always missing rather than anything I’ve acquired. The general clue here is that really, the only games I’m picking up here are PS3 games. Other than those, if you see a new add, it’s a makeup.

Anyhoo, on with the show:

Fire Pro Wrestling Returns – PS2:

This is a game that was sold at a budget price, and yet I’ve still seen jealousy expressed by those whose systems list does not include a PS2. The Fire Pro Wrestling series dates back to the SNES in Japan, and although it’s always had simple sprite-based graphics and fairly simple gameplay, it’s always been loved due to a character creator that was incredibly robust and years ahead of its time. This is one of the rare US releases in the series, and while it keeps the same graphics and gameplay, puts a lot of presentation around it. It’s the only wrestling video game I’ve seen that supports 8 people on screen simultaneously other than the first PS2 version of the SmackDown series. The only drawback is that character creation is extremely long and involved, and even if you’re copying a formula from a website, said formulas rarely involve movesets. Though I have designed a John Cena from scratch that I think is pretty good. This would do great as a PS3 and Xbox 360 release so that people could download wrestlers and events easily.

Flight Simulator 2002 – PC:

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a pretty legendary PC franchise. This series prides itself on realistic flight simulation, so much so that to get maximum enjoyment from the title, you need to get special joysticks and study the manual pretty intricately. I got this version on sale because it was older. It’s fairly infamous because it was scheduled to release on September 12^th, 2001, and they had to do a last minute recall to remove the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks, especially given that later rumors insisted that the terrorists trained on how to fly using this franchise (which is a bit silly, and even if there was any truth to it, it’s not like Microsoft is even remotely responsible for the tragedy.)

Ford Racing 3 – PS2:

I mentioned back in the review of ATV Offroad Fury 2 that I had gotten it in a 3 game pack based on racing. At the same time, I picked up another 3 game pack for half the price and probably a tenth of the value. This game was the best of a bad lot, though I gave it some nostalgia sympathy due to being a spiritual successor of Ford Simulator, a franchise that lasted through 5 games back in the pre-Windows days, essentially Ford marketing through giving away free games. In this game, you can race famous Ford models, from current models all the way back to the Model T. Handling is very unrealistic, and damage doesn’t exist because real life car companies don’t want to show their cars damaged. But there’s still fun to be had here.

Fracture – PS3:

I just got Fracture, and I haven’t played it yet. I mainly got it because it was in a cheap “2 for 1” offer with another game. Basically, it’s a First Person Shooter with a gimmick. In this case, the gimmick is that you have a special gun that can raise or lower terrain, essentially either creating or destroying land instantly. Penny Arcade even got in a good question on this game, since if you can create land, why would you ever need to fight anyone… over land? If you doubt how handy this power would be, check out the Superman movies. Both the original movie and Returns were about how Lex Luthor knew that land couldn’t be created.

Garfield: Lasagna World Tour – PS2:

I have a few games on this list that defy the old trope about how licensed games are horrible. This is not one of them. I got this one in another Wal-Mart discount three pack mainly because I just wanted one of the other games in it (Pinball Hall of Fame which I will get to), and this and another piece of garbage came with it. It’s a 3-D platformer based on Garfield and is as goofy as all get out. I think even the biggest Garfield fan kids would be disappointed at this transparent cash in.

Gauntlet Legends – N64:

Back in the arcade day, I used to love Gauntlet. I first played it in the mid/late 80s at Disneyland and actually adopted the online name Wizard based on that being the only available character to play (since the Wizard kinda sucked without the support of the others), which I would keep until I went to Point Loma (where of course I replaced it with the handle of Boffo97 eventually). Gauntlet thrived in the arcades because of the fact that one could only play it so much, so you only got small doses. Being brought to the home consoles killed Gauntlet because it’s just an endless dungeon crawl and it that gets boring. Subsequent attempts at revival never completely got away from that. This inherited game is one of those attempts. It isn’t very high rated by critics.

The Getaway – PS2:

The Getaway was a moderately successful Grand Theft Auto Clone based in London. The mob has killed your wife and kidnapped your son, and thus forces you to do various jobs for them until you get a chance to get your son safely back and get your revenge. One failing of the game though is that unlike GTA’s attitude of letting you safely ignore the game at times and go on various rampages, The Getaway curtails your ability to do so (for example, your gun will only auto lock on enemies, not civilians). Worth at least one play-through. At times, it was a little frustrating because I’d keep trying to drive on the right side of the road through force of habit, and having head on collisions. One odd thing in the game: You can actually steal Federal Express trucks that look just like the genuine article. That’s one weird bit of product placement.

God of War – PS2:

This is a famous game that spawned a lot of imitators. When I got it, it ended up being the first clue that I needed to replace my venerable old PS2 because it only played once on the system even though certain other games played fine. Apparently, it’s a double layered DVD and older PS2s have issues with those. It plays fine on the new PS2, but I never really got into it as much since I got the new PS2 over here, and it was quickly overshadowed by the Wii and the PS3.

Goldeneye 007 – N64:

Modern gamers probably have THE game that they played a lot of going through college. For younger folk today, it might be World of Warcraft or Call of Duty. For me, it was Quake, early Madden, or Goldeneye. I never had the game myself during college, but spent many a time in unitmates’ rooms in 4 player deathmatches.

This game, when I did get it, would become part of a very cherished memory for me. In 2005, for my birthday, my mother took me out to lunch and then took me to the local Gamestop, telling me to look around and pick out a few games for myself. I browsed in the discounted N64 games section and found a copy of Madden 2000 that I picked up for giggles. That got mom looking in there too, and she picked out a game saying “Why not get this one? I like James Bond. I might play this.” Yeah, mom, totally twist my arm and make me get arguably the best game that ever came out for the console. Unfortunately for mom, she had smaller hands and felt that the N64 controller was too big for her. But her generosity here was typified by this game. I lost her a little more than a year after this, but I will always connect this game to that memory.

Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec – PS2:

I never did quite figure out why this game had the A-Spec modifier to the title as there were never any more GT3 games. It’s a very competently done and fun racer. Unfortunately, the disc stopped working for me early on. This entry also reminded me that I had the original GT for PS1 back in the day. I’m not going to do a separate entry on that as it would be very similar. A friend of mine might remember and still be sore at me for the time in that game where I managed to bump him just right and send him crashing headlong into a wall just to the right of a tunnel opening, and send me bouncing right to the middle of the road for the easy victory through bad sportsmanship.

That wraps us up for this time. Next time, the franchise curse strikes again as I’ll be hitting the Grand Theft Auto series, covering The Director’s Cut, III, Vice City, San Andreas, and IV. I’ll also be covering Hexen, Jeopardy!, Kahoots, Karaoke Revolution and Killer Instinct Gold. See you then.

Before I get into today’s reviews, I wanted to talk a bit about the series that will comprise half of the reviews, Grand Theft Auto. GTA is possibly one of the most controversial games of all time, in part due to the efforts and lies of disgraced and permanently disbarred ex-attorney Jack Thompson. GTA offers a sandbox for players in which they can do anything they want. They CAN choose to do some pretty violent things, but the game doesn’t enforce it. If the player wants to simply drive around the city like normal, nothing stops him from doing so.

Now the game does have a story mode to it, and yes that story mode does get pretty violent at times. When it comes down to it all though, the well adjusted person can certainly separate between causing harm to real people and causing harm to characters in a game (which most games have you do on some level). Non well adjusted people will look for any excuse to blame their actions on. If there were any truth to Thompson’s lies about how GTA supposedly caused these incidents, you wouldn’t see millions of players who don’t commit any real life violent actions, and you would not have seen violent incidents before these games were invented. Yet, both these factors are here. Are these games appropriate for children? In general, definitely not, though it’s up to parents to decide what’s appropriate and to maintain involvement in their child’s lives. And I think it’s that last that causes so much issue with both video games and other media. Parents don’t want to maintain involvement. They think the TV is just something that will safely distract kids, and that level of negligence is what causes these extremely sad incidents in my opinion. Of course, it’s easy for me to say since I’m not a parent yet, but that’s what I think.

Anyway, rant over, on to the reviews. I’ll alter up the order for franchises to try to keep them in chronological order of release.

Grand Theft Auto: The Director’s Cut – PS:

This is the original game and the London 1969 “expansion pack” that followed it. These early games were played from a top down perspective that rendered the violence a bit more unrealistic, but the spirit was there in these early games, including the ability to outright ignore the mission and just go on a rampage for its own sake.  In a way, I also compare the appeal to the Pokémon games, as you can take any vehicle you want and basically change it from being an NPC in the game to an asset you control (just like how in Pokémon, you can take any monster in the wild, capture it, and make it part of your party rather than an enemy.) As a funny note, the three cities in this game are Liberty City, Vice City and San Andreas, all of which would be kept as settings for later games.

London 1969 is technically an expansion pack, but comes with all the programming of the original game (in fact a Game Shark cheat code lets you bypass the check for the original GTA disc). I think it’s a bit shorter. It does have the issue I encountered later in The Getaway where I would keep trying to drive on the right side of the road by instinct and crashing. I kind of wish the 3D games revisited this setting. And I wish I knew who the people were that I’d encounter sometimes running around in straight lines and chanting something that sounded like “We are right!” over and over.

Grand Theft Auto III – PC:

(As a side note here, yes, GTA3 is much more famous on the PS2, but I only had it on the PC, so that’s the version I listed here).

The series used the processing power of the new PS2 to jump from a top down perspective to a 1^st/3^rd person perspective with full 3D, launching it from being a good game to a groundbreaking game with a ton of imitators. GTA3 is a little hard to play now due to missing innovations from later games (in fact, a GTA3 prequel has motorcycles banned as part of the storyline, explaining their unavailability here. The next two games would actually take place before this one in the timeline. One funny story: Since I had the PC version, this allowed me to use my own MP3s as soundtracks. One time, just playing around, I had stolen a taxi and was jumping it off a ramplike subway entrance. At one point, when I began my jump and the camera angle switches to a cinematic angle and the game goes in slow motion, just then Meco’s disco version of the Star Wars theme starts up, as the angle looks like I’m blasting my cab into the night sky. Classic moment.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – PS2:

I have a soft spot for this game, as it’s set during the 1980s and all the music reflects this. Vice City is the GTA universe analog for Miami, so Miami Vice fashions are very prevalent. This game does away with the silent protagonist as Tommy Vercetti is quite the chatterbox. Innovations include motorcycles, boats and aircraft, as well as property control. I never did quite finish this one.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – PS2:

Thus far, San Andreas is my favorite GTA game. This game is freaking huge. San Andreas represents both California and Nevada, and does a great job of representing all that space. There’s actually plenty of space to go offroading in the back country with a 4x4 or dirtbike. Innovations to this game include the ability to swim, a relationship system, ability to recruit gang members to help you with various tasks, and a fitness system that actually changes your character’s appearance. The game world includes three major cities standing in for Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas, as well as a number of small towns, with each area having its own distinct feel. I actually did finish this one and it feels suitably epic. Samuel Jackson is the main bad guy, and he’s excellent in the game.

Grand Theft Auto IV – PS3:

Like most of my PS3 games, I just got this one, so I can’t review it in depth yet, but it looks just brilliant, even if the “realism” kick in graphics these days makes it hard to see sometimes, and trying to use my handbrake often leaves me spinning in circles rather than making a tight corner. The online source I bought it from even included a strategy guide, but given that the guide is in Korean, it is extremely not helpful. Fortunately the game itself is in English. Basically, I’m buying a lot of the games that I wanted and couldn’t afford (let alone the PS3 system itself) before I got this job, and now that I can buy them, they’re pretty cheap. This one looks to be some promising entertainment down the road.

Hexen – N64:

This is a medieval type game with the Doom engine. It was part of my N64 inheritance. I never really got too far into it

Jeopardy! – PS2:

A budget title pickup that has provided some entertainment. To make up for lack of a native keyboard, when you type a few letters of your answer, the game will provide correct answers that start with those letters. As a drawback though, if it doesn’t put up anything, you know your answer was wrong. It can be frustrating at times, because there will be times where it’s a case of you not knowing how to spell the answer, or an answer that was close enough that human judges would accept. It’s pretty easy to run the board in this version against computer opponents.

Kahoots – PSP:

Another PS3 compatible free pickup from PlayStation Plus, one of the “Minis” collection like Age of Zombies and Fieldrunner. In this game, a little guy is wandering back and forth, and you have to move blocks on the floor around to help guide him to the exit and hopefully a cake along the way. Special blocks include a block that springs the little guy over the next block, spikes which will kill the guy and end your attempt at that level and trap doors. Before each level, a creature called Pegbeast sings a song about the new elements in the level, leading to the creation of a “Shut Up Pegbeast” button. Somewhat of a diversion, but I’m glad I got this game for free.

Karaoke Revolution – PS2:

This was the first of this series. Basically, you sing karaoke into the included headset, matching the pitch of the song. It’s not a perfect system, since as someone who really likes karaoke, I will sing parts of the song that sound good, but won’t match the original song pitch for pitch. Unfortunately for me, the headset that came with this game broke and the microphones I got with Singstar 80’s are not compatible. The series as a whole really died once its functionality was added to Rock Band and later versions of Guitar Hero. Some good songs here, but there are cases like REM’s “It’s The End of the World As We Know It” where a player could get a good score just by singing a long note at the proper pitch rather than trying to match the fast pace of the song.

Killer Instinct Gold – N64:

This was a fighting game I got as part of my N64 inheritance. It’s a decent enough game, but never really got much into it.

That wraps up this section. Next time, we’ll cover The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Legends of Wrestling, LittleBigPlanet, The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, MLB 2004, MLB Slugfest 20-03, MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch, Madden NFL 2000 (PC) and Madden NFL 2000 (N64).

My last bit of game reviews, I actually had ready for about the whole month or so I was gone, but just neglected to post it to the blog. So let’s continue with the reviewery.

The Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Time – N64:

This was another inherited game, one that’s received stellar reviews, but for some reason, I never got too far into Legend of Zelda games. Maybe it’s because back in the day, I never got original Zelda. Someday I might go back to this.

Legends of Wrestling – PS2:

If there’s a wrestling game, I must possess it. This is the rule. It shall not be broken. But this game simply isn’t good. In an effort to come up with a different system than other wrestling games, they went with a system that emphasized button mashing and it just isn’t fun. It does have a rudimentary character creator, and I was briefly amused by walking around with the Road Warrior spiked shoulder pads and Jimmy Hart’s trademark megaphone, but then realized I looked like a tool. Plus, due to the concept of the game, it had a fairly unimpressive lineup.

LittleBigPlanet – PS3:

I actually got the Game of the Year Edition, meaning that a few of the early DLC packs, most notably the Metal Gear Solid packs, were included. LBP is an extremely old school style platformer, with the only controls being jumping, holding onto things, and switching between three different planes of depth. But with the simple concept, they were able to make it look absolutely beautiful. It’s a great game for “pick up and play every now and then” appeal.

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring – PS2:

This. Game. Is. Awful. It predates the license on the movies, so while there was never officially a movie adaptation of this first part of the trilogy, the Two Towers game includes a section on it. In any event, this game is based on the books, and try as I might, I was never able to get into it. On one determined playthrough, I played for half an hour and the only actual game play was hitting a bell with rocks. After all that, I gleefully gave the ring to the first Nazgul I saw.

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King – PS2:

This one is based off the movies. Gameplay is kind of like God of War without all the fancy moves and is divided into chapters based off various events of the movie, so you’ll switch back and forth between the Aragorn/Legolas/Gandalf trio, to Sam and Frodo, and sometimes over to Gandalf. Some fun to be had here, but it gets old fast.

MLB 2004 – PS2:

Back home, I had a hobby of picking up extremely discounted sports games. This was one of them. I picked it up for a dollar, but never got too much into it.

MLB Slugfest 20-03 – PS2:

This one is by the makers of NFL Blitz as part of an attempt to bring that style of gameplay to other sports. Here, the attempt didn’t quite work, since baseball is a pretty orderly sport. The “on fire” mechanic feels pretty random and can be a gamebreaker at times, but people who love both NFL Blitz and baseball should like it.

MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch – PS2:

Until just recently, this was the lowest rated game I had going by Gamespot ratings. But considering I paid $10 for it new and was a big fan of the show (before they changed cast members and jumped the shark), I got some fun out of it, and still pop it in from time to time. Gameplay is very simplistic, but the humor is pretty spot on to the show. Each parodied athlete has trademark attacks, and some of them are pretty funny. If you can get the game for cheap, it’s worth it at least to see the attacks and hear some of the funnier commentary.

Madden 2000 – PC:

As a Rams fan, this one is a real let down for me since it’s based on the 1999-2000 NFL season (which ended up magical for the Rams), but is based on results from the previous season (when the Rams went 4-12). As an example, Kurt Warner (who ended up MVP that year and is likely going to the Hall of Fame) has a rating of 66. Graphics are very primitive compared to later installments as the series would dramatically go up in quality with the PS2 and other consoles in that generation.

Madden 2000 – N64:

I picked this one up for a dollar 5 years later. You can basically see above for notes, but it’s worth noting that this is the best football game that came out for N64.

Next time, rather than do an all Madden edition, I’ll try to catch up on some of the games I’ve procured since I started these reviews, including 2Xtreme, Bayonetta, Beatles: Rock Band, BioShock 2, Blast Off, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, Burnout Paradise, Critter Crunch, Dark Void, and Def Jam: Icon.

Taking a step back from strict alphabetical order right now to fill in some of the blanks created by games acquitted after I started this list, which keeps me from doing an all-Madden edition for now. So let’s hop right back into it.

2Xtreme – PS1:

This was one of the free games from PlayStation Plus, and let’s face it, there’s no way this game title would have worked outside of the 90s (especially since it spawned sequels named 3Xtreme and 4Xtreme). Basically, it was trying to cash in on the popularity of the first Tony Hawk games, as well as the general attitude of the 90s. Not a great pick, but hey, it was free.

Bayonetta – PS3:

Every now and then, I hit a game where I am convinced that drugs had a very free hand in the theology we’re asked to swallow for the sake of the game’s story. Bayonetta is a witch who fights against angels. But this is a good thing because angels are actually these bird faced alien looking things, almost like a corrupt police force for God. As well, this game suffers from the syndrome of Heaven and Hell being equivalent forces, which is just not even remotely biblical. Bayonetta fights the angels and other things by means of martial arts, and guns (including a gun strapped to each ankle). Once you get past this, you fail to take the game seriously due to Bayonetta’s legs being twice as long as the rest of her. It’s a very pretty game, but that’s not hard these days.

The Beatles Rock Band – PS3:

A few years ago, I got to play Guitar Hero 1 and 2, and was introduced to both the guitar mechanic and co-op play. I wanted to get into these games on my own ever since, especially after Rock Band came out, adding the karaoke song style of games like Karaoke Revolution and Singstar as well as drums, but it’s hard because you not only have to buy the game, but you also have to buy instruments. So I went ahead and took the plunge and got the Beatles Rock Band: Limited Edition, coming with a microphone, a guitar (replica of Sir Paul McCartney’s Hofner Bass) and drums (replica of Ringo Starr’s drums, kinda sorta). This game was a major project, since it’s the first time the Beatles were in any music games, and the project got signed off on by each of the Beatles (or their widows). Unlike other Rock Band games, you can only play as the Beatles, but their appearance changes with the appropriate date of the song, so in Career mode, you can basically play through the band’s career. Plus, as long as you’re a fan of the band, you’ll recognize most of the songs. The only downside is that you cannot export the songs to other Rock Band games or vice versa.

Bioshock 2 – PS3:

Only played a little bit of this one, but it seems pretty good.  Kind of a variation on First Person Shooter, but very story based. I’m a little lost as I’ve never played the first one. This is one I picked up for “Play it later” pile mostly.

Blast Off – PSP:

This game seems to be a spiritual successor to the old Lunar Lander game. You control a rocket’s thrust and turning and are presented with various environments to try to pick up astronauts in, Complicating things are various planetary bodies generating gravity. I got a laugh a few times when I picked up an astronaut then immediately died. This is another interesting freebee from PlayStation Plus.

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift – PS3:

Kind of an old school entry into the fighting franchises, BlazBlue is a 2D Sprite Based fighter, but is gorgeous. Its Japanese roots show with the declaration of “Rebel One!” right before you play LEVEL One. More for Play Later.

Burnout Paradise – PS3:

I always loved the Burnout series so I downloaded this one off of PlayStation Network. Unfortunately, I was the victim of a bit of false advertising as I downloaded the Ultimate Bundle, which purported to have all the DLC with it. It did not. Developer Criterion Games does not respond to e-mail. Electronic Arts said I needed to contact Sony. Sony said that everything that was supposed to be in the bundle was, and hinted that certain things unlock, so it’s possible the DLC will unlock itself through play, but even if that is the case, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Had I just bought the DLC separately, I would have had it right away. Basically, while EA puts out good games, this is the last time I’m buying a bundle online from them.

Critter Crunch – PS3:

Interesting puzzle game. Medium critters eat small critters and big critters eat medium critters. Feed a critter two of what it eats and it explodes. They come down in columns. You keep playing until you clear a certain number of critters. Neat little diversion, but glad it was a free Playstation Plus download.

Dark Void – PS3:

This one I haven’t been able to play as much as others, so I’m not sure. It’s a shooter with a gimmick, like so many games these days. Here, the gimmick is that you get a jetpack… and reportedly it’s all steam driven technology. And Nikola Tesla is an in game character. So… yeah.

Def Jam: Icon – PS3:

I really enjoyed the original Def Jam Vendetta game on PS2. Unfortunately, this one abandoned the excellent WWE No Mercy engine to go from being a wrestling game to a fighting game. Only had time for one playthrough and wasn’t impressed, but things could get better…

Next time, finishing my catching up with Bloons, Bubble Trubble, Burn Zombie Burn, Dead Rising 2, Echoes, FEAR 2: Project Origin, Fight Night Round 4, Ghostbusters: The Video Game, God of War III and Guitar Hero 5.

Since I was in a posting mood, I decided to go ahead and continue!

Bloons – PSP

 Another “Mini” game that came as a free Playstation Plus download. The game gives you a pattern of balloons to launch bullets through. The idea is that you have to burst as many balloons as you can with a limited amount of shots. Again, nice diversion but glad I didn’t pay for it.

Bubble Trubble – PSP

Another free PS+ download.  I think that there was a clerical error, as this download quickly disappeared from the Playstation Plus area and was replaced by the fairly similar Bloons. This is a much better game though. It’s a lot like Puzzle Bobble, except that similarly colored bubbles join together. You clear the stage by forming a big enough bubble to pop.

Burn Zombie Burn – PS3

Yet another PS+ download. Haven’t had time to play this one yet.

Cuboid – PS3

A 3D Puzzle game I got because it was discounted on PS+ (and the addons were free). You control a 2x1 block and flip it around the puzzlescape trying to get to an exit. The puzzle part comes in with the fact that the block is often not aligned properly to go into the exit. Later levels add switches and teleporters and fun things.

Dead Rising 2 – PS3:

Even though there have been more popular sandbox games (like the GTA Series),Dead Rising pretty much defines the genre. At its core, the premise is simple: You are trapped in an area infested with zombies and have 72 hours to do whatever you want. The game does give you tasks to do, but a lot of them simply result in an inferior ending. This sequel adds in the ability to craft your own combination weapons with things you find around the mall. So far, I’ve found the basic recipe that combining a bat with nails makes a spiked bat. This one will probably be a lot of fun.

Echoes – PSP:

Another free PS+ Mini. In this one, you move around a small area collecting crystals. However, with every crystal you collect, you spawn an “echo” that moves in the same path that you did and hurts you upon contact. With enough echoes, it gets very frantic.

FEAR 2: Project Origin – PS3:

Another one for the “play later” pile (and I should point out a lot of these were very cheap and typically bonuses with other games). Essentially, this is a shooter in which you’re dealing with a failed supersoldier project and a sociopathic child psychic. Probably more detail later.

Fight Night Round 4 – PS3:

I really liked Round 3 on the PS2, and this one seems much the same, except that the graphics are much better. However, for some reason, the contact in the fight comes off as very light. This version is notable due to the licensing of Mike Tyson, marking Tyson’s first video game appearance since the classic Mike Tyson’s Punch Out (I believe).

Ghostbusters: The Video Game – PS3:

This is a culmination of a long rumored project. It was written by the original writers of the movies, and stars the same voice actors. Your character is a non-speaking new recruit of the Ghostbusters. Unfortunately, it seems to call back to the original movies a little too much, and proton packs only cause unrealistic minor redness and irritation when pointed at anything organic. But I think I’ll have some fun with this.

God of War III – PS3:

For the 3^rd time, I’ve been struck by a problem that is surprising that I haven’t hit more. This game is in Korean. However, God of War gameplay is so simple that it’s not really an impediment. And let’s face it, were any of us playing this game for its story?

Next time, I finish up my supplemental reviews with: Grand Theft Auto IV – Episodes From Liberty City, Guitar Hero 5, Katamari Forever, LEGO Star Wars – The Complete Saga, The Lord of the Rings – Conquest,  and I restart new content with: Madden 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.