OK, there's no Pokemon Tournament, but I got you here to read this with that title didn't I? 

Gamespot is doing its first PS3 tournament!  Signups are on now for Motostorm, which got me thinking.  I wonder if they'll do Wii or DS tournaments?  There must be certain issues with the "friends code" system, but if I can think of ways around it, surely Gamespot can.  Since Pokemon will be the first online competitve game for the Wii, why not a Pokemon tournament?  I don't think Gamespot will be able to avoid a Super Smash Bros. tournament when the Wii brings that series online. 

Oh, yeah;  what's with the hater raters for Spider-man 3 (its got an average of in the low 8 range)?  This game has exactly what a good Wii game needs: surprisingly sharp graphics, precise controls, and a revitalization of a played out series. The only downside that I think is a credible knock against this game is its short story, although it has hours of optional side-questing crime-fighting.  

I bought Spiderman 3 today for the Wii.  It reminds me of the Playstation Spiderman game that was heavily based on the comics.  Not because it looks similar or is closer to comics than previous Spiderman games, but because I feel like a homonculus at the end of the web as I try to swing through the city. 

The Wii controls are really well done.  Attacking is not haphazard wand waving, but precise combo control through controlled movements.  The web swinging, which seems to define this games appeal, is hard, but in a good way.  I had gotten used to playing Spiderman games so that after the first game for PS2 that was based on the first movie, I was able to pick up Spiderman 2 and Ultimate Spiderman and start swinging like a pro after just a few minutes of reaclimation to the controls.  Not this time.  Now I am having to work to gain full control of my Spidey powers, a task that immerses me in the game rather than putting me off. 

Not only do you control each hand when web swinging using the nunchuck and remote flicks, but the webs are smart.  They will only attach to actual objects, and the web shoots in the direction you point either hand when flicking web.  This leads to an overwhelmingly immersive feeling as the world around you becomes touchable through these webs.  It is truly an amazing feeling. 

Oh yeah, any doubters about the graphic capabilities of the Wii should be won over by this game.  Spiderman's suit is bright, shiny and colorful.  I'm sure that the PS3 and the XBOX360 will boast that there system has better, more polished Spiderman 3 editions, but for my money, the Wii's graphics look damn good (and I don't even have it connected with any better cables than what came in the box).  The price of the system and the game is lower on the Wii, and it comes with the awesome control scheme.  Who cares if the graphic quality is a little bit lower?  It's like the difference in cassette tapes and CDs in that there is a difference, but it is so subtle that the difference is only noticed by those who are looking for it.  So far, I think this is my favorite Wii game.

So today was my last day of classes for the semester at IU.  According to my plan, I should be graduating with a BA in English literature.  Before this semester, I decided that this degree is not going to do me any good at all, so in my last year, I made the choice to change majors.  I needed something that was going to land me a job right out of the gate on graduation day.  Unfortunately, English degrees do not lead to careers, they lead to grad school.  While I could go on to grad school, I thought that just changing majors would be a bit cheaper, and probably a bit more practical.  So, on the week I should be graduating, I am starting a new program of study: English Education.  This degree plan is highly structured, and cannot be completed any quicker than three semesters, plus I need a full semester of prerequisites to even get into the Education Department.  So, my four year plan for college has changed quite dramatically.  I am now married, and four years is more like six years now.  My advice then is, don't declare a major until you are 100% sure you have picked one you want.  And, don't pick a major just because it sounds easy, fun, interesting, or whatever.  Choose a major that is going to lead you into a career/life that you can picture yourself doing in 5 or even 10 years.  Oh, and wish me luck with finals.

I want an XBOX360, but I don't know if I should buy one off of ebay or not.  I haven't really used ebay before, so I am apprehensive about getting ripped off.  What would you do if you were me?  Wait for a price drop, buy used, or just bite the bullet and get one new...ugh, I don't know.

I knew that holding out on buying the 360 would pay off.  Now the "elite" system is coming out soon, and rumors are circulating about a $100 price drop for the "premium" system.  Haha, just in time.  Halo 3 is coming out soon, Gears of War used copies should be available, and hdtv's are steadily dropping to $1000 and below.  Finally, I have made a wise choice.  Now my wife can't be mad, because I'm being a smart consumer...right?

Wii games are coming, Wii games are coming.   Hmph, I wish.  I'm gonna have to dust off my Wii when some games finally come out for it.  Ok, Zelda:TP was great, but I still have higher standards for my Wii.  I know that there are tons of ways to use this Wii remote, so I'm not worried about the future of the system.  I just got ants in my pants waiting for those games that are looming out there on the horizon, laughing at the anguish of gaming frustration that they are causing me.  Temptation frustration anticipation...  Mario, Mario. Wherfore art thou Mario?

Hey batter; sah-wiiing battah! Opening day baseball wOOT! Go Reds in 2007.

Y'all remember that show called Reboot?  A long time ago it came on during Saturday morning cartoons, back when that was a bigger deal than it is now.  It was all CG animation and was set within a video game world.  As time went on, the show changed from a lighthearted imaginative computer world into a dark and brooding plot that was a little over the heads of the kids watching Saturday morning cartoons.  Of course, the show was cancelled before any resolution took place.  Toonami ran the show for about a year back in 2000.  I really wish Toonami would rerun it again.

Hi. Just in case this is the first time you've read my blog, I'll let you know a little about me. I'm 24, married, from Indiana, a senior majoring in English at Indiana University. As an English major, and a big fan of books in general, I recently discovered a new way to read. By the end of the first chapter (or sometime before the 15th page) I decide on an actor who I think would be good for the narrator or "main speaking part" if the book was adapted into a movie. Then, whenever the narrator is speaking, I try to read it in the voice of the actor who I imagined. Right now I'm reading a mystery novel as Bruce Willis and a science fiction novel as the Rock. I
If you are a big reader like me, and you haven't tried this, give it a go. Its a fun and exciting way to read.

I returned Wario Ware at EB Games at a $25 trade-in value plus my extra 10% for having the EB card, plus another 10% for reserving a game.     I keep seeing articles and general forum rants about EB/Gamestop's trade-in policy, and how it is so disloyal and offending.  Like the automated phone call that I got a while back telling me "We noticed you preordered Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess for the Wii and would like to offer you a special trade in value of $35", or this months special of trade in two Wii games and get one free.  To me, this is about the only way I can get new games.  I mostly play one-player games, so once I finish a game, unless it was some kind of masterpiece, I proabably won't play it anymore.  I personally like the trade in policy at EB, and I appreciated the phone call about Zelda.  Thats just good customer service to me, letting me know how I personally benifit from the current special they are offering.  I can't figure out some people's dilemma with this company.