Saw this on a friend's blog (cloud_5443) and decided to do the same. What are your 5 favorite games of all time on any platform?

Here are mine ----

1. Final Fantasy VII (PS1) - this game just makes me emotional... i am that fond of it.

2. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)- this game surpassed all the hype... it's not THAT good... it's BETTER.

3. Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided (PC)- my first and most involved leap into the world of MMORPG's. there was a time when playing this game was all i wanted to do.

4. Mike Tyson's Punchout (NES)- as a kid, it didn't get any better than this. as an adult, it still doesn't get any better than this.

5. Fight Night Round 3 (PS3/360)- i'm a sucker for boxing, and this is the best boxing game out there.

So, what are your top 5?!?

If you haven't seen the Dark Knight movie yet, stop reading this and go see it. It truly is a great work of art. Heath Ledger's Joker is convincing, intriguing, and just plain twisted. The movie is dark and very serious. The ethical dilemmas all characters in the movie are faced with are captivating and gut-wrenching. Go see this movie. If you've seen it already, go see it again. So good....

It's been a while since I posted, but I was recently reading in the forums and came across someone who was hating on games such as Rock Band/Wii Sports/etc that use controllers that simulate life-like activities. The person went on to suggest that we go out and do those things in real life instead of supporting video games that seem to flood the industry with imitative peripherals. To that I had this response --

You're missing the point of these games - you don't have to be good at music or tennis or whatever the game is in order to have fun playing these games. You don't have to have the ability to play guitar or hit a homerun in order to pick up a Rock Band controller or a nunchuk and have fun playing these games with your friends. For those of us with school, jobs, and real lives - we don't have the time to practice guitar for hours a day to become the next Slash. We don't have the time or the resources to spend hours a day on the golf course to become as good as Tiger. But what we do have is a spare hour here and there. And in that spare hour we can play Guitar Hero or Wii Sports and at least get a taste of what it'd be like to have those abilities.

Don't get me wrong, I am in no way trying to discourage people from chasing their dreams of becoming a rock star or a professional athlete. But to be honest, it's just not in everyone's cards. I'm an athlete and musician myself, and I strongly suggest that people get out and try these things in real life. But for those who don't have the time or ability to do those things, well, we've got video games. And they're fun. Maybe they're not your cup-o-tea, but for the thousands and thousands buying these games, they are. So lay off.

Another thing I would like to bring up, is that video games and the industry are moving more towards social interraction and away from social isolation. To me, this is awesome. An industry that was once a cause for extreme withdrawal from society in ages ranging from teens through adults, is now encouraging social networking and personal expression. Gamers used to be the weird guys who locked themselves in rooms for hours with nervous twitches seeming like they were stricken with anxiety over where the next frag was coming from. The rules are changing. Now gamers are the people that own Rock Band and have people over all the time for rock out sessions. Now gamers are the dudes with GIRLFRIENDS who love to play Wii Sports. Sure, there are still those (me included) who withdraw and spend hours on end chasing the Big Boss Emblem on MGS4 or the next rank in Halo 3. But for the most part, the trend towards the socialization of gaming is absolutley a positive thing.

So when I first heard of Heavenly Sword I wasn't all that excited. Some chick beating everybody up. I wasn't a fan of old tv show Xena: Warrior Princess, and quite honestly that's what came to mind when I heard about this game. That is until I saw the first couple gameplay demos for this title. I was very impressed with the graphics and gameplay. My thoughts were "God of War. But better."

Anyway, when I heard about the HS demo coming out this week on the PSN, I was pretty excited and downloaded it right away. The demo consists of the action seen in one of the previous videos, so it wasn't anything altogether new, except this time I was the one playing it. I was able to play through it a couple times last night, and I must say, I'm hooked. The graphics are beautiful, and contrary to my gut predictions, this game is not the hack-n-slash-button-mashing type it looked to be. There is a considerable amount of strategy involved in fending off the waves henchmen encountered in the demo. I won't go in depth describing the combat system because it's more fun figuring it out on your own, but I will say that it is engaging, satisfying, and really something else to watch. The demo is considerably short, but it's worth replaying several times.

From what I've read on the forums, the shortness of this demo really frustrated a lot of people, but for me it really whetted my appetite for more of this game without giving away too much plotline. From the videos I had already seen I was pretty sure I was going to buy this game. After playing this demo my mind is made up. I'll be picking up Heavenly Sword on its release day. If you haven't had the chance to play this demo, go download it. It's worth your time.

Hello everyone! This is my first blog, so hang with me. I've been frequenting Gamespot since its birth, and have relied heavily on its news, reviews, and previews. It's always been a part of my gaming experience. For one reason or another I never signed up for a Gamespot account until recently. I really enjoy reading the forums and giving whatever contributions I may have.So, what's my gaming background? Here goes nothing --

I began gaming on the original Atari and on an old Packard Bell computer. I loved playing games like Pitfall and the original Wolfenstein. After the Atari, I played the NES. I remember the day my brothers and I went to the local store to buy our family's NES. It was a monumental event. Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, R.B.I Baseball, Contra, Mike Tyson's Punchout, MegaMan. These games helped shape me as a little kid, and I'll never forget or stop loving those games.

My family was never wealthy, so when the SEGA Genesis and Super NES were released I had to decide between the two. My cousin had a Super NES, so I opted for the Genesis. As with my original NES, I loved my Genesis. I was a fan of all the Sonic games, as well as games like Maximum Carnage, Base Wars, Legends of Heavyweight Boxing, as well as many others. I got my share of Super NES gaming in too. I really enjoyed the Super NES version of Return of the Jedi.

Then came the next decision, N64 or Playstation. After playing demos for 2Xtreme, Jet Moto, and Tekken, my mind was made up. I HAD to get a Playstation. The first few games I got were Jet Moto, Crash Bandicoot, and 2Xtreme. I loved PS games, and it was during this time that my love for videogaming reached an all-time high. I was a huge fan of the Tomb Raider series and never missed or failed to complete one of Lara's games. I loved the Tekken games, Resident Evil, Armored Core, Gran Turismo, and was simply blown away by Metal Gear Solid. I won't even begin to talk about how Final Fantasy VII and VIII forever changed how I look at video games. Of course, I got in my share of Goldeneye on the N64, but the original Playstation really blew my mind when it came to gaming.

As you can see, I was beginning to become what some might call a "Sony Fanboy". I wouldn't entirely disagree with that, but I've always embraced the other systems and their games as well. I just couldn't afford all of them. When the XBOX, PS2, and Gamecube were all released I once again had to make up my mind. With the gaming experiences the original Playstation offered me, the choice was easy. I pre-ordered my Playstation 2 an entire year before the release, and I payed the $350 price on opening day. I was equally impressed by the Playstation 2's games, and I was a sucker for sequels to previous games I had played. I can't turn down Tekken, Metal Gear, Tomb Raider, Gran Turismo, or Final Fantasy. Those games have become so much of who I am that I just love playing every rendition of each game. These aren't the only games I played. My collection of games ranged from Fight Night to Time Crisis and from Dark Cloud to GTA: Vice City. I love every genre of game, so if it's good, I'll like it. Once again, I was certainly a Sony fan, but I played a TON of Halo and Halo 2.

As you can probably imagine, when the "next-gen" systems came out I was on the Sony side of the "war". I waited in line to pre-order my PS3, and I waited in line to pay for it on launch day.But before you label me a fanboy, know that I camped out with my friends when they got their 360's and Wii's and have enjoyed playing their games with them. Much like when I was younger, I just don't have the money to invest in more than one system. Especially since I had to buy that HD tv for my PS3 :-) I got my fair share of XBOX 360 playing in before the PS3 launch, and I've had fun swinging the Wii-mote around whenever I get the chance.

I feel like I've left out a large part of my gaming experience, and that part is PC gaming. I love PC gaming too. I used to love the Sim City games, Command and Conquer games, Civilization games, etc. More recently, I really enjoy MMORPG's. I'm proud to say I wasted an inordinant amount of time playing Star Wars Galaxies, and was able to unlock a Jedi character before the developers for the game butchered everything that was good about it. I also enjoy mmorpg's such as Guild Wars, City of Heroes, and even Anarchy Online. I'll get my gaming any way I can.

Oh and I had an original Game Boy, a green Game Boy Color, and I plan on getting a white PSP in October.

I hope my little blog has been somewhat entertaining for you to read, or at least helped remind you of some of those wonderful memories of when you first became a gamer.