Burfdai

So, somehow, against all odds, I had a fan-freaking-tastic birthday. For starters, I was treated to two amazing dinners the days previous to the big event, and not only that, but I didn't get sick! Huzzah!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by! I had an awesome time!

Time for a few quick reviews:

God of War 2 is really more of the same, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The storyline is almost exactly the same: You're Kratos, you're pissed as hell at the gods, and you're not going to take this shit lying down. Over-the-top violence ensues. Epic boss fights, half naked women, etc. And blood. Gallons and gallons of blood. Good times!

Dragonball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi 2 is fantastic for several reasons:

1. The Wii controls for it are awesome. Though sometimes less responsive than I would like ("Do the fucking Kamehameha Wave, already!"), the Wii controller is a hell of a lot of fun to use!
   
2. Unlike previous DBZ games, this one isn't a total button-masher. There is actually skill, timing and combinations required to be a good player, and it's much appreciated.
   
3. The fights are exactly like they are in the show, minus the seventeen episodes of powering up! For example, you can fly up to your opponent and let loose with a crazy melee combination, then send them flying into the air, beat them up some more, then kick them so hard they fly away again (breaking mountains as they go), then teleport behind them and nail 'em with an axe-handle, sending them screaming to the earth. Then, while they lie there prone, you can unleash a powerful Ki blast to finish them off! In short, awesome!
   

There's a ginormous single-player game that is actually fairly challenging. I've not had much difficulty on Easy mode, but Normal mode whips my arse in short order.

Anyway, if you're a fan of DBZ, or in over-the-top anime violence, then give it a look!

I bought Marvel Ultimate Alliance last month, and unwrapped it yesterday. I have...mixed feelings. I didn't play it for long, and while I can see it being a good time with other players (which I realize is the idea), I was less than thrilled with the Wii controls. I kept wondering why the camera was spinning, then I realized it was controlled by the position of my Wii Nunchuck in relation to my Controller. That's annoying. Not only that, but the "Thrust" command (where you thrust your controller forward like a sword) is just not very functional.

I was also annoyed that there was no sort of Tutorial or anything. They just plop you down and assume you've played one of their similar X-Men games, which I haven't.

I'll try playing it with someone else and let you know how it turns out. In the mean time, the questionable quality of the controls is turning me off big time.

Kev, being the evil pusher bastard that he is, bought me the Dungeonscape book for D&D and two small dungeon-crawl modules to run. Ass. Now I have to find time for it!

That's about all for now. Peace!