Apologies, Updates, and Arrivals - SaturPLAY

First, I should apologize.  Once again there was no Thursday entry this week.  I'm sorry.  But I have come to realize that with my current schedule, I can't post a review every week.  It takes me a long time to finish a game.  So, from now on, Thursday entries will only occur when I have a Review made.  Tuesday and Saturday entries are still set to occur on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Second, I should do a quick update.  I have received some contact from Square Enix's online store regarding my recent orders.  Lightning Returns and Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster are currently on their way here.  They should arrive on time...hopefully.  Thief, on the other hand, is still somewhere in the void.  They are currently working to solve this problem.  My case has been escalated, so I should hear from them again soon...hopefully.

Third, let's SaturPLAY!

So this week I went ahead and downloaded the DLC for Skyrim.  That's what I have been working on all day today.  I probably would have gotten more done today if the game hadn't been freezing up as much as it did.  I earned a couple trophies in the Hearthfire DLC.  I also worked on completing some of the miscellaneous side quests I had stacked up in the menu.  But it's like I finish one, and another two pop up.  But I guess that's what makes people coming back to this game for hours all the time.

I also started playing Assassin's Creed.  For real this time, not just to try out the game.  I am liking it so far.

And finally, I am still trying to finish Final Fantasy XIII-2 before Lightning Returns arrives.  I am currently in Oerba in 200 A.F., at the battle against Caius.  I am having trouble in the fight, because I may not be strong enough to face him yet.  I could still go back through the timeline and open up places that I have left for later.  If I do that, I will be more prepared to face him.

And that's about it.  Make sure to come back on Tuesday for another NEWSday, or a rant on something.  I don't know.  It's not Tuesday yet, and I write those entries (and all of these entries) on the fly.  Anyway, until next time, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Not a Newsie Tuesday - 3³ Gaming NEWSday

Okay, so I know it's technically not Tuesday, so this entry won't be about NEWSday.  I felt I just had to rant again about my current situation with Square Enix.  As I reported last week, my copy of Thief was put on backorder.  It has been more than two weeks since the game came out, and I have still not received it.  To make matters worse, I received an Email on Monday saying that my copy of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster has also been put on backorder.  And since there are currently no copies available at this time, my whole order is on hold.  Which means my copy of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is also not going to be here next week either.

Now, what has me wanting to scream is the fact that I ordered Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII way back in December.  You would think that a copy would have my name on it, just waiting for the appropriate time to be placed in the mail.  I mean, come on, I ordered the games three months before the games came out.  There should have been a priority system in place so those who ordered early would be guaranteed to receive the items when it was said they'd arrive.  I honestly think that they had an alphabetical list, and shipped them in that order.  And then they ran out of Thief and Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster copies before they got to my name.  I can't think of any other logical reason for not shipping something I ordered so far in advance.

So, that's how it is right now.  I think the only good thing that is coming out of being delayed playing the games I have been looking forward to playing is that I have time to play what I still need to play.  And that's about it.  I ranted, and feel a tiny bit better than I did before.  If you, or someone you know, has had similar experiences, leave your response in the comments.  That way I will know I am not the only one who's had something like this happen.  So, until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens.

Michael, aka me3lingual

Game Plan - SaturPLAY

Welcome to SaturPLAY!  In this week's edition, I want to explain my game plan for the next ten days.  You see, I am supposed to receive my copy of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII on March 18, 2014.  That is also the day that Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster comes out (I am also getting it that day).  The thing is, I still haven't finished Final Fantasy XIII-2 yet.  So my plan is to try and finish the story before my copy arrives.  I doubt I'll succeed.  After all, there are so many other games out there for me to play.

For example...

Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed II

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

or Assassin's Creed Revelations

I added these titles to my collection this week.  I have played some of Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed II.  I like what I am seeing with the series.  At first I was thinking that it was not what I wanted in terms of a video game, but I have changed my mind.  I really like it so far.

I have also been playing a lot of Hearthstone lately, as well.  I have competed in two tournaments so far, and I am signed up for a third one tomorrow.  The first tournament's result was making it to the semi-finals.  That was due to having a no-show for an opponent.  And then on Sunday's tournament, I lost in the first round.  To a friend of mine.  In a tournament of 61 or 62 players, I get paired up against the one person I know.  And it looks like tomorrow's tournament will have a big turnout as well.  I hope I get chosen to not compete in the first round.  I need all the help I can get.

Well, that's all for this week's SaturPLAY.  I hope you enjoy it.  So, until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

999 - ThursD.I.D.

Hey, guess what!  I finally figured out a name for the Thursday entries.  I'm calling it ThursD.I.D.  It stands for ThursDay.In.Depth.  It's a bit annoying to type, but I'll get used to it.  Anyway, let's begin.

The game I am reviewing this week is 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors.  This puzzle-mystery game is on the Nintendo DS, with a sequel on the PSVita and 3DS.  Your character has awoken on a ship, and along with looking like he hasn't eaten in days, he is sporting a bracelet with the number 5 on it.  And you are not the only one on the ship.  There are eight other unfortunate souls along with you.

Your captor wants you to play a game.  You and your "friends" will solve puzzles and travel throughout the ship.  And there are rules you must follow in order to get off the ship.

Anyway, the thing I like most about the game is that there are six different endings, and the best way to play the game is to get all of the different endings.  The puzzles themselves are both challenging and fun to complete.  There were some that I ended up having to find out how to solve, because they were too difficult for me to solve.

All in all, it is a great game.  A friend was talking about it, and it seemed interesting to me.  So far, I have only seen two of the 6 endings.  The first time I played, I received the Coffin ending, and the second time I got the Submarine ending.

So, that's about it for this week's ThursD.I.D.!  I hope you like the new name for Thursday's entries.  Make sure to stop by on Saturday for the week's SaturPLAY.  Until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Runaround - 3³ Gaming NEWSday

All right, so this week has been slow for me in terms of article writing, so first here's what I did write.

Interview with Takamasa Shiba, Drankengard 3 Producer
In this article, I write about what one of the producers of the upcoming Drakengard 3 has to say about the game, and what his thoughts on the changing gaming market and experience in game development are.

Now, I could just leave it at that.  However, I have recently had something worth ranting about; so I think I will include that as well.

I am a loyal Square Enix games fan.  And ever since I started focusing on playing more recent games, I have been purchasing titles directly from the Square Enix online store.  It is convenient, and even cheaper in the long run.  I don't have to spend money on gas and whatnot.  Anyway, when I ordered Thief at the beginning of February, I did not expect to be having the trouble I am currently going through.  This is the first time I have ever pre-ordered a game from the online store.  So I was expecting to wait for it.  But I was to still receive it and the pre-order extras that I signed up to get (DLC code for The Bank Heist, T-Shirt) on the day it was released.

On the release date, I waited.  The regular mail went through, and I didn't get anything.  Then the FedEx driver drove on by while his route.  And the UPS driver didn't even go by the house that day.  I figured that it just arrived late to the post office, and I'd get it the next day.  Well, it has been a whole week, and still nothing.

I recently sent a message to the Square Enix Support Center to see if there was some reason on why I hadn't received what I ordered.  Their response was that while I did order the game from their store, it is another store entirely that handles the issue I am having.  Now, I get it.  They make video games, they just don't sell them directly.  It takes out that hassle.  However, I went to the only support center link I was provided.  And in Square Enix's reply to my message, I was given a link to the exact same one I used before.  So I would be running in circles.

And I then went directly to the Digital River site for more information.  But their website was down for maintenance.  So I called them.  They said that the reason why my order had not arrived was because it was put on hold due to The Bank Heist DLC was not yet available.  That isn't true, in fact, that is the only thing I have received.  I received the code via Email on the date of release (February 25, 2014).  I told the person I spoke to about this, and it stumped even her.

So now I am waiting for another reply from them.  It will take 2-3 days in order for it to arrive.  And so I will wait for their reply, and the game.

And that, everyone, is why you have not seen a review on Thief.  That was something I was looking forward to writing.

Well, that brings us to the end of this week's NEWSday.  Be sure to come back on Thursday!  Until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Swimming through the Star Ocean - SaturPLAY

Welcome to SaturPLAY!  This week I played one game in particular, and that was Star Ocean: The Last Hope - International.  I have tried playing this game before, but I could never have the motivation necessary to get through more than the introduction of the game.  It's not because it's a bad game, in fact, it's far from that.  It was just too slow at first for me to keep my interest.  However, in order for me to get the full story of the series, I wanted to play the games in chronological order.  That meant play The Last Hope first, followed by First Departure, Second Evolution, and finally Till the End of Time.  There's another game, but I don't have the handheld system for it, so I will just forget about it.

Anyway, my characters are all at or near Level 20.  Currently, we have reached Cardianon.  I saved the game before leaving the Calnus, and that's where I stopped playing this evening.  I am really liking the story up to this point.  I especially like how each planet has it's own story along with those of the party members.  And, I really feel for the party members as they travel around and experience the events throughout the game.  In particular, I nearly cried when the party came back to Triom, only to find that the infected townsfolk had turned to stone.

And that is only the second world I have been to.  Now that I am on the third, I expect a great story as well.  All of the Star Ocean games I have played a little bit of have made me enjoy playing them.  But like most games, I have never completed any of them.  So far though, The Last Hope hasn't been difficult.  I haven't even seen a Game Over screen yet.  I think that will soon be seen though.  It's only a matter of time before I see a Game Over screen.  After all, it's me we're talking about.

And so far I have received two PSN trophies.  Both are for defeating the bosses I have come across.  Most of the trophies on the list are for collecting things.  Items, Battle Trophies, etc.

Anyway, I really like the game so far.  I hope to be able to finish it.  Well, that's all for this week.  So, until next time, I hope you see no Game Over screens.

Michael, aka me3lingual

Something from me - Review Thursday

Welcome to Review Thursday.  In this edition, I will be showcasing one of the videos I made and posted to my YouTube channel.  So, here it is.

Episode 0 - Final Fantasy (EO Style)

This is my first YouTube video in a while.  It isn't much, but at least it's something.  Anyway...

I apologize for not having a review ready for this week.  I fell asleep after coming home from work, and didn't wake up until after midnight.  And since it is technically Friday here, I figured to go ahead and just provide a video I made.

Anyway, be sure to come back on Saturday for this week's SaturPLAY entry.  So, until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens.

Michael, aka me3lingual

Welcome to this eighth edition of 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  It was a slow week for me in terms of writing articles.  I only have two new ones.  So, here they are.

Final Fantasy X/X-2 game features, What to Expect
In this article, I talk about what new things are in store for those who will be playing Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster.  Those of us in North America played a different set of games than some of the rest of the world, so it will be nice to play the full game.

Square Enix's Thief Mod Contest
This article is about the contest that AMD and Square Enix are having for those who like to make mods of games.  And with Thief coming out today, it is a great chance to win some great prizes.  And you don't even have to know how to mod games.  You can simply make a video with your mod idea pitch, and you may be one of the lucky winners to receive the prizes I list in this article.

Well, that's all for this week's 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  I hope you enjoy the articles.  Until next time, I hope you see no Game Over screens.

Michael, aka me3lingual

Little Entry for LittleBigPlanet - SaturPLAY #8

Welcome to SaturPLAY, where I talk a bit about what I have been playing over the last week.  This entry will be shorter than normal.  I didn't play many games this week.  I did play one really nice game though.  I have been working on LittleBigPlanet this week.  It's really fun.  It's pretty simple, and I like simple.  Anyway, I like the concept of it.  Playing as a little sack person is neat.  And I like it when I earn trophies.  I guess if I were to describe it so far, I would say it's quaint.  The kind of game that I could play for hours and not realize that so much time has gone by.  I really like it so far.

Anyway, that's all I have been playing this week.  As always, I hope you enjoy this entry and every other entry I write.  I apologize for this one's length.  I just haven't done much this week.  Anyway, until next time, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Katamari Damacy - Review Thursday

In this week's Review Thursday, I take a look at one of the most fun games I have ever played in my life.  It is simple, has great music, and it is suitable for every age group.  It's Katamari Damacy.  This game is probably one of those games you get thinking, "Oh, it's a baby game."  But then you're all, "Holy crap, this game is so good!"  You play as a little sprite thing whose father is the King of All Cosmos.  The King destroyed all of the stars in the sky, and it is your job to rebuild the stars and fill the night sky.

But how do you do that?  Well, you are given a sticky ball called a katamari.  They come in various sizes and colors, and the Prince (your character) rolls the ball into objects.  As the katamari continues to roll up more and more objects, it will get bigger and thus, be able to pick up even bigger items.  This includes animals, people, vehicles, buildings; as well as islands, clouds, rainbows, and spirits.

As I said before, it is your job to fill the night sky with stars.  And not only do you make stars one by one, but you also get to make several constellations.  These constellation levels generally have a theme for collection, like only crabs for Cancer, only swans for Cygnus, only females for Virgo.  And in the final level of the game, it is your task to remake the Moon.  Each level has a time limit.  And if you fail to complete the tasks, The King become very angry with you.

One of the best things about this game is the music.  All of the songs in the game have the katamari as the theme.  And they complement the gameplay so well.

Overall, I give this game 5 out of 5.

It's one of the easiest games to play, and also one of the easiest to become addicted to.  It is a supreme amount of fun.  And practically everyone in every age group can play it.

Now, on to the thing I have been mentioning in previous entries.  I have been thinking that I will start uploading videos to my YouTube channel again.  I haven't done it in a while.  Anyway, when there aren't any games for me to review, I figured I'd post them here on the blog.  Well, that's the big announcement.  Now, I hope you get the chance to play  Katamari Damacy if you haven't already.  And I also hope you stop back by on Saturday for this week's SaturPLAY!  Until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens.

Michael, aka me3lingual

Madness in February - 3³ Gaming NEWSday #7

Welcome once again to 3³ Gaming NEWSday!  It's been another busy week for me with writing articles for Enix Origin, that I will once again simply link you to the articles, and provide a brief description of their contents.  For further information on the topics I present to you, I ask that you click on the links and read to your heart's content.  So, let's begin!

Thief - GameStop Pre-Order Bonuses
In this article, I write about the bonuses available when you pre-order from GameStop.  I also went into some detail about the game, as well as provide a teaser trailer for viewing.

Drakengard 3 Collector's Edition
There are only going to be five thousand copies of this game's Collector's Edition made, and this article talks about how you can purchase one of them.  It also talks about the game's story.

Deadman's Cross - Square Enix's New Mobile Game
Square Enix just launched a new mobile game a few days ago.  This article talks about how to get the free-to-play game and also it's unique theme.

Hitman GO, the first mobile Hitman Game
Hitman is joining the mobile market with this soon to be released game for smartphones and tablets.  It takes what you know about the franchise, and replaces a lot of the pieces needed to make a great game with some new pieces they hope will fit.

Enix Origin's February Madness Event
Enix Origin is having a big contest, with a brand new copy of the upcoming release of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster.  This article has all the details to enter, and lists how you can win one of several prizes.

Final Fantast XIV now on Steam
Steam has announced that the MMO is on sale on their site for a limited time.  With the cost for the standard edition only $14.99 USD, it is a great time to get in on the action in Eorzea.  And if you purchase the Collector's Edition, there are exclusive bonuses in doing so.  The article lists these extras as well.

And with that, we've come to the end of another edition of 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  I hope you enjoy the articles, as I enjoyed writing them.  Make sure to check back in on Thursday for either a Review Thursday or something else.  I am still working on titles for Thursday stuff.  It's hard, though.  Anyway, until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Taking a side - SaturPLAY #7

First, I should probably address why there was no Review Thursday a couple days ago.  Well, I haven't finished any games recently, and so it didn't feel right reviewing a game that I haven't finished yet.  And that made me think, maybe I should have some other segment to do on Thursdays in the event that I don't have a review planned.  So, I am going to post some gaming videos I make whenever I don't have a review written.  That way it will also give some exposure to my YouTube channel.  But more on that on Thursday.

 

As for what I've been playing this week, it's most just Final Fantasy XIII and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.  I am trying to get a Platinum trophy on both of these games, and I am finally at a point in both where I can say that I am almost there.  In Final Fantasy XIII, I have made it to Gran Pulse.  Now I can focus on grinding for the experience needed to finish the Titan's Trials, all of the Cie'th Stone Missions, and master each of the roles for the characters.

And in Skyrim, I am nearly finished with the story for the Thieves Guild, and I am also working on the story about the war between the Legion and the Stormcloaks.  I want to purchase the DLC for this game, but I first want to get all of the trophies before I add more to the list of trophies I need.  Anyway, to be more specific, in order to complete the Thieves Guild stuff, I only need to restore the contacts throughout Skyrim, and I will be named the leader.  As for the war, I am working on the missions near Winterhold.  I chose to take the Legion's side of the war.

 

And there are some new additions to my collection coming soon.  I have both LittleBigPlanet and LittleBigPlanet 2 coming next week.  From what I have seen of the gameplay, I think I will like it.  And I also think it will be a nice game for my family members to play as well.  And then I will be getting the new Square Enix game Thief later this month.  I will writing a review on it, for both EnixOrigin and this blog.  And then next month is when I will be getting both Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster.  I will so glad when those two games arrive.  I have had them paid for for months.  I only have to wait four weeks and three days more, and then I will be so happy.

Well, we have come to the end of this seventh edition of SaturPLAY.  I hope to see you here for the next one.  And don't forget to stop back in on Tuesday, when I will have the next issue of 3³ Gaming NEWSday up and ready for viewing.  So, until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

So much Lightning, it's practically a thunderstorm! - 3³ Gaming NEWSday #6

Welcome to this week's Lightning Returns-themed 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  The world is buzzing with Lightning Returns news.  The game came out today, and I have been on a newsie high for all of the articles I have written in the last week.  Actually now that I look at it, it's only five articles.  Funny, it feels like more than that.  Anyway, as there are more articles than my usual amount (which is a good, no, great thing) I am going to do this blog post differently than normal.  Instead of posting the entire article, I will just post the links of the individual articles and maybe a little bit about each one.

Lightning Returns newest Garb - Lara Croft

Okay, so one of the DLC garb choices available at the launch day of Lightning Returns is the Lara Croft outfit from Tomb Raider.  Lightning's weapon is the survival axe, and includes a riot shield to top off the ensemble.  It is available for download online for $3.99USD on PSN (I don't know about XBOX Live).

A Valentine's Day Themed X/X-2 Trailer

Square Enix released a video on its North American YouTube channel with a focus on the romantic side of Final Fantasy X.  It features scenes with the enhanced graphics and music from the game.  It looked very nice and culminates with the famous Underwater Kiss scene near lake Macalania.

Retrospective Take on Final Fantasy XIII series

This one's news bit is somewhat old, but I just got around to writing about it yesterday.  It is a recap video of Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 done in the old-school style of Final Fantasy VI.  It was probably one of the best videos used to bring more hype to the upcoming game that I have seen in all my time as a writer for enixorigin.com.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Launch Trailer

So the game came out today, and Square Enix made a trailer video to advertise the new game.  The video itself features some of the review quotes received by the big names in gaming critics.  It was a pretty simple article to write.

Deviantart and Square Enix LR Contest

Now this one is about the just announced contest from Square Enix and Deviantart.  The prize is a custom-made XBOX 360 and controller, copies of the three games in the XIII series, a special LR shirt and keychain, $1000USD, and a signed sketch from Tetsuya Nomura.  Nomura will also be judging the art contest.

So, there you have it.  I hope you enjoy the articles, and feel free to leave comments as to what you think.  Be sure to check back in on Thursday for this week's review.  So, until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Completing my Focus - SaturPLAY #6

Welcome back to SaturPLAY, your weekly dose of what I am playing because everyone loves hearing about what other people do in life.  This week I focused on two games, and that is so much different than what I usually do.  Anyway, let's begin.

First up is Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned.  A kid that I used to tutor comes over once in a while when my brother is asked to watch him, and he likes to play games with cars and drive around.  So during one of his visits, I let him pick which one he wanted to play.  He chose the one with motorcycles.  The kid doesn't like the whole mission aspect of the game, so I had to go through and complete the initial mission.  After that, we just drove around and caused an uproar in Liberty City.

Anyway, after the kid left, I thought about deleting the save file.  However, I hadn't ever completed The Lost and Damned before.  So, I kept the save file and have been working on completing it.  I have recently earned the "TLAD: The Lost Boy" PSN Trophy, by becoming the leader of The Lost.  I haven't gotten much farther than that, because I have been working on completing the races.  I wish the trophy associated with the races was to simply finish all twelve races, and not something that is nearly impossible for me.  I have not hit anyone off their motorcycle yet.  I have hit people with the bat, but none of them have fallen off.  It is going to be a difficult trophy to get.

Up next is Final Fantasy XIII.  Yes, I am still working on this game.  I buckled down and got through the Sunleth Waterscape, even though I love the background music there.  I can always listen to it online over at YouTube or something.  Anyway, I recently just finished the fight against Brynhildr.  The scene before that fight is probably one of the most emotional ones in the whole game, I think.  Even after having seen it several times, I still get a little choked up when I watch it.  When Vanille is standing in front of Sazh, who has nearly given up on life, and Sazh stands up and shoots the Eidolon; that part gets me every time.

Now I am trying to rescue the locked up Sazh and Vanille on the Palamecia.  I think I am at the Save Point right before the two parties meet.  I will be glad when I get to Gran Pulse, and can work on getting the rest of the trophies of the game.  I still have about a month before my copy of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII arrives, so time is running out on reaching my goal of getting the Platinum trophy for Final Fantasy XIII and completing the story of Final Fantasy XIII-2.

And finally for this week, I earned five trophies while playing around in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.  Here they are, for your viewing pleasure.

 With Friends Like These: Join the Dark Brotherhood

 Bound Until Death: Complete "Bound Until Death"

 Wanted: Escape from jail

 Hail Sithis!: Complete "Hail Sithis!"

 Standing Stones: Find 13 Standing Stones

I was looking at my profile over at psnprofiles.com, and saw that there are quite a few trophies I am lacking.  Mainly the ones that were side stories of the main quest line.  So, I figured I should go and earn them.  I am working on the ones for the Thieves Guild.  A friend of mine told me that it takes a lot of side quests that I will have to do in order to complete that story.  As much as I want to just hurry up and get the story finished, I guess I will have to do more side stuff.  I hate side quests sometimes.

Well, that's all for this week's SaturPLAY.  Make sure to stop back in on Tuesday for the next edition of 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  So, until next time, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Grand Theft Auto III - Review Thursday #5

Welcome to Review Thursday, where I review a game on Thursday.  This week, I am going to weakly attempt to describe Grand Theft Auto III, which I played several weeks ago and haven't had the chance to review yet.  I say weakly, because I feel as if I am about to fall asleep as I type this.  I came home late this evening, and I am super tired.  I guess I could sleep now and type later, but I have been late with these entries recently, and I don't want that to become a constantly occurring thing.

So, Grand Theft Auto III is a really great game for the PS2 system.  You play as some person whose only lines in the whole game are that of grunts and moans when he gets injured.  I read his name somewhere, but I have forgotten it since.  While you are trying to make it in the city after being betrayed by your girlfriend/partner in crime Catalina, you race cars and run errands for several big shots of Liberty City.  These include the Mafia leader, the Yakuza leader, and others.

The music is made specially for the game, from what I can tell due to the content in the songs.  My favorite station is Chatterbox, because I like listening to talk radio rather than music radio.  If I had to choose a favorite car, I would pick the Stinger.  And my favorite character is probably Maria.  She seemed less annoying in this game than in Liberty City Stories.

Overall, it is fun to play.  I was able to collect all of the secret packages.  The missions are the right combination of fun and challenge.  I would give this game 4 Stars and recommend it for anyone of the correct age limit to play this game.

Well, that's all for now.  Make sure to stop back in on Saturday for SaturPLAY.  Until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens.

Michael, aka me3lingual

Winter Suckage - 3³ Gaming NEWSday #5

Welcome to 3³ Gaming NEWSday, where this week I will try and post the articles I have recently written before my Internet cuts out again.  This winter storm where I live is wreaking havoc on my service, and it has only been staying connected for a few minutes at a time.  So, let's begin...

Through the Maelstrom, A Ream Reborn patch 2.2

Square Enix has released some details as to its new Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn patch 2.2, titled "Through the Maelstrom".  This is coming off of the high that was the huge turnout of new and returning players after patch 2.1 came out earlier this month.  This new patch is called "Through the Maelstrom", and though it won't be on the same scale in terms of new features, it does have some new things to keep avid and new players busy for a time.  For more information, continue reading.Some of the things that will be done in Through the Maelstrom will be an addition of four new turns during The Binding Coil of Bahamut.  For those wondering about Ampador's destruction, the Ruins of Ampador dungeon will reveal the cause.  And there will also be a Hard and Extreme version when attempting to face Leviathan.

Although these updates and others are not of the vast nature that patch 2.1 was, there will also be some minor additions to the game.  Things like a new item level being introduced, the addition of basements in housing, and small housing price increases, along with the ability to build an airship within the houses.

Though no set date has been announced for Through the Maelstrom, it has been confirmed that it will occur sometime in March.

One More Incentive to Pre-Order Lightning Returns

Square Enix has released some details as to its new Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn patch 2.2, titled "Through the Maelstrom".  This is coming off of the high that was the huge turnout of new and returning players after patch 2.1 came out earlier this month.  This new patch is called "Through the Maelstrom", and though it won't be on the same scale in terms of new features, it does have some new things to keep avid and new players busy for a time.  For more information, continue reading.Some of the things that will be done in Through the Maelstrom will be an addition of four new turns during The Binding Coil of Bahamut.  For those wondering about Ampador's destruction, the Ruins of Ampador dungeon will reveal the cause.  And there will also be a Hard and Extreme version when attempting to face Leviathan.

Although these updates and others are not of the vast nature that patch 2.1 was, there will also be some minor additions to the game.  Things like a new item level being introduced, the addition of basements in housing, and small housing price increases, along with the ability to build an airship within the houses.

Though no set date has been announced for Through the Maelstrom, it has been confirmed that it will occur sometime in March.

One More Incentive to Pre-Order Lightning Returns

If you haven't pre-ordered the Collector's Edition of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, well Square Enix has added one more incentive to help entice you to do so.  For more information, continue reading.The details for what is included in the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was recently described in a YouTube video posted on SQEXMembersNA, Square Enix's North American channel, on January 17, 2014.  Information on the artbook, pocket watch, and DLC code for the Aerith garb were all described.  Now, though, the people at Square Enix's California office have announced that there will be a contest for a Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII custom PS3 or XBOX 360 going to one person who has pre-ordered the upcoming game.

One person will receive a custom PS3 or XBOX 360, a copy of both Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2, and a special Lightning Returns shirt and key chain.  Also, thirteen lucky people will receive both the shirt and key chain.

To enter, you must either pre-order the Collector's Edition of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, or send in a letter to the North American office in California.  For more information, including value of prizes and eligibility requirements, click here.  The contest runs from January 24, 2014 to February 11, 2014; with the lucky winners being chosen on February 17, 2014.  And if you have already pre-ordered, you are automatically entered into the draw.

Good luck!

Murdered: Soul Suspect Trailer Out Today

Today saw the release of Airtight Games and Square Enix's trailer of Murdered: Soul Suspect.  This unique spin on the classic detective story will be coming out this June for many gaming platforms, like PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC.  For information on this game, continue reading.

The people over at GamesHQMedia released the PS4 trailer for the upcoming Airtight Games and Square Enix game titled Murdered: Soul Suspect.  The action/adventure game itself is about a detective whose latest murder case is the one where he himself is the victim.  Ronan O'Connor, the game's gumshoe, is having trouble moving to the next world and his mission of finding out who killed him is his key to the afterlife.  Along the way, he teams up with a police psychic who is the only person who can see him and help him on his path.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Doi-A8hi3bc[/youtube]

The game has been getting some great attention since the first gameplay footage for Murdered: Soul Suspect was presented at last years E3.  When I asked NeoShock, a fellow member of EnixOrigin, he said that he likes "the idea of a murder mystery where you have to solve your OWN death."

I love the game's dark tone, and the added "sidekick" I didn't expect seems interesting as well.

Murdered: Soul Suspect is looking to be a nice addition to the 2014 lineup for Square Enix, as well as a nice game to purchase for those new systems when it comes out this June.

And with that, we have come to the end of this week's 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  Make sure to stop back in on Thursday for the Review Thursday.  Until then, I hope you see no Game Over Screens  Also, I will go back and do some editing on this entry when my Internet is working better.

Michael, aka me3lingual.

Trophy Hunter - SaturPLAY #5

Welcome back to SaturPLAY, where each Saturday I recount my gaming exploits of the past week.  I had a plan for what games I wanted to play this week, and I stuck to that plan for the most part.  Basically, because of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII being released in a couple weeks, I wanted to go back over Final Fantasy XIII and try to get the Platinum Trophy for the game.  I started over from the beginning because I deleted my previous save file at the beginning of the year.  Right now, I am at the Sunleth Waterscape, playing as Vanille and Sazh.  It is my favorite area of the game, because I love listening to the background track that plays while running around looking for monsters to fight.  As for the trophy collection, I have 50% of them.  That may seem great, but those were all trophies I earned before.  I haven't earned any new ones.  But the thing is, I can't earn the ones I am missing until I get to Gran Pulse.  So I have my work cut out for me.

The second step in my plan was to finally complete the story of Final Fantasy XIII-2.  I have had the game for quite a while, and I have yet to finish the game once.  I am not even trying to get all of the trophies.  I just want to finish the game before the final game of the series comes.  Right now, I have completed the story of New Bodhum 3AF, and Bresha Ruins 5AF.  Everything else is just waiting to be traversed.  And I also went and purchased the DLC for the game, so now I have the full complete game to play.  And I haven't even touched the story bits.  I did go ahead and purchase all of the fancy weapons from Chocolina though.

And all of that stuff ended on Wednesday.  Since then, I haven't had much motivation to play anything.  On Thursday, I was too tired to play after I came home from work.  Friday was spent playing 10-15 minutes of like twenty games, and then resulted in me deleting all of the save files because they weren't worth keeping and continuing to work on them.  And then today I woke up with the desire to kill people in Skyrim.  So I played that all day.  I want to raise my trophy level on PSN, so I have been working on missions I haven't tried.  Specifically, those of the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood.  I am also considering purchasing the DLC for Skyrim as well.  More content does mean more greater access to trophies.  Now, if I could just decide whether it would be cheaper to purchase the DLC from PSN, or to just buy the Legendary Edition of the game and then sell my copy of Skyrim.

And that has been my week.  I am kind of lucky that I won't receive my copy of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII until March (because free shipping is free), so I have plenty of time to get the first two games finished.  I just have to buckle down and play them.  Anyway, that's all for this week's SaturPLAY.  Don't forget that this Tuesday is 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  So, until then, I hope you won't see any Game Over screens.

Michael, aka me3lingual

Jetpack Joyride - Review Thursday

Welcome back to Review Thursday, where I talk about a game I have recently finished.  This week I am a little late (it is technically Friday when I am typing this) in posting.  But regardless, I did finish a game this week.  And that game is...

This game is so fun!  I spent hours upon hours playing it.  The concept of the game is simple: don't touch anything as you run through a seemingly never-ending laboratory with a stolen jetpack.  Along the way, you can ride vehicles like a robotic dragon, a teleporter, and a motorcycle, just to name a few.  Then at the end of your run, you can either risk your spin tokens earned throughout the run in a slot machine or cash them in for coins.  Coins are also earned throughout the run, and are used to purchase clothing options, different jetpacks, gadgets to help you run through the lab, and other items.  And you can even purchase more coins using real money.  And then there are little missions you can complete to level up and earn coins; like going a set distance in a vehicle, or dodging a set amount of obstacles, or giving High-Fives to the scientists.

I don't really care for all of the extra things, but I did end up collecting them all.  There is a PSN trophy called "All the Things" which is awarded for when you have purchased every item available.  Other than that, I mainly stuck with the Insta-ball, and the Freezing gadgets to get some extra length to the run.  Toward the end, I played just so I could finally get that last trophy.  I will probably play it once in a while, but not for the length of time when I was trying to collect the trophies.

My favorite vehicle in the game was the Profit Bird.  It looked nice, and I was able to control it the best among all of the vehicles.  My least favorite was the Gravity Suit.  I just could not get the hang of it.  Overall, I give Jetpack Joyride...

Five Stars.  It is very addictive and fun to play.  The concept is simple and it is playable by people of all ages.  Only one button is used throughout the actual play (the X button), so there are no tricky button combos to memorize.  I really like this game, and I would recommend it to everyone.

Well, that's the end of this Review Thursday.  Make sure to stop by on Saturday for the next SaturPLAY entry.  And until then, may no Game Over screens be seen by your eyes!

Michael, aka me3lingual

DLC - 3³ Gaming NEWSday

Welcome to 3³ Gaming NEWSday, where I  talk about what's happening in the gaming world.  And sometimes I talk about something about gaming in general.  This week I want to write my thoughts on downloadable content, also known as DLC.  So, let's begin.

I am of the mind that if a company is going to make a game, it should be made available to every person at the time they purchase it.  The whole point of DLC is for the companies to get more money, right?  They withhold levels or weapons or characters so people can get the full game experience at an extra price.  I don't think this is fair, and yet I have succumbed to the temptation of DLC several times in my gaming life.

The first time I paid for DLC that was separate from the game itself (the Game of the Year editions of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion or Fallout 3 don't count) was for Ubisoft's Prince of Persia.  I purchased the Epilogue several years after finishing the game.  You see, when I first bought the game, I didn't have PSN; so I had no clue that there was extra content.  The trophy list was full of trophies I could get without any extra content.  When I played the game after getting a PSN account, I noticed that there were more trophies that I hadn't seen or earned before.  That was when I paid for the Epilogue.

Since then, I have spent time and money at the PSN store; either looking at DLC I want for my games, or buying DLC for my games.  Recently, I went and bought all of the DLC for Final Fantasy XIII-2.  Why?  Because I wanted the full game experience, with all of the characters that I can use and all of the outfits and all of the weapons (except the Xbox exclusive one).  Well here, take a look at what I have bought on PSN.

• Eufloria (it's a really nice game, so no complaints)
• Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC
• Prince of Persia Epilogue
• Jetpack Joyride (the game was free, the coins were not - because I didn't want to spend any more time playing it)
• Back to the Future - Episode 1 (I think it was free)
• BUZZ! Quiz Player (another free one, I think)
• And all of the free DLC for...
• Need for Speed Most Wanted
• The Sims 3
• Portal 2
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
• And one avatar from Mugen Souls

The point is, I have spent money on something I truly feel should have already been given to me for free when I purchased the game.  Games already cost so much as it is, that we now have to pay more to get everything that was made for a game; and if this was 10-15 years ago, would be included in the game.

Don't get me wrong, there are some games whose DLC are so expansive that it seems like a completely new game in terms of content.  I would gladly give more money to Bethesda for DLC for Fallout: New Vegas and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; and I fully plan on it one day.  But I can't see myself paying for more cars in Need for Speed Most Wanted or more design choices in The Sims 3.  I think that the cars or extra chair types should be included.

As I have probably said before here, I am getting Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.  I am worried that I will be tempted to purchase an outfit on PSN because it will seem really neat or be of a job class I like.  I will have six extra outfits at startup because of

1. Pre-Ordering
2. Purchasing the Collector's Edition
3. Downloading the free demo
4. Posting battle score to outerworld, and
5. having save files of both Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2

Now, that should be enough to get me by, but I don't know how many of the 80 outfits will actually be available without purchasing them.  For all I know, the six that were featured in the demo are the only six available for free with the game.  The point of this rant is, if you are going to sell a game, it should have 100% of the game in the data on the disc.  I shouldn't have to pay ninety-nine cents for something that should have been there from the beginning.

Well, that's the end of this week's 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  make sure to check back in on Thursday for the weekly review.  I haven't finished anything recently, so I may have to dig deep for a Review topic.  Oh well.  Until next time, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Too sleepy to italicize.

This week's SaturPLAY will relatively shorter than normal.  Basically, I didn't play much of anything, despite playing a bunch of a lot of things.  I played and deleted files of The Sims 3: Pets and Fallout: New Vegas.  And today, I started files of both Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2 in order to have them there when my copy of Lightning Returns arrives.  And I am still working on Pokémon Black 2.  I have gotten to the third Gym and saved the game right before I take on Burgh.  I did face him once before, but I lost so I reset the game.  I went back on my promise to train only Water-types.  I have been training my Pidove to combat the Bug-types that Burgh carries.  I also have an Eevee in my party that I fully intend to evolve into a Vaporeon when I get a Water Stone.

And finally, I have made some progress in Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories.  I have completed  the Destiny Islands floor and now I am at the next fight against Riku.  I was having trouble, so I stopped playing to take a break from it.  Which is why I have been playing other games lately.

Well, that's all for this week's SaturPLAY.  Until next time, I hope no Game Over screens cross you gaze.

Michael, aka me3lingual.

Lightning Returns Demo - Review Thursday #3

In this week's Review Thursday, I will talk about my experience playing the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo that was released on Tuesday.  Let me first just say that I may possibly spoil what happens in the demo.  However, as it's available for free, and people have been posting videos of the gameplay of it, it's a bit difficult to be spoiled at this point.

Well, because of my super slow Internet that day, the download took more than twelve hours.  So while my friends were playing the heck out of Lightning, I was sitting on 7% downloaded.  I began the download at 3pm, and at midnight it was only at 50%.  When I woke up at 4am to stoke the fire, I saw that the download had completed.  I installed it, and went back to sleep.

The next morning, it was the first thing I played.  I think it may have been the only thing I played.  No, no it wasn't.  The demo was short, so I went and played other things as well.  Anyway, I loved the demo!

First, the graphics are great.  People look like people, objects look like objects, attacking looks like attacking.  It was nice to be able to move in battle, and not stuck in one spot during battle.  The music was fantastic, and I think it played well in the demo's gameplay.

The battles themselves were amazing.  I think it is really nice to have the abilities be set as buttons on the controller.  Especially in Active Time Battle games, if you have a lot of abilities in a menu, you lose a lot of time searching for a spell or ability which gives the enemy an advantage.  And with job changing has been taken a step up from Final Fantasy X-2's job system, it is now only one button press away; whereas that of X-2 was more than one.

As I reported in this week's 3³ Gaming NEWSday, you play as Lightning as she looks for Snow, who is now the "leader" of the city.  The opening scene is Lightning and Snow fighting the beings of Chaos, as well as each other.  Then, Snow exits the same way the monsters entered, by some kind of space/time thing.  Hope Estheim is there as well; but only as a voice, guiding Lightning through the building and analyzing the situation.  From where, I don't know; the demo didn't offer that information.

After Snow leaves, Lightning has to fight her way passed monsters in order to locate Snow and "set him free".  The boss of the demo is Zaltys.  He looks like some kind of demon/dog/giraffe creature.  I defeated him in 2 minutes and 16 seconds; making full use of the game's time-altering function.  It slows time down for everyone except Lightning, giving her lightning speed (yeah, ha ha, I know).  It isn't the best result out there, but I have only played through the demo once so far.  I know someone was able to do it in less than twenty seconds.

The demo ends after you reach the end of the corridor that Zaltys is guarding.  You can however also end the demo by continuing to explore the area until 6 o'clock.  Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is a time-based game, so spend your time wisely.  You don't want to be left on the planet when the world ends.

Anyway, a plus to downloading the demo on PSN as I did is that you receive the Utsusemi Samurai garb for free.  And if you post your battle score against Zaltys on the Outerworld, you will receive the Siegfried garb on release day.

Overall, I give the demo...

It is a great demo, and it accomplished what it was made to do.  And that was to build up hype and make those that play it want the game.  I certainly do want it.  Now I just have to wait until my copy arrives.  Which won't be until after Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster comes out.  You've got to love saving money by bundling purchases in order to get free shipping.

Make sure to stop back in on Saturday for the next edition of SaturPLAY!  Until then, I hope that no Game Over Screens cross your gaze!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Demo - 3³ Gaming NEWSday #3

Welcome to 3³ Gaming NEWSday!  I have a couple articles that I have written recently to share.  First, is the article I wrote about Final fantasy VI coming to Android.  And the second is what I wrote on the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo that was released today.  So, let's begin!

Final Fantasy VI now available for Android

Smartphone users, the wait has ended! Final Fantasy VI is no longer solely for iOS devices. Square Enix has uploaded two videos (one each in English and Japanese) today on its Japanese language YouTube channel announcing the Android availablility of this classic Final Fantasy title. To watch the video and for more information, continue reading.

After nearly one month since the release of Final Fantasy VI for iOS, the 1994 game is finally available for the Android market. Now you can play as Locke, Edgar, and Terra on the go and without an iOS device or portable gaming unit. This comes to relief of a huge group of gamers who have been asking "When does it come out for Android?" and "Why not Android?" since the iOS release. The game will be playable in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXUKWzcy33M[/youtube]

Lightning Returns Demo Released Today

As the days continue to count down on the release date for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, the demo of the game featured at E3 was released through PSN and Xbox Live today. And there is also a free outfit for Lightning if you choose to download the demo. For more information, continue reading.
As posted by PlayStation Blog earlier today, the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo that had been featured in places like E3 and PAX is now available for download through PSN. The demo's content features Lightning as she looks for Snow Villiers, her former traveling companion during their quest to save Cocoon. He is somewhere in Yusnaan, one of the cities in the game, and it's up to you as Lightning to find out why and what's happening there.

One of the perks of downloading Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, beside getting a piece of the story before the game comes out, is that you get one of the costumes that Lightning can wear during the main game. For PlayStation 3 users, you obtain the Utsusemi Samurai costume (shown below). And for both Xbox 360 and PS3 users, if you activate the Outerworld functions and post your score after defeating Zaltys, you will receive the Siegfried costume. Outerworld is where you and thousands of other players communicate with things like posting battle scores, buying items, and selling items.



The download itself is 2.04 GB for the PS3 version, and it's 1.14 GB for the Xbox 360 version. From what I have heard from those who have played it, it is a nice demo. Here are what some EnixOrigin members have to say about the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo.


Well to me, it feels a lot different than the first two games. I know game sites kept saying the system is just a revamp of the first two, but doesnt feel like that to me. This is how the first two should have been. - Tev

The battle is more in the players hands this time around. Whereas before it felt like a scripted battle at times, because the game held your hand. -Vox

Needless to say, it sounds like the full game will be highly entertaining if the opinions on this demo are like this. So, don't forget to download the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo on either PSN or Xbox Live if you get the chance.

Well, that's all for this week's NEWSday.  Make sure to stop back on Thursday for the next Gaming Review.  And I hope no Game Over Screens are what you see!

Michael, aka me3lingual

A big key, but unlocks nothing! - SaturPLAY #3

Welcome to this week's SaturPLAY post!  I hope your gaming this week went well.  My start off okay, but I hit a wall a few days ago.  Or rather, a gate.  I am stuck in the same place I was the last time I played Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories.  I can't defeat Vexen as he guards the gate to the mansion in Twilight Town.  I have looked up strategies online, and asked friends who have played the game.  Nothing is working.  It sucks, because I really thought I was doing well. It is probably a good thing that I am playing the version on Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMIX.  I sometimes toss controllers when I get frustrated, and so it's a good thing the PS3 controller is wireless.

I became too frustrated with that game, so I started a game of Fallout: New Vegas yesterday.  I am already at Level 5.  Everything is going okay so far.  I reached Primm today and cleared out the Bison Steve hotel.  Now, I am back at Goodsprings at the Doc's house.  I had three crippled limbs when I got there.  It took what seemed like hours to get back there.  I really need to learn how to not pick up every weapon ever, just because I may use it.  I would get places faster if I would just use the weapons I have and not worry so much about keeping them maintained.  It won't break just because it is fired once.

I am still making movies in Pokémon Black 2.  I only have one choice at the moment, and that's the third installment of the Red Fog series.  I still really like filming the movies, but I am ready to move on.  I want to catch more Pokémon, especially Water-types.

When my DS needed recharged one night, and I was still not sleepy, I went and got my PSP out and started a file of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.  I am playing as Ventus as the moment.  I like his story so far.  It is really different from Terra's from what I can tell.

I was hoping to have Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories finished, but that didn't happen.  I will work on it for next time. And with that, we've come to the end of this week's SaturPLAY.  I hope you enjoyed it, and that no Game Over Screens cross you path!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Rugrats: Search for Reptar (1998) - Review Thursday #2

I am going back in time to when most of us were kids watching cartoons. I am still shocked that my copy of Rugrats: Search for Reptar still works after having it for most of life.

Basically, this game is a mix of races, puzzles, and mini-games that incorporate episodes from the series into a visually stimulating video game. The point of this game is to complete the episodes and earning the puzzle pieces to Tommy's Reptar puzzle. You can also earn puzzle pieces by finding Reptar bars (15 Candy bars = 1 puzzle piece).

Some of my favorite levels/episodes are Chuckie's Glasses, Ice Cream Mountain, 7 Voyages of Cynthia, and Mirrorland. These were my favorite episodes on the show, and I really enjoyed them playing the characters. My overall favorite is Ice Cream Mountain. This level is a 9-Hole Mini-Golf Course. You get to play as Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, and Angelica in order to get the golf balls in the holes.

This game also features a Mini-Game/Extra menu where you can even play Ice Cream Mountain with friends. In this Mode, you can also play as Suzy. The other extra games are Cookie Race, Egg Hunt, and Gold Rush.

The manual also features several Rugrats-themed jokes. Some are funny still, even though I have read the manual cover to cover hundreds of times.

The game is not hard at all. It is rated "E", but really it could be rated "KA" for how easy it is. Although, after having played it for almost 14 years, I would be surprised if there is any actual difficulty to it anymore.

It is really just more of a novelty game. I recommend it for anyone who wants to go back in time to when video games were based on TV cartoons, and had simple objectives. Find Easter Eggs, drink all of the chocolate milk before Angelica gets it. Play hide and seek with the babies.

Ah, the simplicity of childhood.

My apologies to those of you that have no idea what the Rugrats are. If you are one of those people, you were probably one of Spongebob-era people. I am sure that there are websites that allow you to watch the show and enjoy being a kid again.

Overall, I give this game

Make sure you stop back on Saturday for the next edition of SaturPLAY.  Until then, I hope you don't come across any Game Over screens.

Michael, aka me3lingual

Competition - 3³ Gaming NEWSday #2

As I was trying to find newsworthy material for this entry, I became curious about gaming tournaments.  Gaming competitions are newsworthy, so I found some dates for some tournaments.

GNEsports 2013 Championship
Registration: Closed
Event Location: Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Start Date: Friday, Jan 17th, 2014 at 12:00 am
End Date: Sunday, Jan 19th, 2014 at 12:00 amGame Divisions:
Call of Duty: Ghosts (4v4) $175.00 / Team
Call of Duty: Black Ops II (4v4) $200.00 / Team

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Tournament
Registration: Open
Event Location: Annapolis, Maryland, United States
Start Date: Saturday, Jan 25th, 2014 at 12:00 pm
End Date: Saturday, Jan 25th, 2014 at 6:00 pm
Registration: Closes Saturday, Jan 25th, 2014Game Divisions:
Call of Duty: Black Ops II (4v4) $160.00 / Team

Welcome to THE K/D EMPIRE BATTLE GROUND
Registration: Open
Event Location: Sparks, Nevada, United States
Start Date: Sunday, Jan 26th, 2014 at 6:00 pm
End Date: Sunday, Jan 26th, 2014 at 8:30 pm
Registration: Closes Monday, Jan 20th, 2014Game Divisions:
Call of Duty: Ghosts (2v2) $20.00 / Team Details

Call Of Duty Ghost Search and Rescue and Team Deathmatch tournament
Registration: Not yet open
Event Location: Ridgecrest, California, United States
Start Date: Sunday, Jan 26th, 2014 at 11:00 am
End Date: Sunday, Jan 26th, 2014 at 11:30 pm
Registration: Opens Sunday, Jan 26th, 2014Game Divisions:
Call of Duty: Ghosts (4v4) $5.00 / Team Details

I searched for some tournaments over in Europe, because I know that there is quite a few reading this from there, but my search didn't come back as fruitful as it did when searching for some in America. In fact, it seems that most of the sanctioned tournaments with sponsors and whatnot are ending soon.  In Europe especially, a majority of the tournaments are ending on January 15, 2014.  However, that is for the traditional tournament style where you go to a big location and go against other teams/players head on.  The online games, like Hearthstone, are still going.  There is a tournament for Hearthstone starting on January 19, 2014.  For information about the Hearthstone tournament, and other European Tournaments, click here.

I guess while I am talking about gaming tournaments, I could discuss my experience in tournaments.  I have been in only one gaming tournament.  In December 2013, I competed in the Osu! Challengers Tournament in the Beginner's Level.  I am not really accustomed with osu!standard, but I wanted to try it out in a competitive setting.  I ended up finishing in 2nd Place.  It was fun, but it also reaffirmed the fact that I should remain an osu!mania player.  While training for the tournament, my rank in osu!mania dropped significantly.

I am thinking of changing the format for Tuesday entries.  Sometimes there isn't a lot of news that is fresh enough for me to show you here.  I mean, I will still link you to the stories and whatnot, but I would mainly just offer my opinions on the articles.  Anyway, I want to also talk about gaming experiences and other gaming related information as well, not just current news articles.  I will figure something out.

Well, that's all for this week's 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  Make sure to stop back in on Thursday for the next Review Post.  I still haven't decided what it will be.  I am leaning toward Grand Theft Auto III, but I have finished a few games so far this year that I have a few to choose to from.  Anyway, I hope you see no Game Over Screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

"Feel the Heat!" - SaturPLAY #2

Welcome back to SaturPLAY!  In this edition, I will talk about the games I played this past week, as well as what I am playing right now.  And of course by right now, I mean today; because I am typing this post right now.  Anyway let's begin.

I finished Grand Theft Auto III on Friday.  It was only the second time I have ever finished the game.  For it's time, it is a nice game.  I certainly don't like how Donald Love just up and disappears suddenly, with the game not even finishing the storyline properly on that regard.  But, I guess it does fit the main character's personality.  Since he never seemed to care who he worked for, as long as they paid him.

My favorite vehicle in the game was the Yakuza Stinger.  My favorite character is probably Joey Leone.  And I have always liked the talk radio stations in all of the Grand Theft Auto games, and Chatterbox is no different.

After finishing Grand Theft Auto III, the next game I played was one I knew I could get through quickly.  And that was The King of Fighters XI.  I don't really like fighting games, because they are more about memorizing abilities and button pressing.  Fighting games are a genre I prefer to watch being played rather than playing them myself.  

I played using two teams of characters.  First, I used Real Bout Fatal Fury Team, which consisted of Terry Bogard, Kim Kaphwan, and Duck King.  I lost after the fourth match.  I then played using Agent Team, which was Vanessa, Blue Mary, and Ramon.  I like Ramon, because he is faster than other characters I usually play as.  I could do without Vanessa.  She's too slow.  And Blue Mary was alright as a character.  But really, the only reason I like using her is because of the dog that appears when she prepares for the fights.  I don't normally use those characters I mentioned.  I usually play using Athena Asamiya, Sie Kensou, and Momoko.  So using these other characters was a nice change.

Anyway, it was really easy for me to get through the story.  I am not sure if I will go and play more to get all of the characters.  I don't even know how to do that.  But I am satisfied with completing the story once and earning the top score in Arcade Mode.

After that, I spent some time playing the demos and watching the videos on the Xbox Demo Disc 13.  I found this disc while I was in my mother's closet one day looking for something else.  I don't even remember what it was, but it was something that my mother was looking for and she asked me to find it.  While I was looking for it, I found this disc and a couple others.  I asked her about it, and she said that she forgot she had them and let me keep them for the Xbox.

Anyway, the only game I liked playing on this Demo Disc was the Toe Jam and Earl game.  Everything else was not interesting for me.

And all that brings me to what I am playing now.  I am still working on Pokémon Black 2.  I have two badges now.  I decided to work on making a great Water-Type team, rather than solely training Oshawott, now a Dewott.  Which means I finally caught that Psyduck I was wanting.

However, I haven't been doing much traveling and training lately.  I have been at PokéStar Studios filming all of those movies.  It's fun.  And challenging.  It isn't my favorite side quest in the series.  That honor goes to Pokémon Contests.  But filming the movies is still enjoyable.

And the console game I am playing is Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories.  I have both the PS2 and PS3 versions of the game (which is why I chose to put the 1.5 HD ReMIX picture on here), and decided that I would play the PS3 version so I could get the trophies.

Currently, I have finished the first three floors; having played Traverse Town, Wonderland, and Olympus Coliseum.  I have never finished this game before.  The farthest I have gotten was Twilight Town, in front of the gate to the old mansion.  I am hoping I will be able to finish the game this time around.  I sure hope so, considering I am playing on the Easy setting.  It would be really embarrassing if I am unable to complete it while I am playing Easy Mode.  Oh well, even if everything is easier, it still has posed a challenge sometimes.  I won't be getting the trophy for finishing without using a Continue.  I died once during the fight against Hades.  I wasn't healed before the fight, and lost after two big hits from him.

And that's the end of this week's SaturPLAY.  If you have any thoughts on what I have played this week, or if you have any suggestions as to what I should play next, feel free to leave a comment.  Make sure you come back on Tuesday for the next edition of 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  Until then, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual