GwB Presents: Guitar Hero Encore: Rock The 80s

Whenever a developer or publisher entrusts me with reviewing their titles I do everything I can to do so in a timely manner. Often the challenges of being a gamer and stay-at-home dad conflicts, and as I've said before there is never enough time to do both. So, the kids come first, and games have to come second.

Such is the case with Red Octane's Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s. Having received the game over a week ago from the good folks at Red Octane the difficulty of giving the title the time it deserves became immediately apparent. Also apparent is the fact that I do not own a PS2, nor any other Sony product, but that was easy rectified as I have plenty of acquaintances who do. So, armed with a temporary baby reprieve, I set out to give this title the attention it so desperately needed.

The first thing that struck me was that this is nothing more than Guitar Hero II with different music. It seems this is the first thing that my contemporaries that get paid to review games noticed as well and that strikes me as a little odd. It seems that many have forgotten the old adage that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Red Octane has, in Guitar Hero, created a game that needs little in the way of improvement. The argument can be made that some new visuals, locales, and characters could be in order, but when a game is heralded as a modern classic, is it really necessary for a developer to re-invent the wheel with each sequel? No, but that does not mean that there aren't things that should have been improved upon in this instance.

The first thing that I do have issue with is the fact that this title is a PS2 exclusive. While that seems a little petty (especially given my bias to Sony), with the recent release of Guitar Hero II to the Xbox 360, it's a nearly unforgivable faux pas. I can say that there is little reason why this title shouldn't have been made available for the 360, but when faced with the reality that this title chimes in at $49.99 ($79.99 with guitar controller), I'm glad that it isn't. For that price you're paying $1.66 (and some decimals) for each of the thirty songs included in the game. When faced with those economics, the 500 MS points required for three songs via the XBL Marketplace seems not so bad. This strange bit of pricing is my second issue, and is the issue of many gamers loyal to the PS2.

With that in mind I think it'd be in the best interest of Red Octane to release some of the songs of Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s to the Marketplace because the best thing about this game is the music. The tracks included in this title are a joyous romp into my childhood. An eclectic mix of metal, hair, and pop the songs are enough to send those of us who claim the 80s as our childhood years into a dizzying tailspin. Covers of Quiet Riot, Poison, and Oingo Boingo hits reminds one of the days of jelly shoes, COPS in it's infancy, and C-3PO's cereal. The master tracks by A Flock of Seagulls, Twisted Sister, and Judas Priest floods one with recollections of Miami Vice, Orange Julius, and quarters clinking away in arcades.

This is a game made for my generation. Ours was the first generation to grow up with video games, and the music included in Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s is a clever nod to that fact. Packed with nostalgia, this is a title that anyone already in possession of a PS2 and is a fan of the Guitar Hero franchise should give a go. Even those that have looked at Guitar Hero with some measure of curiosity should give into the urge and give this title a place on their shelves. Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s is one of those titles that will have you reminiscing of days gone by and will leave you humming the soundtrack of your childhood all day long.

Now, what channel was VH1 Classic again? I feel a need to get nostalgic...

Wii Have Some Wiiners!

The winners of the Wii're Mad With Wii Points contest have been notified. Thanks to everyone who entered, the turnout was truly overwhelming. As before, I'll run another contest as soon as I can and I'll post the list of winners as soon as they reply to me.

Coolest. Mobile. Ever.

So, what's one to do when the quality of mobiles available in the world generally sucks? Why, make your own of course.



An old mobile, 550 cord, some card stock, a printer, and a general sense of boredom is all one really needs.



I know, I'm a dork. At least the boy likes it. (The beautiful engineer feels it necessary to correct me, the boy loves it.)

Last Chance to Win Some Wii Points

There's still time to enter our "Wii're Mad With Wii Points" giveaway. Click the banner for entry details and good luck.

THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED.

180

Well, he did it last night. Rolled over. Let the terror begin.

And now, your moment of brilliance brought to you by Scott Johnson of MyExtraLife.com:

Want. Samus. Now.

This one is going to own me until Halo 3 drops.

Making Out Like a Bandit

Christmas came a bit early it seems. Things still suck, but a little ray of sunshine every now and then certainly makes things a bit more bearable. The good folks at Red Octane were kind enough to send me a copy of Guitar Hero Encore Rock the 80s to review. Expect my take on it soon.

It seems that a contest that I forgot entering came through for me as well. The folks in the brown shorts dropped off a copy of Conn and Hal Iggulden's The Dangerous Book for Boys yesterday. I've been lusting after this book since first hearing about it. Described as an essential list of things every boy should know, after thumbing through the pages, I wholeheartedly feel that it's things every child should know. Book report soon.

And lastly, my bestest hangman buddy in the world gave me a smile and left me a little sniffily today. It's just what I needed in light of everything that's been going on of late. My thanks and my love always.

90 Degrees Off (GwB Parenting Tips)

He tries so very hard. He cocks that leg back, contorts and twists his trunk, and yet the little man just can't roll all the way over. Certainly not from lack of trying, it seems he rather enjoys rolling himself over on one side and just balancing there, he's just not quite there yet. The real problem is that once he does make it past that right angle, and hell will break loose.

For those of you that are new to the rearing of little people, rolling over marks the true beginning of a new set of nightmares. Rolling over begets scooting. Scooting begets crawling. Crawling begets standing. Standing begets walking. Walking begets explaining to a grocery store manager why there is an entire aisle's worth of Fruity Pebbles strewn about the store. And all that begets gray hair and an ulcer. (Sprinkled somewhere in all that begetting is sitting up, but not important in my derailed train of thought at the moment.)

It's easy for any new parent to say "oh, that can't be my sweet little angel, he'd never do that." Wait. Take it from those of us that have experience in the trenches that once the little maker of "stinkies" makes that 180 degree roll you're in for a lot of things you'd never believe your little angel would do. It's round about this time that you should give thought making your domicile a little more wee person friendly.

If you've already done this in anticipation of bringing your bundle of joy home, wonderful, that means one of two things. Either, A, you read every parenting self-help book you could get your hands on and are therefore a complete dupe, or two, you're the type to stub your toe on every sharp corner your home has and have made everything safe for your little piggies already. Regardless of whether you are a tool or a klutz, the single most important tip I can give you is this, BE A PARENT.

Next time you frequent your local baby goods emporium ask yourself this question with regards to the baby safety products, who are these products really for? Are they really for your child? If you're doing your j-o-b, is there really a need for foam corner covers on your coffee table? Plug covers? Did your parents have access to all these wonders? Reality is baby proofing products exist so that a fool and their money are soon parted. Our parents got by just fine because they parented. They understood that placing their faith in a little plastic wonder to keep their child safe ranks right up their with allowing John Wayne Gacy to run a day care. Our parents understood that it takes not a village to raise a child, but rather a concerned and dedicated parent.

It may seem that my advice is a little simplistic, but if you are reading this drivel, then your parents must have done something right in an age when car seats were cutting edge and high chairs were made of beautiful stainless steel. So, as your little wonder makes that effort to roll past vertical and lay on his belly remember, no amount of baby safety products on the planet will ever replace you keeping your eyes on your little one. If you do what you're supposed to, then you needn't spend a dime on products that exist only to make the company that they came from a little richer. And then one day soon, you too will know the simple joy of picking up every can of tomato soup in your local grocery.

Halfway to the Cat Helmet

Spending more that $100 on a video game is ridiculous. Given that most titles are now more that $50 (US) on the low end, the sheer amount of money spent by gamers on their favorite past time is tremendous. Sitting below my television right now is $400 worth of Xbox 360 titles alone. Tucked away beside the TV is more than $200 worth of Wii titles. Two Wiimotes, two Nunchuks, one classic controller, two wireless 360 controllers, and the Guitar Hero guitar for the 360, all this stuff adds up. Add to that the HDTV (a CRT Philips if you’re curious), 6.1 surround sound receiver (Pioneer), and speakers (cheap leftovers from an old all in one system) and it’s all even more ridiculous. So, in light of all of these things, maybe $50+ doesn’t seem that bad in the grand scheme of things. (And I must not forget the DSs, two of those and countless games in the hizzy as well.) But what makes a title worth half a C-note, and when is it worth more than that?

For myself, that’s not an easy question to answer. First of all, there’s the expense. Being a SAHD, my needs and desires come last, not by design, but by choice. The needs of my wife, daughter, and son are much more important than a few moments of pixilated pleasure to be given by the 360, Wii, or the DS. So, when I do scrape together the cash necessary for a game, a lot of thought and consideration goes into my decision as to what to buy. I scour the internet, read the hype, and do everything I can to keep from getting burned as I have so many times in the past. But the past often is the one factor that seals the deal for me. If the previous iteration of a game is good, chances are the sequel will be as well. Which brings us to the Cat Helmet.

It didn’t take a genius to realize that the ending of Halo 2 was left really open, a sequel was a given. So, like many others I eagerly awaited the announcement, willing to drop whatever amount the Bungie would require for another chance to save the day as Master Chief. When the announcement finally came that the deed would be available in three different levels of trim the question came of what to get. Why the Cat Helmet of course! The Legendary version of Halo 3 includes, among other things, a replica of Master Chief’s helmet nearly the perfect size to shove atop the dome of one of our two Feline-Americans. It was a given… it was a must have… it was $100. Was. Later came the automated call that the price had been risen to $130.




I’ve traded away titles that have been less than stellar and spent little bits of my VA cripple money towards the ultimate goal of owning a kitty-kat chapeau. So, as of yesterday I'm about halfway there with just over a month to go. Reserving the title six months before the release has certainly helped. So, back to the original quandary, when is a game worth more than a C-note? When it speaks to you of course… or when it comes with a sweet way to torture the cats.

Wii Would Like To Play

Start 'em young I say.

Metroid Madness Continues

Continuing with their "Month of Metroid," Nintendo has released Super Metroid from the Super NES onto the Wii Shop channel for the Virtual Console. (That's a mouth-full.) Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master from the Genesis and Neutopia from the TurboGrafx 16 is also available. Isn't it a good time to enter for your chance to win a 2000 point Wii Card? Time is running out.

Nintendo has also released Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day for the Nintendo DS. If this one is anything like the last one, you owe it to yourself to pick it up. Hopefully I'll manage a report soon.

We Interupt This Weekend For Some Link Lovin'

Somehow I've never done one of these. Time to fix that.

Attack of the Redneck Mommy: What more could you ask for, she's a hot Canadian Mom with redneck tendencies.

Hawty McBloggy: Fellow devotee of all things 360, Master Chief, and author of the monumental Top 10 Halo Pick-Up Lines.

Wii Weight Loss Plan: J.R. is my new Jedi Master. The force is strong with this man that's used common sense and the Wii to lose 44 pounds so far. Maybe his plan will help me not be so "fluffy."

Infendo: One of my favorite podcasts related to the Wii. Scott, Blake, and Kyle geniuses.

WiiSpot.com: My other favorite podcast related to the Wii. More love for Canadians. I wish I were Canadian... "Oh, Canada. Our home and native land..."

I'm Not a Slacker: And neither am I. Fellow daddy of the diaper brigade offering a great insight into this crazy undertaking we've... taken.

Tattooed Dad: Yes, he's already listed over yonder on the left, but his is one of those blogs I check several times everydamnday and he deserves a shout out.

There's probably more I can think of, but they'll have to wait for another round.

The AHD Convention and the Dilemma

The 12th annual At-Home Dads Convention is scheduled to take place on the 3rd of November in Kansas City and the website for it is finally live. I’ve been rather excited up to this point at the prospect of attending a convention dedicated, organized, and attended solely (although some family members sneak in) by fellow denizens of the burp cloth. My excitement at the possibility of knocking back a few brews with complete strangers and discussing the finer points of poo color where quickly dashed this morning when the AHD Convention website went live.

Initially I thought that I would be faced with the dilemma of going to the convention or missing out on the opening series of my beloved UAH Chargers. Any sane person would simply miss the game and go to the con since there is another, and much more important, series the next weekend anyway. But I am anything but sane. In the past six seasons of Charger Hockey, I’ve missed one home game. I arrive an hour early to claim my seat, watch warm ups, and settle into the correct frame of mind for the impending onslaught of hockey goodness. If any of these things are interrupted, then I am a bear to deal with, ask the mullet wearing rednecks that have been stupid enough to set in my seat before.

But never the less, I was considering missing these games and going to Kansas City to attend the convention. Something about getting away for a few days and being around other SAHDs and meeting up with a few buddies from the area all sounded too good to be true. And it was. With the publication of the details of the convention on the official site this morning came the realization that we simply couldn’t afford for me to attend. Between the outrageous $60 attendance fee for the one day convention (if paid before the October 11 dealine, $75 after), the outlandish costs of the various other events, hotel, airfare (time of year and distance makes driving out of the question), and the pesky matter of having food to eat while there all add us to me not going. Conservatively I was figuring on needing at a minimum of $800 to attend.

So my dilemma of hockey or convention has presented it’s own solution. For those interested in finding out more about the 12th Annual At-Home Dads Convention, please visit the official website at AtHomeDadConvention.com.

Freebird and the Freak

Time is just one of the many enemies of the gamer. It comes in short supply and is always fleeting. So it should come as no surprise that even though I am a "man-child who has no shame sitting at home doing nothing to provide for your family" that even I don't have enough time to play all that I'd like. Case in point, Guitar Hero II.

Despite the fact that it's been out forever, I only just recently unlocked "Freebird." Yes, I'm a tool, but it just makes my point. Between the daily insanity of being a SAHD, trying to take care of the hacienda, and the multitude of other things going on, there isn't enough time to devote to finishing some games in a timely manner. Couple that with the sheer amount of games that I play (Gamefly is a wonderful thing), and it all adds up to a recipe leaves some titles simmering on the back burner.

But it's a testament as to the quality of the game that I can come back to it over and over and over. Such is the case with Guitar Hero II, no matter how many times I play it, I just keep coming back to it. And HH7 loves it too.

But some gamers faced with the challenge of playing games for hours on end turn to chemical enhancement to insure there is enough time to play. Mountain Dew looks to assist gamers in playing all night with Mountain Dew Game Fuel. I had the opportunity to pick up a case and jumped at the chance to do so. My honest opinion, it's not bad. Not near as cloyingly sweet as Code Red, Game Fuel offers 73 mg of caffeine per 12 ounce can, by comparison regular Dew offers 55 mg per can and Red Bull has 80 mg. This amount of caffeine should be enough to send most any person into a chemically induced bout of insomnia, but yours truly is a bit of a circus freak. You see, caffeine is my kryptonite. For whatever strange bit of genetic abnormality, caffeine has an opposite effect on me. But never the less, Game Fuel is some good stuff and the Halo 3 tie-in will certainly help sales, so pick some up if you aren't a freak like me and it makes you sleepy.

The Trials of Being a SAHD

I’ve come to discover that as a stay-at-home dad, there are no shades of gray in how people perceive what I do. Things are either black or white. People either think that a man that takes care of his children fulltime is an amazing and noble thing, or it is an abomination that marks our failure as men. I’ve written about this before, and it honestly comes as little surprise to me when it happens. The stares, snide comments, and looks of contempt are simply par for the course for those of us daddies of the diaper brigade. More often than not, we SAHDs just let the water roll of the duck’s back, but there are times and places when it all becomes too much to handle.

When one of these instances finally crawls under our skin, it’s usually a result of the external influences pressing in on us from the outside. There should be little doubt for anyone that’s spent any time reading the trash that I write that I have every reason for things to get to me. Between my wife losing her job, a former employer (that rhymes with Delta Air Lines) claiming that they overpaid me by nearly $300, and my daughter being taken to California, it amazes my friends that I haven’t yet climbed a clock tower and put to use all those skills that your tax dollars paid for.

But, somehow I’ve managed to avoid getting all “Master Chief sniping noobs from the side of the mountain on Coagulation” on people. Chalk it up to self restraint, or maybe to the fact that even a blind Oompa Loompa could shoot my fat ass, but regardless of the circumstances I’ve been good. But good went out the window earlier today and it doesn’t look to make a return anytime soon.

Being a diligent and caring contest runner, I occasionally check the spam folder of my e-mail to insure that no entries slip through the cracks. This nearly happened with the last contest that I ran, but it was this little bit of anal retentiveness that saved a few entries from certain doom. So imagine my surprise that among the offers for products to aid my sexual prowess I should discover this little gem:

You are typical of the man-child who has no shame sitting at home doing nothing to provide for your family, while publicly complaining about it expecting sympathy.

This wondrous and earth-shattering quote is brought to you by an officer of the United States Army. I won’t go into detail as to the circumstance of this e-mail, or the other egregious accusations contained therein, but to say I’m floored is an understatement. This open and needless attack comes from a man that knows nothing about me, that makes assumptions as to my character, and by these actions brings discredit to himself and the office to which he is supposed to serve.

As I stared at those words on the screen, I was certain I was being punked. This couldn’t be real. Surely someone was having a laugh at my expense. But reality was staring me in the face. This e-mail had also been sent to an e-mail address that, aside from the moment I set it up, hadn’t been used in more than two years. The previous attempt to contact me had been exclusively to this e-mail address nearly a month prior.

It’s remarkable that this individual could make such a monumental error. Where the first attempt to make contact was civil and even pleasurable to read, rather than check with the source that provided him with this address, he sat and fumed and chose to personally attack me. Had it not been for this contest right now, I would never have known what was going on.

So, there it is. I am a self indulgent, lazy, failure of a man looking for sympathy and support from you, my dear anonymous readers. I wish I could say that it wasn’t true, but to an extent it is. I am looking for sympathy… but not for me… have sympathy for this individual and those like him. Have sympathy for those that consider it wrong for a man to stay home and take care of his children and his household, but somehow in their narrow, misguided minds it is acceptable, and sometimes expected, for women to do so. Take sympathy on these men who are so insecure in their own masculinity that the idea of allowing their spouse to be the bread winner of the family is simply unbearable and unfathomable. Take sympathy on these poor souls who will never know, nor ever really appreciate, just how incredibly difficult it is to care for and keep safe those small clones that they’ve had a hand in creating.

And it is true that I am looking for support, all SAHDs are. Whether they chose to be open about societies’ ill will towards us, like the ever delightful Rebel Dad, or remain largely quiet as I do, we all are looking for people around us to support us in our decision to remain home and care for our family. But while we look for our family and our friends to support us in this tremendous undertaking, we are not so misguided as to believe that everyone else will. We know and we expect behavior and attitudes like the one demonstrated above. But what sets us apart from those that seek to belittle and berate what we have chosen to do is our inane ability to take those criticisms and use them as a reminder that what we’ve chosen is the single greatest thing a man can do. We’ve chosen to ignore societies’ standard of what is the norm and what is expected, and instead struck out on our own, choosing a path where glory is neither expected nor wanted. And no one among those of us who’ve chosen this path would give that up for anything in the world.

Wii're Mad with Wii Points

In honor of the tiny white time machine, I'm giving away 2000 point Wii Cards to five lucky readers of GamingwithBaby.com. These points are good for any of the "retro" titles to be found on the Wii Shop channel. Entry is simple, send us an e-mail. That's it. There are a few rules however.

For starters, please do not enter if you do not own a Wii. Entering contests to win prizes and then selling them is never cool.

Second, this contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only, my apologies to all my readers from across the pond and elsewhere.

The deadline to enter is 23:59 on August 27th. Limit one entry per person/household. (We'll make that Hawaiian time just for fun.)

Winner will be contacted via e-mail and will be required to provide valid shipping information. I won't be held responsible if y'all have been using e-mail so much that you've forgotten how to utilize the intricacies of the postal service.

THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED.

The Ghost of Gaming's Past

I weep for today’s children. Today’s children are spoiled by graphics that at times rival reality, with a palette of colors that makes Mother Nature green with envy. Today’s children are spoiled on the ability to save their progress mid-game and return to the exact spot where they left off. Today’s children are spoiled on games that are epic and provide hours of entertainment with a definable ending.

Not so for my generation. Our games started with such lifelike graphics as two lines that moved vertically and a square that ricocheted around the screen. Our games had an amazing 8 colors and pixilated characters so realistic that you almost believed those were blue overalls on that plumber. Our games required us to sit down and play them in one sitting or risk losing our progress. Often, our games had no discernable end and simply went on and on and on and on...

So, it’s refreshing that the Nintendo Wii offers so many “retro” titles on their Wii Shop channel for download to the Virtual Console. Refreshing in that a man can wax nostalgic with games spanning the history of Nintendo, the Sega Genesis, and TurboGrafix 16. Refreshing in that what was old is now new again. And nostalgic in that a grown man, with an engineer for a wife, who changes diapers all day, and has access to disposable income can relive his childhood 8-bits at a time. This type of freedom means that I have an opportunity to play titles that I never could as a kid and I can reclaim the past glory that comes from beating all eight worlds of Super Mario Brothers in one sitting.

And while I am delighted that I can so easily and readily play such classics as Super Mario Brothers 2, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Excitebike, there seems to be this trend among my contemporaries to look back at these titles we grew up with and judge them using modern eyes. This, in my opinion, is a cardinal sin among those of us that review games be it for fun or profit. It is wrong, and dare I say rather callous, to hold our beloved memories to the same exacting standards that we would a Super Paper Mario, Call of Duty 3, or Halo 2. To judge harshly those cherished memories of games gone by is akin to looking back at our younger selves and telling ourselves that there is no such thing as Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny, or that Sam never leaped home. It is devastating, and the type of thing that Kevin’s older brother would do on the Wonder Years. (Winnie!)

So, as I slowly add to my collection of Virtual Console titles, I look at them with a familiar and welcome sense of wonder. Playing a game like Punch Out for the first time in a great many years brings with it a flood of memories. Heady days of blue box mac and cheese, searching for the perfect size rollie pollie to fit in a BB gun, and afternoons spent picking blackberries come to surface. Watching Mario shoot fireballs brings with it the delight of climbing magnolia trees, swimming in the lakes of southeastern Missouri, and the sweetness of a soft serve ice cream cone on a hot summer day.

For my generation, games were a privilege, not a right. Our choices were limited not only by the limitations of the hardware of the day, but also by the limitless distraction of the outside world. Gaming was still new, hardly out of it’s infancy when Nintendo hit it big with the NES. This is true even for those of us that cut our teeth on Pong and the various offerings of the Atari 2600. Our parents took the newness of home gaming and rationed it out, much like Girl Scouts with their addictive (and I am convinced heroin laced) Thin Mints.

We weren’t allowed to zone out for hours on end in front of Sam Fisher, and we honestly had little incentive to do so. There was no online gaming, no headsets to trash talk into. If we wanted to play a game with someone, they were seated next to us and that closeness brought with it the very real possibility of a black eye if words got too far out of hand. Gaming was still very much something that you did when there was little else to do outside, or the thought of Han Solo rescuing Lady Jane from the evil clutches of My Little Pony for the one hundred and twenty eight thousand time sounded awful. We didn’t game because it was there, we gamed because it was another way to play with our friends. Gaming in our younger days was a social activity. And while the social aspect still exists for some in this age of high definition games, it is by large a relic of our past.

So, as each week brings us a slew of new “retro” games to the Wii Shop channel, I am faced with the ghost of gaming’s past. All these memories flood me and I am allowed for a few fleeting moments to become a kid again. I am allowed to bask in the wonder that was gaming when gaming was still new. This is perhaps the greatest gift that the Wii has brought to gamers of my generation. It has brought a tiny white time machine that reminds us that games have not always been about enormous bosses or jaw dropping graphics, that they, like us, were once young and innocent. And it is the titles that grace the Wii Shop channel that allows us to recapture our youth and innocence 8-bits at a time.

Wii want a NASCAR win

The Roush-Fenway #16 Greg Biffle Nintendo Wii car is about to take the track at Watkins-Glen. As a fan of the Roush stable (Matt's my boy) and obvious Nintendo fanboy, I'm tickled.



Boogitty-boogitty-boggitty, let's go racing boys!

More?!?!

I've known about it for a while, but this pretty much sums up how I feel. From the good folks at Least I Could Do:

GwB presents: Headlocked

One of the coolest things about having a somewhat successful online venture is all the free schwag that gets sent your way. Aside from the occasional score of a free game or two, I get other things. Most recently and notably I got through my friend, The Bibster, an autographed preview copy of the comic Headlocked. (Which came bent thanks to the tools at the US Postal Service.)



Headlocked is the story of Mike Hartmann, a thespian drawn into the world of professional wrestling. The copy I received was short, only a preview of what is to come, but the preview has me excited. The art style is very reminiscent of the comic offerings of the Marvel line of the early 90s. The story, while short, is engaging and shows a passion for wrestling that can only come from fans of the sport. The art and the writing practically glows with the love of wrestling that those involved with this comic obviously have.

According toVisionary Comics, who owns the title, comic book and wrestling fans can look for the title to hit comic book store shelves this October. Ask your local purveyor of comic goodness to get you a copy of this exciting new title, you won't be disappointed.

GwB presents: Mario Strikers Charged

How can a bulbous stereotype captive and invigorate the imagination of gamers for over twenty years? How is it that a character that was named for the Italian landlord of the American arm of a tiny Japanese game maker is still going strong after countless iterations? The answer to this question is as simple as looking at the banner that graces this website. His name is Mario, and there is no other character in the mantle of gaming lore that has a more loyal and frenzied following.

The latest title that the little plumber has lent his likeness to is Mario Strikers Charged (MSC). The Wii follow up to the wildly popular Mario Strikers on the GameCube, MSC is soccer (or football if you read this anywhere other than the States) with attitude. A five-on-five, no holds barred grudge match, MSC is a fanciful and joyous romp across the pitch.

Players are given a healthy and familiar roster of favorite characters to choose from, the depth and challenge of the title are apparent from the get go. Each of the available characters have their own strengths and weaknesses that will suit the individual player. Some characters are speed demons, others defensive brick walls, but as unique as they may be, each character also has it’s mirror in a character with similar attributes.

The real game maker in the title is the choice of sidekicks. Each player is allowed three sidekicks to assist them in making plays and scoring goals. These sidekicks are also familiar characters from Mario’s past and each, just as the main character, comes with their own strengths and weaknesses. The real challenge to the title is to take main character and find balance to their strengths and weaknesses.

The only character that the player really has very little control over is the goalie. A lot of the stops made by him are left to chance, but the player is solely responsible for their own failure when facing down a Mega Strike. By pointing the Wiimote at the screen and pressing the “A” button shots can be blocked, but success comes from quick hands and a lot of luck.

The controls in the title are fluid and tight, and very user friendly. The title does require the use of a Nunchuk, but it also makes good use of the Wii’s motion sensing capabilities. With a waggle of the Wiimote players can ram their opponent this stripping the ball and stopping Mega Strike attacks. A waggle of the Nunchuk makes things difficult for your opponent by making it more difficult to pull of a Mega Strike attack. Shooting and Mega Strikes are accomplished by the “B” button, passing by the “A.” The more you pass the ball the more charged it becomes, making it all the more difficult to stop shots. The “C” button is responsible for power-ups, and the “Z” is used in combination with either the “A” or “B” to lob the ball.

MSC makes good use of multiplayer with up to four player matches available both on and off line. Where MSC has it’s one and only real hiccup is in it’s online offering. Play online is region restricted, so don’t expect to go head-to-head against a hooligan from the other side of the pond. Also, rather than the standard and still atrocious friend code, MSC makes use of a unique Strikers code that is different from your Wii friend code. Nintendo’s lack of a premium online service shows as well since gameplay sometimes suffers from lag and connection issues.

As to whether MSC is a family friendly title or not, it’s Mario for crying out loud. In the twenty plus years that the little guy has graced our TV screens, I have never known a Mario title not to be family friendly. Even in instances like Smash Brothers, which is a fighting game, there’s very little to find fault in. Of course if parents would take responsibility for being parents, stupid things like the ESRB wouldn’t have to exist. The title is rated E10 for some mild cartoon violence, but after watching HH7 and the little brothers-in-law go at it, this is a must have.

Mario Strikers Charged is certainly a title that deserves a hallowed place in your gaming collection. An engaging and thoroughly enjoyable title, kids from 7 to 97 are going to enjoy this one. Beautiful and fun, Mario and his cohorts make a wonderful soccer (football) title. Definitely a 9 out of 10.

Wii Update

Unless you didn’t notice the blue glowing ring on your Wii today, there is an update to the UI available. The update brings a clock to the home screen, tweaking the previews of the channels on the front page, a minor redesign to the shop channel, and it also seems to speed up the overall performance of the various offerings. Let the update download and revile in the newness of these tweaks.

The Cosmos is out to get me

I had several posts planned. A comic book review. Mario Strikers Charged. The suck. But now my mouse quits working. Now they must wait until I can get that to work.

Anyone want to donate money so I can get a computer that works? Like a Mac.

Calgon, take me away.

Where's the upside?

HH7 has been in tears. She doesn't want to go.

Everyday just gets harder and harder.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I wish I would just go to sleep and wake from this nightmare.

But hey, at least the Preds are staying put. And I did get Strikers finally.

Hooray for small miracles, huh?

The Summer of Suck continues

I still don’t have Mario Strikers Charged.

In the grand scheme of things, that’s the best thing going for me right now.

I received the letter stating the ex’s intention to take my daughter to California a week ago. No date was given for the move, but the wheels were set in motion. So today I met with a recommended attorney to see what can be done. It seems that without $3000, not a damn thing can be done. Her attitude was less than encouraging. She made it clear that I have little to no hope for an outcome that would keep me from losing HH7 to the state dumb enough to vote an actor into the governorship not once, but twice.

It seems that in the attorney’s eyes, and likely in the court’s as well, my “lack of action” in the past does not bode well. Never mind the fact that reason for this supposed “lack of action” is the fact that we could never afford an attorney, court costs, etc. Never mind the fact that everything up to this point has been agreed to verbally by both the ex and I. If it isn’t on paper and ran through the courts, it doesn’t exist.

So here I am, facing a future without my dearest Sweet Pea. I can’t afford legal representation so when this does go to court, and it will, I’ll have “a fool for a client.” I’ll have to plead my own case, but undoubtedly, I’ll lose. And I’ll lose everything.

All of this leads me to this friendly bit of advice, if you live life as a pessimist, you’ll never know disappointment.