Loads Coming

I promise. Today is a happy day and I have a lot to say and catch up on.

Where's the Dignity?

All is well in Missouri. The boy and I are doing fine, but looking forward to Friday when we get Mommy and Sissy back. Interesting blog fodder to share, but it'll have to wait until I find the time.

Their will be updates

The boy and I are in the MO.

With interwebitudinal access.

Yay!

The harrowing ordeal to come.

Off to the Land of the Mullet

As if I needed more stress right now, I'm packing the boy and the various stuff needed to keep him healthy and happy in the car (truck) and going with mi madre to visit the fam in Missouri. Not sure if I will have access to the interweb, so if this monument to my babble does not get updated before Jack Thompson wins a case, light a candle for me and pour a Dr. Pepper in my honor. If there's nothing here before Tuesday evening it means we haven't made it back yet and you should alert your local authorities to the possibility that I've been turned into some sort delicious (and plentiful) stew.

Here's hoping to making it out of the foothills of the Ozarks without having to endure the real-life version of Deliverance.

(But I am excited to show off HH2 to the family. Really, I am.)

Oh, and don't forget, the Wii and Master Chief are going head-to-head tomorrow at Dover at 1:00pm ET on ABC. Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 Wii car, is starting in the 9th position and David Stremme, driver of the #40 Halo 3/Target car, is starting in the 40th position.

3 days, 9 hours...

Comic from Fanboys:

Adventures in Single Parenting

A few days into this little adventure and I'm rather amazed that in reality it isn't all that different from my day-to-day routine with the little boy. Nothing really is all that different, except for that big, gaping hole that exists due to 6 being in CT. And having that hole sucks.

On any given normal day, 6 arrives home at or around 1530 and we switch off. She'll get her time with the little man, and that gives me a great deal of time to get some chores done that I hadn't been able to do throughout the day. They play, she feeds him, she gives him his bath, I cook supper, pick up the little messes around the house, clean the kitchen... that's our little routine. But with 6 in CT, everything is tossed off like a bikini top at Spring Break.

Having to get all of this done solo is a cast iron pain in the ass.

The chores.

The everyday care of the tiny human.

I have a new found respect for those that do this every single day, not just temporarily like me.

Everything gets done much later than they'd normally be done. I do bathe him earlier than he normally does, and try to put him to bed around his normal time, but things like cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry get pushed off until HH2 is fast asleep. So that means the time that I'd normally try to get a little game time in is now spent getting the day-to-day operational tasks done. That in and of itself isn't that bad, the big game doesn't drop for a few more days yet.

Only eight more days of doing this, then he gets his Mommy back and I get my CO back. (And to add to it, I get HH7 too so next weekend is going to be great!) I'm going to get a break from all of this courtesy of mi madre, but more on that little tidbit later. Once all this is over, hopefully this drivel will take on the resemblance to the absolute garbage that so many of you have become accustomed to.

4 days, 13 hours (+1)

Comic from Extra Life:

Ugh

Bad day. Update when I regain sanity. Miss my girls (wife and daughter).

5 days, 14 hours...

From CTRL+ALT+DEL:



And from Sheldon:

7 Days Until Halo Nights

On your sack...

By Glow Worm's Light

Shot especially for his Mommy, who he misses very much.

The Countdown Continues.

(This one may contain a spoiler. You've been warned.)

VC Monday

This Monday's VC releases brings Yoshi's Story from the Nintendo 64 (1000 Wii Points), Super Thunder Blade from the Sega Genesis (800 Wii Points), and World Class Baseball from the TurboGrafx16 (600 Wii Points). Definitely worth the purchase of a new card, dontcha think?

I. Am. Alone.

Somehow, well beyond my comprehension, 6 has managed to put up with me for nearly six years. Of those six years, we've spent five and a half years living together. In all these years spent together, we've only been apart a handful of times, and of those times, never for more than a couple of days.

So now, as she wings her way to the birth state of El Presidente, I am faced with the task of living without her for the next ten days, nine hours, and some odd minutes. I know I'll survive, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

And of course this means that for the next several days I am effectively a single parent.

Here's to not being bald from pulling out what's left of my hair before my beautiful wife gets home.

Even I Will Admit, It Is Getting To Be A Bit Much

Less than 9 days to go.


(Image from CTRL+ALT+DEL)

Dover just got more interesting

I don't hide the fact that I enjoy left turns, you either get NASCAR or you don't. It's not a redneck thing, despite what so many would think to the contrary. That being said, Dover on September 23rd is going to be one video game-centric race.



I've mentioned the Wii car before, but it looks like #40 David Stremme, driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, is going to be driving his own video game inspired ride.



So, the Wii versus Master Chief. Given the drivers and the stables they drive for, I think Wii can expect the Master Chief won't finish the fight.

Win a Closed Door Shopping Spree at Nintendo World

Nintendo is giving one lucky winner (and a guest) the chance to fly to New York City and have a $1000 closed door shopping spree at Nintendo World located, two nights in a hotel, $500 spending cash, a special edition Nintendo DS and a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Complete details are posted in the Nintendo press release below.

NINTENDO NEWS: TXT 'ZELDA' 2 '20769' 4 CHANCE 2 WIN TRP 2 NYC, SHPNG SPREE @ N-10-DO WRLD

Sept. 13, 2007

Imagine flying to New York and having the entire Nintendo World® store available for your exclusive shopping pleasure. To mark the Oct. 1 launch of The Legend of Zelda®: Phantom Hourglass for Nintendo DS™, Nintendo is asking contestants to answer three Zelda-related trivia questions for the chance to win an amazing collection of prizes.

To receive the three trivia questions, contestants must text "Zelda" to 20769 or enter by mail by visiting Zelda.com between Sept. 13 and Oct. 26. People who answer all three questions correctly will automatically be entered into the contest.

One First Prize winner will receive a trip for two to New York, two nights at a hotel, a $1,000 closed-door shopping spree at Nintendo World, $500 spending money, a special-edition Nintendo DS and a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Nine Finalists will receive a special-edition gold Nintendo DS and a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Winners of the first prize and their guests must be 18 or older.

Even if you aren't a Zelda trivia whiz, you can join in the countdown to the launch of one of the most anticipated titles of the year by downloading your own Zelda hourglass countdown widget to your favorite social networking site or even your desktop. Available on Zelda.com, the Zelda hourglass widget will mark the seemingly endless days until the launch of the game and provide exclusive information, tips and tricks via a weekly RSS feed.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass marks the classic series' debut on the portable Nintendo DS. It follows the visual style of the hit The Legend of Zelda®: The Wind Waker™ and takes Nintendo DS to new heights, both in terms of the graphical abilities and game-play mechanics. It's a classic Zelda experience that can be controlled entirely using the stylus on the DS touch screen. Two players can even compete wirelessly, either across the room or across great distances using Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo's wireless gaming service.

For more information about The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, the contest and the widget, please visit www.Zelda.com.

First prize is pretty freaking sweet.

The World Needs The Muppets

Seriously.

GwB Presents: Brain Age 2 & Metroid Prime 3

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, there is never enough time to play everything I get sent in a timely fashion. Couple that with the fact that I can't always lay my hands on the newest titles right away and it leads to a view from a gamer turned stay-at-home dad being a tad behind the curve. But it doesn't mean I'm not up to the challenge even if these types of reviews are a bit shorter than usual.

Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day!

Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! for the Nintendo DS picks up right where it's predecessor left off. One of the most popular titles for the DS, Brain Age 2 is a title that does what so many other video games doesn't, it forces you to think. Based upon the research of Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, players are expected to complete a series of tasks designed to tax their brain cells. There are fifteen training programs within the title that vary from math, memory, words and even music. The game makes use of these training tasks in the form of the "Brain Age Check" feature that is a timed, three event test of your brain's age. The ideal brain age is 20, but anything close to it is deemed acceptable. Therein lies the greatest appeal to this game, beating that damn 20 year old age. The game also includes the crossword like Sudoku, as well as a much enjoyed, and missed, version of a Gameboy classic hidden away on the cartridge. If nothing else, Brain Age 2, like it's predessor before it, fully embodies the Nintendo philosophy that "everyone's a gamer." Immediately approachable to those that have either never played video games, or never gave them much thought, this title is best suited to people at least in their teens. But the game itself is obviously best enjoyed by those of us well over voting age, and maybe a bit more comfortable in their tax bracket.

Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! is rated "E" for everyone and is available now. (And if you don't have a DS already, this is the perfect time to go out and grab the Nintendo DS Lite Crimson & Black with Brain Age 2 for $149.99)

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

As for Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, what can I say that hasn't been said elsewhere? If you own a Wii and you're looking for the shooter to own, this is it. Following the story of Samus Aran, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is the last in the Metroid Prime series of games. Enemies abound, puzzles are fun, it's one of those titles that is so good, I'd rather be playing it that reviewing it. Seriously. The boy is asleep, the chores are done (mostly), and I think I here my Wii calling.

Get. This. Game. It's that good. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is rated "T" for teen by the ESRB and is available now.

And the Zapper game is...

Link's Crossbow Training™? How in the wide, wide word of sports are you going to sell something called a Zapper and not include a follow up to Duck Hunt? Where're the ducks? Where's that damn laughing dog?

I'm still not thrilled about the design of the thing. As I've said before, I'm a shooter. A right eye dominant, right handed shooter. I cut my teeth courtesy of the NRA Junior Marksmanship program. I honed my skills in the US Army. I know how to shoot. Considering some 80ish% of the planet is right-handed, why make a peripheral that favors a left handed shooter?

Expect me to tear this peripheral apart just as soon as I can get my hands on one.



Nintendo's press release:

NINTENDO'S NEW WII ZAPPER TARGETS FUN

First Wii Game-Play Accessory Comes Packaged with Zelda Software

REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 10, 2007 - Nintendo announced today that the Wii Zapper™ interface for the hit Wii™ home video game system will come packed with Link's Crossbow Training™. The software is based on the hugely popular Legend of Zelda® series and provides a perfect demonstration of the way the Wii Zapper could be used in other games. The Wii Zapper casing houses both the motion-sensitive Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™ controllers in a single unit for precision targeting. It goes on sale Nov. 19 at an MSRP of just $19.99.

"The Wii Zapper combines our remarkable controllers into one housing with a classic style reminiscent of arcade-style games," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Both veteran and first-time players will find it brings a whole new dimension to games where targeting is key and provides even more exciting game-play experiences."

Link's Crossbow Training drops players into a world in the style of The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess. Players assume the identity of hero Link, who progresses through a series of tests to perfect his crossbow marksmanship. Start with stationary bull's-eyes and graduate to moving targets before defending Link against all kinds of enemies.

Third-party publishers have lined up to support the Wii Zapper. EA's Medal of Honor Heroes™ 2 lets players take World War II into their hands with the Wii Zapper. The game features an all-new Wii-exclusive Arcade Mode that offers accessibility to gamers of all skill levels, a full single-player campaign and support for up to 32 players in multiplayer. Capcom's Resident Evil®: The Umbrella Chronicles reveals the back story behind the fall of the Umbrella Corporation by exploring locations from Resident Evil 0, 1, 2 and 3, as well as new never-before-seen locations like Umbrella's stronghold. One or two players use the Wii Zapper to take aim against a horde of zombies in first-person perspective. SEGA's Ghost Squad™ lets players replicate the arcade light-gun experience at home with the Wii Zapper.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.4 billion video games and more than 420 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario™, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at www.nintendo.com.

EA and Medal of Honor Heroes 2 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

It's Monday, time for new VC titles

Every Monday, Nintendo releases three titles to the Virtual Console on the Wii. This week's offering are:

NES Play Action Football (NES®, 1-4 players, rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): "Ready! Hut hut hut..." Nintendo takes to the gridiron with the classic football powerhouse NES Play Action Football. Featuring a distinct overhead viewpoint that creates an almost 3-D field, the action is more simulation-based than many of the more arcade-based games of the time. Play through four 15-minute quarters (in accelerated time) and even substitute players when your first-stringers get tired. Want more options? Each of the eight available teams has multiple running/passing plays to choose from while on offense, as well as a wide selection of defensive schemes that can be run when you're on the other side of the ball. And in addition to viewing two full teams on the screen at once without any slowdown, you'll hear voice snippets at key points of the game. Line up, and see if you have what it takes to win the Power Bowl.

Sonic the Hedgehog™ 3 (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone – Comic Mischief, 800 Wii Points): Sonic and Tails are back for another adventure as they again battle the evil Dr. Eggman (aka Dr. Robotnik), who is desperately trying to collect all the Chaos Emeralds to rebuild his Death Egg. Our heroes must again find the Chaos Emeralds before Dr. Eggman does, but winning the race won't be easy this time – a new adversary, Knuckles the Echidna, has arrived on the scene and will do whatever he can to keep Sonic and Tails from reaching their goal. Grab all the golden rings, find various bonus zones and overcome Knuckles and Dr. Eggman as you rocket through the third chapter in Sonic's adventures.

Neutopia II (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 600 Wii Points): Experience improved graphics and controls in this exciting sequel to the action role-playing game Neutopia. Take on the role of the main hero's son and watch as the story begins with the apparent revival of Dirth, the evil demon. Once again you'll need to rely on your magic compass and the information you've gathered to find entrances to labyrinths and defeat the bosses in them. Make your way through the field, which can be tricky at times, to search for and find hidden information and items, or move blocks and destroy walls to uncover secret rooms. Like the original, this game has a save function, a finely tuned difficulty level and a fast-paced story, making it truly an RPG that everyone can enjoy.


The fact that Nintendo does this every Monday is great an all, but where oh where is PilotWings? And there's a ton of other titles too. Where? WHERE?! WHERE!

Sometime You Feel Like A Duck

Sheldon, best comic about a kid with oodles of cash and a duck and a crotchety grandpa ever!

Be Seeing You In February

The 2007-2008 NFL season has officially begun. College ball has a week head start, but the spectacle of professional football has kicked off. In living rooms, basements, bars, and restaurants throughout the nation men and women are riveted to their televisions. Hulking gladiators will march down 120 yards of the lushest and greenest grass on the face of the earth. Some of those will have to do it on plastic that looks like grass. Entire families from this moment will sport the colors of their favorite teams weekly, from patriarch to newest member. Fans will listen to their favorite announcers, and curse like sailors on hearing the nasal monotone of John Madden. There will be games played in the sun, and games played inside. Games will be played in the rain, and games will be played in the snow. There will be joyous triumphs, and heart breaking defeats. And in nearly every home that worships at the altar of the Lombardi trophy, there will be that one member of the household that will devour every minute, savor every play, and will live and die for every game.

In this home that person is the misses.

She loves the foosball. Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and any other day of the week when a game is on, she's watching. It doesn't matter that the team playing isn't one of her favorites, football is football, and football is good. She loves the Titans, and the Seahawks. She loathes the Colts and New England. Among her favorite players are Vince Young, Eddie George, Shaun Alexander, and anyone that sacks or picks off the pass of a Manning (Eli or Peyton, it makes no difference). Reggie Bush, Brett Favre, and Ben Roethlisberger are highly overrated in her blue and hazel eyes. If she were to have her way we'd be season ticket holders and would attend every game. Superbowl Sunday is the holiest of days and anyone that speaks during that most sacred game is likely to die a violent and messy death. Her insatiable lust for this game knows little equal.

And I have no one to blame for this but myself.

I created this monster. When we first started dating, she'd never been much of a fan of football. At least not pro anyway. College ball is a religion in the south and like all good GRITS (girls raised in the south), she worshipped appropriately. She watched, or listened to, Tide games every Saturday, but come Sunday she had little in the way of interest. I, myself, had always had a passing fancy when it came to pro ball. I followed the Titans, and when I could the Seahawks, but I was never a rabid fan of any of it. Football was merely a way to pass a Sunday afternoon when a nap didn't seem that appealing. The pacing of the game always led me to the same conclusion, that despite their size and obvious physical prowess, pro football was for wussies. Hike the ball, make a play, wait. Hike the ball, make a play, wait. Break for commercial. Hike the ball, make a play, wait. But somehow HH6 enjoyed this. The pacing of the game and the abundance of commercials made it easy for her to work on her undergrad homework and watch the game. In the span of time it takes for a commercial break, she could churn out a good bit of her assignments. The commentators and the roar of the crowd gave her queues as to when to look up from her texts.

And that's how it began. Fostered one play and one commercial break at a time, she is among the most rabid football fans you will ever meet. Undoubtedly she will be at work tomorrow discussing this evening's game. And she'll do the same thing come Monday and again on Tuesday. But her devotion to the game has never been a source of angst in our home. As much as I may kid her about being a ghost come football season, she remains a devoted wife and mother.

The only possible downside to this is she is already fostering the same devotion to football in the little man. He already has his first jersey. He's already being taught that it's ok to shout "kill Manning."

Thankfully there are 27 days, 22 hours, and 30 minutes until the puck drops at the Sommet Center. And then the shoe is on the other foot.

Yet another random YouTube vid.

Not HH2:

GwB Presents: DK Jungle Climber

(Please excuse my obvious lack of quality in this review. 'Twas written while under the duress of a boy who seems content to cut every single tooth in his head at the same time. Good times.)

I'm guilty of neglecting the single most popular gaming console available and that is inexcusable. The Nintendo DS has sold more units than any of the other consoles, including the Wii. It's portability is one of it's greats attributes and it's lineage to the Game Boy is unmistakable. That being said, the DS has some of the best games out there, so when I was recently sent DK Jungle Climber, my expectations were high.

DK Jungle Climber follows the story of Donkey Kong and his friends as they attempt to enjoy a little vacation on a tropical isle. King K. Rool and the Kremling Krew ruin these plans when they plot to steal some Crystal Bananas from a visiting alien. The Crystals will allow Rool to take over the universe and it's up to DK to stop them. As with nearly every DS title there is a incredible amount of reading to explain all that, but it can thankfully be skipped with little fuss.


The title is of the same ilk as Donkey Kong: King of Swing for the Game Boy Advance (and could easily be considered a sequel), with the L and R shoulder buttons doing the lion's share of the controlling. The D-pad is used as an alternate to using the shoulder buttons to move DK around the screens, with the "A" button doing double duty as jump and attack.

Secret coins and bonus games are strewn throughout the various levels of the game (and there are a few mini-games to be played and unlocked as well), but even if one takes the time to explore every screen to get everything there is, the levels are really short. Speed demons can burn through this game in one decently long sitting. The ability to use Diddy Kong in his prerequisite role as semi-useful sidekick adds a extra dimension of fun, but his contribution to the title wouldn't be missed were he not in it.


Levels offer little in terms of variety, and the novelty of the title quickly wears off. Levels melt into one tedious journey after another, and the player is left with a general sense of boredom. What I did find myself doing while playing this title was wondering why this wasn't ported to the Wii as was rumored. Many thought that once the idea for this title was presented, it would be playable on the Gamecube or the Wii with the Donkey Konga bongos acting as the controller for the game. Had that been the case, this would've been a much more enjoyable and exciting game. As it is, it's mediocre at best and down right boring at worst. I did present a few lab rats (read: kids) with the game and the under 10 set seemed to enjoy it. Those with attention spans just long enough to make it through a couple of episodes of Spongebob should enjoy this title. Those of us who can make it through the nightly news with our eyes glazing over should probably skip it.


DK Jungle Climber is rated "E" by the ESRB as has a release date of September 10, 2007.

Coolest. Mobile. Ever. additional, additional.

Boing Boing and Game | Life at Wired have picked up on the mobile now too. Damn. Looks like I need to write up a how-to for all you people that keep getting sent this way. Instructions and tips soon.

Coolest. Mobile. Ever. additional.

Daddy Types and DS Fanboy have picked up on the coolest mobile ever. One of the comments at DS Fanboy netted this little gem. Normally I hate when folks "shop" my pictures, but this one is priceless.



My thanks to DS Fanboy poster, hvnlysoldr. You rock!

Putting The Cart Before The Horse

Well, it seems that I spoke too soon. That's the thing about life, just when you think things are going OK, and it feels as if she's smiling on you once again, life kicks you squarely in the jimmie to remind you who's truly in charge. We're still coasting it seems. Somethings will have to slide and be taken care of late, but such is the way of things right now, and there's little that can be done to change it.

Things will change for the better soon, I'm sure of it. Because I'm most definitely at my wit's end.

The Return of the Status Quo

Fortune has finally shined on the humble little apartment that we call home. This week marked not only the return of the wife to the world of being outnumbered 10 to 1, but also the dark road of brokedom that we’ve been walking has come to an end as well. Things have obviously not been good for yours truly, and many still aren’t, but they are slowly getting better.

With the wife firmly back to the grind of being an engineer, the boy and I have settled into our old routine nicely. Despite having the help of “Moms” for the past six weeks, things seem a little easier now. Chalk it up to the little man being a little older, but I’m not so apt to make a beeline to some of Tennessee’s finest adult beverage once 6 gets home. Gone are the days that I meet her at the door with the little man and tell her “here” while I disappear into a pixilated land of distraction. In their place is a very happy and content little man laughing on the floor while I make faces at him as the wife walks through the door.

The downside of this is that I am behind in my postings. I’ve settled on a schedule of how I’m going to go about it from this point on, so things should improve. I’ve got a number of things to rant about, a couple of DS games to review, and just the normal strange and utterly pointless things that I write that must drive so many of you away. So stay tuned dear reader, the coaster has crested the hill and the big drop is coming up.