On The Xbox:

• Wrapped up Fallout 3 today, and I have to say, I agree with everyone who thinks it kinda stinks that the game ends at the end of the main quest.  (Granted, this is a video game, and so within its borders we do have the power of time travel.  I could just load up my last save before the last leg of the quest and go do anything else.  I could even just start again with a new character, which I hear is popular.  I just kind of miss the “coda” phase of open-world games, in which everything important is done, and you can roll around and check out what you missed before.)
• Probably already mentioned Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts – I had taken a hiatus from Fallout 3 in order to play it straight through from start to finish.
• Also played Saints Row 2 straight through, because I wasn’t ready to go back to the Wasteland just yet.  (Saints Row 2 stays open after you finish the main quest, but in that case, I had already pretty much done everything you can do in the game, short of finishing a few of the side games and mopping up the Achievements – which I’m not really interested in doing.  Banjo stays open, too, but again, short of beating all the records, I’m done in there.  Both games will occupy the same space as the completed GTA games: I will pull them out when I want to do a bit of what the game has to offer, without getting too involved.  After 6-24 months, I will probably replay each of them from the beginning, as well.)
• In turn, I had taken a hiatus from Fable II to play Fallout 3.  I may even restart Fable II from the beginning, depending on where I left off.  However, given the fact that money (from land and shop ownership) accrues in that game even when you’re not logged into it, I may have some pretty heavy motivation to stay with my current character.  That game is so much fun to play, and apparently to watch, that I’m really looking forward to getting back into it.
• Tried out The Maw today, and the world did not exactly shift beneath my feet.  Given some of what I’ve read online, you’ll have to forgive me for that expectation.  Still, it looks like a clever game, and I’ll probably wing the 800 points at it when I want a diversion, or a new game for K to enjoy.
• Still halfway through Mega Man 9 on the Xbox, and most of the way through on the Wii.  I haven’t felt the need for that kind of platforming for a few weeks, so it’s collecting virtual dust at the moment.  I’m also disappointed that its internal Challenges system is not tied to its Achievements on XBox Live.  There a lot of Challenges, ranging from simple body counts to feats of refined skill, and I’d like to share that information with my friends in a way that does not require me to call them up and say, “Hey, I just beat my 1,000th enemy!”
• Resurrected Test Drive Unlimited when my K’s mom was staying the night, because I wanted to play a game, but wanted something completely non-violent.  That game is so strangely compelling to me, and it seems like it shouldn’t be.  Yet I find myself struggling against the game to be a better driver and take in bigger prizes and buy better cars, even though Burnout Paradise is ready and willing to just let me fly down the streets and smash into everything I see with little penalty.  I’ve decided to buy a second copy of TDU when next I see it – to get the case and manual, which my first copy lacks – and then I’ll give my spare disc to my (racing fan) boss to play.

On The PC:

• I like to play Tower Defense games, and NUD is cool, but…
• …other than that, I’ve been avoiding my PC, because it runs Windows, and I don’t much care even for Windows gaming anymore, since I have a system in the next room that lets me play games in a superior A/V environment for almost no effort at all.  In fact, it plays most of the same games these days, and will even let me play them online.  It even lets me play games with my wife in the room, sharing the experience and presence.  This is really hard to beat.  However, my friends are still PC gamers, at least when it comes to playing together…
• …and now TribesNext is out.  If anything can get me back onto a PC, it’s Tribes 2, and so that is what they have done.  I’m trying to port over all my configs from my old Tribes install today.
• Left4Dead is a PC game for me, too.  Valve hates the consoles and only loves PC gamers^[1], so I buy all my Valve games on the PC.  So, I pre-bought L4D long before I read any reviews.  Then I read the reviews, and all the reviewers gush about how they haven’t been this genuinely scared by a game, possibly ever.  And I think, “I don’t like to be scared,” so I have been giving it a pass.  I may have to actually launch the game, soon, just out of curiosity.
• I should probably play some more EVE Online, just long enough to remember why I don’t like it.

On the PSP and DS:

• DS status: still don’t like it.  Played a bit of Lock’s Quest, which is okay, but not quite tower defense, which is what I wanted.  Compared the DS version of Chrono Trigger with the PSX version running on my PSP, and decided that I would play the PSX version and give the DS version to K (who has been playing rather a lot of it).  Will I still buy a DSi?  Um.  Probably!
• Got all the way to the final boss in Final Fantasy for the PSP, and remembered that there is one reason why you need a White Mage in this game.  Too bad for my party, I don’t have a White Mage.  Nor do I have a lot of chunks of 30 minutes where all I want to do is battle my way through a difficult dungeon only to inevitably perish at the hands of a deity-boss who is harder than every other beast in the game, combined.  So.  I guess I’m not finishing FF again.
• Got to the President in FFVIII and lost interest for a bit.  We’ll see where that goes.
• Brave Story: New Traveler, why have you coupled such a fun combat system with such a cartoony story?  Oh yes, that’s right, you’re made for kids.  Oh, well, I still like you alright.
• Monster Hunter watch update:  Nope, still sucks.
• Hot Shots Golf Open Tee 2 is now in the bag.  It’s not even an open-world game, and it still has a good coda!  After the credits roll, you are promoted from “Platinum” to “Black” level, and compete to unlock the rest of the accessories.

So, that’s games.

1. Or at least, given the fact that all of their patches and content updates seem to be PC-only, it seems that way.

Giant Bomb » Avatar: The Last Dashboardbender

- Play from hard drive. Copy your games from the game disc and play directly from the hard drive. Not only will the drive not spin, but load times are quicker, as well. Of course, you will still need the disc in the tray to prove you own the game.

This is really good news.  It’s not that the games load slowly (although skate. might be able to benefit from this when trying to execute a complicated combo 30,000 times and loading each time…), but the DVD drive is LOUD.  Anything to alleviate that noise!

- Access Xbox LIVE Marketplace on the Web. Browse and purchase Marketplace content whenever you want from Xbox.com and it downloads automatically to your console. Purchase that new map, television episode, the latest Xbox LIVE Arcade game or set up a movie to watch when you get home from work.

Since my DSL connection at home is pretty feeble, it will be nice to queue up those downloads for times I’m not using that connection.

- Dashboard built into the new Xbox Guide. For everyone who loves the blades interface, it’s not going away; they are now built directly in to the new Xbox guide. Every feature and option is available right from the guide. You can even access your full games library at all times. No matter where you are (in dash or in game), immediately call up your games played list and directly launch a game.

Cool, I guess.  I’m already happy with the in-game options, so I’ll be happy as long as they don’t take anything away!

- LIVE Party system. Create a party of up to eight friends, and stay with them from one game to another, or watch a Netflix movie together, or share a slideshow of your personal photos. It works with all Xbox 360 titles, not just upcoming games. LIVE Party allows up to eight people to chat in the dashboard, so you can meet up before playing.

This is what has me excited.  So far, outside of a game, only two players can chat at a time.  Now, all (three) Xboxing members of Clan Pika can get together and play without all the extra ridiculous planning.

- Xbox LIVE Primetime. This whole new category of games is going to give you more reasons to get online with your friends. Games will support everything you’d expect, like Achievements and leader boards, but many of these games will include real prizes. You can invite your friends, and even set a reminder for an upcoming show. Each game is broadcast simultaneously, so everyone is answering the same questions. Many events will have a live host, calling the shots as they happen.

:/  So, like, pub quizzes at home?  Not feeling it.

- Avatars. Your online identity started as a Gamertag – it then grew into a personalized Gamercard. Now, it has evolved even further into avatars. You can express your style, check out new outfits and share this with the community. Avatars will also be integrated into Xbox LIVE Arcade games, LIVE Party, as well as retail games.

I have no love for my gamerpic (currently the Mach 5), so a new Mii Avatar won’t hurt.

- New display support. Because you asked for it, we are adding 16X10 over VGA or HDMI, and support for 1440×900 or 1680×1050.

I’m sure this is great for some dude with a 23″ monitor somewhere!  Not for me, but it can’t hurt.

A few items to get synced with the other pikas (and other interested parties):

1. Yes, it is safe to return to Terre Haute. My accordion is broken[0], so incidents should be limited in scope. I also do not have a “quest” of any sort planned this year.
2. So far, the weather forecast is looking cool and dry. HUZZAH.
3. A side effect of MATRIMONY is that not all of us can stay at the Moore Bar, Filmworks, Arcade, and Sofa Depository[1], so hotels have become involved. D: Plan/panic accordingly.
4. For Bob’s sake, have yer communicators charged. (An exception can be made for Qwan, whose cellular provider cannot be arsed to provide service more than four miles from a major city center. However, abuse must be provided every time his reception cuts out.)
5. Have your DS equipment handy at all times, and be ready for anything. We’re going to have plenty of opportunity to use these suckers, especially if we try for our usual Saturday Dinner at Olive Garden, not to mention at the department visits, or during/in place of the football game, in the hotels…
6. My contingent will hopefully be there before the outhouse falls in.

I think that’s it. This thinly veiled reminder to BRING YOUR DS[2] means that we are now officially more co-ordinated for this thing than ever before. D: PANIC ACCORDINGLY!

[0] The G-minor-7-diminished chord button is stuck down. The upshot of this is that it is still 100% playable and functional, but any song I wish to play must be in Gm7 throughout. I have yet to find such a song that does not make me want to jump in front of a train, so I’m on Accordion Hiatus.
[1] Technically, I didn’t ask for clarification after she said that she would not like to sleep on pergamon’s floor. Maybe she may have just wanted a cushion. TRUST ME, UNMARRIED DUDES, SOMETIMES IT’S OKAY TO MAKE ASSUMPTIONS.
[2] BRING YOUR DS update 2006.10.07 @01:49

Oh my… A conversation with Qwan/Mighty Matt outside the Steak ‘n Shake in Terre Haute has reminded me that

1. He’s actually not with his old, unarsable cellular provider anymore, much because of their unarsability and the razzing we gave him about it. In fact,
2. He’s on MY provider, which is plenty arseable nationwide as far as providing coverage goes. What’s more,
3. He switched providers on my recommendation, which was cause of some jubilation at the time. The fact that I can’t remember this happening clearly indicates that
4. Either my memory has failed me, I’m too self-absorbed at this point[3] to remember my own causes for celebration, and at any rate
5. The fact that I’m razzing him about something he fixed two years ago makes me kind of a jerk.

So: I hereby apologize to Matt for being such a jerk[4] about his phone, and resolve to fact-check before I razz him again.

…Well, okay, I can’t really promise the fact-checking. [3] Add the wedding into my usual level of self-centeredness, and this actually makes an uncomfortable amount of sense… one of my obvious character flaws, and the most painful. Thanks to all of you who have to put up with it.
[4] Well, did that in person, too, but this one’s for the record.

Given the runaway success of The [pf!] Fight Song (well, Lamebot fell out of his chair… and Pedant thought he was required to memorize it), Canthros and I have come up with a few more vamps. Sadly, we will probably be unable to help ourselves from singing little bits of these while playing…(In various stages of destruction…)

Dead Medics, which started it all… Dead Medics,
Dead Medics,
Dead Medics aren’t much fun
They don’t come when you call
They don’t give health at all
Dead Medics aren’t much fun Field Ops Field Ops, Field Ops,
Roly Poly Field Ops… Soldier How much is that Soldier in the window?
The one with the fire in his hair… Engie Engie, Engie,
Build a command post, do
I’m quite edgy
Between your landmines and you… Covert, take one There is a Covert in the base (in the base!)
There is a Covert in the base (in the base!)… Covert, take two There was a Covert in the base
E-I-E-I-O!
Until I shot him in the face
E-I-E-I-O… update 2006.02.27 @22:49
Canthros expounds on his masterpiece
There is a Covert in the base (in the base!)
There is a Covert in the base (in the ba-a-a-a-se!)
He wears my pants as gaily as can be,
while invalidated do I be.

To protect our tank from devastation!
To undo all fuel dumps within our nation!
To steal the pants of those we love;
To deny the strikes from the Air above;
Pika!
Lame!
Team P. F. dyno at the speed of light!
Surrender now or prepare to fight! update 2006.02.15 @16:48
It’s a shame that this many name changes would be an auto-kick. /bind p
name [pf!]eggplantmike ; say_all To protect our tank from devastation! ; wait 175 ;
name [pf!]Pikafoop ; say_all To undo all fuel dumps within our nation! ; wait 175 ;
name [pf!]LameBot ; say_all To steal the pants of those we love! ; wait 175 ;
name [pf!]Pedant ; say_all To deny the Strikes from the Air above ; wait 175 ;
name [pf!]Pikafoop ; say_all Pika! ; wait 175 ;
name [pf!]LameBot ; say_all Lame! ; wait 175 ;
name [pf!]eggplantmike; say_all Team [pf!] dyno at the speed of light! ; wait 175 ;
name [pf!]Canthros ; say_all Surrender now or prepare to fight! ;
name [pf!]Pikafoop