Day 16: Variety today.

I didn't get to play any one game for longer than 10-15 minutes today.  My brother was watching a kid today, and naturally, I got to watch then kid today instead.  I can't help having all of the cool toys.  We played Gran Turismo 4, Need for Speed Most Wanted, Ford Racing 2, and ATV Offroad Fury.  Since I was trying to be accommodating and nice to the guest, I had to play whatever he wanted to play.

Now normally, I don't become a backseat gamer; but he was just so bad at the games he wanted to play that I couldn't help it at some points.  How can you not stay on the road when you are on a straight stretch of the track?  He would constantly hit walls and everything else he could possibly hit when he played.

The most annoying thing is that he would hand over the controller, only to yank it back a few seconds later.  I really got on his case when he nearly pulled the controller out of the PS2 and dropped the PS2 on the floor.  I said, "How would you like it if I went to your house and started to ruin your stuff?!"

And then he wouldn't stop playing long enough to eat a popsicle.  He would play and eat at the same time, despite me telling him not to.  And then he would drop it and continue eating after he picked it up off the floor.  I just love cleaning sticky controllers.  It's better than playing the actual game itself.

The real gaming I did today was after my post last night and this morning before the kid showed up.  I played Romancing SaGa, but I didn't progress much.  I am starting to think that maybe having the guide with me while I play may actually be hindering me and my play style.  Yeah, it is convenient for boss battles, because the game doesn't have a scan enemies function that I know of.  But it is making me play the way the guide plays, and that is making me dependent on it.  I am not experiencing the fun the game should be giving me.

Well, the plan for tomorrow is to play games all day.  Whether or not I will actually do that is unknown to me, considering that I planned to do that today.  Anyway, until tomorrow, have fun playing whatever it is that you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 9: A Quick Play for a Quick Increase

I still feel a little down today about what has happened recently, but I did do some gaming today.

First, I played a couple of racing games with the child I tutor.  Our lesson for the day was finished, but the person who was to take him back home asked if I would watch him while he went out for a bit.  I agreed.  We were going to play outside, but it started raining.  So instead, we played Gran Turismo 4 and Ford Racing 2.  It may have been fun for him, but it was not fun for me at all.  First, I let him do a single player race in GT4, because I had never played it before and didn't know how to set up a multiplayer race.  Then we played a multiplayer race in GT4.  I won easily.  After that, we played a race on Ford Racing 2.  Halfway through that race, we switched controllers.  So my 1st Place car quickly became a last place car, and his last place car finished in 5th Place.  After that, he went home.

And I didn't play anything until 9pm tonight.  That's when I figured I'd play a quick and easy game to increase my completion percentage.  I played Rugrats: Search for Reptar.

It only took me 37 minutes to complete the game.  I received all of the puzzle pieces, and only two were earned by collecting Reptar Bars.  It was one of the first PlayStation games I ever had.  It was that and Metal Gear Solid and a few others that I still have to this day.

Anyway, I know this game like the back of my hand.  I could write the location of every Reptar Bar, draw maps of every balloon in Mirrorland, everything.  My disc is really worn out though, and so a couple levels are unplayable.  One of my favorites is Chuckie's Glasses.  In order to play it, I have to skip the intro cutscene and go straight to the game because it will freeze and not play otherwise.  Circus Angelicus is one that has become unplayable.  Luckily, you don't have to do every level in order to get every puzzle piece.  A couple of levels I really like, and yet I chose to not play them this time.  Ice Cream Mountain is another level I love to play, but it takes so long to complete it.

Well, I have lots of time to play video games now, so maybe this challenge will be doable.  I don't work until Thursday, so it's quite possible that with perseverance I can accomplish this obstacle I have placed before me.  Also, I have decided that I will consider the games I have already completed this year to be completed for the challenge.  And that the current position in games I have save files for will be my current spots when I continue playing them.

With that said, I have completed the following games this year...

along with Sonic Unleashed and Rugrats: Search for Reptar.  So now there are only 299 games left to complete.  That's much better than the 305 or whatever it was back when I started this whole thing.

Well, that's all I have for today.  So, until tomorrow, have fun playing whatever it is that you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 8: Due to some recent events...

I wasn't up for playing any games today.  I got home from work today, and then some stuff happened that made me feel really sad.  Some could say I was depressed by what happened, but I don't feel depressed.  Just let down and disappointed.  Anyway, I just wasn't in the mood to play anything.  If you want, I talk about all of it in my personal blog entry today.  There you can read any and all (or rather, most) things about my life.  My personal blog is titled

The Michael Swayne Story II: The Re-Ascension of a Prince

It is actually the second chapter of my life, recording the events of my life from September 13, 2012 to the present.  Like this blog here, I update Re-Ascension daily.  The only difference is that it is all of my life, whereas this is strictly gaming related.  There is also a first chapter to this called

Life On My Own: The Michael Swayne Story

where it chronicled my life from April 20, 2011 to September 6, 2012.  It also summarizes my life up to April 20, 2011 as well.  So, there's all of that to read up on my life.  And it is quite a long read.  Altogether, there are 585 entries between the two personal blogs at thefinalfantasy.com and it continues to grow daily.

But, I am not going to post an entry without any news of gaming stuff; at least not intentionally.

I received my copy of Xenosaga III today in the mail.  I did try it out to see if the game works.  It does.  I hope it enjoyed it's cross-country journey, because for now it will be taking a spot in my games cabinet.  I guess in a way, the game is grounded and is not allowed to play.  Oh well...

I also checked my copy of Grand Turismo 4 today.  It works, too.  And with that, I have hit my video game purchasing limit for a while.  Reasons why are discussed in Re-Asension, which is linked above.

And with that, I shall close this entry.  So, until tomorrow, have fun playing whatever it is that you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎