Day 70:How close is it?

I am nearly finished with Episode 5 in Sly 2.  I am starting to get bored with the game, but I want to stick it out and finish it.  I earned a few more trophies, because I was able to buy the upgrades with the coins I had earned.  There are still quite a few more things to do with this game, but if the completion percentage is similar to that of the original game, I am almost finished.

And in Osu! today, I worked on getting my score high enough to get back on the Top 40 for the monthly competition.  However, I think there is a glitch or something.  As I understand it, the Top 40 in the monthly competition is judged solely on your highest cumulative score for the 12 beatmaps.  However, I have 9,166,173 out of the 12 million points possible, and yet I am no longer on the leader board.  I tried looking on the website for an answer, but I came up empty.  And since I am no longer on the leaderboard, I don't know how close or far I am from getting back on it.  I guess the only thing I can do is keep increasing my scores until I get back on the leaderboard.  At least then I will have a better idea on the formula used to determine what scores are needed to win.

Well, that's all from me.  I am off to post in my personal life blog, and then I will probably start playing a game.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 69: Researching can be fun. Really, it can!

Due to my right shoulder hurting like something I have never felt before, I spent a big part of the day trying to sleep away the pain.  However, I did play a fair amount of Sly 2 while I was awake.  And I also played some more Osu!.

First in Sly 2, I managed to complete Episodes 3 and 4.  The story is getting really good now that things are twisting and turning whenever it can.  I was not expecting a double cross like the one at the end of Episode 3.  During the session, I earned a few trophies and advanced the story quite a bit.  I don't know how many episodes there are in this game, but I feel like I am nearing the end of the game quickly.

As for Osu!, I didn't play much.  I spent more time researching the World Cup Tournaments from the past.  I plan on doing an analysis of the players in the upcoming tournament and guessing who will win.  Since I don't play osu!standard well enough, I won't be entering.  My specialty is osu!mania, and that World Cup isn't for a while yet (the first WC for !mania is next spring).  But it will also serve as a good coaching tool for the American team when the players are determined.

Well, that's all for today.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games, you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 61: Friday Night Fun

Today I played Sly 2, and completed Episode 2.  I was expecting that ending.  I was thinking Rajan would be captured like Dmitri and then I'd move on to the next bad guy.  But I guess the Spice King was greedy and needed two Clockwerk parts.

The dancing scene in the second episode was too easy.  Either that, or my experience with rhythm games is helping make it easy.

Now I am trying to get the Heart.  I am nearly finished with Episode 3, so it won't be long before that's done.

I also continued to climb up the leaderboard in Osu!.  Right now I am ranked #802 in the country and #15,981 in the world.  I did have some difficulty playing multiplayer today.  There was a room with a couple jerks who would change the song right after every other person in the room would finish getting ready.  It was so mean.  I never knew anyone would do that.  Oh well, they may be slightly higher up than me on the leaderboard, but that will change someday.  One of the two is only about 200 higher than me, and the other is about 1,000.  So, one day soon they won't have as much to laugh at.

My online game profiles things have finally updated (mostly), so now if you check out my Raptr account or my profile on psnprofiles.com, you will see a more current profile.  They haven't recorded my most recent Sly 2 trophy, so it's just a matter of time.

Well, that's all I have for today.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 60: A Sly way to get there.

This morning before I left for work I played Sky 2.  I finished Episode 1, and started on the missions for Episode 2.  The game is still not as good as the first in the series, but it is still sort of fun.  I like how you can purchase upgrades, rather than having to collect every clue bottle in order to get the special moves.

After I got back home, I played Osu!, and raised my rank a little more.  I am almost in the Top 800 in the country now.  I learned that in order to get on the world leader board for osu!mania, I will have to have a score that is around the same as the person ranked #480 in the U.S.A.  So there is still a lot of work ahead of me.  But I will get there eventually.  If I continue to play multiplayer matches and work my up the U.S.'s leader board, I am sure to get there one day.

Well, I don't have anywhere to be tomorrow, so I can play all night tonight if I want.  If you see me online, feel free to give me a shout.  So, for the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 41: A Sly-ght of Hand

One game I have been putting off playing is Sly 2: Band of Thieves.  I completed the first of the series earlier this year, and I started this game but never finished it.  Today, I wanted to tackle it and see how far I could progress in the game.  I must admit that I didn't really like the game when I first played it.  It was so different that the first that I couldn't stay interested in it.  Now that I let the memories of the first game fade some, playing this game is actually fun.

I am still trying to get the tail feathers used for the printing press, but I am nearly finished with the mission.  I do prefer not having to switch characters, but I do see why this game has that mechanic.  They are making use of the other characters instead of keeping their labels as sidekicks.  I don't particularly like that for games like this, but it's not something that would prevent me from playing the game at all.

I am hoping to receive all of the trophies for this game.  And after how easy it was to get them for the first game, I believe it won't be difficult to get them for this one.  For those that don't know, I am playing the PS3 collection of the games.  I never even heard about this series before this year, so I figured I'd just get the collection rather than the games separately for PS2.

I also played Skyrim today.  I didn't play much, because I forgot to watch my health and died because I wasn't paying attention.

The other game I played today was 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors.  I received it in the mail today.  Yes, I know I said that one of the goals for this month was to not buy any more games and make this challenge more difficult than it already is; but the discount coupon from eBay I had was about to expire and it was cheap.  So, I bought it.  Anyway, the game is different than any others I have played.  I am interested in how it will turn out.  I have also been working on a video for it.  I may try and record a playthrough of it once I finish it.

Well, that's everything I played today.  For the coming day, enjoy the games you play!

Michael, aka me3lingual, aka 情郎

Day 31: One Month Done

Today is the last day of Month 1 of the 6-Month Challenge.  Here's a list of the games I have completed.

Sonic Unleashed

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus

Prince of Persia

Grand Theft Auto IV

Catherine

Rugrats: Search for Reptar

Ed, Edd, and Eddy: The Mis-Edventures

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

Katamari Damacy

I have to say, I am a little disappointed in my ability for this first month.  Only 9 games, and four of those were completed before I even started the challenge.  But because I didn't want to play them again this year I added them to the list.  There is still a lot more to play, and a lot more that I want to play on my list.  Some of the games I own, I have only played a few minutes to find out if they even work.  Up next is a list of games I currently have files made.

Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy XIII-2

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Dark Cloud

The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Pokémon FireRed

Pokémon White

Phantasy Star Universe

The last one I started last night after I posted yesterday's entry.  I completed Chapter 1 in one hour and 28 minutes.  It isn't exactly the kind of RPG I like to play, but it is still good.  Ethan Waber reminds me of a less whiny Tidus for Final Fantasy X, in that Ethan is so strong in spirit.  He's so sure of himself, it seems.  I didn't really like the whole underwear scene at the beginning of Chapter 2, but the fact that he was able to put on his clothes at the touch of a button was really cool.  I know I could definitely use that.  It would save time in choosing each day.  Up next is a small list of games I want to start for the coming month.

Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht

Metal Gear Solid

Crash Bandicoot

Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA version)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (GBA version)

The last three in this list are generally short games.  I need to work on a few of the shorter games in order to help get the average completion up to a level I am proud of.  I think I may work on a few of the games in Atari Anthology as well.  Those are also quite short, because the capabilities at the time for those games was really limited.  But I don't know yet.

Despite the poor results this month, I am really pleased that I was able to stick to the challenge for a month.  I hope I am able to complete the other five, and complete every game on my list.  One major goal for this month is to NOT buy any more video games.  First, because I can't afford it.  Second, because it just makes this challenge that much more difficult.

As always, if you have any suggestions on what I should play, or if you have any questions; feel free to leave a comment.  That's all I have for today.  For the coming day, enjoy every game 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