Ever Wonder...

...what makes TalkRadar the bestest podcast in the world. No it's not dick touching contests you foul minded fuck! Here, just watch this.






It's alcohol fueled beef injection!!!

Happy Friday Folks

It's Memorial Day weekend, and I'm going to be gone. Here's hoping for some enjoyment of the outdoors. But not all gaming goodness will be lost however. I myself will be taking some podcasts for listening goodness. Here's some suggestions for exactly that.


Listen Up: 1up's flagship podcast. Not my favorite podcast since the UGO buyout and the death of EGM, but it's usually posted earlier on Friday's than most.

KOXM: Official Xbox Magazine's podcast. Dan and Ryan are good people and entertaining to listen to. Although Ryan is gone this week. Xbox fanboy's only.

T'dar: The GamesRadar podcast. My personal favorite. It just seems to get uploaded late, so keep checking the link if you're interested. It will eventually show up on the front page. EDIT: It's up and the link has been updated to reflect that fact.

NO BS Podcast: Maximum PC's podcast. Not gaming related, and as of recently not always on time either. But Gordon Mah Ung's rants are priceless.


That pretty much fills up my weekend listening. Sometimes though, you may just have missed something earlier in the week. In case you missed something, these are for you.


Bombcast: Jeff, Ryan, Vinny and Brad. You can't go wrong.

Rebel FM: I gave up on it a while ago, but alot of people dig it.

Three Red Lights: You can't spell ignorant without IGN, and IGN's Xbox podcast proves this theory like no other, but it's still kinda fun.

Geekbox: The spiritual successor to GFW radio. Great podcast covering all things geek.


Now that should get you set for a weekend of podcast goodness.

I will also be getting down on some oldschool gaming while I'm away. I'd really like to play less than more though. The more I play, the less I ride because of some stupid fuel delivery issue. Well, anyhoo. Have a great Memorial Day weekend everybody, and give our fallen a moment of silence.

Getting Amped For E3 and Forza 3

So I personally am getting a little excited for a Forza 3. It's probably been one of the worst kept secrets in the industry in a while, but in case you don't know, Forza 3 will be shown at E3. I am a petrol head and can't wait for it's release. So while thinking about Forza 3, I decided to play some Forza 2. I also felt it was time to show off some of my favorite creations, however not as impressive as some of what you can find at the auction house, still labors of love for me. I'm not that artistic, so most of my designs are based off, or inspired by real race cars. So here we go...


This is based off the Redline Racing Integra. I own a Teggie, so I love Teggie's. It's been slightly modified and updated with more current company logo's for some. I also went with the Japanese DC2 as opposed to the U.S. version. Not because of the headlight differances, but for performance reasons.



This is an Aston Martin that is a dream to drive. I took the color scheme from one that appeared on an episode of Top Gear, and took it from there.



This one is completely original. It's an NSX purely inspired by the look of race cars. This is one of my personal favorites to use in competition, and I just wanted to attempt to make it pretty. She handles like a dream and I call her "Red Cap". Yes, I'm also a fan of The Unit.



This 2008 BMW M3 is lean and clean just like it should be. The only addition to the paintjob is the plate on the rear. Black rims, blacked out windows and a sexy electric blue paintjob. It's also fast as hell.



This was the first car I ever attempted a paintjob on. I figured that I couldn't make a Civic any uglier, so why not. It's been altered a few times over the past couple of years, and in the interest of good taste, I can't show you the bonnett.

So there you have it. I have several others, so perhaps I will revisit this topic in the future to show off some more.

Facinating. (Minor Spoilers)

I just got back from watching Star Trek, and I wanted to put a post up while it was still fresh in my mind. I must admit it was actually pretty good, though I will refrain from the unbridled praise that many have bestowed on this film. I am an avid Star Trek fan, and was not very optimistic from the onset, but found it to be a pretty good tribute to the series.

First off the cast did a supreme job of emulating the characters we love so much. A pretty tough task to pull off without being cheesy, but they were exceptional. The interaction between Bones, Kirk and Spock was almost perfect. No one will ever posses the chemistry that the original three always had, but I don't think a better job could have been done.

The plot was not the best out of all the movies, my opinion to be sure, but every scene was well executed. I must admit J.J. Abrams did a great job in bringing his vision to the screen. The subtle and not so subtle references never came off as cheap to me. I especially enjoyed the passing reference to Admiral Archer as on of the few who enjoyed Enterprise. And to get a glimpse of the characters pasts was quite enjoyable as well.

If this is the beginning of a new franchise, it would seem it is being taken in a slightly different direction, or should I say, the characters have slightly altered their heading. I don't find this to be a detriment though, the Star Trek universe has always allowed for infinite possibilities, and as long as the franchise is being handled with this much respect and care, it will be well worth watching.

It just has to be said, I still have a hard time completely accepting the new cast, and I'm not sure why. Although I have no doubt, they will surely grow on me in the future. They were splendid after all. So in summation, not perfect, but a fitting tribute nonetheless.

You're Gonna Love My Nuts!

They Call It Neo-Geo

I have been on one hell of a retro gaming kick lately. Playing old NES, SNES, PC, Genesis favorites and the like. But oh my lord do the Neo-Geo Titles hold up extremely well. In the 90's you couldn't go into an arcade without seeing a MVS cabinet. Heck, they were even in just about every pizza parlor and bowling alley in existence. If you had boatloads of cash, you could get the Neo-Geo AES home console for arcade perfect goodness that was drool worthy in the 90's. So at this point I'm sure you can guess what's really been holding my attention more than the rest.

As I have stated before, I never owned a Neo-Geo back then, even today they are still cost prohibitive for most. Systems today can still fetch prices in the realm of the 80GB PS3 or more, if you can find one. A little bit of Ebay searching and you can run across a few AES units, including some refurbished modded units with component video outputs for the truly hardcore.

Typically the system is associated with SNK fighters, and rightfully so, they are some of the finest titles on the system, not to mention the genre. There are also many great games in other classic genres that can be overlooked by your average gamer. I can see this post quickly devolving into a list of my personal recommendations of titles to try, so let's just get that out of the way shall we? Hmmm. How about a top 15? That sound pretty good to me. Also note these will be in no particular order, Just 15 titles (or series) that I think could be worth your time.

#15 Metal Slug Series
These include Metal Slug 1-5, 4 plus, 5 plus, and Metal Slug X. It's a run and gun shooter with a great aesthetic and sense of humor. Though those easily frustrated need not apply.

#14 Ninja Master's
The first of what will undoubtedly not be the last fighting game on the list. It's a great fighter that tends to get overshadowed by more popular series on the system.

#13 Baseball Stars 2
I don't think I have ever seen an MVS cabinet without this game. It's one of the most fun arcade baseball games ever created for any system. Odds are you have already played this, but it still holds up extremely well, and is super easy to pick up and play by just about any level of gamer.

#12 Blue's Journey
It's a quirky and cute platformer with some interesting play mechanics. It's a love it or hate it title, no real middle ground with this one. It's worth giving a shot.

#11 Neo Bomberman
A great Bomberman game for the Neo-Geo that's more action than puzzle. If you've played a puzzle based Bomberman before and didn't like it, don't rule this one out automatically. It's good fast paced fun.

#10 Garou: Mark of the Wolves
A gorgeous fighter that is not to be missed. A personal favorite. Possibly the best animation on the system.

#9 Magical Drop Series
Have you played Astropop on XBLA or elsewhere? Than you have played this and now know where they stole it from.

#8 The King of Fighters Series
Bar none my favorite fighting series on the system. I suggest sticking to the even years as they are my favorites, with 98, 96 and 2000 tied at the top of said list.

#7 Shock Troopers 1&2
They feel like a spiritual successor to Ikari Warriors. Great instant action fun not to be missed.

#6 Aero Fighters/Sonic Wings 2&3
One of my personal favorite series of "Bullet Hell" shooters. If you like shooters, give them a go.

#5 Samurai Showdown Series
Great fighting game series with the 2nd widely regarded as the best. My personal favorite is V.

#4 SVC Chaos
SNK characters vs. Capcom characters. Great place to get started with SNK fighters if your familiar with the street fighter series. It's pretty easy to pull off familiar moves with the Capcom roster.

#3 Fatal Fury/Real Bout Series
A fine series of SNK fighters that many enjoy. I have a hard time adapting to it's fighting system personally, but it's still fun.

#2 World Heroes Series
A fun fighter on the system that's not made by SNK!!! That's just amazing.

#1 Mutation Nation
Think Final Fight on steroids and crack.

Honorable Mentions A.K.A. not my favorites, but have their own distinctive charm.

Power Instinct: Matrimelee
A fighter that must be seen to be believed. There must have been a boatload of drugs being used by the creators of this series.

The Super Spy
A first person thing. Not great, but good for a few minutes of distraction here and there.

Legend of Success Joe A.K.A. Legend of Suckass Joe
Must be played to truly appreciate how awful it really is.

Blazing Star
Many peoples favorite shooter. Worth a look if you dig the genre.

There you have it, some of my favorites and other crap on the system. Yes it's a fighter heavy system, but there's still something for everyone. There's also a ton of stuff not mentioned here worth seeking out. Perhaps those will make it in another post down the road.

Fuck Everything

FUCK EVERYTHING by hipsterrunoff

The Beginner's Incomplete Guide to KOF

Will This Be The Summer Of 2D?

While I was gone, I had planned on some serious game time. As it turned out, I didn't get a ton in. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, dad just needed a little help doing some yard work. Simple, but time consuming. My gaming was relegated to short bursts, mostly during Mariner games, which they lost by the way. So I really got down on some Neo-Geo fighting action in the form of Art of Fighting 1-3, Fatal Fury 1-3, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, King of Fighters 94-2003, Ninja Masters, Real Bout 1-2, Samurai Showdown 1-4 and SVC Chaos. I fell in love with the SNK fighters all over again.

I never owned a Neo-Geo in it's heyday. How could I? I was a teenager when it was released, and convincing my parents to plunk $600+ on a console with $150+ games was not an option. I already had several systems at that point, and could buy nearly three Super Nintendo's for the price of one Neo-Geo. So playing SNK fighters was either done in the arcade, or the rare inferior SNES port, but I always liked them very much.

I quickly found myself scouring the web for Neo-Geo game FAQ's and movelists and came upon a wealth of information. I also found something very interesting that was old news that had slipped under my radar. King of Fighters 98 Ultimate Match is coming to XBLA. Really!?!? Yes, really.

So I focused on playing King of Fighters 98 in hopeful anticipation of the XBLA release, scouring the web for more info in between bouts. I remembered that Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was announced recently, and that King of Fighters XII was coming soon(minus Mai most likely, BOO!), and with KoF98UM I noticed a trend. I also read a rumor somewhere on the web, that I haven't been able to find again for the life of me mind you, that Capcom vs. SNK may also be coming to XBLA. A rumor to be sure, but it doesn't seem that far fetched with the recent success of titles like SSFIITHDR and SFIV. If that indeed happens, could SNK vs. Capcom be far behind? I would surely hope not.

Believe me when I tell you, owning these games is a foregone conclusion for me. I love my 2D fighters, and as much as I love the Capcom games, I want X-Men: Children of the Atom and Darkstalkers like no one's business, the SNK fighters strike a chord in me like no other. I surely hope the already announced titles are successful, because that will only mean more are surely to come. Heck, Japan is getting alot of love, why can't we? This truly could be the summer of 2D.

Strange Beds Are Not Condusive To Sleep

So what better way to get drowsy than stare at a notebook screen and try to come up with something to say. I could rehash the same complaints every Resident Evil hater has made about RE5. I suppose I could bitch about the yellow fret button not working on my Les Paul. I could even talk about a funny article in the newest OXM (June 2009 page 52 if your curious) I just read. But no, I suppose I'll just let you in on what I'm considering playing while I'm at my parents house through Sunday evening. At least what I plan on spending more than five minutes playing anyway. My options are titles for the NES, SNES, N64, GBA, Genesis, and Neo-Geo.

My first instinct is to continue leveling up my Pokemon in Emerald on the GBA. I was infatuated with it when I was up here helping to redo the bathroom a month or so ago, but I haven't touched it since. I'm not so sure that's my best option for distraction. It really just is a JRPG for dummies. I'm not so sure I really feel like grinding out another 20 levels or so just to fight the final four anyway.

Another thought I had was maybe getting down on some serious King of Fighters classics in preparation for the new release this spring/summer. With no Mai in the upcoming title I'm inclined to be disinterested about it when it comes out however. It feels almost like if Capcom had excluded Chun-Li from Street Fighter IV. Not to mention I was thinking I kind of want something with a little more depth to keep me interested for a few days.

A friend of mind suggested Fire Emblem for the GBA. I know nothing about it whatsoever, so I really can't comment. I have it, but I have never touched it. I will try it, but there is no guarantee I will like it.

What about Earthbound for the SNES? I enjoy the occasional JRPG but I wouldn't consider myself a fan of the genre. Fan being short for fanatic and all. I played it for about two hours not too terribly long ago, but it didn't really grab me, and I'm not to sure I want to go back. The only thing I keep thinking is that this is one of the most beloved games in the genre, so what am I missing?

I could go with an old standby and play some Actraiser. While it was one of the finest titles early in the SNES's lifespan, and I loved it, I'm not so sure it still holds up enough to hold my interest for more than twenty or so minutes.

After all this internal debate, perhaps my best option has been staring me in the face the whole time. Maybe I should simply play through The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for the umpteenth time. Or I could see how fast I can make it through all the Zelda games in order from the original to Majora's Mask, provided I made it that far, in three days.

I'll give Fire Emblem an hour first, then it's on to The Legend of Zelda...

Or maybe Legend of the Mystical Ninja! Hell yeah!

Until I return, ponder this...



Why the hell isn't Mai favorite fighter in King of Fighters XII!?!?

Enjoy Some Anamanaguchi!!

I'll be gone for awhile. So while you wait, listen to this, enjoy, and buy their stuff.

Videogame Music Makes Everything Better

Cheese does that also. Why do you think pizza is so good?




Terminator


Star Wars


Reservoir Dogs


Teletubbies



See what I mean? Broccoli sucks alone, but slather that stuff in cheese and you've got yourself a tasty treat.

Top 10 Fighting Games

It's time yet again to bring you an irrelevant listing of games for an utter lack of creativity on my part. So here we go, get ready to be completely unfulfilled by my incessant rambling.

#10 Karate Champ
It may not be the absolute first fighting game ever created, but it's certainly the one that planted the seed of inspiration for other developers to push the genre to new heights.

#9 Mortal Kombat
Certainly not my favorite franchise, but there is no denying that along with Street Fighter II it brought millions of fans to the arcades, truly ushering in the era of fighting games.

#8 Samurai Showdown II
You can't have a list of fighting games without a mention of SNK. Here in the U.S. SNK always seemed to live in the shadow of Capcom, but their games were always just as good. And there is no finer example of SNK's handiwork than Samurai Showdown II.

#7 Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
2D fighters by Capcom have always been some of the best on the planet. When you add Marvel Comics characters into the mix fighting Capcom characters, you get an instant classic.

#6 X-Men: Children of the Atom
This game is the reason I chose the Sega Saturn over the PS1, and I have never regretted that choice. One of the finest fighters to ever grace arcades. Arcade perfect Saturn port, horrible PS1 port. It goes on the list because it is my personal favorite, and it's my blog.

#5 Soulcalibur
I'm referring to the Dreamcast port of course. Don't get me wrong, the arcade was great, but the DC version had far superior visuals and still stands up quite well. I personally find this to be Namco's best franchise. Tekken never did it for me like this could.

#4 Dead or Alive 3
The Dead or Alive series has always been simple to pick up and play, but very rewarding to master. The third in the series helped usher in a level of detail never before seen on a home console at the time. It also set the graphics bar so very high early in the X-Box's lifespan, and few developers were ever able to attain it's level of detail over the consoles lifespan.

#3 Virtua Fighter 5
The finest example of one of the deepest fighting franchises ever created. From the onset of the first, we knew we were in for something special. This is one game that you really don't want to jump from character to character, you really need to find one that fits you, and learn them inside and out.

#2 Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
A beautiful remake of one of the best fighters ever created. The balance is there. All the characters you know and love are also. Gorgeously redrawn in 1080p glory.

#1 Street Fighter II
The fighter that really started the craze in the early 90's. Mortal Kombat as I said before helped, but it didn't posses near the grace of this gem. If you like fighters, odds are this is where it all started for you as it did many others. To this day, a discussion about the genre cannot be had without mention of Street Fighter II.

Hey bub!

I want these!!!

Top Ten XBLA Games

Everybody likes lists right? There easy to understand so even the most intellectually challenged of you out there can understand it. Though I have no doubt that none of you will agree with it whatsoever. Who cares? It's my list, so deal with it. Or better yet, leave a smart ass comment! Why not? I would. Without further adieu I bring you my top 10 titles on XBLA...

#10 EZMuze House and Break Edition
I'm not trying to start out on the wrong foot here. Really. I know it's a "Community Game", and it's not really a game, but I find it highly addicting and excessively simple to use. If you have ever toyed around with ye olde MTV Music Generator you get the gist. As a fan of music it's very relaxing to make some simple cuts for fun, or just come up with some beats to play around with while I play guitar.

#9 Pac-Man C.E.
I'm old, so I dig Pac-Man. I still have a cart for the worst port ever on Atari. This game takes Pac to a whole new level. It's pretty, the music is actually good, and it's just some good remixed old school fun.

#8 Rez HD
I never got to play this the first time around. I was hesitant at first when it was released, but with all the glowing reviews I wasn't going to miss it this time around. Neither should you.

#7 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Again, I missed this the first time around. Not for lack of wanting, I owned a Saturn and importing it was a bit out of my price range. Now it's not. If you have ever played a Castlevania game and moderately enjoyed it, get this. This is without a doubt the best in the series.

#6 Soulcalibur
Namco's best fighting franchise in my opinion. Had it on Dreamcast. Have it again, albeit slightly gimped without the adventure mode. No huge loss though, all the artwork and whatnot is there with no need to unlock it.

#5 Puzzle Quest
I like Bejeweled. I also like RPG's. So if you don't mind a little chocolate in your peanut butter, this game is for you. Love it!

#4 Double Dragon
I could probably buy a PS3 with the amount of quarters I have put in DD machines in my life. I can beat the game using strictly elbows without continuing easily. Get my drift?

#3 Pinball FX
Best. Videogame. Pinball. Ever.

#2 Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
A remake of the fighting game that made me fall in love with fighters. It's balanced quite well and I will kick your ass with Chun-Li.

#1 TMNT 1989 Arcade
I played the hell out of this back in sixth grade. I was also pleased to play the really bad NES port back then. Now I have an arcade perfect port that's just as fun as it was in 1989.

So there you have it. My list is complete and I could probably swap a few in and out without feeling bad, but I limited myself to ten and these are what came out at 2am.

Have I mentioned I have been bored with gaming lately?

I have had the attention span of a gnat when it comes to gaming in 2009. In fact this year has felt like quite the drought in the industry, as far as titles I give a rats ass about are concerned. I have taken the opportunity to get down on some old school gaming, but I can't seem to get in rhythm with anything in particular. The closest I have come to finishing anything is with Pokemon Emerald.

You see, I have never before played any Pokemon games, and for good reason, I'm 30 years old and it just seems wrong. It took 60 hours of playtime for me to come to this realization and I haven't looked back and will probably never play one again.

In the past few months, I have probably played close to 1000 games between NES, SNES, N64, GBA, DS, Genesis, Neo-Geo, TurboGrafx, 360, and PC, no exaggeration. Many of which I have played in my youth, but none recently for more than around 20 minutes. I just can't get into them.

Most recently I was on a Crackdown kick again. That lasted two or three days. I stuck Guitar Hero:WT in last night. That lasted a song and a half. Prince of Persia? I got the DLC and couldn't seem to care after playing for ten minutes.

The only thing that has been even remotely fun is playing online with a buddy of mine. Even so, I can tell he's not that into it. It kinda sucks in that regard though being that he's about the only person I know willing to play something other than Tears of Bore or Gaylo 3.

Oh well, enough bitching, moaning, whining, complaining or whatever you want to call it. I'll try to make a conscious effort to update more often. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the Fallout 3 DLC "The Pitt". Two hours in, game crashed, last save was an hour and a half old, I quit, the end. I leave you with this...