Memory Almost Full

Assassin's Creed II

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:36:00 +0000

WOW. Great game so far. Massive, epic in scope. Lots to do. Controls very nicely. Addictive as all get-out. Terrific graphics, audio, voice acting and music. First rate all the way.

My Game Of The Year award is going to to be a heck of a decision. I have at least 5 worthy candidates as of right now. And that doesn't include Modern Warfare 2 and Left 4 Dead 2, neither of which I plan on getting.

Zach is on the road!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:23:00 +0000

My son Zach passed his driving test this week and is on the road. It took a while - he's already 18 now - but all is well that ends well. He aced the test with a score of 91. I was as nervous as an expectant father while he was out there on the road.

That night he got to go out with a friend for some ice cream and go to work to pick up his check. Barb and I are very proud of Zach and the future is looking very bright for our oldest child.

Way to go, Zach!

Gaming stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:30:00 +0000

-Picked up Assassin's Creed 2 today and played it for about an hour. Seems very cool so far. I am a bit confused by the interface once the game is paused; I'll have to read the manual more closely. But the game play so far has been enjoyable. I never got very far into the first one, but I hear this one is much better.

-Downloaded the Sgt. Pepper album for Beatles: Rock Band. I haven't had a chance to play it yet but I am looking forward to checking out some of the songs, especially A Day In The Life.

-Still enjoying NHL 10's GM mode. And looking forward to getting back into Borderlands at some point soon.

Random stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:16:00 +0000

-Finally got to go out and celebrate Barb's being finished with school. Had dinner tonight with Barb and a friend from nursing school and her sweetie. Had a nice time visiting with them and you could tell what a relief it is for classes to be over. Now they are trying to get through their 16 12-hour shifts at the hospital and then it's off to the real world.

-Happy Birthday to good friend Dave Roland! Hope you a really good one and many, many more to come, buddy!

-Michigan lost again today in what has become another lost season for the Wolverines. Ugh. But it's not all bad because Notre Dame lost again and even more calls will be coming for Charlie Weis's head. "Decided schematic advantage" my ass. It just doesn't pay to be an arrogant prick, Charlie.

-Gaming news:

Been playing a bit of FIFA 10, which is improved over last year's version but still needs some work. Fun game though and worth checking out.
Still working on my 2nd play through of Borderlands which is just ridiculously fun and addictive.
Still have not gone back to Dragon Age: Origins. Something just didn't click with me for that game. I will try picking it back up when I have a gaming lull.
Started a GM Mode career in NHL 10. I had been playing exclusively with the Be A Pro mode, which is great fun, but I thought I'd try running a team. So far my Blues are 2-1-2 and it has been a great struggle in each game, each one a nail biter.
The big game release this week was Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which I am not going to pick up. The first one was a great game, but just not something that kept me coming back for more, since it is really multiplayer centric. I hear that the sequel's single player campaign is even shorter. I am not much of a multiplayer gamer, so I will pass on this title. That will have to be taken into account when I do my end of the year awards.
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band will be released this coming week for The Beatles: Rock Band. Needless to say, I am in.
Assassin's Creed 2 comes out this week and I will more than likely be picking it up. The first one was neat but I didn't get very far into it. The sequel is supposed to be better in every way, so if the reviews are good I may pick it up.

Barb's last day of school!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:34:00 +0000

Barb finishes up school tomorrow with 2 finals. Then it is onto her rotation of night shifts for a few weeks and then it is OVER. I can't tell you how proud I am of her and how excited we both are for her to be finishing up. She has done a tremendous job all the way around.

Congrats, Sweetie! I love you!

Quick thoughts on Dragon Age: Origins

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:14:00 +0000

-Massive game. Massive, massive massive.

-Why the hell does a game like this, which has so much to learn and looks quite complicated, not come with an in-game tutorial for the first hour or so? Unbelievable.

-As a lot of people have said, the graphics are pretty underwhelming. But the voice acting is terrific, as is the music.

-The story so far is good, the are characters even better. As usual in RPGs, leveling up and deciding what skills/talents to choose next is half the fun.

It's been fun so far and I haven't even dug into the more complex stuff like combat tactics. I did get the strategy guide today (on sale from Amazon.com) so that should help quite a bit. After playing Borderlands so much, the combat is a bit underwhelming but that is because this game is a completely different animal; it relies more on strategy and the RPG aspects of each character. I am sure once I get more into the game the combat will became awesome in it's own unique way.

News & Notes

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:04:00 +0000

-Barb has a killer sore throat. While we're glad she was feeling okay during hell week, this one is pretty nasty and we just want it to go away. There is so much stuff going around these days. It seems like at least one person in the family is always sick. I wish I could do more to help her but it's pretty much got to run it's course.

-Barb starts her series of nights tomorrow evening. Being sick isn't going to help that. Luckily my schedule works out for the next few weeks where it won't be a problem to be home with the kids at night. We caught a break there, though it would have been a lot easier had Barb been assigned days. It's kind of aggravating because she is one of the few people in her class that is married and has kids and yet she was assigned nights. You'd think they would try to make it easy on someone with a family to think about. But you'd be wrong!

-I finished Borderlands a couple of nights ago and I immediately started a 2nd playthrough with my character. The game is that good and that addictive. It is definitely gonna be in the running for my Game Of The Year award.

-Another huge game comes out tomorrow, Dragon Age: Origins. It is a massive RPG and the first of what is planned to be a trilogy. It will take a looong time to play to completion. That should keep me busy for a long while, which is a good thing. I still have yet to open FIFA 10 and I still have IL-2 Sturmovik to wrap up. I think I am gonna be trading some games in soon. They are really starting to accumulate and I like to get them traded in while they still have some decent value.

That's all for now. Work in the morning. School in the morning for Barb, then a quick nap and then work overnight for her. Poor thing!

Hell Week = vanquished!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:37:00 +0000

Barb came through with flying colors (of course) and dismissed Hell Week like a piece of lint caught on her sweater. OK, so it wasn't easy like that but she kicked Hell Week's ass all the same. A lot of hard work went into the preparation for these exams and it paid off in spades. Congrats to my lovely wife for a job well done. Now she has a couple of tests left and then it's off to work for her 16 shifts. It really is winding down for her now.

How fitting is it that Halloween came during Hell Week?

Catching up

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:25:00 +0000

Since the last time I posted here:

-John has had a nasty cough and had to go to the hospital because he was having trouble breathing. He's doing fine now, but he's a little run down. The other kids are doing well.

-Not gonna discuss Hell Week yet as I don't want to jinx Barb. We did learn, however, that Barb's 16 shifts she has to work at the hospital are going to be nights. GRRRRR!

-Barb and I saw Paranormal Activity. Pretty damned good. Barb loved it. It was creepy and slowly built up the suspense. Definite thumbs up from me, just keep your expectations in check; it's not the scariest movie ever made as some are saying. Go in expecting that and you are just setting yourself up for disappointment.

-Still completely addicted to Borderlands. I have not played another game since picking it up. FIFA 10 is still in it's shrink wrap. Borderlands is like digital crack.

-Rams play at Detroit this week in the Battle of the Misfits. Can the Rams win and avoid the possibility of a winless season?

-Big Halloween party this weekend. Looking forward to trick-or-treating with Laurel and John.

-Lastly, a childhood friend of mine passed away last week. I had not seen him for ages but I am really sorry he is gone. Kevin Cernich, Rest In Peace. Thoughts and prayers to your friends and family.

That's all for now. I may have an update on Hell Week later today.

Hell week

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:35:00 +0000

Today marks the start of Barb's "hell week" which means her final exams. She also has a presentation due that she has had her work done on for ages, but a procrastinator on her team has waited until the last minute despite everyone else's pleas. So there's some extra stress that is completely unnecessary. Just what the doctor (or in this case nurse) ordered.

Now I would tell you that Barb will do just fine and that everything will work out, but then she'd hit me. Then I would have to explain to her that I don't mean that her schooling isn't insanely difficult, it's just that I am extremely confident in Barb's ability and intelligence. Then she would have to apologize for hitting me and there'd be a blubbery make-up scene and really, who wants all of that? So I'll just say best of luck Sweetheart! Hang in there and we'll get through this together! I love you!!!

Borderlands impressions

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:46:00 +0000

Got a little playing time in yesterday with Borderlands. All I can say is that so far the game is an absolute blast. The RPG elements are pretty light, but they are there in that you can choose how to level up your character and decide which weapons to use. The looting is terrific: there are so many weapon possibilities in the game (over 17 million is what we are being told) that you never know what you are going to be finding next. The combat itself is fast and furious, but so far not too much so that it's just a twitch-fest; you have to use your brain as well.

I am sure multiplayer with friends (playing co-op) is an absolute hoot. I may try some of that out if any of my gaming buddies pick this one up. But for now the single player game will give me plenty to do and keep me on the edge of my seat. That's enough to make me very happy with my purchase.

Big gaming day tomorrow (and a note on Laurel)

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:26:00 +0000

FIFA 10 is released tomorrow, along with a game I have been interested in for a long while, Borderlands. IGN reviewed it here and gave it an 8.8. It's basically a dungeon crawler/looter set in a post-apocalyptic world and with guns rather than the usual swords and magic. Sign me up.

Also, Abbey Road will be available for download for Beatles: Rock Band tomorrow. Can't wait to play that side 2 medley!

And I would be remiss if I did not mention that the latest Littlest Pet Shop game comes out for the Wii tomorrow. Laurel is a big fan of the first one and is really excited about this one. I have already pre-ordered it for her, so it should arrive on Thursday, I believe.

Laurel has been sick the last few days with a sore throat and a cough. We took her to the doctor today and she checked out fine. As a precaution we had her checked for the H1N1 flu, though she had no real symptoms to speak of. Thankfully the test came back negative. She and John each got an icee bar and stickers, so all's well that ends well as far as they are concerned. As usual, Laurel was a real trooper at the doctor's. She is such a good little girl!

More Need For Speed Shift impressions from Pete

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:56:00 +0000

My good friend Pete Anderson had some great impressions after playing Need For Speed shift a little while back and allowed me to post them here. Well, he has spent more time with the game (and his racing wheel controller) and sent me some more thoughts. Here they are:

"I spent some more quality time with NFS Shift yesterday, completing Tier 1 and going to work on Tier 2. However, I first gave the Logitech wheel a try with GT Prologue. The wheel responds great with GT, but the game itself still leaves me kind of cold, and I was fully prepared to devote some serious play time to it going in.

Anyway, it was quickly on to Shift. I must say, having compared the two games back to back, the graphics of NFS are really growing on me. The GT car models rule, and as sharp as that game looks, it"s almost TOO sharp to the point of being sterile. The backgrounds in NFS seem more "alive", which adds to the realism. If the car models were taken up a notch (and don't get me wrong, they do look VERY good), the graphics would be over the top.

More importantly though, NFS really delivers where it counts. Gameplay. The control is about as close to perfection as you could hope for - just forgiving enough to keep things fun without detracting from the illusion that you're actually driving. I tried a Tier 4 invitational event (second highest level, I think) that put me in a 1000HP Bugatti over a 13 mi. point to point course that took over 8 real-time minutes to complete. The sense of power and speed (I was using the bumper view) was beyond belief! Despite the sorry state of my mega $ ride by race end, it was quite possibly the most exhilirating racing experience I've ever enjoyed. I haven't had this much fun with a (car) racing game in a very long time. "

That's high praise indeed coming from Pete; he's a real stickler when it comes to racing games and not easy to please. I would say that if you are into racing games at all and have yet to try Need For Speed Shift, you should feel very safe relying on Pete's impressions.

Finished Uncharted 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:01:00 +0000

Finished it up last night. The game is epic, no doubt about it. Is it as good as the first one? Well, it's hard to say because there is a definite sense of been-there/done-that going on throughout, since the gameplay mechanics are for the most part unchanged. You can tell when you walk into an area that "OK, this is going to be a puzzle/exploring section or this is obviously going to be a massive gunfight." But I got through this game in a hurry because it was terrific fun and I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

The game is longer and the story is much more involved than the original Uncharted. The new characters are great and the older characters are as well, staying true to themselves from the original. The richness in these characters is honestly what sets this game apart for me, not that the gameplay itself isn't quite enjoyable as well. There are a few sections that I had to try over and over again because of repeated deaths, but I made it through with a minimum of frustration.

After finishing this game I popped Demon's Souls back in. While that game features stellar gameplay and graphics and all of that, it just can't hold a candle to the production qualities of Uncharted 2. U2 is really like a major blockbuster movie. And I mean that in a good way.

I'll be playing it again for sure. There are more treasures to find and I can now play with bonus modes such as unlimited ammo (which will come in handy!) and other goodies. I'm not much for multiplayer so I doubt I'll be doing much of that, but I may check it out.

Overall the game gets a solid A from me and is probably the leader for my GOTY honors. There are still some other contenders on the way, but Uncharted 2 will be hard to top.

Uncharted 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:02:00 +0000

The game is epic and wonderful. So far I am blown away by the production values. Much like the first game, it is almost like playing a real adventure movie. The story has been great so far. It's much bigger in scope than the first game, so the narrative drive hasn't been as focused, but it is telling a compelling story with terrific characters. And for the novices out there, the game included a Very Easy setting so that virtually anyone can play and take part in this truly epic adventure. If you have a PS3, Don't miss this one, folks.

Need For Speed Shift - impressions from up north

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:45:00 +0000

My good friend and fellow gamer Pete Anderson from Canada picked up Need For Speed Shift for the PS3 and sent along some really nice impressions. I asked if I could reproduce them here and he was kind enough to say yes. Pete is quite the driving game aficionado so you can trust what he has to say:

"Okay, a few impressions for you after a couple hours of play…

If you've read the IGN review, it's pretty much spot on. Shift is a hybrid sim/arcade racer that combines the best elements of both (or succeeds at being neither depending on your perspective). It falls somewhere in the middle of GT, PG and the Burnout series.

You may recall that NFS: Hot Pursuit was one of my favorite racing games ever. Shift is not that game. We're talking real world cars and tracks here, many of which are very familiar from other games. The beauty is that they're eminently driveable. The control and physics are just relaxed enough that you can navigate even the trickiest courses without slamming into a wall at every turn, and that adds immensely to the fun factor (though, granted, I've been playing at a basic skill level so far).

The game is structured into four(?) tiers, each with progressively more powerful cars and challenging tracks. Completing all tiers qualifies you for the NFS World tour. Each tier is comprised of 20-25 events, including invitations to participate in races at higher classes. There's pretty good variety within the races as well (drift events, time attacks, etc.), including Manufacturer events which get you out of your current car and into something different. Speaking of vehicles, there's a reasonable assortment to choose from right from the beginning, but nothing on the order of GT. There are all kinds of upgrades and tuning options available, but it's so easy to rack up $$$ and qualify for the next tier that it all seems superfluous. I qualified for Tier 2 well before I had completed Tier 1. That just seems wrong. Maybe if I hadn't been playing on Easy difficulty, things may have been different.

The game has a VERY gentle learning curve. You start by taking a lap around a test track, and the game assesses your driving style and ability, then automatically selects settings (difficulty level, driving assists, etc.) for you based on your performance. A very cool concept that I've never encountered before. What would be even cooler is if it continued to adjust as you progressed throughout the game. On Easy level, you'll have no difficulty winning races right off the hop. I really should have bumped it up a notch, but I want to see how much the difficulty ramps up as you move up the tiers.

The ease of succeeding really does serve to draw you in though. In fact, the way the points system is structured, you'll always come away with something, even if you finish dead last. A higher finish obviously nets you a bigger wad of cash, but there's more to it than that. Points are also accumulated for driving ability and style, and this is where the parallel to PGR's kudo system comes in. Points are awarded in two categories, precision and aggressiveness. So, unlike GT, you're not only rewarded for driving clean, but dirty as well (a la Burnout). Trading paint, dirty overtakes, and even flipping other cars off the road are not only fair game, they're encouraged! It feels a little odd that this all takes place in what, by appearances, is a sim racer, but it adds up to a whole lot of fun.

Graphically, the game looks great but falls something short of amazing. Hard to believe I'm saying this about a game this attractive, but it simply lacks that wow factor. Maybe I've just become jaded in my old age.

The sound is a different story...it IS wow. Sound effects positively thunder out of your speakers and immerse you in the action on screen. Music defaults to off during gameplay (not sure if custom soundtracks are an option), and plays over replays. It's generic fare but listenable, unlike the crap that EA loaded into NHL10.

So, all things considered, there's lots to like here. Time will tell whether Shift holds up against some of my other favorite racers, but so far so good. I've probably already spent more time with it than GT Prologue (not that there's anything wrong with that game, just more of the same).

A final word about the Logitech wheel. I didn't want to drop big $ on a wheel, and the entry level Logitech at $50 seemed like a good fit. It's wireless (to the PS3, but requires a power adapter), and very compact so it's easy to store (no pedals on this model - you use paddles mounted behind the wheel to accelerate and brake). It's also designed to fit on your lap (the other models are table mounts), which is a BIG plus. What's the point of a wheel if set up and storage get in the way of actually using it? Anyway, this is the first time I've tried a wheel with force feedback. Not only do you feel the road (bumps, etc.), you feel the car's resistance to it when steering. It's quite startling at first, but adds a lot of realism to the driving experience as you become accustomed to it. My initial impressions of Shift are no doubt influenced by how much the Logitech contributes to it, so keep that mind. I'm anxious to give it a try with GT now!

Pete"

That is awesome stuff. Thanks for sending that my way Pete.

Gaming news

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:31:00 +0000

Big day today as Uncharted 2 is officially released. My copy will be arriving sometime later today. I am very psyched to get going with the further adventures of Nathan Drake, perhaps my favorite video game character ever. Everything I have read has been extremely positive and this game will clearly be in the running for Game Of The Year honors.

Another game that may be in the running is one that was completely under my radar until it was released to rave reviews last week, a PS3 action RPG called Demon's Souls. This is an old-school game that is becoming very well known for it's rather extreme difficulty. I have played for a bit and have had my share of frustrations, but honestly the game plays so well that it keeps you coming back for more. I have really gotten hooked on it and look forward to putting more time into it. It's very, very involved and quite a long game to boot and also has a unique multiplayer element that I may check out. We'll see.

Barb aces her Pediatrics test

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:16:00 +0000

Barb comes through with a wicked 94! Way to go Barb! Woo-hoo! All that late night studying pays off. Now it's time to get ready for the Adult Health test on Thursday.

61 days until Barb graduates from nursing school!

Hang in there, baby! I love you!!!

My son Zach

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:08:00 +0000

My 18 year old son Zach is set to graduate from high school in December. He has big plans in that he wishes to pursue a degree in medicine. Paying for school was always going to be an issue for him/us. So Zach took a big step towards reaching his goal by registering for the United States Air Force last night.

It is, of course, a major, life-changing decision. And Barb and I could not be prouder of the decision he has made. He will begin school immediately as well as working in a job that will give him the real life experience he needs to get started. He knows it won't be easy, which makes me even more proud. He has a goal now that is attainable and has a real direction in life.

We are not sure when he will be leaving for basic training, possibly as early as February. All I know is that Barb, myself, Jessica, Laurel and John are going to miss him something terrible. I am really not sure how the younger two are going to take it. But Zach has decided that it is time for him to step out and do his own thing. We offer him all of our love and support and he will always have this place to call home.

Good luck, Zach. We love you.

Just how bad are the St. Louis Rams?

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:53:00 +0000

It's possible that they are historically bad. After today's 35-0 travesty at San Francisco, in which the 49ers *defense* scored 3 touchdowns and the Rams set themselves back with stupid penalty after stupid penalty, there are now 25 teams in the NFL that have score more points in 1 game than the Rams have scored in 4 games.

The offense is mind-bogglingly bad. The offensive line, which has had a ton of money dumped into it, is still a sieve. The Rams have no receivers who are a threat to a defense and no QB that has the talent (or the time, thanks to the inept O-line) to get them the ball anyway. The lone weapon on offense is RB Steven Jackson and since teams know the Rams can't throw the ball, all of their opponents are putting 8 guys on the line and just hammering on Jackson. How he gets any yards, I'll never know.

The offensive play calling is about as unimaginative as I have seen since, well, the last 3 years with Scott Linehan as head coach. The play calling is predictable, dull and seems to be designed to bore the other team to death. How many times can you run the old draw play on 3rd and 9 and expect it to work? I mean, they can't be running it to just play it safe and give up the possession; not when they are in 49ers territory, right? RIGHT?!

The defense hung tough today and got a pass rush going. Great news, but the 49ers offense was without it's best player (RB Frank Gore) and it pretty much sucks anyway. So let's postpone the parade.

As I was saying, this team may be historically bad. Bernie Miklasz has a great take on the state of the Rams in his blog. Here is the beginning of the blog:

Oct. 4: Could Rams Be Worst Ever?

Let’s cut to the chase:

I’ve been covering the NFL for nearly 30 years, and I think the 2009 Rams are the worst non-expansion year team I’ve seen. Well, at least as they are right now, at this moment, sitting at 0-4 following an embarrassing 35-0 beating from the San Francisco 49ers. I could be wrong, of course. I didn’t sit here and do 12 hours of research to support my “worst ever” observation. That’s all it is; an observation. And this opinion can be revisited and updated in a few weeks, or at the end of the season, as more games are played, and as the Rams progress, or regress.

But I haven’t seen a mess as big as this for a long time.

What about the 2008 Detroit Lions? They went 0-16. When we’re talking “worst,” they’re the leader in the clubhouse in terms of record. And if the Rams win a game or two, they won’t be the worst. But up to this point, the trend is ominous. At least the 2008 Lions scored points, around 15 per game. And those Lions had (and still have) a big-time playmaker at WR in Calvin Johnson. At least there was some sizzle. And the ‘08 Lions were competitive at times, losing five games by 8 points or less. Overall, the 2008 Lions lost their games by an average of 15 points. Through four games, the Rams have lost by an average of 21 points.

What about the 2008 Rams, who went 2-14? Well, they were hideous, sure. And we will never forget that beatdown by the NY Jets at the Meadowlands; the Rams were down 40-0 at the half and lost 47-3. But overall, the 2008 Rams lost their 14 games by an average of 15 points. The ‘09 squad is losing by an average of three TDs so far.

Click on the text to read the entire article. It is the lone way to get entertainment out of today's Rams' game.

Michigan runs out of luck/How 'bout them Blues?!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 04:55:00 +0000

Michigan was 4-0 heading into today's game against Michigan State. They could have easily been 2-2. They have had a lot of good fortune hiding the fact that they simply can't play defense. I have been saying it all year. And I also predicted that today's game at Michigan State, the first road game of the year, would be a loss. I hate being right.

Michigan almost pulled off another miracle behind the arms and legs of freshman QB Tate Forcier, rallying from a 20-6 deficit to tie the score at 20 with 2 seconds left after an Elway-esque 93 yard drive. But Forcier's overtime pass in the end zone was tipped and intercepted and MSU scored a TD on the next series. Game over. Still, the Wolverines are lucky to be at 4-1 and this has been a very fun season so far. Well done, boys!

Now to shift gears, the NHL regular season started this week and my St. Louis Blues faced the unenviable task of playing back-to-back games against the defending Western Conference Champion Detroit Red Wings to open the season, in Sweden no less. The Blues are definitely an up and coming team and there is a lot of optimism in St. Louis this year. That said, they are still a pretty young club and Detroit won the West last year and the Stanley Cup the year before that. They are a powerhouse and the Blues arch-nemesis. To say that the Blues have been intimidated by the Red Wings over the years would be putting it mildly.

So the opener was Friday and the Blues came out cold, falling behind 3-1. But veteran Paul Karyia came back from an injury plagued 2008 to tally 2 goals, including the game winner in a 4-3 Blues victory. It was a terrific start to the season. I was hoping we would split the 2 games with Detroit and this was a great beginning.

The Blues once again came out slower than molasses in the 1st period of game 2; Detroit was quickly up 2-0. But once again, the Blues came alive and rallied, this time for an impressive 5-3 win behind veteran forward Keith Tkachuk's 2 goals. The Blues are coming home 2-0, in first place in the Central division and, just as important, 2 games up on the Red Wings. I have to believe that this start has gotten into the Red Wings' heads just a *little* bit. Detroit faces a very tough Chicago Blackhawks team next - could they be staring at 0-3? We'll see.

The Blues are really playing inspired hockey so far. The slow starts are a little worrisome but right now everything seems to be clicking. It's a long season and injuries can always wreak havoc on any team in any sport, but so far the Blues are looking mighty fine in 2009.

Completed all Fallout 3 DLC

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:17:00 +0000

I finally finished the Mothership Zeta DLC for Fallout 3 late last night. That is the 5th piece of DLC for Fallout 3 and probably the last. It has been just a wonderful ride going through the post-apocalyptic ruins, meeting all kinds of different characters and doing battle with thousands of people/creatures. The level-up system for the game is terrific and allows you to play the game to your liking. The map is huge and has so many wondrous locations. The look of the game is depressing by nature, but it is so well done that you never tire of it. The sound is top notch as well, with tremendous sound effects, voice work and a fabulous (and sparsely used) score.

Fallout 3 was my Game Of The Year for 2008 and it deserves a very special place in my heart. I have no qualms saying it is one of my top 10 favorite games of all time. The DLC prolonged the adventure, letting me further advance my character and add new skills. Bravo to Bethesda for a top-notch gaming experience that kept giving and giving; I put well over 135 hours into Fallout 3 and loved every second of it.

For those interested in purchasing the game, you'd be very wise to wait until October 13th when the Game Of The Year edition is released. It includes the original game and all 5 DLC episodes for $59.95, which is what the stand-alone game originally cost. That's a savings of over $50 and well worth the money, believe me. You cannot go wrong with purchasing this game.

Uncharted 2: the accolades are rolling in

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:36:00 +0000

The game is still 2 weeks away from release but big things are already being said about Uncharted 2 for the Sony Playstation 3. IGN reviewed the game a week or so ago and gave it 9.5 out of 10. They also have a video review up but I have skipped that for fear of having parts of the game spoiled. The cover of of Playstation: The Official Magazine features Uncharted 2 and this quote: "Forget game of the year. This is one of the best games of all time." The article inside is massive but is said to contain spoilers, so once again I am staying clear.

So yeah, I am stoked. This was always a day 1 purchase for me. The first one was unbelievably good and from what I have read so far, the sequel improves on just about everything. Needless to say I will be posting impressions once I have the game in hand and have given it a whirl.

Headaches suck

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:06:00 +0000

I have had a headache going for about 15 straight days now. I have always suffered from migraines (as have my parents) and have had spells like this before. Today I woke up with a nasty sinus headache. I am *really* getting tired of feeling like crap, and I am sure my family is tired of it as well. I am going to the doctor on Wednesday so we'll see what he has to say. Last year at about this time I had to get a CAT scan of my head (about the 5th time a doctor has had me do that) so we'll see if that is gonna be the game plan again. I am not worried that it is anything serious like that; like I said, this has been going on forever and it's a family thing. What I really need to do is see an ENT specialist and get my sinuses checked out. Most of my migraines start out as sinus headaches.

Anyway, here's to feeling better tomorrow! And thanks, Barb, for all you do to help make me feel better. You're the best!

FIFA 10 gets a rave review from IGN UK

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Schmaltz) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:57:00 +0000

Usually the UK is pretty hard on the soccer, er...football games that come down the pike. Not this time. IGN UK loves FIFA 10, giving it a 9.3 overall score. What I found most promising was this passage:
"...results in a game that behaves exactly as you'd expect a real game of football to play out. This fidelity conversely makes FIFA 10 easier to play, and more importantly it's much more enjoyable than previous FIFAs."

Now I have always liked the previous FIFA titles because I love soccer (er, football) and the FIFA game features a crazy amount of teams and leagues. But the gameplay itself has often been frustrating to me. Pulling off routine moves such as headers seemed more like a chore than anything and after a while I got tired of feeling like I was always battling against the controls. The demo of FIFA 10 seemed to play a lot better to me (in the very limited time I spend with it) and now it appears as that will indeed be the case for full game. This is music to my ears.

I was seriously considering skipping FIFA this year, or at least relegating it to the Christmas List section, but now I may have to seriously rethink this. Of course as always the question will be just when will I find the time to play it? I am finishing up Fallout 3, so that will be done with before too long. But I still have many other games waiting for me, including open-ended games like The Beatles: Rock Band and a plethora of sports games, including the excellent Madden 10 and NHL 10. FIFA may not get played a lot right off the bat, but it will probably make my collection of sports games needing attention.