Shinmaru

I like the use of the Silent Hill-esque imagery...very dark and surreal. The distorted faces and the gritty look of the banner really add to the whole vibe. Nicely done. I've never heard the song that you mentioned, so I can't really comment on the quote that you used. But overall, I'd say you made a good banner.

I'm really big on nostalgia, especially in the world of video games. Nothing makes me happier then to go and revisit a game that I haven't played in years, so that I can relive the fond memories that I enjoyed when I first played them. Anyway, I've been thinking a lot lately about the game that first hooked me into video games, Super Mario Bros. 3. I'd been playing video games for a couple years before I played SMB3 (I've been playing since I was three years old, in case you cared). I played on and off but I wasn't old enough to develop an attachment to video games and they never really held my attention. I was about five years old when SMB3 came out and I got quite addicted to the game. I was completely enthralled with it when it came out. I loved it because it was simple fun; I wasn't old enough to understand and appreciate the gameplay mechanics and the hard work that went into making them, but still...I loved this game like no other. The bright, colorful graphics...the fun characters...the great power-ups...these were the things that attracted my attention and commanded me to play this game every chance that I got. Ever since that day, I've been playing games just about everyday. And it's great to go back and play the games that I first played in my early days because I can better appreciate them. I can notice the controls that are simple in design and never get complex, so that they draw everyone into playing the game. I can see the strategy involved with each power-up and their different abilities and attacks. I can appreicate the rich cast of enemies and the different attacks that they employ against you. I might not be able to enjoy these games on the simple level that I did in my youth, but I can appreciate them on a more complex, thinking level today. So, this brings me to everyone else. What game(s) drew you into playing video games? Do you find that you appreciate them on a different level then when you were younger? Can you still recapture the simple pleasures of playing these games?

I don't think that any team that has ever existed has made me hate them more than the Yankees have. I absolutely despise them...I wouldn't give a crap if they didn't win any World Series' for the next million years (in fact, I'd be positively giddy). Me, I'm going with the popular choice of a Cubs/Red Sox World Series just because it would be a great moment for baseball. Two teams that have gone forever without being in a World Series, much less winning one...you know the both of them would be fighting tooth and nail to win. It would be great. I wouldn't mind the Marlins getting into the World Series, since that would make for a nice story, too. They almost get Contracted buy Major League Baseball and come back to the World Series. That would be plenty cool. But as long as the Yankees lose, I'm happy :D

That was a pretty good commercial. Thumbs up to Nintendo for making a commercial that I'd actually watch. Source: [url]http://www.allrpg.com/rpgnews/news_show.php?newsid=1258[/url] [quote]SCEA Drops The PS2's Price to $99?! Don't count on it... I bet many of you heard rumors about the PS2 getting a price drop to $99 this November. Rumors also mentioned that this decision is based upon the current price cut of the Gamecube($99). As mentioned, they are just rumors. Besides, we now know the truth about these rumors. Recently, executives from SCEA said that there's no need for a price cut. But, the retail store Target received printed fliers with the price of the PS2 at $99. So, is SECA cutting the price or not? Unfortunately, having sources from other retail stores and a Wall Street analyst, there isn¡¯t any info suggesting the price cut of the PS2. Anyway, SCEA doesn't just pick one retail store for this kind of change; they usually work with the whole entire retail community. Also, the PS2 is selling very well and lowering the price would be kind of pointless, especially to $99. (let alone to $149.99) [/quote] So, right now, we're getting mixed messages at best when it comes to a PS2 price drop. In all likelihood, however, there probably won't be a price drop. I wonder where Target got their info from, though. It makes you wonder whether or not someone at Sony messed up and told Target that there would be a price drop.

I'm glad I'm not an epiletic, or else I would've died after seeing all that :p Anyway, I thought it was a funny banner (though, certain people might not agree with me lol). I also though the Administrator Teleport looked funny because it looked like you turned into a genie bottle before you teleported o_O Great banner, though. Doesn't offend me at all.

I haven't seen Evangelion...so I can't comment on something I haven't seen, right? My favorite anime that I've seen is definitely Cowboy Bebop. The plot is *gasp* fresh and original and is very well paced (screw you naysayers who don't like the filler episodes - they rule :p). The artwork is, likewise, amazing and flows together amazingly well. The dub is, of course, fantastic and I'd go as far to say that this is easily [i]the best[/i] English dub I've ever had the pleasure of hearing (I don't have access to imports like you "purists"). The voice actors have great range and are actually able to convey emotion in each episode. What a concept! And, of course, there is the music...Cowboy Bebop has the best musical score for an anime, bar none. [i]Bar none.[/i] The mixture of jazz, blues, rock, etc. is unlike anything I've ever heard in my life...the mishmash of different musical styles works surprisingly well within the context of the anime. I should be arrested because I don't own the soundtrack yet. Lastly, I love the characters of Cowboy Bebop. What I love about it is that each and every character is well-developed even if they only appear in one episode. Spike, Jet, Faye, Vicious, et al are all beautifully and expertly developed...even the minor characters receive meticulous attention to detail. I love it. So there ya go. Cowboy Bebop is easily the best of the few anime that I've seen.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Semjaza Azazel [/i] [B]There were two Sonics like Solo Tremaine said... One was only on ABC, and had pretty good animation. The other was syndicated, and it just looked like crap. Urkel did the voice of Sonic for some bizarre reason... and most of the time was spent chasing these two stupid robots, one of which was a chicken. Personally, I liked the Mario cartoons because they were so cheesy. To this day I still laugh when I remember that Princess Toadstool's favorite band was Milli Vanilli. [/B][/QUOTE] Milli Vanilli was also Cootie Pie's (Wendy O. Koopa) favorite band. If memory serves right, I believe that was the episode in which she took Milli Vanilli from the "real world" and Luigi was turned into a Koopa to "seduce" Cootie Pie and save Milli Vanilli. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha! I am the king of useless Nintendo information :p For now, that is... Anyway, I loved the Super Mario Bros. Super Show...I still have a couple really old tapes of the show at home. It was so incredibly cheesy, but I didn't care. I was a little kid when I watched it. As long as it had Mario, I was happy. And I think I was the only person I knew who wasn't freaked out when Captain Lou Albano and Danny Wells did The Mario at the end of the show...awesome stuff :D The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 was even better because it included the Koopalings. For those who don't know, I am a huge Koopalings fanatic. They're my favorite Mario characters of all time. Plus, TAOSMB3 included all of the power-ups from SMB3...and we all know how awesome those are, heh. Plus, SMB3 is my favorite Mario game, so I naturally like this one the most. Super Mario World was decent but not nearly as good as the first two...mostly because the cave people were complete retards and Yoshi's voice nearly drove me to insanity. But, of course, the Koopalings were the saving grace of the show. Those kids are hilarious. I've only seen the Sonic from ABC and the one on UPN that came on in the mid-90s. Personally, I preferred the one on UPN because it was ultra-cheesy just like the Mario cartoons (just not as well done cheesy). The two robots were Scratch (rooster) and Grounder (the mole thingy with the drills). There was also a monkey, I believe, but I don't remember his name. I was never really a fan of the Sonic on ABC because it was a bit more serious and I was never a really serious kid, heh. Captain N was really cool, too, mostly because it had Mother Brain (Metroid, yay!). Captain N was a dork, though. The Legend of Zelda was almost as odd as the Super Mario Bros. Super Show because almost all the episodes had some subplot involving Link hitting on Zelda lol. The NES cartoon that Semjaza mentioned I remember faintly. I remember Pit and Simon Belmont being on it but I don't remember that thing from Qix. Methinks I need to find something on that. And that's about it. Man, if you don't think I'm a dork after reading this, you must be some kind of weirdo :p

I've got the DVD but I have yet to watch it because I don't have the time right now, bleh. However, both my brother and sister have seen it and have assured me that it is fantastic and more than worth the money. I hate Zazu in general. That was one of my favorite scenes in The Lion King because Zazu actually shut his beak for a few moments.

Here we go... I'm Mexican, English, Dutch and German. There's also a bit of Native American in me, but as far as what tribe or whatever...well...I've never been interested enough in it to find out.

I just saw the newer version and it rules. That stuff with Syk3 is hilarious...can't wait until he gets back and sees that :D Anyway, the only problem is the timing, which you acknowledged was off. But get that fixed and the banner will be perfect...great stuff. Maladjusted and OtakuSennen...I commend you (but I would commend you more if I were actually in this ~_^).

Hmm, I'm not sure on the release date but I believe that's pretty close. I haven't checked on this game in a while. Anyway, I've been looking forward to this for the longest time, ever since I read about the first Fire Emblem games a few years ago (I don't import, which is why I don't already have them). The battle system is looking pretty decent (considering how old the damn thing is) and the graphics look sharp. Yet another game I want to get my hands on. Why, oh why, must I be as cheap as I am?

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Half_Shaded [/i] [B]Hey, come on, I'm the one who told you Kefka was crazier, Shin *sticks out tongue* [/B][/QUOTE] Heh, don't you wish :p I [i]was[/i] a Sephiroth follower until I finally realized how flat of a character he really is. Sure, he's a psychotic badass but he doesn't have anything to offer other than that. Kefka, however, is much more devious and believable (in terms of personality) than Sephiroth. He's a egotistical maniac who's not afraid to pull some dirty tactics to get what he wants. Do you think Sephiroth would've thought to poison a river to kill the inhabitants? No, he would've just cast Meteor and blown the thing up, the idiot :p

I don't really like the show anymore. Back when it was Extended Play, I loved it. They were helpful and informative and always up to date on the latest gaming news. They were all about giving concise reviews and informing their audience on what was happening in the gaming industry. However, the show has changed for the worse since the name change. They seem to be more about comedy than giving some good gaming news/reviews. I've sat through so many bad skits, that I've just stopped watching the show. Haven't seen it for about a month now.

I think it's hilarious. I think it would also be hilarious if someone were actually insulted by this. As for the technical stuff...great. The transitions are just right, it's not too fast nor too slow and the pictures look great. It's a very well done banner. If it's worth anything, I certainly wouldn't object to you putting this in your signature; it's all in good fun after all.

Holy crap, I just remembered that book. I read it in...8th grade I believe. Amazing, amazing story. Thanks for mentioning it Shroom...I now need to go and find it so that I can read it, as I've forgotten most of what happens in it (damn my memory).

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Zidane [/i] [B]I liked cartridges! Scratch that i still like them [/B][/QUOTE] Please try to improve your post quality in the future. Your post has nothing to do with the topic of this thread. Be more mindful of the rules in the future, okay? Thanks.

Yeah, this is looking like a brilliant move by Nintendo. My dad was saying that he thought that Nintendo was just going to abandon the GameCube after the price drop, but that definitely does not seem like the case, fortunately. The GBA is still going strong and the GameCube should sell even more over Christmas time what with the Zelda Compilation Disc. It's shaping up to be a very successful holiday season for Nintendo, that's for sure.

First Name: Michael Age: 17, 18 in November Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Brown Height: 5'9" Wardrobe: Whatever I feel like wearing at the time. Personality: It's there. You can find it if you really want to. Hair Style: Just short and black...I'm very boring when it comes to hairstyle. Favorite Music Type: I mostly like Rock but I'm open to pretty much anything. Favorite musical Band/Artist: Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Sonic Youth and Queens of the Stone Age make up my five favorites. Hobbies: Video games, writing (though, not as much as I used to), reading (if it can be called a hobby) and perving up chats.

Heh, nice and simple; I like it. And the Crono sprite sitting on the logo at the bottom is a nice touch, too. I think the plain nature of the wallpaper suits it well, as I'm guessing it's not meant to be cluttered with all sorts of uneccessary crap. Good work.

Source: [url]http://cube.ign.com/articles/453/453647p1.html[/url] [quote]Mario Kart Demo Disc Revealed Nintendo reveals the giveaway with Mario Kart: Double Dash. October 07, 2003 - Nintendo has revealed on the official Mario Kart: Double Dash website, the contents of the bonus disc that will be given away with a prepurchase of the GameCube Mario Kart title. On the disc will be five playable demos of recent and future titles including first-party games Mario Party 5 and F-Zero GX, as well as third-party offerings, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike, and Sonic Heroes. There will also be non-interactive movie clips from the following games: 1080 Avalanche, Kirby Air Ride, Pokemon Colosseum, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, Harry Potter: Quiddich World Cup, NBA Live 2004, and Spongebob Squarepants: The Search for Bikini Bottom. Also of interest to Game Boy Advance owners, this disk will also unlock exclusive content in the upcoming Fire Emblem cartridge, including unlockable weapons, abilities, and music. You'll need a Game Boy Advance GameCube cable to take advantage of this feature. Mario Kart: Double Dash is released on November 17th, and supplies on the Bonus Disc are limited. [/quote] This demo disc sounds pretty good and I look forward to getting some play time at Rebel Strike and Sonic Heroes. I'd say this is a nice little bonus to the many people who were already looking forward to picking up Mario Kart: Double Dash.

I really enjoyed the book, which surprised me for some reason (I enjoyed the movie, too). I just enjoy the innocence of Scout, Jem and Dill and [spoiler]I thought it was cool how they eventually became friends with Boo Radley at the end - Boo rules and everyone knows it.[/spoiler] It's also strikes upon the issue of racism, which I thought was cool, considering how old the book is. [spoiler]Atticus just fights and fights for what is right and, even though the stupid town still convicts Tom Robinson, you get the feeling that Atticus touched the town in a big way. Too bad that Tom had to die - poor guy.[/spoiler] So, yeah, it's a great book. Definitely recommended to those who haven't read it.

Heh, you know that I'm in limbo on this one. I really, really, really want this game but I'm operating on limited funds, heh (unless my dad suddenly decides out of nowhere to pick up the game, which would be awesome). I've got about $65 on me right now and I've heard that VJ is available for $39.99, so that's weighing in on the decision, as well. But, to anyone who wants the game, I would recommend at least trying it out based on what I've seen, played and heard. The game has been getting great reviews and the demo showed a lot of promise. The fighting got a tiny bit repetitive...that is, until you get introduced to the super powers. That's when the game's fighting system takes the leap into super kickass. And the graphics...need I even say anything? If you've seen the game you know it looks awesome. The controls are very well done and easy to use; just what I like to see. Heh, so many good games are out right now. It's a great time to be a gamer :D

Really, I never enjoyed Resident Evil. I think games have to actually have some semblance of a control scheme for me to enjoy them (what? Good controls? Horrors!). It's not like I haven't given the RE series a chance...I have and I've been stuck with the same crappy control scheme from the start. Capcom maintains that it "wouldn't be as scary if the game had Devil May Cry style controls." That's a load of bull. The only reason the game is scarier with its current controls is the realization that if you die because of the controls, you go back to your last save and have to repeat a bunch of crap that you just did. Now [i]that's[/i] scary.

Yeah, it would be pretty ridiculous to ask anyone to pay $719 for a gaming system, no matter how much crap is added onto it. *shakes head* When will people remember that gaming systems are, first and foremost, gaming systems?! I think too many people are getting caught up in the craze of adding on too much stuff to their systems. Seriously, does anyone use the PS2 as a DVD Player? Does anyone use the PSX as a CD Player? The only worthy add-on that I've really seen is the hard drive included with XBox, which is pretty practical, in my opinion.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by maladjusted [/i] [B][size=1] [b]Lord of the Flies[/b] --Awesome, awesome book. I read it in seventh grade, and I got extremely interested in it while writing the book report. The whole story and theme really got me. [b]Slaughter House Five[/b] --*forces everyone to read it* Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome, etc. This is spam, but whatever. >_