Charles

Dedicated to Lady A. Much credit, to these seven letters is owed A magical combination, that Sega fanboys crowed Oh, how I love my blood code ABA CAB B, you took my innocence away I ignored the ratings that insisted I should be seventeen to play Ryu, Vega, and Blanka could never rip out one another's cartilage So, forever I relinquished this lesser cartridge ABA CAB B you opened up a whole new world for me You proved that red globs are more important than quality Watch how I rip out thy spine and punch off your head In your presence, I blush deeply red You made games more important than work or school If it weren't for you, life would be too cruel ABA CAB B you are even better than sex ABA CAB B, oh how you are superior to square, triangle, circle, or x No one ever made the politicians more mad You delivered fatalities my parents thought were bad You always filled my fingers with such delight You gave new meaning to the words "Round One: Fight!" Now I apply you to all things in life ABA CAB B, I carved your initials into my arm with a knife You appease my conscience when I brutalize my wife Now they insist I seek mental evaluation Because I can't separate reality from Mortal Kombat Annihilation So once again, thank you ABA CAB B, you've turned my life around ABA CAB B, there is no code more renowned!

[quote name='Semjaza Azazel']Times like this I wish GCN would go online... which is unfortunate because I really do feel the game played best with that controller. I guess I'll just stick with the Xbox version in that case.[/quote] According to Game Informer, only the Playstation 2 version is planned to have online play. :(

I heard about this a couple days ago, and the only interest I had was in the unlockable arcade game. Because I already have the MAME version, it probably won't be a selling point for me though. In addition to that, the four player mode is a welcome addition (it should have been included in the first). The idea of sharing a life bar is interesting, but if there's online play, then it's not something I'm sure I would welcome. That aside, my biggest problem with these new TMNT games is the lack of personality. I briefly played the first one and it just wasn't very fun. You're restricted to barren, boxed-in areas fighting hordes of lame enemies. The visuals in these images you've posted don't seem to offer any changes in those areas. What a drab landscape. :sleep: Some of the models look terrible also, like that space ship and the enemy in the first picture.

Some new information regarding the plot has surfaced. I'll post it so that we can have a slightly better understanding of what we're talking about here: [quote]"Five years ago Carl Johnson escaped from the pressures of life in Los Santos, San Andreas.. .a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs and corruption; where film stars and millionaires do their best to avoid the dealers and gang bangers. Now, it's the early 90s. Carl's got to go home. His mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster. On his return to the neighborhood, a couple of corrupt cops frame him for homicide. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and to take control of the streets."[/quote]And, just to play off of what Ben said, I agree that people underestimate the interesting mission structure in the Grand Theft Auto games. The GTA franchise has become the popular property to bash because of its success, but I think that a lot of what made it successful was that the games are just purely enjoyable to play and there are a lot of things available for the player to do. I've never blindly bought the games because of their adult content--I could see worse in a movie. On the contrary, I love the stories, the exploration, and the incredible atmosphere the games generate. [font=Verdana][size=2][/size][/font] [b]Edit: [/b]I just got the new Game Informer. I'll highlight some important points. [list] [*] San Andreas is not a city--it's a state.. The game is not set in a version of Los Angeles (Los Santos) or Sanfransico ( San Fierro) or Las Vegas (Las Venturra), but all three--and with the countryside in between. [*] Each city is relatively the same size as Vice City, and will be fully open to the player at different points in the story arch--the game is estimated to be four to six times as large as the entirety of either of the previous entries in the series. And that's not considering the countryside between cities which have their own unique characters and gameplay sequences. [*] San Fierro is hill-intensive because it's an element that wasn't explored in Vice City. [*] A mountain is included in the countryside. [*]The maps look a lot crisper and there's more going on (i.e., there's more interactivity). [*] The graphics engine has been overhauled to incorporate real-time reflections on cars, windows, and mirrors, as well as new techniques like raidal lighting, which allows for more realistic shadowing and soft-shadow lighting for interior levels. [*] Everything in the game now has independent models for day and nighttime, in order to make sure that objects look as detailed and vivid during the evening hours as they do during daylight. [*]Tons of interiors have been fully rendered out, and tailored to facilitate new types of gameplay, most notably robbing houses. [*] Purchasing real estate has a much higher importance. You can run a casino which you have bought and built. [*] Here's the plot: Carl Johnson finds himself comes back to San Andreas after spending five years in Liberty City. Johnson left his neighborhood in the ghetto of Los Santos after the death of his brother Brian, who died in a tragic incident. Carl's older brother Sweet Johnson blamed him for Brian's death, leading to a period of estrangement that is broken by the sudden passing of his mother. On returning home for the funeral, Carl finds his bilogical family and his former gang, the Orange Grove Families, in disarray. Sweet and his sister Kendall are at each other's throats. His former crew--Sweet, longtime family friend Smoke, and Ryder--have fallen from power on the streets, and are now besieged by both rival gang factions and internal quarrels. Although Carl is reluctant to get dragged back into the street life, fate intervenes when his crew comes under the thumb of Frank's TenPenny and Eddie Polaski, who Houser characterizes as a "heavy-duty pair of lunatic corrupt policemen on your case." As always, events soon spiral out of control, and Johnson finds himself on a frantic adventure that will take him across the state of San Andreas as he fights to preserve his family, his gang, and his life. [*] The game is slightly more serious than previous games, but is still very much a satire. [*] There will be some tie-ins to the other games [*] The AI has been overhauled. NPC intelligence behavior has now become so varied that voiceover recording sessions for an average pedestrian charater's dialogue have gone from a mere ten minutes to an hour in length. [*] Dynamic difficulty will be implemented to adjust to the player's progress. [*] You can now recruit a gang to accompany you on missions (you can do four-person drivebys). Now, you won't have the feeling that you're a glorified mob errand boy. [*]More minigames will be included. You can gamble, for example. [*]Burglaries require real skill and planning. [*]You'll see the results of your character's lifestyle right before your eyes. Carl will have to eat to maintain his physical state--which is also reflected in a stamina meter. Consuming fast food and avoiding excercise will make Carl gain weight, which affects everything from your speed to the character's physics, to humorous effect (missions will be harder to accomplish and people will call you a "fat bastard." [*] You can go to the gym and work out to gain muscle and speed. [*] Targeting has been overhauled. [*] There will be a lot more variety in hand-to-hand fighting tehnique. Also, there's new types of car jacking and you can swim. [*] Rag-doll physics are being implemented. [*] You can dual-weild pistols. [/list]

[quote name='Leumas Loch']About time nintendo got back to an awesome game, I guess I might just have to assemble the pieces of my shatter gamecube in order to play this game. I mean come on, Windwaker was a slap in the face to all the loyal zelda players out there, the cell shading actually made me not buy it. I played it for a couple hours at my friends house but I felt like i was supposed to be about eight years old while playing it. With this new zelda, Link is back to a hero you can be proud of, and not some little square shaped little frog/human looking creature. I am so glad that nintendo decided to do something right for the first time in awhile. But I might just have to dust off the old GCN for this game.[/quote][img]http://logo.cafepress.com/7/66.130847.jpg[/img] I suggest you sell the GameCube or just give it away because quite frankly, you don't deserve to be playing it to begin with. You're not a loyal Zelda fan. If you were, you would have recognized the intelligent dungeon designs that easily matched up with (and sometimes surpassed) those found in the rest of the series--whether you preferred the look or not. Furthermore, the gameplay was polished and more intelligent than most "adult" franchises saturating the market. Everything about the game was a throwback to classic gaming. Plus, there were some clever concepts and artistic innovations that make the game more of a work of art than a simple piece of software. My point in relevance to this topic is that because this will undoubtedly play similarly to Wind Waker (it's running on a modified version of the Wind Waker engine after all), it'll likewise fall beneath your superficial standards as an adult game as well. Now get out of here and go back to the IGN forums.

A new full version trailer has been released. [url="http://c.streamingmovies.ign.com/cube/article/514/514111/residentevil4_051004_1_wmvlow.wmv"]http://c.streamingmovies.ign.com/cube/article/514/514111/residentevil4_051004_1_wmvlow.wmv[/url] And, courtesy of Tony, here is a high resolution version of the same trailer for those of you with broadband connections: [url="http://c.cubemovies.ign.com/cube/video/article/514/514111/residentevil4_051004_1_qthigh.mov"]http://c.cubemovies.ign.com/cube/vi...04_1_qthigh.mov[/url] It expands upon Nintendo's E3 trailer and alludes to a [i]lot[/i] of new plot points and gameplay segments. This is probably the most amazing look I've seen of the game yet. The flame and explosion effects must be seen to be believed. The voice acting seems better than I initially expected too.

[quote name='Shiguru']Hopefully you can play the gangs against eachother again. And which one is the main character?[/quote]It looks like it's the guy crouching in the second picture. The figure riding the bicycle appears to be wearing the same clothing, so it's a reasonable guess. NorykoAngelcry--I think that monkeys would add a lot of interest to the game for me. People underestimate what the mere presence of a primate can bring to a game. If I cite examples like Turok 2, where the availability of monkeys were present in multiplayer was its biggest draw then it becomes obviously clear. Anyway, I'm sure a lot of that demographic will buy it--which is a shame. Personally, I don't think a ten year old belongs anywhere near this game. I'll enjoy the rich narrative and top quality voice acting and soundtrack but I definitely don't think they're approrpriate for children. Games have been making use of increasingly vulgar language and I'm certain this game will employ heavier swearing than the previous titles. Especially since it seems to focus on gang war (which was like a footnote in Vice City). If the mission structure is more complex and they've made some creative changes I think that a trip to San Andreas could be worth it. :accepts loyalties offhand: Vice City did a good job of making the missions more interesting and challenging than in GTA so I'll expect a lot here--and that's what it's going to take now that the market is saturated with games like this.

[quote name='NorykoAngelcry][color=darkred][size=1][font=Verdana]Good. . because after playing the easily boring games of GTA and GTA Vice City, I was like. . "Man, I sure hope the next one is going to have bicycles!!" :sleep: Well, another GTA game that I will pick up from a friend, race around a few cars, punch in cheat codes to get guns and see how long I can kill people before I am taken out, then proceed to systematically grind the game into a fine powder which I poor into people's gas tanks. . Sorry, did this reply seem ill? [/font][/size'][/color][/quote]Actually, believe it or not, people have been looking forward to bicycles for quite a while now....lol I'll only care if you can ring a bell or something personally.

[img]http://www.ubi.com/portals/resources/binary/69/17308.gif[/img] [img]http://www.ubi.com/portals/resources/binary/69/17298.gif[/img] [img]http://www.ubi.com/portals/resources/binary/69/17310.gif[/img] [img]http://www.ubi.com/portals/resources/binary/69/17293.gif[/img] This game looks so amazing, I figured I'd post the newest screens. I've never played the original (outside of a demo) but it's a game I intend to pick up. As you can see, the texture detail and lighting are simply astonishing. I hope this game gets the attention it'll undoubtedly deserve.

There wasn't a thread in the E3 listing so I decided to create a new topic dedicated to the next installment in this series because there are finally some screens to show off. [img]http://www.rockstargames.com/sanandreas/ss/screen01.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.rockstargames.com/sanandreas/ss/screen02.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.rockstargames.com/sanandreas/ss/screen03.jpg[/img][url="http://www.rockstargames.com/sanandreas/ss/screen03.jpg"][/url] There's not much else to say at this point but these screens do give you an indication of what the main character looks like, how you can now use bicycles, and a glimpse at some gorgeous locales (and the fact that the character models still haven't evolved much). Hopefully this is only the start of a flood of new media for the game. It's been veiled in secrecy for quite a while now.

Here's what I like: Mario Golf failed in my eyes because it tried too hard to be a legitimate golf game--it was too similar to the Hot Shots engine it was based on. The Mario themed courses only offered minor variations over what we would see in a typical Hot Shots game. Mario Tennis, at least, is trying to be its own animal. It's not trying to take itself seriously like Mario Golf did, and I think that will be the major drawing point to the game. Why make a Mario licensed sports game if you're not going to take advantage of the property to its fullest? By offering vast amounts of creativity and totally challenging the concept of tennis, this title has the potential to be a huge success. It's not like Mario Golf where there was little of anything significant present that wasn't featured in other golf games. When I see Mario using a mallet in a uniquely designed court and I'm not sure what's going on but I want to know, I get a good feeling. .

[quote name='Semjaza Azazel']I think you might be going a bit too far with a bit too little information. Does this game look good? Yes. Do we know how it plays? No, although I'm sure it's safe to say it won't be radically different from the last few at its core.[/quote]Well, sure. These are just initial impressions and the train of thought I'm riding with right now. Judging from the trailer alone, the game looks to play identically to the others in most ways. That's not wholly negative per se. I'm very fond of how Zelda games make the most out of Link's repertoire of abilities and collection of items. They're not cool but superfluous gimmicks that the dungeons passively make use of. You're usually required to be familiar with everything in your arsenal and forced to solve puzzles using everything at your disposal creative ways. Also, Zelda games tend to introduce at least one unique gimmick (such as the element of wind or time travel). My main complaint about Wind Waker, however, was that aside from these positives, it was much of the game gameplay-wise. These shots do nothing to indicate that that will not be the case in this installment. [quote]I think THAT is the main problem. The graphics, voice overs and such are really just superfluous by comparison, in my opinion. They're just more cinematic additions. What needs to be altered is the gameplay. Not radically so, but it would be nice if there was more to it for once beyond what really just feels like an upgrade. If it wasn't for the graphics in Wind Waker, I don't really know what would have pulled me into it to be honest. However, this does have my attention because it looks good and was very unexpected.[/quote]Oh yeah, exactly. I'm in complete agreement--especially with the last sentence. It's pretty much precisely what I've said on numerous occasion and the direct reason I didn't beat Wind Waker until recently. I just grew bored. At this point though, I think that these cinematic additions would offer more than you'd think. It would add an entirely new dimension to the game and define the characters in a way that will compensate for the inferior (in my opinion) artistic direction. As for the rest of your comments, I understand that it's possible to inject personality into the characters visually (just look at Link's facial expressions) but personality was just a given in Wind Waker. Everything was just so alive and colorful. The difference is that we only saw one attempt at that direction and I think a matured version of that engine could have been equally astonishing in comparison to what we're seeing here in terms of technical visual quality. But, really there's only so far we can go in seeing the characters expressed visually. That's my entire reason on stressing the voice acting in every discussion. [quote]As far as voice acting... well I've been glad that nobody's voiced over Link so far. It's weird, but I've gotten attached to a "silent but deadly" Link. Really, he's like the only character who doesn't ever talk (well, besides Samus I guess). That's pretty much a personality trait at this point. If he gets voiced over and the voice actor sucks, then I'll have to kill someone. So I'm worried about that.[/quote] Link doesn't have to talk. I actually had a pretty good discussion with Tony about this and I'd be perfectly happy if the supporting cast broke their silence, such as Ganon.

I think it looks good and I'm excited because it's Zelda. Here's the curve ball. Unlike everyone else who will reply to this, I'm not euphoric over this development. You know, this more conventional "adult" look is what most everyone wanted in the first place: a natural extension of the Nintendo 64 series in terms of artistic approach. Do I think that's a good thing? A bad thing? Most will be so excited when they see the gorgeous trailer that they'll automatically dismiss any possibility that there could be negative consequences in reverting back to the traditional approach. From where I stand, the cel-shaded look was the favorable way to go simply because it brought with it a lot of color and personality--something this media is almost devoid of. I find it funny in a way because a lot of you would have agreed with me here before this was shown, but now when a new realistic Zelda [i]does[/i] surface, those opinions almost seem vaporous. A lot of people probably weren't as sincere as they pretended to be in defense of Wind Waker's look. I knew that we'd eventually see a return to this style, but I almost see it as Nintendo conceding instead of sticking to their guns and going forward with the early Zelda-inspired look for Wind Waker 2. I can't really blame them because obviously they want something that's going to take people by surprise and garner massive sales. Up until now, Nintendo has had a penchant for painting their franchises in a deceptively childish coat of paint and they're trying to move away from that to an extent. Understandable, but I can't help but to wonder what would have been. Looking forward, I think this game certainly does look impressive, (aside from the grass textures) if not a little too familiar. Kind of like a more technologically advanced Ocarina of Time updated for today's generation. And that has me concerned because I loved the personality that literally oozed out of the last game. It had charm in spades. The look was stylish and unique, it wasn't something I could find on another console. In comparison, this looks a tad dull. Don't get me wrong, the graphic quality is lovely, but I could play a number of games on other consoles with a similar visual approach. Certain aspects, such as the battles on horse and Link's facial expressions give me some hope that Nintendo will inject a certain level of personality into the game. We'll see. I just hope that they [b]finally [/b]complete Zelda's cinematic presentation by adding voice acting. I know a lot of you don't mind, but I think it's a touch of flair the series is lacking. I know it can be done right at this point. Iit hasn't been incorporated into the games at this point aside from various grunts and screams, thus there's sort of a void in the presentation. When I played Wind Waker even, I knew that something was missing. The Zeldas are epic, they're scored wonderfully--let's just hear the voices to match. I think it's needed now, or this will just seem like more of the same. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this for the sake of getting attention in the midst of postive comments, but at the same time, I'm not willing to play the fanboy and blithely dismiss the attachment I've developed to Wind Waker's look in favor of something that rethreads on old territory. Back when I supported the cel-shaded look, I was doing so because I really liked it, not so that I could sound politically correct or something. :goes unnoticed happily:

[img]http://xboxworld.nl/images/content/22057.jpg[/img] [img]http://xboxworld.nl/images/content/22058.jpg[/img][url="http://xboxworld.nl/images/content/22058.jpg"][/url] [img]http://xboxworld.nl/images/content/22059.jpg[/img][url="http://xboxworld.nl/images/content/22059.jpg"][/url] [img]http://xboxworld.nl/images/content/22060.jpg[/img] [img]http://xboxworld.nl/images/content/22061.jpg[/img] [img]http://xboxworld.nl/images/content/22062.jpg[/img][url="http://xboxworld.nl/images/content/22062.jpg"][/url] [img]http://xboxworld.nl/images/content/22063.jpg[/img] [img]http://xboxworld.nl/images/content/22064.jpg[/img] I've had Halo 2 reserved for quite a while based solely on vague expectations, but now that some tangible information and media is surfacing, I'm starting to warm up to it. Especially now that I have Xbox Live. IGN has hinted that Bungie is going to introduce innovative social aspects of the game via Xbox Live 3.0. Also, multiplayer games may host [b]more[/b] than sixteen players. My personal opinion doesn't see the number rising above sweet sixteen because it's become the standard for Xbox multiplayer, but at least some ambition is detectable. The ability to double-wield and use the Elite's plasma sword (or play as the Elite's themselves for that matter) within improved level designs (now destructible) should further Halo 2's bid to become the premiere multiplayer console shooter. Even the minor details, like shooting the hubcaps off of the Warthog or destroying the bumper sound impressive. But, not as impressive as the idea that the multiplayer screens shown here don't compare to the single player game visually. Should be a treat in that regard.

I don't recall ever making a movie thread before. But, I just came upon this cool little film due to hit theaters June 25th and I couldn't resist dedicating a topic to it. Here's a synopsis of Two Brothers: [quote][b]From Jean-Jacques Annaud, the acclaimed director of The Bear, comes an extraordinary motion picture event for the whole family. Set not so long ago in a distant land, Two Brothers is the story of twin tiger cubs--one shy and gentle, the other, bold and fierce--who are born among the temple ruins of an exotic jungle, but are one day separated by fate. The bold brother is sold off to a circus, where homesickness and living in a cage rob him of his spirit. The shy cub becomes the beloved companion for the governor's lonely young son, until an accident forces the family to give him away to a man who resolves to break his gentle nature and turn him into a fighter for sport. When they are fully grown, the brothers find themselves reunited--but as forced enemies pitted against each other. [/b] [b]An epic adventure story about the power of friendship, the bond between brothers and the spirit that connects us all, Two Brothers stars Guy Pearce (Memento, L.A. Confidential) as the adventurer whose tragic intervention into the idyllic lives of the twin cubs forever intertwines their fates. Two Brothers was filmed on location in Cambodia and Thailand. The screenplay was written by Jean-Jacques Annaud and Alain Godard (The Name of the Rose, Enemy At the Gates) from an original story by Annaud.[/b][/quote]The trailer indicates that the story will be somewhat formulaic (man interferes with nature and affects the lives of animals in an adverse way). So then, what seperates this from something like[b] Polly[/b] or [b]Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey[/b] (both terrific films by the way)? Well, for starters,Two Brothers seems to defy the trend of having the animals speak English. Nevertheless they've found a way to add characterization to Kumal and Sangha. That alone makes it atypical. Also, the information I've posted suggests that it may be executed better than recent films of this type based on the gorgeous cinematography and the pedigree of those involved in the project. I'll personally see it because it'll be a nice break from the standard summer fare (i.e. more explosions than dialogue). Check out the [b]awesome[/b] trailer here: [url="http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/two_brothers/trailer/"]www.apple.com/trailers/universal/two_brothers/trailer/[/url] [img]http://www.adage.com/century/graphics/icon_tony.gif[/img] It's not only good, it's grrrrrrrrrreat. By the way, my interest has [i]nothing[/i] to do with this being about cats. Ahem. :blush:

[QUOTE=artmasta][u]Chapter 1: The Beginning[/u] On the planet of Vegita, there was a race of beings, but these being are no ordinary beings. These beings were saiyans, and as saiyans were, they destroyed lfe forms on planets and then later sold the planet to the highest bidder. A planet known as Saiyahorn was taken over by the saiyan race. The saiyahorns had no choice but to fight to live. It was a brutal battle but as always, the saiyans won. About 3 months later a changling/namek/android named Jari-Kinjone placed a bid for the planet. Kinjone got Saiyahorn but at a terrible price. One saiyan wanted to stand up against Kinjone, but never found the time to think of a plan. The on the 7th day after the bid, the saiyan named Napcorn, made a plan and took a few more saiyans with him to test it out. It worked for awhile, but then Kinjone sent his army to stop Napcorn. Kinjone knew Napcorn couldn't be stopped. Tell me what you think so far. I will edit later on as I use more imagination.[/QUOTE]This is very boring, if I'm being honest and everyone else agrees with me judging by the lack of replies. I?ll tell you why. You?re choosing a subject that?s been beaten to death, so if you simply must retread on the DragonBallZ universe, you must do so in a creative way so that you captivate readers. You have to suck them in right from the get go and keep their interest. You begin by abstractly describing the most basic behavior of the Saiya-jins in a drab, matter-of-fact narrative. Unfortunately, anyone who reads this is probably familiar with the anime and its basic plotline, so you're just wasting your time and boring the reader. On top of that, you spare characteristics and personality; your tone is dull. We don't get any indication whatsoever of what exactly a Saiyahorn is--there customs, culture, appearance, personalities. Why should we care about them? Why was the battle brutal? There's no description. You're jumping around very quickly and I'm left with one impression: "So what?" Plus the name of the race is just silly. It's obviously something you gave no thought to and randomly threw together in a matter of three seconds. The second paragraph is a major problem because you're throwing various characters at us, again, without really defining them. It's very confusing. Your story is spiraling out of control because you're not taking your time. Instead, you're rushing through plot points and characters without ever defining them properly. I'm left with the impression that you've not taken the time to consider where you want to go with this story. You just sat down and wrote anything without prior planning. That's why it completely lacks focus. I apologize if I'm sounding harsh for something as simple as this but if you seriously intend to write a fan fic, then I suggest you think about what I've said.

[quote name='ScirosDarkblade]This is just hilarious. I mean, not only are the VF games (in my opinion :mad:) some of the crappiest fighting games out there, but it seems that rather than try to add [i]actual[/i] depth to the fighting engine, as well as a true learning curve, or [i]something[/i'] to make me play the game for any prolonged period of time, SEGA is going the way of Mortal Kombat: Mythologies![/quote][center][img]http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:0Ip9svVcJC0J:elijahschick.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/surprised.jpg[/img][/center] Oh---my--gawd. Oh no he didn't! Are we going to have to go to war in our myOtakus or something? I couldn't care less about Cyber Generation, but the Virtua Fighter series is uncontested in terms of depth and learning curve. There literally is no parallel. It takes a great deal of time just to master one character effectively. It sounds to me as though you were unable to truly reap the benefits of the Virtua Fighter 4 engine because you lacked the patience and skill to learn it thoroughly. In comparison to other fighters it's extremely sophisticated. The reversals, the variation in the move sets--it's all just wonderful. I'm really surprised with this revelation.

[quote name='Deedlit][color=#009966']It's not really a secret, but I talk to myself. Quite alot. But I normally lay off it a bit in public. Whenever I do talk to myself, a few people used to look at me like I was crazy, but everyone talks to themselves every now and then, heh. :p[/color][/quote] I've always been told that it's all right to talk to yourself as long as you don't answer yourself back. When I actually [i]do[/i] talk to myself I have a habit of answering myself to rationalize my thoughts. I guess I'm in trouble. heh

I visit OtakuBoards. Posting on here is something I'll rarely admit to anyone. The dorky stigma attached to posting on an anime-related Internet message board and the awkwardness of [i]explaining[/i] such a hobby far outweigh my desire to go around mentioning such a thing. It's not that I'd feel particularly embarrassed if anyone should notice me posting here and I don't try to hide the fact, but it's definitely not something I'd ever bring forward and discuss if someone happened to ask me what my hobbies are. :blush: Otherwise, I'm pretty candid about any other activities I enjoy that could be considered taboo. I freely admit that I'm a wrestling fan, which people are quick to point out is silly. And, occasionally I'll watch a cartoon or two on Saturday morning before work. Nothing major. Flooding James's inbox with things related to technical support or assistance with OB/myOtaku features is probably the biggest culprit. Although he stopped replying to me for some unexplainable reason. Oh and video games can be an issue sometimes--such as Animal Crossing. Now, if paying back my debt to Tom Nook by fishing and catching bugs isn't a secret indulgence, then I don't know what is.

[quote name='Harry']I honestly can't stand that show and it boggles my mind how anyone can like it. It's just not funny. Why do people think it's funny?[/quote]I find the character of his mother charming and colorful. Actually, the entire supporting cast is pretty good in general (with the exception of the children who completely lacked personalities whenever I?ve happened to catch it on television). They all have their own quirks and the chemistry between them is entertaining. It's the main character of the show that proves to be its downfall in the end. Raymond's nasally drone, combined with the unconvincing idea of him portraying a sports writer are bad enough. Yet, it?s my lack of fondness for his humor that proves most detrimental to my interest in the show. I just don?t find him interesting or funny. Otherwise, yes, the relationships shared by the characters are fascinating and some of the situations they?re put in are enjoyable because of their sharply contrasting personalities. The conflict, although cartoonish in its exaggerated execution, seems genuine and even warm on some level. It?s not a show I like, but I can see it appealing to older women or something.

Currently I'm attending Rutgers University. My desired major is English despite my uncertainty considering I want to do with it. I've always felt things out as they came my way. Life it already complicated enough without overcomplicating it more with plans and such. "Playing it by ear" has always worked best for me. I'll take the future as it comes. I'm probably bright enough to do a number of things so I try not to worry myself with specifics or keep myself confined to one path. In fact, I make an effort to take as many widely different courses as possible. English, writing, and art courses are the only constants as I go from semester to semester.

Eh, I'm a little surprised that this thread hasn't been locked yet. I've purposefully avoided replying up until now because I've always considered this sophomoric discussion little more than a thinly veiled attempt for SoapyShoes to revel in his own self proclaimed greatness. In retrospect, I knew his self centeredness would be answered by some pretty entertaining anecdotes with a side of reality check, so I allowed it to continue. Now, [i]well[/i], we have SoapyShoes and Heezay littering the thread with spammy replies and that not only makes this thread chauvinistic--it puts it on the "going nowhere fast" track. Let's face it, the coolest people usually aren't consumed with their own greatness. They don't believe in the legend of their own self image so much so that they see themselves as cooler than anyone else possibly could. When one becomes the biggest fan of their own hype, they generally aren't someone I'd label as "cool." [quote][b]If you are, do really really nerdy otaku hover over you when you are reading your manga? Do they want to get to know you? Do you just want to explain to them that people who like the same things might not get along with each other? For example, I like cake. You may enjoy cake as well, but you might be the biggest douche in the universe. I don't think we'd be compatible as cake buddies, talking about cake all the time. I forget what I was talking about, but cake sounds good right now. Anyway, give this thread a jingle if you are one of these fellows that I'm talkin' 'bout...Willis.[/b][/quote]Actually I highly doubt the other cake lover occupies the position of "biggest douche in the universe" but that's another story. What we have here is a problem where you immediately label people based on social groups and appearance. You superficially disregard people who share similar interests with you. You *probably* would get along with them but you're too shallow to even attempt to get to know them past the most basic of stereotypes. Whereas your cake example is a broad example that speaks nothing of personality, enjoying manga is a niche that indicates these people probably aren't as different from you as you'd like to imagine. Usually friendly common bonds, such as shared interests are the suitable foundations for friendship. But, I digress. I shouldn't be throwing in my two cents in at this point because my personal dissatisfaction with your attitude and shallowness has no bearing on my decision to close the thread. Rather, it's your inability to post within your own thread in accordance to our rules that has motivated me to put this to rest. I also doubt you're grasping much of what you could be learning here so that too marks the end of this.

[b][b]1) Have you ever cheated in anyway on a test or paper?[/b] Most likely. :shrugs: What can I say? I'm human. I've probably experimented with cheating in the past, in a class I didn't hold a strong interest in. I can't remember specific examples of cheating because I've never done it much. I'm very paranoid about these sort of things. If I cheated, I would either have a guilty conscience or an overpowering feeling that I would be caught in the process. I've always been a good test-taker, so fortunately, the temptation wasn't there enough for my cowardice or oppressing integrity to interfere anyway. When it comes to writing papers, I especially don't need to cheat. I've always found them incredibly easy. In college, it's especially important to abstain from underhanded tactics because the consequences attached to being found out aren't pretty. Expulsion is a common punishment. [b]2) Do you think that a person would cheat if he or she thought they could get a away with it?[/b] Not necessarily. It all depends on one's morals. Cheating has never been a desirable avenue of "success" for me because of my aforementioned guilty conscience. I'm a wuss that way. [b][b]3) What do you think is more important in the long run: your GPA or your integrity?[/b][/b] This is really just a fluff question. Of course we know how most will reply. I'll be surprised if a notable number of individuals concede that they value their GPAs over their personal integrity. That is, unless we have any business majors lurking about.... Seriously enough, there are many people who will compromise their personal values for their GPA. Sometimes they face such an intense pressure to secure spots in the best schools that numbers and averages become overbearingly important facets of their lives. Stressful indeed. When that's the case, it's probably a lot easier to lose oneself in the madness of academic achievement than many of you would care to admit. Especially when there's intense parental pressure involved. Edit: I wonder why my post is all bolded. Strange.[/b]

Yeah, and you know, I just hope the new enemy types provide a bit of variation. Upon playing the first again, I became reminded of the frequency of battles with tanks, helicopters, the jackpot enemy, and the guy with the cowboy hat and six shooters. :sleep: If I have one complaint about the original, that would be it.

Harry's right. The basis of a message board is communication; if you're unable to clearly communicate your thoughts effectively it sort of defeats your purpose for being here. That's not to say we're adamant on perfect, masterful English. Needless to say, however, if your command over the language is so poor that you're unable to transcribe your thoughts into the basic written word coherently, then this site probably isn't suited to your best interests. Just for the same reasons I don't join a German-speaking board, it would only be an exercise in frustration for all involved. Undertaking the massive responsibility of teaching English to individual members via email or what have you [i]probably[/i] overreaches the fundamental purpose of this site as a recreational medium and moves it towards the boundaries of an educational resource. We can't officially teach linguistics or anything of that nature. It's just too much. My advice is simple--if you can effectively communicate with others in English then stick around. As long as we can understand you, it's fine (and honestly speaking, your post quality is far from the worst I've encountered). Just pay attention to others' posts and pick up what you can. Over time, you'll learn and improve. While doing so, try to abide by the post quality rules as much as your understanding will allow you to. If not, just find a site that operates around a language you're more comfortable with. This alternative isn't derived from some personally motivated goal to exclude anyone less than Shakespeare. Just good old common sense