Assassin's Creed 2 is officially complete! I've gotten every codex page, hit every lookout point, and finished all of the side quests save for some assassination contracts. all races, beat em ups, and almost all of the glyphs in one run. Nicely done if I do say so myself.

they seem to be taking the series into a sci-fi realm more than an ultra conspiracy field like the first one. I'm not sure if gusta about the ending, but there is still more to the games. All in all, it was well done, even if the final boss did devolve into a cliche mano e mano fist fight.

Glitchy climbing is made up for by convenient checkpoints and smooth story telling really seals this game for me. Total play time is around 8 hours, so a decent length, but aside form feathers and other side collectibles, no real replay stuff here.

I'm skipping the rest of the games because I've yet to grab black flag and Revelations, so I'm missing out on a few points here. I think the next game for completion is...

Asura's Wrath!

Picked up on my old save file mostly done memory 5 in Assassin's Creed 2. It took a few minutes to get back into the controls and the flow of the game. I like the premise, go be an assassin and stop the templars from doing secret society things and changing the world in 15th century Italy. As far as collections go, I'm about 74% done the game. I've got ways to go for the main missions though, there's 14 memories and usually two or three plot points per memory. I've started working on the sixth, which involves saving Da Vinci a couple of times, mostly from people who just want you dead and he happens to be there. Aren't you a swell friend.

the fighting is kind of simple, with a basic attack mechanic and a dodge and counter button for quicker dispatching of enemies. All the guards seem to have gone to the Action Movie Villain school and studied the ole only one attacker at a time technique so even when you get surrounded, fighting your way out is always an option.

The series is based on being able to climb a wide array of structures and free running to escape detection and avoid guards. For the most part, it works. You can escape relatively well when being chased and when you take your time to figure out how to go up a structure, it's fairly easy to see your route. There are some platforming situations where the angle of jump seems to be really fussy and your character turns out to be rather suicidal.

Glitches aside, there's a fair amount of collectibles and the missions are lengthy enough to feel like a complete game. I don't feel that once you complete all the side quests and find all the collectibles that there is much replay value.

7.5/10

To begin my alphabetical completion, I've got to deal with Afro Samurai. A hack and slash adventure based off of an anime of the same name. If it follows the story arc closely, then I'm about a third of the way done the game. This is going to be a bit of a grind. The combos are a little clunky or really under powered and I can't quite get the hang of the focus mode thing. Frustration caused an abrupt ending to the play time last night when I was stuck between two rocks and infinitely falling. I wish that this was the only glitch I faced. It almost locked up twice when I leveled and sometimes it visually chokes hen trying to do a cutscene.

The upsides include a fairly cool anime/comic style split panel to show enemies or objectives and when you do get the combos to co-operate, it feels satisfying. If you are a fan of the anime series, and don't get bored easily with the same enemies and attacks, this game is definitely for you. I don't think I'll be going for 100% completion and it's not much in the way of replay value to me.

2.5/5

current play time, 3 hours

I love retro gaming. I started my youtube channel on retro gaming. I've still got my Super Nintendo hooked up to my wall mounted tv. I've been playing said Super Nintendo since I was 5. One feature that I want with my new consoles is backwards compatibility. I'm tired of trying to find strange switches and juggling cables behind my tv just so I can play old obscure games on an older console because they weren't popular enough to be a digital download on a newer generation. Playstation was the best for this for a while, but even their later releases of the PS3 didn't have compatibility for PS2 or PSX games. I don't care if it means a bigger console.

There is a game sitting on my shelf. It' called Voodoo Vince. This game is sitting on my shelf gathering dust because I no longer have a working xbox and the 360 is only partially backwards compatible. There is a list on the xbox website of games they made backwards compatible and I happen to have one of the games that slipped through the cracks. I get that it's an older format, and I get that it could cost revenue because people will just try to buy their old favourites on the online store, but what if they don't have it? What iif I work with obscure titles for fun and want to play them easily.

Basically, to any devs that make a backwards compatible console, shut up and take my money.

New series, new equipment, a faithful P2, and some subscribers. Things are starting to pick up! I've got a few different types of episodes I regularly do now, including a blast from the past, lost in translation, and the B.O.T. Battle. I've got a few guests lined up and I really want to get some long distance ones in over online chess or something. My audio is currently being recorded with an Apex 440 and I'm using Microsoft's encoder to screen cap everything.

I'm about to start brushing up on chess so I can stand a chance. This could be fun.

I've spent the past hour getting everything set and programmed and all read to record. I've had some awesome feedback when people heard I would do some recording of spyro, and I've been working to get everything... working.

Tomorrow should be fun. I'm going out to look for a decent unidirectional mic to get some commentary going with P2. I've got a few game series in the works and I've got a little teaser with more food oriented stuff. I'd like to spend a little time working on logos or intros for them. The food series will start out as a FAQ segment, Ask A Chef, and I'll go over a lot of food myths, and general grump about cooking.

I've got a day off here and there, and hours at work are surprisingly nice, so I should have a good chunk of time to work on this. Updates when I can.

the nuzlocke run is going fairly well. I've now got two badges and a healthy array of pokemon. I was getting worried there for a bit, as everything was turning up fire, bird, or both. I've only lost one pokemon so far, Rest in peace, booger, and I was able to pick up another fighting type to swam him out relatively soon after. I've got 20 plus segments now recorded for the run, but all of them are still in editing, so nothing can be posted yet. I've also got to finish doing the commentary track. I'm starting to run into the odd problem of not knowing what the hell I'm fighting. One of the pokemon on the rock gym was... something. I'm not too sure what the hell it was, aside from part rock type. This makes battles much more risky, since I don't know what to switch to and I don't know what their move sets could be.

I'm still trying to figure out what exactly the fairy type pokemon are. I've only see one so far, and I've yet to find anything that's super effective against them. On the upside, most of the moves they do don't seem that damaging. On the downside, I know that later on there will be either a gym for fairy types or one of the elite four will use them. You don't simply introduce a new type of pokemon and leave it at that.

I will continue with my gold nuzlocke a little bit at a time when I can. Also, news on the great migration, I've moved over a quarter of all my pokemon and am quickly approaching the 400 mark on the pokedex. If I evolve everything, I'm actually fairly close.

Today is the day. Well, technically yesterday is the day. I got the new Pokemon game and set up all I would need with recording. I've got an hd camera, a techie for after effects and video editing, audio mixing, and all kinds of fun stuff. We had a few people over, set up, had dinner, played some cards and took test shots with the game. This is our rough setup, marked off and held down with double sided tape.



I've got my youtube page, although really bare, up and running. I'm still having problems working out my profile pic and I solely blame google for all. I'm looking forward to having a solid day to get filming in and leaning over the techie's shoulder, annoying him with suggestions, ideas, and trying to learn what he's doing. I've gone through the paper mass and pulled out a little leaflet saying I could get a torchic. Wow, new release with pokemon and there's already an event starter to download.


I'm assuming I'll have to get a little further into the game before I'll actually get to claim him. I wonder what the held item is, though. This could be cool. Well, I've got an event tomorrow, but if I'm up afterwards, I'll get some recording in and start the editing process. I'm hoping to have episodes up on my channel in (insert unrealistic deadline here)

Grinding is an inevitable part of Pokemon. You have them, now get them better. I'm going through route 32 with my bellsprout in front hoping to find woopers to fight. Since they are ground and water, I've got a x4 attack against them. So far, I've hit everything but. The route goes on and most trainers don't seem to pose a challenge. They all seem to have a rattata or something small and normal with them. Having a geodude in my party is proving most awesome. Unless it's super effective, everything this early one does 1 damage, even with a critical hit.

the end of this route is a trip through union cave. There's another chance for new pokemon, and my egg is fairly close to hatching. I've got a mildly leveled party, all around 14, and I was worried about having to teach one of them flash. I don't have anyone I'd want to reduce to an HM slave. Move management is one of the biggest challenges in this run. Bellsprout should tear through anything with rock through this cave. He shall channel his inner Nuptup and harvest all souls. but first, let's heal up and find our first encounter...
Onix! well, this should be a challenge. I have to not kill it, and not run out of pokeballs. These guys are a decent challenge to catch. Fluffy will be awesome here, since onix doesn't learn rock throw until level 14. I'm going to lick it into submission, and the paralysis will help with the capture rate. Five licks later, I'm good and ready to start chucking balls at her face. With a little luck, I'll catch without too much fuss. I don't want to run out of pokeballs here. Even though I have 9, it may not be enough.
2 Pokeballs, not bad at all. I expected more of a struggle against this one. It's not an amazing pokemon, but it's another member on hte team. He can definitely tank a physical hit here and there, but long term use is minimal with good ol' lumpy in my party. He just doesn't have the build to keep up with a geodude. Or, graveler for that matter. Well, that aside, what do you name a giant rock snake? He squirms through the ground, so Squirmle it is

On with the cave! My next random encounter is a sandshrew. That would have been a very useful addition to the team. I have to sit back now as Das plant! harvests another soul. One of the people that inspired me to upload and post a nuzlocke run did one a little while ago where a little oddish proved to be his most useful pokemon. This surprising little beast would prove unequal throughout the run. Nicknamed "Nuptup", it qiuckly became the devourer of souls with his own lore and legends growing in the fanbase. Should das plant! continue to grow and maim at this rate, I may have to rename him, for he is the nuptup incarnate.

Fluffy is getting a few rounds in with the random encounters now, since I've run out of PP for Das' vine whip. It's his only offensive move, save for wrap. So he's effectively useless until I heal. I'm going to stick in union cave a little and try to even out my party.

After much fiddling with programs, sites, and my anger, I seem to have found a way to make this slightly more... Awesome. I cleared bellsprout tower with ease and got the flash tm, then healed and walked right in to take out the flying gym. I had my lumpy with rock throw. What bird could stop me? Behold, Falkner's Gym...



This gym went almost flawlessly. I did forget to switch fluffly out of the way, since his attacks can't damage normal types, he was nothing super here. I did try to put spearow to sleep with hypnosis before switching, but he wasn't having any of it. Then, out came the bane of all birds, the fucking boulder himself, Lumpy! He proceeded to level the gym entirely. Rock throw was perfect. No misses, I even got to sort out my moveset there. Everything that seriously needed to go right went right.

I like the gyms in video, but I don't think I'll do all recording. It just takes too much time for now with this format. There will be mostly text and pics where cool stuff is going down, but I think I can bump out the gyms in video. On to prepare for the next route. I only have four pokemon and there are a couple of new places coming up. The ruins and a new route. I hope I can find a mareep first encounter. I hate unown, so I really hope I don't end up actually needing it for anything. It's one move is... something. hidden power is a variable of both power and type. I could get an awesome high damage dragon or ice type, but that won't happen.