Chapter 24: A Total Lack Of Inspiration

- credit Shaymus022

I keep complaining that things have been slow on this blog in the past few weeks. Those days of daily updates have long since disappeared. Partly, I have had other stuff to do (writing scripts, watching How I Met Your Mother). Partly, i'm inherently lazy all the time.

But I think mainly it's because I have a total lack of inspiration to play my 360 right now. Well, that isn't exactly true, I have nothing to play on my 360 that inspires me.

I had a great February where me and Dan bought Saints Row 2 and played through that and all in all it was an awesome game. Then I had Prince of Persia to finish which I really got into towards the end (until that lame ending).

Now, I have nothing I really want to play. I started GTA4 last Thursday and whilst it is a good game, I found Saints Row 2 more fun. Maybe I need to get into it more. Right now i'm on those missions where you're still setting the scene. Niko is beating up Albanians and we get crappy cutscenes at the taxi rank with Borat accents.

I play FIFA09 regularly but there isn't much to report on a blog about that other than when it decided to punk me and pretend it was broken last week.

Looking forward, June will be a great gaming month with Ghostbusters and Arkham Asylum coming out a week apart. Plus it's my 21st and I think i'm going to get a Nintendo DS and be cool like the other 75 million DS owners in the world.

But for now there is a void. I could play Gears of War 1 & 2, since i've never played either game. But I don't want too. I could play one of the million zombie games Dan owns. But zombies are lame. I could play Halo Wars. But then i'd be like my friend Richard who has left behind his social life for playing Rome: Total War or Empire or whatever it is called, i'm not really sure. Plus i'm not a huge fan of those games.

I could buy the new maps for Call of Duty:WaW but right now I can't afford rent, let alone DLC.

I have been lent Beautiful Katamari, (I have placed a review below for you, if you like, click the link and buy it for only a tenner), but after only one play i'm not feeling it yet. I don't know whether it is my kind of game.

So i'm stuck playing Mario Kart (still awesome, will never tire of it) and Crayon Physics Deluxe (google it if you don't know).

I'm going to see what Dan has in his collection later. I'm going to find a new game, hopefully. For now, i'll rant and rave at you at my small little problem. Because it's my blog....and I can.

Chapter 18: My Name is James...And i'm a Mario Kart Wii Addict

- credit boooooooorbs

I think i've been building up to this post for weeks now. After all, there has been subtle little hints in posts here and there.

But it is time for the truth to come out.

I am a Mario Kart Wii addict.

That's right, an addict.

Now as you are all aware by now, I did once own a Wii for a couple of months back in 2007. But those were dark days when the Wii suffered from 'no library' syndrome, a horrible disease that affects new consoles that haven't got a back library to look upon with total glee.

So out that went and in came the XBox, life was good.

That was until last September. When I moved into a new house with a friend that owned a Wii. I thought it was all cool and not a problem until I discivered he had Mario Kart Wii.

Now I was a fan of Super Mario Kart on SNES back in the day. But other than the casual play here and there, I was by no means hooked.

So we started to casually play Mario Kart Wii in my house with my 3 housemates. What fun it was.

Here are some of my initial thoughts when playing this game at the beginning:

"This is a really fun multiplayer"

"If you shake the Wii remote, you get a boost. What a laugh"

"I keep losing, this is ridiculous. I'm never playing again"

"I won. Let's keep playing"

"What? You can play as Funky Kong?? That obscure Donkey Kong character who looks like he smokes some of the green stuff?"

So on it went. From frustration at not knowing how to play, to where i'm at today, an addict. Striving to constantly be the best. It doesn't help that I live in a house with some serious competitors and bad losers. It makes it all the more fun to win.

But things are so out of hand that Mario Kart Wii has now become a tool of gambling. We play Mario Kart for tea. 8 races, loser makes it. We've gambled the cleaning of the bathroom on a Mario Kart 32-racer (the true endurance test). Even on the washing up.

Losers had to clean toilets, buy Wispas, all kinds of crazy things.

The switching from Automatic to Manuel has become a talking point. Character/Kart combos are taken very seriously indeed.

(For the record, i'm either Funky Kong in the Dragonetti or the Peart Blooper, the ultimate combination of my Mii with the Turbo Blooper)

Here is photographic proof of my addiction:

- credit Daniel Burch

That's me on the left. Look at the determination to win.

The problem with an addiction is you don't know you're addcited till it's too late.

But now I can safely admit my problem. Although I won't stop playing Mario Kart Wii- It's too fun.

So heed my warning dear reader. Don't gamble beverages on a racing game. The antioxidants may be good for your health, but the addiction won't.

Chapter II: Achievements of the Week 13-20 February

As a continuous effort to try and improve myself on XBox360, each week I am going to highlight the achievements I have unlocked over the past week (Friday-Friday).

Now bear in mind I'm not an addictive gamer (other than Mario Kart Wii), so I don't believe it's ever going to be as amazing as some other hardcore gamers. But here's hoping each week I slightly improve.

So this weeks achievements:

16/02/09- Demolition Man (Saints Row 2): Completed all levels of Demolition Derby (15G)

16/02/09- Remind Me of the Babe (Saints Row 2): Defeated the Sons of Samedi (40G)

16/02/09- Pot Luck (Saints Row 2): Completed all Samedi missions in co-op (25G)

17/02/09- Do Not Talk About It (Saints Row 2): Completed all levels of Fight Club (15G)

18/02/09- Seppuku (Saints Row 2): Defeated the Ronin (40G)

18/02/09- Duelist (Saints Row 2): Completed all Ronin missions in co-op (25G)

Total Gamerpoints: 160