Entertainment/Gaming Consoles

Who said my name was Toni?

My ma, she's always sayin' "Toni, Toni, Toni"... hahaha

Yeah, Chatterbox FM was way better than the two in VC (although both are still very good, especially VCPR).

Let's press the issue!

"back to Maurice Chavez... the asshole."

"You're correct, he is an asshole."

That gets me every time. Man.

And I love the Maibatsu Monstrosity commercial.

Once I'm done with VC I'm going to go back and 100% GTA3, which I never got around to 'cause I got so burned out with it. Moderation...

[vsp]

Originally posted by dave
Once I'm done with VC I'm going to go back and 100% GTA3, which I never got around to 'cause I got so burned out with it. Moderation...

The guy who averaged four hours a day of Quake is worried about PLAYING IN MODERATION?

I got 100% in GTA3, but I think I'll have to start over to nail 100% in Vice, as I have no idea of which of about ten unique jumps I'm missing.

Quake is different because the opponents change and you can improve drastically from any point in skill. Plus there are hundreds of maps to learn. I just got tired of GTA3 after a while. I played so much and still couldn't beat The Exchange without cheating, but I think that if I actually collect packages I could do a decent job at it. Plus I'm re-invigorated about it. I think I could do it this time.

[vsp]

Originally posted by dave
I played so much and still couldn't beat The Exchange without cheating, but I think that if I actually collect packages I could do a decent job at it. Plus I'm re-invigorated about it. I think I could do it this time.

Hint: before you wipe your old savefile, try this...

Park a TANK on the street by Catalina's HQ when you're ready to start "The Exchange." When you make your break at the beginning of the mission, the tank _should_ be there; if not, park it a little farther from the entrance the next time and try again. Use the tank's firepower to flatten 90% of Catalina's goons, shoot the others with the guns that the 90% drop, and use the sniper rifle near the entrance of the Dam compound to nail the guys who are guarding Maria. The rocket launcher is up on the pad, and you know the rest.

Since tanks are readily available in Liberty City without cheating via the time-honored Parking Garage method, this shouldn't take too long to set up. (Alternate if you're already in Shoreside Vale: run across the street from your hideout onto the grassy embankment, overlooking the streets below. Start blasting anything that moves and rocketing choppers to get to six stars, throw grenades when a tank pulls up, and drive like a mad bastard back to the hideout to save. It'll save you a trip back to Staunton Island, and if you're in the right spot, cops won't tend to spawn up on the hill and annoy you.)

Ah, man, don't get me tempted to go back and start either game again! I'm already at 70+ hours in Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, am waiting to start Kingdom Hearts, and have the Stanley Cup Playoffs to distract me.

By the way, have you ever done the "Super Jump" in GTA3, where you can put a car on the overhead-train tracks in Portland and (with some luck) have it launch you all the way to Staunton Island?

No, I didn't get to trying much. I still fondly remember your description of it (I go back and re-read this entire thread every few weeks). I guess that will be something to do once I finish Vice City.

So after getting moved, I've had little time to play Vice City, but that doesn't mean I haven't gotten anything accomplished.

I'm up to 97 hidden packages, and when I finally get around to printing out IGN's guide, I'm sure I'll finish those pretty quick.

33 rampages and no idea which I'm missing. Again, IGN's guide should help.

11 unique jumps, but I haven't been trying. The only ones I've done since last time are the ones on the docks where Cortez was. I PCJ'd 'em, and it was annoying 'cause I kept landing the second one (off the speed from the first) and then either hitting the side or turning a bit when I hand-braked and swerving - and then hitting the side - and going into the water. On the fourth try I finally landed 'em safely and got back to the apartment to save.

After that, I spent an hour flying the Hunter around (which I've found stupidly easy to get by flying in on the Maverick and grabbing in, even if I'm wearing golf clothes) and shooting down planes out of the air (as well as blowing up shit on the ground). Eventually I hit enough buildings (flying low at very high speed in a less-than-super-maneuverable helicopter == bad) that I blew up, and I got dead in about 2 seconds on the ground. So I turned off my PS2 and went to bed.

[perth]

i picked up the gba xp last night, in cobalt blue. damn, this thing is what the gba should have been in the first place. the lit screen looks beautiful, and as near as i can tell, it doesnt significantly impact battery life. the rechargeable, lithium ion battery. it might just be me, but the speaker sounds better. of course, the best way to go is with a decent set of headphones. which is where the gba sp trips up. apparently, a special adapter is needed to use headphones, which sucks, especially because i cant find the goddamned thing in any store. the new style is easier to hold, and the buttons feel better, with a slight 'click' to them that i hope doesnt fade with use.

i picked up the latest castlevania, aria of sorrow, as well. so far the most enjoyable castlevania since symphony of the night on psx. the soul stealing system is cool, and the graphics, while similar to the previous gba games, seem sharpened up a bit. the music is, as usual, great.

~james

Get Metroid Fusion. It rules.

I have the silver SP, which came with a free replacement plan from Best Buy. I love the damn thing.

Best Buy should also have a nice case for it (I'll take pictures some other day) that will hold games as well as the unit- though you're out of luck on the recharger. But it's nice and small, anyway.

I love my SP.

[perth]

Originally posted by dave
Get Metroid Fusion. It rules.

im on it. i also want zelda and some sort of rpg for my upcoming plane trip. i have golden sun, but im thinking something different would be nice. ill hit best buy tonight to see the selection.

~james

No, I'm fucking serious. It rules oh-so bad. IGN gave it like a 9.6 and said it was one of the best games on the GB, and I completely agree. There's really only one area that was frustratingly difficult for me, but the rest is just about perfect. Good story (I got goosebumps at one point), great gameplay... and only $30. I'm working my way through it a second time. It's awesome.

[perth]

Originally posted by dave
No, I'm fucking serious

so am i. ill pick it up tonight.

~james

[vsp]

A few other suggestions:

* Advance Wars -- pure wargame goodness. An absolute must.
* Fire Pro Wrestling (I or II) -- Decent renditions of the best wrestling series ever.
* If you like strategy RPGs, look at Tactics Ogre.
* Konami Collector Series: Arcade Advanced rules the fargin' earth, if you can find it (contains Time Pilot, Yie-Ar Kung Fu, Frogger, Gyruss, Rush'n Attack, Scramble, all with remix modes)
* Bubble Bobble: Old and New (if they'd ever get off their asses and RELEASE IT in the US -- I've been playing the import for almost a year now)

Best Buy's game selection sucks donkey rocks. Hit the mall and look at GameStop or Electronics Boutique.

[perth]

hmm... i havent checked circuit city to compare to best buy, but they seem to have the best selection around here. the eb in the mall here has shit for gba games (come to think of it, the eb here sucks in general, although i found some dreamcast accessories for dirt cheap there recently). i had a helluva hard time just finding the gba. went to best buy, eb, etc. and finally found 1 cobalt blue gba sp at target.

~james

[perth]

picked up zelda and metroid fusion. metroid rocks, as dave said, and the only reason im posting this and not playing it is because i made the mistake of suggesting that casey give zelda a try.

~james