SaikoSakura

[01 Dec 2006 | Friday]
Birthday Penguins, Wii, & TPN

Current mood: hungry

We kidnapped Anthony and took him to TPN. Crissy wanted a DS Lite and the New Super Mario Bros. so we stopped by EBGames. There we met up with Quan and Jennifer. As usual the group was there with their PSP's. This was Crissy's first official TPN meetup. One guy came all the way from Philly for the meetup. He's a cool dude. Everyone loved Crissy's Penguin. It's a large cuddly penguin, perfect for hugging. It's quite humorous to see metal heads dress it with bracelets and Naruto bands, and then hug it. Buddha (as my sister calls him) was the star of the night. Instantly, he became the official TPN mascot. Luckily we were able to pry off fingers and take him home.

TPN Adopts a Penguin





When it was time to say goodbye, I left with Dre to his car. He had the Wii in it's Nintendo World bag. A had already prepared for this and brought a Hot Topic bag for concealment. It fit perfectly over the Nintendo World bag. We said our goodbyes to Dre and Alexis, stopped by Starbucks for some Iced Green Tea, (Strawberry Frap for Cris) and then went home. We were home by 10:30 pm and I was asleep shortly after midnight. I made sure I turned the sound off my cell so that I could sleep.

I made up for the sleep I lost so I am quite happy. Unfortunately I cannot open the Wii until X-Mas Eve... My mother insisted to buy it for us this Chirstmas. Oh well, guess I will playing at my friends house until then. Today I am purchasing another controller for my Wii. I'll make a Mii on it for when I visit my friends. Mom still wants a Christmas list from me and my family. For those who are interested here is my Christmas Wishlist. (I'm looking at you CJ. lol) I can't believe it's filled with Nintendo.

Wanna touch my Wii?
Current mood: happy



Category: Games

Wanna touch my Wii?
Come on baby, you know you want to...

 --> -->The next generation of gaming is upon us, and the console wars has begun. 
Below is the current worldwide sales of the consoles between the Microsoft Xbox 360,
the Sony Playstation 3, and the Nintendo Wii.





Nintendo just ? their fans. 

Before the Playstation 3 hit, the console was selling for $2,000 to $3,000 a pop. The day the console hit, the average price of a Playstation 3 on eBay was $2,900.

But as of Saturday that price had already dropped to closer to $1,100. That was short-lived. The question is, would you stand around in the cold and rain for two to three days for less than $500 profit?
-----------------------
Check out this awesome Star Wars video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6q_ymoob9c

9:01 PM -

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[18 Nov 2006 | Saturday] Angry Nintendo Nerd takes on the Power Glove!

Current mood: geeky

Category: Games

I <3 Angry Nintendo Nerd. He's kinda like Grim Santo but angrier. lol (I say it with love man!) I hope the Wii doesn't give us problems. Raaad Racer in 3D! Mario defiantly earned his original name as "Jump Man"

Here.

There will be some noodle-armed whiners out there complaining that their Wii-wand waving makes it hard to play Twilight Princess for more than 30 minutes. But look how good we have it now, compared to then. The Power Glove, a watershed moment in sucky, half-assed controllers.

Warning: Like all Angry Nintendo Nerd videos, this is packed to the brim with bad, bad language. Not for virgin ears.

[16 Nov 2006 | Thursday] I was featured on Loco Roco's blog!

Current mood: excited

Category: Games

OMG guess what?! I was featured on Loco Roco's MySpace blog!!  I also put the blog on ThePSPNation forums, MySpace Blog, and RadioGTN. I love those little blobs.

 

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[16 Nov 2006 | Thursday]

Another LocoFriend gets a Spread the Joy Kit

Current mood: mischievous

There might be a few left yet, so sign up at our profile if you haven't done so already, because you don't have to be jealous of our latest friend to get a kit.
---------------------------

They truly made my day (again.) haha! Now I just have get my latest Loco Roco photo shoot off the ground.
~Izzy

[13 Nov 2006 | Monday]
"Used" PS3 Store Price Hits $1,200 In Japan

Current mood: nerdy

Category: Games

"Used" PS3 Store Price Hits $1,200 In Japan

So the PS3 fleecing begins. "Used" (with "used" meaning "never opened") PLAYSTATION 3s are appearing around Tokyo and Osaka. The original launch prices ballparked between 58,900 yen and 70,000 yen for the high end machine, while the cheaper version went for between 49,000 yen and 55,000 yen. Reader Ryan reports that he saw 60gig versions going for 110,000 yen (US $938), and the 20gig going for twice its retail price. While Kotakuite Drew passes along this photo he snapped on November 12th (a day after launch). He points out:

Their price for the 60GB model is more than my frickin' rent!

In the picture above, the used 60GB version is marked at 144,900 yen ($1,237), and the 20GB one is at 94,290 yen ($805). High store prices are popping up on Japanese blogs like Akiba Blog. Likewise, the intertubes are flooded with these consoles. But at these prices and this steady black market supply, what kind of demand are they expecting? Brian Ashcraft

[11 Nov 2006 | Saturday]
RadioGTN now on iTunes!
Current mood: happy

Category: Games

I have good news (or bad depending on if you like the show)
for all you iPod users out there.
Radio GTN is now on
iTunes. Wow, isn't that great. Click
on the link below and start your podcasting adventure.

[08 Nov 2006 | Wednesday] Chotto Shot (PSP Camera)
Current mood: sleepy

Chotto Shot with Camera on Play-Asia for $49.90
Official Chotto Shot Site (Bilingual)

1.3 mega pixels, 480x272 or 640x480 resolution.
It is capable of capturing animation in 480x272, 30fps for 15 seconds.
Chotto Shot comes with photo editing software with 74 kinds of effects.
Contents can be saved onto memory stick and transfer to PC.
Supports Motion JPEG

INFO:
Camera requires 2.80 and comes with firmware update 2.82 on the Edit UMD. Use devhook to launch the UMD if u dont wanna update...

A CHOTTO_SHOT folder is created in the VIDEO and PHOTO folders making it easy to transfer the media to your pc.

Videos are 15 seconds long and are saved in your Album on the Edit UMD you can enter your album and convert your videos to Motion JPEG (It says they are converted to AVI but ther really convereted to Motion JPEG.) After converting it will then add your video to the CHOTTO_SHOT folder in the VIDEO folder.

You must have the Edit UMD to take pictures or video without the UMD you can to use the camera.

The Edit UMD is part English. The main things you need to know are in English but pretty much all the editing is Japanease but I got the hang of it very quickly and already remember what all the things do.

Pic of Main Menu (photo taken with webcam.)

FEATURES:

Camera has a mic so yes there is sound on the videos.
Has digital zoom.
Has a night mode for videos.
Has many special effects to add to your videos and photos to list a few you have background music, sound effects, can freeze reverse video, & theres just soo many things to do when editing theres too many to list.

Camera in Case. (photo taken with webcam.)


Mic on the side of Camera. (photo taken with webcam.)

HOW IT WORKS:

Again you need the Edit UMD to take pics or videos I myself thought you could just attatch and something would pop up on the XMB but no you have to use the UMD. Also using USB Connection does nothing it just says please connect a USB cable.

WHAT IT COMES WITH:

PSP Camera
PSP Camera Case (Hard Plastic)
Editing Software (Half Japanease, Half English. Kinda difficult if not familiar with Japanese.)
Software Manual (All Japanese)
First Step Guide (All Japanese)
Camera Attachment Instructions (Section for English

THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN WITH THE PSP CAMERA.


Took picture in the mirror. (A bit of a glare since its a close up in the mirror.)



Hard Plastic Case.



The Edit UMD.



The Manuals.



Some of the packaging stuff.

EDITED PICS:
These pics are from GameSpot I did not take this photos. And these ones give you a good idea of what you can do.





VIDEO:

Heres a video sample. Photobucket changed the size so it looks fuzzy but on the PSP the videos seriously look really really good I was suprised at how good the video quality was.

Sample 1 | Sample 2
Chotto Shot Demo (Japanese but you'll get the point.)

[08 Nov 2006 | Wednesday]
Wii and PS3 price typos

Current mood: dorky

Category: Games

Order Now!

That's nucking futs!
$899 for the 20GB

[07 Nov 2006 | Tuesday]

PSP Speakers damaged

Current mood: sleepy

Category: Games

On Saturday I took my PSP to work and played music through the speakers. Everything was groovy. Going home on the subway I used my PSP to read manga. (Yes I read on my PSP.) Later that night, I tried to play some music through the speakers. All of a sudden, strange noises were emitting from the speakers. I changed it to another song but it was the same thing. So I came to the conclusion that I blew out one of the speakers. To test this theory I plugged in some headphones and played music. Once again I hear the strange noises, specifically from the Right Ear.

This is what I don't understand- the PSP's speakers should work independently from the headphone jack. If this is true then music should sound fine with the headphones on. Unfortunately this is not the case. I am not sure if I should have the speakers replaced and/or the jack. I found a site which offers replacement speakers but I cannot find a "How-to guide." I'm not really good with this kind of stuff so I need an opinion. I can get it repaired in Chinatown, but it will probably be cheaper to just buy a new system.

Other news related to PSP, I was looking around Play-Asia.com for weekly deals. I came across Magna Carta Portable for $15. I almost purchased it, but I realized it's the same as the PS2 US version but with a gallery and extra costume. Fuck that. Instead I bought Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable (fucking long title) for $20. Kick ass deal! The game is out on PS2 in Japan but I'm sure it will never make it here. Geez I'm such a Final Fantasy freak...

[04 Nov 2006 | Saturday]
LocoRoco in my mailbox!

Current mood: bouncy

Category: Games

Tonight I came home after a long day at work, and found a package from Alloy Inc. It wasn't a money order from the refund they owed me. Instead they "Spread the Joy" to my mailbox.

Some time ago I went to the Loco Roco MySpace page and signed up for their Spread the Joy Kit. Each week, LocoRoco is giving away a bunch of Spread the Joy kits filled with LocoRoco goodness. I didn't think I would get anything, but it was worth a try.

Ok, Izzy whats the point?
Well here it is:


Muahaha! I got a Loco Roco hat and PSP chord! Coincidentally I wanted a new hat. Hurray for the little orange blob!
 
I couldn't help but smile. It made my day.

My cousin posed this question on MySpace:

"So what's the general consensus? I think the Wii is going to top out the ps3 simply b.c ps3 isn't going to install enough console's in the home by '07. Also most parents are going to walk into a gamestop and see a 250 dollar console, it's a no brainer, they're gonna pick up a Wii. What do you guys think??"

Here is my response on the matter:

Wii all the way.

The Wii will have 4 million units before '07.
The PS3 will have 400,000 units at launch.

Now, even if we factor the differences in pricing (get 2 Wii's for one PS3) the Wii will still have a better turnout. If Sony were able to produce more units then things would be different.

This is a huge category- content. Yes, PS3 will be the cheapest Blu-Ray player on the market. Honestly though, who really cares? People will care about the PS3's power but who really cares about their launch games? With the exception of Resistance I can play them all on my 360. Graphically, the Wii is unimpressive but they their games look promising. I will get a Wii right after New Year's and a PS3 when FFXIII/MGS4 comes out.

P.S. Assassin's Creed is coming out for XBOX 360 so now there is no rush for me to get a PS3. lol

[31 Oct 2006 | Tuesday]

Radio GTN now with 10% more madness.

Current mood: groggy

Though we had some technical difficulty, we bring you episode 5 ver. 2! Computers seem to hate to us, but that didn't didn't stop us from brining you another episode! So listen in as we talk about the new Gears of wars trailer, Playstation 3, Lumines Live and the crazy world that is video games.

Also the new website is up at www.radiogtn.com. Episodes 1-5 are up on the site. Come over and kick the tires a bit.

Now excuse me as I get more Tea. ::cough::

[29 Oct 2006 | Sunday]
Guitar Hero 2 Complete Track Listing

Current mood: sick

Category: Games

Main Playlist

1. Opening Licks

• "Shout at the Devil" - Mötley Crüe
• "Mother" - Danzig
• "Surrender" - Cheap Trick
• "Woman" - Wolfmother
• "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" - Spinal Tap

2. Amp-Warmers

• "Strutter" - KISS
• "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana
• "Message in a Bottle" - The Police
• "You Really Got Me" - Van Halen
• "Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas

3. String-Snappers

• "Monkey Wrench" - Foo Fighters
• "Them Bones" - Alice in Chains
• "Search and Destroy" - Iggy Pop and The Stooges
• "Tattooed Love Boys" - The Pretenders
• "War Pigs" - Black Sabbath

4. Thrash and Burn

• "Cherry Pie" - Warrant
• "Who Was in My Room Last Night?" - Butthole Surfers
• "Girlfriend" - Matthew Sweet
• "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" - The Rolling Stones
• "Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns N' Roses

5. Return of the Shred

• "Killing in the Name" - Rage Against the Machine
• "John the Fisherman" - Primus
• "Freya" - The Sword
• "Bad Reputation" - Thin Lizzy
• "Last Child" - Aerosmith

6. Relentless Riffs

• "Crazy on You" - Heart
• "Trippin' On a Hole in a Paper Heart" - Stone Temple Pilots
• "Rock This Town" - Stray Cats
• "Jessica" - The Allman Brothers Band
• "Stop!" - Jane's Addiction

7. Furious Fretwork

• "Madhouse" - Anthrax
• "Carry Me Home" - The Living End
• "Laid to Rest" - Lamb of God
• "Psychobilly Freakout" - The Reverend Horton Heat
• "YYZ" - Rush

8. Face-Melters

• "Beast and the Harlot" - Avenged Sevenfold
• "Institutionalized" - Suicidal Tendencies
• "Misirlou" - Dick Dale
• "Hangar 18" - Megadeth
• "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Bonus tracks

• "Arterial Black" - Drist
• "Collide" - Anarchy Club
• "Elephant Bones" - That Handsome Devil
• "Fall of Pangea" - Valient Thorr
• "FTK" - Vagiant
• "Gemini" - Brian Kahanek
• "Jordan" - Buckethead
• "Laughtrack" - The Acro-brats
• "Less Talk More Rokk" - Freezepop
• "The Light that Blinds" - Shadows Fall
• "Mr. Fix-it" - The Amazing Royal Crowns
• "The New Black" - Every Time I Die
• "One for the Road" - Breaking Wheel
• "Parasite" - The Neighborhoods
• "Push Push (Lady Lightning)" - Bang Camaro
• "Radium Eyes" - Count Zero
• "Raw Dog" - The Last Vegas (Winner of the "Be a Guitar Hero" Contest)
• "Red Lottery" - Megasus
• "Six" - All That Remains
• "Soy Bomb" - Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives
• "Thunderhorse" - Dethklok
• "Trogdor" - Strong Bad
• "X-Stream" - Voivod
• "Yes We Can" - Made in Mexico

[29 Oct 2006 | Sunday] GH2, and Radio GTN

Current mood: drained

After work I went over to Santos house. It was the first time that I have met Erika. I have spoken to her on MySpace and on the phone but I have never seen her. She's very cool, and pretty good in Guitar Hero. The three of us played the Guitar Hero 2 *cough* demos. I am happy to say that I beat Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box" and Alice in Chains "Them Bones" on Hard Mode. YAY! Santos and I tried Co-Op for Guns' N Roses "Sweet Child O' Mine on Hard but we couldn't get past 78%. We tried, but failed. Butthole Surfers "Who Was in My Room Last Night" co-op on hard was awesome. Foo Fighters "Monkey Wrench" hurts.

P.S. Justin Wong wants his guitar back. lol

Last but not least, Santos has posted up the 2nd Radio GTN Podcast on the site. Go and check it out, even though I am not on it. http://www.radiogtn.com/

[24 Oct 2006 | Tuesday]
Lego Star Wars II Update


Current mood: awake


Category: Games

I have every item, and every character, every extra. I only need three more Gold Bricks and I get 100% in LSWII. (YAY!) I need the Episode VI Minikit Bonus, and Super Story Mode for all three Episodes. Super Story Mode is going to suck ass when I do them...

If you haven't played LSWII you should be ashamed of yourself. Now go and play, you'll be forgiven... eventually. That is all.