DS Lite!

I had one goal for this Saturday: Go to Game Stop, get FIFA '08, Pwn Alex.

I managed to screw it up.

The problem was, I had too much money. Having decided to focus my gaming efforts on Halo and FIFA, I traded in all of my other games, and was surprised to receive a $100 credit. My head immediately swiveled to the FIFA display rack, which stood conveniently next to a end-cap of Halo merch, including the elusive Master Chief Kubricks by Medicom.

Something (greed) made me keep browsing the store, though, until I stumbled across a gem: Advance Wars: Dual Strike for the Nintendo DS. I had searched high and low for this game when I owned a first generation DS, to no avail. Now my DS was gone, but here was the game. Eh, what's another $50? FIFA would have to wait.

Now, my only problem is that my train ride to work isn't long enough. These Dual Strike battles are pretty epic.

Game Shopping in Tokyo

MLG Jumps

Sick jumps brought to us from the folks at MLG. Some of these are straight up Strider-style wall jumps. Lots of crouching involved, from the looks of it. Which means lots of practice. Apologies for the music.

Freeeeedommmmm!

I want to quit posting about Halo, I really do, but the news just keeps a comin'.

Today Bungie announced their departure from Microsoft Studios, and is once more an independent game studio. The split was amicable, and they plan to continue developing Xbox titles, including future Halo titles through MS Games. Congratulations, Bungie!

When co-founder Alex Seropian left the company to return to the indie scene a few years ago, I thought it was an admirable move. He fled board meetings and produced one of the most entertaining games on the original Xbox. Now he's working on what looks to be a nice little boutique party game that I'm sure will earn rave reviews.

Not that I've been critical of Bungie's work at MS; They've done amazing things. Halo is truly a masterpice, and it would not exist as it does without the backing of Gates & co. But that chapter is closed, and to move forward in a creative fashion would have been impossible with MS goons leering over shoulders, looking for another $300 Million-dollar game.

Now, if only they would abandon that creepy Washington warehouse and return to Chicago. So I can work for them. As a janitor, if I must.

What Could Have Been

Q: What's the best thing in gaming software?
A: Halo.

Q: What's the best thing in gaming hardware?
A: The Nintendo DS.

Combining the two would be a no-brainer, but amlost certainly impossible, given the rivalry between Microsoft and Nintendo. So I was shocked to see this vid, which not only proves that such a project did exist, but that it was nearly completed before being quashed by someone (MS, most likely).

Here's to what could have been:

The Stuff of Legend

Everything Legendary.
Originally uploaded by todd.burbo.

I'm finally starting to recover from the initial shock of Halo 3's release. And by recover, I mean sleep more than 2 hours a night and occasionally leave the house.

Everyone's been asking me what I think of the game, but I'm at a loss for words. I want to send Bungie an overly sentimental and sincere Hallmark card, thanking them for doing such a good job on this game. I love it like I love a great record, which I believe is a testament to Bungie's love for their project. It's more than a product to them, and it really shows, especially in Campaign mode, where Halo 2 seemed a bit lacking.

I'm no game designer, so it's hard for me to pinpoint exactly what Bungie did (although Wired took a crack at explaining it), but Halo 3 recaptures the feeling that made the first installment so, well... Legendary. I lol'd when I was killed, I pumped my fist with excitement during cinematics, and I felt the same bittersweet love at the end that I felt when The Return of the King faded to black (for the final time). What I'm trying to say is, the third part has cemented this trilogy's status as an all-time great. If it could, it would surely win 10 Oscars.

While there is no game award prestigious enough to honor a game like Halo 3, Bungie might take consolation in the fact that their game smashed media sales records in its first day of release. That's across all mediums, mind you. Films, records, books... you name it. Halo beat them all, including the highest grossing film, Spiderman 3, and even mother-fucking Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. It crushed them. And keep in mind, only American sales have been tallied. When the worldwide numbers are in, first-day sales are expected to exceed $300 million. First. Day. Sales.

To everyone that's going to rip on me for this entry: have you considered that, just maybe, you've been missing out?

It's Halo-Eve.

Well, folks, the evening has arrived. I'll be heading to Gamestop tonight at midnight to pick up my copy of Halo 3 (Legendary Edition of course, MSRP $130.00). I even took a day off of work to play the game, although due to a minor confusion, I took Wednesday, not Tuesday. So tomorrow I might be a bit grumpy at work.

When I was in Michigan a few weeks ago, Ian showed me this commercial. I thought it was funny at first, but as we near the launch of Halo 3, the more genuinely emotional it seems to me. To go extreme dork on ya'll, I have to admit: I'm getting a bit sentimental at the thought of retiring my good ol' Halo 2 disc. It brought some good times: extreme laughter and extreme anger. And that's what games are all about.

Ricky-Wear

Modeling Ricky-wear.
Originally uploaded by todd.burbo.

My excitement for the launch of Halo 3 is almost palpable in this photo. Not necessarily in my face, or my posture, or general presence; but in the hoodie I'm wearing, which I lovingly screened with our clan icon. I made some hoodies like this for my brothers last X-mas, but those were just the prototypes. Expect a full line of this hotness in the near future. Being dorky never looked so good.