Back to Azeroth

Everything started around 2004 or 2005, can't quite remember... but I do remember that it was a great experience passed on to me. World of Warcraft, nowadays it sounds really cliché, mainstream and a commercial household MMO RPG game, but that doesn't take away that is a good game indeed, I don't care what other people say, that is what I think so shove it beeatches.

I quit Warcraft last year, I think the last time I played Warcraft was near the Burning Crusade expansion release or a little bit afterwards, I was going through so much stuff in my life that I just didn't have the time to play, in addition that I had a 56k modem connectivity so the game play was always a laggy experience. Because of that and other reasons I had to return the account to the original owner, who eventually got hooked up again and leveled up his old character to level 70 on the expansion.

After quitting Warcraft I started collecting video game consoles (I started with a PS2, then a Genesis and so on) and its something I am still obssessed with I already got most of the consoles I wanted and many fo the games.. they are still a few I want but DAMN those collectors prices. With these video game consoles I never get bored but.... do I get totally satisfied? See, that I loved from Warcraft is that there were now rules, you just entered the world and do whatever you want, that could be either terrorrize other opposed faction towns (I recommend a couple of high levels to go with), farm some instances for money, dedicate yourself to your profession and look for the materials to execute it, play in battlegrounds, help people level up, dance for money, get drunk, manage a guild, everything! That is waht I loved from the world of Azeroth, you could do everything and many of your actions could be remembered through time..because other peopel are playing in the same world and they are witness of your actions.

My character name is Unbroken (a interesing fact is that couple Months after I quit Warcraft a novel related to the game was published named Unbroken, brutal!) and when I started I was a member of couple of guilds along with some friends until I decided to make my own THE OATH, and in that guild is where I had the best experiences, friends tell me that to this day, they still see members of the guild roaming around, and I think that is amazing because that guild is over 2 or 3 years old and I do remember that I passed my leadership some weeks before quitting and I remember I told them... "'till the end".. I guess they took it seriously. In that guild we were a fucking family I can still recall many of the members,Broken (my ingame brother and real life friend Rodrigo) Varsen (who I met after one year of me not playing), Noemi, Loughlin, Jaderis, Zamuck, Kistel (from costa rica!), Bluekiller, Kongar, Meangreen, and my closests friends Chivo (Jolge) and Cruroar (Carli) who both later on became members of the best Horde Guild in Gilneas RAID INC. In fact I found and old address of the guild's website... look for yourself:
http://www.pnxmedia.com/theoath/

I could write a book about all the experiences we had on the guild, like helping each other out, escorting a low level friend friend from the oppossed faction across the world without being killed, (I had guild members meet him at different check points around the world then we would rotate by using friendly transports in sea and air since he couldn't use them), it was amazing, eventually when that character leveled became our enemy and I remember I planned and ambush on his group on a trench in the Shimmering Flats near Tanaris... total destruction, its funny the same people that helped him...destroyed him..I dont regret it.

I really had my fun in warcraft, until people started to get greedy farming for items and leaving for other end level guilds, and I started to have less time to paly and couldn't keep up... so that was it for me.

Until couple weeks ago... In last years Christmas gift exchange at my work place Moira gave me a World of Warcarft game. In hte mean time I was using the borrowed account in which my character was leveled up, so I ddn't ahd to use the game she game, I even tried to sell it on a Flea Market... but no success, so last week I decided to open it and install it, started leveling up a character..but its like wow... it took me 9 months to level mine at my own pace... so I think I am not up for that again. But guess what? The account where my original cahrater was wasnt activated so I asked for it back and..wallah! Unbroken lives again.

The game changed a lot, I needed help from Chivo (who is making a comeback too) to get use to some of the new stuff, and wow..it really changed.. now people go through level 60 as if nothing till to level 70, so they miss all the fun stuff a 60 could get. So now when people see me or Chivo (who agreed to stay 60 for life...who knows thou) tell us we are old school, because we have gears and items 60 get a year ago. We have old school moves and gear and attitude in the battlegrounds... here I can prove it... a converstation that happend when I rescued a post on an old fashioned reckless warrior way (also using a viking helmet from the Lost vikings in which charged and stunned the first opponent only availbe through farming an instance people ignore nowadays). Here it goes:






I know to other people its stupid..but it is cool when people recognize you, it means that they remember my actions...so my game play gets immortalized for the moment hehehe.. oh fuck it was jsut cool.

I dont regret getting back to this game, it is jsut fun and I get satisfied in a way other games that cant even thou taht they can be really good games it jsut doesnt trigger that geek/nerd inside of me who always wanted to be a hero...
Merry Christmas

Christmas update

Wow, I can't believe it has been over a week since the last time I wrote in this blog, so many things happend thou. So I will put everything in themes... so here is the first one:

FINALLY MOVED

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Yes I am officially living with my girlfriend, I even paid the first part of the rent. Do I like it? Yeah, I mean, I liked living with my mom stepdad and uncle, but fuck, I am old enough to be living with them, so my girlfriend offered me live with her..so I took it. Hell, I lived with my ex and she had 2 children (who I miss, they are cool kids) in a big house with pool and everything, so I am used to live with people. Now I live on a "walk-up" I htink is pretty cool, first experience, and yeas I like it, the first week was sepnt getting everything foir the apartment, table, entertainment center, etc. Its cool, its like a reality check...you are an adult... you are not a kid or teenager anymore... so its time for responsabilities. Still, I got a room for my self (for now), so I have all my video game and consoles set up already, my desk with the computer, My record player and records, my guitar and bass, my amp, my weights, my toys, everything..its like a room I had back in high school... I never get bored in there.. NEVER. And yes since it is christmas, I already bought the tree on a stormy night... Ill talk about it later on in this post.

RAD SQUAD

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The same day I bought the entertainment center for the tv and stereo Ih ad some extra bucks on the bank and took the opportunity to buy a skateboard. Yeah... a skateboard. I always loved skateboarding and in line skating... but for now I think I can enjoy more skateboarding and since my friend Jolge bought it couldn't be a better choice so we can skate together and vandalize. Because of that we formed the: RAD SQUAD. It s all about old school skateboarding tribute group..compose of well 3 people, Jolge, LuisFe and Me. So yeah, I bought a skatebaord, the people at the store called Chatarra... can be translated to Junk. They are pretty cool, they are into skatebaording and their clients too... they asked of us pictures (Since the Rad Squad bought 3 skateboards from their store), its like if they are our sponsors (which is not true at all) and want to see our progress in getting back into skating...well we have them some news; last week Jolge fractured his elbow.

It was the same night LuisFe bought his skateboard...so we met at the mall then decided to run in my apartment parking lot but becuase of the noise we needed to go some place else... here is a pic of that night:


Here you can see the basketball court and LuisFe... resting I guess and me..I jsut did the Rip and Shred signature move.. its interesing you speed up at a moderate speed then you Shred doing a turn form the insde out on my right grabbing the skateboard as a surf board...then quickly I put both hand on the floor and do a inside turn to my left which is the RIP.. then I stand up and do a floor 180 to go back to my goofy riding stance.

Rip and shred motherfucker.

Well how Jolge fucked his elbow up? To start with saying that it happend on my skateboard and not his..since he didn't wanted to run that night..I insisted that he should've. It happend as easy as this.. I let my skate roll to where he was and isntead of stopping it he decided to jump in while it rolled...and well not a bright move..he fell on hiss elbow and ass. I thought he fucked his ass or something, but then he said it was his elbow that hurt, and he talked about how much it sucked to have a hand broken and how he should be more careful etc. To make the story short, after he left me at my apartment with some ocmpalints that his elbow was hurting... I got a call form his mother next day telling me that he was on the hospital cause his elbow got swollen and had a miniature fracture. Fuck yeah. Now that hi is injured and LuisFe is I dont know where.. I am the only RAD SQUAD active member for the moment! Brutal.

Christmas Tree Surgery

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My girlfriend took this picture (I say this before she freaks out about she not being credited, seriously I will get my own camera).

Now we can start, the tree house I bought is some how crooked and doenst fit right on the stand... so it was a pain in the ass making it stand right. I had to take it off and chop a little more than an inch on the bottom to make it more steady and allow it to absorb water better, and that ladies and gentlemen it was a hard procedure. First we tried with a knife... no success what so ever, then I asked for a Machete...too messy no success, then we had to go to my girlfriend's parents house to geta Saw... it worked a lilttle bit but we needed an extra help from a screwdriver and a hammer to open the gap, it worked but to make it even better I used my drill. It was a total mess but it worked. That same night the tree fell, but the next morning I did some adjkustments and its still standing... hopefully will be like that when I come home from work.


And yes thats us... celebrating after we completed the surgery.

EDIT #1: I am writting this after I posted this entry... yes this picture is also from my girlfriend..it was a timed shot, she used a chair as stand. Just in case she freaks out, ;) .

Well I am still at work so I can't continnue talking about the other stuff that happend... but stay tuned cause it will be my: Return to World of Warcraft... and I'll explain why I did suck thing... Fuck you Gaby.

LOADED!

I realized today that I really like reviewing games. But reviewing games that I really had the opportunity to live them thru, not just a new game that I just played like 2 or 3 levels the most... and just talk baout its hype...(fuck halo). I wanna talk about games that are considered old or obselete or whatever. Games that people will be like.. "Yeah, I heard of that game years ago, wow I didn't know it was that cool." Many hardcore gamers right now, are people that were born on the 90's, or many of them were just kindergarden kids when the 16 bit consoles were at their peak, and the 32bit consoles were entering the market and probably most of them might see 8 bit consoles as prehistoric sytems that somehow it games are only availble thorugh Xbox Live Arcade, Virtual Console or emulators. Having that in mind I want to wirte reviews from a technical way and personal way combined, bringing forth the positive and negative sides and how can both be balanced, and take those points and compare them to current generation games and how at certain points old console games are more fun to play than today's.

Here is a review of the Playstation's game Loaded, the game is one of my favorites and I was glad that I had the opportunity to review it on Ebay... here is the review:
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Search and Destroy Gore Fest

I think LOADED was a game that was ahead of its time back in 1996 (at least its theme). It is a game which gameplay is borrowed from GAUNTLET (top view moving characters blasting their way out of the level) but with some twist and mature content that is special nowadays on first person shooter games. With this elements LOADED is a pretty fun game to play, you got 6 (psycopath) characters with unique abilites and special attacks which adds to the gameplay specially if you are playing on a cooperative two player mode, which I thinks is were everything turns out to mayhem (good of course). The game was pretty violent and bloody (your shooting path looked like a slaughter house afterwards) and had adult content deep within.

The game theme is dark and morbid/fun and you can tell by looking at the inspirational characters illustrations and reading their profiles. The graphics is all what you expect from a first generation Playstation game so expect some pixelation, slowdowns etc.. but its all good and all becomes part of the game...as a historical technological check point Also some premature 32bit compressed FMV are included.

The music fits the game perfectly, I just cant describe what type it is, but its something that you can tag the 90's electronica or industrial theme on it (maybe I am wrong). Artist involved is: Pop Will Eat Itself.

My own experience with LOADED:
The first time I got in touch with LOADED was from a demo disk that came with my Playstation back in 1996.. from all the games that were included WARHAWK and LOADED were my favorites, constantly playing it even thou it was one level and one character available. So years later on a PAWN SHOP / COLLLECTORS STORE in Fort Lauderdale Florida I found the game on a shelf for around $10. The store owner told me it was a really wanted game sought after by collectors, and that everytime it came to the store it was sold as hot bread, and this was back in 2001. That same game copy I bought I accidentally broke it 2 years ago... and now I got a copy recently purchased from Ebay(just bought the disk only since I still had the original box), and still play the game, over 10 years later and still love this game. It is just fun to play.. pick up and shoot, blast everything that moves or that stands in your way.

FINAL WORDS:
If you buy this game, do not expect current generation graphics or gameplay (its an early 32-bit era title!), think of it as a classic top view shooter game with enhanced graphics and sound, and of course with awesome characters and their unique special attacks. I gave the game a "Good" review instead of "Excellent" because it might get too repeatative further into the gameplay, but that is how it is. If you are into shooters, violence, psychopaths, deatailed characters illustrations, Gauntlet, Contra, adrenlaine rush and all that cool stuff... then what are you waiting for? For the rest this game is a MUST for a 32bit Playstation or Saturn console. "Body bag not included"
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Ill try to do more reviews whenever I can, maybe I will try to get a post on the local newspaper talking about it..instead of sucking on ad hype supported games that really suck. And yes I finally moved in with my girlfriend, its all coming out great even better than I thought.

Super Contra III: The Alien Wars

I wanted to write this post once I had played Contra 4... but since I do not have a Nintendo DS and neither the game... I rather write about the best Contra game ever, Super Contra III: The Alien Wars.

Last night I was moving into my girlfriend's apartment with the help of her and Jolge, after we finished moving the sutff, (I carried a computer desk by myself from the parking to the room in the third floor thru the stairs) I turned in the Super Nintendo in the living room and popped in Super Contra (Jolge bought it for me couple weeks ago in Play n Trade). Well, I felt like it was the summer of 1992 all over again, since this was the first time I played the game...over and over again.

What I always liked of the game is just the pick up and play/destroy intensity. Endless ammo, screen full of enemies and explosions, glorified military soundtrack. It is excellent, this game first level is an perfect example of what I am talking about here is a speed run of the first level:



Intense.

The game just gets more pumped up through out the levels, with more enemies, giant mini bosses and bosses and the level designs only are full of action. I always thought of this game is a game made out of RAMBO (Sylvester Stallone) and COMMANDO (Arnold Shwarze.. whatever you know), they even used pictures of them for the first Contra game, here is the original cover and a tribute version I did:

Original box cover art for Nintendo:


My version jsu because..:


There is similarities on the pose, that element alone makes it a great game.

When I played the game last night, I forgot how much fun it was as a 2 player cooperative mode. The gameplay was faster and more chaotic, but we had to stop because it was already late, but we were kicking ass I guess, but sure it was fun man. Can't wait for another play.

This game is one my top 10 games of all time, one day Ill psot my list, it will be hard to make the order but I will do it... some day.

There is a version of these game in Gameboy Advance... but is not the same, but still is a good play, also there are other Contra games that are among my favorites and is Contra: Shattered Solider and the first Contra. I should collect Contra: Hard Corps from the Sega Genesis and Neo Contra for PS2... but some day when I get extra money. ... For now.. get this game, if you don't have a Super NES, get it emulated (warn you..is not the smae has some graphical issues), you won't regret it. Now, Ill just wait for the day Ill get to play CONTRA 4:



Hope Santa gives me a Nintendo DS with this game (Contra 4)...along with Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin....got it? "Santa"?

Pirate?

This extra entry from today came about when I was writting the earlier post. I mentioned something about pirated DVDs and just kept rambling about it, long enough for its on post, so...

Last NIght I watched Dan in real life, its a good movie, I mean is not hte best, but if you like The Office's Steve Carrell I bet you will like his acting in this movie a lot, I did and I think is worth going to the movies to see it, or rent it, jsut see it but not in a pirated way.

Even though I live next to the theater my girlfriend insisted in taking the car since it was rainy nigh, so I was worried we wont find parking and we would have to park almost the same distance or further than my house's walking distance to the theater. I was amazed, we found parking and, the line to buy the tickers was actaully empty along the theater hall, only like 20 people the most, including staff.
When we got to the room, it was empty except for a couple sitting in the middle, I was surprised it was opening night for this movie, I thought more people would come in to watch the movie, no one else did. So it was a good/weird experience. Many elements can contribute to this... a bad movie? bad weather? bad promotion... or getting a pirate version of the movie and watch it on the computer. Actually an ad ran talking about pirated movies, and it showcased a cliche dramatic sequence of how a parent gave bad example of buying a prated DVD... its lame but so true.. even though they over acted.

Fuck pirated DVDs and CDs, if you want a DVD or CD, buy it. People say is not stealing, riiight. Let me put it this way, if you steal a DVD or CD from a store, the artist don't get the respective royalty from that product (unless they have another distribution method), so if you rip a DVD or CD, yeah you might say you rather copy it than stealing...BUT yo uare not buying it, you get to enjoy the product without never buying it, meaning that the original product remains on the store shelf. You might think, oh well if I don't buy it, doesnt matter its only less than $20 they don't earn, but...BUT if hundreds, or thousands, or millions of people do the same... do the math... that is how much the original artist never earns... on his or her's hard worked CD or movie. It applys the same thing with video games, on my earlier blogs I talked about emulation (a program that palys ROM versions of the original game) and how I restric that emulation in only HARD TO FIND OR RARE consoles that are OBVIOUSLY OVER PRICED by rip off Ebay sellers (most of them dont even work they are sell AS IS) for the rest I rather buy it, and guess what I even enjoy it more, beacuse I earned it, I appreciate it. So, next time if you are on a store, and you think a DVD is over priced (cause yeah I agree they are), come back another day for a special or something, or look on the internet for better offers (because you can find better offers) but dont just copy it, that is being fucking cheap (unless is something so stupid that is not even worth buying, then again why you want something like that). By the way, people might say "OH how contradictory aa so called pirate talking agaisnt pirated products..." I'll say even pirates had a code of honor. So Fuck you, cheap bastard. ;)

Reviving the Nostalgia element!

This last couple of days I've done couple interesting things that haven't mentioned.

1- Beowulf = fucking great movie. If in high school you got the opportunity to read the Beowulf story, well this is it, only 18385% better. I read Dave Jaffe's (God of War original game director) blog and he is right, the movie uses elements of games such as God of War and Shadow of the Colossus. As a matter of fact that same weekend I watched the movie, I did fought against a boss in Shadow of the Colossus taht was a dragon look alike. The sequence was very similar, and the attack sequence something straight out of God of War. Its funny, games took inspiration form movies, now is backwards. If you have palyed this games before and you get to watch the movies...you will be surprised how similiar it is, for the rest of the public, you will think its groundbreaking, still good 3D, more interesting in story telling but not groundbreaking. Watch it in theaters, fuck pirated DVDs (this pirate theme motivated me to write an extra entry today).

2- Recorded vocals for La Virgen del Pozo (thrash band)= I recorded vovals for 3 songs of the band. It went pretty smooth there was like 10 people on the studio so it was kind of distracting and at a not so concentrated situation but it worked out. I liked the dynamic how everyone contributed and were into it, now I have 3 more songs left..I just need to write the lyrics.... again.

3- Item farming in Castlevania: Symphony of the night = Many people have played this game and just finished it, guess what?, I did that same thing months ago too. But thanks to my friend Jolge, I did enjoy the game 200% more. Why? He taught me the art of hunting for items all over the castle. It takes time, but the rewards is rather fun, actually I had more fun hunting for items than progressing into the game. Last night I finished the game without any efforts, since I had these amazing weapons that made the last boss Dracula a piece of cake. Now I can replay the game as 2 other characters or just continue using Alucard and keep hunting for more items, that will be interesting.

4- Back to Skate = Jolge had this urge to buy a skateboard, so I wnt with him to a store to help him get the right one, and he bought it. I think this is just amazing since I was gettig back into it too, but was losing hope in it recently, until now. I will get a skateboard preferably old school and start rip and shredding along wtih Jolge on the streets...of a neighborhood. Actually I was so motivated that when Jolge and I were talking in Messenger we did skateboarding art work, here was my best piece:


It shows me skate jumping into an abyss with a two hand Chaos Hammer about to Mortal Strike a Demon straight out of the gates of hell who kidnapped my girlfriend.... Beat that trick noob.

That is why this post is entitled Reviving the nostalgia element, I feel like I am back to middle school all over again, with a band, video games and skating, of course watching epic movies too. I love it, cause I am reliving one of the things I love in my life along with responsabilities as an "adult".

Well I guess thats pretty much it, besides an earthquake that happen yesterday and a reunion in Leo Burnett (which is an agency I sent a hateful email months ago). Keep posing.

Where we all were?

I need to be honest I used to hate facebook, in fact I don't totally agree with the website, because I think it puts a social pressure and addiction to some people who really need real friends outside the computer... but.. BUT... In my case and as many people too, it helped get in touch with people form the past. I graduated in 1999, and by that time only a couple of the people in my class had internet, not everyone, now years later we got the tools to easily get in touch with others, it is actually really interesting. This last couple days, I got in touch with many class mates from elmental, high school and college. Talking about high school, I wasnt that social thou, I was more of an outsider but yet everyone knew me and I knew everyone and I could talk to any of them without any trouble, I was like a person that didnt stick to a specific group of friends so in school that helped me to interact with every group of friends..but at the same time stay outside even though I was called a freak sometimes..yeah I am a punk. I know too complicated. But now, we are all getting in touch again and treating each other as a sole group. We all matured now..(well what mature really means?) well, now that we have more responsabilities we tend to appreciate the past, and remember those people that we went to school with. I mean damn, I spent easily 10 years of my life with many of them. But havent seen them in the last 8 years. A lot can happen in 8 years, a life time can happen in 8 years... short one but still. Many of us area proud parents which is cool and career wise, I dont know of it, I told them what I do on a group they formed in the networking website, but I'll see when I get to talk to them. I think a reaunion will be different, we all will look different, we all lived through many stuff that I think it wont be even worth it talking about. Just see each other, remember the past laugh about it and keep going on living our lives.

So, yeah I am using a website that I used to hate, at least Ill leave it that way just to find old classmates, old bandmates...old friends.

Gonna keep palying Castlevania Symphony of the Nights on the PSP... great game... got the runesword last night...after 2 hours of looking for it...now is PWONAGE time.
Noob.