Here is the current list of games in my backlog as of April 13th, 2012. This list will be updated on a semi-regular basis to reflect new additions and recent completions (or removals based on the fact that I got stuck and gave up). (more…)
April 15, 2012
March 30, 2012
When I can’t write something, I bake
So this morning I got up, ready to tackle my list of things to write about but I just couldn’t get the words down. So I let myself be distracted by the things that usually distract me in the morning: Sims Social and PixelJunk Monsters on Facebook, looking for new Japanese dramas I might want to check out, and watching my snails eat.
But all I wanted to do was make banana bread. So I did.
I probably shouldn’t have made any, being as we just started a new meal plan two weeks back. The dietitian didn’t say I couldn’t bake anymore, just to watch how often I do and to limit my intake of sweets. But today’s a long day at home alone while my husband’s at work and then out bowling with his development team. So I figured a little treat to perk me up would be a good thing.
As an added bonus, I noticed three very ripe bananas on the counter this morning. Probably what planted the whole banana bread thing in my brain when I stumbled through there for breakfast.
Then I had a debate with myself about adding chocolate chips. I probably shouldn’t have but what the hell, it’s a treat. At least I put in less than I would have a few years ago.
Not that baking something easy like banana bread takes up a lot of time or anything. But Tweeting about it and texting a friend taunting them with it sure will keep a girl too busy to remember to write. 
Mmmmm Banomnom Bread!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, smashed up
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used milk choco)
Directions:
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add in eggs & mix well. Mix in banana and set aside. In a smaller bowl, stir together remaining ingredients, then add to banana mixture. Pour into a greased loaf pan (9x5x3 inch) and bake for 50-60 minutes at 350F, or until a toothpick comes out relatively clean. Then let it cool for a bit so you don’t burn your taste buds off. =)
March 23, 2012
Fable 3
Status: Finished once and then it all went to hell
Achievements: 46 of 60
Gamerscore: 910/1250
DLC Purchased: nada
I thought that with time I’d be able to finally write about Fable 3. Hope that the memories of what happened to me that fateful afternoon burned in my chest for months, but now I know and have come to accept that this will never be. (more…)
October 25, 2011
Geek & Gaming Cross Stitchery – Bit.Trip, I Maed a Gam3 & IT Crowd
A few weeks ago, I decided to take up cross stitching, thanks mostly to a Twitter friend posting links to super cool patterns she found on Etsy. I purchased four patterns from that store and dragged my husband to the craft store to buy all sorts of embroidery floss, fabric and other tools of the trade.
The first (and most basic) of the patterns I bought from VelvetElvii’s store is a quote from one of my favourite episodes of The IT Crowd, “The Final Countdown”. In this episode, Moss has been accepted as a contestant on Countdown, a popular UK spelling show. As an eight time winner, he is invited to the elusive 8+ club, where his new nemesis, Negative One, challenges him to a game of Street Countdown (played exactly like regular Countdown but on the street). He accepts the challenge with the following quote:
October 14, 2011
Extra Life 2011 – Sponsor Me!!
October 14th Update:
Many thanks to all of my friends and family members who helped me reach my goal this week. I couldn’t have done this without you. You will be putting smiles on faces and for that, you are heroes.
Now onto my gaming schedule for the big event! I will be starting at 0:00am Oct 15th and playing for 24hrs straight (with potty/food breaks and a shower thrown in). Here’s my gaming breakdown.
0:00am – 4:00am: A mix of Fallout New Vegas DLC (Honest Hearts & Dead Money)
4:00am – 9:00am: Silent Hill Homecoming
9:00am – 2:00pm: Persona 4
2:00pm – ??? : Gears 3 campaign on Insane with @tehflakes and @ThrallMind
Depending on when we end campaign mode, I may switch to You Don’t Know Jack or play something on my PSP (I like to give my 360 cool down time as she’s getting older). You can follow me on Twitter for updates. (more…)
August 30, 2011
…And So Turn the Gears of Our Lives
This September another video game trilogy comes to a conclusion. The Gears of War saga has a dear place in my heart as one of the games that helped me get through the long-distance leg of my relationship with my husband. These were games we played together for the cooperative experience, something to do as a couple. And for that reason alone, they served a purpose.
But video games of this magnitude cannot rely on game play alone. There needs to be a strong and compelling story to bring a player back time and time again. Sure you can slap multiplayer into any game nowadays, but for someone like myself – someone who appreciates solid storytelling – that is not what is going to keep your game in my console for long. This, unfortunately, is where the first two installments in Gears of War fell short for me. More so Gears 2 than the original. (more…)
June 20, 2011
Alice: Madness Returns
Status: Finished once on Normal, started New Game+ on Nightmare
Achievements: 31 of 50
Gamerscore: 415/1000
DLC Purchased: Original American McGee’s Alice (Online Pass Content)
I love the dark and macabre, things that make me jump out of my seat or emit a small scream. Horror movies and games filled with puzzles are right up there in my books and I will go out of my way to watch and play what others consider “bad”. Ages ago, when you could rent PC games and not have to worry about DRM, I seem to recall trying to get my hands on the original American McGee’s Alice and it almost always being out. A dark and twisted retelling of the classic story appealed to me but I honestly don’t recall playing more than a few minutes of the original. Alice: Madness Returns seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit both the new and old versions of the young girl’s Wonderland, thanks to the Online Pass offering the first game for free. (more…)
June 3, 2011
Tales of Xillia PS3 Game Trailer
This video combine two things I love immensely: the Tales series of video games and Ayumi Hamasaki.
Ayumi’s upcoming single “Progress” is the official theme song for Tales of Xillia, which will be released on Sept 8th in Japan for the PS3.
May 26, 2011
Quantity Over Quality
With the video game industry’s shift towards digital distribution, it sometimes feels as though the quality of released product is sacrificed in order to sell higher volumes in a smaller time frame. This reliance on releasing patches and updates to fix bugs that slip through hardworking Quality Assurance department fingers has always had it’s benefits, but lately it seems we are beginning to feel the downside of this sort of convenience.
Release delays will never be a thing of the past, this much we know is true. There will always be issues that will force a studio to push back titles that just aren’t ready to meet that final deadline. But are there people right now who are turning a blind eye to major problems in order to push out incomplete code and make investors happy? I truly believe so. (more…)
March 31, 2011
Dragon Age 2
Status: Finished once as a female Rogue
Achievements: 38 of 55
Gamerscore: 665/1130
DLC Purchased: Dragon Age Legends (Facebook app) bonus items
Not really a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins with some of that TV spin-off feel, Dragon Age 2 boasts a more polished feel both in game play and graphics, but falls short in the story development category. If you can’t see how Bioware plans to tie aspects of the two together for Dragon Age 3, you might want to stop playing RPGs.
Potential spoilers lay ahead. I am doing my best to avoid them but since this game does tie into Dragon Age: Origins, it is difficult to completely ignore them.