So after the collective yawn the industry let out pre, post and during E3, the bar was set so low that  Makuhari Messe could have burned down and TGS would still have put on a better show.

Man so many goodies, I just wanted to create a place for us to gab like 12 year old girls about it.

Monster Hunter Wii, Phantasy Star 0, Madworld trailers, The DSi, Nintendo Points stupidity…

I’m not verklempt but I did give you a topic. Discuss!

So the release dates have been announced leaving quite a conundrum for multi-console owners.

The game debuts on WiiWare this Monday the 22nd, PSN Thursday the 25th, and XBLA way in to the future timescape of October 1st.

So which one does a guy [used in a gender neutral sense] get?

WiiWare pros: It just seems right to have Megaman 9 on a Nintendo system. It comes out first so no waiting. Contols should be pretty good with the WiiMote.

PSN pros: Not too much longer of a wait than Wii. I have plenty of storage space. Controls should be great with the PS controller. PSP play also (as far as I know) available. Trophies?

XBLA pros: Achievements! and uh… plenty of storage space?

WiiWare cons: $#!%! I have no where to put this! Nintendo why do you make it so hard to give you my money?

PSN cons: Having to wait 3 days. I don’t download anything for PSN. Trophies?

XBLA cons: The thought of playing this game with that atrocious mushy d-pad is unbearable. October 1st! Have you watched the news? Our entire financial system may be in ruins by then. We may all be burning our consoles to heat our homes and cook our food. The future is too uncertain to wait 11 days from now!

So I guess the winner is PSN but as previously stated I don’t download anything for it. What’s everyone else doing? I must rely on herd mentality to make this decision. Please be my shepard!

These are only screen grabs (from famitsu scans) but looks pretty hot. Not a lightyears away jump from the last two but still ass kicking. That town owns.

Unless were planning on packing up and heading to TGS we will have to wait for release info so we can take the vacation time necessary for our weeklong hunting party. Right guys? Right?

http://kotaku.com/5050940/monster-hunter-3-is-playable-at-tgs-look-at-it

This is exceptionally more elaborate then I expected!

Digging the “Adam Warren” style cartoon makeovers as well. Go Dudes!

It looks like they put a lot of work (and cash) into this.

The best part is at the end.

…Download it now.

I don’t care if they’re mining all my browsing history. I don’t mind that they probably have all my banking info now. I’m flying around the internet like I just bought a brand new machine. I haven’t even tried out Maps or other Google apps but they’re supposed to scream in Chrome.

Now remember, I personally believe Google will be one of the main tools to bring us under a jack booted, one world government, totalitarian regime. Yet still I have totally sold myself out for this browser.

I went to PAX this year, mainly to check out Steve’s new game, Demigod.  Though it was not my style of game, it was cool to see the reactions of the other people playing it for the first time.  Overall, it got great press, so I’m happy that Steve’s happy. 

Now that I’m done with the gay stuff, let’s talk about the show.

With E3 now neutered, PAX is the next best thing.  The showroom was packed with game kiosks, vendors and recruiting tables for gaming companies.  Fallout 3 had the best kiosk by far, featuring an old 50’s airstream trailer surrounded by charred nuclear test dummies.  Very cool.  Of course, the crowd around and inside the space was immense, so I decided to just take a cursory glance at the game, which seemed very cool.  I’ll just have to wait.  

Left 4 Dead from Valve had a huge kiosk as well and Josh and I watch some people play for a full ten minutes.  I was blown away by the intensity of this game.  Words will not do it justice, so I suggest watching some movies. Here’s a youtube movie of the same level I watched.
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The other surprise game for me was Dead Space. I read a little about it, but didn’t track it much. Josh and I waited in line for this game, but unfortunately, it was an hour wait! But boy was it worth it. You play as a space miner who is investigating a derelict ship that once housed your friends, but are now creepy monsters. At least, I think that’s how it goes. Here’s the trailer: “>
Some rooms had no gravity, so you could jump from floor to wall to ceiling, having to reorient yourself after landing. You could also pick up objects and enemies with a gravity gun, like in Half-Life 2. I can’t wait to play it alone and in the dark.

Rock Band 2 is what you would expect, though this time, they included all of Steve and mine’s best karaoke songs, like Living on a Prayer and White Wedding. A decent size stage was set up and people were having a blast.

Nintendo had the new Wario game, which looks very fun, and Animal Crossing for the Wii, which should become our new virtual playground later this year. Supposedly, all the holidays and virtual games that were missing from the DS version will be added back, along with new holidays which players can enjoy together if they wish. Wii music was there, but it seemed like another non-game game, which I’m not interested in.

There were so many games there, I couldn’t fathom writing for them all. Suffice it to say, PAX is big time now, so I may have to check it next year. The problems with the lines is already being remedied for next year, which would make it much more tolerable. The cosplay was nothing too exciting, but at least there were some booth babes to gawk at.

Steve, you saw more than I did. We need your write up too!

Who’s in?  Who’s not?

I’m playing it now.  Its not bad, pretty much a solid B-game, going for the full “action movie” experience, so its a quick burn/play and back to Gamestop.  

It helps that the character I chose is a little psychotic (Mattias likes to talk to his guns) and everything is destructible.  Plus calling in cluster bombs shouldn’t make me so happy, but it does.

I haven’t played multiplayer yet, so we’ll see how that goes.

We here at the Malden are HUGE (yawn) on the ‘Tics. Oh how we would debate, from your run of the mill senate appropriations bill to Hobbesian versus Confucian philosophies, ad nauseum.

However the story everyone is buzzing about is McCain’s running mate: Helloooo Sarah Palin!

Being the Alaska corespondant ’round these parts I’d like to shed some light on “The Maverick’s” recently announced running mate. She was the mayor of a town (Wasilla, AK) not unlike my old hometown, Poulsbo, WA. Both are approximately the same size population. Both are hugely proud of recent achievements (getting a WalMart). Both have amazing festivals (Wasilla-Iditarod Days, Poulsbo-Viking Fest).

She’s currently a very popular governor and adored in Alaska and everyone is brimming with pride around here. She’s quite pleasant (I ran in to her shopping at Fred Meyers) and I hate to think what the scrutiny of a national campaign could do to her.

Now I’m not saying she can’t handle it. She’s got some CTB (Cut Throat Bitch) in her and isn’t without a controversy, so she isn’t all “Golly-Gee-Whiz”. I think it’s a saavy if not cynical pick by the McCain camp. Any attempts to discredit her could quickly veer off in to sexist territory. And my assuming that’s one of the reason’s for choosing her is also sexist. Dammit McCain, you’re good. But really this article will save me endless minutes of keyboard fumbling.

I can’t wait for national media arriving in Alaska in the coming weeks trying to figure out who she is. It’ll be interesting but hopefully when it’s all said and done Alaska will have it’s governor back. Despite my general apathy to the process as a whole, I wish her good luck and close with a warning…

Look-out Polar Bears: Your days are numbered!