So, hey, guys...dunno if you got the memo but, the year is about to be over. Crazy right? Looking back on it now, I can't even imagine where the time went. So much has happened within a year it seems- I've got a job again (Gamestop, go figure. You think of some other place an ex-Game Crazy employee could go), made some friends, lost some friends, girlfriend is still sticking around after two years (Not bad for what was a chance meeting at a Rock Band setup playing Sex Type Thing by Stone Temple Pilots), and Stereotoid is now a thing that is happening...a really really awesome thing, that is. But, this isn't about that, because real life is boring...it's why we play so many video games. And last year, around this time, I made a blog about the resolutions I was hoping to accomplish before the year's end. You probably expected this but, I wanna do the same again this year. Before I do though...lets see just how well I did last year?


1) Start giving more love to non-rhythm games. Well, I'd say that was a rousing success. Take a look at my gamer card in that corner there. See how many of them are a rhythm game? Yeah, it's a good feeling. Now, do I still play the shit out of rhythm games? You bet. Outside of Power Gig, I've bought every rhythm game that came out this year for the 360. But I've also made sure to expand my horizons significantly, rediscovering my love of Battlefield with Bad Company 2 (And then re-rediscovering it thanks to the recently released Vietnam expansion), and just recently (AKA last night) discovered just how fun online Super Street Fighter IV with a lobby of Dtoiders could be. That's not even counting all the awesome single player experiences I had this year like going through the Mass Effect series, or enjoying a campaign in Halo for the first time ever. Needless to say, good times.

2) Get some classics under my belt. Yeah, umm...I don't have the best attention span in the world. I started playing Chrono Trigger, which led to me playing Super Metroid, which led to "Oh hey HeartGold/SoulSilver is out, those are technically classics", which led to "Man, I sure do miss playing Mischief Makers, where's my N64"...this could keep going. Suffice it to say, I didn't do too hot on that one.

3) Actually beat a Final Fantasy game. Totally didn't happen. XIII was a let down for me. A really, really pretty letdown, but a letdown nonetheless. I even tried cheating and targeted Dissidia, but after beating Squall and Zidane's stories I wasn't interested anymore. Not my cup of RPG tea, I suppose.

4) Give my Dreamcast some love. I rekindled my love of Jet Grind Radio and Project Justice, but I ultimately wound up donating my Dreamcast to a better home. It was all the love I could give.

5) Beat Okami. I don't even have a PS2 anymore...why did I say I'd do that?

6) FINALLY play the Shin Megami Tensei series. I have Persona 3 Portable and SMT: Devil Survivor. They're both two of my favorite games this year.




Alright, well now that that's done. Let's get on to the main topic, shall we?




1) Meet some of you people.

Around this time last year, I was still kinda shy. Despite this being a heavily community-focused group, I was still unsure as to whether or not I'd be shunned for attempting to join in on some of the shenanigans that go down around here seeing as how I was (and kinda still am, I think) a relative unknown. Fast forward to now though and I'm part of a weekly crew of music reviewers, I've been on a few podcasts, and at times made a drunken fool of myself over at Dtoid Live. But I've still yet to meet any of you fine people in the flesh. My avatar has, apparently, (I'm not sure if he has any pending rape charges after PAX East but direct all legal shit to him, not I), but I myself have not yet. So by the end of the year, be it PAX East, PAX Prime, a NARP, or something as absurd as a trip to California this Summer, I'm meeting somebody from the Dtoid community. I will shake his/her's hand, buy him/her a drink, and there will be merriment. Of some kind.

...Also, if I make it to Cali, I require Tactix to sing to me in person. Because every time I hear him sing my heart melts.





2) Do more C-blogging stuff.

I haven't done much with my C-blog over the year. I guess that could be because most of the stuff I have written has wound up over on Stereotoid, but at the same time I've been a little downtrodden that my personal C-blog kinda just collects dust. What to do about that? Hmm...oh, I know, fix it! Right.

So hopefully, if I can retain a clear focus (And by clear focus I mean "Don't forget I said all this a week from now") I'd like to actually do more writing, about stuff that isn't just music. Sure, music is my first love as far as non-people things go, but gaming is a damn close second, with an absurdly fond love of bacon as a third. I'd like to actually share some of that love with you guys, hopefully in a way that isn't spectacularly bad.





3) Own all three systems again.

Man, it's glorious having every current-gen system available isn't it? The options available, the varied communities, the ability to pretty much play any game you desire...

...Yeah, I had that once. But then I got stupid.

See, at one point, I have owned all three systems. But due to me being a jobless, penniless bum, I pawned off my Wii and PS3 for a really crappy amount of money, just to get a few extra bucks. And while I do love my 360 very much, I can't lie and say there aren't a ton of games on the other systems I don't want to play. No More Heroes 2, Mario Galaxy 2, Donkey Kong Country Returns, New Super Mario Bros., the Uncharted games, LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3, I could list 'em off all day. Variety's the spice of life, and I'd hate for my meal to get a little dull tasting. Now if I could just stop trading things in so much, I wouldn't have this problem...





4) Stop trading things in so much.

Yeah, I should get out of that habit. Between replacing said consoles up above, the fact that I'm probably about to purchase my NINTH DS Lite due to Golden Sun and Pokemon Black/White, and the fact that my once-proud gaming collection is reduced to less than ten titles across all the systems I own (Not counting Steam games because that's cheating dammit), I simply should know better by now. So, no more quick buck and facing the consequences later. I need to just grit my teeth and deal with the fact that, oh no, I have to wait for my paycheck to get something. At least I have a paycheck now, I suppose.

Also, insert obligatory "YOU'RE HURTING THE INDUSTRY YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT GAMES" comment here.





5) Build a gaming PC.

Recently, my four year old gaming laptop officially bit the dust, leaving me to run on this barely-worth-a-shit tablet PC 'til I can replace it. It can't run 90% of my Steam games, it can't run Minecraft, it can barely run Youtube worth a damn. I hate this. I must fix this. I must return to the glorious PC master race (And to a lesser extent, the Team Fortress 2 community and those wacky Garry's Mod gametypes like Trouble In Terrorist Town) and get a PC gaming rig capable of my needs. Still debating on if I just want to build a PC or have a laptop I can take with me, but if I can afford it I might as well do both. Still, either way, I need to work on doing one, and fast. This lack of being able to throw Jarate is getting to me.






6) Send Xzyliac his damn package.

I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN!