Steve Wiebe will Always be a Beast to me

Over a couple of years ago, my then friend (and now boyfriend) recommended I watch The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. After viewing it on Netflix, I have since wanted to see Steve Wiebe play Donkey Kong. I was ecstatic to find out he was going to be at the grand re-opening of Logan Hardware. Located in the neighbourhood of Buck Town in Chicago, the store is not actually a Hardware Store. They carry used records, some toys, and have a lot of arcade cabinets from the 80s (that are in great condition).

Earlier this evening, I had the privilege and pleasure to witness an attempt by Steve Wiebe to re-claim his Donkey Kong Record. I was a little weary of going. This winter has been absolutely brutal for me, and I received an e-mail from Logan Hardware that sounded kind of like a warning:

Thank you so much for your interest in our grand reopening. Some of you may have seen that earlier this week Twin Galaxies accounted that Hank Chien officially beat Steve's world record. Our phone has been ringing off the hook and the email has been crazy! We want everyone to be able to stop over and see Steve play so we are emailing to let you know how many people have had interest in each record attempt, as well as to ask that if you were hoping to come to mutiple record attempts that we ask you are mindful of the capacity while you are here...That is, if you show up for the first attempt you are coming for and it's crazy packed in here to please only stay for one record attempt and also not hang out for so long that others are not able to stop in. Just please be mindful of others and help us make sure that everyone gets to see a bit of Steve playing...

Also, to reiterate - that for the record attempts your RSVP is not a guarantee, there is no list of names at the door. Unless you are signed up for one of the classes there is no guarantee that there will be room for everyone. All of the record attempts are first come first served and we ask that people respect others and please allow others to come in and enjoy the event as well. This should be fun for all and we look forward to it!

After reading this, I thought, "This is going to be packed. Should I even bother trying to get in?" Unfortunately, I did not have a memory card in my camera when I brought it. I used my terrible-quality camera on my phone, but these photos should give you an idea of the view I had.



There were two rooms with arcade cabinets. Here, I was standing outside of the room that had the Donkey Kong cabinet. I was probably over 20 feet away from it.



Luckily, to the right of me, there was a closer projection. Unfortunately, I came to the realization just how short I am (I really didn't think was that short). About 99% of the people who attended this event were taller than me. (This photo is when the circuit board was being checked.)



I'm in!!! I'm in the room with the Donkey Kong cabinet now!!



This was about as close as I got. Close enough for my neck to start hurting because the screen was pretty close. Close enough to see the back of Steve Weibe's head. Twice. (That was about 10 feet away, by the way).

There were easily over 100 people there. Most were in their 20s and 30s, white, and male. There were a few "nerd couples." There were also a couple of guys who dragged their girlfriends. I overheard one say, "When is this going to be over? I don't know how much more of this I can take!" (This was after 30 minutes.)

It was unfortunate that a few members of the audience were very unruly. One of them (whose name was Chris) smelled foul, and had a flask of whiskey on him. He was already drunk, and was sharing his flask with some others around him. Another one sounded like he was jizzing his pants every time Wiebe got to the end of the level. Some were shouting, "Fuck Billy Mitchell!" In which, I turned around and asked, "I think you mean Hank Chien." Some only saw The King of Kong yesterday, and others had never seen the movie at all.

I spotted a few hipsters. One audience member insisted that his sign be passed around. It read, "1,068,000 or bust"...on the back of a PBR box. Someone in the audience suggested this event be in an auditorium. I thought there should be an announcer (like the way Korea has StarCraft announcers). Serving some nachos and pop wouldn't have hurt either.

The majority of the audience was quiet and respectful, but the unruly members didn't ruin the fact that it was very exciting to watch Wiebe play. How old are Donkey Kong machines? He beat the high score on it after the first stage. I don't think I could get passed the first stage if it were a life or death situation.

I am a sports (mostly baseball) fan, and this was just as exciting as watching any important ball game. I watched Wiebe play for a total of two hours and four minutes. He ended with a high score of 842,600. While the audience proclaimed their disappointment with their chorus of "awwww," they immediately followed it up with clapping and cheering. He did not break his record tonight, but I know he will reclaim his title of King of Kong some day.

Sakura Wars: So Long my Love

I own several never-been-played games. It's a terrible habit. I also have a subscription to Gamefly. Before I impulsively download a new game or run out to Toys 'r' Us to see if there are any good deals, I have to stop and think about what I already have, and what hasn't been played yet. Gamefly sent me Sakura Wars: So Long my Love...10 weeks ago. I finally decided to pick it up and am about 8.5 hours into it.

I started to get into all things "geeky" when I was in 6th-7th grade. The first Sakura Taisen game came out around that time. If I played this game when I was 12, it would have been the best game ever. It took 14 years for this series to reach North America, and I had to spend the first couple hours of the game cringing at the portrayals of a steam-powered New York and its citizens. This game is very story heavy. Unfortunately, the plot of this story is also very thin. It's probably because this is a dating simulation. I'm going to list them to you. Maybe you'll think I have zero imagination, but maybe you'll think you're getting too old for this shit. I'll start with 19-year-old Taiga Shinjiro.


He's scrawny and short. He looks nothing like his much more attractive uncle (or whatever) that owns a shop in Mid-Town. If you're into boys that look like girls and are completely and utterly non-threatening, this is the guy for you...and apparently all the women of Sakura Wars. Speaking of the women of Sakura Wars...


This is Gemini Sunrise. She's from Texas. Can't you tell? She lives in her studio apartment with her horse, Larry. She also seems to have a samurai fetish because Texan girls knew everything about Samurai back in 1928.


This is Cherion. She used to be a part of a gang that was made up of non-white people. Now, she is a lawyer. Only 8 years after women earned the right to vote, this minority woman from the ghetto managed to become a lawyer. Amazing!


This is Speedy Gonzales. Um, I mean Rosita. She loves shooting guns. Maybe that got her kicked out of Mexico, but here in the States, she rocks the Second Amendment.

That's the weasel that she keeps as a secondary food supply. His name is Niccolo, but I like to call him Nico Bellic.



This is Diana Caprice. She is a doctor, needs a wheelchair, hangs around Central Park feeding birds all day, and is a vegetarian...LOL Japan.


This is Subaru. Every time she shows up, I think of SUVs. Now, I'm going to go into some actual Asian-American history here. In Victorian times, it was considered taboo to have sex with Asian women because some Americans thought they all looked the same. As in, the girls looked just like the boys. So, when something becomes a sexual taboo, it will no doubt become hot to someone. Well then I must say, Subaru is totally hot.


Ah, Ratchet Altair. You kind of remind me of another character from a ridiculous game. This is also a great illustration, to show you who Ratchet is exactly.



This is Cherry Cocker. I think Shinjiro must have seen her in All Anal on the Western Front via a steam powered DVD Player once.


Anri is hapa; Asian American, if you will. She came all the way from Seattle...in 1928. I bet it took her like, 6 months to get to New York. For some reason, she wants to wear kimono all the time, while the other Japanese characters don't.

What Could be Missing
There is something in me that made me think that I loved dating sims, and I was sad they were rarely brought here. All I had were the Harvest Moon games, Thousand Arms, and Bible Black. None of which, by the way, are anything like each other at all. Especially Bible Black. In case you couldn't tell from the way I described these characters, I think my suspension of disbelief is not what it used to be.

Though, after a lot of dialogue and a couple of battles, I found myself wanting to play more. I'm not asking for an H game here, but it would help if Taiga could actually get laid in the game. You know, get it on with Gemini Sunrise while Larry watches from his hay pile. The game is so ridiculous, you'd think it'll happen, but it doesn't. You don't even have to show anything, NIS! Then again, he is pretty pathetic. He maybe surrounded by chicks, but I don't think he's getting any even if that option was available in the game. I suppose he gets one in the end, though.

LIPS System
Anyway, as I've mentioned in this blog before, I've been playing Dragon Quest IX. I've put about 40 hours into it, and I'm at level 39, 39, and 38. I don't play for the story. I just play for old school RPG goodness. In other words, grinding. Fight after fight after fight. Sakura Wars has this pace of two different systems. There is something called the Live & Interactive Picture System (LIPS). There three kinds. Normal LIPS is when you are given a multiple choice question. Each answer will give you good or bad points with the character you're talking to. Analog LIPS is when you can raise a gauge up or down, determining the amount of umpf in your action....ahahahah it'd be amazing if you could do something dirty to a character and then be given analog LIPS. Okay, anyway the third is Stick LIPS. That's when you are directed which way to use the analog stick to raise a gauge. Half of the game is using this LIPS system.

Strategic Warfare
The other half of the game is epic, tactical, turn-based, giant robot chess. You have a set number of turns/moves, and it represented by a gauge. You can use this guage up by moving, attacking, joint attacking, or healing. You can also use SuperMoves, but those require SP, which you earn by taking damage or using up turns to earn SP. The long cinematics that come with some of the attacks can be a nuisance, but I find the basic battle system enjoyable.

Conclusion
The game is separated into chapters. There are not a lot of save points. It's annoying because I've actually had to turn off the PS3 in between save points, and then redo whatever I went through when I start up again. I'm about halfway through the game. Even though the game seems silly, I still want to answer all the questions right and beat other giant robots taking over New York City.

It makes me unhappy when I hear that something like Ponyo or Spirited Away was not successful because it was "too Japanese." I love my Gloomy Bear slippers. I was devastated to hear of Satoshi Kon's death. The first anime I ever loved was Ranma. I'm not really sure what happened to me when I first started this game, feeling irritated by Tenchi-Muyo-esque situations. I've probably seen it too much. Though, recently, I've played a lot of Monday Night Combat and Left 4 Dead 2, and I feel it is best for me to have a wide variety of games to enjoy.

PAX Prime 2010 (Game Impressions)

This post will cover the (few) games I played this past weekend at Penny Arcade Expo. There is a more personal account of the convention in my LiveJournal. That entry includes accounts of other activities I did in Seattle, photos, a fun story about Gabe saying I didn't have to wear pants, and brief descriptions of the four panels I attended.

NBA Jam
At PAX, demos of both the HD version and Wii version were available for play. It's difficult to play anything at PAX without having to stand around and wait your turn. Some games, of course, you will wait much longer for than others. A group of people walked away from an NBA Jam kiosk, and I was matched with three others to play a single basketball game. I chose my home team, (six-time Champions) the Bulls. The guys I played against chose the Lakers, which was perfect because I hate the Lakers.



The original NBA Jam came out when I was nine. I didn't have an SNES or a Genesis then. So, I only have vague memories of playing it at a family friend's house. Back then, sports games were different. The unrealistic arcade-gameplay are the only sports games I've ever experienced. The new NBA Jam has two modes. The classic mode, and remix mode. We were playing the classic mode, and it was a blast. We were a bunch of strangers yelling, laughing, and taunting each other. I should have had a room party and invited them for some Mario Kart DS or something.

Anyway, the sprites of the players in this game are great. They are updated, but still have an old feel with their pasted on heads that get flipped whenever they look this way or that. The controls are simple. You used the analog stick on the nunchuck to move your guy (I was Derrick Rose). Fling the Wiimote up to dunk or block, press B to steal or grab a rebound, and A to pass. I later found out you can just use the Wiimote without the nunchuck (NES style), or the Wii classic controller (which is what I prefer). I don't know how to do it, but you can shove people too. You'll also hear classic commentary like, "BOOM-SHAKA-LAKA!" Or new ones like, "No hoop for you!" (For video of gameplay, watch the trailer here.)

I would call this title pretty much a Wii exclusive, despite it being available on the PS3 and the 360. The Wii version is its own game being released on October 5th for $49.99. A smaller version of the game will be available for the 360 and the PS3 in HD...if you are buying NBA Elite 11 (which will cost $59.99). Pretty sneaky, huh?

The original publisher of NBA Jam was Chicago's very own Midway Games. They were known for making great arcade sports games. Later on, Sega had the 2K series, which were also great arcade-style sports games. I think EA made a good choice, here. Sure, realistic sports games sell. I am not an anti-sports fan. Baseball is one of my passions, and I'm excited to see the Bulls have a lot of potential. Though, I don't want Madden or MLB: The Show. I want Blitz and Power Pros. I will buy NBA Jam. I think I might have a party too.



Epic Mickey
After seeing some of the initial concept art for this game, I knew it was going to be a lot about the visuals. Disney Interactive rented out three large spaces in the exhibition hall. Two of the three of them were for Epic Mickey. One of them had cinematics from the game running, and some interviews, but no gameplay footage. There were also two artists who would draw Mickey pictures for attendees. The other space was where you played the game. I saw someone walk away from a kiosk, and I jumped on it.



A friendly developer named Clay spotted us and started to go through the game with me. I don't remember what the controls were exactly, but there was a button that made you paint the color blue, and another that made you paint green. Blue added surfaces you could walk on, and green took them away. What I found odd and unnecessary was this first person mode you could go into when painting. It was a little disorienting. (Though, that first person mode is optional; the game appears to be all in third person.) With this adding surfaces and taking them away, I could see how this game is a bit of a puzzle platformer. I do really enjoy that type of game, and there aren't too many out there.

At the end of the level, there was this little guy I could save...or a treasure chest full of coins. There was a way to get both the guy saved and the coins, but it was tricky. Of course, I messed it up and only got the coins. Clay explained to me a morality system, where throughout the game you'd be given options like this. He said, "You can be good Mickey or you can be bad Mickey." Well, after I chose the treasure chest, I was scolded in the game, "What kind of hero are you?!"

I have only heard of Epic Mickey, but before PAX, I had not seen cinematics (which were impressive) or gameplay. I heard the game was supposed to be dark. They were definitely trying to give that vibe with the colors and the content, but you know, I'm still playing a Mickey game. While playing it, I pointed at a lot of things and went, "How cute!" I got the impression (from the concept art) the game was going to be very visual. I used to think a game could not be beautiful on the Wii until I played Muramasa. While the cinematics in Epic Mickey were impressive, the game is in 3D. So, I still really wanted to see this on the PS3.



I think this game has been way over-hyped for me. Though, I also think this game could be really fun, but I don't feel the need to pick it up immediately. With Guilty Party just out and Epic Mickey coming soon, maybe Disney Interactive is onto something.

Sonic Colors
Passing by the Sega booth, I saw two things I wanted to play. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 and Sonic Colors. After a slew of mediocre Sonic titles that appeared after the Sonic Adventure games, I sort of just rolled my eyes at any new Sonic title. Though, I had a complete blast with Sonic and Sega All-Star racing. It was my last day in the expo hall, and I didn't want to waste too much time in line. I decided to pick Sonic Colors over Sonic 4 because it looked like something I had not played before. Fristle watched the gameplay for Sonic and said, "Now, this is what a Sonic game today should look like." I completely agree, and I thought similarly when I saw the trailer for Sonic Colors a short while back.



I didn't play this game for long. Not because I was in a hurry or pulled off the kiosk early. I played through a couple of stages in "Tropical Resort" and they just went fast. So fast, I could barely control where I was going. The game actually looked really good, but I barely saw anything because I think technology might have caught up with Sonic's true speed. (I feel like a little old lady describing this game.) The game essentially felt like and original Sonic game, but not in the 2D platformer view. It was in third person and reminded me a lot of a racing game. I didn't play long enough to actually have any kind of adjustment to the game, but I'd like to try again. It did kind of make me want to go back to the simpler, slower demo of Sonic the Hedgehog 4. ^^;

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light
When I first heard about this game, I ignored it. As much as I love (certain) Final Fantasy games, I can't stand how Squeenix milks their franchises. I feel like they should be put more effort into making new original games (like The World Ends With You). I've been playing a lot of Dragon Quest IX lately. In fact, I'm pretty close to beating it. When I came to that realization, a panic came over me. What am I supposed to play next that will suck me in for hours upon hours? Well, this game could be the answer.

I only played it for a few minutes, but it didn't take long to notice a simple no-frills battle system, basic character classes, and random battles. It felt like Dragon Quest, except no one was going Super Saiyan on me. Although I was just in single player mode, I found out there is also a cooperative multiplayer one too. I have only played a few hours into Final Fantasy XIII and have little interest in it. The 4 Heroes of Light was the Final Fantasy I was asking for from Squeenix. I don't want a 20 hour tutorial; I just want to play.



Marvel vs. Capcom 3
I don't have a whole lot to say about this game because I only played it for a few minutes. The trailers for this game did not show very much at all. I was under the impression it would look like Street Fighter IV. It was still the 3D game with 2D gameplay, but had more of a comic-book look to it. I am a big Capcom fighting game fan. I own Marvel vs. Capcom 2 for the Dreamcast...and I wasn't very fond of it. I bought it out of obligation to my love for Capcom. (There were other Capcom fighting games I enjoyed significantly more on the Dreamcast like Project Justice and Power Stone.) In MVC3, the characters take up more of the screen and the moves feel more fluid. Gameplay was said to be more like Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, which is a game that I love, but only really play in the arcades. I think I will eventually pick up this game for the 360. I'd prefer to have it for the PS3, but I have more friends on LIVE and own a Hori Ex 2.

Arcade

Monday Night Combat
The first time I got to try this game was at PAX East. Just from playing a few rounds (and finding out it was an Arcade game), I knew I was going to pick it up. It looked like Team Fortress 2. You are either on the blue team or the orange team, and you can choose from several classes (assault, tank, support, gunner, assassin, or sniper). There is much more than meets the eye, though. Monday Night Combat is more like an action-based tower defense game.

Since this game was released last Wednesday, it's taken up a few of my evenings. After last night, I think I finally got the hang of it. For the first time, I had more kills than deaths. ^^; I've spent a good amount of time with every class (with the exception of the sniper). Even though they are slow, I prefer being the tank and the gunner.

I find it significantly more enjoyable (like most games) to be playing with friends. They are on my level, and we actually try to have balanced teams. It's pretty annoying to go online and have to go against teams that are all assassins or all gunners. I'm not a big fan of $15 being the standard for Arcade games, but I think Monday Night Combat is well worth it.

Last night, while playing someone made the comment, "Oh great, I'm on the girls' team." Another friend of mine (on the opposing team) taunted, "Haha! You're gonna lose!" Well, I was on that girls' team and we won that match (though, only half of us were girls). I thought the gals of Sugar Gamers might appreciate that story. ^^

Tank! Tank! Tank!
The past couple of weekends, I've made a trip out to Gameworks to hang out with some friends. One friend showed us a game called Tank! Tank! Tank!. My friend Sherwin had a time card, and kept feeding credits into the machine. So, we kept playing. This simple little game is fun and addictive. The sound is loud, the screen is long and tall, you hold on to this wheel, and you are jerked backward and forward whenever you shoot. There are pedals you press down on to move forward or backward, you use the wheel to steer your tank, and you press buttons on the wheel to shoot.


Speakers are built into the seats


The buttons used to shoot on the steering wheel glow

There are three different modes. You can be on a team and shoot at each other, be an individual tank and shoot at each other, or be on a team that shoots at giant robot bees and robot sea creatures. Well, shooting at giant robot bees and octopi was definitely the more popular option. Though, after playing that whole evening we had yet to figure out how to play against or with each other.

Another thing we had an absolute blast with is the camera. You choose a fun frame and a picture is snapped of you. This is used to represent you throughout the game (much like Mario Kart Arcade).


Me!


My friend Lindsay


Is that Rex?


TF feels pretty

Photos courtesy of my friend, Mark T. ^^

Game Break

May was for Anime Central, June was preparing for Anime Expo, July was for Otakon, and now that it's August? It's time to prep for PAX Prime! Though...*yawn*...I'm feeling pretty exhausted from the past three cons. -_- Makes me want to play games I shouldn't be playing, and you know, blog when I should be working.

Dragon Quest IX
Shortly after Dragon Quest IX was released, I went to Best Buy and picked it up. I am not to far in the game (only at level 16) and I've spent most of the clock canvassing for guests. For those of you who don't have Dragon Quest IX or haven't gotten around to this option yet, you can set your wi-fi signal on your DS to search for other Dragon Quest IX players. While sitting at my artist alley table at Otakon, I was able to just keep my DS on and search for others. Unfortunately, the maximum amount you can search for at a time is three guests. I just kept my DS open and every time I saw it reach three (which was frequent), I had to empty them into lounge. It's fun to see other people's characters, since they are so customizable. I also like how everyone can put in their own little greeting. (I wrote redstarcostumes.com as mine, a little shameless self promotion there.)

As far as the actual gameplay goes, it is a solid, basic JRPG. I dislike that you can't just explore anywhere (passages are blocked off until you get past a certain point in the game). I also miss traveling with actual characters with little stories and personalities. Now everyone in your party is "hero." Though, I realize this was to enable multi-player and that makes Dragon Quest IX a great activity with friends and loved ones. It is difficult to enjoy a single player game with multiple people (though, I try anyway). Level 5 was successful in making the basic JRPG into more of a social experience. Standard battle was kept, and we don't have to pass the controller around. I am enjoying it. Even though it completely drawn me in yet, I play almost every night before bed.

Final Fantasy XIII
I pre-ordered Final Fantasy XIII. After it was delivered, I played it for an hour, wasn't interested and didn't pick it up again until a few days ago. I went to the Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds concert at Wolf Trap in Northern Virginia. It made me feel nostalgic and I wanted to play a Final Fantasy. I played the Limbo demo. It was great, and right when I was about to "unlock the full game" I realized there were a slew of games I bought recently, but haven't' opened or barely touched. (Current stack includes: Pokemon HeartGold, Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility, Dragon Quest IX, Final Fantasy XII, and GameFly sent over Sakura Wars.) Before I went nuts and added to my pile of games I recently obtained, I gave FFXIII another shot.

Most of the characters are unlikeable and I have no attachment to them. Hope is the biggest emo pussy I have ever seen in a Final Fantasy (also, he has a girl's name). Vanille is your standard cute girl. Don't know much about Sazh, but that baby chocobo makes me squeal every time I see it. I cannot stand Snow; he has got to be the biggest douchebag. If Ed Hardy existed in the FF universe, he would be wearing his t-shirts. Oh and Lightning? (Who, by the way, has my namesake). She is totally bad ass. Bad-ass women don't exist in games. Usually, they are sex objects who can kick ass. Lightning is pretty, but she is definitely a rare character in games.

I am still early in the game (only about three hours), and I am already tired of the tutorials. It feels like Square picked up X and XII's gameplay, combined them and somehow made it significantly inferior. The Crystariumis like the Sphere Grid in X and choosing the character's AI via roles (magic or physical attacks) and behaviour (offensive or defensive) reminds me of the gambit system. It sort of looked like they had given XIII a basic battle system (which would have been great), but decided it wasn't fancy or complicated enough. So, they had to throw in this extra bullshit that is making me go through tutorials that apparently last up to twenty hours into the game.

Being not so attached to the characters in a mediocre story line also makes surf the internet while cut scenes occur. Yet, I am still playing it. I want to give it a chance, but I think I may tire of it soon and just buy that copy of Limbo.

PAX Prime
PAX East: It just started, so it doesn't have everything together just yet. It is moving venues, so it will definitely not have everything together. It's in a cold place. It is not before the major release season. It is closer to me than Seattle is, but I think it might be a while until I start going to PAX East instead of PAX Prime. I've got my 3-day badge, my plane ticket to Seattle, and a hotel reservation. This is the best con out there, and I am very much looking forward to it.

Post-PAX East, Pre- PAX Prime

The above video is Sunday's report, all four videos (each about 2.5 minutes long) can be found on my YouTube channel.

After experiencing the plenty of space and organization of PAX 2009, PAX East had its disappointments. Despite this, I still had a great time meeting people and spending time with friends. I used to think there was nothing I could do for our business at PAX, that it was merely a vacation, but attending PAX East made me realize there's actually a few things I could be doing. Meeting certain people, cosplaying (Momohime gallery here), and being acutely aware of what all the attendees were wearing gave me some ideas. This and my disappointment with PAX East as a convention, made me long for attending PAX Prime, but I am still not sure if I can justify the cost. Oh, not to mention that PAX is my favourite convention out of the 6-7 I attend in a year.

Less than a week after PAX East, pre-registration for PAX Prime went live. It will sell out, and I found myself needing to make a decision significantly faster than I was expecting. I most likely will end up buying a badge, whether I know I'm going or not. There is a special place in my heart for PAX. I love Seattle, I like ending my summer with a bang, I love just being able to talk to anyone, and I have many fond memories of PAX. What to do, what to do...

Pre-PAX East

The schedule for PAX East was actually up back in February. I follow them on twitter, so I immediately read through it and figured out what panels and events I would like to attend.

Friday
Organizing a Child's Play Fundraiser, 5:00pm
Friday Night Concerts!, 8:30pm
Movie: The Dungeon Masters, 11:00pm

Saturday
Greetings from a Dead-Tree Dinosaur Cartoonist v1.1, 10:00am

Chiptune 5: Live Free or Chip Hard, 11:00am
Kotaku and Croal: In Search Of The Best Games Ever, 11:30am
Memes, Microcultures, and 2D Chicks: Our Future in the Otaku Gamer, 1:30pm

Sunday
Penny Arcade Panel #2, 1:00pm

I figured my list is too ambitious. I do like spending a lot of time in the exhibition hall trying out games and collecting free items. Though, with no holiday season near, I really wonder what exactly is going to be in the exhibition hall. I also will be in costume on Saturday, and I know that will probably take up a good amount of time too.

Every time I come back from PAX, I make a little write about all the games I played (here are reports from 2008 and 2009), the panels I attended, and the activities I did in the city. While writing both these reports up, I thought, "Why did I not write down the games I was playing and my impressions?" (In 2009, I was able to keep track a bit more thanks to Twitter.) This time around, I still will probably use Twitter to help, but I want to remember to carry around my little notebook so I can write more than 140 characters. Fristle also recently gave me a MinoHD camcorder. I am hoping to use that to document the con too.

I've never been to Boston, and today, I printed out directions to several different places I would like to eat. Maybe I won't be able to see all the sights, but being from Chicago, I feel like food can really define a place. Here is a list of places I am interested in: Myers and Chang, Betty's Wok and Noodle, Mike's Pastry, and The Atlantic Fish Company. I'm sure my friends will also make good suggestions too. There is also a handful of PAX parties going on at some bars/restaurants around the convention center. Kotaku, IGN, 2old2play.com, and Joystiq are all holding parties too. Maybe I'll check one of those out.

I'm arriving in Boston around 3 this Thursday, and I've got some time to kill. I was excited to find out there is a Johnny Cupcakes store nearby! In fact, there is a whole shopping area not too far from the con center. I will definitely be checking that out.

I am really excited, but have a lot to do before I leave. Momohime still needs to be finished, and I need to do laundry and pack. I was hoping to purchase some spring clothes before I leave, but I'm not sure if I'll have any time. In about 48 hours, I will be at the airport, sitting at my gate!