Hey everyone,

Since I have such an abundance of free time, and Vinny seems to love ignoring my beloved first person shooters (except for this game called Bioshock, like anyone plays that anyway… Kidding, kidding!) I thought I’d compare four of the great first person shooters I know. And being a Playstation fanboy, it kills me to add Halo 3 on this list, but it would be pure ignorance to not put one of the most popular FPS’s of the current gen systems on this list. So alas, here it goes. (If anyone has any other FPS’s to add to this list that I missed feel free to comment and I will look into it. Games from previous gen systems are disqualified, so no Goldeneye. And no Vinny, I will not put Bioshock on this list, and you can’t make me.)
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Hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday break.  Here’s what I’m personally anticipating for 2010.

Bayonetta

The wait is not much longer now.  Been playing the demo nonstop.

Mass Effect 2

While I found the original Mass Effect to be a little overrated, the sequel promises to fix a lot of the problems (if you can call it that) of the first game.  Definitely looking forward to playing it.

BioShock 2

I really enjoyed the atmosphere and storyline behind the first game.  The gameplay was loads of fun too.  Therefore, by default, I’m anticipating the sequel.

Alan Wake

Interesting premise.  Don’t know what else to say except that I really want to play it for the story.

Final Fantasy XIII

Of course.  How could I leave this game out?  I suppose no further explanation is needed.

Now that the holidays are approaching quickly, it’s time to solidify your gift list.  Sometimes you just don’t know what you want.  Other times, you want too much and don’t know what gifts should make the cut.  I had much difficulty deciding what exactly I wanted for Christmas.  I tried to avoid video games as much as possible, thinking I should change it up a bit.  If you need help deciding what gifts to get for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc., maybe you’ll get some ideas here.

My Wishlist

PSP Go – Pearl White + Some PSN Cards

Perhaps I’ll start off with a controversial item.  I had to choose between a PSP 3000 and a PSP Go.  Why the Go?  After all, it lacks a UMD drive, has a smaller screen, has less games, and costs much more.  Here’s why.  I don’t own a PSP at the moment; therefore, I have no UMDs.  If you’re a current PSP owner, making the switch is much more difficult.  I don’t mind having an UMD-less system.  Most of the games I want are already available for download anyway.  I also love the form factor.  Lastly, even though the screen is smaller, since it’s the same resolution as a PSP 3000, images appear a little sharper.  Smaller screen at the same resolution = somewhat sharper images.  Oh, and I’m not worrying about the price.  It’s Christmas after all!  (lolz)

Tekken 6 – Special Edition

The limited edition comes with a fight stick and an art book.  At $150, it may seem like a lot, but at Amazon it was approximately $78.  Good deal, right?  I could also use that fight stick for Street Fighter IV.  So, it was a good idea.

Assassin’s Creed I and II

I heard that the first game was repetitive and somewhat mediocre.  On the other hand, the sequel was being praised left and right.  The only reason I’m getting the first is to better understand the story when I play the second.  Basically, I only want Assassin’s Creed II.

Wii Sports Resort and an extra Wii Motion Plus peripheral

I wanted the peripheral for a while now and Wii Sports Resort did look like fun, just not $50 worth of fun.  ‘Tis the season to ask for whatever though and it’s not my purse making this transaction, so I put it on my wishlist.  I hope more developers take advantage of the peripheral though.  Don’t want this to be another Wii Speak…

Gamestop Gift Cards

Most of the games that I really want are coming out after Christmas.  Mass Effect 2, BioShock 2, Bayonetta, Final Fantasy XIII, etc.  I need those gift cards, see?  That’s called contingency thinking.

And that’s about it.  So much for avoiding video games.  If you have a video game-related question you would like to ask, simply email HPZ at info@hiddenpalacezone.com.  Happy gaming!

So I moved back into my college dorm yesterday (it’s actually a hotel suite… it’s pretty sweet), hence the fact that there’s no real update.  The process of moving in and out is such a chore that I simply do not have time to keep you posted with video game news.  I know, sad day for all!  In addition, classes start today!  What fun!

For those curious, here’s my class list:

Japanese I (That’s so kawaii!!  ^_^  *shudder*)

Intro to American Government (lol.  Intro class)

Computers and Info Tech (It’s a requirement.  I’m predicting it to be easy)

Intro to Symbolic Logic (Philosophy.  Have no idea what to expect here)

Comparative Politics II (Now it’s personal)

Wish me luck, etc.  Time to start the day.  First class?  Japanese I.  And so it begins.

The Twilight series has been met with critical praise from preteen/teenage school girls and critical detestation from all other walks of life.  Some people need to take it to the extremes though.

At approximately 7:45 A.M. this morning, witnesses reported seeing a strangely clothed man, wielding a distinctive whip, enter the studio of the new Twilight movie, New Moon.  Thinking the man was part of the cast, the witnesses, who prefer to be left anonymous, went about their daily routines.

Five minutes later, at about 7:50 A.M., loud screams were heard emanating from the studio.  Security officer Nathan Ardaluc rushed to the scene while simultaneously calling for backup that never showed.  As he opened the door, in the distance, he saw the man systematically slaying the cast.

“I was petrified.  This guy here was a freak, lemme tell you.  At first, I saw him throw some sort of holy water or something at one of the actors.  It didn’t do much.  After, the lunatic yelled something like, ‘What foul magic is this?  Taste the holy blade of my axe, wretched vampire!’  He then threw an axe right at the guy!  Poor bastard never stood a chance.”

When questioned why the officer never took action, he responded by saying, “I tried to.  I aimed my gun, but the psycho threw another axe… at me this time!  I swear, he had about forty of them!  It only hit my gun though.  He said, ‘Comrade, do not be manipulated by these beings of darkness.  Slay you I wish not, but I must if you succumb to the powers of the Dark Lord.’ Afterwards, he killed another crew member with his whip before jumping fifty feet in the air and escaping through the roof!”

Investigators are still looking into the matter and Mr. Ardaluc has been transferred to a psychiatric ward in order to undergo some tests before being reassigned to his post.

Just because this is a Top 5ive list, doesn’t mean that every game listed here is worth a purchase.  For the most part, it’s quite the contrary.  Although I would recommend steering away from a few of these games, I give props to the developers for their creativity in naming their games.  You probably haven’t heard of most of these games, but these do exist… Oh God do they exist.

5.) Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness (Gamecube)

“XD” is an emoticon that represents a person laughing, usually at the expense of another individual.  Once I heard this title, I was “XDing” myself tbqh (to be quite honest).  However, in this installment of the ever popular Pokemon franchise, “XD” simply means “Extra Dimension.”  Why not just call it “ED” then?  Wait, “ED” stands for erectile dysfunction.  Yep, stick with “XD” Nintendo.

4.) O.M.G. 26 (DS)

O.M.G. is a clever acronym for “Our Mini Games.”  If you couldn’t tell already, O.M.G is a minigame compilation with, get this, 26 games to choose from!  It’s a shame that most of the games are just boring and short.  Save your money for something better, like O.M.F.G.  Really now, who didn’t see that coming?

3.) LOL (DS)

LOL is a glorified PictoChat application that is probably not worth your money.  It’s multiplayer only, similar to PictoChat, but you thankfully don’t need a copy of the game for every DS system.  Keep in mind, you will not “LOL” if you purchase this game.  You will say “S***!” while the game developers will “LOL” all the way to the bank.  Actually, I think a total of ten (10) copies of this game were sold (don’t quote me on this… lol).

2.) WTF (PSP)

WTF is another clever acronym.  It stands for “Work Time Fun.”  You basically work for cash… and it’s fun or something.  The game is similar to WarioWare, minus 160 minigames.  While not THAT great of a game, it’s fairly decent.  I would recommend this minigame compilation over O.M.G., but WarioWare is probably the best option.

1.) StarWars: The Force Unleashed (DS)

At first you may think, “Vinny, this is most definitely NOT similar to the other games on this list.”  To that, I must counter ask, “What makes it so different?”  StarWars: The Force Unleashed, otherwise known as “STFU” is the most clever video game title of all time.  If you disagree, then please stfu. I mean, if you know of better titles, then just leave a comment.  =)

Premiering this Friday on Broadway is the soon-to-be classic Street Fighter: The Musical!  Legendary composer, Suzuki Toyota, showcases his best work yet in this two hour, glorious production.  Some musical numbers include:

• Bison of the Night
• Everyone’s a Little Bit Narcissistic
• Akuma Matata
• Cammy and the Beast
• Guile and Dolls

If you thought the previous two Street Fighter movies sucked, then you’re absolutely right!  Thankfully, this is not a movie and the production value exceeds $25.  Moreover, the script was written by Tim Sanchez, a renowned playwright of the 21st century.  Sanchez has written over twelve plays in the last decade, two of the most recent being Pac-Man Fever and Castlevania: Symphony of Sorrow.

Reserve your tickets today!  If you’re a student, be sure to ask for a student discount.  If you’re an adult, then why the f*** would you want to spend money on this?!

Don’t worry, we did not make this up.  I know I know… Most of you think we can’t interview real people for some reason or another, but we can and we did.  Lo and behold, an interview with an ex-Gamestop employee (who wishes to remain anonymous).  How boring.  He’s still real, I assure you.  CRAP!  Now you know it’s a guy.  I won’t divulge any more information… Except for the interview itself.

Hidden Palace Zone: So, you wish to remain anonymous, right?  What name do wish to go by?

???: How about… Link.

HPZ: …  That’s a terrible name.  We’re gonna call you “X.”  As in, ex-Gamestop employee.

X: (laughs)

HPZ: That was stupid.  No need to laugh at that.  No need to flatter us.  Now then, how come every time I go to purchase a game, you guys constantly push me into reserving something totally different?

X: Well, by the end of the week, we need to be sure that at least 8% of our sales were reserves and 4% were subscriptions.

HPZ: If not, you get…?

X: Fired.  Nah, I’m kidding.

HPZ: While we’re on the subject of Gamestop employees forcing useless s*** down our throats, why do you push those strategy guides too?  Don’t you guys make enough money on used games?

X: Well, we’re supposed to push those guides, but everyone knows that.  Actually, someone bought Mario Kart and asked if he needed a strategy guide.  I said no.  I know, what a shocker!  Anyway, my manager notices and told me that I should really try and push those sales.  Why?  It’s just Mario Kart.  She responded by saying, “But the maps!”  I just sighed.

HPZ: What was the worst mispronunciation of a game that you heard?

X: Someone called and asked for “Auto Grand Theft Eye Vee.”  Unfortunately for him, it didn’t come out until next week.

HPZ: As far as we know, a game like that never came out at all.  What about “crazy mom stories?”  Any of those?

X: Well, this is more of a crazy kid story, who happened to have his mom with him of course.  I asked if they needed any help, and the kid responds by saying, “I want those killing games.  I want to blow things up.”  So I look at the mom and she looks back and says, “What?”  I guess it was no big deal to her.

HPZ: Get any prank calls?

X: Yes we do.  Most of them ask for Battletoads, which was a Super Nintendo game.  No, Gamestop will not be expecting a shipment of Battletoads any time soon… unless there’s a remake or something.  If there is, we will ask you to reserve it.

HPZ: (laughs)  Any random stories you care to share?

X: Hmm, this old woman came into the store once asking for a card game.  So I ask her, “What system do you want it for?”  She looked confused.  Eventually I find out that she wanted real cards and not a video game.  “No ma’am, we don’t carry that here.”

HPZ: Thank you for your time.  I hope this was an enlightening experience for our readers.

continue reading "HPZ Music Update: 2/13"