Two completely different games. But that is what I'm playing. Well, in the case of Super Mario, beaten.

I was pretty impressed by the little Italian plumber, the levels were just the right length and difficulty and it looked beautiful. I especially enjoyed the special worlds that you unlock after the main game. My only gripe control wise, is that I just finished going back to get all 242 stars in Galaxy 2. So when I played this game I really disliked how slow the characters felt. I understand that controls can't be exactly the same, but either way, that is just how I felt. There also could have been a few more boss fights that were different. The few that the game had were mostly the same bosses in a different (usually dynamic) arena. As for getting a 5 star file, it was fun, but ultimately not worth the trouble. The reward was slim, all we really want is some fanfare, but instead you just get... well, I won't spoil it. At least it was better than the crap you get for getting all 242 in Galaxy 2, even Galaxy 1 was much more rewarding. Either way, I was really happy with the game overall and would definitely say it is a must have for the 3DS.

So on to the complete opposite of the spectrum, I just started Enslaved. I'm about two hours in and I really like the premise, but not the controls, they feel "darty" and inaccurate. It's almost like they tried to make it Uncharted like but got it completely wrong. It's a beautiful game, but that is marred by a shoddy frame-rate (at least on PS3) that is extremely distracting. I have to be honest, I'm really not feeling this game so far, I heard good things about it, but this may be too much for me. The characters are alright, the female lead is much better than the male, she is much more sympathetic and less cartoonish. The main premise of the game is that you are two escaped prisoners from an airship prison in a post-apocalyptic New York city (think I Am Legend). She actually ends up putting a mind control thingy on your head and she forces you (but in a nice way) to take her home, at which point she will let you go free. Hence the title of "Enslaved". It's mostly hand to hand combat and is rather button mashy, so nothing deep here. I'm going to try and get through this, but no promises.

On a more positive note, the n00bketeers podcast is returning for the new year after time off for Christmas and the New Year. And be sure to listen to the new We're Alive podcast too!

Beez.

I was elated that I got so many comments and suggestions, and big thanks to audiomillers wife who said the massage was definitely the right track. She loved it, and of course I happened to get some goods myself. 4 gifts to be exact, our family has adopted the drawing system. So you draw names and whichever name you draw is the person you buy for. So, I got one from my family, and one from hers, and two from my wife. Here is the breakdown.

Super Mario 3D Land (My sister in law Brittany) Money towards a ski trip (My parents) An uber nice electric Panasonic shaver (my lovely wife) And lastly, a pre-order on Air's new limited release DVD and Album (Also my loverly wife)

So that was a blast, and hanging out without all my nieces and nephews was fantastic. And if you are curious I bought the people I had RC Helicopters, twas insanity! I hope you all had a merry Christmas. Now what did you get?

Beez.

P.S. SM3DL IS TEH AWZUMS

So my wife Crystal has her birthday on the 15th of December and it always makes things difficult when it comes to gift buying. I always completely drain my creativity buying her birthday gift and forget about Christmas. This year is a little tight because of the little one we have been blessed with, so I can't spend a whole lot of cash on a present for her. I already spent $200 on her birthday gift and it was understood that that would be her "big gift" for the year. So here I am, three days before Christmas with nothing to show. I need something that is around 50 bucks and nothing is better than posing a query like this to the internet. Especially to people I so dearly trust. Even if it has been a long time since I was an active member of this community (Email reminders on blog posts please?). So A very merry Christmas to you all, and maybe you'll have some creative ideas. I'm thinking maybe a massage visit or something...

Beez.

If you don't know, I'm a huge GT5 fan. And if you didn't know, so is one of our resident UK Bloggers, Tay. He recently wrote a blog post about a big IGN GT5 event. Even if you don't play the game anymore, you should at least try getting in a big room like this. It's always very fun, so please join. The details are on Tays blog. Here is the link!

And don't forget headsets folks!

Or... What? Originally posted in May of 2009.

This is my weekly feature that is simple but telling. I will ask fifteen questions (mostly ?which do you prefer? questions), and the ones that aren?t which do you prefer the interviewee can feel free to explain all they want. Some questions have to do with gaming, and some to do with life in general. Since I don?t want things to get too stale I?ll change up the questions. And whoever I interview may request one question from a previous interview. Also, since coming up with questions can be a chore, feel free to post some suggestions.

Shotgun interview with Daemon Hatfield.

1. Q. Monster-0 or Tech9? A. I have a standing offer to be Tech N9ne?s DJ. So hopefully someday we won?t have to choose between these giants of Kansas City.

2. Q. FPS or Platformer? A. That depends. If the choice is between Half-Life 2 and Jak & Daxter, the answer is obviously Half-Life 2. If the choice is between Super Mario 64 and Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, the answer is obviously Mario 64. (What about Half-Life 2 or Mario 64 Daemon?)

3. Q. Peggle or Puzzle Quest? A. I?m still holding out hope for Peggle Quest.

4. Q. How many controllers have you broken and what was the reason for breaking the last one? A. Don?t think I?ve ever broken a controller. I did put a hole in my parents? bedroom wall, though, after being frustrated one too many times by Mega Man 2 back in the day. (I'm going to assume that was with your fist... ahem)

5. Q. Waffles or pancakes? A. Pancakes. Specifically, the pancakes at Serpentine in San Francisco.

6. Q. Arnold or Stallone? A. Arnold has a much stronger pedigree of ?80s action films.

7. Q. What was your first concert? A. R.E.M. in 1985. It was the first time I smelled pot. I remember asking my dad, ?what?s that smell???

8. Q. JRPG or WRPG? A. Fifteen years ago: JRPG. Now: WRPG.

9. Q. 80?s or 90?s? A. The ?80s. While there?s lots of great ?90s music, I still have nightmares about Creed, Seven Mary Three, Live, Better Than Ezra, Candle Box, Counting Crows, Dishwalla, Eagle Eye Cherry, Everclear, Harvey Danger? Ugh, so terrible. Give me ?80s pop music any day. (just you know, I happen to like Live, but the rest do indeed suck eggs)

10. Q. What type of food do you most dislike? A. Anything spicy. I?m a wimp.

11. Q. Wiggle or Waggle? A. Neither.

12. Q. Metal or Techno? A. I have to go with metal, just because I don?t claim to like any techno. I?m a big fan of a lot of electronica, ambient, and IDM, but techno to me sounds like a description of super cheesy dance music from the early ?90s. Stuff like ?Rhythm is a Dancer.? (Ambient electronica? I guess I should have put Metal or Air)

13. Q. What has been your best vacation? A. I?ve been to Tokyo five times. Two have been for work, one was for school, but they all felt like vacations. It?s the coolest place on Earth. Well, at least the coolest place I?ve been to.

14. Q. Gecko or Cavemen? A. Can I pick the creepy stack of money with the googly eyes? (Yes you can Daemon, yes you can)

15. Q. What gaming memory stands out the most? A. Probably sneaking into E3 in 1998 and 1999. My dad was the editor of a newspaper in Missouri so my buddy and I forged press credentials to get in. Not that it was really all that hard to get into the show back then, but the experience of getting to play all those games that were still in development was mind blowing. I remember waiting in line to see Zelda 64, Perfect Dark, Abe?s Odyssey, Conker?s Bad Fur Day, Brave Fencer Musashi, Final Fantasy VIII, Parasite Eve? All our friends back home were so jealous.

I don?t have to sneak into E3 anymore.

And there you have it, straight from the cats mouth. So please leave comments and feedback. And not to sound to Daemony but, please to enjoy.