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The Nintendo Wii. I need it. I’ve been lusting over this gaming gem for the past few months. Earlier this week, I went to GameStop with Kevan and Cliff. We had a blast playing Excite Truck. The Wiimote is incredibly easy to use. Does it take some getting used to? Yes. Is it worth it? Most definitely. After playing a driving game using the Wiimote, I can’t imagine going back. The graphics were ok; not mind-blowing, but not utter trash either - and that’s fine by me. The Wii isn’t a powerhouse like the Xbox 360 or the PS3 and doesn’t have the media capability. Then again, it doesn’t cost as much as the other consoles. It’s all about gameplay and fun, both of which the system delivers on. It’s affordable, small, sleek, and most importantly fun. Plus, the Virtual Console looks awesome. I have a DS and I love it. I’m sure the Wii will do the exact same thing to me: make me a believer and make gaming refreshing again.

I went to Target during lunch today with Kevan and Cliff to try out the PS3. It looked great. The graphics were HD and eye-dazzling. The interface looked mature and polished. The system itself is pretty damn sexy. The only thing I’m bitter on is the SIXAXIS remote. A stupid name for a blatant rip of the Wiimote. The price is a bit much too. Somewhere down the road, in the distant future, I’ll probably get a PS3. It does look good, and if Blu-Ray pans out, it’ll be a nice bonus.

In any case, I plan on braving the crowds of hygiene-challenged nerds on Sunday morning in hopes of getting one. Wish me luck.

BTW, this PS3 shit is getting out of control. These pricks are camping out by the droves in hopes of maybe, possibly, hopefully landing a PS3 on launch day. Kevan says these people look like hobos. He’s absolutely right. These saps waiting in a line for days without the guarantee of a PS3. It’s pretty ludicrous in my book. Now reports of fights, robberies, and drive-by shootings. It’s only going to get worse when people find out they’ve been waiting for 2 days straight for nothing. If I don’t get a Wii on Sunday, I’ll be disappointed, but I won’t be so utterly crushed and dejected like these people in line for the PS3.

There is a buy-1-get-1-free deal going on at Cold Stone right now. The offer is good through the end of January ‘07, so there is plenty of time to cash in. Limit 1 per person, per visit, but you can print out the coupon as many times as you like. Lately, I’ve been finding Cold Stone way too rich, but with this deal, I might make an exception and get a small serving (which is actually a huge serving). I don’t even want to know how unhealthy it is for you. Back in high school and college, I used to be able to put these things away. Now, I can barely finish a small. I hope it’s not a sign of me getting old. Next thing you know I’ll be at Home Town Buffet eating dinner at 2 in the afternoon.

Guitar Hero II was released, purchased, played, and questioned. I’ve been waiting for this since the day after I bought the original Guitar Hero game. I’m crazy for the game. I honestly think it’s one of the greatest games ever created. So now that I’ve got it, you got to be wondering, ‘Did the game deliver?’. Yes, with a hint of no. The game itself has matured and evolved into an even more rockin’ beast. The new co-op and pro face-off modes are a huge breath of fresh air, especially the co-op mode. As icing on the cake, the graphics are sharper, the audio is crisper, and the gameplay is more responsive. The art is great as always and the game overall looks more polished. Now comes the part where my blind loyalty and devotion to the game is challenged.

First, the tracklist. I understand that no one will be familiar with every track in the game, nor be satisfied with the choices made. At first, I was rather hesitant with the first installation of the game. However, after a few plays, I learned to love all the tracks. Songs that I thought would be terrible turned out to be an absolute blast. The same should hold up for the second round right? After 3 days of playing, I still haven’t totally warmed up to the tracklist. Maybe I just need more time. There are some absolute gems on the disc - ‘Monkey Wrench’, ‘Laid To Rest’, ‘Hangar 18′, ‘YYZ’, ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ to name a few. However, there are some questionable choices, such as ‘Tattooed Love Boys’ by The Pretenders or ‘Freya’ by The Sword. While I love Anthrax, I wished they put another one of their songs on the disc - maybe something from Sound of White Noise. The same goes with Van Halen. While ‘You Really Got Me’ is a great song, I feel they could have made a better choice. VH has infinitely better songs (DLR and Sammy) than an overplayed cover. Anyways, I’m sure after a while, I’ll warm up to the new tracks, but part of me thinks that with such precious few tracks that make it in the game, they sometimes waste huge opportunities. Where’s AC/DC? Where’s Maiden? I guess I’m just being picky. I’m sure there is some douchebag out there with a big ole stiffy for The Sword, all the while bemoaning the inclusion of Lamb of God.

Secondly, the price. The price of the standalone game and the bundle was increased by $10 this time around. I understand that the game probably has more overheard than a regular title. You’ve got song rights to buy and studio musicians to pay. However, since Red Octance was bought by Activision and Harmonix by MTV, I have this nagging feeling that the greedy corporate pricks knew they could sell the game for whatever they wanted because people would buy it no matter what. You know what? They’re absolutely right. And they are royal prick-assholes for doing so.

Lastly, the co-op mode. This isn’t a dig at the new gameplay, which succeeds in every way possible of kicking your poor, unsuspecting asshole in. If anything, it’s the opposite - the byproduct of the genius and achievements made by the game. Co-op mode is so damn fun, you are left lusting after it in the original game. Every track you play in Guitar Hero is now accompanied by thoughts of what could have been and what should be. An unfortunate and tragic result from being too fun and too innovative.

Overall, these minor, petty grievances shouldn’t overshadow an unbelievable game, let alone an unbelievable follow-up title. Now if the guys at Harmonix can just pump out new discs every month, I’ll be snug as a bug. If you haven’t played the game yet, you haven’t lived. It rocks.

With Rumsfeld resigning from his position as Secretary of Defense, Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson put together a little retrospective on his career. I had a good laugh from it. I hope you do too.