FrankCastleAZ

Part of the reason I haven’t had time to update this blog is I never expected AZHP to grow and evolove so quickly.

From 2005-2009 AZHP was a social networking community for Arizona geeks who enjoyed Anime, Comics, Cosplay and Video Gaming and during these last blog updates in 2009 I had been extremely frustrated with the direction the geek community in Arizona was moving. Facebook had begun to creep up as a signature source for communication and information, Myspace was dying at a rapid rate and forums/message boards all over the state were being ditched.

The original forum (as well as website) for anime fans (AniZona) was shut down due to CASFS/WesternSFA’s gigantic fuckover of the anime community and the convention itself. And other forums that previously had bits of activity including SabotenCon’s 1st (PHPBB2) and 2nd (whatever other forum program), Animeland Tucon’s 1st (PHPBB2) and 2nd (Ning social networking) and Phoenix Comicon’s 1st (PHPBB2) and 2nd (whatever other forum program) had all been slowly dying.

People still used Aftercon due to Gackto’s smart decision to upgrade to the addicting social networking Facebook vibe, and it lasted much longer but still slowed to a crawl within a year or so.

I was afraid that the activity and community that AZHP has helped create had no chance of a return and I was correct in a way.

I even documented my frustrations on the issue here on the blog:

http://www.frankcastleaz.com/?p=21

After being frustrated for roughly a half year about the state of the community as a whole I thought I’d be moving on to “Project X”.

What followed was surprising and a large step in what AZHP became and it started right about the last time I had updated this blog about AZHP related material (July 2009).

We had been scheduled to do video gaming at Animeland Tucon for our 2nd straight year in Tucson, Arizona and I was running an “Arizona Communities” panel featuring AZHP, Arcade in a Box, Aftercon, SunaCosu and Tucson Animation Screening Society (TASS). If you watch the panel, you can see that I had a bit of urgency in getting people involved.

During that convention Tdotimus had his Rock Band 2 drum set broken which at the time retailed at roughly $100 for a replacement and one of Flygod’s two 32inch CRT TVs failed. After the convention was over and we had most of our equipment packed up, we discussed as a gaming crew what the solution was.

After a hour of talk, we determined we needed to start charging to do gaming rooms to recuperate the money lost from damaged and stolen items and buy our own equipment.

Up until then, all equipment provided by AZHP at conventions was equipment from our own personal collections.

TVs/Monitors

Consoles/PCs

Games

Controllers

etc

All that equipment (which was no comparison to what we have available now) can be seen in this (now extremely old) video:

GODDAMN! What a difference 2 years makes!

Our setup back in 2009 was HORRID! 

Originally I was extremely skeptical of moving towards charging convention directors for our services, but was aware that we were running out of options and needed to make changes in order to stay alive not just financially on personal levels with our equipment but in order to stay relevant in the evolving community scene.

So we began operating AZHP as a contracted video gaming service for events and conventions at the beginning of 2010.

We did gaming at over 10 events in 2010, quickly establishing equipment for AZHP’s name and by the end of the year had no personal equipment being used.

2011 was even more of a success and ultimately I’m glad we made the change.

A lot of the credit for that major decision go to tdotimus (TDot) and Andi from Animeland Tucon staff as they were both very vocal about our potential if hired as contractors instead of volunteers.

Much has changed since then, that’s for sure.

I could write details about everything from the last 2 years, but I won’t. Perhaps someday you’ll hear some of the crazy stories at a hotel party after we’ve closed a gaming area for the night at some random convention.

-FrankCastleAZ

When I began blogging here on frankcastleaz.com, I had created a category called “Project X”. This category was supposed to document the progression of a new project heavily based on video production with geek related material (Anime, Comics, Cosplay and Video Games) for a national audience. I had taken a lot of my ideas and influence from the early days of Screwattack’s and GameTrailer’s independent gaming related material.

None of it ever progressed past the planning stages because of the unexpected growth and evolution of AZHP.

I won’t say that “Project X” will be completely scrapped, but for now is being put on the back burner indefinitely.

-FrankCastleAZ

Apologies for those who care and read. Someday I’ll be updating this. For now, it sits.

I had high hopes for the possibilities at my last, short lived place of residence, but things didn’t go as well as I had anticipated. I won’t go into any details, as I’m not someone who enjoys dwelling on the past or causing drama, but I learned quite a bit from the situation and it allowed for what is now a much loved current living situation with the girlfriend.

Moving in with the girlfriend is a step I personally was ready for as we’d been in a relationship for almost 1 year and had known each other for over 4 years. I can undoubtedly say I’m very happy. Moving in with someone you love does change the relationship quite a bit and both of us have handled things well. Most of our relationship’s success while living together has to do with the fact that our personalities mesh well and neither of us sweat the small stuff (which is IMO is the major key in any relationship). We both have a ton of our own individual projects and neither of us prevents the other from completing them or getting things done. After all, by completing projects such as school or business and improving one’s self and one’s assets is good for the future of both parties. Our only issue is that we both have a LOT of stuff. As a collector of all things geek, I have a lot of comics, computers, video games, toys, sports cards and other relative material and she has lots of anime and a ton of clothing and Cosplay costumes. The solution would be a bigger place, which is in discussion and probably coming soon enough. Hopefully I won’t be far from Tempe area.

Speaking of Tempe….Wow!

I’ve lived in Phoenix almost my entire life and I proudly tell people I’m a Phoenix Boy, but Tempe is NICE! The youthful atmosphere, clean streets, newer buildings and convenient public transportation to name a few things get an A and gold star on the proverbial city report card. Given, not all of Tempe is nice, but the percentages in comparison to Phoenix is no comparison at all.

That’s it for now on the “Personal Life” level, lots of “Personal Media” and “Business AZHP” posts coming soon.

-FrankCastleAZ

It’s been quite a while since I’ve updated as I’ve been extremely busy, but it’s time to catch up with what’s happened in the past and look at some things in the short term and long term future.

List of things I’ll be writing about:
(This will likely be edited with more material as it comes to me)

Personal Life-

Living Situation (From house in South Phoenix to Apartment in Tempe)
Girlfriend Update
New Years Resolutions

Personal Media-

Video Games acquired recently
Video Games I’ve beat in 2009
Video Games I’ve beat in 2010
Mentions on Cheap Ass Gamer Podcasts
Anime I’ve seen recently
Comics I’ve read recently
TV Shows I’ve seen recently
Thoughts on recent writing of Punisher comics
Recent success of my NFL team New Orleans Saints in Regular Season and entrance in Playoffs

Business AZHP-

Conventions and Events Past
Photography and Video at Conventions and Events
Video Game Equipment and Games acquired for AZHP
Video Game Equipment and Games acquired for resale
Arcade Machine Restoration and Customization
Connnections with Others

Business Misc-

Webhosting for NyuNyuCosplay
Webhosting for AIComics

Business Project X-

Minor Filming Details
Website Building/Finalizing
Connections with Others

I have a lot of catching up to do!

-FrankCastleAZ

I’m attending Animeland TuCon this weekend on Saturday and Sunday with my girlfriend and helping AZHP and the Con Gaming Staff. It should be much bigger than it was last year  considering they had 150+ people at the most recent official meet and greet (attendance barely over 100 in 2008 not including staff and volunteers).

AZHP Convention Gaming Tournament Schedule for Animeland TuCon 2009:

Friday
3PM to 5PM Dr. Mario (Wii)
5PM to 7PM Mario Kart (Wii)
7PM to close Super Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii)

Saturday
Noon to 2PM BlazBlue (PS3)
2PM to 4PM Super Puzzle Fighter (PS3)
6PM to 8PM Street Fighter IV (PS3)
8PM to 10PM Tekken 5: Dark Ressurection (PS3)

Sunday
11AM to 1PM Call of Duty 4 (360)
1PM to 3PM King of Fighters XII (360)
3PM to 5PM Soul Calibur 4 (360)

Besides helping occasionally with the gaming tournaments, I might have a panel with a few of the other community leaders informing people of year round options to get involved with the Anime/Cosplay/Gaming community as a whole. Not entirely sure who will be involved, but I’m fairly certain there’s TASS (Tucson Animation Screening Society), Aftercon, AZHP, SunaCosu and maybe some recently formed Tucson Cosplay group. I’m not sure how many would attend, or whether they’d actually join the communities after the convention, but it’s worth a try. Most attendees to conventions only give a shit about the once a year event(s) and don’t bother with anything else, which is unfortunate. We’ll see what happens.

I will primarily be taking a lot of video at the convention (not just gaming tournaments), as that’s the #1 thing people like to see after a convention is over. Hopefully it will bring people into AZHP and they can become more active in year round events.

See you there!

-FrankCastleAZ

FrankCastleAZ, Duncs and TDotimus welcome PICASIOPICASIO and talk about Anime news, Comic news, Gaming news and what we are doing in each of the BIG 3 (Anime/Comics/Games)

Shownotes and Download here:

http://www.arizonahp.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7783

-FrankCastleAZ

Another video done for the Arizona people.

Check it yo:

02-09-08 – Devastation 2008 Arizona Console Gaming Tournaments Overview

available to view on the front page of AZHP:

www.arizonahp.org

or click the EVENT VIDEOS/PICS button to view all videos

-FrankCastleAZ

I’ve been out on my own for a long time, working a full time job and paying bills. I never got the chance that many others did being able to go to college right out of high school with or without any help of parents.

But I’m finally getting prepared to go to college.

Last week I scheduled a tour of a local community college and today I checked it out.

Still gotta take care of my taxes for FASFA and get officially enrolled, but I’m well on my way.

I’m very excited to get some higher education to improve myself and my skills.

It’s about time.

-FrankCastleAZ

I completely spaced posting about these here on my blog.

Sorry for being so late!

Shownotes and Download here:

Episode 7 – “Movin on Up”

Episode 8 – “Great Skype Experiment”

Episode – “E3 Special 2009″

-FrankCastleAZ

I’ve been on a major push to get these videos done.

So 3 more are available to view on the front page of AZHP:

www.arizonahp.org

or click the EVENT VIDEOS/PICS button to view all videos

08-25-07 – AZHP Gathering at Arcadia Ice Arena

10-24-07 – Atomic Comics AnimeFest Halloween 2007 – AZHP Console Gaming “Team Tournament”

10-24-07 – Atomic Comics AnimeFest Halloween 2007 – ‘Maja” Hip Hop Performance

-FrankCastleAZ

I do a bit of work here and there for a friend of mine’s website and forum, known as the Miniskirt Army (or MSA) and it’s the unofficial fanclub of Travis Willingham (a popular voice actor for anime and video games).

Recently one of her members had informed her of something strange found in the source code of her index.

After looking at it and referring back to me, I looked a bit further into it and found she had  a strange “adsttnmq1″ attack.

Two folders on the root home were the cause which I assume are NOT named the same each time someone’s site is attacked.

Folder names and contents:

“abpzh”

-contained:

“m” (no file association)

“wat.php”

“gcjbb”

-contained:

“m” (no file association)

“gwf.php”

The “m” file just had “index.htm” on the first line, so it wasn’t the root of the problem, but likely told the php file where to put information.

Either way, I hope this can help someone out there having the same issue.

-FrankCastleAZ

I’ve been attempting to get as much AZHP work done as possible for many reasons, mainly so that I can continue my work on Project X.

A lot of the videos I have to edit and release are of events from quite some time ago and I’ve wanted to  get them released ASAP so when I do take new video I don’t have a huge queue of old stuff.

So I’ve finished 4 videos within the last few days all of which are available on the website of AZHP. I’ve yet to give each video their own page within the “Event Videos/Pics” tab as it’d be much more convenient to do them all at once.

They’re available to view on the front page of AZHP:

www.arizonahp.org

or click the EVENT VIDEOS/PICS button to view all videos

10-27-07 – Atomic Comics AnimeFest Cosplay Contest

07-12-08 – Anime TuCon 2008 – Tucson Kendo Kai Demonstration

07-12-08 – Anime TuCon 2008 – AZHP Console Gaming Room

07-12-08 – Anime TuCon 2008 – Dealer’s Room

I’m gonna be editing a lot more in the near future.

-FrankCastleAZ

During my time blogging using WordPress, I’ve had my fair share of issues. Luckily there are great people out there who’ve created plugins to make the blogging process much easier on myself and others.

I had a big issue with the WordPress Spacing and Page Break issues.

Therefore…

TinyMCE Advanced

created by “Andrew Ozz”

This plugin allows a wider variety of freedom when it comes to the html editing for blog posts.

Click HERE for linkage of project

Click HERE for homepage which features other WordPress plugins.

Much Thanks

-FrankCastleAZ

A few months ago, my girlfriend had mentioned that I should put a link up on AZHP directing to another community in AZ called Arizona Ball Joined Doll Community.

I was disappointed to see their website and forum were both being run on free systems. Website was on geocities and forum was an InvisionFree so they had to deal with no server access, limited administrative control and ugly banner ads.

After contacting the other AZHP owner Spewmuffin, he agreed that we could do something to help them out and so I took the next step after the founder Jellie confirmed that she’d accept the help and that an all new “official” site would help the community grow.

I decided on WordPress for the website due to it’s obviously easy posting and the ease of editing the themes and I decided on phpbb3 for the forum due to it’s common use over the nation and familiarity that AZ users have with phpbb3 considering so many of the local communities and conventions use it already.

Here’s my creation log for the AZBJD community:

-Wordpress Install
-Wordpress Plugin Install – Akismet – Spam Filter
-Wordpress Plugin Install – WPSpamFree – Spam Filter
-Wordpress Plugin Install – Redirector – Allows Pages to be directed to other pages
-Wordpress Template Install – iNove 1.4.5
-Wordpress Template Edit – /wp-content/themes/inove145/sidebar.php – Removed crap categories
-Wordpress Template Edit – /wp-content/themes/inove145/img/wp-logo.png – replaced WordPress logo with AZBJD logo
-Wordpress Template Edit – /wp-content/themes/inove145/footer.php – added host and theme editor info
-PHPBB3 Install
-PHPBB3 Template Install – 1thank
-PHPBB3 Template Edit – /forum/styles/1thank/theme/images/bg_header.gif – made header background black
-PHPBB3 Template Edit – /forum/styles/1thank/theme/images/background.gif – made bottom of footer look same color as bottom of flower reflection color
-PHPBB3 Template Edit – /forum/styles/1thank/theme/images/header-bg.gif – made black to help create black background of header box part 1
-PHPBB3 Template Edit – /forum/styles/1thank/theme/images/header-r.gif – made black to help create black background of header box part 2
-PHPBB3 Template Edit – /forum/styles/1thank/theme/images/header-l.gif – made black to help create black background of header box part 3
-PHPBB3 Template Edit – /forum/styles/1thank/imageset/logo.png – put azbjd banner in middle of black background to match black background of header box
-PHPBB3 Template Edit – /forum/styles/1thank/theme/images/shadow-l.gif – replaced with same sized clear gif to remove shadow
-PHPBB3 Template Edit – /forum/styles/1thank/theme/images/shadow-r.gif – replaced with same sized clear gif to remove shadow
-PHPBB3 Template Edit – /forum/styles/1thank/template/overall_footer.html – added host and theme editor info
-Wordpress Template Edit – /wp-content/themes/inove145/img/bg.jpg – customize background to match phpbb3 background part 1
-Wordpress Template Edit – /wp-content/themes/inove145/img/light.gif – customize background to match phpbb3 background part 2
-Wordpress Template Edit – /wp-content/themes/inove145/img/footer.jpg – customize footer to match phpbb3 footer with flowers and reflection part 1
-Wordpress Template Edit – /wp-content/themes/inove145/style.css – matched extra background color below footer to same grey color as footer.jpg
-PHPBB3 Template Edit – /forum/styles/1thank/template/overall_header.html – removed search button because it didn’t work, was in a foreign language and there’s a search bar at top of forum already

Here’s the before and after pictures for the AZBJD community:

Website BEFORE (minus the logo on the top right of course)

Website AFTER

Forum BEFORE

Forum AFTER

I’d say everything turned out nicely.

I basically made the backgrounds, headers and footers match together using my skills in photoshop.

It took a bit longer than originally expected due to some of the theme/template image files being placed in slightly odd areas or being unused altogether.

I hope the members of AZBJD can enjoy it and be much more organized and professional given they have freedom they didn’t have before.

I know the administrator Jellie is at Anime Expo and she’ll be working on the website and forum a lot more when she returns.

Good luck AZBJD.

http://www.azbjd.com

http://www.azbjd.com/forum

-FrankCastleAZ

It’s been a long time since I updated any details about games, and I’ve played thru (and beaten) a lot of stuff lately

NINTENDO DS

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
I came back to this game due to a lack of new DS games to play and my personal desire to complete the side missions I had previously ignored.
So all of the side missions are complete besides 3 of them, and I’m fairly certain that I won’t bother with the game in the future.
As I stated earlier, it was an incredible game and I’ll mos def be picking up the 3rd Castlevania on the DS (Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia) which got an 85 out of 100 from MetaCritic’s average review scores.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Now complete in both the regular mode and the “Julius Mode”, I’m extremely pleased with this game as it fits the usually perfect 2D Castlevania format very well.
I was surprised by the replayability of Dawn of Sorrow with the Julius Mode, which allowed me to instantly switch from Julius to Alucard or Yoko. I was a bit disappointed the extra mode didn’t feature the regular game’s menu that offers customizing and equipping of different weapons or skills and didn’t offer a status bar that stated how far you were from your next level or numbers of your strength/defense etc, but given it’s an extra mode to offer replayability, I can’t complain. One other annoyance is the occasional need to level grind before boss fights, but that’s too minor to cause much concern.
A few things I did particularly enjoy about Julius Mode is that you didn’t have to use the stylus after boss battled to draw a symbol on the screen, and you didn’t have to worry about status effects such as poison or curse.
Very strong game most worth a purchase for any DS owner that can appreciate a 2D action game with RPG elements.

PLAYSTATION 3

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
About 4 or 5 months ago, an AZHP member (Flygod) let me borrow this game along with Lair so that I could give them a try. Although I was aware that Sony had produced an Uncharted and PS3 pack, I didn’t expect a whole lot as I knew the game was one of the PS3′s early titles (launch title possibly) and I hadn’t heard too much about it.
Perhaps I had a lack of notice is because although I appreciated Naughty Dog’s published games (Crash Bandicoot/Jaxx), I wasn’t a big fan of them due to my lack of interest in platforming games.
Either way, this game turned out to be one of the best games I’ve played in a long time!
It’s a 3rd person action/platformer (similar to Tomb Raider or Prince of Persia) featuring a character named Nathan Drake who is looking for the treasure and history behind his ancestor Sir Francis Drake.
The action and battles include firefights using a cover system (similar to Gears of War) and is quite polished and easy to control.
The story is compelling and with the incredible quality voice acting and graphics, seems to flow like you’re playing a movie.
I’ve beaten this game 3 times already and continued to enjoy it.
My only complaint is a big one. The trophy system is extremely buggy, as there has been two occasions where I’ve received a medal (in game trophy) and the PSN trophy didn’t go thru correctly. The most frustrating part is I beat the game in “Crushing Mode” which is EXTREMELY difficult and although I received the medal, I didn’t receive the trophy. It’s the last trophy I need to earn in the game which allows me to unlock the Platinum trophy as well for a complete master of the game.
Although I have so many good things to say about the game and it’s story, going thru Crushing Mode again to unlock the trophy will be very frustrating; but considering the work I’ve put in thus far, I don’t feel as if I can abandon my desire to get 100% and I will do so.
I’ve read online about it, and I’m not the only one to have the problem. A few believe that you have to avoid any manual saves and just let the autosave do it’s job.
78% complete on trophies. Only “Crushing Mode” gold trophy left and my platinum should follow that automatically.

Pixeljunk Eden
Though this was one of the first games I bought from the PSN, I dismissed it after an hour or two as not being on the same level as my favorite Pixeljunk game to date, Pixeljunk Monsters.
Although I still don’t believe it’s near as fun as Monsters, it’s a different genre and is quite pleasant.
Although it’s tough to categorize Pixeljunk Eden in a genre, I’d have to say it’s a 2D puzzle platform game where you must jump and swing from abstract colored and shaped plants while collecting pollen to bud more plants. The objective is to acquire the “Spectras” of the level by reaching extremely high grounds thru pollen collection and swinging from plant to plant.
I’ve beaten the first 3 stages (out of 10 total before the expansion pack which I don’t own) and I’ve completed each one of the stages to 100%.
I will continue to play this game to it’s full extent and aim for my typical desire for 100% on trophies.
I’m continuously impressed by the Pixeljunk publishers and I’m looking forward to Pixeljunk Shooter on the PSN later this year.

Worms
Everyone and their mother has played or at least seen the Worms series, as the games have been produced since the early 1990′s. The most recent release (PSN and previously 360) is no different than the usual.
There’s nothing new about this particular Worms game, and it’s very scaled down compared to “Armageddon” or “World Party” but does offer Online play with up to 4 players and voice chat support.
It’s fun and then becomes painfully bland after an hour or two of total gameplay.
100% complete on trophies complete.
I won’t return to this game unless to occasionally play a local multiplayer game with a friend or two.

The Last Guy
The best selling PSN game in Japan never really hit the states with much hype or enthusiasm. As one of my first PSN purchases, this game (like Pixeljunk Eden) was on the back burner for a while to more intriguing games.
The Last Guy is a 2D puzzle platform game with a top down perspective that looks extremely similar to Google Maps on Landscape view where your objective is collect a large number of people from landscapes, buildings and landmarks and get a target number of them to an escape zone before the alloted time runs out.
The rescued people follow you in a long line that reminds you of the old cell phone Snake games and you must keep them safe on the way to the escape zone.
In your way stands multiple different types of zombies, each with their own attention spans and attack functions.
I had completed the first 5 or so levels with casual interest but deleted my game save and started anew due to added trophy support. It’s good to see a game released over a year ago get extra added support to give it more attention. Other developers should follow this example and do the same (coughSonyEntertainmentHOTSHOTSGOLFcough)
Currently at 17% of the trophies, I have a long way to go. Many of the trophies are relevant only to an add on pack also offered recently for an extra $2 to $3.

Crash Commando
This is Soldat with updated graphics for the console market.
It’s a fast paced 2D multiplayer shooter with jetpacks.
Although the graphics are better and there are vehicles available, I liked Soldat better due to superior control with keyboard and mouse.
I played thru the training missions and did a tiny bit of online multiplayer.
14% on trophies. Not sure I’ll spend much time on this game in the future.

Magic Ball
Magic Ball = Breakout on crack
Vertical breakout/pong with destroyable landscapes and powerups such as multi balls, machine guns, iron balls and more.
It’s fun for one playthru
85% on trophies and I’ll come back to it only to finish off the 2 trophies I haven’t got yet.

Wheel of Fortune
Self explanatory.
It’s fun playing local multiplayer games with others in the same room, but playing against the stupid CPU is no good and playing online gives people the opportunity to cheat via Google on a nearby computer.
100% on trophies and I won’t bother again unless I’m with a few friends and some beers.

Soldner-X: Himmelssturmer
European developed horizontal Shmup with typical powerups and necessary dodging skills similar to Gradius or R-Type games.
Although the graphics are great for a Shmup, the gameplay and weapons are average at best.
0% on trophies due to lack of play. Will play in the future when I’ve completed more compelling games.

Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars
What a title!
From the little bit of this game I’ve played thus far, it seems like a lot of fun.
It’s a multiplayer 3rd person game where you play soccer using vehicles to hit the balls around a futuristic arena with speed upgrades and a few attack and dodge moves.
Barely touched it so far.
0% on trophies due to lack of play. Will play in the future when I’ve completed other games.

Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic
Fighting game with a Super Smash Brothers feel that uses the SixAxis to do special moves.
It’s average at best.
Luckily I didn’t pay for it and got it free when Sprint sponsored the game free to download for 1 week.
19% on trophies so far. I will play in the future to experience a bit more when I’ve completed more compelling games.

Look for me online:

-FrankCastleAZ

I had a lot of good times at the old apartment. All those AZHP gatherings, meetings and parties will be engraved in my memories forever. Good times.

Living with Rocket for 2 1/2 years was a good experience and I truly appreciate him as a great friend. We both went thru rough patches within those 2+ years and we helped each other get thru them and improve ourselves. He’s off to move closer to ASU West where he’ll continue his college studies and I’m off to move close to where I will start basic classes at South Mountain Community College.

I’ve officially made the move to the new home.
I’ve moved in with DJ RayRay is Forever in his 3 story house in South Phoenix.
It’s an extremely nice house that was built less than 4 years ago (which is different than the older built buildings I’ve been used to in the last 5+ years)
I really appreciate the space that I have available here. Because of the size of the house and my access to storage, I have a lot more space and room for working in my office/room.

I’m not used to having Cable TV. It’s been over 5 years since I’ve had it and I’ve been watching a lot of ESPN or Cartoon Network while I work on stuff on the computer. The downside is that I now have a renewed hatred for commercials.

-FrankCastleAZ

NINTENDO DS

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
is finished at 998.8%
Great game. About 20% of the side quests and a few small hidden rooms here and there are the only things I left unscathed.
The side quests were a bit annoying and not the least bit important to the storyline. They only offered extra skills and items that by the time were acquired, were outdated or would go unused.
Other than that, it was a typical 2D Castlevania; which means it was fun and worthwhile.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
I’m about 23% complete so far, which is probably out of 200% as the game judges.
Haven’t played it too much due to the next DS game listed

Advance Wars: Dual Strike
I’m on Mission 23 or 24 right now. I’m in heaven with this game.
Strategy at it’s best with grid style movement, tons of different military weapons each with their own movement range, shot range, strengths, weaknesses and the designated half ass storyline.
I love the fact that I can level up my used characters (each with their own styles and specials)
And… I haven’t even touched the real time mini-games yet.

PLAYSTATION 3

Comet Crash
I’m on Mission 15 or so
Tower Defense with an offensive twist. Setup your maze and upgrade your towers, but don’t forget about having to build and upgrade your offense.
Although I’m a big fan of TD games, I’ve never seen one where you attack your enemies.
It also offers 4 players at once on the same system, but if it had online multiplayer, it’d be much more of a hit.

Age of Booty
Not too deep into the single player, but have been playing online
Civilization style movement with a grid, but in a real time fighting style over seas instead of LONG turn based over land and sea.
It’s you capturing towers and having to defend them while capturing more, all while gathering extra resources to upgrade your towers and your ship and gathering powerups to use against the enemy.

Look for me online

-FrankCastleAZ

And I need to get some more shit done.

That is all

-FrankCastleAZ

FrankCastleAZ, Duncs and TDotimus chill with nasty Natural Ice beer and pizza and talk about this weekend’s Cosplay events, Anime news, Comic news, Gaming news and what we are doing in each of the BIG 3 (Anime/Comics/Games)

Shownotes and Download here:

http://www.arizonahp.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7602

-FrankCastleAZ