Gender Confusion II

I promise you all that I have had blog post ideas, but I just haven't gotten around to typing them all out, and my god does time ever fly! One of these days though, my thoughts will come alive in this blog, but for now I thought you might all enjoy reading some more of the stupid comments that I get on a daily basis. 

I've whited out the user names this time, but since my last post of these comments in July, I have been stock piling more comments. So.. enjoy!

Now not all of these comments are solely negative I realize, but I'm amazed that I still get these comments after 2 years on Youtube. Especially now that Youtube has changed their layout and my icon (a personal picture of me) is displayed for the viewing public to see. If they can't tell by my voice, surely they could tell by my face? I suppose not.

Either way, you guys seemed to enjoy these comments last time, and I enjoy them more and more as time goes on. I used to get slightly agitated at people's ignorance, but now I just find them entertaining. 

Changes Within a Gaming Series

The gaming and technology industry continues to expand, reaching new peaks that we 15 years ago never thought would be possible. While technology keeps growing, the gaming world has seemed to be in a steady decline over the past few years (or so some hard core critics may say). There doesn't seem to be an idea, a trick, or a gimmick that hasn't already been used. Graphically, it's difficult to make a game look any better, unless we were to delve into the world of 3D and virtual reality. Every "hero" and "adventure" cliche has been seen time and time again. Even revolutionizing motion control in an attempt to get people more "involved" seems to be failing. Every element in creating a perfect game seems to be fading. What do you do when you've run out of ideas? You build on to a beloved franchise that has a loyal following, in hopes that you've created the next masterpiece of this generation. 

Over the past few years, one of the definite trends has been sequels or newer titles to some of the biggest titles in the gaming world. Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, Zelda, Silent Hill, Fable and Mario are just a few that I can think of. Logically, one would think that taking a cherished franchise from your childhood and upgrading it would be great. But the reality is that the majority of people in the gaming community are stuck in the days of old. All they can think about is how great Resident Evil 2 was, and how different and almost estranged Resident Evil 6 is from the franchise. The new generation and the old generation are at war. Developers fail to please the loyal fan base by rapidly changing something that they once loved, and fail to please the newer generation by failing to change something enough. Critics and gamer alike have no issue expressing their opinions on all of the rapid changes.

But please, put down your torches and pitchforks. As a person who has been passionate about video games for over half of my lifetime, I've seen my fair share of changes to some of my favorite game titles. I'm not even that old and sometimes I feel myself saying, "They just don't make games like this anymore," when I pick up one of my most treasured childhood games. While older games will always have a special place in my heart, I've always tried to remain open minded and positive to the newer generation of games that have been released over the past few years. I want to enjoy gaming just as much as I did 5 or 10 years ago. So I ask myself, what is it about this game in the series that I love that this newer one in the series is missing? I've challenged myself to change the way that I think. 

Enough of the comparisons! Too often do people compare games simply by title, rather than looking at the game for well.. the game. If you're comparing games within a series instead of looking at the game on it's own, then you're already setting yourself up for disappointment. It would be silly to say that Snow could ever replace Cloud, or that there will be a Mario game that will ever live up to the name of Super Mario Bros. But if you look at a character, a scenario, or a game as an individual, you can form a somewhat unbiased opinion, rather then being stuck in a state of nostalgia or stubbornness of how a game with this title "should be."

I recognize that Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy VII are two completely different games, although they share the same name of "Final Fantasy". I enjoyed them both for completely different reasons, and was able to look at them as a game, and not games in the Final Fantasy series.

My point is this: decide whether or not you like a game for how the game plays, and not how it plays or stacks up against other games in the same franchise. You may have more fun that way. :)

The 5 Sexiest Men in Resident Evil

Gun toting, passionate, ass kicking and downright sexy.. I'm talking about the men of the Resident Evil franchise. Throughout it's history, Resident Evil has never failed to deliver some eye candy for the fan girls to enjoy. This is a personal list of my favorite hunks. 

#5 - Albert Wesker

Some may disagree with my unusual tastes, but there is something appealing about Albert Wesker. I know that the guy is hellbent on world domination, but hear me out. Under that tight leather outfit and beyond those menacingly piercing eyes must be some sort of human emotion and sensitivity.... right? Well, if not, he at least looks sexy while he dodges your bullets at lightning speed. 

#4 - Piers Nivans

Even if Resident Evil 6 hasn't been released yet, I can already tell that this hunk is going to be one of my personal favorites. Although serious and compassionate about his work, I have a feeling that Piers would also do anything for friends, family, or anybody that he cares deeply for (which puts him above Wesker). 

Any man who can use guns effectively with honor (who also looks incredibly sexy doing it) is a definite in my book. Fighting alongside Chris Redfield, you have yourself one drop dead sexy duo. 

#3 - Luis Sera

I cannot think of another character that sums up "cocky but lovable" better then Luis Sera from Resident Evil 4. His attitude and personality was what made me grow fond of Luis, but his striking good looks are just an added bonus. Luis was a classic charmer, but also proved to be incredibly intelligent, cunning and mysterious before his untimely and tragic death. Luis strikes me as a true gentleman, who would treat a beautiful woman to a night filled with passion and romance. But be careful, as he would easily ensnare you with his overflowing charm. 

#2 - Chris Redfield

Even if I don't want to admit it, Chris Redfield is one manly pile of pixels. Although he's not a lumberjack living in the woods killing bears with his bare hands, I still think Chris is one of the manliest men throughout the timeline of Resident Evil. His stubble, hardened expression (don't forget about the rock hard abs) and determined nature make me swoon every time I see him in action. 

I respect an older and more mature man, and there is no one more suitable than Chris. I'd love for him to just scoop me up in his massively over sized arms. Did I mention he also punches boulders? MANLY. 

#1 - Leon Kennedy

Perhaps one of the sexiest video game characters EVER, describing my fantasy crush on Leon Kennedy is damn near possible. He is one of the most iconic and memorable characters throughout the franchise, and for all the right reasons. It's like taking every guy on this list (except for maybe Wesker) and rolling them into one to create a character that is incredibly well rounded, exhibiting high levels of determination, skill, mystique, compassion, manliness, and sexiness (naturally). 

He never fails to come up with some of the most memorable one liners (especially in Resident Evil 4), and also never fails to be one of the only men on this list to get a piece of action from the ladies (several ladies actually).