Even More FIFA 06

I played around with career mode today, and it's pretty cool. You have three variables that are impacted by your performance and your actions (more on that in a minute): job security, team chemistry, and fan support. How much you win, and how you respond to media inquiries and other requests, as well as your financial performance, affect your job security (on a scale of 0-100). Don't let it dip too low, or you'll get fired (which happened to me)! In addition to your wins and reputation, how much you charge for tickets (low, medium, or high) affects fan support. Lastly, where you play players, who you play, and how you juggle the roster through transfers and signings impact team chemistry, which (supposedly) impacts player performance.

Periodically throughout the season, you will receive e-mails from management, questions from the media, and special requests (like visiting the sick child in the hospital). You're given a list of choices to respond to the inquiry, and what you choose can positively or negatively impact the three aforementioned variables. Football Manager fans are yawning right now, but I believe this is uncharted waters for console "football." EA has really made strides to add some of those extemporaneous features that mainly only text sims offer. They're not nearly as fleshed-out, but I appreciate the effort, and it adds to the immersion.

Other niceties include the ability to upgrade your coaching staff, which (supposedly) has in impact on the dynamic player ratings (they change game-to-game), and the ability to send a scout to different regions in the world to locate and sign players (outside of the transfer window, to boot). This all costs money, and your only sources of revenue are the sponsor contract you sign and ticket sales, so solid fiscal strategy and planning plays a role, especially considering that you'll want adequate funds for when the transfer market opens up. The one thing I don't like is that when you upgrade a coach (on a scale from 1 to 10), it actually gets rid of the old coach and gives you a new one. Realistically, during the season, there would never be that many coaching changes. I'd prefer to see some type of licensing system (like the real FIFA uses) instead, but it's a minor detail for me.

As I mentioned, while simulating my first year, I actually got sacked after a fairly long losing streak. The game simply simulates to the end of the season, and then you're back to where you started - taking a job, signing a sponsorship contract, and so forth. My friend Adam will be delighted to hear that his beloved Hartlepool welcomed me with open arms after I failed miserably with my less-than-adequate Columbus Crew! It is a game, though, and it wouldn't be fun if it were TOO realistic!

FIFA Quirks

All is not perfect in FIFA land, as I've found a couple of things that bother me...

First of all, I haven't found a way to turn off the "auto switch" on defense. Many times I'll be controlling a player, working my way into position for a tackle, and the computer switches me to another player. Or, I'll use the "A" button to manually switch, and get someone trailing the play by several yards. This is another example of player control where WE is far superior to FIFA. It shouldn't be this hard to control my players when playing defense.

The second niggling thing for me are the camera options. I fell in love with the "End-to-End" camera in practice mode, getting comfortable facing the goal with the majority of the field in front of me. However, when playing my first game in career mode, I noticed that the orientation doesn't change, so for half the game, I see the majority of the field behind me, not in front of me. It's too darn hard to play offense that way. So, I had to switch to the "Sideline" camera, which forced me to change all of my stick movements by 90 degrees, and didn't show me as much of the field. Needless to say, it's time to go back to the practice for me. A positive of the "Sideline" camera is that the speed is better represented, but there is a bit of stuttering from time-to-time.

Again, I'm still happy with FIFA, but it frequently reminds me that it's not WE on the pitch.

Viva la FIFA

Disclaimer: Although I really enjoy soccer, I'm still learing the game. These impressions are based upon my less-than-intermediate knowledge of the sport, so those of you with more experience and understanding my have some different opinions. If so, please feel to offer your thoughts in the comments section!

I've put in about 3-4 hours with FIFA 06, and I must say, I think this is shaping up to be the finest version of EA's FIFA that I've ever played. Yes, it's still the little brother of Winning Eleven in terms of gameplay, but it is definitely improving. Add in the off-the-field stuff that WE lacks - specifically, licenses (yes, I'm a license whore), and online play - and I think FIFA is a nice compliment to any soccer lover's collection.

The biggest change is that your teammates and opponents appear to behave much more naturally and realistically this year. Your defenders will creep up into the attack. The opponent will seek you out defensively, as opposed to standing still until you run into their "zone of coverage." Also, the set pieces appear less like structured one-on-one contests and more like team plays, and the defenders scramble to get the ball out of the penalty area. Goal kicks still don't travel as far as I think they should, but maybe it's just that I need to improve my understanding of the power meter. Given the six pages of instruction in the manual, I'm pretty sure I still have a lot to learn with the controls. At least EA included a practice mode, and about 1 minute's worth of tutorials (why can't they do something like NCAA Football '06? I digress.).

FIFA really falls short of WE on the pitch in two main areas, in my humble opinion. First of all, the ball just doesn't move as freely as it does in WE, especially when using the through ball to kick the ball into space. It still seems like a string is attached to the ball, to some degree. Also, although FIFA has decent player control options with First Touch, the Pace button, and the Move Stick, it still doesn't seem as uninhibited as WE. WE just has more move combinations available, and I think it does a better job of limiting what the lesser players can do with the ball on their foot.

It's still early in the game, and I have no idea how well balanced it is, but so far, I'm liking it. The 15 year career mode is very enticing to me, and I can also play out the World Cup by creating a knockout tournament, so with a little effort, I won't need to purchase a whole new version of FIFA as I get caught up in the World Cup frenzy. For $39 new, I think I'm going to get my money's worth.

More Good Distractions

Here I was, just a couple of weeks ago, all set to bury myself inside of College Hoops 2K6, and maybe even attempt to write a big review of it, like the good old days. I was off to a pretty good start, and then, if you've read any of the previous posts, ran into some obstacles; although they've been for the good of the family, so I'm not complaining.

This weekend, I had Christmas with my family. Santa was very good to me, and I got Operations Flashpoint Elite, Heroes of the Sky, FIFA 2006, and Fight Night Round 2 for Christmas. With so much gaming goodness, I don't think I'll be writing a thesis on College Hoops 2K6 any time soon! Counting College Hoops 2K6, I've got 5 brand new games to sink my teeth into! I was already up to 2:00 AM last night just getting my feet wet with my new titles (man, Flashpoint is hard!), and I loved every minute of it. I haven't played like that for a long time...

My plan now is just to continue to share my experiences here on all of these great titles, plus undoubtedly some good Christmas stories with the kids, reactions to the goings on in the world and the world of sports, and some family stories. I'm excited about gaming again! I'm not sure where it will carry me, but I plan to enjoy the ride.

The Return of the Cadavaliers

Here I was, excited about the Cavs this year, thinking they added enough spare parts to LeBron to legitimately compete. After starting pretty strong, they've now lost 5 out of 6, and 7 out of the last 10, including a 100-94 loss at home to the lowly Hawks! I'm now sitting through a 16-4 run by Denver to put them ahead 35-33, at Cleveland. I still think they need a legitimate PG and PF, as Snow has seen his best days in Philly, and Gooden just isn't tough enough. A guy like Artest would be a perfect fit for Cleveland's needs, but I don't want that clown here. I guess, in some weird way, I feel better "losing with integrity" than winning with jerks like Artest. It's a long season; we shall see what happens.

I haven't played much NCAA Hoops lately. With my wife just going back to work full-time (yeah!), Daddy has had some extra duties. I get a little break this weekend, so hopefully I can get in some games. I must also admit that I've been distracted by Baseball Mogul 2K6. I read Moneyball again last month, and I'm determined to "Billy Beane" my Tribe to a World Championship! And on the Manager level, I don't have much to work with, just like real life. I am approaching it a little differently, by watching every game, and monitoring the daily transaction wire, as opposed to "simming" weeks at a time. The game has some quirks, like the Reds releasing Shane Reynolds, who was making $316,000 at the time, and then re-signing him the next day for $2,000,000! No wonder the Reds suck! Seriously, though, I'm enjoying it as the best "GM Simulator" on the market. Good stuff.

Of Great Philosophers

"Why do today, what you can put off 'til tomorrow." - some great philosopher dude

Technically, I have until the end of the quarter to take my insurance exam. Next Monday is not the end of the quarter. Through the wonders of technology, I was able to re-schedule my exam for the afternoon of the 29th, which officially makes this exam the last work-related thing I will do in 2005. I hope to go out with a bang!

Now, I can pace myself a bit (I am about half-way prepared), and allow adequate time for the more important things in life, like TV, video games, sports, eating until I explode, and falling asleep in my easy chair...

Back to School

Our company provides us the opportunity to further understand the industry in which we operate by sponsoring our participation in "Insurance Education." There are many organizations in the insurance world that provide certifications, licenses, and other industry-related educational opportunities that are recognized within our business community, and to some degree, by the public at large (for example, a person who holds a Certified Financial Planner license). These courses aren't "mandatory," but they are usually good for the employee's resume' when he or she tries to ascend the company ladder. Plus, quite frankly, insurance isn't the easiest business to understand, so these courses do give employees the ability to see the "bigger picture" more clearly in relation to what they do individually, and what the company does on the whole.

Anyway, since my recent history with the company has been in technology and training, most of the extemporaneous education I completed was in relation to technology (A+ certification, MOUS certification, etc.). I really enjoyed learning this information and applying it to my position, so it wasn't very difficult for me to get motivated to study. However, now that I'm in the Life Insurance side of the business, my "industry education" is back to learning about insurance (specifically, Life insurance this time).

I'm having difficulty making time to study! Soccer season is over, so theoretically, I have more time for my leisurely pursuits. But no, I have to crank out a chapter a night to prepare for an exam in 6 days! Man, I didn't plan that very well. Plus, there are going to be some openings for a promotion at the end of the month, so I need to make sure my resume indicates that I've successfully completed some of this training, so the pressure is on to succeed. This weekend, I'm going to my parents' to celebrate Christmas, and I know that I'm getting at least three new video games. What to do, what to do!

Well, at least the test is multiple choice, er I mean, multiple "guess," in my case!

I Can Spin Again - sort of

After poking around the GameFAQs boards for College Hoops 2K6, I did discover that you can force the dribbler to spin, using an alternate controller configuration, by holding the turbo button down and executing the "pro hop." However, the only drawback is that the player will pick up his dribble at the completion of the move. Therefore, you can't use the spin dribble to evade the defender, unless you're looking to shoot. "Alternate A" controls give you the spin move (actually, the "pro hop" move) in lieu of the option of directing another player to cut. At first, I thought I'd have to choose between the two, and frankly, I liked both options. However, "Alternate B" moves the option to direct another player to cut to the "X" button, and since I'm using the stick exclusively to shoot, this control scheme works out for me. It's all about choices, baby!

I fooled around more in Coach mode for my "test" dynasty today, and I really think I'm going to like it. I'm a veteran of the Flex offense, so naturally I chose that playbook. I'm also a big proponent of man-to-man defense, and combining that with options for the amount of pressure to apply to each player, and when to double-team each player, there's a nice level of control over how your team defends. I didn't even mention the zone and press options, which are plentiful. I really enjoy calling the shots on the fly, and trying to exploit matchups, all while watching the games from the sideline. I'm convinced I'll be running concurrent playing and coaching dynasties.

So far, I'm liking everything I see about this game, but again, I've got a long way to go...

NCAA College Hoops 2K6 - Entry #2

I spent some more time today attempting to get my bearings both on and off the court. I do think they did a solid job with the Drills in practice mode, as I was able to get much more comfortable with dribble moves, playing defense, shooting and shot timing, and passing. My use of the "shot stick" has improved as well, as I'm trying to use it exclusively to fire up the rock. Also, I think it works quite well on defense, as it's nice not have to move my thumb to the buttons to attempt to steal or block a shot. I'm still a little "iffy" on the lack of precise player control in terms of ball-handling, but it looks like I'm just going to have to deal with the computer-controlled decision to crossover or go behind the back as I work the left stick and the right trigger. I have yet to see a spin move, which is still troubling me. That said, after a little practice, I'm really liking everything else about player control and movement, both offensively and defensively.

I spent more time in the in-game manual, and the more I read, the more impressed I am with the depth of the "Dynasty" mode in this game. Off the top of my head, I truly don't think they've missed anything. Obviously, the execution is still up in the air for me, but it's as deep as a text-sim off the court. Combine that with strong on-court play (so far), and this game has the potential to be a top level sports game! That is, assuming nothing wonky goes on with all of the depth and gameplay options. I am hearing some things that concern me a bit, but the question is are the problems going to be big enough to ruin this title for me. I hope not. Every game has quirks and mistakes, and it's up to the individual user in regard to their tolerance level. We shall see.

It wasn't clear from the manual if you could play a Dynasty game in Coach mode, so I set up a "test" dynasty to see how things work. Again, the depth is impressive, as I had to sign my assistant coaches, choose a school (I am "testing" in Career mode) modify lineups, make red-shirt decisions, recruit, and so forth up to the first game. Sure enough, when I selected to play my first game, I had the option to play or coach (you can also simulate games to speed through the season, if you like). I'm really thinking I'll be playing a "Coach mode" dynasty right along with a dynasty where I play all of the games.

I should mention that there are lots of options and sliders to work through. Hopefully, the game plays pretty good at default. If not, by the time I get around to playing it, I'm sure someone else will have figured out the perfect set of settings, which is apparently some kind of science. I'm happy that at least I have the option to customize my gameplay experience, if need be.

That's all for now. Honestly, I still have a lot to get my arms around, but I think I'll have fun doing it.

Daddy's Girl

My daughter… She's 6 1/2 years old, and she truly is my little baby doll. She's everything you'd imagine and want your little girl to be. She takes ballet, she sings, she loves to draw and color, she writes her own books - and tapes the pages together to make a binding, she plays sports, she dresses up, and she loves to tell stories and jokes. I could go on and on, as most fathers could when speaking of their children. Like most dads, I have a few terms of endearment for my little angel, like "Princess," or "Gorgeous," or "Love."

Just the other day, she surprised me once again. She raced upstairs excitedly, which she normally does to give me some of her artwork, or to ask me to look at her new invention, but this time it was to talk of one of her own personal accomplishments. She was so proud of herself, she was glowing!

"Daddy, I set a new record for kills with 23!"

Another thing my baby girl does is play video games, and she set a personal best in Star Wars Battlefront II. I even came up with a new term of endearment for her: "Crazy Killah." That's my girl - artist, dancer, singer, comedian, athlete, beauty queen, scholar, writer, and dispatcher of Rebel scum. I couldn't be prouder!

NCAA College Hoops 2K6 - Entry #1

It's been a while since I've been into a basketball video game. The last one I gave any significant time to was Inside Drive 2004, which happens to be the best hoops video game I've ever played. I toyed with some other titles the last couple of years, but none grabbed my attention quite like ID 2004.

I've been hearing a bit of a buzz about NCAA College Hoops 2K6. There were some things I really liked about last year's title, in my brief time with it. Since I'm getting that old writing bug again, I thought it would be fun to kick off my reviewing rebirth with this title. I also thought it would be kind of fun to keep a running diary of my experiences with it, until I pen the review.

After coming home around 6:00, eating dinner, doing some housework, watching the basketball Zips in one of their rare TV appearances in my area, and watching Lost, I finally squeezed in an hour or so with NCAA 2K6. I did read the manual last night, however. I am one of those dinosaurs that actually likes to learn as much as I can about the game before picking up the controller, as opposed to others that disdain the manual and prefer the kinesthetic learning method. Given the state of today's manuals, I completely understand that approach, but I digress.

The first thing I attempted to do was learn a little bit more about the game before stepping out on to the virtual hardwood. In the Extras section, I found the training video to be very helpful, as it gave a pictorial representation of what I gleaned from the manual. Being a manual guy, I also appreciated the expanded in-game manual, which gave a more in-depth set of instructions for gameplay and features.

One other helpful section was the Drills in the Practice game mode. EA did a great job with this in NCAA Football 2006, and a feature like this is long overdue for basketball games. I only did a couple, but they quickly helped me get my bearings before taking my Zips up to Bloomington for a few minutes against IU. I'm looking forward to delving into this mode much more deeply in the near future, before any kind of "dynasty" or "season" play.

Once I felt somewhat comfortable, I felt it was time to check out the gameplay. What happened to the "juke stick" or the spin move button? Although you can do some crossover moves with the left-trigger and the left stick, I really missed the precision control of the ball-handler that a game like ID 2004 offers. However, that ball control was replaced with the "shot stick," which does appear to be implemented very well. I love the ability to control how I shoot - whether I go up with the left hand, or attempt to power dunk over my opponent! The use of the stick, combined with the apparent elimination of the "force field" effect that has plagued many a basketball game, really gives you a feeling of control in the paint, as opposed to just queuing up a move and watching the action. At this point, it seems like a pretty fair trade off to me.

I also love the addition of the lead pass button. No more do I have to watch my 3 man stop on the break to catch the pass, and then decide to resume his run to the basket. In addition, when combining the lead pass button with the left trigger, your players attempt to execute an alley oop. When timed correctly, this is one of the more exciting plays in the game. Color me impressed! (By the way, I got pretty good at this in the Fastbreak drill - yet another reason to spend some time practicing).

One other thing I investigated a bit was Coach mode. Part of me really enjoys the tactical aspect of sports, and I've spent some time as a high school basketball coach, so this mode intrigues me. With the ability to call plays, make substitutions, assign match-ups, set double-team criteria, change up the press, etc., it appears that you really can do what a "real" coach does during the game. I'm intrigued by this. If it's implemented well, I may run concurrent dynasties as a player and a coach!

Well, that's enough for tonight, but I can tell you that I've barely scratched the surface of NCAA College Hoops 2K6. My football Zips play for the MAC championship and a bowl bid tomorrow night on ESPN, so I may not spend much time gaming tomorrow. However, this title has my attention, and I plan on giving it several more hours over the weekend. Stay tuned for the continuation of my journal!

Historical Perspective

I am a history buff. I've whittled away many late-night hours watching The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, Nat Geo, or any of their variants. I love learning about ancient cultures (particularly their structures and technology), archeology, crypto zoology, historic battles, historic personas, and so forth. It's this passion for history that has driven me to spend some of my Christmas money on two Xbox titles: the Atari Anthology and Intellivision Lives.

I don't want my kids to grow up without an appreciation for their ancestry and roots, or for the struggles that early mankind had to deal with for entertainment. Thankfully, E.T. didn't make the cut. If we don't learn from history, we're doomed to repeat it, or so I've heard.

Honestly, it's the warm, fuzzy feeling of nostalgia that triggered my desire for these titles. As blocky, unsophisticated, unrealistic, shallow, and brain dead as these titles were, I really did enjoy many hours of my youth with a controller in my hand, and part of me enjoys reliving that experience, no matter how it compares to today's entertainment. As we get older, we still reach out for the relative innocence and bliss of our childhood, no matter how it manifests itself, don't we?

Enough philosophy. Now I have to figure out how to get my Controller S to mimic the Atari paddle, or I'll never win a game of Pong!

Back in the Saddle...

Well, soccer season has passed, hence my desire to dabble back into doing a little writing. I'm posting at the "gut" again, because I just don't feel good about joining up at Calvert Games, and then disappearing, only to reappear again. I'll save everyone the fanfare and just blog here for the time being. I'm sure you don't want to hear about it, but hey, this is for me, not for you!

Also, once again, I'm toying with the idea of operating a full-fledged website. I enjoy the prospect of creating a more complete presence on the web, but I worry about not contributing anything positive to the internet community - at least on a consistent basis. That might change early next year, though, as I'm about 99% sure I'll give up the soccer gig after this Spring. My wife is pretty much gainfully employed as a school teacher (she's substituting now, but the prospects for full timer for her look very good - yeah!), so the need for me to work two jobs is waning, after EIGHT LONG YEARS OF THIS CRAP!

I'm currently researching potential URL's for my website. I want to cover primarily sports, video games, and parenthood, with a little current events and opinion thrown in. If you have any suggestions, I'd like to hear them. I've also been reviewing some of the old Calvert Games material we put together, and I really miss the thesis-like reviews we used to do. No doubt that was our calling card in the gaming community. I might broach that again, especially if I get an Xbox 360 early next year, depending on how generous my tax return is!

We just celebrated my son's 9th birthday this weekend. I'll spare you the details, but we did catch a couple of "family" movies. Chicken Little was very good, and appropriate for all ages. It has a cute story, it's well-paced, and it will keep your interest throughout. If I were a critic, I'd say 3.25 stars out of 4. We also saw Zathura, and I didn't like it nearly as much. The language is pretty rough for the younger kids (under 10 or so), and the movie trudges along throughout. For me, maybe 2.25 stars out of 4. Not bad, but not in the class of Chicken Little. The boardgame is pretty good for the family, though!

Well, that's enough miscellaneous thoughts for now. Hopefully, I'll post more often than every six months!

Reunited and it Feels so Good!

Well, much like when I used to write for Calvert Games, when my duties at work, home, as a coach, etc. get in the way, I tend to disappear from the internet community for weeks at a time. Thus is the case with my Gut Reaction blog, and it's even more pronounced, since I'm the only "contributor."

Speaking of Calvert Games, I still regularly follow my old buddy Jonathan's blog. He's assembled a nice staff of gamer-bloggers over there, with the usual Calvert quality abounding. So, much like before, I'm hitching a ride on Jonathan's coattails! He has graciously welcomed me back into the fold, and I will now be moving my sporadic blogging to his website. Since there are a few old gamers like me over there that are blogging, the content should remain fresh, even when life gets in the way for some of us. Therefore, I won't be blogging anymore in the veritable wasteland of the Gut Reaction. I've enjoyed it over here, but I'm much better as a team player!

If I have occasionally informed you or entertained you with my babbling, please feel free to check out my contributions, as well as the contributions of Jonathan, Geoff, and Chris, at Calvert Games. Between the four of us, we should be able to amuse at least ourselves on a semi-regular basis!

What's Happening to my Teams?

The Cavs have gone from being the first-half darling of the NBA's Eastern Conference to within one game of missing the playoffs. They have an interim coach, are in a funk, and have the toughest remaining schedule of the three teams in contention for the final two spots (the other two teams are Philadelphia and New Jersey). Many people were excited when new owner Dan Gilbert purchased the team, because he promised to keep LeBron in Cleveland and infuse money into the organization. So far, he's only muddled things up, by firing his reputable head coach, getting ready to fire his GM, and impacting lineup and game management decisions (supposedly). Yeah, I'm real excited about his arrival.

The Tribe is off to their typical slow start. They're under .500, and getting handled by their main competition in the AL Central. If they dig too deep of a hole, it will be tough to climb out against the likes of Minnesota, Chicago, and much-improved Detroit. The good news is that the bats look like they're starting to come out of the doldrums, and with CC Sabathia coming back this weekend, they might start to play more consistently.

I shouldn't be surprised. I've been a Cleveland fan all of my life, and rarely do my teams experience success. I guess I should be used to it. Statistical probability would suggest that at least some point Cleveland should win a Championship of any kind, right?

At least my Crew are off to a 2-1 start. They played a spirited match against defending champion D.C. United last night and held off Freddy Adu and the boys 1-nil. Usually, the Crew play sloppily, and end up with a decent result because of brute force or sheer will. Last night, I think they looked as skillful as I've seen them in the last two seasons. I had to crack a smile when Frankie Hejduk, our resident hothead defender (but I love his pace and his style of play) got all over Adu for flopping at midfield. Evidently, Freddy's learning the fine art of faking fouls (to be fair, the Crew's Kyle Martino has a knack for that, too - every squad has at least one person that "flops").

It Caught Me

After dodging the flu bug successfully for a month from my wife (once), my son (twice - once was bronchitis), and my daughter (twice), it finally got me today. My throat's on fire, and I alternate from chilled to burning up in cycle with the ibuprofen I'm taking. Plus, my body just aches... At least I can still eat. My kids had problems keeping food down the first couple of days. There's always a "silver lining!" :-)

I did get to catch up on the Project Greenlight shows that I "DVR'd" while on vacation. I can't understand why that show isn't more popular. I love watching how movies are made, and I love watching someone potentially get their "big break." Too bad the movies themselves haven't been so hot, although I thought The Battle of Shaker Heights was a decent flick. This time, they're shooting a horror flick called Feast, on a very limited budget. I think they'll have to take the approach that some things are scarier unseen, like the old Hitchcock movies, or films like The Blair Witch Project. If they don't have at least a measure of commercial success, I fear Project Greenlight will go away, which is a shame.

It's Been Awhile

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted... In the last 30 days, I've had a group of 19 new-hires that I've been supervising, and I've been putting together the youth soccer league for this season. With 22 teams, 16 mini-academy players, and over 30% growth from last season, organizing teams, getting coaches, ordering jerseys, making the schedule, getting referees, etc. has kept me pretty busy in the evenings. Plus, we just got back from an much-needed 11 day junket to Walt Disney World on Monday! The season kicks off on Saturday, so hopefully, things will settle down a bit. I'm coaching two soccer teams, plus helping coach my son's and my daughter's baseball/softball-teeball teams. My wife is still tutoring, and doing Scouts for both. Whew, we are too busy!

Disney was a blast. I highly recommend that as a vacation destination for anyone; but especially for families with kids under 12. Don't misunderstand me, Disney is great for kids and adults alike, but it's even more magical for the younger kids. I didn't go for the first time until I was 19. If we could afford it, I'd go back every year. It's not so much about the rides or other attractions, but the level of thought, detail, and imagination that's put into EVERYTHING that's so amazing. I find it inspiring. Had I gone as a child, I truly believe I might've taken my life a different direction, career-wise.

Anyway, I digress. I hope to once again start posting some regular updates. My son's first travel team game is this Sunday, so if he does well, I'll certainly have some bragging material (he scored 6 goals in practice the other night)! It's all in the genes (or is that jeans?!), you know! Seriously, I enjoy writing about my opinions and my "life experiences," and with two wonderful and talented kids, two good jobs, and a myriad of hobbies, I think I can find stuff to write about...

Buried

...very ...busy ...organizing ...soccer ...league...

...keep ...it ...short ...no ...time...

...how ...'bout ...those ...Buckeyes!?

...The Contender ...was ...awesome ...can't ...wait ...until ...Thur...

...MVP ...still ...impressing ...me...

...want ...to buy ...Fight Night ...Round 2...

...but ...saving ...for ...vacation...

...Cavs ...losing ...streak ...sucks...

...hope ...it ...ends ...tonight

Much Adieu about Nothing

Regular readers (both of you) will recall that a little while ago, I wrote about my neighbors that were moving out at the end of February. We were despondent over losing such good friends. Also, the other dilemma, was that the rumors were that our new neighbors were two women. Without rehashing any of that previous discussion, suffice it to say, I had nothing to "worry" about all along. My new neighbors have moved in, and indeed they are a nice young married couple, much like we were 9 years ago when we moved in. The husband's name is Courtney, which is what I believe caused the original hullabaloo. Hopefully, we'll be able to establish a friendship with them to fill the void left by our previous neighbors...

MVPressive

I have to say, MVP is the most impressive baseball video game I've played in a long time. I haven't put the front office stuff to the test, but so far, the on the field gameplay rivals anything I've ever seen.

I pondered listing all of the positives, but quite honestly, I don't have that kind of time. I'm not writing 4500-word reviews any more, like I did in the golden days at Calvert Games. I'll put it this way - imagine All Star Baseball without the bugs, or Winning Eleven meets baseball, or High Heat with better control over the pitching and up-to-date graphics. The bottom line is that if you're a baseball fan, then you owe it to yourself to check out MVP, which may be the best console representation of America's pastime ever made... This is quite a potential swan song by EA.

It's ironic that EA's exclusive NFL license forces (arguably) the best football game out of the market (NFL 2K5), and Take Two's semi-exclusive MLB license is forcing the best baseball game out of the market (MVP)! More and more, I'm leaning towards just keeping my favorite version of a game for each sport, as opposed to running out and buying the latest and the greatest. In case your interested, here's my current list:

• Best football game - EA's NCAA Football 2004
• Best basketball game - Microsoft's Inside Drive 2004
• Best baseball game - EA's MVP 2005, All Star Baseball 2004, FPS Baseball '94 (slight edge to MVP)
• Best soccer game - Konami's Winning Eleven 8, Worldwide Soccer Manager (edge to WE8)
• Best boxing game - EA's Fight Night 2004 (I haven't played FN 2005 yet, but I think it will be my favorite when I get my hands on it)
• Best racing game - Codemaster's ToCA Race Driver 2 (I'm not much of a racing fan, so take that for what it's worth)