Gamecube game asks "Who are you serving?"

Last night I finished Shadow the Hedgehog on the Gamecube. First of the 3D Sonic titles I've played (my sister and I played the Genesis ones to death), and I came away with a satisfactory experience.

It wasn't perfect: no lock-on targeting when you shoot enemies, and sometimes the camera wouldn't rotate, leaving me blind on occasions. However, I did have fun playing this game for the most part, even if it was a radical departure from the normal Sonic experience.

I think what I enjoyed about the game the most is that it gave me a choice on whether I wanted to be good or evil. So many games make you stay on one narrow path. You can't decide if Master Chief turns on his team, or if Mario says "screw it" when it comes to saving the Princess. I realize that not every game needs the player to make that kind of choice, but it's refreshing to play a game where you decide which master you'll serve (even if the execution was lacking: switching back-and-forth between your allegiances mid-level with no consequences from the side you betray seemed unrealistic, but so does a talking hedgehog).

I chose the bad guy route through the whole game (fun to do considering that most games make you be the good guy), but the game really did make me think about choices. All it took in this game was the press of a button, and you'd go from serving evil to serving the good guys, Then another button press, and Shadow was only serving his own selfish motives, forgetting about the good AND the bad guys.

Seems like that mechanic is a lot like life. One minute you could be serving God, and then, in the blink of an eye, you are going right back to your sinful ways. The things you do might not even be serving Satan outright: it could just be your own selfishness. Playing the game also made me reevaluate my motives and my actions over the past few months. Am I doing everything I do for the right reasons? Am I getting too relaxed when it comes to doing the right thing that I slip into a sinful state of mind?

It's refreshing when a mostly-forgotten five-year-old Gamecube title reminds you to always be on guard when it comes to serving Christ.

Enjoying my lunchbox

Good to be back! Actually, I've been working a lot of overtime. Last week I did an 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. shift each day. So I've been a little busy, as that schedule leaves me about enough time to come home, grab something to eat, and go to bed.

Wash, rinse and repeat.

However, I have found the time to sneak in a little gaming here and there. Lately though it's my Gamecube that's been getting a work out.  The N64 hasn't been plugged in since Halloween. The Genesis got some play last night for the first time in a few weeks (my fiancée I expressed our love for each other by killing each other in Mortal Kombat II last night). But mostly I've been wearing down the buttons on the Cube (my favorite controller of all time).

Due to financial concerns a few years ago, I had to choose whether to sell my original Xbox or the Gamecube. Chose the X-box because I really enjoyed Zelda: The Wind Waker, and I'm thankful for making that decision. Nothing against Microsoft, but the black lunchbox has been good to me for nine years.

And since gamecube games are running really cheap nowadays (most of the time I can get them for $10), it's an inexpensive way to enjoy games I might have missed the first time around. With a marriage on its way, running out and throwing down $60 on a new game doesn't seem like an opportunity that will present itself very often. Perhaps I'm being too cautious, but $60 is gas in the car for 2-3 weeks.

With that said, are there any recommendations anyone has on Gamecube games? Price isn't too much of a concern: $30 is the most I've seen for a cube title. Fire away.

CAPS LOCK DAY! A variety of quick religious and gamer thoughts

So today is caps lock today, according to twitter. Therefore, I will take this opportunity to rant in short, all cap bursts. CAUSE PLENTY OF STUFF HAPPENED TO ME THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE FAIR!!!!

• MY GAMECUBE POWER ADAPTER BROKE THIS WEEK! I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF MADDEN 2004 (YES I PLAY AN AMERICAN FOOTBALL GAME THAT IS SEVEN YEARS OLD!), AND THE SYSTEM SHUT OFF. THEN I LOOK DOWN, AND THERE ARE SPARKS AND SMOKE COMING FROM THE CHEAP THIRD PARTY ACCESSORY. AND IF I WASN'T IN-BETWEEN JOBS, I'D GO TO GAMESTOP AND BUY A NEW ONE. UNTIL THEN, TD PASSES FROM BRADY TO BRANCH WILL HAVE TO WAIT!

• TODAY IS MY FIRST DAY OF PRECANA CLASSES WITH MY FUTURE BRIDE AND FR. LEASE. I'M NOT TOO NERVOUS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT GOD WANTS ALLICIA AND I TO BE TOGETHER. BUT STILL, ITS A VERY BIG STEP TOWARD MARRIAGE. THAT'S THE PART THAT MAKES ME NERVOUS.

• WITHOUT THE CUBE, I'M RELEGATED TO PLAYING N64 GAMES BECAUSE I'M TOO LAZY TO HOOK UP MY GENESIS, SEGA CD AND SEGA SATURN AND MY BRIDE HAS THE WII AND NES AT HER HOUSE. I'LL JUST SAY THAT I LOVE SUPER MARIO 64, BUT THE WHOLE COLLECTING 7 STARS IN ONE LEVEL CAN GET REALLY TEDIOUS.

• I UPDATED THE PORTFOLIO ON THIS BLOG. IT NOW HAS PRETTY PICTURES I'VE TAKEN. HOPEFULLY ANY POSSIBLE EMPLOYERS DON'T GET SCARED BY THE ALL CAPS BLOG POST.

• NEXT WEEK IS LINO RULLI'S BIRTHDAY. IN HONOR OF THAT DAY, WE TURNED CATHOLICGUYSHOW.COM INTO A SHRINE FOR HIS ARCH-NEMESIS GUS LLOYD. BECAUSE WE REALLY LOVE LINO AT THAT BLOG!

• CATHOLICVIDEOGAMERS.BLOGSPOT.COM HAS A QUICK RUNDOWN OF THE NINTENDO 3DS. YES I AGREE WITH THEM THAT $250 IS KINDA PRICY, SO I'LL PROBABLY WAIT UNTIL THE SECOND VERSION OF THE 3DS COMES OUT. EVERY HANDHELD THAT NINTENDO RELEASES ALWAYS HAS A SECOND VERSION THAT TOTALLY BLOWS THE PREVIOUS ONE OUT OF THE WATER (THE GAME BOY ADVANCE SP COMES TO MIND, WHICH ADDED A BACKLIGHT AND RECHARGEABLE BATTERY)

• I THINK CAPS LOCK DAY was pretty lame. Hopefully we'll never do this again.