So it’s Earth Day, one of the most cosmetically celebrated holidays I can think of.  Most people say “Happy Earth Day!” and then proceed like they would any other day.  Anyway… I think us video game fanatics for the most part are pretty good when it comes to cutting down on gamer-related waste.  Partially because most of us won’t part with certain games and/or systems no matter how old or outdated they may be.  Image if people did this with plastic bags, paper plates, etc…

But there is always more you can do right?  Here is a list of video-game related things that anyone can do which will conserve in some way:

• Unplug your crap:  Even if a system is off, energy will still be consumed by simply keeping it plugged in.  This should be even more relevant to PS3 owners since that thing consumes the energy of a dying sun.   A helpful idea may be to get a surge strip which has all your systems (I assume you have multiple) in it which you can turn off when you aren’t playing any.  On an interesting side note, the Nintendo Wii consumes the least electricity of the current gen systems.
• Sharing is caring: If you know a friend who wants to try a game you own, let them borrow it so they don’t have to buy a whole new copy.  That’s one less game that needs to be purchased and kept for eternity.  If they decide they must own it, they can try it before buying it.  Also, if you don’t even want the game, you can trade it in, eBay it, or just give it to someone.
• Regular Please: Do you REALLY need the dumb toy included with the pre-order?  How likely are you to get any real enjoyment from it?  Is it just going to sit and gather dust?  There are the questions you should ask yourself.
• Naked games: There is nothing wrong with getting a used game that does not include a manual or a case.  This is especially true for games that are in cartridge form, like Nintendo DS.  How often do you really flip though those manuals?
• A PS3 is not a DVD player: PS3’s burn more energy than standard DVD players, for this reason it is absolutely unnecessary to play standard DVDs in it.  I am looking at you Nutgarden05…  Use it for Blu Rays and PS3 games only when you can.
• Controller capers: I have 3 PS2 controllers.  There are only 2 slots for controllers on a PS2.  Nuf said.
• Dead, but not useless: If your system dies, rather than huck it, you may want to see if anyone would like to buy it to salvage parts.  I noticed a lot of people were doing this when the PS3 first came out.  Also, you may even want to contact the manufacturer to see about warrenty repairs, or ask about proper ways to dispose of the system.

I partly compiled this list as a reminder for myself, but I think if more gamers followed at least a few of these ideas, that would be a good way to honor the Earf.  You may need to break out of some old habits.  I admit some of the above bullets frighten me as much as I am sure they did you.

Roy how to 4 comments

Pokemon Platinum has been released in Japan, which means a flood of illegal rips of the game have swept the internet.  Before you get excited, please understand that the game is in Japanese only.  There is no English version available for download. 

For this reason I don’t believe I will be taking any food out of the mouths of Nintendo employees by providing links to the game and an emulator that works with it.  I’ll also provide a brief description of how to get the game up and running.

Here are the links to the game and emulator:

• Pokemon Platinum(J).nds credits to http://nds.hkorz.com
• No$GBA_2.6a credits to http://www.nogba.com

Once you have downloaded and extracted both, do the following:

1. Double-click on the No$GBA.EXE
2. Locate and select the Pokemon Platinum(J).nds ROM

You can alter any settings if you would like, this is just enough to get you started.  I would recommend customizing the button arrangement by going to Options> Control Setup

Here is some elementary Japanese you may need to know:

??? = Back or Delete
??? = Done or End
?? = Yes or Correct
??? = No or Cancel

I haven’t played much because I wanted to get this post up.  I reluctantly selected the male as my character… Something about his outfit just really rubs me the wrong way.  I named my rival Jesus, aren’t I clever?

For those of you reading this at work, this is a great way to kill some time!  If anyone has any other questions about getting the game working, or needs some help with Japanese let me know in the comments section. 

Enjoy the game, and hopefully it will be hitting the States soon. 

Related Entries:
New Pokémon Platinum Scans
Pokémon Platinum Website Goes Live

Roy how to, nintendo ds, pokémon 4 comments

Since I returned from Japan, I have resumed working at my old job at a certain electronics store whose name rhymes with Zest Cry. It’s not the ideal job, but recently one of my fellow employees showed me Playstation’s Retail Loyalty Site. The site is an exclusive branch of Playstation Underground only available to people in certain lines of retail.

tough one…

The purpose of the site is simple: learn about Playstation products and receive rewards. There are hundreds of tests (known as “modules”) you can complete to earn anywhere from 100-125 points. There are only a certain number of modules a user can complete in a day.  I am not positive but I believe it is about 13 or 14.

After earning points, they can be redeemed for a variety of Playstation merchandise.  I have only been signed up for two days and have racked up a total of 3,760 points.  Just to give you an idea of what is on the site, here are some things I am thinking of buying with my points:

• Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) – 1425 points
• Jeanne D’Arc (PSP) – 2425 points
• Patapon (PSP) – 2425
• Dual Shock 3 Wireless Controller – 4000 points
• Playstation 3 Blu-Ray Remote Control – 2425 points
• Playstation 3 Memory Card Reader – 1500 points

The items aren’t always in stock, but they replenish on a monthly or even weekly basis. If you work at a store like Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, etc. you can sign up, and you’ll earn an instant 100 points. Don’t let your monotonous life in retail not earn you some free stuff.

Roy how to, sony 4 comments

It looks like there is hope yet for the promise of a decent Metal Gear Solid 4 Bundle. The 80 GB one is on SonyStyle’s website making it official in my mind. More exciting still is that the bundle is available for pre-order at Circuit City.com for the previously announced price of $499.99. I have already pre-ordered mine, so unless something goes horribly wrong, I will be making my leap into the next generation.

Apparently the 40 GB version includes the Limited Edition of the game, which comes with a Blu-Ray disc containing 2 hours of exclusive content as well as a soundtrack and access to Metal Gear online. I am assuming the 80 GB bundle comes with the standard version of the game perhaps explaining the price difference.

On a personal level, twice the memory, backwards compatibility and an extra 100$ in my pocket is a better deal. What can I say, I am poor.

If this package interests you I highly recommend pre-ordering as soon as you possibly can. They will be available in EXTREMELY limited quantities relative to demand.

Pre-order the 40 GB version here
Pre-order the 80 GB version here

Related Entries:
Metal Gear Solid 4 T-Shirts
Metal Gear Solid 4 Bundle Now Sucks
Metal Gear Solid Bundle

Roy action, buy games, consoles, how to, konami, merchandise, pre-order, ps3 4 comments

So I posted a while back about how awesome the Metal Gear Solid 4 Bundle was going to be. Since the game’s release is getting closer, Konami has officially announced the contents of the bundle.

Now rather than the package coming with an 80GB PS3, it will be coming with a 40GB PS3, which features a lack of backwards compatibility. Sign me up! But wait–there’s more! the rumored price tag of $499.99 has been slashed to a robust $599.99.

So again let us break down the contents to decide if this is a good deal:

So what about this bundle gives you an extra $60.02 incentive? I have no idea, all I know is I won’t be purchasing it come June 12th.

*NOTE* Purchasing the package in individual parts will get you an extra Sixaxis controller. Also, Gamestops do NOT take reservations on the MGS4 Bundle, but they DO take them on the Limited Edition version of the game.

Related Entries:
Metal Gear Solid 4 Bundle

Roy action, consoles, how to, konami, merchandise, ps3 2 comments