Top 3 Consoles

Gaming is going in the wrong direction for the most part. You have the 360 pumping out nothing but first person shooters with pretty graphics and not caring about much else. Their hardware is poorly made too. There are so many people with failing 360s it's just sad. Then there's the Wii which is breeding too many casual gamers. I like that it's bringing more people into the video game world, but Nintendo has kind of abandoned the hardcore audience. There are still a few games on the Wii that say otherwise but it's mostly nonchalant shovelware. The PS3 is where the only hope lies. Unfortunately, Sony doesn't care much anymore. I still can't figure out why they removed PS2 compatibility from their consoles. Pricing the console at $600 was a big mistake too. It's the main reason they're in 3rd place this generation. There are also too many FPS games on the PS3. The PS2 had so many incredible games including RPGs. PS3 is like 5% RPGs and 80% action/shooters. Terrible.

But this isn't a rant about the crappy current gen. A while ago gaming was a thing of beauty. Back in the early 2000s/late 90s developers cared about their audience. They also had less to work with in terms of graphical power, so they focused on the more important areas of gameplay and audio (which I think is just as important as visuals). So here is my list of the top 3 consoles of all time, excluding handhelds.

3. Nintendo 64

This was the multiplayer console king. At a time when the rival PS1 was putting more emphasis on graphics and single player games, the N64 was winning people over with it's multiplayer focus. This console is synonymous with late 90s multiplayer fun. It had Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Party, and countless others. It also had the legendary Zelda games as well as Conker and Super Mario. I still play it to this day when my roommates or friends are down for a trip down memory lane.

2. Playstation 2

What defines the quality of a console goes something like 10% hardware/quality/features, 90% games. That's why it's no surprise the PS2 is such a magnificent piece of hardware. It's hard to believe this came out such a long time ago. It had such a huge game library which is still going. The PS2 gave us the GTA series, FFX, Shadow of the Colossus, God of War and Gran Turismo. It was even the home to the highly hailed MGS series which I personally am not a fan of but can see why it's so great. It gave us so many good RPGs, but mixed in other genres well. It is currently the console I spend the most time with. It's hard to believe how such a great console was followed up by the PS3.

1. Super NES

When one thinks about how old this console is and adds in the fact that it was so great back then and it still is now, there's nothing to do but name it the best console of all time. This came out in 1991 and it's better than all the consoles out now. The SNES gave us the Final Fantasy games, countless Mario games including Mario RPG, the Donkey Kong series, Super Metroid, Zelda, and of course Chrono Trigger. With a legacy like that how can one argue that it doesn't belong at #1? It was the SNES that got me started with gaming. I had an NES, but the SNES is what really got me hooked (especially Mario RPG).



Honorable mention: PS1(FF7-9, GT) and Gamecube (Metroid, Smash, RE4).


This list was inspired by this playlist

Leon Powe with a torn ACL

Celtics just weren't meant to get far this year. KG and now Powe. They might beat the Bulls but will probably lose to the Magic. Lakers will probably get to the finals too, making the Lakers-Cavs matchup a reality and David Stern's wet dream will come true. Enjoy the playoffs because it's not that great to me this year. Too many injuries, too many blowouts.

Weather tiers

The wacky weather as of late has sparked me to reflect on my opinions on the different kinds of weather. So here are my personal weather tiers, separated into indoor/outdoor situations.


When I'm outdoors:

Top Tier
1. Sunny/warm - Sunny weather is always great. By sunny I mean in the 80's, little to no wind, and clear blue skies. It's the perfect weather to hang out, walk to class, play sports, drive, etc.

2. Cool - As long as it's not too cold, cool weather is just as fine as sunny weather. It's manageable and you can still do most things you can with sunny weather.


Middle Tier
1. Rainy - Being outside during the rain isn't as bad for me as it is for most people. I don't mind walking in the rain as long as I have an umbrella; and usually when you're walking in the rain it's not for a long time. Only to get to your destination. Also when there's rain there's usually no wind so it works out. Another good thing about rain is that after it's gone the sky is clear, air quality is great, and the sunlight is even brighter.

2. Hot - By hot weather I'm talking about mid 90's to the 100's. Warm weather is definitely preferable to hot, but hot isn't too bad although you can't play sports as readily, and you sweat after a simple walk (like walking to class).

3. Cold - Equally good is cold weather. I think it's easier to warm oneself than to cool oneself off. Just put on a jacket and cold weather only affects your face.


Bottom tier
1. Cloudy/gloomy - A few clouds isn't bad. But when the sky is covered with clouds, things get depressing. Especially when there are a few patches of sky that don't have clouds. When these areas pass by the sun you think the sunshine is back, only to see it go away within minutes.

2. Windy - The worst, most awful, useless, annoying type of weather. I can't think of one situation where wind is okay to have. Well, unless you're using windmills for energy. But other than that, high winds are terrible. They dry your skin, mess up your hair, throw crap into your eyes, makes it too cold, breaks trees, etc. The apartment I'm in right now has this tree next to the balcony and when it's windy, it's also hell. The wind causes that damn tree to grind and scrape against our window and make these loud annoying noises, keeping us up at night. Yes, I've already asked the management to do something about it, but no luck. I've even cut off some of the branches with my Miracle Blade but as long as the whole tree is there, enough wind will still throw it against the window. Wind sucks.




When I'm indoors:

There are only two tiers here really, top and middle. Other than the tree I just mentioned, wind is okay when I'm indoors. The top tier includes rain and cold weather. The rest fall in the middle tier. There's just something really cozy about being indoors when it's raining outside. Make a cup of hot chocolate, throw a blanket on, and watch sports/movies or grab a book. These are the finer moments in life.

so here's how this final quarter is looking

I'm taking linear algebra, an electronics lab, and an acoustics lab. Tuesdays are my longest, then wednesday. Mondays and Fridays are great, and Thursdays aren't too bad. About work load, it seems okay. Not as bad as last quarter. That CS 32 class was too much. A week or so ago I didn't feel like I was graduating and leaving this place that I've spent so much time at in the past five years. But yesterday some people came by wanting to look at the apartment. Turns out they're gonna be living here next year. Then it kinda hit me that I'm almost done here. It's bittersweet.

NBA playoffs are coming up! KG got his ring. It'd be nice if he got another one, but I'm not gonna be as disappointed if he doesn't get it as I would've been if he didn't last year. May the best team win. My prediction? Celtics vs. Cavs in the East. I don't think Orlando can beat Boston in a series. The West is too hard to predict.

the extreme pringles are on sale at ralphs for $1 each. Got a few of them. They have the most outrageous flavors.

Congrats to Acura for making history:
http://www.leftlanenews.com/acura-becomes-first-automaker-to-achieve-top-ratings-from-nhtsa-iihs-on-entire-lineup.html