Better Late Than Never

After an another hiatus (these things happen too much with me), I've got some new info on some games that I've been playing (and a beta website for MAG).

Battlefield : Bad Company 2 Beta

My PSN friend FizZ1 gave me the keys to the beta of Bad Company 2 and I'll go on record as saying this game is better than Modern Warfare 2, but graphically and gameplay wise. The Battlefield franchise has be a mainstay on the PC front, and it came to consoles with the release of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat. I played the demo of the original BC (on PS3) and felt a bit underwhelmed. One thing BC1 had over MW1 was destructible environments.

BC2 Beta is MW1 but with strategy, medics, and no kill streaks. My stats got reset ( I made it to lv 14), but I plan on working to get my stuff back, if the stats aren't normal. Most of the games that I've played on BC2 have been pretty fun, a couple were not so fun, but overall I would recommend anyone who didn't buy MW2 (like myself), to buy this game (which I will since BC2 doesn't come out until March).

MAG BETA INFO

I went to Playstation Lifestyle (dot) com and saw that they were giving out a website to give keys to MAG Beta. Since I'm a relatively nice guy here's the link. The file itself is 300+ MB and the update is 1.8 GB (I waited for 4 hours to finish the download and played a game the next afternoon). MAG is a decent game, if you don't have an internet connection or hate playing squad based games (i.e. every SOCOM game), then you should pass. I'll give MAG another chance tonight and then probably play some BC2 for the weekend.

COMPARISON OF ROCK BAND AND GUITAR HERO

I've been playing Guitar Hero since the original (when my boy Rambeaux FORCED me to play), but I never bought it until GH3 (technically traded back some of my PS3 games, mostly sports games so I wasn't missing much). Rock Band was released shortly after and folks have been comparing the two. I'm playing GH:Metallica and RB2 right now, so I guess I can fairly compare the franchises. I wish I would have bought RB on PS2 last Christmas, but blame Gamestop and myself for trying to buy it the day before Christmas.

To truly enjoy Rock Band, you've got to have a broadband connection. If you don't, you're missing out on the appeal of Rock Band, downloadable content. Every week since RB1 was released Harmonix (the original creators of GH) gives gamers the opportunity to add songs to their collection. If you like the artist download the entire album, track pack, or individual songs. GH3 (and Neversoft, the current developers of GH and former creators of the Tony Hawk Franchise) however only released a handful of content and the Death Magnetic Album Pack a few weeks before GH: World Tour. Then Neversoft (and the greedy higher ups at Activision) decided to make GH similar to RB.

RB and GH share a few songs in common, but both execute them in different ways. For instance, GH has a mechanic called Slider Gems, clear gems descend the fretboard, and tap the corresponding fret(s) or use the slider bar (which acts as another strum bar). RB's Stratocaster controller has buttons that you tap in the middle of the guitar neck. You use those buttons for solos (this is optional, but they're there should you wish to use them).

The presentation and User Interface are two things that impact one's enjoyment. RB has a star system that you can see how close to 5 starring (or gold starring) you are. GH3 and World Tour didn't have it, however starting with GH:Metallica they have something similar, a meter with the number of stars on the side. In terms of presentation, GH's animations were decent, GH:M is a different story because Metallica, Lemmy of Motorhead, and King Diamond came in a motion captured most of the stuff. RB's animations are decent too, though some of the motion do get redundant (i.e. the bassist smashing the guitar into the camera).

GH has gotten stale (i.e. Smash Hits and Van Halen should have been DLC), whereas RB is still fresh, to me anyway. The best combination of instruments to get is all Guitar Hero stuff. If not get the RB bundle for $99 and buy a GH controller and GH:M if you like Metallica, if not, RB2 (and RB1 with DLC and Lego Rock Band) should be enough content to keep you busy until RB3's release.

That's it for me, now I'm gonna watch the rest of Alabama v. Auburn. Later.

The Week of Weird

It's been a week or so since I've blogged and some strange things have happened and with no hesitation lets go.

The Unlikely Comeback

I was watching the Colts and Pats game last Sunday and I saw one of the most unlikely things happen. Bill Belicheck and Tom Brady lose a game that they were ahead in. This is happening with more frequency (since the Colts won the AFC championship game against them in '07). The only time I've seen someone go for it on their own side of the 30 would be on Madden (except for that time this season the Pats went for it and converted). The box score shows that Indy won, but for 58 minutes New England was the better team. Belicheck's blunder probably will cost them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

3.10 Update Brings Facebook

Updated the PSTriple last night (slow download night for me I guess, took over an hour. I was on my moms wireless network so that did help, or hurt.) I haven't integrated my Facebook account to my PS3 because I don't remember how I typed my password, same with my PS3 (though I typed it in correct last night, weird), but they're both auto-logins so I'm not losing that much sleep. When I get my computer hooked up, I'll have more details. BTW, anyone that has a 360 has Facebook too (although you've gotta have a gold account and a Facebook account to even access it. Paying for features FTL.)

Modern Warfare 2 = Angry Gamers (and Viruses)??

Many gamers know about the hubbub about MW2 and the non-dedicated servers issues. If you don't read about it. Turns out Infinity Ward's IWNet has viruses. I don't know what to say about MW2, at first I was super excited about it, then issues about dedicated servers (even though console gamers have no influence over PC decisions), and other things makes me just want to rent it, or maybe buy it used at 30 bucks.



That's it for me, I'll some postings about some Black Friday sales and other musings. Before I forget, I watched The Ultimate Fighter and it was a good one. Brendan Schaub with that one hitter quit knocked out Jon Madsen. Until the next time, later.

Sports, Video Games, and More Sports

After a brief hiatus and recharging the blogging batteries, I got some new things to share.

N(o) F(un) L(eague)

I watched two games yesterday (Dolphins v. Patriots and Panthers v. Saints), would have watched a third (my Cowboys got that 'W') but I was too far into Rock Band 2 to even care. The Pats are looking like their 2007 selves, which is a good thing for the league and a bad thing for everyone else. The Dolphins look as though they've might have given up on the season, which is too bad because I like the wildcat/single-wing/cowboy that they use. Phins had their chances but couldn't pull it out. Besides, the way New England's been playing I kind of foresaw that loss.

The Saints done it again, another comeback victory. My pops thought it was a fluke when they beat Miami (my moms sneered and I laughed at them both), but I told him a great quote from Rasheed Wallace, "Both teams played hard, my man." And that's exactly what New Orleans did, played hard. N.O.'s pass defense is good, the run not so much. Offensively they remind me of the Pats from '07, who do you stop? That being said I got my top 5 power rankings:

1. Indianapolis Colts: It was a tough division game, but they won. Houston is definitely a team to look out for.
2. New Orleans Saints: They're no longer the 'Aints. Impressive comeback victory against a divisional foe.
3. Minnesota Vikings: Brett Favre went to the perfect situation. He's got too many weapons, and the defense is really scary.
   
4. New England Patriots: Read my previous statement earlier about them.
5. The winner between tonight's football game: Whoever wins this game will end up being the 3 seed in the playoffs.

My boy Chad Ochocinco is back. Gave a ref a dollar bill to 'bribe' him. That's classic Chad. Welcome back, Chad to my "DUDES" club.

Phillip Rivers (a.k.a. the crap talker) narrowly beat Eli and the G-Men. I caught the tail end of that one. San Diego has been one of my more disappointing teams in the league. L.T. has lost two steps and the defense is okay. They need to change something otherwise they might not make the playoffs.

Modern Warfare 2 (semi) boycott

As much as I loved Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (which I found out my skills have vanished, and the fact I haven't played fully in a year or so), I can't support MW2, not yet. Infinity Ward (the developers) took away dedicated servers from PC gamers. I'm not a PC gamer, but I understand why they are angry. Picture this; you and a few friends play with the same guys at the same time every night. Now, what if the company said that you couldn't play at that particular time anymore. You'd be (mildly) angered and maybe you'll have some negative things to say about that company.

That's the same thing happening to PC gamers. Sure, they're snobs and they spend (more) money on their PC than you would on a PS3, 360, and a Wii. They have a right to be mad, but they also brought it upon themselves (PIRATING). Many people are going to pirate MW2, others might buy it used. As far as me, It'll be next year when I get it. I want to play Demon Souls, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Valkyria Chronicles, plus get better at Rock Band/Guitar Hero.

Footnote: The Yankees won the World Series, I'm ho-hum that they 'bought' a world championship. Hats off to A-Fraud.


That's it for today, gonna watch a few videos on nba.com and play more Rock Band 2. Later!!!

The Karma Blog

Every once in a while karma comes back and bites you (or rewards you). Whatever the case karma or in Bible terms, sowing, can be good or bad. You do good things, you'll get rewarded. Do not so good things, you'll get rewarded with negative consequences. The aim of this blog is to reward good guys (and gals) for good deeds, and people (or companies) I think have done wrong, constructive criticism. The most karma points one can have is 1000 either positive or negative. Points can be given or taken on any criteria. These five people/companies are in the inaugural list of karma

Positive Karma

Ed Schultz

Big Eddie gets 1000 karma points with me because he and I share the same exact beliefs. Healthcare for everybody, wages to be increased, and calling out those who are greedy. One of his fellow MSNBC hosts, Keith Olbermann, also believes in most of these things as well. (Also Keith gets kudos for taking on ClusterFox News for the past 5 years or more). The main reason Ed Schultz gets 1000 karma points is that in disguise he's a black guy. He went to a black high school, presents African-Americans on his show, and he doesn't take crap from anyone. Watch his show at 6et/5ct on MSNBC.

Dylan Ratigan

Dylan gets 1000 karma points because he, like me, hates spin. He breaks down anything financial related into bits that even a junior high person can understand. He may have a few conservative tendencies but I can live with that. Here's a video of Dylan taking on 'Birther Queen' Orly Taitz.



Here's another of him taking on "idiot' Brad Blakeman.

Versuz2 of Youtube

Another one of the good guys. He gets 1000 karma points for his dedication of wanting a better and more realistic game of football. Any post he makes about Madden football is automatically deleted and he keeps making the videos so people can see through the rose tinted glasses. He makes valid points about many things and here's a sample.




Those are the three with good karma by me. To balance good you must have bad or negative.

Negative Karma

ESPN gets -995 karma because they still have yet to fire Dana Jacobson for her remarks about Notre Dame and Jesus. If anyone in the world said that they would be fired on the spot and be demonized in public. They also get negative karma for three of the worst shows on television, (even worse than the O'Reilly Factor and Campbell Brown: No Brains No Clue), even worse than them. SportsNation, Mike Greenberg, and Dana Jacobson. SportsNation first: I knew the idea of user generated content would be dumb. It only works if the users have some creativity. Instead the "idiots" at ESPN go the ClusterFox route and regurgitate talking points. Another reason to steer clear of that show is the mindless Colin Coward. If you google search him, I think anyone could beat him in a fight.

Next Dana Jacobson. She has no brains and no clue what she's talking about. So what that she covered the Sacramento Queens (they haven't been relevant since I was in high school, back in 2003) and she went to Michigan (though I feel the state's pain during the recession). Other than her, everything else I can deal with. Skip Bayless used to get on my nerves, now after 6 years of watching Cold Pizza/First Take, I overstand where he comes from. Fire Dana now ESPN or your product will suffer.

Finally Mike Greenberg (or as I like to call him Mike Foolish): This "dummy" disrespected Guitar Hero (even though Rock Band is the better of the two). That's a no-no. The moment he laughed at GH was the moment I stopped watching their show. (For three years my sanity was been restored since not watching that crap.) If you do a google search of him, anyone could beat this clown in a fight, even a wet paper bag.

The only reason why ESPN doesn't get the full negative karma because of shows like Rome is Burning, Around the Horn, Pardon the Interruption, Baseball Tonight, NFL Live (to an extent), and the Scott Van Pelt show.

Gametrailers.com

They used to be on my good karma list until about early 2008 when they changed their system of getting points. It used to be when you gave thumbs up, commented on anything, posted videos, or write blogs, you'd get GameTrailer Dollars. Once they changed that, I lost any incentive to post blogs on their site. My account's still active and I don't have the reason to log in, because some of the people probably deleted me as a user. Add to the fact they disrespected Uncharted 2, but said that you should buy the game anyway, -1000 karma for you gametrailers.

Originally there were six but, I forgot the last thing with negative karma (thanks sleep for ruining a great idea). Remember the golden rule: "Do unto others, as you would do to yourself."

Most Disappointing Games I've Played Part 2

Last blog gave a handful of my most disappointing games. Part two is the last half of games that I was disappointed with.

Dragon Ball Z: Legacy of Goku

I had high hopes for this game. Being that it was a DBZ game (back in early 2000, DBZ was like Barbie for dudes and some gals.) I kinda figured that it would be awesome. Be that as it may, LoG was an RPG, which I don't mind playing, but the collision detection was completely off. You only got to play as Goku, which is a plus, but many wanted to play as Vegeta or Piccolo. Add to the fact, the game ended at the Frieza saga and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai was around the corner and you have a recipe for disaster. I played LoG 3: Buu's Fury and it was a step-up in the right direction (or wrong depending on you point of view). Needless to as, Legacy of Goku, FAIL!!!

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

I loved Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and when Ubisoft announced Warrior Within, I had some high hopes for it. Sadly, WW took everything I loved about SoT and went all dark and emo. Add some confusing use of time travel and the Prince being emo and there's a recipe for bigger sales but at the cost of alienating the ones who put the original on the map. The only saving grace of this game is the platforming. At least Ubisoft didn't tinker with that. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, FAIL!!!! At least Two Thrones redeemed the Prince and gave us some hope that Assassin's Creed would be awesome (which it wasn't to me).

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2005/2007

Two games Kennedy?! Sure, why not. Smackdown v Raw had a lot of pressure to live up to. Arguably one of the better wrestling games, Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain, was billed as one of the deepest wrestling game (in terms of wrestlers and match types) since WWF No Mercy (one of the best wrestling games period). For one, the rosters on SvR were shrunk down (i.e. no Brock Lesnar, fewer legends, and fewer wrestlers in general). The graphics weren't that great (compare to HCTP), and they added commentary (which in wrestling games is needed, but not with my music).

In the case with SvR '07, it felt rushed. Granted it was coming out on Xbox 360, PS2, and PSP, I think Yuke's could have polished the game a little more. Loading issues with Create-A-Wrestler were fixed, but you would get commentary issues. For instance, a match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H would have a commentary about Mr. Kennedy (Not me, the former WWE wrestler). Smackdown : Just Bring It, had some horrendous commentary (Chris Jericho was GREAT the other day!!!), but I could live with that. Having another wrestler being mention without being in the match, eh, not so much. SvR '10 may be the entry the series needed to get me back in it, but after '07 enough was enough (and it was time for a change. R.I.P. Owen Hart).
Smackdown vs. Raw 2005/2007, FAIL!!!!

Enter the Matrix

You knew this would be on a list. First, everyone assumed that you would be playing as Neo (sadly, Ghost and Niobe were the main characters). Second, the use of Bullet Time. Bullet Time was done better in Max Payne (an under-rated franchise and I'm looking forward to 3, whenever it's released). Three, collision detection. The one thing in games that developers should get right was done horribly. Finally, the Dreaded Movie Tie-In Game. Anything, movie related should be avoided like the plague (except for Scarface: The World Is Yours and Spider-Man 2). Had this came out after the movie (say 6 months), it would have been an awesome game. Sadly, bugs, shoddy A.I., random performance drops, and bullet time causing the game to freeze. I wish I had my $50 bucks back so I could have bought something else. Enter the Matrix is full of EPIC FAIL!!!!

These are my games of fail/disappointment. Hope you haven't played most of these games, because getting the memory of the games out of your mind is hard to do.

A mind is a terrible thing to waste, as well as $60. Do some research about the game before you buy and maybe you'll be the next me. Later!!!

Most Disappointing Games I've Played Part 1

As a gamer (and also in real life) we have certain expectations that we wish to have fulfilled. Some do come true, but more often than not things come up just a bit short. In the case of video games, your hard earned money is the difference between an awesome game getting a sequel (i.e. Demon Souls or Uncharted) or terrible game getting a sequel. While not all games fall under the latter, they generally granted as disappointing or underachieving. The games that follow are some that I was generally disappointed in (or in some case didn't see what the hype was about the game).

Metal Gear Solid 4

I was very hyped about this game. It's a very good game (in fact it this game forced me to get my PS3 repaired.) I even gave MGS4 the distinction of my PS3 game of the year (if I had the internet and my PS3 working during the Christmas holiday). The thing that made me angry about MGS4 was the way Kojima tried to cram EVERYTHING Metal Gear related into the game. Some things it worked for others, ehh not some much. Without ruining the game, this is for MGS fans only (and I'm an MGS fan) and I could have done a better job writing the script (but that's why I make opinions and not write stories). MGS4, FAIL (even though I bought the Collector's Edition and still enjoy the game, the story fails)!!!

Assassin's Creed

By far the biggest disappointment (or second biggest depending on who you ask) for this console generation. AC had the team of the Prince of Persia trilogy behind this game (which got my attention). Second, many people fell under the spell of Jade Raymond (yours truly was not, despite the fact that gamer girls are hawt) and I wasn't buying what she was selling. Third, the premise behind the story, *****SPOILER******

The main character is an ancestor of the character you're playing as


******END SPOILER*********

Combat was pretty crappy (and you'd think Ubisoft would have ironed out the kinks in PoP's combat system), because once you got the counter the game was broken. Sure scaling buildings in 1300s was fine the first three time you do it, but each time before you could begin a mission (I stuck with it, but it felt forced). The A.I. was stupid, finding flags was pointless, and if I ever see a leper or a beggar again I'm stabbing them to death with the hidden blade. Ubisoft got my money (at $30) and now they've got a sequel. I won't be buying it, even if it gets great reviews, because of the sour taste AC1 gave me. Assassin's Creed, FAIL!!!

Grand Theft Auto 4

The hype surround GTA4 was about as much as MGS4 (maybe depending on which game you preferred). Sure the game is realistic, characters have morality, and you can drunk drive (which I don't condone) something about GTA4 felt hollow. The game looks awesome and everything (and I mean everything) respects physics (even Niko Bellic), but it was more of the been there done that approach. Meaning if you've played a GTA game before then you pretty much know what to expect.

Sure, GTA4 has it's moments (and every game has it's WOW factor moments), but San Andreas was way better than 4 (because of you could make Carl Johnson, protagonist of San Andreas, whatever you like). I've been putting off finishing GTA4 because of the trophies (and I don't plan on starting over anytime soon). GTA4 got tens across the board when in reality, it's not even 9.5 territory, more like 8.8 to 9.3 territory. GTA4, FAIL!!!

Guitar Hero World Tour

After Guitar Hero 3 (I'm not counting Aerosmith because it was a cash-grab), many people complained that GH3 was hard and frustration (which was/still is true). The moment World Tour was announced, people said that GH was copying Rock Band (which is true as well). Rock Band was fun and challenging, GH:WT was an exercise in boredom. A few songs were awesome to play (anything by Muse, Ozzy, heck even No Sleep til Brooklyn was tight), but with games like this you're bound to have a clunker (or ten). Add the fact the drums weren't build well (however if you're one of the lucky ones to get a working drum kit, it rocks), some of the note charts were off, and Rock Band was way better. All major retailers not having Rock Band in stores on Christmas Eve and Guitar Hero World Tour, FAIL!!! Guitar Hero Metallica was great and I'm still not sold on 5 (even though I need a new guitar controller).

Next-Gen Madden

The moment when Madden was announced on next-gen, many people were thinking that the gameplay from the PS2-era of Madden would make the leap forward. Sadly that was not the case. Every year Madden is getting to be progressively worst. Maybe something to do with lack of competition, whatever the case is Next-Gen Madden, FAIL!!!

That's part one stay posted on part two with even more FAIL!!!

REVIEW: Uncharted 2 : Among Thieves

Many reviews hail this game as "one of the greatest games of all-time" and they're quite wrong (in reality it's Super Metroid, but I digress). However, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is quite possibly one of the best single player game on the PS3 (and maybe this console generation, until something else comes along.) Needless it say, U2 deserves a lot of praise and it truly shows that video games are slowly blurring the line between itself and movies.

In my mini impressions (written Wednesday) I said the review would be up no later than the weekend, well things come up and today is the perfect time to post the review. Before things start, there will be no spoilers (i.e. the final boss, plot twists, how to beat bosses, etc.) Number 2, so far I'm 1-2 in my keys to victory. Phillies up 2-1 on the Dodgers and I think the Yankees may sweep the Angels. Both teams play today at 4 ET/3CT on TBS (NLCS) and 8ET/7CT on Fox (ALCS).



Mr. K., will I have to play the original Uncharted to understand the story in the sequel? It's optional to play the original, but for continuity sake, you should. Plus as an added bonus, you get $100,000 (in game of course) to help buy items from the Uncharted store.

Story

Uncharted 2's main character is Nathan Drake. He's a mixture of Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, and anybody who delivers one-liners. In the original, his cast of characters included Victor Sullivan, Elena Fisher, and Eddy Raja just to name a few. The sequel has some likable characters and some who are the scum of the earth. Because of integrity, I won't reveal the story, but I will say that from the moment the game is in the PS3, you won't put the controller down. For the most part the story is down right awesome and if you love action movies, you'll probably like this game. Story: 10/10.

Gameplay

A complaint of many people (myself included) was about gunplay and hand-to-hand combat. Enemies would soak up bullets, melee was decent, and blind-fire didn't 'work' how it should have. Naughty Dog has fixed a ton of these complaints and added some new things that 'help' the flow of the game. For instance, you can aim while blind-firing. Enemies are a little easier to kill. A new reversal system. Grenades can be throw and not equipped. Some things are subtle whereas others are dramatic (stealth kills FTW!!!). Overall, the tweaks make U2 an even polished product.

One issue that wasn't fixed was the cover system. It wasn't broken, it just didn't work the way that I expected it to. Rolling from pillar to pillar was fine as well as leaving cover. It's when there multiple places to cover, one next to each other, where the cover is slightly flawed. It's not a gamebreaker, but I can see people getting angry at this.

On a positive note, once the game begins there is no loading whatsoever. The original Uncharted had that as well. Two sidebars, on chapter 25, there's a section where the game freezes, but that's nothing a quick reboot can't fix. U2 has some clipping (i.e. things that go through other things), but it doesn't affect gameplay at all. If you're trying to find some clipping you can find it, but it's not worth it.

Finally, Nathan climbs as a human being. Last game he made Superman-type leaps that were a bit too unrealistic. Some of the leaps are a bit superhuman, but for the most part he reacts and moves like a human being. Kudos to the animators at Naughty Dog. Another kudos goes to the camera guy. The camera doesn't leave you in a blind spot (expect for this one time and that's all my fault.) Also the way it transitions makes U2 look and feel like an action film. Gameplay: 9.5/10 .

Visuals

I won't spend much time on this issue. The game is beautiful. Below is a video of how nice the game looks. BTW, in 1080i it's stunning. Can't say anything about anything lower than that, haven't tried anything lower 1080i.

More Uncharted 2: Among Thieves News & Previews

Visuals: 10/10

Replay Value/Fun Factor

To be honest, there's 100 treasures that you can find as a sidequest. Gun challenges that require you to kill a certain number of enemies with a specific weapon. The game keeps track of these things, so you won't have a brain cramping trying to remember if you've got kills or not. There's a ton of replay value, and I haven't mention the multiplayer (which from the beta was good). Puzzles are little weak (this is coming from a guy who plays Prince of Persia: Sands of Time once a year for nostalgia), but they aren't mind-numbing. Some platforming can be a little confusing, as the game's surfaces tend to blend. This wasn't too much of a problem for me because Sands of Time taught me how to spot the not so obvious. U2 is relatively straight-forward and that's a good thing (unless you're after treasures). Firefights are intense and will be in your mind for a good while. Replay Value/ Fun Factor: 10/10

Overall Judgment:

This game is not a perfect, but it is a masterpiece. When I finished U2 on Wednesday, initially I gave it 10s all over the board (and that would be too fanboyish). Instead, I took a long look at the product overall and determined a few things:

1. If you own a PS3, buy this game (as well as the original)
2. This game will be at least PS3 game of the year (it will for me)
3. Naughty Dog fit the entire game on a single layer Blu-Ray disc and I applaud them for that.

Overall Grade: 39.5/40. A must buy for any self-respecting "video gamer" and maybe you can fool some people just like the commercial. Final note: Doughnut Drake FTW!!!


I'll probably start my clean-up run sometime during the week. The treasures are going to be the hardest, but I have a guide and can mark off those I already have and I shutter to think about Crushing!!!

Kennedy out and remember, "There's a guy above you. There's a guy above you. There's a guy below you. There's a guy below you."