Posted by Rob on April 26, 2011 – 6:11 pm
Filed under Books
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, biography, Books, fantasy, godling, n.k. jemisin, oree, starman, the broken kingdom, the hundred thousand kingdoms, yiene, yuri gagarin
I finished reading the second book in N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance series, The Broken Kingdoms, a few days ago. I enjoyed the first book, but was a bit taken aback by the narrative style. In the second book, Jemisin does not only continue a good story, but also makes it into a great story, and I am now eagerly anticipating the release in the next book in the series.
One of the first things you will notice upon picking up this book is that the main character of the The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, Yiene, is no longer the main character…in fact, she barely makes an appearance in the book. Instead the main character is Oree, a common girl living in Shadow, the city outside the palace Sky. The story takes place ten years after the events of the first book, and there are now tons of “godlings” roaming the city and mingling with the citizens (Oree even has a romantic involvement of sorts with one of the godlings.) Eventually some of these godlings, who are supposed to be immortal, begin getting murdered, and Oree and her mysterious housemate are soon thrown in the midst of the chaos. At the end of the book there is a sneak peak into the third book, and it appears that the main character will actually be Sieh, which should be extremely interesting (especially after seeing how much he’s changed between the different books in the series.) Read More »
Posted by Rob on April 22, 2011 – 7:22 pm
Since starting my new job, I’ve risen up through the ranks. What started as a 17 hour, three day a week job has now turned into a five day a week job, running Monday through Friday from 4am-11amEST. I’m scheduled 32 hours, but it will end up being 36+ hours, since I end up staying late most days to finish up the day’s workload. This is good and bad; good because I’ll be making mad moneys. Also, isn’t 36 hours like full time? Where’s my benefits?!
The bad, of course, comes down to less time playing games. Now that I’m working a bit earlier on some days and no longer have a day or two off during the week, I’ll be missing out on some gaming time. I don’t like doing it, but I’m going to have to start taking naps when I get home from work during the day. Read More »
Posted by Rob on April 22, 2011 – 6:05 pm
Filed under Video Games
Tagged as 2D, 360, 3D, big bad bob, bigbadbob, blood, fatality, fighting, gamefly, marvel vs. capcom, mk, mortal kombat, mortal kombat II, mortal kombat vs. dc, mvc, PlayStation 3, portal 2, PS3, scorpion, shao khan, street fighter, sub zero, x ray, xbox
Now I’m not a huge fan of fighting games, but I’ve been watching the new Mortal Kombat closely over the past few months. I think you can best describe the game as a “reboot” of the franchise. First off, the title, which is simply called “Mortal Kombat”, gives that very distinction. But there’s more…the slow dwindling of the series has been erased, and instead you are brought back to the days of MK-MK III, which is nothing but good stuff. So what’s so good about it?
- Violence- this is what MK stand out from Street Fighter and other fighters back in the day. The over-the-top violence has been missing in some games, particularly in the horrid “Mortal Kombat vs. DC”, but it’s back…with a vengeance! Not only are blood and fatalities everywhere, but the introduction of the new “x-ray attacks” is also a breath of fresh air. It is exactly what it sounds like…it’s a devastating move that actually shows an x-ray of the character as they are getting pummelled. One of my favorites was Sub-Zero, who freezes the heart, rips it out, and then clobbers the opponent in the face. Oh, and let’s not forget Baraka who stabs the opponent in the throat, and then right through the eye sockets!
Read More »
Posted by Rob on April 20, 2011 – 3:03 pm
Filed under Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, boosting, main eventer, platinum, PlayStation 3, PS3, PSN, rage quitters, trophies, trophy, wwe, wwe allstars, xmb
There is only one trophy standing between me and Platinum goodness…the “Main Eventer” trophy which requires you to win fifty online matches. I was really going to do this the old-fashioned way by pummelling my opposition, as I am pretty good at the game, if I do say so myself. Sadly, the online scene is full of rage quitters who will exit the game just before you win a match. Not only do you not gain the win, but you can be booted back to the main menu, to the PS3 XMB, or even get frozen and have to do a hard reset. It’s just not worth the frustration.
So the past few days I’ve been “boosting” with other players I met either here on this very blog or on one of the forums I frequent. Basically we agree to go take turns allowing each player to get a win. After a few days of this, I currently have forty-one wins, meaning I’m only nine away from that beautiful Plat. Hopefully soon!!!!
Posted by Rob on April 19, 2011 – 5:02 pm
Filed under Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, co-op, co-optimus, dungeon crawler, dungeon hunter: alliance, exclusive, hack and slash, mage, marvel ultimate alliance, online, PlayStation 3, PS3, PSN, rogue, RPG, Sacred 2, skills, untold legends, warrior
If anyone knows my gaming habits, they know I’m a sucker for the hack-and-slash/dungeon-crawler/RPG genre. Ever since getting the PS3 I’ve been itching for something that equaled the awesomeness of Champions of Norrath and Baldurs Gate on the PS2, but that has been a challenge. The closest game was Sacred 2, which is incredibly under-rated in my opinion, but I do acknowledge the limitations it had. There were a few other games that tried to squeeze into the genre, but just didn’t cut the mustard (Untold Legends didn’t have online voice chat and was otherwise mediocre, and the Marvel Ultimate Alliance series just didn’t have as much replay value as I would have liked.)
Then I started hearing about Dungeon Hunter: Alliance; a PSN-exclusive that enables up to four players to raid some dungeons. Being a PSN title, I was initially skeptical for the replay value, particularly in the number of maps and the max level. After reading co-optimus’ review on the game, my worries were tossed aside as there are over twelve levels and the character level cap is set to 75. So I jumped on the PSN and put my birthday money to good use, and had some time to check the game out. Read More »
Posted by Rob on April 17, 2011 – 8:28 am
Filed under My Personal Life
Tagged as 21st century breakdown, american idiot, BBQ, big bad bob, bigbadbob, billie joe armstrong, birthday, broadway, bulls head tavern, drinks, droid, google maps, green day, hill country, nyc, playwright tavern, poughkeepsie, st. james theater, st. jimmy, subway
Even though my birthday was Friday, the true celebration kicked off yesterday (Saturday) as Shell and I made our way down to NYC for a day of subway rides, loud music, BBQ, and booze. For my birthday, I decided that I wanted to go down and see the American Idiot Broadway show before it closed (it closes next week on the 24th.) I love Green Day, and I loved the American Idiot album, so I really wanted to see the story behind the album on stage, because it’s hard to imagine what was going through Armstrong’s head when he wrote it.
So we left Albany early on Saturday morning and drove down to Poughkeepsie, where we caught a train into Grand Central. From there, thanks to the Droid and Google Maps, we were able to navigate to 44th street where the St. James Theater was. Before the show we stopped at The Playwright Tavern for a quick bite to eat. After lunch we headed over to the theater and prepared to enjoy the show. Read More »
Posted by Rob on April 15, 2011 – 8:43 pm
Filed under My Personal Life
Tagged as american idiot, ben & jerrys, big bad bob, bigbadbob, billy joe armstrong, birthday, boars head, boston cream pie, broadway, chicken parmesan, dentist, green day, hill country, ice cream, nyc, price chopper, riesling, roast beef, time bandits, tortellini, wwe allstars
I had a pretty good day today…much better than my last birthday when I had to go to the dentist!
Today I got up early to get to work. Luckily work was a slow day today, and we were done with our job 1/2 hour early (that includes some slacking time in between), so we just hung around until 11. When I got off work I headed on over to Price Chopper to do the grocery shopping for the week. While I was there I picked up a some Boars Head roast beef and made an awesome sandwich when I got home.
After lunch I cleaned up around the house a little bit. Once everything was neat and tidy I plopped down on the couch and watched a ridiculous 80s movie called Time Bandits. I was surprised I had never watched it before, but it was definitely classic cheesiness. Once the movie was over I played a little WWE All Stars until Shell got home (and she even bought me a balloon.)
Read More »
Posted by Rob on April 14, 2011 – 3:52 pm
When I first got into wrestling in ’98, there were quite a few superstars I enjoyed. Undertaker, Triple H, Ken Shamrock, “The Lethal Weapon” Steve Blackman…just to name a few. These were guys who I enjoyed watching simply because I thought they were awesome. Then there was another group of individuals who really stuck out to me…three guys who were relatively “young” in their careers, but I would turn to my friends during PPVs and say “this guy is going to be WWF Champion one day. These three guys were Edge, Bradshaw, and Test. I didn’t call it with Test, but I was right on guessing that Edge and Bradshaw would enjoy the championship gold in the future. But the one person I do want to talk about is, obviously, Edge.
On Monday, Edge came out to the ring and announced his retirement due to injuries. I was shocked when I stumbled across the news on Tuesday. Here’s a video of his speech:
Read More »
Posted by Rob on April 14, 2011 – 1:46 pm
Filed under Video Games
Tagged as 3B, big bad bob, bigbadbob, co-op, co-optimus, dead nation, genocidiary, grim, highway to hell, morbid, online, platinum, PlayStation 3, PS3, PSN, romero would be proud, trophies, zombie
When I first picked up Dead Nation on PSN, I never dreamed I would get the Platinum trophy, titled “Romero Would Be Proud.” There were some really challenging trophies to get; one involving having to complete the game on Morbid difficulty, and the other being to collect 100% of the loot in every level. Playing solo, I knew I would never have achieved these trophies. Thanks to a buddy over at co-optimus, we spent the past three weeks or so busting through the game after I got off work each day. In the end, we were rewarded for our hours of time and dedication to the game with a shiny new Platinum trophy.
To start off, we had to unlock Morbid difficulty by playing through on Grim. It wasn’t too challenging, but it still took a few days as we encountered problems here and there. After that was complete, we moved on to Morbid difficulty. This was where the real challenge began, and some of the levels required not only many, many deaths to get to the end, but also many hours. Some levels took over two hours to complete. In fact, the final level (suitably named “Highway to Hell”) took us over three and a half hours to complete, as the final section of the level was swarming with countless zombies. Once we completed that, we just had to complete one level on the hardest difficulty (Undead) to claim that trophy, and then we moved on to two of the final trophies. Read More »
Posted by Rob on April 11, 2011 – 6:22 pm
Filed under Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, dead nation, grim, platinum, PlayStation 3, PS3, PSN, trophies, trophy, wwe, wwe allstars
After finishing up a co-op campaign on Grim difficulty, it’s only a matter of time before Dead Nation becomes my next Platinum. I’ve been playing the game with a friend during the day after I get home from work, and it’s only a matter of time before we receive the precious Platinum…my guestimate is about a week, seeing how I’m only two trophies behind.
On the WWE All Stars front, I’m also pretty darn close, with only one trophy to go before hitting Plats. However, the missing trophy requires me to win fifty online matches, and as of right now I’m at twenty-seven. I would have had at least thirty-two by now if not for rage quitters who will exit the game/ turn off their consoles right as I dish out my finisher. This causes the game to disconnect and not register the win. Thus, it will be quite some time before I amass the fifty wins.
Posted by Rob on April 11, 2011 – 5:15 pm
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin is the first book in her “Inheritance” trilogy (not to be confused with Christopher Paloni’s “Inheritance” series). The story focuses on a young warrior woman named Yiene who is called to the capital of the world by the King, who has named her a potential heir to the throne. This “barbarian” must learn to play the political games of the capital (called Sky) as she is threatened by her cousins (other potential heirs), strange “demons”, and slippery servants. As she gets to know her way around the castle, she begins to befriend the gods who have been imprisoned there, and are now slaves to the ruling human family. During a “gods war”, one ruling god cast down his brothers, sisters, and offspring, which is how they were enslaved. Eventually Yiene begins to plot with the enslaved gods to stage a coup which will release them.
I had trouble getting into the book at first, as it jumps around quite a bit. Also, the story is told from the POV of Yiene, and is written as if she is speaking to the reader. This was something I’m not used to so it took some time to get accustomed to it. Eventually, as the story started to come together and make sense, I began to enjoy it more, and towards the end I raced through it, enjoying every bit. The backstory and plot are both interesting and unique, and like no other fantasy book I’ve read yet, so that’s a huge plus. Read More »
Posted by Rob on April 9, 2011 – 9:26 pm
Filed under Sports
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, blue shirts, carolina hurricanes, devils, hockey, lightning, new york rangers, nhl, playoffs, rangers, stanley cup
The Rangers 5-2 victory over the Devils today wasn’t enough to earn them the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs…they needed the Hurricanes to lose as well. Luckily, Carolina fell to Tampa Bay 6-2, which dropped them just behind the Rangers, thus allowing the Blue Shirts to advance to the playoffs.
It won’t be an easy first round however, as the eighth seed Rangers will be facing the first seed Washington Capitals starting next week. I still don’t know if the team is ready for a Stanley Cup, but I’m just happy they made it to the playoffs. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Posted by Rob on April 9, 2011 – 10:36 am
Filed under Sports
Tagged as bigbadbob, carolina hurricanes, devils, hockey, lightning, msg, new york rangers, nhl, ot, playoffs, rangers, Sports
They say that “history repeats itself”, and for the Rangers this has probably never been truer. Last season, the Rangers playoff entrance rode on their final game…if they could get just one point (either win the game or lose in OT) then they would be able to snag a position in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, which would allow them to squeeze in as the bottom seed. Unfortunately, they lost in OT to the Flyers, so for the first time since I started watching them, the Rangers failed to advance to the playoffs.
It seems this year they are in the same position. Today they face the Devils for their last game of the season. They need a point to win, since they are currently “tied” for 8th with the Hurricanes, but Carolina does have the tie-breaker. To make things more complicated though, not only do the Rangers have to win, but the Hurricanes have to lose against the Lightning tonight as well. So the Rangers will make it to the 2010-2011 playoffs IF:
- Rangers win or lose in OT AND the Hurricanes lose
- Rangers win AND Hurricanes lose in OT Read More »
Posted by Rob on April 8, 2011 – 9:57 pm
I don’t get many of these any more since I’ve been going to bed way before Shell, but tonight I was able to snag one. She was sleeping on the couch, and our cat Loki decided to walk across her and plop down in front of her face. It scared her and she sat up, staring at the cat, then me, then back to the cat, and back to me. I said:
“Did Loki scare you?”
“I don’t like this.”
“Then push him off.”
“He’s purple.”
“Huh?”
“Why is he purple?!”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re going to give me a complex.”
Then she got up, laid down on the opposite side of the couch, and went back to sleep.
Posted by Rob on April 8, 2011 – 4:39 pm
Just testing WP to Twitter
Posted by Rob on April 6, 2011 – 4:16 pm
I don’t want to get into specifics, mainly because I really don’t care about the actual issue, but there is currently a group (or perhaps several groups) of hackers who have been attacking Sony the past two days. Basically, they are upset with Sony and how Sony deals with certain issues, so they decided to go against Sony by taking several actions…one which includes disrupting the PSN service. As a result of this, the past two days have been hit or miss with getting online the PS3, as a disruption of service means I can’t play online.
Now here’s what I don’t get: the hackers are mad at Sony, and want to not only hurt them but also gain public support by getting attention. Well, they sure are getting attention, but they are actually getting the people upset. I mean, how the hell am I supposed to say “yeah you wacky hackers, stick it to the man!” when THEY are the ones who don’t let me play online. It’s THEIR fault I can’t watch Netflix, THEIR I can’t kick ass in WWE All Stars, and THEIR fault that I’ve been getting somewhat spotty connections when playing Dead Nations with my friend. Read More »
Posted by Rob on April 4, 2011 – 4:25 pm
Filed under Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, co-op, co-optimus, competitive, dead nation, grim, morbid, multiplayer, online, path of champions, platinum, PlayStation 3, PS3, PSN, triple h, trophies, trophy, ultimate warrior, undead, wwe, wwe allstars
I’m getting close to unlocking two more Platinum trophies, but I’m not sure which will be hitting first.
In WWE All Stars, I’ve unlocked the vast majority of the trophies. The only ones remaining are the online ones (win 10 matches, win 25 matches, win 50 matches, and win 10 matches in a row) and two massive ones; one requiring me to defeat the entire roster with Triple H and one requiring me to not only defeat the entire roster but also clear all three Path of Champions with Ultimate Warrior. Once I snag these, I will be in Platinum paradise. Read More »
Posted by Rob on April 4, 2011 – 6:39 am
Filed under Randomness
Tagged as 18-0, 19-0, 20-0, big bad bob, bigbadbob, hells gate, no holds barred, retire, streak, submission, the game, triple h, undertaker, wrestlemania, wrestlemania 27, wrestlemania xxvii, wwe
I may not follow the WWE these days, but I’m still a huge Undertaker fan. I would like nothing more than to see him immortalized by retiring after going 20-0 at WrestleMania. Last night, Undertaker got one step closer to this by beating Triple H in a No Holds Barred match with his signature submission move, the Hells Gate. Prior to last night, his record at the event looked like this:
WrestleMania VII (1991) - Jimmy Snuka
WrestleMania VIII (1992) - Jake “The Snake” Roberts
WrestleMania IX (1993) - Giant Gonzalez
WrestleMania XI (1995) - King Kong Bundy
WrestleMania XII (1996) - Kevin Nash “Diesel”
WrestleMania XIII (1997) - Sycho Sid
WrestleMania XIV (1998) - Kane
WrestleMania XV (1999) - Big Boss Man
WrestleMania XVII (2001) - Triple H
WrestleMania XVIII (2002) - Ric Flair
WrestleMania XIX (2003) - Big Show & A-Train
WrestleMania XX (2004) - Kane
WrestleMania XXI (2005) - Randy Orton
WrestleMania XXII (2006) - Mark Henry
WrestleMania XXIII (2007) - Batista
WrestleMania XXIV (2008) - Edge
WrestleMania XXV (2009) - Shawn Michaels
WrestleMania XXVI (2010) - Shawn Michaels
And now you can add in:
WrestleMania XXVII (2011)- Triple H Read More »
Posted by Rob on April 3, 2011 – 8:15 pm
Filed under Video Games
Tagged as big bad bob, bigbadbob, Chimera, co-op, dead nation, game review, grim, left 4 dead, online, platinum, PlayStation 3, PS3, PSN, Resistance, trophies, twin-stick shooter, voice chat, zombie, zombies ate my neighbors
When it comes to zombie related games, my two favorites used to be the Left 4 Dead series, followed by Zombies Ate My Neighbors. However, I do believe there is a new contender in Dead Nation, the PS3-exclusive top-down, twin-stick zombie shooter. I had initially shied away from it based on it’s difficulty, but once it went on sale I jumped on it…and have been kicking myself for waiting so long to enjoy the game!
There are two characters to choose from in Dead Nation…a guy and a lady. The only difference between them is the color of their clothing and gun’s laser sight (to help you differentiate between the two when playing co-op). The general story is that zombies have taken over the world, and for some reason these two characters are immune from the zombie virus. The two characters then embark on a mission to help a scientist trace the cause of the virus outbreak while surviving increasing hordes of zombies.
Read More »
