Games, Religion, and more....

So I caved and bought a Wii from a guy selling them online last week. The premium I paid for it wasn't that bad (~$70), but the saddest part is that it isn't the most extravagant spending I've done this year. In fact, it's not even close. Naturally since then a significant portion of my time has been devoted to the system, with the occasional break for distractions like sleeping and food. Haven't looked into a catheter yet. Anyway, like most everyone else, playtests with non-gaming friends and family have gone incredibly well with every person absolutely loving the experience and at least one future buyer converted. I haven't had much time for Zelda, but now that my component cables have arrived, you better believe that's about to change.

I'm on the way to wrapping up Final Fantasy XII, which has been bliss most of the way through. The semi-real-time battle system stomps previous entries in the series and keeps battles fresh and invigorating, as they should be. Some seem to believe the gambit system takes you out the equation. Not quite true. A significant amount of effort is still required to keep your characters in top shape. Adjustments on the fly are absolutely necessary when bosses love to slap unexpected status effects on you without any warning. My only real complaint, besides the fact that some of your party are just seems to be coming along for the ride, is that the story occasionally feels like a fetch quest. More than a couple of times I've ventured through some challenging, long dungeon/tower/fortress only to learn at the end I must go to another, longer, more challenging dungeon/tower/fortress. Fortunately traversing these fortified areas and lands in between isn't tedious thanks to the battles and the constant introduction of new, interesting creatures.

Now let's switch gears a bit. Have you ever prayed for something because you believed it was for the best, even though you didn't want it? Sometimes I feel like I'm doing that. At night I pray that God will bring me closer to him, undoubtedly a good thing from a Christian perspective. So why don't I want it? Obligation. The closer you are to God, the more that's expected of you. I suppose this is a common thing among human beings. We want just enough from God so that we can live in peace and go about our daily lives in happiness. C.S. Lewis likens God to a renovator who keeps working long after we're satisfied with the condition of our homes.

Speaking of Lewis, I was reading his book "The Problem of Pain" yesterday when I encountered a passage that made me pause. In this particular passage, Lewis refers to the Creation story as a myth. Now I grew up in a Christian family that made it to church every Sunday, but I've never been told anything in the Bible was anything other than absolute truth. Here's the passage for those who are interested:

"The story in Genesis (full of the deepest suggestion) about a magic apple of knowledge; but in the developed doctrine the inherent magic of the apple has quite dropped out of sight, and the story is simply one of disobedience. I have the deepest respect even for Pagan myths, still more for myths in Holy Scripture. I therefore do not doubt that the version which emphasises the magic apple, and brings together the trees of life and knowledge, contains a deeper and subtler truth than the version which makes the apple simply and solely a pledge of obedience."

I'm sure to atheists the idea that I was taught a "magic apple" played a role in the birth of all sin seems incredulous. Heck, even the term "magic apple" would inspire outrage in my hometown. There was brief period of time when any references to magic or mythology were on the verge of being banned, meaning anything from David Copperfield to the Smurfs. Thank the Lord I'm an adult now. Anyway, I've read that theologians do consider some stories in the Old Testament allegorical, but this doesn't seem to come up much at church. I wonder where all the denominations stand on this issue. It seems to me that if you're offering spiritual guidance to people, you should make it clear what your stance is on the factuality of your literature. But that's just me.

Wii-less

For two hours of freezing outside, my whole life could be different. I'd be a different person with a different body (but the same rapier wit you all love). OK, not really, but it really sucks right now. I do a lot of things in the name of my video game fanaticism -- import weird Japanese games, mod systems, sweat profusely in public while "dancing", but I couldn't see myself waiting eight hours in the cold to get a Nintendo Wii. After all, the Big N has promised one million units on day one, no system has sold out at that quantity, right? Plus, with an estimated four million units by Christmas, there's no panic, right? Right?

Arriving at 6:30 am I scan the crowd waiting outside at Best Buy. Looks like about 60 people. Sweet. The store has eighty-four units waiting for us. Wait a minute, that bundle of blankets looks like a person. So does that sleeping bag. And that one. Cripes. Well maybe some people are just keeping their friends company while they wait. Wishful thinking. 8 am rolls around and store employees hand out tickets allowing those in line to buy their merch at nine. Panic overcomes the people around me. The stack of tickets gets smaller until it runs out ten people in front of me. Just my friggin luck.

So I cruise on down to Durham where the Best Buy there only has forty-five units, which are all spoken for. Someone offers me $100 for his spot in line. He can burn in hell. I waste an hour trying to locate the Toys 'R Us in Durham and eventually decide to visit my old workplace, Sears. This particular Sears store is receiving two units. Two. Since I naturally do not get one of them, I decide to look around to say hi to some old coworkers. One male coworker in his late forties feels my biceps and comments that I must've been working out. Creepy.

So here I sit Wii-less and disappointed in my extreme nerdiness not being able to overcome my blatant laziness. Worst of all, I'm constantly taunted by fucking craiglist ads where someone is selling the extra unit they obtained. I hate you all. Openly and without regret.

The crystal was shedding its light silently...

Happy Halloween! Indeed, no other holiday allows adults to dress up, get drunk, and gawk at strangers who had the audacity wear that. I know I will be having a blast this Halloween. But not because of girls in skimpy outfits and guys who look like idiots. Nay, young squires, Square has finally seen fit to unleash another Final Fantasy XII upon us. Picking up the game at midnight last night (yes I am that dorky), I instantly fell in love with the ornate, engrossing digital world that my television flashed before my Red-Bull-fueled eyes. All the speculation and doubt can be put to rest, this game is shiznit. Some will be put off by the new AI-driven battle system that requires you to manage the tactics of your teammates more than choose their actions. Others won't like it because it's Final Fantasy VII part 2 (dammit, Aeris is dead, let it friggin go).

Make no mistake, this is one of prettiest PS2 games I've ever laid eyes on. The crisp graphics blur the line between real-time graphics and CGI like I never imagined. Why anyone would care about that behemoth PS3 when the oh-so-excellent Okami and FFXII are available is beyond me. Its story leads off with a bang. Kings, knights, and other leaders are introduced in the midst of a terrible war. In any other RPG, these people would slowly aid you throughout the game. In FFXII, they are betrayed and murderd in the first ten minutes.

So hold onto your cumbersome costumes and itchy makeup. The creation of some very intelligent, talented, and probably overworked people in Japan have replaced your decadent holiday as my entertainment for tonight. I accept no substitutes as my ass continually expands towards the proportions of my fellow midnight purchasers, who by the way function as an eerie and in some cases smelly warning of the future. Go in peace and may Yevon watch over us all.