S.S.B.B. (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)

Guess what family and friends?
It was that time of year again. The time when a videogame arrives that is so amazing it requires, neigh, demands us to stand outside and wait till midnight so that we may purchase it as soon as possible. Even if one has already secured his copy of said game and could easily go to the store the next day at normal business hours and pick it up.

Seriously though, let's be honest. To wait in a situation like this, is to give the enemy the advantage, for this game is no other than Super Smash Bros Brawl! The eagerly anticipated fighting game from Nintendo for the Wii system! And everyone knows that you must start playing a fighting game right away so that you learn all the moves and rhythms as soon as possible.
To make matters more interesting, this game has been what the game industry calls "eagerly anticipated." How eagerly anticipated? Try 6 or so years of frothing, rabid, insanity inducing anticipation.

AND, TO MAKE THINGS MORE COMPLICATED

The day after the release I was to embark on an awesome vacation, that will blogged about later, where I had elected not to take either the Wii or this new game with me. I was to leave at 3 in the morning for this trip, but I needed to get in at least a half hour of playing for my brain to start adapting to the new content. That way when I came back and started playing in earnest I wouldn't be totally behind my peers, who in this case may be mostly half my age but, none the less, I must persevere!

So I start by forcing myself to sleep a little bit,

so that it won't be so bad later.

Then, as quickly and as safely as I can, I get in the car and drive to GameStop and get in line. Where I encounter...


...Gamers Galore!(not to mention those behind me) It should be noted that there was a Super Smash Brothers Brawl tournament going on as well as just plain waiting in line.


List? Let's!
Gamer's gaming?

Check.

Otaku/Manga enthusiast?

Totally.

Gamers, sporting cool gamer fasion?

Space invader scarf, Nice!

Now, if only we had some cosplay...

BAM! blurry guy in a cape, maybe a wig too; close enough!

Well I guess that's everything -wait- what's this?
A traditionally attractive female gamer/salesperson giving away free Super Smash Bros. themed cookies that she baked and decorated herself? How's that for messing with your sterotypes? Awesome! Now that's dedication! Thanks Amanda!

In case you missed it, those cookies were in the shape of an in-game item, the smash ball. It looks like this:

not bad eh?
Rock and roll.

OK, Time check:

Hrm, looks like it will be a while.
Oh well, good thing I broght my DS! While I was busy being beaten at Mario Kart DS by gamers and their parents, there was a contest going on inside and eventually there was a winner I assume. But heck if I know who it is because they didn't really tell anyone other than the first few peeps in line what was going on and once the line started moving no one, including me, cared anymore. Then everyone in line got happier one by one.

And even though we looked like this:


We felt like this:

WoaA~sqeak~Aoh!

I then went home and played about 45 minutes of the totally awesome, completely polished and brilliant Super Smash Bros. Brawl! It is everything it was cracked up to be. It lived up to immense hype, even more so than The Twilight Princess or Mario Galaxy, for example.

Then I got two hours of sleep and had a week long adventure. More on that later.

My Cousin's Wedding!

T.C. Vann and Crystal Butler were joined in wonderful wedlock on March 1st in Miami FL and all the cousins, aunts and uncles were there to see it! At least all the cousins and aunts and uncles that I grew up with. It took place on a very fancy and large party yacht and was completely wonderful! Best of all, I got to hang out with my family who I don't get to see as often as I should. Mary and I stayed with my grandma but we would like to give extra special thanks to my Aunt Martha for offering to let us stay with her. Now, on to the pictures...

TC's Wedding Pictures

Penny's Gone

My beloved turtle, Penny, died two weeks ago. She was at the vet's office, getting treated for what they suspected was dehydration and an infection, but it turns out that her kidneys were failing. The vet thinks it might have been a congenital condition, since she was never very healthy.

Today I received a package in the mail from my vet. It had a card and a pressing of Penny's footprints in clay. Which is heartbreaking to look at. Just when I'd stopped crying every time I think about her, I receive a physical reminder of her death. I know I'll appreciate having her little footprints later, but right now it's very hard to look at them.