... in which the Fool almost drools in anticipation of an upcoming game

I've always been a fan of Super Robot Wars, a turn-based strategy game involving a ton of robots from different robot anime series. My brothers and my cousin got me hooked into it, especially when I saw the joy in their eyes as the shows they've watched when they were children came back to life through the Super NES system. I was more interested in the gundams back then, as I wasn't old enough to have seen Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, and the other older robots. But it was great seeing my brother change from semi-drooling fanboy to a dead-serious tactician as soon as one of his robots got destroyed. I'd tease for a bit back then, saying his robots aren't really as good as he thinks they are. And then suddenly, when I thought the odds were heavily against him, he'd turn defeat into glorious victory.

To this day, after I learned how to read katakana, some hiragana, and a lot of kanji, I still can't match my brother's tactics in Super Robot Wars. Even with my more OC-style of positioning and grouping and matching unit for unit, despite the more in-depth techniques that I use to finish a particular mission, I can't match my brother's knack for the game -- and that's him playing almost without understanding what in the world is happening to the story or the characters or whatever (of course, he cheats by having me around when he's playing, which means that I'll read what he doesn't understand, and I'll have to explain what he has to do). He can stay in front of the screen for an entire day, going through multiple stages in a single day, without even tiring from all that thinking as he positions each unit the way he intends them to be positioned. I don't know how he does it really...

And come July, we'll be playing the newest installment of Super Robot Wars for the PS2! I mean, I almost can't contain my fanboyism here! As of the moment, I'm looking at the new scans for the new main characters for the game while trying simultaneously to blog. Its not really awkward, but its preventing my brain from forming any coherent sentence.

Well, I'm pretty sure my brother will again be drooling like a fanboy when the game comes out, and he'll be bugging me to buy the game with him as soon as its available. I don't blame him though. I also do the same thing when some games that I like come out. But at least I know I can wait for a little more time... Which means I won't be telling my brother this news... yet.

I'm looking forward to the original characters. I've always been ever since Super Robot Wars Alpha. Because I've found that Banpresto (the company that made the game) can mix a lot of stories together, and still have time to include character development into their games. Add that to the fact that Banpresto has made a lot of original characters for each SRW game they've made, and well... They can make their own anime of their own characters. Banpresto has actually made a Super Robot Wars game that's included only their original characters. Its entitled Super Robot Wars Original Generation (and I was very glad when the 2nd installment came out last year) and it has the stories and mechs and character development that they've made for each character (and then some! They've added a few for that game alone) that they created over the years. I'm waiting for the next installment (which I guess will be out in the next two years) which looks to be the conclusion of the series. And there'll be a huge bang! Just like in Super Robot Wars Alpha 3. See, SRW Alpha 3 is the third and last installment of the Alpha series, it brings the story to a conclusion, as they take the fight directly to the aliens this time, and that means going to their home planets. It feels like a huge epic game at this point (here's to hoping that the feeling doesn't diminish as I play through the game) and the ending feels likewise.

Dammit, I'm itching from ant bites in this seat. The keyboard seems to be crawling with ants (I don't know if the previous user ate here or what) and they keep going to my arms and neck trying to turn me into food for ant larvae probably... It's itchy here. And my discomfort right now only adds to my anticipation of the game...

Actually, its not only this game that I'm anticipating. Come this August (one month after Super Robot Wars, oh bliss!!!) the Avengers expansion for the VS card game is coming out! Now granted, I don't really like Marvel, but this is the one expansion that would actually make me excited to play Marvel. I mean, its the Avengers! How can I not be excited to play as the most powerful super team in Marvel makes its appearance? This marks the first time in DC that I'm not interested much at the bad guy teams. In fact, I think I'm subconsciously blocking the idea of other teams in this expansion. I'm just imagining which characters would be included, and which ones I'd be using. The X-guys would always have a place in my heart, but once Avengers comes out, well.. The mutants automatically take a backseat to them. I can barely close my mouth in anticipation... (shame, shame)

I don't think I'll be attending hands-on classes today. Maybe I'll just browse, browse, browse, browse... today. See what else I can see. I'm not in the mood to take an online exam today, simply because there's no point, as this weekends exam will cover the same things again.

Wow, those designs are really cool. I'll be providing the links later.

What I'm worried about is what will keep me sane between August and November (which coincidentally is also the date from which I'll have coaching and refresher classes in preparation for exams) -- between the release of Avengers and the JLA expansion. I have two months of playing Marvel Modern Age (using Marvel Knights and Avengers cards to make decks) while at the same time thinking of what cards will be coming out for the next expansion. I mean, if I don't have anything to keep me sane during those two months, well, nothing. Maybe I'll go on dates instead. Hehe... I think that would be best. Yes.

Of course, George R. R. Martin's fourth installment of "A Game of Thrones" will also be coming out around that time. I don't know if I'll be buying a copy for myself. But I'm definitely sure that I'll be reading it as soon as possible. I'll think of it when the time comes.

As promised, here are the links to the pics that I've been staring over for the past few minutes. Enjoy.

i2.photobucket.com/ albums/y6/Nabeshin_III/53d56123.jpg

i2.photobucket.com/ albums/y6/Nabeshin_III/06c5fb02.jpg

i2.photobucket.com/ albums/y6/Nabeshin_III/b9875bf0.jpg

take out the space between "/" and "albums" (thanks go out to weich for giving out this site)