Have you ever had a huge backlog of games that you've been meaning to play? You go to work and day dream about just what game you will play and how far you'll get, only to realize time is not on your side? Take right now for instance. I sit here, after working 9+ hours, full of free time to play games, but what am I doing? Writing this very blog. Now while some may say this is counterproductive on the game playing front, I like to think of this blog as the beginning. Here is my lovely tale of gaming from the beginning to current events, as well as a rundown of my gaming collection by the numbers (not an actual list of my games, just how many on what system).




The Road to 2500 games has been a long and arduous journey. It started with my 4 year old self being given his father's Atari and immediately getting hooked on games like Dig Dug and Kaboom. The first video game I ever played, however, was a little game called Kangaroo. Then I received the first console that was ever officially purchased for me and me alone... The Nintendo Entertainment System. I would play Mario and Duck Hunt all day long. My dad even played and showed off shooting all the ducks with his back to the TV while only using the NES Zapper and a small mirror. My dad used to rent me tons of games as a kid since they didn't have money to buy me tons of games but renting was the best! I would get 1-2 games a week and burn through them like crazy. Sometimes I picked them and other times he would pick them on his way home from work.

So many memories with my NES. I can remember the game my friend and I were playing when his first cat died and it was Kickle Cubicle. My friend and I used to watch his dad play Legend of Zelda, Legend of Zelda II and Faxanadu all while learning how to figure out our first endeavor into any kind of games with RPG elements. In my friends case, he always got the new Nintendo systems all because his dad wanted to play Zelda games. haha But one would assume I've had tons of games all my life, which isn't the case. I actually only owned about 16 NES games during their actual years of production, the bulk of my games came much later since I rented a lot more as a kid than actually bought/received games. I also didn't get a Sega Master System until mid 2012 so no fond memories of that system, but at least I do own one now! Somewhere amongst this madness I got a Gameboy and loved it. I also once left my gameboy in my pool bag in the trunk of my moms car (we used to goto a pool club when I was a kid for fun summer swimming times) and the screen got all black and burned out. Luckily, my mom had bought me another Gameboy the following Christmas but hid it because she forget she bought me one, and so then I was all set!

Then came the 16 bit generation! Sega Genesis and SNES battled it out for supremacy of the gaming world! I initially rented consoles at this point as a kid and within the first year of its existence I rented the Sega Genesis about 2-3 times and I got one for Christmas the following year in 1991. Then Christmas of 1992 I was blessed with an SNES along with the packed in Super Mario world and Spiderman/X-men in Arcade's Revenge. I can remember waking up early, opening it up, and hooking up the console myself just to play them on christmas morning. I had also rented the SNES numerous times before getting it and i still remember my first SNES game due to renting the consoles/games, Joe and Mac. I even played in the Blockbuster Video Game championships for 2 years in a row, and was in the lead during the year they had Donkey Kong Country in the tournament. But the 3rd and final day I lost by 100 bananas and was mad cuz my dad told me it was cumulative from all 3 days (which i wouldve won) but it was just by the top score and I lost. The other year was some random games, i forget which ones, but didn't do well there. Somewhere in this gen I got a Sega Game Gear. it was fun but ate through 6 AA batteries every 3 hours. But they made a charger pack and all was good. I also got a Sega CD, only for Night Trap and Willy Beamish... and Night Trap got pulled from shelves 2 months before I got a Sega CD. Sure I got one years later, but it crushed me as a kid and the only real game I played, and still play, is Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side.




Next is the amazing PS1 and N64 era! I leave out Sega Saturn namely because I didn't get one of those until maybe 3 or 4 years ago. PS1 and N64 were both amazing consoles, which I am sure you all know. This was the generation where my parents said they wouldn't buy me any more video game consoles unless I saved my money, little did I know this was a trick to see if I could save money, and I sure did. Think of it, what 13 year old kid can save any money? Well I showed them and I saved any money I received. So the N64 came out and I was still saving and running to Blockbuster Video to play their stand up unit that Reset every 15 minutes or so but I didn't care. Then it was November and I was ready to go buy it after school with my mom. I had enough money for the system and a game. Then my dad comes home...and what does he bring me, an N64! Remember that infamous video of N64 kid? No that wasn't me but I was pretty excited nonetheless. They were proud that I had saved my money and could tell I really wanted it so I was able to spend my money on another controller and some more games, what a great memory that is and always will be.

PS1 wasn't as exciting of a story, it was more of a "ask for it for Christmas, get it, love it" kind of thing. By this point my parents knew I would always love games and so decided to lift the "no more consoles" embargo. However, my parents fooled me big time that year. Resident Evil had been out for a while and my friends had it, so of course I needed it. So I wake up christmas morning 1997, got some stuff, but no PS1. They told me maybe another time I could get one. So we went to my Aunt's for Christmas and BAM PS1 city! They even got me my first 2 PS1 games, Twisted Metal 2 and Resident Evil! I couldn't play Resident Evil because my younger cousins were around, but I could play Twisted Metal oddly enough, probably because the gore isnt as real, and I didnt play it long there anyway so it wasn't a big deal.

Then by this point I am older. Dreamcast came out, I wanted one, got it for Xmas in 1999, loved it. My friend bought one too (not the same friend from earlier) namely because it could play burned games and he was all about that, so he went from having an NES and never getting another system until Dreamcast and then getting and eventually modding his Xbox after the warranty ran out. lol But my first 2 Dreamcast games were NFL 2k and NBA 2k because they came with the system in a bundle. I never liked sports games, (i still don't and don't really like sports altogether) but NFL 2k was fun as hell and I loved the series until its demise with NFL 2k5 and I suck at Madden and just hate how it plays so I never got into sports games anymore.




Then the infamous PS2/Gamecube/Xbox generation. I, unlike most people, got a PS2 last. I got Xbox first because I was sure it was the best one after reading magazine and checking online sites and I was hooked. To this day I still say Xbox and Xbox 360 are my favorite consoles of the last 2 generations. Then I bought a Gamecube ONLY because Resident Evil had to go and be remade on it and I also wanted Super Smash Bros Melee. I also only bought a PS2 later in its life (last big model PS2 but right before the slims were made) and that was only because I am a huge WWE fan and I wanted the Smackdown series. Flash forward to today and I own more PS2 games than any other console in my collection. Sure that's because PS2 games dropped to dirt cheap at the game store I worked at, but still I love it nonetheless.

Here we are, Current gen. Even though it's now almost over, My time with the Xbox 360/PS3/Wii has still been fun. Sure not as many fond memories, but still great games. As always I started with Xbox 360, not just because it was out first, but I loved the Xbox and so this made sense. I got a Wii at launch just because we had an extra console at my work and I got it cuz I new it'd be hard to find later. PS3 I didn't get until the Slim models came out and even then I only got it because God of War 3 was coming out. I literally haven't played my PS3 in over a year, it's my blu-ray player/Netflix/Hulu Plus machine. I only have it for those reasons and for system exclusives, of which I am not really into many of them apparently. If its multi-platform I always go Xbox 360. The Wii is always a fun system and it got my girlfriend more into gaming so that's always a plus.




Many of my systems I received during my days at Game Crazy. Some I got for $10-15 at the store from customers (since after a while we couldnt take more old games in so we could then make offers). Systems like Saturn, virtual boy and 32x. While I had rented them, I never bought them til 4-7 years ago. But it was those 5 years (2005-2010) that I ludicrously blew up my collection by 2000+ of my now 2500+ games. During the all of the consoles actual life spans (not including current gen) I probably only owned 10-15 games. Fun fact: The first system I owned over 30 games for while they still produced games for the console: Gameboy.

So what's in store for this generation? The Wii U is cool, I have one, but I'm not quite in love with it yet. The 3DS is fun but still JUST as fun as the DS was as I am not all "Wowzers 3D sure is nifty wifty!" So we'll see what's to come for the next 10 years of gaming.




So here's what people come to see: The Collection. My collection just this week has hit an astonishing 2504 games... Ponder on that one for a minute... 2504 games... yowza.

Here's a rundown of the sickness:

GAMES
NES - 250
SNES - 166
N64 - 150
Gamecube - 89
Wii - 74
Wii U - 2
Gameboy/Gameboy Color - 172
Gameboy Advance - 101
Virtual Boy - 5
Nintendo DS - 125
Nintendo 3DS - 14

Sega Master System - 9
Sega Genesis - 179
Sega CD - 52
Sega 32x - 7
Sega Saturn - 16
Sega Dreamcast - 71
Sega Game Gear - 23

PS1 - 202
PS2 - 280 (highest amount in my collection)
PS3 - 30
PSP - 102

Xbox - 171
Xbox 360 - 187

Atari 2600 - 16
Atari Jaguar - 5
Turbo Grafx 16 - 4
N-Gage - 2 (I have 2 games but no actual N-Gage system...yet)

= 2504 games...yipes

Consoles
NES - 3 (1 top loader, 2 front loader)
SNES (original)
N64 (original)
Gamecube (Indigo)
Wii (launch)
Wii U
Gameboy - 2 (1 classic, 1 pocket; oddly enough I don't own an actual Gameboy Color...yet)
Gameboy Advance SP (NES Classic design; I don't own an original GBA or a GBA Micro...yet)
Virtual Boy
Nintendo DS - 3 (Mario Kart original DS, Black DS Lite, Legend of Zelda DS lite)
Nintendo 3DS

Sega Master System
Sega Genesis (ver.1)
Sega CD (ver. 2)
Sega 32x
Sega Saturn
Sega Dreamcast
Sega Game Gear

PS1 - 2 (original PSX and the smaller PSone w/ attachable monitor)
PS2 (original)
PS3 (slim)
PSP (silver slim model)

Xbox
Xbox 360 - 2 (one old white pre-HDMI slot model and one Halo 3 special edition model)

Atari - 3 (2 Atari 2600s, 1 Atari 2600 jr.)
Atari Jaguar
Turbo Grafx 16

So that's a nice little rundown of what my collection consists of these days. I also have 250 Strategy guides and about 20 or so Art Books. I also have posters, pre-order gifts, many special editions of games, and other such video game related items. I even own a 2-3 ft Master Chief statue that we had at Game Crazy and I was allowed to take it! On top of all this I also own over 60+ Star Trek Original Series novels, tons of comics/graphic novels as well as a nice collection of video game based novels.




But what is to become of my beloved hobby in the future? Mom and pop stores have caught on to the internet and now sell their games for the outlandish online prices, Gamestop is still overpriced for most of their games and have almost eliminated any games from the PS2/GC/Xbox era and earlier, and as i get older my money becomes more and more needed and less usable for things such as this hobby/addiction. But above all else, as I get older, time moves faster and I am more conscious of it.

I love the thought of being able to never run out of games to play, or to just be able to play whatever I want whenever I want. Yes I am aware of virtual consoles and digital downloads (and believe me I dread the console generation after this coming one because the rumors are it will all be digital). I just can't do digital downloads and the only ones I own are those that are ONLY digital such as Super Meat Boy or older but now have online play like Street Fighter 3: Third Strike.

I also own about 10-15 PC games, but I am not a PC gamer and havent really ever been. Sure I played DOOM and Worms World Party when I was younger but PC gaming never stuck. I always preferred console gaming, initially because PC controllers were terrible back in the day and I hate using a keyboard and mouse for gaming. I'm way better at FPS games with a controller than a mouse and keyboard. But because I am a console game collector and not a PC game player or collector, they simply do not count to me as part of my collection. But if other people count PC games and digital download games in their collections, well then I hit 2500 games months ago.

As you can see from my cover photo, thats my collection. That is, back when it was only at 2300 about 1 or 2 years ago. The shelves have slightly changed but the insanity still remains. Thanks to Destructoid I have talked to others who have huge game collections and it's cool to know I am not alone in this at all. So I hope you all enjoyed this (those of you who bothered to read before or after my list of games/consoles lol) and feel free to ask me questions and/or comment! I leave you with this:

So this blog is going to be short and sweet. What the HELL were they thinking having NO local multiplayer in Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD? I get it, it's 2012, Xbox live and online gaming in general are huge. But WHY are all these game companies forgetting that friends like to hang out TOGETHER? I don't want to be hanging with my friend and then say "OK so go to your house so we can play tony hawk online!" I was JUST with him.. why does he need to go home so we can play a game of HORSE in THPSHD?

This game is useless to me now. Not only did this discourage me and make me not want to play it ever, but now my friend isn't getting the game on Xbox live for the same reason.. NO LOCAL MULTIPLAYER. A game series that has been 2 players since its incarnation, gets remade in HD (and the levels do look great...well Hangar does since I played it once and despised the fact that it's not 2 players and can't bare to look at it anymore), and then we get this garbage.

The blood and character models still look like crap too! They basically redid all the maps graphically and that's it.. That's really all they did. I wish I looked at reviews but I honestly though "How can Activision mess it up... it's a remake of the first 2 THPS games, the best ones" But they found a way. I completely miss when games had online multiplayer AND offline multiplayer. I mean is it because "no one wants to play split screen"?

You know who says that? People with 20 inch televisions. My 40 inch TV begs to differ. Since I was a child I couldn't wait until TV's got bigger (even then I knew they would), so I could play 4 player split screen with my friends more easily. And here we are, 2012, and all game companies want is for me and my friends to all buy their game, and play online in our own homes. Greedy pieces of trash.

So screw you Activision. Enjoy my $15 because it's the last of my money that you will ever see.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD blows.

For years we have been bombarded with Street fighter, King of Fighters, and Mortal Kombat since the release of Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side for the Sega CD. Before Eternal Champions hit the Sega Genesis, everyone thought Mortal Kombat held the record for most violent game. Well I am here to tell you that those people did not play Eternal Champions.



This game had it all! EC had 25 characters, which dwarfed any other fighting game at the time. Sure a handful were semi-clones (think Super Smash Bros Melee with Mario/Dr. Mario or Roy/Marth), but many still had unique finishing moves and special moves at least in appearance.

The best part about this game of course included my favorite sci-fi theme: Time Travel! How could you get a cooler story?! All of the fighters were pulled from time JUST before their demise. The Eternal Champion (the primary Antagonist on the Genesis who was then replaced by HIS master on Sega CD, the Dark Champion) pulls these fighters from time, and they have to fight to the death. The winner is then returned to his/her timeline and given a chance to avoid their death and live again, while the losers, are sent back to their original time period and die as they were supposedly meant to die. This to me is an amazing story line and is one of the very reasons I love the concept of time travel.

The characters in Eternal Champions was Deadliest Warrior before the TV show even existed in someone's brain. This game had all kinds of fighters such as a caveman, pirate, cowboy, gangster, vampire, Warlock, circus performer, cyborg, Atlantis dwelling green guy, and you can even unlock hidden characters like a chicken, a politician, a vietnam soldier, and a monkey!



So as I said before, this game was violent as hell. Each character had their own finishing move called a "Vendetta." These moves are basically fatalities only some were just plain brutal. Remember that censored point blank headshot by the Joker in MK vs DC universe and it's not much more violent MK 2011 version? Well try being a Cowboy with a shotgun and firing one shot into a head to plow it up, and then firing the 2nd shot and blowing off more of the gunk that was once your head. And this was a game made in 1995! The tamer Sega Genesis version was still violent, but the Sega CD game was much worse (and more awesome).

Adding to Vendettas we also get the Overkills from the Sega Genesis game, but added on top of that were Sudden Deaths AND Cinekills. Overkills and Sudden deaths are basically the same. Finish the final round with your opponent landing in a certain spot when he/she took their final hit, or hit them for the final hit in the right spot and they would do a "pit stage" type finishing move. The only difference is Sudden Death's can only be done in the 3rd round, where Overkills could be done in the 2nd or 3rd round. Cinekills were an added bonus! TO get a Cinekill you basically had to dominate your opponent with a nice string of combos, knock them to 20% health or lower, and made them dizzy. if you did this your opponent would be sent to the Dark Champion himself and he would personally kill them. I've only done 2 of them myself back in the day with my two best characters, Midknight and Larcen, and they were an amazing site to behold, especially before the days of internet and social networking. This was back in the day when if Gamepro magazine didn't tell you how to do it, you either had to figure it out yourself or you just never knew about it until years and years later.

With that said, Where's my Friggin Sequel? Technically the series only has 1 entry, with Challenge from the Dark Side being a "Complete Edition" of sorts. There have been numerous rumors over the years or its impending journey into the world of Sequality, but nothing has been done. Sega... have you ever thought that maybe your company fails because all you do is make Sonic the Hedgehog games and hope that somehow people go "Oh yea I forgot I love Sonic! Let's buy them all." The only people who are buying Sonic games are those who always loved him. I love Sonic Generations and all, but they had to go back to being old school to even warrant my attention.



Larcen had a spinoff title for the Game Gear called Chicago Syndicate and Shadow was in X-perts. Both took place in their own time periods before the Eternal champions tournament.

If Eternal Champions 2 ever became a thing, it would sell like crazy! The game could be as violent as the ESRB would allow, which is potentially even worse than Mortal Kombat. Everyone loves stage fatalities, especially in this series when you would forget they even existed only to be surprised by the outcome of a match where you botched, or forgot how to do, a Vendetta. I played the crap out of EC and EC: CftDS and would do so with a sequel in a 2.5D side scrolling fighting style with updated graphics, levels, vendettas, overkills/sudden deaths and maybe even make new Cinekills. That's all I have to say about this very underrated and amazingly fun fighting game series.

Fun side note: Bone Thugs ~N~ Harmony's song "Eternal" used a sample from this games. Some guy on youtube mixed the song's lyrics into the Eternal Champions actual song. But if you hear each separately they def used the sample. It's awesome both as a gamer and a BTNH fan. NSFW:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPUjkdbkxuI

Apparently BTNH sampled EC's bad ending music too for Crosssroads... Yea BTNH is definitely cooler now in my eyes. Probably should've cited Sega in their albums but whatever.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3s4oApwijw

Here are the Cinekills:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9BVTzwkHss

If you want to see the Overkills/Sudden Deaths, here they are:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQlXJl_zf3Q

Also Vendettas (Dawson's bad ass shotgun Vendetta is at 2:30):
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akJk0Mpl3Ic&feature;=related

So it's about that time for more of my most wanted sequels in gaming. This one is not super old, but old enough to be annoying that there hasn't been a sequel for this series in quite a while, I am of course talking about the Blood Omen/Soul Reaver series. I miss it, I love it, I want some more of it.



It has been almost 9 full years since we were given the amazing game that is Legacy of Kain: Defiance. That's WAY too long for more action from the wraith Raziel or the vampire Kain to be wreaking Havoc, whether it's against each other or others. I have been a die hard fan of this series since Soul Reaver on my Dreamcast (I never heard of Blood Omen on PS1 until way later, I played it before Blood Omen 2 came out however). This series was one of the reasons I bought a PS2, since I got Gamecube AND Xbox before a PS2 but thanks to the WWE Smackdown series, Silent Hill 3, and Soul Reaver 2, I eventually bought one.

Sony has never been my first choice for gaming. I mean I love many of their games but not enough to get them right away. I've owned a PS3 for over a year now and have maybe 9 games... I've had a 360 since 4 months after it's release and have over 160 Xbox 360 games... that's some crazy math. But there's just something about this series that makes me go crazy and play it for hours and hours.

Perhaps it's the crazy powers Kain possesses in Blood Omen 2, or Raziel's ability to shift between realms, but there's something about these 2 characters that makes me enjoy their games. So I ask the question that's on all of our minds... Where's my friggin' sequel?

Defiance had a great ending, and maybe there wasn't much left to say afterwards, but I still want more. I mean Kain has been around for hundreds of years! Can't we have a Blood Omen 3 that takes place during some point between Blood Omen 2 and Defiance? And what about Raziel? He's also been around a long time? Why not a prequel before Raziel became a wraith? The possibilities for a sequel are there and could be potentially endless. But let's not forget, Kain had other vampires under his control, so why give all the love to just Kain and Raziel? That whole series could be fleshed out much more in terms of characters and the storied lives of Kan and Raziel.

So I say to you Eidos or whoever the hell owns the rights to this series, do something with it! A decade is way too long for a series that made most of us forget how crazy vampires could be, or how cryptic a wraith can be. Ii this series gets a sequel, be it Blood Omen 3, or Soul Reaver 3, or Defiance 2... I would go absolutely insane and would definitely buy it on day 1.

I have decided that every Sunday, I am going to write a fun new blog about sequels. As gamer of 25 years, I have seen quite a few things throughout the years. One thing I love is sequels. Now call me crazy, but I just can't stand it when you have a great series and then all of a sudden you don't see another game for 15-20 years, or ever again for that matter. You all know my love for Gladius 2 so I will not go into detail about that, same goes for a hopeful Lost Odyssey 2.

So starting here, now, and every Sunday from here until further notice, in my first edition of "Where's my Friggin' sequel," we are going to talk about Kid Chameleon.



This May 28th marks the 20th anniversary of Kid Chameleon and all I can say is Where's the love? This was my 2nd favorite Sega Genesis game of all time (You cannot beat Toe Jam and Earl) and such an amazing and under appreciated game. Kid Chameleon had just over 100 levels with branching paths, he has crazy super powers obtained by grabbing different masks such as a hover board, knight armor, and a friggin' tank that shoots skulls. Also, he has shades and a leather jacket. If he's this bad ass as a kid, imagine how cool he's look older?

My question is this... Why has there not been a sequel in 20 years? I mean Casey, Kid Chameleon himself, entered the virtual world to save kids who were trapped inside the game just for losing. With technology the way it is today, a sequel could easily be made from the ashes of the story. I mean you break a hole in the virtual world and save all the people... so why not make good old boss Heady Metal find his way out into the digital world and perhaps make him affect the real world, leaving only Kid Chameleon to save the day yet again. Tons of new helmets could emerge, many more varied levels, not to mention the insane graphical achievements we've made in the last 20 years. I'd almost prefer it if they made him older and perhaps Heady Metal escapes using wireless or 3G or some crap just a thought.

If you have not played this game, whether it's from a ROM, Virtual console, Sega Classics Collection, or any other way then do yourself a favor and play this game. Kid Chameleon is challenging, the different paths cause your adventure to change each time, great graphics for the Sega Genesis generation, insane enemies and super powers, and a simple and straightforward story where the hero comes to save the day. Ad in the fact that for its time the idea of being trapped in a video game... while you are PLAYING a video game is not lost on me. As a kid it made you feel as though you WERE Kid Chameleon and you couldn't rest until you defeated Heady Metal and won the game.

So Sega, do not let Kid Chameleon fall into obscurity. Let Sonic the Hedgehog rest for a while, he's been running for far too long. Since you aren't doing so well, how about giving some of your other characters a moment in the spotlight to maybe regain your momentum. Until next week everyone.

- GrimmTrixX

We've all done it. You get a game, play the hell out of it, but then something in the back of your mind says "hey you, you should totally get all those achievements." You then say to yourself, "But why? Gamerscore is just a number and it'll take hours to get done" to which your mind replies "JUST DO IT ALREADY!" That didn't happen to you? Oh, well maybe that's just me, but sometimes I just get so into a game I cannot rest until have 100% in it. I don't get this way for PS3 games and their trophies, just Xbox Live Achievements. Maybe it's because I wasn't into sports as a kid so the appeal of getting as Trophy is lost on me. I do, however, like to achieve things.

I, GrimmTrixX, want to, and will earn, every Halo game achievement legitimately and without boosting. I would rather miss out on some achievements in this series than earn them by boosting. I am NOT knocking anyone who has and/or will boost to get them, not at all. This is just my personal preference and goal for myself. Boost all you want, I've been tempted to but haven't yet.



I have been a Halo fan since a few months after it's initial release on Xbox. I got my original Xbox about 3 months after it came out, and my fist 2 games were Dead or Alive 3 and Halo. I bought Halo because "meh this game looks kind of cool" knowing nothing about it. Little did I know, 11+ years later, I would be addicted to the game and the Halo Universe as a whole.

Ever since Halo: Combat Evolved I was hooked on this series, before it even became a series. I love sci-fi stories and I just got all wrapped up into it. I used to do 12-16 player LAN parties with my friends and even used Xbox Connect which allowed you to play Halo": CE online because it tricked your Xbox into thinking it was system linked. Halo:CE is still my most favorite game. I've beaten it on normal, heroic, and legendary solo, but also legendary on co-op and while it was super hard, that was an achievement to myself that I had to do, even though no proof is able to be seen.



My first and only 100% in Halo so far is with halo 3:ODST. This doesn't really come as a surprise, as it is the easiest game in which to get 100%. But I played for hours and the 2 vidmaster achievements SUCKED. Two times I had a disconnect trying to get one of the achievements that takes a minimum of 2.5 hrs to get, but I finally got it on the 3rds time. But that's one down and 4 to go.

So this goes on down the line through out the Halo series to my point in time as it is right now. With Halo 4 coming November 6th, 2012 I made a solemn vow: I want to legitimately earn every single Halo achievement in Halo 3, ODST, Halo Wars, Halo Reach, an Halo Anniversary. I don't know WHY I feel I have to do this, but regardless the feeling is there and I must follow through.



About a few months ago I started focusing on Halo 3. My main reasoning behind this was, how much longer will Halo 3 be playable online? So I trudged through, slowly but surely getting some here and there until now I have 1 achievement left: "Save This film," which means I have to get a Perfection (15 kills no deaths) in a Slayer match on a Mythic Map. Yikes. Now I am not a horrible Halo 3 player (pay no attention to my Halo 3 rank as I have demolished it with constant backing out of matches to get the achievement) but never in my life have I gone Anything and 0, let alone 15-0. So this is a tough one. I haven't really tried at it much though, since I was too busy trying to get friggin Orbital to show up so I could try and get 2 Deaths from the Grave. Now after I write this blog I am going to play Halo 3 for a little bit in a vain attempt at this. Will I be successful, who knows, but I will try.



Alongside this Halo 3 madness, however, lurks Halo Reach. I had about 20 achievements left but I have since knocked them down to an attainable 7 and here they are:
- Make It Rain: Purchase an item for a Lt. Colonel in the Armory
- Totally Worth it: Double Kill from the Grave on any map
- You Ate all the Chips: Collect all flags in matchmade Stockpile on a Defiant Map
- Candy from a Baby: Capture 2 flags from an enemy capture zone in Stockpile on a Defiant Map
- Don't Touch That: Do not let the enemy touch the Flag in 1-flag CTF on a Defiant Map
- Paper Beats Rock: Assassinate a player after using Armor Lock on a Defiant Map
- All Alone: Be the last man standing in Infection on a Defiant map
- Stick it to the man: Stick and kill the flag carrier on an Anniversary map

That's it. That's all she wrote. This is all I need to have 100% in Halo: 3 and Reach. So here are my problems/hurdles I am encountering. Now, some won't be too hard thanks to Squad DLC existing and occasionally a flag match shows up, but the sad thing is, in other playlists, NO ONE ever picks Stockpile. Also, hardly anyone uses Armor Lock and, while I'm at it, no one picks flag in anniversary maps. So I am almost at somewhat of an impasse. The double kill from grave is one that will just happen in a random FFA match as will the "Make it rain" achievement since that just comes with time. But the rest could be hit or miss.

But my deadline is not until November 5th, the day before Halo 4. So I think I could be done in 6 months. I still have every Anniversary achievement to get as far as single player goes (it sucks I JUST beat Halo 1 on Legendary about 6 months ago), as well as a handful of Halo wars offline achievements, but they can be done at any time, unlike the online achievements which become harder as time moves forward.



Anyone else do stuff like this sometimes before a new game comes out? Also before October I need to beat Assassin's Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood AND Revelations since I own them all but honestly I made it halfway thru AC1 and haven't gone back. I want to, but I keep getting sidetracked. But with how amazing Assassin's Creed 3 looks, I will do it. I have also had a hankering to beat all of the resident evil games before RE6 comes out (even though I've beaten them all before), but it all depends on Halo.

So if anyone sees me online, my gamertag is GrimmTrixX. I am not looking to boost in Halo, as so far I have earned every single Halo achievement legitimately, no boosting. Hell I got the first 1000 Halo 3 achievement points before they added any extras from the DLC maps, but sadly I slacked on the others and am making up for it while I still can. If you want to play with/against me, I'll be jumping around from Squad DLC, to Anniversary Classic/BTB/FFA with a single goal to get achievements. Don't give them to me, I just might need help controlling the vote to get stockpile and flag matches so I can even try to earn them.

Hey! Tell me your stories about achievement hunting in the comments! I only hunt the games that call to me such as Dead Rising, Halo, and Lost Odyssey, but I have fun with other games as well. I'd love to hear if you guys have had similar experiences in Halo or other games! And I am off to attempt some more Halo 3 and/or Reach Achievements. Damn I gotta get going on Halo: Anniversary! 0%? For shame.