About a week ago I was laying the smack down in UFC Undisputed 09 and finally earned the coveted "World C.L.A.S.S. Grappler" achievement (Win by submission without using any striking). I was pumped! Not only had I just won the title, fight of the night, and submission of the night by tapping out good old Rashad Evans 30 seconds into the first round, I had also unlocked an achievement I'd all but felt impossible to earn. Yet somewhere between fist pumps and hip gyrations the thought crossed my mind "this has to be one of my most glorious achievements!" So I got to thinking, which other achievements, over the long course of pure pwnage that is my gamerscore, deserved to be called my most esteemed?

In the end I came up with 2 others and decided to make a forum thread to see what others valued as their own top 3 esteemed achievements as well.

-Saigo-'s top achievements:

1.) Call of Duty IV = Mile High Club--This one literally took me hours and hours on end of mind numbing maneuvers and brain blowing reflexes to finally complete my 100% completion rate in Call of Duty IV. Not only must the level be beat at the hardest difficulty but requires you to do it within a very slim time margin which leaving no room for error at all.

2.) Star Wars: The Force Unleashed = Sith Master--This one was killer and took hours and hours of slow leveling and constant retries but in the end I prevailed earning yet again another 100% completion rate. The achievement would have been so much easier if you'd been able to use a character that had already completed the story! However, the fine people at Lucasarts decided to require a new game to earn the achievement to undeniably teach Jedi like patience!

3.) UFC Undisputed 09 = World C.L.A.S.S. Grappler / Striker--Like I said earlier, this one just felt great to earn. I also threw in the coupled "striker" achievement as I feel the two go hand in hand for pure opponent dominance in a fantastic game with a pretty sharp learning curve.

So that's it from me but I want to know what you guys would consider your own "3 hardest earned or proudest achievements" and why? Well, I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and some great gaming adventures!

Saigo Out

(PS: Happy 10th Blog Posting)

Ever have those gaming moments that transcend the realm of just another day in pixilated paradise? One of those moments that literally stops you in your button mashing glory and causes reactions of dropped jaw stupidity, wild eyed frenzied celebration, or a surge of emotion so powerful it could bring the mightiest men among us to a state of infantile sobbing and blubbering? Or a moment so powerful that the dormant inner child within couldn't lay silent a moment longer and burst out like a massive solar flare to the shocked surprised of the stiff saps around you?

As a lifelong gamer I won't deny that there's been a few (yes, even the sobbing and blubbering) moments that have defined what gaming is to me today. Those moments, though few and far between, have kept me gaming for years with a hope and excitement for a better tomorrow deeply instilled within my gaming soul. Those moments are why I get my game on, why I pay the continually rising cost to game, and why I'll pay for subscriptions like LIVE now and in the future. Those are the moments that hook us. Those are the moments when we realize that there's something a little more to games than toadstools and headshots. It's why we sit sleepless caffeinated hours on end. It's why we play.

For me, good old Saigo, my first recollection of one of those moments pre-dates this next gen generation of fancy graphics and motion mayhem and takes us down memory lane to a place called the Old School. Anyone remember a title simply called, "Mario 3"? I remember seeing a preview of that game the first time my mom took me to see, "The Wizard" back when we lived in Phoenix. I was blown away. Literally. I sat there with my kids size coke shaking in utter amazement, spilling popcorn all over myself and my disgruntled parents. Oh, but then to actually play a copy! Raccoon suits!? Flying?! Slipping behind the white blocks to find the hidden exit and the secret warp whistles?! I actually remember thinking how cool it was to go backwards in a side scroller and explore different opportunities in a game riddled with secrets, alternative routes, and challenges that have kept it golden even by today's standards.

Next, we move ahead a few console generations to the legendary Playstation 1. I remember working at the theatre and saving my 5.00 dollar an hour wages for weeks on end to finally purchase a system and a single title that revolutionized what I thought a game could be, "Final Fantasy VII." Cut scenes a plenty with graphics I'd only imagined in a fevered stupor, a story that stuck with you longer than that childhood stalker, and characters with more depth than a death match between Aristotle and Socrates! What days of splendor and what nights filled with endless rapture! But what really got me, what literally stopped me in my rampaging boss killing battle frenzy, was when I left Midgar for the first time. In my childhood naivety I honestly believed the whole game took place in that single location. I had no idea there was such a thing as a world map with tons of locations as big, or bigger, than Midgar as my confusions about having 3 cds in a box were answered. Yet, travelling on foot was only the beginning. Airships, submarines, and chocobos oh my! Final Fantasty VII truly was a fantasy that kept on giving and giving with exploration, story, music, and depth for hours on end. Yup, I logged over a hundred guilt free hours of pure Sephiroth pwnage in a title that swept the bounds of gaming right out from beneath me.

So then, shall we venture forth to the moment of moments? A moment so profound it caused red rimmed eyes and pitiless sobbing from yours truly?! A moment so exquisite, so pure, and so very pinnacle it would forever remain etched in the eternities of the hallowed halls of gaming as a moment for the ages? Years after the days of the original Playstation's glory had been sapped and surpassed, with another gap in consoles and on a platform that downright lacked RPG's, there came a godsend: Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic on the original Xbox. With Bioware at the helm, KOTOR blended action with story flawlessly, introduced the gaming world to the "Old Republic" era of the Star Wars universe all while creating a standalone masterpiece in the process. The dialogue options were witty and unique while generating rational responses that made each choice of the vernacular personal and oddly gratifying. Yet the story remained fluid and viable regardless of the decisions I made and I'd often find myself letting loose a shrill laugh that would have made good old Palpatine proud. Oh, but the moment itself? It came through a culmination of choices made manifest amidst the hum and sizzle of lightsabers clashing on the grandest stage amidst the stars. The ending of Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic was one that touched me beyond the physical senses and remains a standard in video game story telling unmatched. KOTOR was, and is, my favorite game ever because of it.

Yet games, like individuals, differ in flare and personality and all of us have those moments that define us. We've all had a moment that caught us and remain having those moments that keep us. Here's to games and game developers who strive to obtain those ever shifting and elusive moments of game play, plot, or creativity that transcend the vaulted ceilings of their predecessors rather than developing purely for profit. You are the heart and soul of those very moments we cherish.

Saigo out.

So, as those of you who follow this know, I've had a crush on a girl in my Films class there at the University. There's just something about her, sure she's cute and all, but I often find myself daydreaming class away wandering the wonders of what if? Each film clip we study and analyze becomes a kaleidoscope of adventures we could have together, as each song shifting near silently in the background becomes a sweet serenade I long to sing her!

So, class after class I've waited like a panther hunting his pray, waiting for my moments to come--and come they have. I first complemented her peace ring and as nervousness crept deeper with every longing word the conversation was cut short as I scampered away like a frightened puppy!! The next day, seeking utter redemption for my pathetic display of manliness that verged on having to sell girl scout cookies for the rest of my life, I approached again. I apologized for being so nervous and introduced myself, got her name, and then got the heck out of there again! I could feel the cold hands of terror gripping my throat, cutting off my words and my thoughts, and moving my legs in retreat once more. The French would have been proud--but only the French!

Anyhow, as days passed I'd tried to smile all roguish like when I'd see her but it felt like my face would spasm so I'd look away. I'd try to think of clever one liners during our films but only got laughter from the guys and dirty looks from our Professor and the ladies. I tried everything I could think of to win her favor without having to talk to her and failed epicly for 2 weeks. Until today.

Today, after class, she went one way, and I the other, but as fate would have it we ended up at the door at the same time. I, being a roguish if not shy gentleman, got the door for her. Then it came, weeks of frustration, pity, and self loathing all bottled up inside me that couldn't be held any longer! It was now or never, do or die, the moment of truth! Would the birds sing once more or forever be silenced like the beatings of my heart as it broke into a thousand pieces of rejection! "Shoot thy blessed bow cupid" I thought in angst, "thy blessing be with me Aphrodite!" I caught her eye and with stumbling vowels and jittered consonants I asked, "This is totally random but would you like to go out for dinner tonight?" For shame! Couldn't I have thought of something to say first? You know, ease my way into the conversation? Nope, guess not. Oh, and short notice to boot! Sink me! Who seriously just randomly has Friday nights open when someone asks early afternoon? Even if I did I'd be to embarrassed to admit it! So, of course, she was busy.

Yet endurance is what defines the champion and I asked for Monday, got a thoughtful glance, her number, and a chance. Who knows, maybe she won't be able to think of an excuse in 3 days? Maybe, just maybe, my prayers will be answered and I'll find myself on a date with her somewhere on horseback watching the sun set. Anyhow, that's the latest...I just had to get it off my chest.

Anyways, I got another editorial coming out right quick. I'm about 2/3 of the way done with it aside from editing and I'm hoping to post it sometime tonight. Well, love and peace, Saigo out.