I've been brainstorming a few things on and offline, and thought I should deliver something new to my blogs. Aside from reviews, I also plan on adding a new segment to my blogs. You see, there really is something special about bosses in a video game. Unlike simple enemies that can be defeated with a pistol, laser, or by simply jumping on their heads, bosses have always intrigued me. They usually have a unique aspect to them, something a regular enemy cannot achieve. So I thought that I'd pay tribute to a boss character once per week, in a segment called "AK_the_Twilight's BOSS OF THE WEEK."

BOSS OF THE WEEK (11/20)

The End

I thought I'd begin this segment with a boss that definitely set the bar for how long and intricate a boss fight can be. Appearing in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater for the Playstation 2, The End was an old guy in a wheelchair who just happened to be an expert sniper when awakened from a hibernative state. Naked Snake, after defeating more agile enemies like The Pain and The Fear, is introduced to this guy, after the player is immediately disturbed by his chameleon-like eyes. Creepy.

Like many expert snipers, The End doesn't move much. He mostly stays in a sedentary position, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. On occasion, you'll hear a sniper shot (or if you're lucky, see the bullet fly by) and be able to locate him. Oddly enough, I accidentally ran into the old guy, and seeing him waddle away like some sort of elf is actually pretty funny. He's pretty quick too, so simply using CQC isn't the best plan. Gunfire is best. However, saying that this is a simple battle is quite a claim. Considering how little the guy moves, the actual battle can last hours. I actually got lucky and completed the boss fight in less than an hour.

The player can also use a sniper rifle to attack the wheelchair-bound The End and eliminate the boss battle entirely. It's tricky, but if your aim is true, you can sever one of the longest battles in the whole game.

But if you really are struggling with this insanely-paced boss fight, Kojima and crew will eventually throw you a bone. Basically, leave your PS2 alone for a while. Days, weeks even. Return to the boss battle after a long time of idleness and The End will die of old age. I kid you not. You can defeat this old guy by just leaving him alone. Kojima has a sick sense of humor and if Psycho Mantis from the original MGS didn't convince you, The End's rather anticlimactic defeat is pretty much laughing in your face, but a win is a win, right?

I hope to continue this segment each week, so keep checking back.

Quick update! I have a new review of We Love Katamari up! Check it out!

AK has been pretty busy as the holiday season quickly approaches, but I'd hate to not write a review. So I did. Here's AK's take on Kingdom Hearts II for the PS2!

In the midst of the holidays' approach, many games have been getting plenty of attention, and they all look so good.

I'll be honest with you: I never played COD4: Modern Warfare. Now before you get your pitchforks, let me say that I just wasn't a fan of shooters back then. I found a lot of the action to be repetitive and without a charm, for lack of a better word. Aside from Halo 3, shooters didn't look good to me. But don't worry: things have changed. Halo 3 is still great in my eyes, as are The Orange Box and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, so I actually am going to play Modern Warfare 2 once I get my hands on a copy.

Assassin's Creed was an odd animal for me. I initially gave the game a middle-of-the-road score of 7.5, but I still ended up purchasing it. Not at $59.99, of course, but I purchased it on clearance for a low $15. Nice. Still, I couldn't help but get excited at Assassin's Creed II. It just looks incredible. The improvements look amazing and the new environments seem to have much more stuff to do, instead of the rather repetitive missions seen in the original. Awesomeness!

Finally in the games, there's New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the game that could very well usurp Smash Bros. Brawl as "the game that me and my gaming buddies will constantly be playing." Every now and then I invite some of my old high school buddies over for gaming parties. We make time for games like Halo 3, Left 4 Dead, Brawl, Rock Band 2, and such, but New Super Mario Bros. Wii seems to have that precise competitive and frantic notion that brings us all together as friends. It looks like so much fun as a multiplayer game, but it apparently has a difficult bit as well. Can't wait to play it.

Currently, I'm giving into the hype and playing Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, though with so many great games coming out this holiday season, it'll be hard to stay focused on that.

Oh, and I have my copy of Guitar Hero: Van Halen from the Guitar Hero 5 pre-order. I have yet to play it, since I'm not a huge Van Halen fan.

Also, I fixed up the review decks for nearly all of my reviews, making them more descriptive and informative. I think it's better than some cheesy tagline from the corners of my mind, at least in my eyes.