That time has come again, seeing familiar faces, watching the Eastenders Christmas special, Pictionary sees the light of day again only to be locked away for next year. Getting stuffed on the dry turkey your guests brought round, watching the annual Jingle all the Way repeat(s). Although Christmas is the time period where most suicides take place and it can be overwhelming, it's Christmas.
However, despite the familiarity and excitement, I haven't had a such gaming Christmas, last year I got a Wii, but this year I haven't got a load of games that I've been itching to play. I got two, Super Mario Galaxy and Unreal Tournament 3. UT3 is disappointing, I need Vista just for mere AA, I can't help but feel MS has gone overboard with the whole Vista and DX10 thing. I tried to find control panel on Vista once, I gave up after what felt like the duration of the last Lord of the Rings movie.
But, despite this, the content is just lacking, they try to emulate the original, but it's like UT2003's and UT99's PS2 port's bastard child. No assault? I mean c'mon, that's what made UT stand out in the first place.
At least Galaxy didn't disappoint, I don't recall having so much fun with video games this year, but I barely got to the third galaxy and then the hoard of guests came along, I was soon discarded as they turned on Wii Sports, instead of loosing all my lives on that (damn) ray surfing galaxy I had to endure Wii tennis, where I viewed countless of missed shots with constant and insincere "wow"'s from the in game spectators.
I got dumbbells, whether I was inspired by the DNF teaser or not, new clothes, Frasier DVD set (
), press up bars, skipping rope (no, not a girly one), some Jeremy Clarkson book (my attempt to start reading anything other than Bill Bryson), two crates of bottled Grolsch beers and socks and the other things that have become compulsory every Christmas like chocolate coins, I would of had a chocolate Santa, but a giant rat had gnawed on it, since when have rats like chocolate?