Saw this on a friend's blog (cloud_5443) and decided to do the same. What are your 5 favorite games of all time on any platform?

Here are mine ----

1. Final Fantasy VII (PS1) - this game just makes me emotional... i am that fond of it.

2. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)- this game surpassed all the hype... it's not THAT good... it's BETTER.

3. Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided (PC)- my first and most involved leap into the world of MMORPG's. there was a time when playing this game was all i wanted to do.

4. Mike Tyson's Punchout (NES)- as a kid, it didn't get any better than this. as an adult, it still doesn't get any better than this.

5. Fight Night Round 3 (PS3/360)- i'm a sucker for boxing, and this is the best boxing game out there.

So, what are your top 5?!?

If you haven't seen the Dark Knight movie yet, stop reading this and go see it. It truly is a great work of art. Heath Ledger's Joker is convincing, intriguing, and just plain twisted. The movie is dark and very serious. The ethical dilemmas all characters in the movie are faced with are captivating and gut-wrenching. Go see this movie. If you've seen it already, go see it again. So good....

It's been a while since I posted, but I was recently reading in the forums and came across someone who was hating on games such as Rock Band/Wii Sports/etc that use controllers that simulate life-like activities. The person went on to suggest that we go out and do those things in real life instead of supporting video games that seem to flood the industry with imitative peripherals. To that I had this response --

You're missing the point of these games - you don't have to be good at music or tennis or whatever the game is in order to have fun playing these games. You don't have to have the ability to play guitar or hit a homerun in order to pick up a Rock Band controller or a nunchuk and have fun playing these games with your friends. For those of us with school, jobs, and real lives - we don't have the time to practice guitar for hours a day to become the next Slash. We don't have the time or the resources to spend hours a day on the golf course to become as good as Tiger. But what we do have is a spare hour here and there. And in that spare hour we can play Guitar Hero or Wii Sports and at least get a taste of what it'd be like to have those abilities.

Don't get me wrong, I am in no way trying to discourage people from chasing their dreams of becoming a rock star or a professional athlete. But to be honest, it's just not in everyone's cards. I'm an athlete and musician myself, and I strongly suggest that people get out and try these things in real life. But for those who don't have the time or ability to do those things, well, we've got video games. And they're fun. Maybe they're not your cup-o-tea, but for the thousands and thousands buying these games, they are. So lay off.

Another thing I would like to bring up, is that video games and the industry are moving more towards social interraction and away from social isolation. To me, this is awesome. An industry that was once a cause for extreme withdrawal from society in ages ranging from teens through adults, is now encouraging social networking and personal expression. Gamers used to be the weird guys who locked themselves in rooms for hours with nervous twitches seeming like they were stricken with anxiety over where the next frag was coming from. The rules are changing. Now gamers are the people that own Rock Band and have people over all the time for rock out sessions. Now gamers are the dudes with GIRLFRIENDS who love to play Wii Sports. Sure, there are still those (me included) who withdraw and spend hours on end chasing the Big Boss Emblem on MGS4 or the next rank in Halo 3. But for the most part, the trend towards the socialization of gaming is absolutley a positive thing.