Finally!

After months of waiting, I finally got my hands on both a Nintendo Wii and a copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl! It's awesome, and really fun to be able to play Brawl endlessly without having to worry about a looming Odyssey Project.

Since both the Brawl and Odyssey Project countdowns are complete, I have been forced to make a new countdown. I have thus made a countdown counting down to the DC Comics event Final Crisis, the conclusion to the 'Crisis' trilogy that began with Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis. My countdown also shares the name of a DC weekly called "Countdown to Final Crisis", which will (suprise, suprise) lead directly into Final Crisis. The pic included with this post, which depicts one of the 52 Monitors, is the cover of issue #26 of this series. The pic at the bottom of my blog is a teaser for Final Crisis as well.

Enjoy your Spring Break, everyone!

It's The End of the Odyssey Project As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

This is my official post-Odyssey Project post.

It is done! It is over! It's handed in, and whatever my final grade will be is out of my hands now! THANK GOD! This is is the hugest sigh of relief I've taken in a LONG time. This good feeling is only helped by the fact that it is really nice outside, and we have an Odyssey project-free spring break, with nothing to do but play Brawl and pick out which book we're reading for fourth quarter. Speaking of which, what are you guys considering reading? Just from a quick glance at the list and some Wikipedia searches based on the titles, I'm looking at Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon and Chimera by John Barth.

The Odyssey Project wasn't actually that bad for me. I know some people stayed up to 4 a.m. making interactives and turning their project into a gigantic tome, but I finished around 10:00, having started as soon as I got home, and after doing my other homework, went to bed around 11:00 (which has been usual throughout the project). How late did you guys stay up?

I'll give you three guesses as to what video game this pic is from.

The Final Lap!

Odyssey Project is due in TWO DAYS!! I'm actually pretty confident in my progress; I'm not as far as some people whose names rhyme with Bill Dods, but I think I'll be able to finish it by Thursday. If nothing else, I'll build a time machine to stop time until I finish the project, and then restart time again. Becasue building this machine will definitely be less work than finishing the project.

Some people even took a day off today to work on it. I'm not resorting to that option, simply because I neither need the day off nor can I afford to miss another full day of school. The Odyssey Project isn't the only thing I'm doing at school. (Although it would probably be much easier if it was. I feel sorry for all you Honors Algebra kiddies).

Here's another Final Fantasy Versus XIII pic as well, simply because all these words seem lonely without a cool pic.

I'll get back to my project now.

O Free Time, Where Art Thou?

With only one hour left to go on the English movie poll, it looks like the winner will be "O Brother Where Art Thou?" With 11 votes on this poll, this is the largest turnout for a poll I've ever had on this blog. Either people who never vote on my polls voted because they could actually understand this poll, or some people voted more than once (I'm looking at you, Boots).

In other news, I FINISHED MY LAST LETTER! Now I only have to put the project together and edit some really crappy interactives. However, I am happy to have accomplished this milestone.

Some people have inquired as to the origin of the new pic on my blog header, that replaced the previous "Birth by Sleep" pic. The new pic is from the trailer for the upcoming PlayStation 3 game "Final Fantasy Versus XIII", which will be a part of the trio of games with "Final Fantasy XIII" in the name (I don't think they will feature the same characters, but I believe they will all take place in the same world). No, I don't have a PS3, but the pic is cool and I am a fan of Final Fantasy. (I've actually played some games in the series, instead of pretending to be obsessed with it without actually playing any of the games). Here's another pic from the game as well. Enjoy this small glimmer of light in the overwhelming darkness that is the Odysssey Project.

Odyssey Bonfire

Originally, Pods had an idea for an Odyssey Project bonfire after we're done. Since everybody will have put a lot of time and effort into the project, burning it immediately afterward doesn't seem like a viable option. However, we could always have a bonfire where we burn the Odyssey itself, the source of all our misery.
These are the thoughts that help me sleep at night.

The Way I See It...

...there are a few options for me and Boots to sneak into "Watchmen" next year. I've come up with about a dozen plans, but these are the three that will probably be most effective:

1. We climb onto the roof of the movie theater with the aid of grappling hooks, find out which theater it's being shown in, remove one of the roof tiles, and slowly lower ourselves into the theater. We'll do this before anyone else gets into the theater, when they're playing stupid music trivia and Coke ads, so we won't be noticed.

2. We fake being of age using beards similar in design to Maffey's Stormont costume. Part of this plan may involve creating a fantastic band called the "Soggy Bottom Boys."

3. We hire one of our friends to distract the cashiers with a showtune while we sneak in, unnoticed. (Let's hope Osama Bin Laden doesn't know showtunes).

At least one of them is bound to work, as long as the cashiers don't read my blog. This won't be a problem, since no one reads my blog anyway.

The attached pic is the new "Watchmen" movie poster designed by Dave Gibbons, the legendary artist who created the comic alongside Alan Moore, the greatest comic book writer of all time. You can check out Boots' blog for more pics from the movie. The poster depicts the murder of the Comedian that kickstarts the story.

With only six days left, it seems like I'll be spending this weekend working on the Odyssey Project instead of less important things like eating and sleeping.

On To The Important Things

Now that I'm done ranting at "Ishmael" (if that is your real name) and not posting on my other blog, I think I can move on and start posting my usual nonsense.

Julius Caesar beat Napoleon Bonaparte 4-2 in the match of military dictators, and Adolf Hitler didn't even land a punch. A new poll is up, comparing the two awesome movies we watched in English this quarter. Vote on it, or I'll summon an army of demonic pancakes, track you down, and...well, inflict whatever grueling punishment that an army of demonic pancakes commanded by an unathletic, uncoordinated nerd can inflict.

Check out this pic; it's a teaser image of Rorschach from the upcoming "Watchmen" film (which me and Boots will probably skip school to see next year) based on the Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons graphic novel. If you haven't read what is probably the greatest comic book ever made, go to Borders or your local library and check it out. Or else I'll call upon my demonic pancake army again.

When I Say...

...don't comment on my other blog, I really do mean (and this may seem like a shocker to some of you out there who HAVE posted on my other blog) DON'T COMMENT ON IT. (Especially when you post a stupid comment and use a fake name to hide who you are). Now, let the meaning of that statement sink in before continuing.
I have been told (numerous times) that the blog is kind of confusing and doesn't really fit any themes. That is true. It's probably my worst interactive. (Although I have tried to make the recent posts relate to the homecoming theme, as L gets lost and now needs to find his way home from the Underworld and Circe's island) I also may have misinterpreted the theme of homecoming. Does it mean his journey, or just arriving at home? Clarification needed. I'll probably have to edit the blog to make it fit the theme (or take it off entirely and come up with a new interactive that makes sense).
However, the fact that I have a confusing interactive blog that sucks doesn't mean you should ignore what I said, especially if you are aware of my request to not post. For instance, if you know the blog is supposed to be about homecoming, then you probably read my post about NOT COMMENTING ON IT, "Ishmael" (if that is your real name). If you want to post a comment relating to my other blog, please post it here.
Sorry if I seem like a loser right now, but the fact that the Odyssey project is due in a week has got me all nervous and doing something like this to piss me off doesn't help.

Did you know...

There's a Wikipedia article about Wikipedia? It's actually quite frightening. Here's the link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia

It's quite something to see Wikipedia talk about itself in its usual boring voice.

Return of the Nerd

After a weekend-long hiatus in Wisconsin that caused me to miss the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, I have returned to posting (and Illinois)! Over the weekend, I was on a Boy Scout outing (my first weekend outing in a long time) learning how to ride horses and get the Horsemanship merit badge. It was a lot of fun, especially since I was with other freshmen like Harrison, Alex, and David instead of whiny little fifth-graders (they usually went away after I threatened to fry their face on the heater).
The best part was Saturday night, when me, Harrison, and Joe went sledding. Not only was it the first time I've gone sledding all winter, but it wasn't sledding on crappy snow and hills that we're forced to do around here. The snow was perfect and the hills were awesome. It was a lot of fun, and (dare I say it) worth missing Brawl's release (although I do regret that a little bit).
Speaking of Brawl, I got the chance to play it yesterday, and it was awesome! I'll talk more about it once I buy it (which should hopefully be this weekend). Fingers crossed, people.

Kingdom Hearts Update

As Pods said, while we're in the middle of the time-consuming Odyssey project, it's nice to relax and think about simpler things: like the next entry in the Kingdom Hearts series!

In case none of you recognized the pic at the top of my blog (with the words 'Bizarro World' and 'Goodbye' written on it), I am a huge fan of the Kingdom Hearts series. The game ingeniously combines Disney characters/worlds with Final Fantasy characters/concepts, and throws in some original stuff to boot. Anyone who beat Kingdom Hearts II (particularly those who unlocked the secret ending) are probably waiting anxiously for the next entry in the series. Before Kingdom Hearts III finally hits the PS3, there will be three games for handheld systems that will give more depth to the series (similar to the GameBoy Advance game Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories). They are:

-Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

-Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days

-Kingdom Hearts: Coded

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep- This game will be released for the PSP, and will focus on the three characters seen in the KHII secret ending and the KHII Final Mix+ secret ending. Since you probably need to see the Final Mix ending to understand what I am about to say, here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISLUMfkk8rY

They are named Terra (the guy with brown hair who used to be my avatar and is in this pic), Ven (looks like Roxas from KH2, unconscious in the above pic) and Aqua (the girl with blue hair). The game will have three parallel storylines; you play as one of the three in their own storyline. The villain will be another new character named Master Xehanort (the bald guy from the Final Mix ending, for those of you that saw that). Fro some reason, he's wearing the same clothes as Ansem from the first game. Hmmm...

The game takes place about 10 years before the first Kingdom Hearts, so the enemies will not be Heartless, but 'new' enemies that we did not see in any of the previous Kingdom Hearts games. In addition to the three main Keyblade wielders, characters such as King Mickey and Maleficient will also appear; since this is a prequel, it may give an explanation for Maleficient's rise to power. While you will visit areas familiar to KH fans, you will also visit new worlds, such as the Forest from Sleeping Beauty. This looks to be an exciting game, and will probably tie in a lot with the upcoming KH3. There was a new trailer behind closed doors at Jump Feista 2008. Since it was private, we probably won't see footage anytime soon, but here is the summary of the trailer:

http://kh2.co.uk/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1198392379

Make of that what you will. Soon I'll post another update about the other exciting game, Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days.

Brawl: 5 days left!!!

Ultimate Ninja 3!!!

After Super Smash Bros. Brawl finally arrives in the United States (six days left!!), the next game that I will be saving up for will be Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3, a game I have been waiting for for about two years. This game is, as the title clearly states, the third game in the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series, and will feature a huge roster of over 40 playable characters. Even though haters of Naruto (I'm looking at you, Pods) really don't give a crap about this game, I, being the diehard Naruto fan that I am, am looking forward to this game almost as much as I am to Brawl ('almost' being the key word). For other fans of Naruto who are eagerly awaiting this fighting game, here is the complete roster:

Naruto Uzumaki (Normal, One-Tailed Kyuubi, Taijutsu Jumpsuit)

Sasuke Uchiha (Normal, Curse Mark State 2)

Sakura Haruno

Kakashi Hatake (Normal, ANBU)

Ino Yamanaka

Shikamaru Nara

Choji Akimichi (Normal, Butterfly)

Asuma Sarutobi

Kiba Inuzuka

Hinata Hyuga

Shino Aburame

Kurenai Yuhi

Rock Lee (Normal, Drunken Fist)

Neji Hyuga

Tenten

Might Guy

Zabuza Momochi

Haku

Konohamaru

Anko Mitarashi

Gaara of the Desert (Normal, Half-Shukaku)

Kankuro

Temari

Jiraiya

Orochimaru

Tsunade

Shizune

Kabuto Yakushi

Itachi Uchiha

Kisame Hoshigaki

First Hokage

Second Hokage

Third Hokage

Fourth Hokage

Hanabi Hyuga
Jirobo (Normal, Curse Mark State 2)

Kidomaru (Normal, Curse Mark State 2)

Tayuya (Normal, Curse Mark State 2)

Sakon/Ukon (Normal, Curse Mark State 2)

Kimimaro Kaguya (Normal, Curse Mark State 2)

As well as many stages and game modes. Although not quite as enticing as Brawl, this game will probably take up a lot of my time as well. First, however, I'll need to get the money for it (I'm saving up for Brawl). The pic below is the full character selection screen.

Boots-If you had cared to read my last post, you would've known that not only is a blog called 'odyssey project interactive' my odyssey project interactive, but I also don't want any comments.

SSB Brawl- Less than 6 days!

Edit: Just like how Harrison temporarily changed his blogger name to 'Odysseus', I have changed mine to L. Fair warning.

My Master Plan...Unveiled!!

Taking inspiration from Harrison and Andy without totally copying their idea, my next Odyssey interactive is a blog. Before I explain the blog, I should probably explain the overall theme of my Odyssey Project.
My project will be a confidential dossier compiled by L, a member of an organization called Primatech Paper. It is being delivered to his superior, M, with the explicit purpose of proving the existence of the Greek gods. L has intercepted and undercovered various letters written by the gods themselves, a brochure about Nestor's city of Pylos, and a PowerPoint presentation made by the Furies, all of which are included in this top-secret Dossier. In order to prove whether Odysseus' journey was real or not, L went on a journey through Greece, retracing Odysseus' steps in an attempt to find monsters such as Scylla and Polyphemus and locations such as Ogygia and Circe's island. My new blog, titled "My Journey", is L's journals during his adventure. The theme will be homecoming.
As you can see, pretty different from an 'Odysseus blog.'
Similar to how Harrison changed his blogger name to Odysseus, my avatar and 'about me' have also changed to reflect the character of L. I'll change it back after the project is due. Or will I?
Feel free to read my new blog, but don't post on it until after the project is due. Thanks.
Edit: Here's the link: http://odysseyprojectinteractive.blogspot.com