1st Aniversary Survery

Wow, a year has passed by already. This blog has seen many things in one year, from live blogcasts to hackings/clearings, etc. I really want to see some progress done on here in order to attract more people on here, so please fill out this survey. All answers will be accepted (don't use profanity or anything, however) and will be taken into consideration as to how this blog goes.

Nintendo Wi-Fi: Should it Stay Free?

In a recent interview with Shegiru Miamoto (correct my spelling), he hinted at if Nintendo should charge for its online service. I personally have to say no about this since Nintendo Wi-Fi isn't really a service worth money. There is little socialization in the service unless it involves Friend Codes or pre-written text, which can hinder games like the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops on onlime multiplayer. In addition, some games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl have seen a lot of lag according to some people. It is fun to get to work with people on Xbox/Games for Windows - LIVE thanks to voice chat, even though there is the occasional pervert/troll/flamer/profanity abuser. Perhaps that is why friend codes were made, but it can hinder strategy. If Nintendo wants to charge for their service, they need to make it a bit more like Microsoft's, such as doing way with friend codes and making
voice chat open. Perhaps restrict friend codes for kids can be good, then have adults open.

Game Remakes: Worth the Effort?

We've seen game remakes and ports since the Golden Age of the Arcade, in which people wanted to play their favorite arcade games like Zaxxon, Venture, and even Dragon's Lair right at the comfort of their own home to not have to shell out all of their quarters. They were popular since the arcade version of those games. However, the Video Game Crash of 1983 occured during the Atari 2600 verison of Pac-Man and made people question video games and hype. However, remakes and such have changed purpose throughout the years. At first, they were made to play the games that were there at the time, but that is nearly non-existant nowadays. There have been Wii games, though, that have arcade ports from the modern age. Nowadays, it seems to have two purposes. The first purpose would be to remind older gamers and retro fans of the better days and nostalgia. The second, in my opinion, is to show
gamers about the better days. Now, the question is if it is worth the effort. Being an old school gamer,

iPad: DSi and PSP's Worst Nightmare?

We've heard all about how the iPad can do wonders, but it seems as though Apple really wants to screw over every gaming company, even though they're still eons away. One of the things that the iPad is capable of is HD gaming that looks a lot better than a PSP. Plus, since it is effortless to produce an iPod Touch/iPhone/iPad game and only requires review from Apple (and we all know about how weird they are in this process) to be posted, it can somewhat damage the two portable consoles. Another thing that can make it even harder for Nintendo Wi-Fi and PlayStation Network is that the iPad now has an online gaming service where leader boards and multiplayer exist for around 800 titles. That's more online titles than the Wii and DS's Wi-Fi titles combined! However, think about it; is the iPad really going to destroy both the DSi and PSP? On the first day of its release, many stores said that they still had a few iPads to go around at closing time. Now, when the DS came out, it was sold out just about everywhere; same goes with the PSP. So, do we really want to consider the iPad a threat? I don't think we should right now, since it will be mainly used with people that don't know squat about what a tablet-PC is all about. (I'm not calling all users that.) Plus, the price is a pretty penny, so I don't think that it will be a significant threat now, unless a whole bunch of developers make really, really good games that aren't just 5-minute time wasters.

Petman's Mind...now on Facebook!

Well, we all know about the world wide web and how everything is starting to connect to it, from the Nintendo DSi to the Microsoft Xbox 360. Well, I've decided to 1-up a bit and open up a Facebook page in order to do some things that I can't do here...like show that I actually have fans and whatnot. If you don't have a Facebook, feel free to make one so that way you may become a fan (well, now it is "like"), as well as connect to your friends across the Interwebs. You can become a fan by clicking on the box on the side-bar, which you can click at any time.

Arcade, where have you gone?

The classic arcade seems to be a nearly extinct species. While there are some arcade games that seem true to the classic games (Crusin', for example.), it seems as though all is lost. Arcade games were known for innovative (at the time) controls, such as the rolling ball in Crystal Kingdom or the light gun from just about every arcade game. There are still some arcade games that are becoming innovative, such as motion simulators for aviation games. However, arcades have been in decline since the Video Game Crash of 1984, and more recently due to the popularization of home consoles. Many companies that got their start-up in arcade found the popularization of video game consoles as a source for ports of their arcade games for consoles like the Commodore 64, Atari 2600, ColecoVision, etc. Microsoft has loved the old arcade for quite a while. In fact, during the mid-'90s, Microsoft released 5 games for the PC via floppy disc from Namco. More recently, Microsoft released Game Room for Games for Windows and Xbox 360 that (so far) has games from Konami, Atari, and games on the 2600 and Commodore 64. However, there are some characteristics that these can't really bring back, such as the massive joystick and indented plastic buttons, as well as blowing off all of your quarters trying to beat some kid's high score. However, there are some nice features that are added to these arcade games from services like Game Room and Gametap, such as pausing the game where it is, rewinding to undo a screw-up, etc. Even though there are online leader boards and local multiplayer, it isn't as fun as having a whole bunch of people you haven't met before meet eachother at an arcade and compete head-to-head while popping quarters like there is no tomorrow while eating a bunch of pizza in order to obtain tickets to buy the fabled plastic, $0.05 toys. While there are a bunch of positives about newer services, those services can never replace what has been.

Additions to the Mind

Well, I figured I should try to make the blog more appealing by making some changes. One of them is the first thing you see, which is a new theme that still reflects upon the same color styling that I have used since May 2009. In addition, I will be linking my YouTube and this blog together so that ways you make look at a few of the games that are around here. In addition, I have a slight intention to start performing video-blogging in addition to my text posts. If such a thing is possible, then I will attempt at getting this on iTunes, since hosting podcasts is as free as the download so that way you may see my face and thoughts wherever you go (as long as you have an iPod). Due to my lack of coding skills, I think I'll just leave that up in the air. Plus, I'm going to start making use of gaming news articles out there and give my own opinions on the stories to see if you appreciate it or not. If you have any other suggestions, then please feel free to give them here. Plus, if you don't mind, feel free to spread the word a little. Having 3 visitors besides myself isn't that great for my ego…

PC Gamers vs. Console Gamers

The war has always gone on about which console is the best. However, there are not a lot of references towards the PC when it comes to this world. Everyone just thinks that Microsoft's only weapon is the Xbox 360, but those people are quite very wrong. Everyone thinks that Nintendo is selling the most consoles, but those people are, again, wrong. I'm not going to say anything about Sony right now simply based upon the fact that they've still got the PS2 going at a high velocity. What is this foreboding console? Is it the iPad that comes out in April? Is it, perhaps, some new contender to the gaming world? No. In fact, you are most likely using this fiery machine right now. That's right, I'm talking about the PC.

The thing is that the PC was not the best until around the 64-bit era, around the time of the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, etc. If you do not believe me, go look up screenshots of Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, which came out in 1998: the same year as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The PC had games that allowed online multiplayer by default in 1995 in the United States (A feature that only existed in Japan until things like Xbox LIVE and the such came out.), not including unsupported 3^rd party online multiplayer venders. Even consoles like the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the Nintendo 64 offered online multiplayer with exclusive downloads, game lobbies, demos, music, and other features that are very similar to Xbox LIVE…in Japan. While that is going on in Japan, U.S. gamers are playing WarCraft II online on their PCs!

In addition, PC gamers had the CD long before the other consoles did. If you want to go back to the whole Nintendo x Sony deal that fell through, that would have made Nintendo and Sony take down Microsoft's plans of the Xbox. It could play CDs and likewise, as well as online and such. However, for some reason, the deal did not go out so well, so Nintendo tried with Phillips, and that did not work as well. Then, we are tortured with 3 painful Zelda titles and a few other painful Mario titles.

However, PC games have far more potential than any console game could ever dream. For starters, the programmers are not restricted by any amount of storage space. All they need is for the potential player to have the hard drive and RAM for it, while PS3 games are locked at 50 GB and Xbox 360 and Wii games are locked at 8 GB. Then, it is much easier to put a game onto a PC instead of putting it on every single console. I may not be a programmer, but I know that it must be painful trying to re-write a game for multiple consoles. In addition, the controls are virtually unlimited in a PC game, which is what I really want to emphasize.

Compare a mouse to an analog stick. The mouse is much more comfortable because it is using your entire hand instead of just your thumb. Then, you also have your classic trigger buttons on the mouse if you are playing a FPS, and you can use the scroll wheel to change weapons. If it is a racer, nine times out of ten, you are using the directional arrow keys, a force feedback steering wheel, or a gamepad. What if you use the keyboard on a flight simulator? You could have a joystick as the main flight stick and then have the keyboard with its hundreds of keys be all of the control buttons on the airplane so that way you don't risk having a tragedy in the skies. Now compare all of that to a gamepad, which does not have as many buttons, so you cannot obtain full control of your plane.

However, there is one thing that consoles can beat PCs at, and that thing is the consoles' "one size fits all" deal. The thing is that eventually, your computer gets old and you have to go out and buy a new graphics card; of which we all know aren't the same. While on a console, you can get great visuals and such without having to go out and buy a new card every generation comes out. However, it is relatively cheaper to just replace a graphics card instead of dishing out several hundred dollars on a console that will most likely not even work with your game unless you pay extra to reuse it (such as the Wii and the Virtual Console). The thing is that PC gamers have a different standard than console gamers do in the magical world of gaming. In some areas, the PC gamers come out victorious with their infinite control schemes, while console games are all the same graphically without having the need to purchase a new graphics card. What is fun is that there are select games on Games for Windows - LIVE that allows for multiplayer with Xbox 360 users without having to pay for Gold membership, which could perhaps prove which gamers truly have the ultimate advantage. On a FPS and RTS, I think that the PC could win due to the mouse, especially with controlling armies and having a sniper. However, in other games, I think they are evenly matched.

Video Game Rumors…

We've all heard about the rumors for the fabled Zelda Wii. It's really starting to annoy me in many ways. For starters, we have websites that have conflicting rumors, so we have no clue as to what is true and what isn't false. Recently, someone online released a set of photos that appear to be a mod of either The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess or The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. In addition, some report the interface to be based upon fan artwork from some works. However, it has been confirmed by Nintendo that they will be presenting both Zelda Wii and Super Mario Galaxy 2 at E3. Most likely with that time set, the amount of rumors is most likely to increase until E3. I would not be surprised if the amount of rumors drop severely when Nintendo proves them wrong within the next several months.

This graph I randomly threw together seems to be true. This was actually true in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, in which the title was announced when the Wii came out; people started making rumors and "leaks". Then, at that point, Nintendo decided to release an E3 video and several videos after that to show how they're doing, which sparks more rumors. Then, the title is released in Japan, and everyone goes crazy and looks for it in Japan with things like ROMS or plot details. Then it is released in the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, etc. It is then that some people decide, "Rumor time!" and end up trying to theorize a sequel for a next game until one is either announced or not announced. I really don't like this; this is more of a rant than anything, but after getting a message from G4 Mobile Text saying that Nintendo will announce SMG2 and Zelda Wii and after seeing all the fake rumors and "leaked" images, I had to say this.

The new Decade

Well, it seems that 2010 has decided to show its unpredictable face. What new trends shall begin and which ones shall end in the new decade? Remember the 1970's was the "Golden Age of the Arcade", the 1980's was the "Nintendo Empire" (Nintendo nearly monopolised the video game company until Supreme Court slapped them on the wrist for anti-trust laws), the 1990's was the "Birth of the Polygon" (Starfox on the SNES and up, and even games like A Link to the Past were seeing polygons; the N64 and PS were the starters of nothing but polygons), and the 2000's was the "Birth of HD", in which nowadays most games are in High Definition resolutions on computers and almost any game console with the exception of the Wii, DS, and PSP. Now, what is 2010 going to bring for us? At this rate, it seems as though it could be the "Reign of Motion Control" considering that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are getting interested in motion controls. However, I'm also thinking that video games are starting to be online exclusive, in which you have to download games in order to play them, which is what we can do with the Wii/DSi Shop, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live Marketplace. However, as Internet speeds increase each decade and as we gain more space and better compression, we could see massive games like Grand Theft Auto expansions (which are over 1 GB) become full blown games that we could just pay $30-50 to download. This could be great for production since cartridges and discs wouldn't have to be produced, thus making it cheaper. Remember, the most a N64 game cost was $80 due to the cartridges (well, Nintendo of Europe was accused of price fixing), yet the PS production didn't take long thanks to the discs. So, all we can do now is simply wait until the next generation of consoles to come out. However, for some reason, it seems that Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are more interested in improving their current systems. The Xbox 360 has already exceeded the lifespan of the average generation, and the Wii and PS3 are getting close to their lifespan. Then again, the N64 lasted only 8 years and was able to create innovative things like the Expansion Pak and Rumble Pak. We can only wait and see.

Nintendo Needs to Man Up

Well, we've heard it from Xbox Live users about how Nintendo Wifi lacks freedom such as speech, and how you can only do a lot of things if you have friend codes. I do think it is nice, but I do think Nintendo should loosen the leash a little bit more. I'm thinking that in perhaps later installments, Nintendo Wifi could enable voice speech to people of a certain age group. For instance, if it is a game like Call of Duty where speech is necessairy, if not almost required, to make tatics and such, they should have it so that way people 13+ or 18+ can do voice chats at their own consent. There could also perhaps be a "mute mode" in which people who aren't in the age group or people who opt to not chat would not be able to listen to the chat if they were in a room that would allow for chat. Yes, Nintendo should also try to lighten up, encourage 3rd party makers to not be all whimps and produce just cheap little mini-game collections that I have been seeing released every month ever since the Wii was created. If only the third party paid attention to the first party, then the third party would have some inspiration plot-wise and graphic-wise and produce better games for the Wii. Yet strangely, the DS has better games than most of what is on the Wii...

Portables' Versions of Console Games

Well, we've all done it before. We've all, at one point, played a portable version of a console game. If you haven't, or you think you haven't, then you may actually be surprised. There are quite a few games that are either ports or sequels onto portable consoles. Star Wars: Battlefront is an example. There were the two console versions, then they made a version for the PSP. While the PSP version was deemed bad due to the terrible controls, it did show that portable consoles could do something. Similar to the Game Boy Advance ports of SNES games, like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Super Mario World. Another example that I know of would be the Trackmania Series. For those who don't know what it is, it is an arcade racer (Point "A" to point "B" in the shortest amount of time, but the cars can't affect others in this game's case), and its portable version was a great version, in which it had three of the seven environments and the famous level editor it is well known for. Then we have the Call of Duty franchise and its two additions onto the DS. They were quite good, in their own right, for a portable game. Now, the main question we all need to know is that if this activity should be encouraged. Well, what I specifically mean about having a Console game on a portable is that the console one came first, then they made the portable one based off of the console one, not like releasing them both at the same time (Such as movie games). Well, for starters, the visual capabilities of portable consoles are starting to increase significantly (speaking of the DS and PSP), and storage space for portable consoles are also starting to increase as well. Now, would it be fun to have the same exact same game on both console and portable? No. However, a lot of people are on the go, and don't always have time to be playing games. Perhaps that is one reason why The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass was put on the DS (or maybe the DS was long overdue for a Zelda game...or at least not have it on a console). Plus, production budgets are much cheaper having it on a portable than on a console, so that can also be considered another positive. Having sequels on the portable consoles is also a nice tactic that some companies use, but it may be a good thing or a bad thing in some occasions? So, is it really a good idea to have portable consoles like the DS and the PSP base or port games off of consoles? Well, like I said, it just depends on what it is and how it is executed (Phantom Hourglass used the touch screen controls, so that was a positive). So, there's no real base line in general, but there's a line for which games can be on a portable and go with us everywhere and which ones are not worth the AA batteries and are much better at home on your big screen TV (of which I don't own).

Happy Thanksgiving & Black Friday

First, I'd like to wish you all a happy and safe Thanksgiving. I'd figure I'd make a post about 12 hours before the big Macy's parade.

However, its Black Friday that really gets gamers, even though not many stores do things for gaming. The only game thing I found was a DS Lite at Wal*Mart, yet nothing so far from Gamestop, EB Games, etc. Then again, it seems almost like Black Friday each day with the whole used games concept. I'm not advertising stores, but if the gaming industry wants a major comeback, they should try Black Friday for a chance. Maybe something on XBOX Marketplace or something would be awesome. Then again, console prices dropped big time. So, I guess we shouldn't whine too much, and be thankful they dropped the price of something...

Nintendo and Sony's Worst Nightmare

Well, we've all heard of the console wars. However, we can all start to formulate Nintendo and Sony's worst nightmare. It isn't Microsoft. In fact, it is Microsoft's worst nightmare in the computer world as well. No, it isn't homebrew or piracy (but they're quite a large foe as well), but rather Apple. When you honestly think about it, the Apple computers have almost no games on it (or the cheap little games that Apple calls games that appear on Windows and Linux as standard games). However, I'm not talking about Apple and its lack of games. I'm rather talking about Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch.

For starters, the iPhone/Touch are superior in multimedia such as video, photos, music, web, etc. Plus, they have an app store with over 100k apps. In addition, the iPhone has Internet access on AT&T's 3G network (of which I'm not a fan of). Even though the DSi and PSP can do these things, the iPhone/Touch does these things a lot better. However, the DSi and PSP have way better games, though. Most of the stuff on the iPhone/Touch is mainly basic games that look cheaper than what appears on the DSi Store.

Plus, the DS does way better at the touch screen than the iPhone/Touch, as demonstrated in Phantom Hourglass. The only touch screen win the iPhone/Touch has is that the touch screen is compatible with touching multiple spots at the same time. If you try this on the DS, it will think it is the edge of a massive stylus that is half the size of the screen. Of course, the DS and PSP also have D-pads as well, which enables the use of a more classic feeling that the iPhone/Touch cannot emulate. I'm actually not much a fan of using touch screens with fingers, especially with keyboards. I would rather prefer buttons or joysticks, something that a touch screen significantly lacks.

The DS's Greatest Misunderstanding

The DS is perhaps one of the most unique systems ever released with its touch screen, microphone, and dual screen system. However, for some reason, it is the racing genres that make use of the dual screen design, which is actually a good thing. The typical racer has a cluttered HUD with speed, position, damage, map, weapon, etc. The dual screen is actually underrated because it clears it up. There are some games that take away the HUD for space, but you must typically stand still to see it. However, the player must constantly alternate at looking both screens, and it can do a significant number on both the graphics card and the processor, especially where polygons are present on both screens, such as boss battles in Phantom Hourglass. Still, the DS is a great console that is unappreciated by gamers and the 3rd party, just like the N64.

Minigame Surplus?

Honestly, what is up with all of the mini-game games on the Wii? Plus, why are they all the exact same thing? I know, the third party hasn't liked Nintendo since the Nintendo 64, but, don't you think they would want to give them a second chance? It is these things that scare away the hardcore gamers to the Xbox360 and PS3. I mean, the 360 and the PS3 have better visual capabilities and a larger capacity, but that is really no excuse to diss the Wii. One of the only reasons Nintendo is still classified as a hardcore/family company is due to the first and second party. However, there are still games like Final Fantasy and Residient Evil that help out the cause. However, the 3rd party should not be scared or anything. I'm just saying that if the 3rd party acted like the 1st party by producing more hardcore games and such.

2.5D vs. 2D

Yes, these two game types are in fierce competition. The classic 2D side scroller with games such as Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda, etc. with all of its sprites and such on consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Nintendo DS, etc. However, in our new age of polygons and textures (well, not that new), sprites have been suffering a trend of becoming obsolete by new technologies, such as creating 3D models to go on flat 2-dimensional planes. A good comparison would have to be Super Mario Bros. and The New Super Mario Bros.

The original game for the NES had nice flowing sprites, but each sprite took up quite some space. In New Super Mario Bros., they had live-rendered polygon-filled models, of which didn't take as much space, because it was simply one model and the game specifying how it should bend and morph. However, in more modern games with high-polygon models and high-resolution textures, simple high-resolution sprites actually sounds better. However, it depends mainly on the resolution and quality of the game. If it is something like The Legend of Zelda: Four Sword Adventures, then you would want to have 2D mainly to have a larger over world and also be able to work with the Game Boy Advance. However, it could have also been in 2D to maintain the style that was achieved in the original game and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. Of course, a 3D version of the game would have worked if models from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker were used. So, it mainly depends on what the producers are aiming for when it comes to making the game. It also helps to achieve a certain art style or animation technique. Some want a fluid and cartoonish look, while some want a more nostalgic look in the modern era.

Petman's Mind Store

OK, yes, I really did open up a store. No, it isn't one of those kiosks you find in the mall (But it's like it), for I don't have the money for that (Why did you think I opened it up in the first place?). Instead, I've opened up a CafePress store for your viewing pleasure. I don't mind if you don't purchase anything, but its just something I made out of the blue. Yes, this is a promise that more things are coming back. So, without further ado, I present to you my store.

http://www.cafepress.com/PetmansMind

Level Design

There are a lot of games with various themes. Some being futuristic, some being fantasy, and some being realistic and modern. However, this type of theming greatly adjusts the level design of the game. Some games manage to have great level design that fits the theme, and yet some have good levels with a bad or mismatched theme. Flight simulators typically have a realistic landscape when they're something like Microsoft Flight Simulator; however, a lot of the time, the landscape is usually flat and boring. The Super Mario games have good level design for the fantasy theme, which was proved superior in Super Mario Galaxy with the game's art style and the physics. The planets allowed for great opportunities to create miniature fields in one large level to create a great feeling of freedom. Then, we have the type of game that allows getting a biker from one end of the level to the other without flipping over, which uses level design as difficulty. Sometimes, this can be good, yet in an artist point of view, it can turn negative. The Metroid series has some interesting level designs in some scenes, but a lot of it is based more upon architecture, same can be said for The Legend of Zelda; however, The Legend of Zelda usually has a lot of landscaping involved in it. Metroid mainly consists of hallways; which is a familiar theme that is repeated in games like Quake, Doom, and other breeds of First Person Shooters. However, games like Call of Duty matter more on landscaping than buildings, which I find interesting, mainly because buildings are look to be as if they have been blown up in bombing strikes, with the ground covered in rubble. I do enjoy the look of landscaping and architecture by themselves, but, the programmers need to somehow combine them. In the Mario series, usually, it is one or the other, but is often made up for by the games' art style and design. The Legend of Zelda series usually takes this into play very well with Hyrule Field, Hyrule Castle/Hyrule Castle Town, the villages, temples, etc. Metroid is based mainly on the architecture of inside buildings, which I think should be more elaborated upon. The Pokemon games have some interesting level design, however, a lot of the levels are mainly based around giving the player the option of easily battling players or taking tedious detours (Unless Fly has been obtained and taught). Now, level design can alter a game's level of difficulty, which I think is interesting. Like I have said above, those biking games can greatly alter the course of the game depending on what the level consists of. Tower Defence games can also make the game easier or harder by restricting towers to be placed in certain places, which I enjoy from time to time. Doom and Quake can increase the difficulty by having hidden corridors that must be traveled in order to continue on through the game, which I find both entertaining and tedious, for it gives the player a challenge as to find the end of the level, usually running into enemies. Like I have said before, I enjoy the level design of the Mario and Zelda games, for they usually can quickly change the difficulty of the game with a simple cliff or obstacle and can both advance and restrict your forward movement, depending on what items are in the player's inventory. Now, I mainly agree with that design, however, it doesn't work in a few games; mainly ones that don't contain major overworlds. However, a key system would work out great, like in Legend of Zelda. Destroying all enemies like in Mario and Zelda would work out as well in certain games (Imagine a zombie game in which you're locked in a secure chamber until all zombies are destroyed). Pokemon did good with the design in which you could obtain HMs and TMs so that way you could get to certain areas that were unaccessible previously in order to get valuable items, yet not ones that are directly required to beat the game. I have yet to see that tatic in any other type of game, but I may be corrected with the Metroid series. I guess this means I finally have made my comeback!

Blog Wiped

Well, as sad as it is for me to say this, my blog has been wiped as you may have noticed. I have created no personal backup of the blog. However, I'm going to see if Blogger will be nice enough to resurrect my old posts. If not, then it appears I'll have to start completely from scratch. This is the result of someone hacking my Google account, which resulted in this and my YouTube being taken down. Well, I'm hoping that both can come back. I will, honestly, be more depressed if my YouTube doesn't come back. So, until then, this may be the only post here.