devo

It's similar, yes. The gameplay is basically the same, but instead of using your hands, you use two plastic sticks to bang the face and the side of the drum. I've owned the original Japanese version (Taiko no Tatsujin), which was really fun. I didn't buy the American because the songlist looked awful, save for Katamari on the Rocks. If you see the songlist for yourself and think it's pretty good, go ahead and give it a try.

Mets have a big four-game series with the Braves coming up. They really need to take three out of four to get some momentum going and gain a little ground on the Wild Card. Luckily, they're at home, and Martinez should be starting the fourth game. Not sure, though.

Here's a description I found of the place. "The show room was about 12 feet by 20, and packed with attendees elbow-to-elbow. The seats were all taken and there was obviously standing room only. Being somewhat claustrophobic in small places with lots of people, I needed a drink. I think I spied a bar at the other end of the room -- only a few feet away, but it seemed like an eternal sea of humanity that I would have to cross just for a little beer. As I had smoked some of the smoketty-schmoke, I became a little anxious. Something was going on on stage that involved a naked woman, but I couldn't really see what was happening. More people were guided up the stairs and packed into the room. There must have been at least 60 people in this small place. I was more entertained by the Boris Vallejo-looking Barbarian girl murals that wahtever the main attraction was. More people were then packed into the room and no one was leaving. It was then that I remembered that the Singer fire disaster was an American experience, and that building occupation codes in Europe were probably somewhat lax. I imagined a fire breaking out, and the inevitable stampede of humanity trouncing each other as they tumbled down the steep, narrow stair case and got the heck outta there." So, there you go. 60 perverted tourists will be watching this show. Make it count. And apparently, the landmark to find the Cassa Rosso is a fountain depicting the male genitals. I know I'll be making use of that.

Both songs have the same melody, but different words. The British anthem is called "God Save the Queen". <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ah, thanks. It did seem like way too big a gaff for no one to notice.

Because, from what I heard (don't remember where), Sonic Mega Collection sold better than a lot of the games Sega is currently releasing. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Probably because they're mostly pretty bad.

That was the British National Anthem? I could swear that was "My Country 'Tis of Thee".

Mine's devomaniax now. Don't ask.

Cool opening promo. It's chilling to see Pretzler slowly slip under Flesher's grasp, while all the time Scott believes that he and Toxxic are still and will remain friends, despite all of Toxxic's faults (in his mind). Real solid tag match to get the show started. I loved the bit with the Dane shouting from the stands, and the part after it where each wrestler made their wish (some fufilled, some not). Nice post-match developments. It'd be cool to see a team develop through this. Like I said, the build-up to the World Title match throughout the night is a brilliant idea. Admittedly, I know little of the history between Ejiro and WC, and this was a great way for me to catch up and see why this match was so important. Big win for Zyon! Nicely done. The Suicide Guillotine Leg Drop is a really inventive spot, one I don't think I've ever seen before IRL or in this fed. Zyon plays the underdog part well, I must say. Great finish. Very exciting back and forth match between JD and Francis. There's hardly a break from the time JD tries the Fallaway Slam to the moment he comes out of nowhere and wins with the Diamond Cutter. He was seconds away from falling prey to Francis' Million Dollar Dream; it makes sense to go for the surprise finisher right after escaping from your opponent's. Well, I do wish I could have seen Pretzler/Toxxic, but in its stead is a fantastic return from Spike. That's the way to come back. It'll be interesting to see how Spike fits into the conflict between Pretzler and Toxxic. Really cool begining to the Title match. The extended introductions by Funyon give the contest a real important and epic feel. Cool bit with Ejiro sneaking in a punch and making sure what WC got caught when he tried the same. I love how WC deliberately changes up his attack plan to confuse Fasaki. Great idea. The ending's kinda anticlimatic, yeah, but as far storyline advancement goes, it couldn't have been better. And...Mag gets his skull cracked open. Enjoy!

Very nice. Just so we're clear, Hardcore means falls count anywhere as well?

I love the way the World Title Match was built to throughout the night. Very nice touch, whoever thought of it. Kinda makes me feel guilty for taking up the Main Event spot. Actual comments later. Work is now.

First of all, let me tell you how appreciative I am of how much attention you give to my storyline throughout the match. If I had lost, it'd hardly matter since you put across ELM's emotions and motivations even better than I did. Thank you. Your descriptions during the Step-Over Facelock are fantastic. The reader's able to feel Mag's excruciating pain, the fans' disappointment, Williams' determination. Tee hee. Ahem. The flurry of aerial moves was very well-written also. I couldn't help but smile when I saw Magnifico, hopped up on youthful energy, hit the Fall of the Aztecs. I love the finish. ELM finally falls prey to the Axe Bomber, which he had managed to avoid up until the very end. Like I said, the words you commit to telling my storyline is amazing, and it shows no more clearly than at the end of the match. Thank you.

See, that's what I thought too. Flesher's post says World Title, not Main Event.

Goddamn. The crowd completely died when Ortiz stepped up to the plate.

Completely misread that. This post doesn't exist.

Yeesh. I hope you weren't particularly fond of spicy foods. Glad to hear you're alright. And now you've got a cool scar to show off!

So, does that mean that MLB players from other countries can play for either the US or their home nation? If so, it'll be interesting to see which immigrants decide to play for what team. Let's be honest, the United States doesn't have a multitude of home-grown talent. What's there is fantastic, but not enough to make them a favorite in such a tournament. I'm really looking forward to this. Hopefully it'll work out.

Regressed would imply they've been good. Fucking Mets. Shoot Danny Graves in the fucking head and let the experiment end. Send Ishii back to Japan, and let Aaron Heilman in the rotation. He can't be any worse than Ishii. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well, for whatever reason, they were fantastic in Washington. I couldn't agree with you more when it comes to Ishii, though. When Trachsel comes back, the rotation (hopefully) won't have any glaring weak spots. And yeah, Graves is worthless. Anyway, great start from Pedro today. Mets go into the All-Star Break at .500, which is disappointing, but not that bad. Both the Nationals and Braves lose, so their deficit isn't insurmountable by any stretch of the imagination.

MAIN EVENT - Three-Time World Champion Classic, Vol 3.0 El Luchador Magnifico vs. Danny Williams Rules: Standard. Word Limit: 6000 ~ Angel. PURE RULES - SWF World Heavyweight Championship Ejiro Fasaki © vs. Wildchild Rules: Standard, with Pure Wrestling addenda - each wrestler has three rope breaks. A wrestler loses a rope break when he throws a closed-fist punch or uses the ropes to break a submission hold. If a wrestler with no rope breaks left attempts to use the ropes to break a submission hold, the rope break is of no effect and the submission stays on; if he throws a punch, he is disqualified. Word Limit: 7000 ~ I believe the rules give the edge to Fasaki, so I'll give him the slightest of nods. SUBMISSION MATCH - SWF World Cruiserweight Championship Toxxic vs. Scott Pretzler © Rules: Standard, with cruiserweight addenda, and the stipulation that the match may not end with a pin - countouts and disqualifications are in effect, but the only clean way to win is by forcing your opponent to submit. Word Limit: 6000 ~ Ay. Uh, Toxxic. SINGLES MATCH Johnny Dangerous vs. "The Franchise" Mak Francis Rules: Standard. Word Limit: 5000 ~ JD. SINGLES MATCH Zyon vs. Todd Cortez Rules: Standard. Word Limit: 4500 ~ Zyon. TAG TEAM MATCH Arch Griffon and Manson vs. "The Dean of Professional Wrestling" Jay Hawke and JJ Johnson Rules: Standard. Use the tag ropes. Word Limit: 4500 ~ Griffon/Manson.

Happy birthday, you glorious drunken bastard you.

Show looks great and promo-packed. Actual comments in a little while.

Sure is cool how the Mets gave up eleven runs to one of the worst offensive teams in the majors. The bullpen's regressed back to being maddeningly inconsistent.

Thank you Mike.

Christ, guys, would it kill you to take even a cursory glance at the show?

There is no limit to my hatred of Braden Looper.

God damn it. After not giving up a single run in Washington, the Mets' bullpen implodes in the bottom of the ninth, giving up four runs to the pirates. 5-5 going into the tenth. The most annoying part of this is that Zambrano had the best start of the year, giving up only one run over eight innings. Another example of Mets' starters having great performances and not getting wins out of it.