DrVenkman PhD

Good news everyone... no Nate Jones either.

The "Ultra" era kinda killed Game Players for me. Still a good mag though. Speaking of Mike, did anyone read PCXL? I'm not even into PC games and I read it monthly.

A few of my WWE DVD's mess up on the PS2, most notably Vengeance 2001, which I tried two different copies of when I returned the first thinking it was defective. It worked fine on my friends Xbox though. SummerSlam 2001 gets all skippy during Taker/Kane vs DDP/Kanyon and Rock/Booker, but thankfully leaves Angle/Austin alone. Again, worked perfectly fine on a real DVD player the other day. Royal Rumble 2002 stops for a split second when Bradshaw enters.. no big deal. I think there are a few other small "freeze" gltiches I've noticed at home that I haven't watching the DVDs elsewhere, but it's really no big deal. This bothers me A LOT, as many times watching a DVD are how I wind down a day before going to sleep, and then I realize I have to get up and shut the PS2 off after getting all comfy in bed. Bottom line: The PS2 is an acceptable DVD player and if you don't wish to, there is no need to run out and pay more money for a stand alone player. It's not a bad idea when you do have the extra money, however.

According to IGN, the Legends list is still being finalized through negotiations. When they gave the "confirmed, will not change, for sure in the game" list of Legends, I noticed Warrior's name, who from the beginning I could not see licencing himself out to a WWE product, was not on it. Hopefully he stays in though.. he needs to job to Ted for me.

The only real problem I have with the Action! DVD is my copy takes about two minutes or so to get to the menu (as Karnage mentioned). However, I haven't tried my "Stop, Play, Triangle" (PS2 remote) method of skipping past all that stuff that I have been using on WWE DVD's lately. On that note, my PS2 plays some WWE DVDs real shitty. Sometimes it stops for a second then continues, but for some DVDs like Vengeance 01 (which I tried two copies of) it goes all crazy during Taker/RVD then stops and prompts me to hit play. SummerSlam 2001 also gets a bit choppy during the tag title match and Booker vs Rock match, but both of these DVDs run perfectly fine on real DVD players. I'm thinking of getting one to avoid future problems like this.

Spanky/Funaki seem to give any tag team at least a ***1/2 star match. And teaming them gets them really over.. I've got them to main event status after a feud with WGTT.

Dames star ratings generally seem to reflect the match quality %. A 97% match rating isn't technically perfect, to it makes sense those matches get ****3/4. My Eddie vs Chavo matches always get 99% / ****3/4, but so far both of my big PPV Benoit/Angle matches got the big *****.

Too trendy in my veiw. It's strange for a video game magazine to feature celebrities on the cover instead of actual game characters, but it was an interesting way of doing things. I bought it when it was like $2 Canadian when it started, but didn't like it enough to justify buying it when it became a full price mag. It seems I wasn't the only one.

Married With Childeren is shown about 3 times a week here... twice on Saturday night (1am - 2am) and once on Sunday (12:30am). Just the other day I was complaining to a friend how they keep releasing those "Volume" DVDs with 5 episodes when they should be doing a season, and here it is.. hooray.

Actually, the Tag TItle tournament did have all the matches on the No Mercy DVD, they were just the last few minutes. That's understandable when you take into consideration this was back when they booked long matches and the PPV already took up most of the 3 hours a DVD can hold before turning to garbage, plus all that stuff from Confidential. The Lesnar DVD sounds great if you're not a PPV collector, but I am so it sounds like nothing. Pass.

Stone Cold Steve Austin actually tapped out in a match that I doubt many people have seen. It was against Bret Hart and it was in Kuwait, I believe a bit after WM12 before Bret went on vacation. It's on Coliseum's World Tour 96 tape.

I was trying to think who Stephanie would use to get back at A-Train, fearing some nonsense with Cena going face and fighting for her. Then I wondered how they would work Zach onto the PPV. Then it hit me... A-Train vs. Gowen. Ugh.

You have to understand, wrestlers are totally different as faces and heels by WWE "tap out" logic. Kurt Angle was the first man to make Hogan tap out because Heel Hogan is a coward and natrually would tap out to Rock's sharpshooter (or Luger's torture rack). Same for Michaels with BRet.

As far as Stripperella is concerned, I have no idea. There was a rumour that was never backed up by anyone saying the show was already done before it aired, with only 4 episodes in the can. Well, that was obviously false as a 5th episode aired on Thursday. However, it could end up that the reported number of completed episodes was the only thing false about that rumour, we'll have to see. I'm not sure how it's doing now, but the debut was in the 2.X rating area, which as I understand is a hit for cable TV.

I'm not sure what this has to do with Shades of Gray. What was the Lita one about? I know the magazines are small, but I didn't think she had a long enough career to tell a story in a magazine. Was it mosly diva stuff?

The old school SummerSlam logo kicked ass. The ones they gave it in 98 and 99 were kinda bad, but I like the modern look of the current (2000 - now) look. The old WrestleMania logos (specifically 6 - 9) were great. Rumble 92 (and the other 'old school' "everyone is drawn on the front of the box standing on the street") is one of my favourite posters / box covers. I liked 2001's poster for going back in that direction, as well.

Another good recap, Rob, but you already knew that... I was wondering if that spot has already been informally offered to someone. I'm not sure if I want it (as you seem to find Monday not timely, but that's about when I'd be doing them too) but if no one else wants to, I could give it a go using my new Report Card Gimmick.

So, after writing Shades of Gray today, I decided some groceries needed to be bought. At the check-out counter, I see 4 little 33 page magazines for I think $2.50. I believe they are career retrospectives of Flair (I flipped through it, some WCW and NWA pictures), Hogan, Andre, and... Lita? Anyway I was wondering if anyone has read one and when exactly they came out.

Yeah, I sorta have this thing where I don't abbreviate people's names.. but then other times I do. Who knows, I might be crazy. Anyway Shades is up and the plug was made.

Well Robert, I enjoyed your recap. I don't actually read Heat recaps but since we write for the same site I though I'd check it out, and I liked it. Props will be given when today's SOG is finished (even though your recap will most likely be right below with no need to be pointed out).

I liked it. I suspect (hope) Raw will win next week though due to a strong Michaels vs. Jericho match, but SmackDown! might pull off an awesome Angle/Lesnar vs Haas/Benjamin match or something.

OT, I clicked in the image in Flyboy's sig and was met with this: "We at Showtime Online express our apologies; however, these pages are intended for access only from within the United States" *shakes fist*

Hey, why not just make Return of the King into 2 different 2 hour movies while Hollywood is at it.

As far as I know, you can use the different "slots" of the 4X memory card to copy and transport 4 different sets of CAW's from the card to the cart. I can't confirm this since I have one of the early, crappy copies that keep deleting itself, causing me to get mad and not bother making any CAWs outside of a few I have backed up on the card.

Dames, I think I'm going to write something on Monday! Shades of Gray returns! Yes, officially! God I better think of something to write.