120 stars/desert bus for hope

still with the quick posts, as i emerge from the horrific carnage that was last week.

not much time for gaming, and i've come to a bit of a crossroads with which games to cover.

i'm still sitting on 3/4 of a halo 3 review, but, like the lazy person i am, lacking inspiration to finish it. i want to have a couple more to through into our gaming feature in a couple weeks (though it should be more like 4-5 ready by then).

here's which ones i'm currently working on:
-tony hawk proving grounds-not finding anything really new or innovative, mostly it's just pissing me off like they all have to some extent since th4
-battalion wars 2-played this a total of 2 times so far and it's hella fun just not as addictive as hockey-mario-or ghiii
-ace combat 6-andrew and i played this for an hour or so but found it desperately boring and long winded
-mass effect-loaned to drew for a couple days but still need to crack it in earnest.

but on the flip side, i'm nearing the 120 star full completion in mario galaxy. this is taking up way too much of my time, but it's the only game my fiancee jen will actively watch/participate in willingly;). it's true, the gameplay does not get boring or old after the star 60 and the original quest is done, it maintains and stays challenging and fun. though i've now started working down from the hardest to the easiest, and few games have illicited more expletives and shouting from me this year-unless you count multiplayer games of nhl 08, but who does?

lastly i want to draw people's attention to a charity that i really support (with money too!) called child's play. in a quick nutshell, instead of just raising more money for research into illnesses that are affecting children, they attack the main immediate problem of kids stuck in hospitals with nothing to do. they get hospitals near most big cities to submit wish lists of systems and games so that kids can get stuff they wouldn't' be able to afford or obtain normally, and allows them some self-sufficiency in entertaining themselves and having some fun.

an off-shoot event being held in victoria bc, is desert bus for hope. it's a hilarious concept. these guys have taken the released code from the never released penn and teller pseudo game, which was more a bunch of tricks you can play on your friends that was meant to look like a game, and they've decided to play one of the most gruelling modes for as long as people continue donating money. all the funds go to child's play, and they're now up to 98 hours of driving time they must spend on the road.

the game 'simulates' driving a bus along a real highway route along the desert for the actual amount of time it takes to do it. there is no end, and the road is slightly curving mixed with straight sections the whole time, making it impossible to cheat. it's one of the biggest 'in-jokes' in video gaming.

they guys who've been handling the 'bus' have already crashed 3 times (meaning they had to restart the trip that many times) and have been running the desert bus relay for 2 days already. you can watch a livecam from their site and donate money to keep their torture going and support a good cause.