Downward Spiral

I'm going to throw a shoutout for Burnout: Paradise City as a recommendation - I hate driving games but I've really enjoyed it so far - it shows off what the PS3 can do graphically and is a pretty entertaining game to boot. Should be pretty cheap too (over in the UK it seems to be cropping up in quite a few pre-owned deals).

1) Are you online?

2) Do you have a headset?

If the answer to those questions is yes, let me know your PSN address and we'll play some time. Burnout is great.

PSN username = jj7586.

Sadly no headset

I'm going to throw a shoutout for Burnout: Paradise City as a recommendation - I hate driving games but I've really enjoyed it so far - it shows off what the PS3 can do graphically and is a pretty entertaining game to boot. Should be pretty cheap too (over in the UK it seems to be cropping up in quite a few pre-owned deals).

I don't understand how people can want Kate to leave the show. I don't really care for her character.. but she's hot.

...Because Juliet is not only more interesting, but about x1000 more attractive as well? Honestly, I've never ever found Kate to be attractive. She's very bland. Which works, I don't think anyone else could've played the Kate role so well, but I just don't think she's good looking.

I don't want her to leave the show, I just think that Juliet is the more interesting character and her narrative, her history with the island, and with Ben, are far more captivating than Kate's story. The worst thing they did with Kate, I think was make her part of the O6 - now we know she's been vindicated I have absolutely no reason to care about her, aside from what will eventually happen between her, Jack and Sawyer. Juliet, on the other hand, is a badass - and by far a more interesting character. Her mannerisms, particularly that calm, placid way she digests even the worst news, makes her such an engaging and interesting character

To join in the discussion of this week's episode, I thought this was genuinely one of the best episodes of the show so far. You FINALLY get the sense of the threads being woven together with all of the individual groups now embarking on their journeys towards the season finale. I am so excited for the finale - I seriously hope it lives up to its predecessors. The finales of Series 3 and 4 have set the bar extremely high.

Oh, and as an aside, I nearly melted when Hurley tried to lie to Chang before giving up and saying "Dude, we're totally from the future". And if this season doesn't conclude with an almighty Juliet/Kate catfight (with Juliet winning) I will riot.

Spoiler: Click here to view

FUCK OFF! FUCK OFF! FUCK OFF! FUCK OFF AND DIE!

GRRR!!!! Stop killing off all the cool characters Kill Sun or someone, not fucking Daniel!

Spoiler: Click here to view

SLANDER! Sun fucking rocks. All the same though, poor Daniel, although, to be honest it isn't entirely unpredictable. The vast majority of people who aren't the Others who are brought in to the show usually die pretty quickly.

Spoiler: Click here to view

But that's usually because they suck and no-one likes them. Ana Lucia was killed because she was shit, and Libby had to die to make Ana Lucia's death mean anything. Eko is probably the only exception to the rule I can think of, and to be honest there's a limit to what they could do with him since he was essentially just a black Locke who believed in God.

Ana Lucia rocked and I will have no word said against her. Libby, on the other hand, could gladly have fucked off this mortal coil.

I think the Eko situation was brought about because the actor requested to be written out due to family problems but I absolutely agree with you - if there was any character that had to die, it was Mr Eko, and let's face it - what an awesome episode that gave us.

Spoiler: Click here to view

FUCK OFF! FUCK OFF! FUCK OFF! FUCK OFF AND DIE!

GRRR!!!! Stop killing off all the cool characters Kill Sun or someone, not fucking Daniel!

Team number: 2

Magic number: 4

Doubles FTW

Team #2:

NBT

Be

Downward Spiral

...

...*cues up the Odd Couple theme*

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2be6jGwLoJ0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2be6jGwLoJ0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2be6jGwLoJ0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Poor Downward Spiral.

I'm either scared or excited... Probably both.

I'd like to give this a go - hopefully give me something to do of an evening

RE: -A- we only think Daniel was part of the camp because we saw him in the opening moments of this season. That may have been a flash forward to when he finally visits the orchid as the scientist from Ann Arbour? In any event thank God he's back. I am so pumped for the go-home shows of this series it's unreal.

That was the barracks, as far as I recall - where Sawyer, Kate, Juliette et al are currently living in the 1970s. I think the Others have several ex-Dharma hideouts on the island though, as well as dwellings of their own from the 'hostile' years.

Ive moved on from Uncharted to Metal Gear Solid 4. Is there a reason that MGS4 seems so far up its own arse? I mean seriously - the gameplay doesn't seem all that great. The camera constantly gets in the way of the action when you're sneaking around the place. And every 5 minutes you get "treated" to a ridiculously long, gruelling and dull cut-scene. Am I just missing something, or is this game really not worth the hype? Beautiful graphics do not a good game make.

I REALLY hope that we get further exposition of Ethan's backstory this series. The Ethan/Charlie/Claire saga was absolutely gripping television and now to find he, like Ben, crossed the Dharma/Others divide, I can't help feeling that there's an awful lot of mileage to be gotten out of Mr Rom's story yet.

I've said it before, but I quite liked the twist in Uncharted.

Spoiler: Click here to view

If it had gone the same way all the way through, it would've still been a great game, but killing the same people over and over was repetitive. Having a different enemy to face made it better, IMO.

I agree to a certain extent - the combat certainly began to get a little competitive, but I thought the game could perhaps have been shortened by a few chapters. I thought the game had done so well in creating this rip-roaring, but yet human, adventure and the twist just jerked slightly with the tone. It's being nit-picky because it certainly opened a new challenge to the game but it was just a little bit OTT for my liking. All that said, I'm really glad I picked it up - it shows off what the PS3 can do graphically better than anything else in my view.

I've just invested in Uncharted on Saturday and I feel that I'm at, or very near, the end. The game certainly is addictive and the scenery is utterly gorgeous, but now I'm approaching endgame, the plotting and the combat have really gone off the boil for me. The twist with the

just seemed a little too far-fetched for my liking and sucked a bit of the fun out of a phenomenally constructed level which preceded it. Overall, a great initial playing experience and a real departure from my usual gaming choices, let down by a fizzling out of quality control as the game went on.

I also got the Orange Box for a great deal and I think it's probably one of the finest bargains I've picked up. Portal is absolutely stunning - one of the cleverest puzzler/platforms I think I've ever come across, with a wickedly dark sense of humour. I never played Half-Life previously, but the inluded port of HL2 has been relatively entertaining even if I've gotten a bit stuck 5 minutes in :S. I will perhaps try and have a go at Team Fortress tonight but short of COD5, multiplayer shoot-outs aren't really my thing (and even then, to be honest, borrowing a friend's CoD4 was the only time I genuinely saw the possibilities and potential in online FPS environments).

4. Picture of you - Boyzone

#1 is 'Get Rhythm' by Johnny Cash

8 (on RW's list) is 'The First Cut is the Deepest' by either Rod Stewart or PJ Arnold.

I thought silver too, but I tried to take one down with my trusty silver dagger - only to get the 'this attack has no effect' message. Hence the run like hell reaction.

To be fair, it was decimating my HP so much I would have died instantly if I kept fighting.

On a related note to this, how the fuck do you hit will o' the wisps? Every time I encounter them I have t orun like hell to the nearest city just to survive - it makes exploring a pain in the ass.

Wow! I'm really glad to see this battle go ahead and two really great entries, albeit with very similar picks and conclusions.

Entry 1 gave Monty much more of a slow burn through the night. He starts off in a bit of a nothing singles match, before surprising everyone in the Gauntlet match with his Alpha Bombing of Joe, before putting in a great final performance against Jarrett. What really set this entry off, however, was the attention to detail in the promo. The interview definitely has Monty's voice running through it and nicely references Monty's history with Jarrett. This is nicely carried through to the first match where Jarrett is pleading with Monty to see reason and a real feel-good ending to the bout.

It's not without its faults, however. For a start, Rhino is somehow still able to compete in Gauntlet for the Gold despite a broken arm? Seems unlikely, especially when he got to the final four. Similarly, I'd almost rather Joe was simply eliminated rather than ultimately taking the fall. In one sense, going this route really puts Monty over, but it does kill Joe's burgeoning streak at the same time.

I really liked Entry 2s recap of the whole event and the comedy with Shark Boy getting to the final four was pretty funny. However, what killed this entry for me was a lack of focus on Monty's story. Compared to entry 1 the promo was a little generic and brief. Additionally, your choice of person to take the fall was a little odd, given that the fans may well have been pissed off at Brown for him taking out Jeff Hardy, making it difficult to get Monty across as the face the fans desperately wanted to get behind. Similarly, it would have been nice to have some indication of the relationship between Jarrett and Brown going into this.

Certainly both guys have put in a great effort and worked within the rules that I set extremely well. Ultimately, though my vote goes to entry number 1.

Great job guys!

This may not be modern-ish enough but here goes.

Bound for Glory I- Kevin Nash vs Jeff Jarrett - finding a replacement

In 2005, TNA were laying the foundations for what they hoped would become their version of Wrestlemania. To start the tradition with a bang, TNA built up a world championship match in which the Kings of Wrestling imploded and Jeff Jarrett would have to defeat the very man he brought in to TNA, Kevin Nash.

Sadly for Big Sexy, heart troubles ruled him out of competing, leaving TNA to frantically scramble for a replacement marquee match on the big day. In the end, Rhino stepped into the breach earning an unintended NWA Heavyweight championship reign in his third gruelling match of the night.

TNA took a huge gamble in giving Rhino the ball, not least because he had to survive the first ever Monster's Ball, the ensuing 20 man gauntlet and a World title match.

In this reality, he doesn't.

In the Monster's Ball match Rhino sustains a broken arm after a bump gone wrong meaning TNA's desperation backup plan is in the dumpster. Someone else needs to step forward: fast.

Your task is to find that replacement, and write their story to the historic main event. The replacement challenger must be somebody who competed in some way shape or form at Bound For Glory 2005. They CANNOT be AJ Styles or Christopher Daniels (who competed in a 30 minute iron man match for the X Division title).

Your entry must include:

- A brief re-cap of any match that your participant was involved in (if applicable). You must keep the match's RESULT the same, but you may change the circumstances of the ending if you wish.

- The final four segment of the gauntlet match (remember, in TNA it's over the top eliminations until the final two, where the winner is decided by pinfall/submission).

- An after-gauntlet promo where your chosen main eventer states his intention to win the title

- The ensuing match against Jarrett (You can choose the winner).

Time to turn this list's credibility down a notch...

1. Meatloaf

2. Mariah Carey

3. Freddie Mercury

4. Aretha Franklin

5. Leona Lewis

6. Whitney Houston

7. Art Garfunkel

8. David Bowie

9. Matt Bellamy

10. Will Young

I will happily stand by any/all of these decisions

Sorry to be the first to be 'this guy' but I'm going to have to back out of this unfortunately. My computer is undergoing a major hissy fit at the moment and I just don't think I'm going to be able to get it fixed in time (I'm currently writing this at work). Sorry to let anyone down and look forward to reading the entries regardless. Really bummed I'm not going to be able to take part on this (stupid windows... grumble... grumble...)

In.

This is genius!