The start of the week didn’t go all that badly in the end. I got some good work on my SAN Access system in. I’ve watched the first four episodes of my new anime series to watch, GUNxSWORD. I even enjoyed a good workout session at gym after work as well.
Okay, maybe not so good was the fact that I once again had to hit the floors of Tygervalley thanks to the fact that despite the fact we spent the whole weekend shopping last weekend, I didn’t exactly get time to do any grocery shopping – which was precisely what I needed to get done last night.
I actually managed to surprise myself last night by making some – don’t laugh – caramelised onions for the first time ever. I thought it was about time I spiced up my rather plain boerewors rolls, and the onions seemed like just the ticket. So my brand spanking new bottle of Balsamic Vinegar (the first one I’ve ever brought into the flat) was put to good use and I was pleasantly surprised by the result. Not too shabby eh Nige?
Ryan joined me last night for a bit of a gaming session, primarily to test out his latest purchase, NBA Jam for the PS2. Now we grew up around Merkaba’s Sega Megadrive system, and back in the day NBA Jam was probably one of our hottest picks ever. We used to spend hours performing outrageous dunks, spins, lay-ups and 3-pointers, all the while marvelling in the zany, over-the-top action and animation and shouting out loudly with the absolute gems of commentary, with those unforgettable lines like …He’s on fire!’ and …Is it the shoes?’ still ringing as loud as ever in our minds.
I’m glad to say that the PS2 version of the game definitely doesn’t let one down. It’s updated graphics brings into into the 3D world of gaming efficiently and effectively, but at the same time manages to lose nothing of the look that made NBA Jam stand out as just NBA Jam could. In fact, the game plays almost exactly as its MegaDrive counterpart, and – you can’t help but be transported back into time as you relive all the classic moves and commentary that made the first one so addictive in the first place. A top notch fun experience that is quick to pick up and if you’re nostalgic at all, definitely send a couple of tingles of recognition down your spine :)
But all the praise for the game aside, I must confess to having an absolutly disastrous night behind the D-pad last night. Out of all the NBA Jam games we played, I could only muster a single victory, and don’t even ask about the FIFA08 games. The best I could come up with was a single draw- Ryan was crushing me left, right and centre in everything we played :( And I have absolutely nothing to blame my poor performance for’ No distracting easter eggs or chocolate cake, no distracting phones call or sms’, in fact just plain nothing.
So embarrassing.