Finally a PS2 game that begins to do justice to the power of the machine!! Also played the playable demo of Metal Gear Solid 2 – WOW. I was blown away by this.. I never played the original, which might explain it, but it was fantastic. Awesome graphics and music, excellent gameplay. Joins my “games to buy” list, along with Final Fantasy X, and of course the next generation Tomb Raider.

Long bank holiday weekend over – back to work!!

Played Zone of the Enders over the weekend on the PS2 – finally a PS2 game that begins to do justice to the power of the machine!! Also played the playable demo of Metal Gear Solid 2 – WOW. I was blown away by this.. I never played the original, which might explain it, but it was fantastic. Awesome graphics and music, excellent gameplay. Joins my “games to buy” list, along with Final Fantasy X, and of course the next generation Tomb Raider.
Speaking of which, I finally finished Tomb Raider 4 (the last revelation) – just got to do chronicles now…

To be honest I was disappointed; perhaps my expectations were too high? Nothing wrong with it at all – but I’m also not sure where the significant improvement is over GT1.. the graphics aren’t *that* much better….

Adaption of the Sebastian Faulks book (which I’ve not read), with Cate Blanchett (who I hardly recognised) and others.
A rather traumatic story from WW2, based mainly in a small French villiage, it tells the story of the French resistance, and a British agent sent to help them.
Very compelling watching though – although I do think it would have been improved by having the French dialogue in French with subtitles, rather than in English with semi-French accents.

Wasn’t really what I was expecting, can’t say I really enjoyed it that much. I guess it was a good film though; I just didn’t enjoy it.

Saw Cast Away over the weekend – wasn’t really what I was expecting, can’t saw I really enjoyed it that much. I guess it was a good film though; I just didn’t enjoy it.
Also played Gran Turismo 3 on the PS2. To be honest I was disappointed; perhaps my expectations were too high? Nothing wrong with it at all – but I’m also not sure where the significant improvement is over GT1.. the graphics aren’t *that* much better….
Also went to the gym.. 5k in 22.51.

Finally started going to the gym! Been twice this week (intend to go two times every week).. Am going to do the ergo (rowing machine) – did 5k just now in 23.13 – nothing special but I’m starting slowly (and even that knackered me!!)

Got Enigma 1140 (A long, long road) right – haven’t managed to solve the last three though (1144, 1145, 1146), but I only looked at 1146 (Units fore and aft) for the first time today!

Found an even cheaper source of DVDs – Australia! DVD.net do dead cheap DVDs (mostly ‘cos of the strength of the pound against the aussie dollar – something like 1 UKP buys 2.77 AUS$) Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for UKP 13.56, Aliens:SE for UKP 8.41, or how about The Matrix for UKP 10.25, all including int’l p∧p.
Reason I found this site is because the only english version of the film The Final Countdown is on Region 4 (ie Aus/NZ) DVD.
They also sell episodes of Monkey (including one – volume 8 – with Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung?!?), and Friends very resonably.

Last day of July! Just a quick entry – found a very impressive retailer of Region 1 DVDs: North American DVD. I ordered Monty Python and the Holy Grail on Friday 20th, and it arrived on Friday 27th, with total cost of UKP 15.84 (and this was one of their more expensive DVDs). The online environment is a bit lacking – no account or order status or anything like that, but the service speaks for itself.