Peter,
You were a great uncle and you will be missed by all who loved you.
We all have so many great memories of you that we will cherish forever. One of my favorites was during the annual 4th of July cookout at Grandma & Grandpa's house.
Their house was on a river in Gloucester. For those who have never been to this event its a great day with most of the family. The kids go swimming in the river, the adults have a few drinks, there's lots of great food, and the night ends with shooting off the fireworks that Sammy smuggled back from Florida the previous winter.
One year Pete showed up with a motor boat he rented and he took my cousins Wayne & Brian and myself out for a ride. Wayne and I were probably about 13 or 14 at the time and Brian was around 10 or 11. The three of us all looked forward to it because we were all getting too big for that old, beat up canoe and didn't feel like tipping in the middle of the river and swimming back to shore arguing about who caused us to tip over in the first place.
We were in Pete's boat, cruising around the river. We drove past Wingaersheik Beach and eventually wound up in Gloucester Harbor. There was no radio on the boat (which looking back on it, probably wasn't the safest thing in the world) but all I remember was Pete kept singing the theme to "Hawaii 5-0"...after about an hour we all had the damn song stuck in our heads and were singing along! :)
Anyway, we weren't really sure where Pete was taking us...as long as he stopped singing that friggin' song we really didn't care. He ended up taking us to the pier where the Greasy Pole is. I have never participated in it myself, so as a kid who had been watching people walk it for years, it was so cool to be up next to it.
At his insistence, Wayne & I took turns climbing up the pier and onto the Pole. The St. Peter's Fiesta was the previous weekend so there was no grease left on the pole. So Wayne is on the pole and walks out to the end. Not sure if he's afraid of heights, regardless, he didn't look comfortable up there. The wind was blowing and with every step he took, the pole bounced a tiny bit. He reached the end and then just kinda stood there.
Pete kept calling him a "chicken" until Wayne finally jumped off the end. Now Wayne's a big dude, so when he bounced on the end of the pole, the damn thing launched his big ass straight up in the air until he came crashing to the water below. It was low tide too so he must have fallen at least 15 feet to the water. He didn't really do a belly-flop or land on his back, but it was definitly an awkward combination of the two. We all couldn't stop laughing. I eventually went up but didn't try to out-do Wayne. I just walked to the end and took an extra step and landed in the water feet-first.
Coming back, Wayne & I each took turns driving the boat. When Pete got sick of me driving or I went too fast, he said "Alright Frank, you're fired. Let me drive." Wayne & Bri thought it was funny that Pete "fired me" from driving the boat.
Wayne was up next. Now I don't know if he was messing around or is that bad of a driver, but he drove a little too close to shore and Pete had to step in. Pete says, "Holy s--t Wayne! You're fired!" We laughed even harder the second time around.
Wayne & I convinced Pete it was a good idea to let Brian take a turn driving the boat. Bri was flat out begging him. After all, why not let a 10 year old drive a boat? Being the good guy that he was, Pete finally caved in and gave him a shot.
We were down near "The Point"; a small beach near my grandparents house. So Pete handed the wheel over to Brian, who was a little young and probably shouldn't have been driving in the first place. So Bri takes the wheel and just guns it to full throttle and we dart off. We look up and see we're heading straight towards someone's dock. Pete dives for the wheel, turns to the right sharply and we avoid crashing. Our hearts were all beating like crazy, but Wayne, Brian & I are laughing. We look over at Pete and notice he's kind of quiet. We all got worried that he was going to be really mad. After about 20 or 30 seconds of him being silent, Pete looks over and smiles at Wayne & I and goes "That was f---in' scary". Then he looks over at Brian and goes "You're f---in' fired!" We all burst out laughing and Wayne & I kept saying "You're f---in' fired" to everyone for the rest of the day, laughing our asses off. Wayne would ask his mother for a hamburger and he'd say something like "What, no cheeseburger? You're f---in' fired!!!"
Anyway, that story always makes my cousins and I laugh and just thought I'd share it.
Peter, I love you and will always remember you and the smiles you gave everyone around you. Thank you for the memories and thank you for all the laughs. I think I speak for everyone in saying you touched our lives and will never be forgotten.
Your nephew,
Saturday, October 9, 2010
My Top 10 Favorite Wrestling Matches
I'm nearly 30 years old, and I still watch wrestling on a weekly basis. I openly admit that I love it and will be a fan for life. Why? Because honestly, wrestling is the best thing on television and it always will be. Its the only thing that truely combines both athletics and entertainment. I like sports, but I'm not "entertained" by them. "Real" sports I watch for the spirit of competition. Reality TV is scripted just as much as regular TV and movies. Wrestling I watch because of its athleticism, spectacle, showmanship, cheesy storylines, and larger than life characters.
I've been watching for so long that I'm one step away from being a "mark"!
With Wrestlemania 26 about a month away, I start to think about all the great matches I've seen over the years..as well as some shitty ones. I'll do a Top 10 Worst Matches eventually but for now, here's the best matches that I've seen.
Out of fairness, even though it's my favorite match of the year, I've excluded the Royal Rumble match from this list. Even when the Rumble is bad, it's still pretty good but I'm gonna keep it off the list.
So without further ado, here's my Top 10 Favorite Wrestling Matches according to me.
#10.
1990 Wrestlemania 6: HULK HOGAN VS. THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR
-Out of all of the matches I remember from my childhood, this is one that still remains etched in my memory. I can recall every move, every pop the crowd makes, everything.
I remember watching this at my 10th birthday party. Even though it took place 3 days earlier, there was no internet or Monday Night Raw so you couldn't find out who actually won the match unless you saw it live. Half the room said Hogan was going to win and half the room said Warrior. If you were a 9 year old boy, this match was an epic showdown between 2 real life superheroes. In reality, it was the first time the two top babyfaces (good guys) had a match at a major pay-per-view. But really, who would win? Hogan was WWF Champion and Warrior was Intercontinental Champion? Somebody had to win and somebody had to lose!
In the end, Warrior press-slammed Hogan and won. It was the first time Hogan had been beaten clean so it really was a "passing of the torch" moment for the Ultimate Warrior. Hands down, the best match of Warrior's career (though he didn't have very many). Even though it wasn't the most techincal match and Warrior faded away into obscurity about a year and a half later, I still love this match. It was good storytelling, and epic battle, and just a fun match to watch as a fan.
#9
1996 Wrestlemania 12: BRET "THE HITMAN" HART VS. "THE HEARTBREAK KID" SHAWN MICHAELS
-Shawn Michaels is my favorite wrestler of all time and despite all the angles he's been involved in, his best rival was without a doubt Bret Hart. Rest assured, I'm not gonna get into their1997 Survivor Series match and the fiasco that followed. I'm just concentrate on this match.
-HBK won the Royal Rumble that year (his 2nd consecutive) and was facing Hart in the main event for the WWF Championship. WWF started doing this "boyhood dream" angle for Michaels in his quest to become champion. At WM12 it was announced that he wouldn't just face Bret Hart for the title, but the match would be a 60 Minute Iron Man Match. An Iron Man match is a match set to go for a certain time limit and the man who gets the most pinfalls in the match wins. WCW tried this a few times on pay-per-view, but those were for only for 30 minutes. WWF had balls for saying they were going for twice that time! There was a lot on the line in this match.
1, Bret & Shawn legit hated each other.
2,The question of how do you keep an audience interested in a match that is going to last for 1 hour guarenteed?
3, This is the Super Bowl of wrestling...are you sure this is a good idea?
-In the end, it was. Bret & Shawn put on an absolutely show of great ring work. There weren't any gimmicks in the match, just straight wrestling. People were expecting them to chalk up a bunch of pins & submissions in the match. At the 60 minute mark, the score was tied 0-0. Gorilla Monsoon ordered the match go into Sudden Death and within 2 minutes, HBK hit Sweet Chin Music, and won his first WWF Championship in epic fashion.
#8
1987 Wrestlemania 3: "MACHO MAN" RANDY SAVAGE VS. RICKY "THE DRAGON" STEAMBOAT
-The Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit, MI was packed to see the epic battle between Hulk Hogan & Andre The Giant for the WWF Championship. That was the match that put the asses in the seats. That was the match people came to see, but the match that is remembered just as much, was for the Intercontinental Championship between Savage & Steamboat. When it was first introduced, the Intercontinental Championship was given to the guy who was overall the best performer in the ring.
That could not have been more true than this match. 20 minutes of back & forth action that had you on the edge of your seat. In the end, Steamboat beat Savage and influenced a generation of wrestlers to come. Ask any wrestler under 250 lbs, and they will tell you that THIS is their favorite match of all time.
#7
2005 Unbreakable: "THE FALLEN ANGEL" CHRISTOPHER DANIELS VS. SAMOE JOE VS. "THE PHENOMENAL" A.J. STYLES
-Thanks to the internet, this was my introduction to TNA Wrestling. I had never heard of these three guys before and I'm not a big fan of 3-way and 4-way matches to begin with, so I wasn't even sure if I'd like this match. Usually with 3 way matches you see the occasional double-team move, but really it just ends up being 2 guys fighting with 1 down or outside the ring. To keep it interesting, the guy on his back for long periods of time keeps changing. This match was NOT like that at all! The action in this match never really stopped and most of it involved all three guys. It was fast-paced, exciting, and overall fun. To describe what happens wouldn't do it justice. Watch it yourself and see what I mean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X64B7SK4-XQ
#6
1998 King Of The Ring: THE UNDERTAKER VS. MANKIND
-Because of the mid-to-late 1990s oversaturating my mind, I'm not a big fan of "gimmick" matches. The old ECW was a lot to blame for this with their hardcore matches with tables, and barbed wire baseball bats and shit. But WWF did their share as well.
-Hell In The Cell is basically a huge steel cage that covers the ring, half the ringside area and has a top on it. This was the 2nd ever Hell In A Cell match ever and also the 2nd with Undertaker. Mankind (Mick Foley) was a hardcore legend by the time he got to WWF after making his name in some of the most violent match in WCW, Japan, & ECW. But his WWF matches were relativly tame...until this one. This was going to end his on-again, off-again feud with Taker.
-I remember watching this live on pay-per-view. First off, the match STARTED on top of the cage. It took Foley a while to get his fat ass up there, then Taker comes down and looks up thinking how's he gonna get his 300 lb body up there too! They climb the cage and are fighting back and forth. I remember saying to myself, it would be awesome if someone got thrown off...but this is wrestling and there is no way they could pull that off. Suddenly, Taker grabbed Foley by the seat of his pants, and threw him off the top of the cage and onto a table a legit 16 feet below. The crowd went nuts. Foley was carried off on a stretcher and brought to the back. I figured, match is over.
-Then Foley comes BACK with the WWF medic telling him not to go. Foley, with a mouth full of blood and a loose tooth, climbed back up the cage. Now when two 300 lb men are walking on basically a horizontal chain link fence, there's gonna be some give. At one point Undertaker grabs Foley by the throat and chokeslam's him onto the cage and sure enough, the cage breaks and Foley takes the biggest bump ever as he falls to the ring. Now, most people only talk about the first fall, but the one I remember and respect was the 2nd one knowing how hard a wrestling mat is (even when you fall the "right way").
-Undertaker finally pins him after Foley is dropped onto a shitload of thumbtacks. There was a lot of legit worry for Foley in this match, and you can feel it. Its because of this match that forever cemented Mick Foley as the Hardcore Legend.
#5
1997 Wrestlemania 13: BRET "THE HITMAN" HART VS. "STONE COLD" STEVE AUSTIN
-Overall, Wrestlemania 13 sucked. It was the end of WWF getting out of their "family friendly" phase they were in and ushering in the "Attitdue Era". Hart & Austin faced off in an I Quit Match..they even got submission specialist and top UFC draw (at the time) Ken Shamrock to referee. The match was damn good, there was great storytelling leading up to it, they had a legendary rivalry too.
- But what stands out to me was going into this match it was clear which role each man played: Bret Hart was the clean cut good guy, Stone Cold was the rule-breaking bad guy. At the end of the match, with no one doing a traditional "heel turn" or anyone changing the way they perform, they traded roles. Austin became the biggest fan favorite in history while Bret Hart became a huge heel for the remainder of his time in WWF. I had never seen that happen before and hasn't seen it happen like this since.
-Its so memorable, that I often forget that Stone Cold lost! Speaking of Stone Cold...
#4
1998 Wrestlemania 14: "STONE COLD" STEVE AUSTIN VS. SHAWN MICHAELS
-As a wrestling fan, there is nothing quite like seeing it live. But seeing Wrestlemania live? No words can describe the feeling.
-Austin won his 2nd Royal Rumble and was facing HBK at WM14. What also happened at the Royal Rumble was Shawn Michaels severly injured his back (legit) and was used very sparingly up until Mania.
-The match took place between my two favorite wrestlers and me also knowing both it was Austin's time to get the torch passed to him and how much pain HBK must have been in. And I got to see it live!
-It was great to see Austin win the belt live in Boston, but the MVP for this match is without doubt Shawn Michaels.
-Shawn Michaels didn't wrestle for 4 1/2 years after this match. Not to mention, Austin had chronic neck pain due to a piledriver he received wrong (thanks Owen Hart). To see how great this match is due to the pain the performers were in says a lot about how great they both are.
#3
1987 Wrestlmania 3: HULK HOGAN VS. ANDRE THE GIANT
-This is my definition of EPIC. I was 6 years old when I watched this. 93,173 fans came to see this match and it did not disappoint.
-The storyline goes that Andre was good friends with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan. Then Andre becomes a bad guy by siding with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. This leads to WM3. Andre was 7'4", 520lbs, and "undefeated for 15 years". I was 6 years old watching this match and I was scared that Hogan was going to DIE!
-Not only did Hulk Hogan beat Andre The Giant, he BODYSLAMMED him!!!! HOLY SHIT DUDE!!!
-Even though Hogan had been champion for 3 years previously, this made him. Hulkamania was truely born at Wrestlemania 3. He owes his career to Andre The Giant and openly admits it.
-Like all of Hogan's matches, not great from a technical standpoint, but who gives a shit! It was awesome!
#2
2009 Wrestlemania 25: THE UNDERTAKER VS. SHAWN MICHAELS
-Shawn Michaels is "Mr. Wrestlemania". Every Wrestlemania he's at, win or lose, he steals the show (see this list!). The Undertaker has wrestled at 16 Wrestlemanias...and he's never lost. He's beaten Superfly Jimmy Snuka, Jake The Snake Roberts, Diesel, Ric Flair, Triple H, Randy Orton, Kane, Edge, Batista, and many more.
-The storyline leading up to it was epic and the match is regarded as the greatest match in the history of Wrestlemania. A must watch. After watching wrestling for as long as I have , I can watch as both a fan and as a wrestling nerd and appreciate. Its what happens when you put the two best performers in the business on the "grandest stage of them all".
-It looks like a rematch is happening this year. This time it's Undertaker's streak (now at 17-0) vs Shawn Michaels' career. They have big shoes to fill and personally, whatever happens, they will NEVER top this match.
#1
2008 Wrestlemania 24: SHAWN MICHAELS VS. RIC FLAIR
-I've always been a huge Ric Flair fan and there are so many great matches he's had. But after 30 years in the business, Ric Flair was told if he lost another match, his career was over. He wanted to test that at Wrestlemania against Mr. Wrestlemania himself.
- But something happened to me that I didn't expect...as a fan of 20+ years and knowing I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
-This match made me feel like I was 8 years old again. I didn't watch this match working out the logistics in my head or the choreogrophy or this spot or that. I know how matches are put together, how they communicate in the ring, call out spots and all that. And going into this match, I KNEW for a FACT that Flair was going to lose and end his career with a bang. But the match made me a fan again. I was a young boy watching wrestling for the first time again. Flair lost and got the biggest sendoff in history. I almost cried it was so beautiful how they did it.
-After watching wrestling for almost 25 years and knowing all that I know about it, this match made me suspend my disbelief. That is why its the best match I've ever seen.
I've been watching for so long that I'm one step away from being a "mark"!
With Wrestlemania 26 about a month away, I start to think about all the great matches I've seen over the years..as well as some shitty ones. I'll do a Top 10 Worst Matches eventually but for now, here's the best matches that I've seen.
Out of fairness, even though it's my favorite match of the year, I've excluded the Royal Rumble match from this list. Even when the Rumble is bad, it's still pretty good but I'm gonna keep it off the list.
So without further ado, here's my Top 10 Favorite Wrestling Matches according to me.
#10.
1990 Wrestlemania 6: HULK HOGAN VS. THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR
-Out of all of the matches I remember from my childhood, this is one that still remains etched in my memory. I can recall every move, every pop the crowd makes, everything.
I remember watching this at my 10th birthday party. Even though it took place 3 days earlier, there was no internet or Monday Night Raw so you couldn't find out who actually won the match unless you saw it live. Half the room said Hogan was going to win and half the room said Warrior. If you were a 9 year old boy, this match was an epic showdown between 2 real life superheroes. In reality, it was the first time the two top babyfaces (good guys) had a match at a major pay-per-view. But really, who would win? Hogan was WWF Champion and Warrior was Intercontinental Champion? Somebody had to win and somebody had to lose!
In the end, Warrior press-slammed Hogan and won. It was the first time Hogan had been beaten clean so it really was a "passing of the torch" moment for the Ultimate Warrior. Hands down, the best match of Warrior's career (though he didn't have very many). Even though it wasn't the most techincal match and Warrior faded away into obscurity about a year and a half later, I still love this match. It was good storytelling, and epic battle, and just a fun match to watch as a fan.
#9
1996 Wrestlemania 12: BRET "THE HITMAN" HART VS. "THE HEARTBREAK KID" SHAWN MICHAELS
-Shawn Michaels is my favorite wrestler of all time and despite all the angles he's been involved in, his best rival was without a doubt Bret Hart. Rest assured, I'm not gonna get into their1997 Survivor Series match and the fiasco that followed. I'm just concentrate on this match.
-HBK won the Royal Rumble that year (his 2nd consecutive) and was facing Hart in the main event for the WWF Championship. WWF started doing this "boyhood dream" angle for Michaels in his quest to become champion. At WM12 it was announced that he wouldn't just face Bret Hart for the title, but the match would be a 60 Minute Iron Man Match. An Iron Man match is a match set to go for a certain time limit and the man who gets the most pinfalls in the match wins. WCW tried this a few times on pay-per-view, but those were for only for 30 minutes. WWF had balls for saying they were going for twice that time! There was a lot on the line in this match.
1, Bret & Shawn legit hated each other.
2,The question of how do you keep an audience interested in a match that is going to last for 1 hour guarenteed?
3, This is the Super Bowl of wrestling...are you sure this is a good idea?
-In the end, it was. Bret & Shawn put on an absolutely show of great ring work. There weren't any gimmicks in the match, just straight wrestling. People were expecting them to chalk up a bunch of pins & submissions in the match. At the 60 minute mark, the score was tied 0-0. Gorilla Monsoon ordered the match go into Sudden Death and within 2 minutes, HBK hit Sweet Chin Music, and won his first WWF Championship in epic fashion.
#8
1987 Wrestlemania 3: "MACHO MAN" RANDY SAVAGE VS. RICKY "THE DRAGON" STEAMBOAT
-The Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit, MI was packed to see the epic battle between Hulk Hogan & Andre The Giant for the WWF Championship. That was the match that put the asses in the seats. That was the match people came to see, but the match that is remembered just as much, was for the Intercontinental Championship between Savage & Steamboat. When it was first introduced, the Intercontinental Championship was given to the guy who was overall the best performer in the ring.
That could not have been more true than this match. 20 minutes of back & forth action that had you on the edge of your seat. In the end, Steamboat beat Savage and influenced a generation of wrestlers to come. Ask any wrestler under 250 lbs, and they will tell you that THIS is their favorite match of all time.
#7
2005 Unbreakable: "THE FALLEN ANGEL" CHRISTOPHER DANIELS VS. SAMOE JOE VS. "THE PHENOMENAL" A.J. STYLES
-Thanks to the internet, this was my introduction to TNA Wrestling. I had never heard of these three guys before and I'm not a big fan of 3-way and 4-way matches to begin with, so I wasn't even sure if I'd like this match. Usually with 3 way matches you see the occasional double-team move, but really it just ends up being 2 guys fighting with 1 down or outside the ring. To keep it interesting, the guy on his back for long periods of time keeps changing. This match was NOT like that at all! The action in this match never really stopped and most of it involved all three guys. It was fast-paced, exciting, and overall fun. To describe what happens wouldn't do it justice. Watch it yourself and see what I mean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X64B7SK4-XQ
#6
1998 King Of The Ring: THE UNDERTAKER VS. MANKIND
-Because of the mid-to-late 1990s oversaturating my mind, I'm not a big fan of "gimmick" matches. The old ECW was a lot to blame for this with their hardcore matches with tables, and barbed wire baseball bats and shit. But WWF did their share as well.
-Hell In The Cell is basically a huge steel cage that covers the ring, half the ringside area and has a top on it. This was the 2nd ever Hell In A Cell match ever and also the 2nd with Undertaker. Mankind (Mick Foley) was a hardcore legend by the time he got to WWF after making his name in some of the most violent match in WCW, Japan, & ECW. But his WWF matches were relativly tame...until this one. This was going to end his on-again, off-again feud with Taker.
-I remember watching this live on pay-per-view. First off, the match STARTED on top of the cage. It took Foley a while to get his fat ass up there, then Taker comes down and looks up thinking how's he gonna get his 300 lb body up there too! They climb the cage and are fighting back and forth. I remember saying to myself, it would be awesome if someone got thrown off...but this is wrestling and there is no way they could pull that off. Suddenly, Taker grabbed Foley by the seat of his pants, and threw him off the top of the cage and onto a table a legit 16 feet below. The crowd went nuts. Foley was carried off on a stretcher and brought to the back. I figured, match is over.
-Then Foley comes BACK with the WWF medic telling him not to go. Foley, with a mouth full of blood and a loose tooth, climbed back up the cage. Now when two 300 lb men are walking on basically a horizontal chain link fence, there's gonna be some give. At one point Undertaker grabs Foley by the throat and chokeslam's him onto the cage and sure enough, the cage breaks and Foley takes the biggest bump ever as he falls to the ring. Now, most people only talk about the first fall, but the one I remember and respect was the 2nd one knowing how hard a wrestling mat is (even when you fall the "right way").
-Undertaker finally pins him after Foley is dropped onto a shitload of thumbtacks. There was a lot of legit worry for Foley in this match, and you can feel it. Its because of this match that forever cemented Mick Foley as the Hardcore Legend.
#5
1997 Wrestlemania 13: BRET "THE HITMAN" HART VS. "STONE COLD" STEVE AUSTIN
-Overall, Wrestlemania 13 sucked. It was the end of WWF getting out of their "family friendly" phase they were in and ushering in the "Attitdue Era". Hart & Austin faced off in an I Quit Match..they even got submission specialist and top UFC draw (at the time) Ken Shamrock to referee. The match was damn good, there was great storytelling leading up to it, they had a legendary rivalry too.
- But what stands out to me was going into this match it was clear which role each man played: Bret Hart was the clean cut good guy, Stone Cold was the rule-breaking bad guy. At the end of the match, with no one doing a traditional "heel turn" or anyone changing the way they perform, they traded roles. Austin became the biggest fan favorite in history while Bret Hart became a huge heel for the remainder of his time in WWF. I had never seen that happen before and hasn't seen it happen like this since.
-Its so memorable, that I often forget that Stone Cold lost! Speaking of Stone Cold...
#4
1998 Wrestlemania 14: "STONE COLD" STEVE AUSTIN VS. SHAWN MICHAELS
-As a wrestling fan, there is nothing quite like seeing it live. But seeing Wrestlemania live? No words can describe the feeling.
-Austin won his 2nd Royal Rumble and was facing HBK at WM14. What also happened at the Royal Rumble was Shawn Michaels severly injured his back (legit) and was used very sparingly up until Mania.
-The match took place between my two favorite wrestlers and me also knowing both it was Austin's time to get the torch passed to him and how much pain HBK must have been in. And I got to see it live!
-It was great to see Austin win the belt live in Boston, but the MVP for this match is without doubt Shawn Michaels.
-Shawn Michaels didn't wrestle for 4 1/2 years after this match. Not to mention, Austin had chronic neck pain due to a piledriver he received wrong (thanks Owen Hart). To see how great this match is due to the pain the performers were in says a lot about how great they both are.
#3
1987 Wrestlmania 3: HULK HOGAN VS. ANDRE THE GIANT
-This is my definition of EPIC. I was 6 years old when I watched this. 93,173 fans came to see this match and it did not disappoint.
-The storyline goes that Andre was good friends with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan. Then Andre becomes a bad guy by siding with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. This leads to WM3. Andre was 7'4", 520lbs, and "undefeated for 15 years". I was 6 years old watching this match and I was scared that Hogan was going to DIE!
-Not only did Hulk Hogan beat Andre The Giant, he BODYSLAMMED him!!!! HOLY SHIT DUDE!!!
-Even though Hogan had been champion for 3 years previously, this made him. Hulkamania was truely born at Wrestlemania 3. He owes his career to Andre The Giant and openly admits it.
-Like all of Hogan's matches, not great from a technical standpoint, but who gives a shit! It was awesome!
#2
2009 Wrestlemania 25: THE UNDERTAKER VS. SHAWN MICHAELS
-Shawn Michaels is "Mr. Wrestlemania". Every Wrestlemania he's at, win or lose, he steals the show (see this list!). The Undertaker has wrestled at 16 Wrestlemanias...and he's never lost. He's beaten Superfly Jimmy Snuka, Jake The Snake Roberts, Diesel, Ric Flair, Triple H, Randy Orton, Kane, Edge, Batista, and many more.
-The storyline leading up to it was epic and the match is regarded as the greatest match in the history of Wrestlemania. A must watch. After watching wrestling for as long as I have , I can watch as both a fan and as a wrestling nerd and appreciate. Its what happens when you put the two best performers in the business on the "grandest stage of them all".
-It looks like a rematch is happening this year. This time it's Undertaker's streak (now at 17-0) vs Shawn Michaels' career. They have big shoes to fill and personally, whatever happens, they will NEVER top this match.
#1
2008 Wrestlemania 24: SHAWN MICHAELS VS. RIC FLAIR
-I've always been a huge Ric Flair fan and there are so many great matches he's had. But after 30 years in the business, Ric Flair was told if he lost another match, his career was over. He wanted to test that at Wrestlemania against Mr. Wrestlemania himself.
- But something happened to me that I didn't expect...as a fan of 20+ years and knowing I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
-This match made me feel like I was 8 years old again. I didn't watch this match working out the logistics in my head or the choreogrophy or this spot or that. I know how matches are put together, how they communicate in the ring, call out spots and all that. And going into this match, I KNEW for a FACT that Flair was going to lose and end his career with a bang. But the match made me a fan again. I was a young boy watching wrestling for the first time again. Flair lost and got the biggest sendoff in history. I almost cried it was so beautiful how they did it.
-After watching wrestling for almost 25 years and knowing all that I know about it, this match made me suspend my disbelief. That is why its the best match I've ever seen.
My Dream Band
Here is your chance to assemble your dream rock & roll band!
Pick all of your favorite members of all your favorite bands, living or dead, from any era and put them together to form rock's ultimate supergroup!
Choose a singer, two guitarists, a bass player and a drummer. Then, name your band!
Copy and paste my band and the bands of everyone else underneath your band! Be creative!
Your Name:
Singer:
Lead Guitar:
Rhythm Guitar:
Bass:
Drums:
Band Name:
Your Name: Franky Francis
Singer: Bon Scott (AC/DC)
Lead Guitar: Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
Rhythm Guitar: Slash (Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver)
Bass: Lemmy Kilmeister (Motorhead)
Drums: Tommy Lee (Motley Crue)
Band Name: Bonfire Of The Vanities
Pick all of your favorite members of all your favorite bands, living or dead, from any era and put them together to form rock's ultimate supergroup!
Choose a singer, two guitarists, a bass player and a drummer. Then, name your band!
Copy and paste my band and the bands of everyone else underneath your band! Be creative!
Your Name:
Singer:
Lead Guitar:
Rhythm Guitar:
Bass:
Drums:
Band Name:
Your Name: Franky Francis
Singer: Bon Scott (AC/DC)
Lead Guitar: Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
Rhythm Guitar: Slash (Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver)
Bass: Lemmy Kilmeister (Motorhead)
Drums: Tommy Lee (Motley Crue)
Band Name: Bonfire Of The Vanities
The Feeling Pumpkin
Since people seem to be reminising about the Madness like crazy since the reunion (which is just AWESOME), I figured I'd post an old Madness story that Matt Garrett & I lived. It's kinda stupid, but it may be the greatest thing Matt Garrett has ever done. I originally posted this on my old LiveJournal account (remember that?) and MySpace. Well, here it is again on Facebook. I've edited minor things to it so if you've heard this story a million times or read it on those other sites, not much has changed to it. If you're reading it for the first time or haven't read it in a while, enjoy!
So Matt and I are taking English Composition II in the fall of 2000, my sophomore year. I forget what room it was in, all I remember was it was on the 3rd floor of the Sullivan Building on North Campus. The class is taught by Professor Rhodes; and this lady is plain fucking insane. You know what I mean...one of those people who is just "off". Normally you read a good amount of books in an English Comp class; a lot of the so called "classics". For whatever reason, we read only one book all semester, and no, it wasn't a SPED class...I think...
That's right one book...her obsession...Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I never understood what her obsession with the book was. Maybe she wanted to fuck Boris Karloff? Who the hell knows? Anyway, I can't recall much from the book or the class...all I remember is this moment where Matt Garrett took himself to a level few have ever dared to pursue.
A few weeks before Halloween that year, we showed up to class about 15 minutes early and walked in as normal. For some reason, as we got in the room, we noticed this silly looking pumpkin in the back corner of the classroom. The pumpkin had what looked like graffitti written all over it.
As Matt and I got closer to it, we noticed words like "Joy", "Pain", "Sorrow", "Sadness", "Happiness" and a bunch of other emotions written on it.
There was some theater class that took place in that room before our class and one of the guys in theater came up to us rolling his eyes...almost sensing trouble. He was a scrawny emo-bitch with Buddy Holly glasses and a bright green bandana on his head. He looked like a pirate at a Weezer concert. He spoke, almost obnoxiously, informing us that "This is the 'Feeling Pumpkin', man. It's used to express feelings."
Well that's just gay!
As our new eccentric friend was leaving, he uttered the now famous last words, and I quote, "Whatever you do, don't touch the 'Feeling Pumpkin'!"
Dude, WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT TO THE MADNESS?!?
In Matt's eyes, this dipshit was BEGGING us to do something. But being the good Samaritans that the Madness has always been know for, we figured it was there for Halloween and ignored it....not without first placing it next to the window for someone to give it a nudge and push it to it's death.
The entire month of October passes, and the pumpkin remains in the same spot Matt placed it in.
November comes and goes. Still, there sits the "Feeling Pumpkin"...in all its Feeling glory. Considering it hasn't moved from the last place Matt put it; is the theater class even using this thing anymore?
The first week of December rolls around, and that stupid pumpkin is still there next to the window. I can see having a pumpkin in a classroom for Halloween, fuck, even Thanksgiving. But unless it's being shoved up Rudolph's ass, Santa has nothing to do with fucking pumpkins! One day, Matt was just pissed off at vegetables or some shit and said to me, "That's it dude, today's the day...the 'Feeling Pumpkin' must die!!" Needless to say this arrouses the interest of the class.
Matt opens the window of our 3rd floor classroom, and places the pumpkin at the edge. The whole class seems to be very involved in the destruction of the "Feeling Pumpkin". We're all giggling like school children (yes we were in college...but hey, it was Salem State). So Matt says, "Boop!" and gives it a little nudge out the window and down it goes.
The "Feeling Pumpkin" is slowly spinning, plummeting to it's death when it reaches the bottom of its three story plunge. We all eagerly await the splattering of orange pumpkin innards to cover the concrete and grass below. So it hits the ground, and by the miracle of Satan, THE PUMPKIN DOESN'T BREAK!
It starts rolling down the hill and into the street as me, Matt and the rest of the class burst out laughing. We are in half hysterics and half amazement over the fact that physics failed us and the pumpkin's impact on the ground didn't make it disintigrate. Then Matt gets up and stands on his chair and shouts, "I gotta save the pumpkin!", and sprints out the door. I was tempted to follow him, but decided that a bird's eye view may prove more entertaining.
Matt runs down 3 flights of stairs of the Sullivan Building, knocking people over, eventually making it outside. He comes into my view as he starts running down the small grassy hill toward the street. :::EDITOR'S NOTE, For those of you who know him, Matt was a lot thinner and in much better shape back in the day:::
From my vantage point, (hanging out the window of the assassination attempt), I can see him sprinting until he reaches some trees. From there, the sight of him running is replaced by the sounds of screeching brakes and blaring car horns. What actually happened, I don't know for sure. In my head, all I can picture is Matt doing backflips or some shit over cars, jukin' and jivin' through on-coming Salem traffic.
Suddenly, I see Matt emerge from the street, arms fully extended overhead holding the "Feeling Pumpkin"...miraculously still in one piece "I DID IT...I DID IT...I SAVED THE PUMPKIN," he screamed.
People driving by must have been, like, "What the fuck???"
As he runs up the stairs back to class, he runs into Professor Rhodes and tucks the "Feeling Pumpkin" quickly behind his back. "Uh...HI!" is all he can muster as he tries to keep the pumpkin hidden. She gives him an odd look as if to say, I'm confused...but I don't want to know...
He makes it back to the class with the surviving pumpkin to the sounds of cheers and applause from the class. He puts the pumpkin back on the window as he's gasping for air. He takes his seat and collapses.
Moments later, Professor Rhodes walks into class with a very puzzled look on her face. I can only imagine what must be going through her head.
As she starts class, she realized that she forgot her lessonplan, and had to go back to her office to retrieve it. Ok...let's try this again!
The second she stepped out the door, Matt grabbed the "Feeling Pumpkin" and hung himself half out the window as the class shouted in unison "1...2...3!!!" as he fired the "Feeling Pumpkin" towards the ground. It hit the pavement, and to the releif of Matt and the surprise of students and faculty who were passing by at the time, the pumpkin exploded. The class erupted with laughter and cheers as Matt breathed a sigh of releif.
Today Matt is hoping with the upcoming birth of his first child, that that event will finally replace the "Feeling Pumpkin" as the greatest thing that has ever or will ever happen to him.
Only time will tell...
Madness Reunion: After Thoughts (I wrote this the day after the reunion)
Dear Friends,
Saturday night August 8th, 2009 was quite possibly the greatest night of my life. There was several times that I almost got emotional; the night was that big to me.
Now that I've caught up on sleep and even though I'm still on a euphoric high from the event, I'm taking this chance to reflect on the evening that I will remember forever. I know I will probably get made fun of for some of these things I'm going to say and my sexuallity may be put into question, but what i say is truly genuine.
Steve & I had been planning the Madness Reunion for the last few months but we had been talking about it with everyone for what seems like forever. Conversations steming from telling an old story, remembering an old bit from the Madness radio show, or one of us saying "Hey, I heard from so-and-so". Then the idea came about potentially getting all these people together in the same room again. We didn't want to just have a party at someone's house, we wanted it to be an event. With dancing, a DJ, a bartender, and be able to re-live and recreate great Madness moments.
It was great seeing everyone, but there are certain people who I need to say a few things to.
First of all Dave "Videodude" Antoine. Dave did more work in less time than any of you can possibly imagine. He put together the intro video himself and nearly every idea in it was his. He filmed it brilliantly and deserves more recognition than I can give him right now. Dave, thank you for all your hard work and I hope by the end of the month, you get caught up on sleep!
Vicki Hufford. You flew 3000 miles to come to the Madness Reunion!!! What else is there to say? You are beyond awesome and thank you for coming. Plus the fact that you punched Rhianna back in the day is still the best thing ever!!!
Next is Carol Roy. As many of you know Carol & I were together for about 3 years in college and needless to say, have had some "issues" with each other since we broke up (mostly from my opinion about exes not being able to be friends). Knowing that she would be there with her boyfriend and me with Katy, I wondered what it would be like seeing her after all this time. In all honesty Carol, it was great hanging with you and Jeremy and would love to do it again some time soon. I'm glad we can be friends after all this time. You guys are awesome!
Brother Love. He found DJ Eliot Ness who kept the party rocking. Dan, you really came through in the clutch this time!!
For fucks sake, even PHIL LAFFEY WAS THERE!!!! How amazing is that?!?!
Jarrad Mack. He blew off a killer bachelor party to come to this night. My only hope was that at some point you still got some tits in your face :)
Lauren Gelin Coffin. She had a baby 3 weeks ago and STILL came to the reunion! That just rules!
Jeff Hickman. We all know what has gone on in Jeff's personal life with his son. Jeff, I'm glad that you came and had a great time with your friends. It would not have been a Madness Reunion without you. All of our prayers are with you and your family, but we are all glad that you came and enjoyed yourself for one night. This is just a way to prove that no matter what, your friends are always here for you. Plus the look on your face when you saw Dr. Torrey was one of my favorite moments of the night. (Hopefully that doesn't make me gay in anyone's eyes)
Mike Balzotti. He flew out from Wisconsin because there was no way in hell he would miss this! But Balzotti, my dog is very upset you are gone! When I got home, he went searching through my house to try and find you. So, I gave him your Moxie...then he died...jk
Tracy Garrett. Even though I'm pumped Matt came, his wife deserves recognition because she made all the food for the night. Thank you so much Tracy!
Lastly even though he was my "partner in crime" for the reunion, I need to recognize Steve Nowell. Steve's enthusiasm for all things Madness is what always motivated me to keep focused and make this thing happen. Despite the obsticles that were thrown at us, there was no stopping him at any point. Steve's love for The Madness and making this reunion happen never waivered. Knowing that it was around his 30th birthday, my biggest hope was that the Reunion was everything he wanted it to be. I feel that it was.
There was a time in your life when your friends are your whole world. Before you meet your spouse. Before marriage. Before your children are even a thought in your head. Before our lives get crazy with work, family, bills, and just plain ol' LIFE. At one point, there were your friends and nothing else. The friends you would live and die for. There was a time when your friends were all you had. It takes nights like the Madness Reunion to remind us all that no matter what path in life you choose, your friends should always be there with you. I hope that the next get-togther of this magnitude is not in another 7 or 8 years but much sooner.
In closing, I love you all and it was so great to see everyone.
Thank you all for coming.
-MB
Saturday night August 8th, 2009 was quite possibly the greatest night of my life. There was several times that I almost got emotional; the night was that big to me.
Now that I've caught up on sleep and even though I'm still on a euphoric high from the event, I'm taking this chance to reflect on the evening that I will remember forever. I know I will probably get made fun of for some of these things I'm going to say and my sexuallity may be put into question, but what i say is truly genuine.
Steve & I had been planning the Madness Reunion for the last few months but we had been talking about it with everyone for what seems like forever. Conversations steming from telling an old story, remembering an old bit from the Madness radio show, or one of us saying "Hey, I heard from so-and-so". Then the idea came about potentially getting all these people together in the same room again. We didn't want to just have a party at someone's house, we wanted it to be an event. With dancing, a DJ, a bartender, and be able to re-live and recreate great Madness moments.
It was great seeing everyone, but there are certain people who I need to say a few things to.
First of all Dave "Videodude" Antoine. Dave did more work in less time than any of you can possibly imagine. He put together the intro video himself and nearly every idea in it was his. He filmed it brilliantly and deserves more recognition than I can give him right now. Dave, thank you for all your hard work and I hope by the end of the month, you get caught up on sleep!
Vicki Hufford. You flew 3000 miles to come to the Madness Reunion!!! What else is there to say? You are beyond awesome and thank you for coming. Plus the fact that you punched Rhianna back in the day is still the best thing ever!!!
Next is Carol Roy. As many of you know Carol & I were together for about 3 years in college and needless to say, have had some "issues" with each other since we broke up (mostly from my opinion about exes not being able to be friends). Knowing that she would be there with her boyfriend and me with Katy, I wondered what it would be like seeing her after all this time. In all honesty Carol, it was great hanging with you and Jeremy and would love to do it again some time soon. I'm glad we can be friends after all this time. You guys are awesome!
Brother Love. He found DJ Eliot Ness who kept the party rocking. Dan, you really came through in the clutch this time!!
For fucks sake, even PHIL LAFFEY WAS THERE!!!! How amazing is that?!?!
Jarrad Mack. He blew off a killer bachelor party to come to this night. My only hope was that at some point you still got some tits in your face :)
Lauren Gelin Coffin. She had a baby 3 weeks ago and STILL came to the reunion! That just rules!
Jeff Hickman. We all know what has gone on in Jeff's personal life with his son. Jeff, I'm glad that you came and had a great time with your friends. It would not have been a Madness Reunion without you. All of our prayers are with you and your family, but we are all glad that you came and enjoyed yourself for one night. This is just a way to prove that no matter what, your friends are always here for you. Plus the look on your face when you saw Dr. Torrey was one of my favorite moments of the night. (Hopefully that doesn't make me gay in anyone's eyes)
Mike Balzotti. He flew out from Wisconsin because there was no way in hell he would miss this! But Balzotti, my dog is very upset you are gone! When I got home, he went searching through my house to try and find you. So, I gave him your Moxie...then he died...jk
Tracy Garrett. Even though I'm pumped Matt came, his wife deserves recognition because she made all the food for the night. Thank you so much Tracy!
Lastly even though he was my "partner in crime" for the reunion, I need to recognize Steve Nowell. Steve's enthusiasm for all things Madness is what always motivated me to keep focused and make this thing happen. Despite the obsticles that were thrown at us, there was no stopping him at any point. Steve's love for The Madness and making this reunion happen never waivered. Knowing that it was around his 30th birthday, my biggest hope was that the Reunion was everything he wanted it to be. I feel that it was.
There was a time in your life when your friends are your whole world. Before you meet your spouse. Before marriage. Before your children are even a thought in your head. Before our lives get crazy with work, family, bills, and just plain ol' LIFE. At one point, there were your friends and nothing else. The friends you would live and die for. There was a time when your friends were all you had. It takes nights like the Madness Reunion to remind us all that no matter what path in life you choose, your friends should always be there with you. I hope that the next get-togther of this magnitude is not in another 7 or 8 years but much sooner.
In closing, I love you all and it was so great to see everyone.
Thank you all for coming.
-MB
Top 10 Video Games Of All Time
Here's your chance to make a list of your Top 10 Favorite Video Games of All Time. This list can be compiled of games from any system of any era. Make sure that you have played the game somewhat recently to ensure that it is still fun to play after all these years and not something that you get bored with after 5 minutes.
If you can, try to use only ONE game per franchise (meaning, see if you can avoid using 2 or 3 Mario games). Anyway, here's my list.
10.
METAL SLUG (NeoGeo/Arcade)
We all love Contra on the NES. Now picture all the fun that Contra was with the crazy bosses, tons of enemies and insane weapons...ON CRACK!! I didn't discover this game till recently but, fuck, is it fun! This game is ridiculous with its weaponry and the way you blow shit up all over especially when you find a Metal Slug (the tanks you can jump in and use for even more damage). This game is a blast to play alone, but it's even more so with a friend for double the chaos. Metal Slug also had better graphics than Contra and was just as fun.
9.
GOD OF WAR (PS2)
I've never had so much fun taking out my aggression as when I play God Of War. You play as Kratos, a pissed-off Spartan hell-bent on killing Ares, the god of war. You fight your way through Greek Mythology armed with the Blades of Chaos; two giant blades chained to your wrists that cut through anything like it was paper. As you play you unlock the power of the Gods like Posiedon's Rage, the Army of Hades, and even Medusa's head to turn enemies to stone. Anyone who gets in your way will have a blade shoved down their throat, their head chopped off, or even RIPPED IN HALF WITH YOUR BARE HANDS!!! Play this game, and you will instantly grow more chest hair.
8.
STREETS OF RAGE 2 (Sega Genesis)
Three words: Best...Beat-Em-Up...EVER (for the record, "beat-em-up" is one word). Streets Of Rage 2 took the original game and upped the ante with more characters and more baddies. The game gave you 4 characters with unique styles and signatures to choose from like tough-guy Axel, badass-chick Blaze, powerful Max Thunder or super-speedy Skate. With tons of moves and simultaneous two player action, Streets Of Rage 2 is a true classic.
7.
STRIDER (Sega Genesis)
A lot of people call this the best Genesis game ever...they may be right. If you've only played the NES version, then you've never truely played Strider. Though the game is short (only 5 levels), it throws so much crazy shit at you like over-the-top bosses & a sword bigger than your entire body. Seriously; what other game would have you fight a giant robotic monkey, jungle women, dinosaurs, and an entire evil council that turns into a metallic dragon ALL IN THE SAME GAME?!?! Not to mention that the game is a PERFECT port from the arcade.
6.
DEVIL MAY CRY (PS2)
Dante is a sarcastic dude who carries a sword and twin pistols that never run out of ammo. Along the way you pick up a stronger sword, shotgun, a grenade launcher, and fists of fire. Did I mention Dante is also half demon? Developed by the makers of Resident Evil, I always saw Devil May Cry kinda like Dracula meets The Matrix. With tons of upgrades for your devil powers, cool combos, a heavy industrial-techno soundtrack, and unique story this may the best game on the PS2...too bad the sequels have been nowhere near as good.
5.
MEGA MAN II (Nintendo)
The best game in the series that all other games in the franchise (including the original) are compared to. Mega Man II had the best bosses, the best weapons, and the best music. Every song is a classic 8-bit anthem. Each level is a classic, including the levels in Dr. Wily's castle. Last year when Capcom decided to make Mega Man 9 an 8-bit game rather than with next-gen graphics, they tried to make it as close to Mega Man II as they could (meaning the slide & Mega-Buster were gone and the difficulty was amped up). Years later, Mega Man II is still awesome.
4.
SUPER MARIO BROS. 3 (Nintendo)
Few will argue that this is the best game on Nintendo, the best Mario game, and one of the best games of all time. Unlike the original game which gave you similar levels through 8 worlds, Mario 3 gave you places like the desert, a world made up of pipes, airships, and of course everyone's favorite GIANT LAND!! In addition to the usual power-ups like the Mushroom and Fire Flower this game also introduced the the Raccoon Leaf, Frog Suit, Hammer Brother Suit and the Tanooki Suit (Um...what the hell is a tanooki anyway???) Hard to believe that this game, almost 20 years after its release, is still just as fun as the first time you played it. If you're gonna waste $5, you might as well get this game on the Virtual Console on the Wii...it's worth it. Plus, anybody remember the movie The Wizard? Yeah, terrible fucking moive, but did you know that that movie showed the first ever footage of Super Mario 3. Think about it; this is the only game in history that had a Hollywood movie promoting its release!
3.
METAL GEAR SOLID (Playstation)
The story seemed basic; sneak into enemy terrirory, rescue two hostages, and prevent a nuclear strike. Easy enough. Anyone familiar with the world of Metal Gear Solid knows that things are never that simple. The game that introduced stealth gaming had an incredibly unique storyline with tons of twists and turns filled with unique characters that always kept you with questions. The first time I played this game back in 1998, I played it till 5:30am. I could NOT put it down...I had to know what happened next. MGS played like a movie and the same has gone for every sequel to date. While every game in the series has been a classic, the original is still the best in my opinion. Even the 2004 remake on the Gamecube still doesn't grab me like this one did.
2.
SUPER METROID (Super Nintendo)
From the opening title screen, you knew you were in for something epic. Super Metroid took everything great about the original NES game, and made it 100% better. In addition to classic weapons like the Ice Beam, the Screw Attack and of course the Morph Ball; Super Metroid introduced new weapons like the Plasma Beam & Grapple Beam which have become staples for later games in the series. This game was so good, it took Nintendo 8 years to release another Metroid game because Super Metroid was such a tough act to follow. Think about it; there was NO METROID GAME on Nintendo 64. We had to wait till the Gamecube for another Samus adventure! 15 years after Super Metroid's release, everytime I play this game I discover something new. Whether its finding a Missile Expansion I never knew about or figuring out how to Mockball or Shinespark, Super Metroid is a classic game that still can feel like new. After I beat the game, I immediatly want to play it again to see what else I can find. The best game on SNES, one of the best games of all time and the best side-scroller ever.
#1
LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE OCARINA OF TIME (Nintendo 64)
In recent years with games like Twilight Princess and Wind Waker, the Legend of Zelda has become my favorite video game series of all time and there is no better game in the series than Ocarina of Time. With Nintendo taking its bigger franchises from 2D to 3D, Zelda needed an upgrade. Ocarina's world was HUGE...even today its still HUGE. Taking place in 2 time periods featuring both a child and adult Link, you jump between worlds in a Zelda game that is both nostalgic and innovative. It has that old-school feel to it while still moving forward. Awesome boss battles, all your favortie Zelda weapons and classic moments galore are here. 10 years later those same classic parts whether it's trying to beat Ingo on horseback, being able to use the Bow & Arrow or Hookshot in first-person view, and of course trying to best the dreaded Water Temple, Ocarina of Time is everything a Zelda game should be. This is one game that at least once a year, I brush the dust off and play it and have a great time doing it
If you can, try to use only ONE game per franchise (meaning, see if you can avoid using 2 or 3 Mario games). Anyway, here's my list.
10.
METAL SLUG (NeoGeo/Arcade)
We all love Contra on the NES. Now picture all the fun that Contra was with the crazy bosses, tons of enemies and insane weapons...ON CRACK!! I didn't discover this game till recently but, fuck, is it fun! This game is ridiculous with its weaponry and the way you blow shit up all over especially when you find a Metal Slug (the tanks you can jump in and use for even more damage). This game is a blast to play alone, but it's even more so with a friend for double the chaos. Metal Slug also had better graphics than Contra and was just as fun.
9.
GOD OF WAR (PS2)
I've never had so much fun taking out my aggression as when I play God Of War. You play as Kratos, a pissed-off Spartan hell-bent on killing Ares, the god of war. You fight your way through Greek Mythology armed with the Blades of Chaos; two giant blades chained to your wrists that cut through anything like it was paper. As you play you unlock the power of the Gods like Posiedon's Rage, the Army of Hades, and even Medusa's head to turn enemies to stone. Anyone who gets in your way will have a blade shoved down their throat, their head chopped off, or even RIPPED IN HALF WITH YOUR BARE HANDS!!! Play this game, and you will instantly grow more chest hair.
8.
STREETS OF RAGE 2 (Sega Genesis)
Three words: Best...Beat-Em-Up...EVER (for the record, "beat-em-up" is one word). Streets Of Rage 2 took the original game and upped the ante with more characters and more baddies. The game gave you 4 characters with unique styles and signatures to choose from like tough-guy Axel, badass-chick Blaze, powerful Max Thunder or super-speedy Skate. With tons of moves and simultaneous two player action, Streets Of Rage 2 is a true classic.
7.
STRIDER (Sega Genesis)
A lot of people call this the best Genesis game ever...they may be right. If you've only played the NES version, then you've never truely played Strider. Though the game is short (only 5 levels), it throws so much crazy shit at you like over-the-top bosses & a sword bigger than your entire body. Seriously; what other game would have you fight a giant robotic monkey, jungle women, dinosaurs, and an entire evil council that turns into a metallic dragon ALL IN THE SAME GAME?!?! Not to mention that the game is a PERFECT port from the arcade.
6.
DEVIL MAY CRY (PS2)
Dante is a sarcastic dude who carries a sword and twin pistols that never run out of ammo. Along the way you pick up a stronger sword, shotgun, a grenade launcher, and fists of fire. Did I mention Dante is also half demon? Developed by the makers of Resident Evil, I always saw Devil May Cry kinda like Dracula meets The Matrix. With tons of upgrades for your devil powers, cool combos, a heavy industrial-techno soundtrack, and unique story this may the best game on the PS2...too bad the sequels have been nowhere near as good.
5.
MEGA MAN II (Nintendo)
The best game in the series that all other games in the franchise (including the original) are compared to. Mega Man II had the best bosses, the best weapons, and the best music. Every song is a classic 8-bit anthem. Each level is a classic, including the levels in Dr. Wily's castle. Last year when Capcom decided to make Mega Man 9 an 8-bit game rather than with next-gen graphics, they tried to make it as close to Mega Man II as they could (meaning the slide & Mega-Buster were gone and the difficulty was amped up). Years later, Mega Man II is still awesome.
4.
SUPER MARIO BROS. 3 (Nintendo)
Few will argue that this is the best game on Nintendo, the best Mario game, and one of the best games of all time. Unlike the original game which gave you similar levels through 8 worlds, Mario 3 gave you places like the desert, a world made up of pipes, airships, and of course everyone's favorite GIANT LAND!! In addition to the usual power-ups like the Mushroom and Fire Flower this game also introduced the the Raccoon Leaf, Frog Suit, Hammer Brother Suit and the Tanooki Suit (Um...what the hell is a tanooki anyway???) Hard to believe that this game, almost 20 years after its release, is still just as fun as the first time you played it. If you're gonna waste $5, you might as well get this game on the Virtual Console on the Wii...it's worth it. Plus, anybody remember the movie The Wizard? Yeah, terrible fucking moive, but did you know that that movie showed the first ever footage of Super Mario 3. Think about it; this is the only game in history that had a Hollywood movie promoting its release!
3.
METAL GEAR SOLID (Playstation)
The story seemed basic; sneak into enemy terrirory, rescue two hostages, and prevent a nuclear strike. Easy enough. Anyone familiar with the world of Metal Gear Solid knows that things are never that simple. The game that introduced stealth gaming had an incredibly unique storyline with tons of twists and turns filled with unique characters that always kept you with questions. The first time I played this game back in 1998, I played it till 5:30am. I could NOT put it down...I had to know what happened next. MGS played like a movie and the same has gone for every sequel to date. While every game in the series has been a classic, the original is still the best in my opinion. Even the 2004 remake on the Gamecube still doesn't grab me like this one did.
2.
SUPER METROID (Super Nintendo)
From the opening title screen, you knew you were in for something epic. Super Metroid took everything great about the original NES game, and made it 100% better. In addition to classic weapons like the Ice Beam, the Screw Attack and of course the Morph Ball; Super Metroid introduced new weapons like the Plasma Beam & Grapple Beam which have become staples for later games in the series. This game was so good, it took Nintendo 8 years to release another Metroid game because Super Metroid was such a tough act to follow. Think about it; there was NO METROID GAME on Nintendo 64. We had to wait till the Gamecube for another Samus adventure! 15 years after Super Metroid's release, everytime I play this game I discover something new. Whether its finding a Missile Expansion I never knew about or figuring out how to Mockball or Shinespark, Super Metroid is a classic game that still can feel like new. After I beat the game, I immediatly want to play it again to see what else I can find. The best game on SNES, one of the best games of all time and the best side-scroller ever.
#1
LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE OCARINA OF TIME (Nintendo 64)
In recent years with games like Twilight Princess and Wind Waker, the Legend of Zelda has become my favorite video game series of all time and there is no better game in the series than Ocarina of Time. With Nintendo taking its bigger franchises from 2D to 3D, Zelda needed an upgrade. Ocarina's world was HUGE...even today its still HUGE. Taking place in 2 time periods featuring both a child and adult Link, you jump between worlds in a Zelda game that is both nostalgic and innovative. It has that old-school feel to it while still moving forward. Awesome boss battles, all your favortie Zelda weapons and classic moments galore are here. 10 years later those same classic parts whether it's trying to beat Ingo on horseback, being able to use the Bow & Arrow or Hookshot in first-person view, and of course trying to best the dreaded Water Temple, Ocarina of Time is everything a Zelda game should be. This is one game that at least once a year, I brush the dust off and play it and have a great time doing it
Michael Jackson (I wrote this the day after he died)
Michael Jackson passed away yesterday at the age of 50. Despite what negative things have been associated with his name in recent years, I will miss him.
He is always an interesting topic because everyone seems to have an opinion about him. Some see Jackson as an amazing entertainer, a cultural icon for an entire era, a lightning rod for controversy, the butt of a million jokes, a big star who fell off, or all of the above.
For me as a kid, Michael Jackson was the greatest thing on earth. He was the first singer I can remember listening to that was not from my parents generation. I liked the Beatles but for those of us growing up in the 80s, Michael Jackson was "our singer". I'm thankful that my parents never had a video camera when I was a kid, otherwise my dad would have videos of me as a 3-year-old dancing to Michael Jackson music all over YouTube.
I was born a year before MTV went on the air which was right around the time that the album "Thriller" was released. There are few to argue that without Michael Jackson, a question sparks of whether or not MTV would have even lasted. The network's ratings were always in the tank until it started playing the 15-minute video for "Thriller" once an hour and keeping "Billie Jean" & "Beat It" in heavy rotation.
And that's just a small portion of his influence on music.
No matter what is said about him, his music combined with his ability to perform sets him apart from any other musician or singer in history. He's been on stage since he was 5 years old as the standout star of The Jackson Five. As the original "boy band" The Jackson Five's influence on every similar group to come from New Edition to New Kids On The Block, from Backstreet Boys to N'Sync is obvious. As a solo artist his influence extends to Kanye West, Usher, Justin Timberlake, the Black Eyed Peas and so many more. Even rock bands like Alien Ant Farm and Fall Out Boy have covered his songs and legendary guitarists like Slash & Eddie Van Halen have worked with Jackson on some of his biggest hits.
People have imitated him but have never duplicated him; and probably never will. "Thriller" has sold over 100 million copies world-wide. With the age of digital music downloads and people's lack of interest with the concept of an entire album, this will never happen again.
So how do you follow an album like "Thriller"? He released "Bad" nearly 5 years later. Looking back some may frown on this follow-up, but this album and tour made Michael Jackson THE rock star of the 1980s and into the 90s. To date "Bad" is also the only album in history to yeild 5 #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
In the 1990s, admist the controversy that surrounded him, the album "Dangerous" was a huge success debuting at #1 with "Black Or White" quickly going to the top of the charts. In 1995 "You Are Not Alone" was the first single in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to actually debut at #1.
He was the reason for MTV's success and his music videos were always epic events. "Thriller" was directed by John Landis; "Bad" by Oscar winner Martin Scorsese. Often his videos would feature stars such as Wesley Snipes, Michael Jordan, and even Marlon Brando as co-stars. When MTV and VH1 started favoring actual shows to music videos, Michael Jackson's videos still got huge premieres on network television and even gathered higher ratings than either music network received during their respective broadcasts.
Michael Jackson is the first TRUE LEGEND from my generation who has died. While stars of the 80s and 90s have died here and there, many before their time, there were none as big as Michael Jackson.
He wasn't some junkie rock star who made one good album and blew his brains out. He wasn't a one-hit wonder who faded away overnight.
He is an artist, performer, and cultural icon on par with Elvis Presley a generation before.
There is really no other public figure from my generation who's death would be as significant as Michael Jackson's and affect so many people. Maybe Madonna? Possibly Michael Jordan? That's about it and that may even be a stretch. The point is that there are few public figures who can draw the attention and admiration that Jackson has earned.
Unfortunately, he was in the middle of planning what was to be his comeback tour. I for one was someone who didn't laugh at the concept and was actually pulling for him. Despite the accusations of his alleged crimes, controversy, bad press, and general scrutiny, there is one thing Michael Jackson can do better than any other human being on the planet: perform. I believe that those series of concerts would show the world that same point and drive it home for good. Sadly it will not happen.
In closing, we'll always have the music which will last forever. Turn on your radio today, relive some great memories and rock out! Sing loud; even dance if you feel the urge. But if you try the moonwalk, make sure your neighbors don't see you. But who knows, they may join you.
He is always an interesting topic because everyone seems to have an opinion about him. Some see Jackson as an amazing entertainer, a cultural icon for an entire era, a lightning rod for controversy, the butt of a million jokes, a big star who fell off, or all of the above.
For me as a kid, Michael Jackson was the greatest thing on earth. He was the first singer I can remember listening to that was not from my parents generation. I liked the Beatles but for those of us growing up in the 80s, Michael Jackson was "our singer". I'm thankful that my parents never had a video camera when I was a kid, otherwise my dad would have videos of me as a 3-year-old dancing to Michael Jackson music all over YouTube.
I was born a year before MTV went on the air which was right around the time that the album "Thriller" was released. There are few to argue that without Michael Jackson, a question sparks of whether or not MTV would have even lasted. The network's ratings were always in the tank until it started playing the 15-minute video for "Thriller" once an hour and keeping "Billie Jean" & "Beat It" in heavy rotation.
And that's just a small portion of his influence on music.
No matter what is said about him, his music combined with his ability to perform sets him apart from any other musician or singer in history. He's been on stage since he was 5 years old as the standout star of The Jackson Five. As the original "boy band" The Jackson Five's influence on every similar group to come from New Edition to New Kids On The Block, from Backstreet Boys to N'Sync is obvious. As a solo artist his influence extends to Kanye West, Usher, Justin Timberlake, the Black Eyed Peas and so many more. Even rock bands like Alien Ant Farm and Fall Out Boy have covered his songs and legendary guitarists like Slash & Eddie Van Halen have worked with Jackson on some of his biggest hits.
People have imitated him but have never duplicated him; and probably never will. "Thriller" has sold over 100 million copies world-wide. With the age of digital music downloads and people's lack of interest with the concept of an entire album, this will never happen again.
So how do you follow an album like "Thriller"? He released "Bad" nearly 5 years later. Looking back some may frown on this follow-up, but this album and tour made Michael Jackson THE rock star of the 1980s and into the 90s. To date "Bad" is also the only album in history to yeild 5 #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
In the 1990s, admist the controversy that surrounded him, the album "Dangerous" was a huge success debuting at #1 with "Black Or White" quickly going to the top of the charts. In 1995 "You Are Not Alone" was the first single in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to actually debut at #1.
He was the reason for MTV's success and his music videos were always epic events. "Thriller" was directed by John Landis; "Bad" by Oscar winner Martin Scorsese. Often his videos would feature stars such as Wesley Snipes, Michael Jordan, and even Marlon Brando as co-stars. When MTV and VH1 started favoring actual shows to music videos, Michael Jackson's videos still got huge premieres on network television and even gathered higher ratings than either music network received during their respective broadcasts.
Michael Jackson is the first TRUE LEGEND from my generation who has died. While stars of the 80s and 90s have died here and there, many before their time, there were none as big as Michael Jackson.
He wasn't some junkie rock star who made one good album and blew his brains out. He wasn't a one-hit wonder who faded away overnight.
He is an artist, performer, and cultural icon on par with Elvis Presley a generation before.
There is really no other public figure from my generation who's death would be as significant as Michael Jackson's and affect so many people. Maybe Madonna? Possibly Michael Jordan? That's about it and that may even be a stretch. The point is that there are few public figures who can draw the attention and admiration that Jackson has earned.
Unfortunately, he was in the middle of planning what was to be his comeback tour. I for one was someone who didn't laugh at the concept and was actually pulling for him. Despite the accusations of his alleged crimes, controversy, bad press, and general scrutiny, there is one thing Michael Jackson can do better than any other human being on the planet: perform. I believe that those series of concerts would show the world that same point and drive it home for good. Sadly it will not happen.
In closing, we'll always have the music which will last forever. Turn on your radio today, relive some great memories and rock out! Sing loud; even dance if you feel the urge. But if you try the moonwalk, make sure your neighbors don't see you. But who knows, they may join you.
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