So, what have I been playing recently between finally finalizing a dissolution and being bogged down at work due to it being basketball playoff time? Read on to find out!

1. Ace Combat IV: Shattered Skies -- friend loaned it to me a ways back and I'm finally playing it now. Never really taken time to do a flight simulating game before, but this one's pretty fun, especially now that I'm getting used to the controls. Only done two missions, but I'm digging it.

2. Kingdom Hearts -- at the Tarzan Deep Jungle world in my second attempt to get through this game since buying it. One of those games that's not as bad as a review or two on this site paints it, but nowhere near as good as (I believe) IGN made it out to be (think they gave it a 9+). I have fun with it, but it's nothing special. It'll be in the 6-7 category when I review it unless something changes.

3. Emerald Dragon (SNES port) -- just killed Gomez (aka: Gohmes) in the cave in the big forest. Fun game that could have been truly memorable with a few tweaks. In the 7-8 range, likely, at this point.

Other games on the docket that I haven't played in a day or 19:
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance -- beat the first Legion.
Adventures of Lolo -- through about 10 levels or so.
Dragon Quest V -- about ready to enter the volcano dungeon.
Lufia: The Legend Returns -- somewhere in the castle dungeon you get to after beating the battleship boss. All the dungeons blend together since they're all the exact same with a few different graphical appearances and different monsters.

And for ones that have been tabled for some time, but really do need to pick up again (especially FF XII, as it doesn't belong to me).

Final Fantasy XII -- think I'm preparing to fight Adrammelech.
Phantasy Star 2 -- very early in this game....like in the first dungeon.
Star Ocean: TtEoT -- in the storyline part of the Sphere Corp. building shortly after killing the snotty security guy on the first floor.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne -- getting ready to go in the dungeon with the four Oni bosses.
And a few others I'm sure I'm not thinking of....