This year's DOOMSDAY MONTH might be harder to exercise restraint for than the last.

GAMES:
Uncharted 3 and Metal Gear Solid HD Collection are pretty much guaranteed to keep me busy till year's end.  (Speaking of Uncharted 3, it looks like Piggyback is publishing the strategy guide this time around.  And since they write some of the best English guides around, I'm definitely splurging on this one.  The CE version is looking like a beautiful piece of work.) 

I've held off on the first MvC3 since first hearing about Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.  To those who have been playing the vanilla version up till now, do you think the new release is justified, or should I just find the old one on the cheap?

The 3DS looks like it'll finally get some lovin' with Super Mario 3D Land, Cave Story 3D, and Nano Assault.  I have high hopes for that last one; I wasn't exactly a fan of its its predecessor, so I'm being cautiously optimistic.

Still on the fence with Modern Warfare 3.  Undergoing major FPS fatigue now, but I've kind of become invested in the overarching storyline of Soap and Price, and would love to see how this could potentially end.  The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be huge, but I just can't muster the energy to play RPGs nowadays, no matter how good they turn out being.

I would consider the likes of Assassin's Creed: Revelations and Saints Row The Third, but I missed out on prior titles in the series, and I feel obligated to play them first.  Especially for a story-based series like Assassin's Creed.

---

SOUNDTRACKS:
Looking forward to Greg Edmonson's latest work in the Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Original Soundtrack.  If publisher La-La Land Records is to be believed, the physical release is going to be limited to only 3000 copies.  Just a heads up to you prospective buyers.

---

DVDs/Blu-Rays:
Just two noteworthy releases for me here.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and Lady Gaga: The Monster Ball Tour - Madison Square Garden.

---

.... Anyone else interested in the Amazon Kindle Fire?

CRAZY MONTH.
I mean, seriously.

INSANE.

Still a bit on the fence about Sonic Generations. The latest demo did little for me, but man, the nostalgia factor is high in this one, and early reviews seem to be positive.

Uncharted 3 is, of course, a no-brainer. It releases on November 2nd in Japan, but I'm expecting the street date to be broken by at least 1 day, so I hope to be picking it up tomorrow.
Although, after reading Eurogamer's infamous review, I may have trouble enjoying it as much as I did Uncharted 2, I still expect to be visually overwhelmed, which is also nice from time to time.

Shortyl after, Super Mario 3D Land is another insta-buy. I haven't been using my 3DS, like, AT ALL, but this one I'm dying to play. Looks a blast.

I'll be forgoing what is actually my most anticipated game of the year: Skyrim, because I KNOW I won't have time for it until well into 2012 probably. I want to give it the attention it deserves, so I'll hold off on buying it until I have the time. The unavoidable bugs should have been patched out by that time too.

November 15 sees two interesting games from Ubisoft: Rayman Origins and Assassin's Creed Revelations. I'm actually much more excited about Rayman for some reason, probably because I'm starved for gorgeously animated 2D platformers, and also because the original Rayman on PSX is one of my favorite platformers ever. I hope they do justice to the soundtrack too. I can wait for ACR a bit longer, I guess.

November 17 sees the release of Ni no Kuni in Japan, the Studio Ghibli-driven RPG by Level 5. It's looking absolutely amazingly gorgeous, and it's pretty much at the top of my most wanted list right now (after Skyrim). At a retail price of 8,800 yen, it's expensive, but I'll gladly support a project like this by buying it new.

Skyward Sword is looking great too, despite the fact that I'm getting the impression I'm kinda sorta done with Zelda after not enjoying Twilight Princess and ESPECIALLY Spirit Tracks very much at all. I'll have to get the Wii Motion Plus set with the golden controller too. I was anxious to get this until I started playing Kirby Return to Dreamland yesterday and it looks as if my Wii is starting to show some disc reading problems...Shit...

I hope to get my hands on King of Fighters XIII as well, but after it was pushed back in the West and the Japanese version is TBA now, I'm not sure whether it will actually be released this month at all.

So yeah, my wallet is going to hurt this month.

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. That is all I have planned.

As for vanilla vs Ultimate, I think the amount of content added to Ultimate (12 new characters, much-needed balances to some of the more braindead characters to play as, major glitch that plays a role in competitive play removed -the Delayed Hyper Combo glitch- and supposedly improved online play) justifies the $40 pricetag. I think people who skipped vanilla are probably best off, bargainwise (although I got my $60 worth out of Vanilla).

And most notably, there's this guy added to the roster:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LILhai7IHI

I am super underhyped for Zelda: SS, but I am gonna pre-order it.

Movies/TV - I've got Super 8 Blu-ray preordered as well as Doctor Who Series 6 complete blu-ray boxset and classic 3rd Doctor Who story Colony in Space.

Games - I do want to pick up Super Mario 3D Land - I have yet to pick up an actual 3DS yet tho... I do have the Skyward Sword Sp. Ed. Bundle pre-ordered too... would you believe I have not yet played Twilight Princess... le sigh...

Soundtracks - picking up FFXI OST Plus, Cafe SQ, and Yakusoku no Basho, the Fukui Mai single serving as the japanese theme song for FFXIII-2.

Games:

King of Fighters XIII.

fighting game release of the year for me.

Uncharted 3

no-brainer.

Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends

still pondering about this one, but the budget pricing makes it hard to resist.

Soundtracks:

Sonic CD.

highly anticipated.

Uncharted 3

pondering....

That is undeniably nice. I might actually pick that up.

A new front tire. I went by a building/construction site I go by every day where they *try* and remove their debris from the road and nicked something right in the middle of my turn. That loss of control was really freaky.

Sonic CD!!!!

Games:

This month is Zelda month.  A new console Zelda is a rarity, and I will treating the release of Skyward Sword much like a religious holiday, taking time off from work, and losing myself in the game.  I'll also be grabbing Super Mario 3D Land, but I'll probably just play a bit of that to check it out and then shelve it until Zelda is complete.  I won't be buying Metal Gear Solid HD Collection at launch, but I'll get it when it inevitably drops in price.  $50 is too much for three games I already own, and Peace Walker is the only one of the those I might play since I never got around to playing the PSP version seriously.  I'm also toying with the idea of grabbing GoldenEye 007 Reloaded when it drops to $20 or less since I enjoyed the Wii version and wouldn't mind having an HD upgrade, but it's definitely something I can wait for.  Lastly, I'm afraid to say that I'll be skipping Cave Story 3D.  I love the original Cave Story, but I hate the art direction in this version, so as much as I'd like to support the first physical release of this classic, I'm going to have to pass.

Movies:

I rarely ever buy DVDs/BRDs anymore, but I think I'll get the Harry Potter Complete Collection since it's $80 for eight movies on BRD, and that seems fair.

CDs:

FINAL FANTASY XI Original Soundtrack -PLUS-
Cafe SQ (SQEX-10276)
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG CD Original Soundtrack 20th Anniversary Edition

Although this will probably be the first tablet to give the iPad line a run for it's money, it lacks some key features the iPad 2 has (cameras), is smaller, and is unlikely to have the game library of the iPad 2, so I think I'll pass.  I'd still like to get an iPad at some point, but for now I think I'm going to end up buying an iPhone 4S since it's more portable and multifunctional.  The iPad 2 is better for gaming due to the larger screen size, but I'm going to have to carry a phone anyway, and the iPhone 4S can do everything the iPad 2 can do (except connect to a TV without needing an Apple TV... correct me if I'm wrong on this one).

Just three games: Uncharted 3 (already beat), Skyrim and Skyward Sword.

November traditionally means I sit on my hands for the holdiys, but screw that this year, I will not be denied.

Games
---
Corpse Party (Looks deliciously creepy, and in 999's wake, that's what I'm looking for)
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (I would have put this on the back burner - Zelda games have almost become a Christmas tradition for me - but my nephew's a Zelda hound right now and with a birthday right near the release date, the gift's a no-brainer. And if I'm to be any help at all to the kid, it follows that I need my own copy, right?) Mwahahaha
Metal Gear Solid Collection (Backburner, but definitely on the list. A pity MS had to be a bunch of butt-weevils over Snake vs Monkey, though. Could Konami put that on PSN as its own release, I wonder?)
Otomedius Excellent (The things you have to put up with to get a new Gradius game these days; on its way, I hope it's good)
Sonic Generations (Already in my hands, and so far I like it very much. It's closer to what I had hoped MM Universe was going to be before they revealed it to be something a lot less ambitious, and then a lot more canceled)
Super Mario 3D Land (High hopes for this one even as I wasn't over the moon for Galaxy 2)

It'll be awhile before I get around to Uncharted 3. I only recently bought the Dual Pack and I've barely put a dent in it yet.

CDs & DVDs
---
The King of Fighters Soundtrack Collection is enticing - I understand it even comes with a game!

The most interesting Blu-Ray release this month has nothing to do with British wizards: Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 1. On the upside, it seems to have every one with Marvin the Martian, Taz and Witch Hazel (uh?), as well as Duck Amuck, The Dover Boys and Rabbit of Seville, and one very interesting selection in Chow Hound (if you've never seen it, it's a somewhat average cartoon overall but the ending will stick in your mind). On the downside, where the hell are the Hunting Trilogy, Bully for Bugs or Operation: Rabbit? The set frames itself largely as a tribute to Chuck Jones, and leaves some of his most famous stuff off the list for...Old Glory? Really? Also, not nearly enough Yosemite Sam (I'm aware he was Freleng's, but you have all the Taz shorts even though he was McKimson's, so why not throw in ome more Sam?).

3DS Mario is a definite buy. I'm toying with the idea of Sonic Generations for the 3DS. I know I shouldn't and it just may result in frustration and shame but I quite like how it looks on the videos. Could be a half-decent 3DS game. But I think it's by Dimps and I've not liked their other Sonic games so I don't know...

Uncharted 3 is on my 'to get' list but I honestly don't know if I'll get it this month.

Already bought:

Sonic Generations (PS3)
The Greatest Video Game Music (CD)

Definitely buying:

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG CD Original Soundtrack 20th Anniversary Edition (CD)
Sonic Generations (3DS)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword with Music CD (Wii)

Maybe / Eventually:

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (PS3)
Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)

Me.  But mainly just for Android hacking.