Review Round-Up - May 2013

Nintendo's great gorilla stars in SuperPhillip 

Central's featured game of May 2013.

The beauty of being off school for the summer (yes, we have lives outside SuperPhillip Central) is that we can devote more time to providing more original content for our readers. This is exactly what we set out to do and exactly what we have done. Our eleven new reviews speak for themselves, but we're going to talk about them anyway in this month's Review Round-Up.

May was unexpectedly a month of platformers, both 2D and 3D. We started off incredibly strong with one of SuperPhillip Central's favorite games of all time, Super Mario World. The game may be two decades old, but it is still darn strong. We gave it a perfect score. Following that were three 3DSWare titles, two of which being platformers. The first was Super Little Acorns 3D Turbo (don't forget to check out our interview with Andy Wafer from Pixel Toys, the studio behind the game), which gathered an 8.5 score. Then came Fluidity: Spin Cycle, which twisted and turned its way to the same score. The third 3DSWare game was Suda 51's Liberation Maiden, whose mission to get a good score was a success (7.0). We then went back in time with Sly Cooper and the gang with Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (9.0), spent some quality time with Mario and Donkey Kong with Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move (9.0), and slept perchance to dream with Super Mario Bros. 2 (8.0). Next up, our featured game of the month, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, ran away with a terrific score of 9.5. While that was a great game, Pac-Man World 2 did nothing but disappoint (4.0). That said, we quickly got that bad taste out of our mouths with our review of the sensational Super Metroid, which screw attacked its way to a 9.5. Finally, we moved away from the world of platforming and into the world of ultra-violence with our review of Anarchy Reigns (7.0). It was a very productive month here at SuperPhillip Central, and we hope June is just as busy and prosperous for us.

Super Mario World (SNES, Wii U VC) - 10
Super Little Acorns 3D Turbo (3DSWare) - 8.5
Fluidity: Spin Cycle (3DSWare) - 8.5
Liberation Maiden (3DSWare) - 7.0
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (PS3, PSV) - 9.0
Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move (3DSWare) - 9.0
Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES, Wii U VC) - 8.0
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (3DS) - 9.5
Pac-Man World 2 (PS2, GCN, XBX) - 4.0
Super Metroid (SNES, Wii U VC) - 9.5
Anarchy Reigns (PS3, 360) - 7.0

This month of platforming couldn't be complete

without Sly Cooper and his merry band of thieves!

Central City Census - May 2013

We're a day late with posting this and then the Review Round-Up, but that's okay. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that. Anywho, let's look at the results for April's Central City Census before we move onto this month's question.

The question that was posed asked how often you trade in your games. Close to half of the 115 votes said that they never trade in their games, regardless of how poor they are. Perhaps you guys make better and more well-informed purchasing decisions than the rest of us. Good for you! Seriously. Only 21 folks said that they either trade in their games always, more often than not, or trade in half of what they buy. For me, personally, I trade in the ones I don't see myself playing again, or ones that didn't resonate with me. I always keep the popular titles and ones that I will play in the future. Otherwise, I use those games to trade for others on sites like GameTZ, for instance. Now, that we have reviewed the results, let's see what May's census brings.

There are so many consoles available since the start of the gaming industry way back when. May's Central City Census asks how many home consoles you have currently hooked up. They can be in one room, a multitude of rooms-- just how many you have in your household. The poll will close at the end of the month.

Magnificent May: Six Games to Look Out for This Month

It's that time again where SuperPhillip Central lists the top games for the oncoming month. For May we have seven titles that spark our interests the greatest. From Resident Evil to Donkey Kong, variety is not only the spice of life but the spice of the month. Which games this month will you be buying, if any? Remember, as always, that these release dates are subject to change and are based off North American dates. Also, these games are retail only and have to have firm release dates.

Metro: Last Light (Multi)
Release Date: 5/14

First-person shooters have flooded the market, and quite frankly a lot of gamers are tired of the genre. On the other side of the coin, a lot of gamers and consumers can't get enough of them. Metro: Last Light is another FPS set in a post-apocalyptic world, but this time there's some survival-horror elements thrown in for good measure. You play as a character who is the "last light" for the world and all mankind-- someone who takes the burden of saving the human race in the darkest of times. The concept is intriguing. We'll have to wait and see how the execution is handled when Metro: Last Light releases in two weeks.

Resident Evil: Revelations (Multi)
Release Date: 5/21

The original Resident Evil: Revelations released on the Nintendo 3DS last year to little fanfare. In fact, rather than advertise that game, Capcom opted to promote Operation Raccoon City, a game that wouldn't release until a month later. Regardless, Revelations is getting another chance to shine with this HD remake. Not only is all of the content from the 3DS original present and accounted for, but new playable characters for Raid Mode, new enemies, and an ultra-challenging difficulty mode have been included as well. Get ready to experience true terror when Resident Evil: Revelations releases on May 21.

Worms Collection (PS3, 360)
Release Date: 5/21

A collection of three games for the low entry price of $29.99, Worms Collection features Worms, Worms 2: Armageddon, and Worms: Ultimate Mayhem. Europe has had this compendium of Worms action since last year. However, all three of these games have been available on PSN and XBLA for a while for North Americans anyway. Regardless, those who prefer disc-based games (such as us at SPC) will most likely find this package worth purchasing when it releases on May 21.

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (3DS)
Release Date: 5/24

The 2010 Wii exclusive Donkey Kong Country Returns was an excellent platformer, hindered only by having to shake the controller to roll and perform various other actions. With this 3DS port by Monster Games (Excite Truck, Pilotwings Resort), rolling, ground pounds, and blowing have been mapped to buttons. Huzzah! Not only that, but the game features a selection of new levels that opens up after the initial game is completed, a mode that is more suited for casual play (it's easier), and co-op with two players (both need a 3DS and a copy of the game). Perhaps the only damning thing about this version of DKCR is that the framerate is at 30 FPS rather than the original 60 FPS.

Fuse (Multi)
Release Date: 5/28

For the longest time Insomniac Games mostly only developed games for Sony platforms. This dates back to the original PlayStation. Now the house behind the Ratchet & Clank and Resistance franchises are branching out with a multiplatform release in the form of Fuse. Fuse allows up to four players to participate in a cooperative story filled with plenty of action. By completing mission objectives and scoring kills, players can upgrade their character through spending Fuse points, and give their own character their personal touch through character skill trees. While Fuse screams "dudebro", we look forward to seeing how Insomniac's gamble pays off when the game release near the end of the month.

GRID 2 (Multi)
Release Date: 5/28

Racing games are a dime a dozen this generation. We've seen Need for Speed, MotorStorm, Burnout, Forza, Project Gotham Racing, etc. GRID 2 comes off a million+ selling game and adds new features to make the package all the more enticing. The all-new TrueFeel Handling system promises players will feel like they're one second away from being out of control at all times. It's that excitement that "drives" GRID 2. Besides the garage full of luxurious rides, he track selection will also have great variety-- mountain roads, city streets, and traditional racing circuits. If you have a need for speed, GRID 2 will be the game for you.

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Not that bad of a month for games, if we do say so ourselves. Which of these seven titles are ones that interest you the most? Let us know in the comments section below.

May 2012 NPD Results

I sort of dread seeing numbers now from the NPD's monthly recap of the video game industry's sales in the United States. But it's like The Situation completely bombing on the roast of Donald Trump (both people who I can't stand), it's hard to look away. Well, without further ado, here are your best-selling games of May 2012.

I must say, I don't think my tastes could be any further from the tastes of the country I live in. Perhaps I was born in the wrong country like Hideo Kojima. Then again, I don't like high pressure jobs with intense hours, so maybe not. What we have here are Western PC game with problems, guns, guns, game I didn't know had a first entry much less a sequel, sports, guns, more guns, even more guns, Japanese developer once again straying from what they know to court the West (and failing to do so apparently), and dancing.

The Xbox 360 sold the most this month, but it only sold just over 150,000 units. The 3DS outdid its performance last May, but that's not saying much as there was a new color released and it still didn't light up the charts. Consumers just seem bored with the current crop of consoles and handhelds (I don't even want to know Vita numbers), and I feel that there is nothing the big three can do to change that. Sure, it would help if the big three would actually release a steady stream of software (looking at you mostly, Nintendo), but I'm an idiot in all honesty.

SuperPhillip Central Reaches Its Highest Month of Page Views Yet

Records and milestones keep on popping up here at SuperPhillip Central. With popular articles such as those in The Buzz sidebar, May 2012 ranked as the highest month ever for page views on SPC. The grand total? 48,392! We almost reached the fabled 50,000 threshold! Better luck this month, I guess. I better write some intriguing articles then! Thank you, everyone-- regular readers and occasional readers-- for your continued support. It makes running this blog worthwhile.

Review Round-Up - May

While not Mario and friends' best tennis effort,
Mario Tennis Open gave me plenty of arcade tennis action.

May 2012 is over and done with, and at SuperPhillip Central we reviewed eight different games both retail and digital. We started the month with three games that all scored 8.5, without a doubt my most popular score I give to games. They were Ys: The Oath in Felghana, Mario Power Tennis (to hype up the 3DS installment), and Wario Land 4. We continued the Game Boy Advance fun with Metroid Fusion which hunted down a spectacular 9.25. The lowest score of the month was earned by the Wii's Just Dance 3. Not even that game could boogey on over to a good score. Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom cohorts served up an 8.0 while Kirby's Block Ball bounced its way to a respectable 7.75. Finally, my brother sat in the review chair and gave Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II a positive 7.0. We are now entering the dry months of summer, so the amount of reviews may go down.

All scores are out of 10.
5 = Average
* = Guest Review

Ys: The Oath in Felghana (PSP) - 8.5
Mario Power Tennis (GCN) - 8.5
Wario Land 4 (GBA) - 8.5
Metroid Fusion (GBA) - 9.25
Just Dance 3 (Wii) - 3.5
Mario Tennis Open (3DS) - 8.0
Kirby's Block Ball (GB) - 7.75
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (PSN, XBLA) - 7.0*

Better than Episode I, but things could still be improved.

SuperPhillip's May 2012 Console Collection (And Other Odditiies)

Last week I shared my handheld collection of video games from the GBA, DS, and 3DS. On this very hot, humid, and muggy Saturday in Central City I have to share my current gen console collection featuring games from my Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 compendium of games. As a bonus, I've also thrown in some Club Nintendo items I have earned as well as some other oddities.

As always, right click and Open in New Window or New Tab to get the huge version of each pic.

Our full Wii collection

Who says the Wii has no games worth playing?

Even MORE Wii games!

HD gaming sure is expensive!

Our relatively small Xbox 360 collection.

The Mario goodness overflows in this picture.

Animal Crossing playing cards and 3DS case shown.

And here's my BFF Filbert.

SuperPhillip's May 2012 Handheld Collection

Some call it bragging, others call it bragging. I call it sharing my games collection received and purchased through thousands of hours of hard labor. That is exactly what you see with my Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, and Game Boy Advance collections. In total, there are over 200 games in these five pictures. What does your collection of games look like? You can show pictures, write a quick list, or keep it to yourself.

Note: Right click and Open in new tab or new window to get a grander glimpse of each picture.

SPC Mailbag - May 2nd, 2012

It is time once again to open up the old SPC Mailbag and read some of your fine questions. I don't get many e-mails, but when I do, I drink Dos Equis. Not that I endorse drinking alcohol or anything like that. ...Don't look at me like that. Let's get to answering your e-mails!

Recently, some analysts have been wanting Nintendo to put their games on iOS and smartphones. What are your thoughts on this?

Unless they are companion apps such as having an app that acts as a Pokemon checklist for monsters you've caught or something small like that, I am of the firm opinion that Nintendo placing their IPs on iOS in the short term would be okay. Unfortunately, there is a certain concept called the long term where doing so would surely bite Nintendo on the butt. They live and die by their hardware and software. Their hardware sells because of their software. You've no doubt heard/read the statement that software sells hardware and not the other way around. This is most certainly true for Nintendo. If Nintendo puts their games on iOS, I feel most consumers wouldn't see a need to buy Nintendo's hardware. They'd be placated to just have bite-sized or cheaper versions of Nintendo's greatest franchises in the palm of their hand on their smartphone or other device. After all, why would they need to shell out even more money to play vastly more expensive versions of Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Kirby, and more? It's a losing long term proposition that would start off swell but end with even more angry shareholders, lost money, and the cheapening of their IPs. Though, to get a second opinion on this matter, the other side, please check out this article from one of SPC's affiliates, Digitally Downloaded.

 Tablets and phones terrorize poor Mario! (Not my image.)

I've read some of your reviews, and I really like what I've read. Would you consider joining the staff of [my] site?

As someone who tries not to spend too much time online, when I do hop online, I spend the majority of my time combing through news sites for posts for my blog as well writing fresh and exclusive material for SuperPhillip Central. This generally means that I cannot surrender much time to other sites. Another reason is that most places want my reviews to be exclusive to their sites, so that means that I cannot even post my thoughts on games on my own blog. Thus, I generally answer no to such requests. However, recently I accepted the offer of a fine bloke name Christian who runs a 3DS-centric center called Planet 3DS. I don't have to devote too much time to the place, and I don't have to post exclusive reviews for them. Sure, that means I must learn how to use not only the new Blogger but WordPress, but you take what you can get. My first reviews on Planet 3DS have already been posted. It's a nicely designed place that is full of news, screens, videos, and what I specialize in, reviews. Check it out. Maybe you'll find a new hangout spot on the Web.

Come visit the gang at Planet 3DS. 
What do you have to lose except free time?

Every week you post five themes from video games that you really like. I love this idea, but I was wondering what your favorite soundtracks of all time are. 

That's not really a question technically, but I'll allow it. On the heels of celebrating the 100th VGM this past week, I am planning to make a list (no, not a top ten or even a top five list) of my favorite game soundtracks, providing a short blurb of the game, the composer, and the music itself as well a handful of samples. I'm not too terribly sure on when I plan to do this. If I was smart (which I feign the look of on multiple occasions), I would do it this week as we're fresh off the 100th VGM. However, I do have a new review to share this week as well as a rant about things that are making the video game industry a laughingstock. I could hold one of those off until next week. What do you guys and gals out there as readers think? Which article would be more interesting to read for you all?

 Perhaps this is a hint of a game with a stellar soundtrack...
Wink, wink. Hint, hint, and all of that other stuff.

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For now we put the SPC Mailbag back in its resting place, awaiting more e-mails from people all around the world. If you have a question you want to ask me, please send an e-mail to superphillip32[at]yahoo[dot]com. Replace the brackets with the necessary symbols. You know how to work the Internet, right? Thanks for reading and joining me on my adventure through the thin pile that is my e-mails.

Central City Census - May

April showers bring a new Central City Census for my readers and passersby to vote on. Let's not jump the gun, however. We still have the results of April's poll to gaze upon, so let's do that now.

If a next gen console blocked used games, would you still buy it?

Absolutely. In fact, I'd be happy for it.	5 (8%)
Yeah, I'd probably still purchase it.	6 (10%)
It really depends.	25 (42%)
No, definitely not. [No] Used games = no buy.	23 (38%)

Votes so far: 59

It seems only a select handful of people either are pro-anti-used games (see what I did there?) or would still buy a next gen console even without the ability to play used games on it. I personally find the act of blocking used games to be deplorable. I'm not made of money, and selling and/or trading used games is how I get new games, publishers. It seems a good chunk of those who voted share some of the same sentiments. Thank you for voting. It is always appreciated. Now, what is the CCC for May?

The Wii U is Nintendo's next console for the next generation. There are qualms and rumors regarding its power (or lack thereof). Despite this, many are looking forward to playing their favorite Nintendo franchises in full high definition. That's fine for Nintendo, but what about third parties? Do you think the third party support of the Wii U will be better than Wii? That is the cusp of what May's Central City Census wants to know.

May 2011 NPD Results

The NPD results were delayed a week for E3 2011. Yesterday they were released, so let's take a look at the top-sellers for the month of May. These numbers are courtesy of NeoGAF.

4-week tracking month; Reporting Period 5/1/11 through 5/28/11

Software (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms incl. PC)
01. L.A. Noire (360, PS3) Take 2 Interactive - 899K
02. Brink (360, PS3, PC) Bethesda Softworks - 401K [360/PS3 Only]
03. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Wii, 360, NDS, PS3, 3DS, PSP, PC) Disney Interactive Studios
04. Portal 2 (360, PS3, PC) Electronic Arts
05. Mortal Kombat 2011 (PS3, 360) Warner Bros. Interactive - 292K
06. Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, Wii, NDS, PC) Activision Blizzard
07. Zumba Fitness: Join the Party (Wii, 360, PS3) Majesco
08. NBA 2K11 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, PC) Take 2 Interactive
09. Just Dance 2 (Wii) Ubisoft
10. Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (Wii, NDS, 360, PS3, 3DS, PSP, PC) Lucasarts


Hardware
Xbox 360: 270K (+39%) [Best Selling Console]
PlayStation 3: 177K (+15%)

The top winner of the Showcase Showdown is L.A. Noire with over 800,000 copies purchased. Wait a minute. How did that Price is Right line get in there? No matter. I'm surprised by the critical flop known as Brink making second place even with all the poor scores. Again it seems like good advertising always prevails. In third place is the latest of the LEGO series of games followed closely by Portal 2. Mortal Kombat fights its way to fifth place showcasing another fighter with decent legs. The rest of the list is your regulars that have enough fight to stay on the top ten.

On the console side of the spectrum, thanks to Kinect, the Xbox 360 wins out the month once again while the PlayStation 3 gets a "good luck for trying" badge. The Wii winds up somewhere in the middle, and the 3DS barely gets off the ground for yet another month.

Review Round-Up - May

Jeanne D'Arc's battle prowess helped her
win the month of May at SPC.

This month, the very merry month of May, housed three unique reviews. One was from an early PSP game and two were from systems played long ago. We begin with the tactical RPG Jeanne D'Arc which scored the highest this month with a tremendous 9.5. Meanwhile, the original Mario Tennis on the Nintendo 64 fell right behind Ms. D'Arc with a 9.25. Finally, the last review of this shortened month was Mario Tennis: Power Tour for the Game Boy Advance which received a respectable 8.0. Overall, it was a pretty steady month of reviews at SuperPhillip Central.

Jeanne D'Arc (PSP) - 9.5
Mario Tennis (N64) - 9.25
Mario Tennis: Power Tour (GBA) - 8.0

Nothing like pure tactical warfare to get the blood flowing.

Central City Census - May

It's the start of a new month, so it's time for a brand-new Central City Census! Break out the tallies because we're taking a look back at April's Census before we engage May's. Let's view the results from last month's poll.

What do you mostly play video games on?

A game console	22 (81%)
A gaming PC	1 (3%)
A dedicated handheld	1 (3%)
An Apple device	3 (11%)
Other	0 (0%)

Votes so far: 27

The votes have been cast on the "What do you mostly play video games on" poll, and the results are in. Overwhelmingly, the top answer was on a game console with 81% of the vote choosing that option. Meanwhile, three people (or 11% of the vote) chose an Apple device while I chose a dedicated handheld. Some mysterious man or woman chose a gaming PC. Not that shocking of a poll for April, but what can you do? Onto May's Central City Census!

E3 2011 is June 7-9. It's the time of year where all of the bigwigs in the video game industry show off their products. Which of the big three do you think will have the best press conference? Let your vote be heard before the poll closes May 31st!

Review Round - Up - May

Super Mario Galaxy 2 ended our month in style.

You can tell it's approaching the summer months as the number of reviews dwindles to a paltry handful. However, this month it was all quality instead of quantity with Super Mario Galaxy scoring SPC's first (or second?) perfect 10/10 score. Boy, was that game a blast to play! Then we had Monster Hunter Tri, also on Wii, scoring well with a 9.0, we took a trip to a simpler time in gaming with both Donkey Kong Country 3 (9.25) and 3D Dot Game Heroes (8.0) which received the lowest score this month. If 8.0 is the lowest score, we're not doing too badly! Finally, two perplexing puzzle games rounded out the proverbial package with Picross 3D (8.5) and a late-to-the-party review of Tetris DS (9.0)-- both for the Nintendo DS. I have several games planned for next month, but nothing concrete, so no hints this time around! Oh, heck. Maybe just one that you can be sure-ruken will be good. What a horrible pun. I apologize for that!

All scores are out of 10.
5 = Average

Picross 3D (DS) - 8.5
Tetris DS (DS) - 9.0
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble (SNES) - 9.25
Monster Hunter Tri (Wii) - 9.0
3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3) - 8.0
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii) - 10

While big nasties in Monster Hunter Tri
attempted to stand in our way!

SuperPhillip's May Pick-Ups

May was an eventful month for your good friend, SuperPhillip. It started off with picking up Picross 3D for the DS which I gave an 8.5 to in my review. I then branched off and purchased 3D Dot Game Heroes off of Amazon since no store in the area had any copies remaining. A kind soul on CheapAssGamer bought a copy of Super Street Fighter IV for me for only $35 shipped. That was abundantly kind of him. A user on GameTZ traded me Pac-man World 2/Pac-man VS. for my copy of Trauma Center: Under the Knife. Finally, the coup de grace this month is my purchase of Super Mario Galaxy 2 with player's guide. You can expect reviews of all of these games sometime within the next month or so.

Central City Census - May

April showers bring May's Central City Census. It's time once again for a brand-new poll for my readers to respond to. Before we do that, however, let's check out last month's results first.

Which type of PC do you primarily use?

Desktop	36 (50%)
Laptop	25 (35%)
Both	9 (12%)
Other	1 (1%)

Votes so far: 71

It seems we have more desktop users browsing the blog than anything else taking up half the vote. Meanwhile, 11 votes back, laptop (my personal choice), hit 25 votes. Nine of you use both generally, and one person and percent of you use other. Whatever the hell that means. With that out of the way, let's get to May's census.

E3 is set to kick off in the middle of June. May's Central City Census has to do with E3 performance. Since E3 will be starting around the time this poll ends, it's the perfect time to bring this question up. Which first party do you think will have the best E3 this year?

Review Round-Up - May

Two Namco-Bandai Wii games bookend the month of May.

April showers brings a lot of reviews to SuperPhillip Central. We started the month with two Klonoa games, and we finished off the month with a review of an overlooked gem in the making, The Munchables. Even though my illness stunted the activity of SPC partway through the month, I really tried to make up for it at the tale-end. Hopefully you can see that with the three new reviews this past week. Apparently I was unawaringly fond of the number eight this month as the majority of the reviews are in the 8-8.75 range. To make viewing the list easier, I divided the new and classic reviews into two groups. The classic being italicized. Classic reviews are simply reviews written before this blog existed. Let's round these reviews up then!

All scores are out of 10.
5 = Average

Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (PS2) - 8.5
Klonoa (Wii) - 8.75
New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (Wii) - 8.5
SPC Quickies: Volume One
Boom Blox Bash Party (Wii) - 8.5
Hammerin' Hero (PSP) - 7.5
The Munchables (Wii) - 8.5

DK Jungle Climber (DS) - 8.5
Donkey Kong Barrel Blast (Wii) - 6.0
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure - 8.0
DK King of Swing (GBA) - 8.0
Dewy's Adventure (Wii) - 7.25

Any games reviewed this month that jumped out at you? Perhaps a review changed your mind!

Last month's Review Round-Up

Central City Census - May

It's the beginning of a new month, so it's time for a new census to kick off. Before we do that, however, let's check the results of April's census.


Asking about if you guys were planning on getting the Nintendo DSi, the tight majority said their DS is fine whether it be the original model or the DS Lite. 27 people may already own a DSi by the writing of this census, and ten voters had no interest in the DS at all. Console-only gamers perhaps.

Reviews are one of the most important products of SuperPhillip Central. May's Census asks which platform would you like to see more games reviewed for. Maybe you've been checking out my review archive and noticing there aren't as many reviews for a particular system. Now's your chance (it's always your chance for your criticisms, compliments, suggestions, and questions) to let me know.

Poll ends May 31st at 11:59 p.m. CST (or whenever this silly poll clock feels like it-- which ever comes first).