Is it possible to hook up a PS2 to a laptop?

I'm (hopefully) going away to university soon, and I'd like to take a home console with me but I don't want to have to pay for a TV license on top of everything else. I'm going to get a laptop, because I'll need a computer - is there any way that I could play my PS2 (or a Wii or Gamecube) using one instead of a TV?

What good games are there for N64?

I'm thinking about buying a Nintendo 64, but I dunno if there's really enough games that I want, considering many of the console's big hitters, like Mario 64 and the Zelda games, are on later Nintendo consoles which I already own. So I felt I should ask - what is there on N64, but not Wii, DS, or Gamecube, that would make it worth buying one? They have to have been released in Europe (which I imagine most will have been), and I have no interest in first-person shooters, but if there are enough good games of whatever type then I might well buy one.

Retirement

I had this idea for a story last night, so I spent the morning writing it up. It's set in a sort of vague continuity of my own devising, using bits and pieces from basically whatever I feel like. It's probably cliche to write about Optimus, but I wanted to write this as a way of putting him away from later stuff I write.

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The bright, yellow sun shining down through the clear, blue sky. The waves lapping against the smooth sand. The people playing, laughing, relaxing. It was a sight that Optimus Prime felt he would never tire of.

It still felt strange to be here on Earth, the war now over. The memories of Decepticon bombs destroying the places he had loved, cerebro-shells turning friend against friend and the destruction of their homeworld itself would never fade from his datatrax , but now they were only memories - nothing more. He could drive through Earth’s countryside for hours without worry of Decepticon attacks interrupting his peace. It was true that some Decepticons were still out there, hiding across the galaxy, but that did nothing to diminish his relief. He’d won.

And that meant that he could leave. Many of his comrades had expected him to go into politics after leaving the military, but Optimus felt that if there was one thing he needed more than anything else now, it was rest. All it took was a reformat and an energy signature damper and that was it - Optimus Prime disappeared, his location missing to all but a few.

Optimus watched as his “owner”, Marissa, rode the waves on her surfboard. While there could hardly be more difference between an Autobot former Supreme Commander and a young human watersport champion, the two of them got on surprisingly well. Most of their time was spent travelling - Marissa was in search of the best surfing waves, and Optimus was happy just to get to see the Earth at peace.

However, no matter how much he told himself otherwise, Optimus knew deep down that this peace could never last. Unfortunately for him, that end was now. Hidden deep within layers of simulated Earth machinery, his optics flared in shock as huge geysers began to erupt out of the sea. A white and blue hovercraft came bursting out of the spray, and with a series of whirrs, clicks and clunks transformed into a long-armed robot, laughing maniacally.
“Foooooolish humans!” screamed a high-pitched voice. “Cooooower beneath the might of Storm Surge, the greatest of all Decepticons!” Optimus had a feeling that this thug wasn’t anything near as glorious as he claimed - at the very least, he’d never heard of this Storm Surge - but at the same time, his weaponry looked quite powerful, and one Decepticon would be all that was needed to cause chaos and destruction in such a quiet place.

Marissa ran up to him, holding her surfboard under her arm. “What do we do?” she asked in panic. Optimus was frustrated to find that his scanners didn’t detect any Autobot energy signatures within its range - it could take hours for a team to arrive and stop Storm Surge. The fear on Marissa’s face served just as further proof that he had no choice.
“There’s only one thing we can do…” he replied. “I must fight.” He drove at full speed towards the Decepticon, and in a matter of astroseconds, complex machinery slid into position as he assumed his robot mode for the first time in deca-cycles. He rammed into Storm Surge shoulder-first, knocking him off balance.
“Oho! Whaaaat do we have here, then?” he declared, the emitters all over his arms shifting towards Optimus. “A little Autobot who thinks he can fight the glooooorious Storm Surge?” A massive blast of liquid hit Optimus square in the chest, searing a large, corroded wound into his armour plating. Once again, Storm Surge let out a crazed laugh, bursting with overconfidence. “Yooooou could never defeat my might!”
Prime decided that even if Storm Surge was mostly just talk, his weaponry was to be reckoned with. “Marissa!” he called out to his friend, hoping he would understand what he needed. She stood in surprise for a second, then threw her surfboard towards the Autobot. He stretched out his hand, and magnetic force pulled it towards him. As he grabbed it, the Reconfiguration Matrix resting deep within his spark burst into action, transforming it into a double-bladed sword. Just as planned, thought the Autobot, as he advanced back towards the shocked Decepticon.

Swoosh

He swung his surfblade across Storm Surge’s legs, cutting through vital servos and rendering him unable to stand.

Swoosh

He thrust the sword into Storm Surge’s torso, penetrating his motor relay to cut off his access to his arms - and with them, his weapons.

Swoosh

He brought the blade down to Storm Surge’s neck - and stopped. “I hope you’ve learned your lesson, Decepticon. The war is over. This world is safe. No matter what you try, you cannot win.” He tapped a small panel on his forearm, which let out a bleep. “An Autobot team will be coming soon to take you into custody.” The immobile Decepticon was silent for the first time, and his optics faded as he entered stasis lock in response to the sudden heavy damage.

Once more, Optimus gazed out over the beach. It was much quieter and emptier now, but the vibrant beauty remained. He handed Marissa back her surfboard, and transformed back into vehicle mode for her to hop in. As they drove off, Optimus began to wonder. Even now, in his retirement, he couldn’t escape the war. Would the time ever come when it was truly finished?

But then again, that reminded him of something his old companion Sparkplug had once told him, when the two of them were stuck in a collapsed building for an entire orbital cycle. “It’s not about winning for us, is it? It’s about not losing… Protecting what we have.”

Fahrenheit amuses me

Seriously, I can't help but giggle when I see people mention the likes of "20 degree cold weather".

Painted piece of wood swapped into TF box?

I was reading the wiki's page on toy swapping, and I saw this:



Does anyone have any more information on this? It jalmost sounds too strange to be true.