Gameritis

Pushmo: A deceptively-complex puzzler

2012-02-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

Very rarely will I purchase digital content for my portable gaming devices (not including my iPhone). There's always the price to consider, the content delivered, and whether I will dedicate the time to play it enough. Then again, there's always the outcry of players enjoying the game everywhere that will get my attention as well. Such is the case for Pushmo on the Nintendo 3DS.
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Overcoming gamer's block: Earning a second wind

2012-02-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

We've all been there before; you've played that one particular game for a while, but just can't progress further. In a time when games are constantly begging for your attention, it's hard to maintain focus and, eventually, you move on to another game. But how often do you return back to that game and try again? This, my friends, is my tale of conquering a gamer's block of my own - Final Fantasy XIII.
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Re-Play: Final Fantasy XIII

2012-02-01T12:19:00.000-08:00

This week's Re-Play is on an RPG of a series I've yet to complete a game in, Final Fantasy XIII. In the past when I first received the game, the linear direction of the game was a definite plus for me, keeping me focused on my goals. I really had a high hope that this would be the first game where I don't get bored and break off. I was wrong, and I even lost my game save because of my laziness. Will the second time be the Phoenix Down I need?
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Re-Play: Little Big Planet 2

2012-01-17T17:10:00.000-08:00

I've praised Little Big Planet 2 for so long being the type of game that only gets boring if you lack imagination. Never has that been more true than when I tried to replay the game once again in a speed-run attempt to recover all my building materials and supplies.
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Adobo's Big Adventure

2012-01-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

If you want to know where your NES childhood went, look no further than Adobo's Big Adventure. Touted as the "ultimate tribute to the Nintendo Entertainment System," Adobo's Big Adventure pits this Double-Dragon character across many different NES game settings, beating up a multitude of popular NES characters, and even adapting to different styles of gameplay in search of his son, Adoboy.
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Re-play: Rock Band 3

2012-01-10T20:30:00.000-08:00

In a series of blog posts aptly titled "re-play," I'll be going over games that I've completed or not in the past that have seen little to no action since. Of course, most of these will be titles for which I'm gradually recovering the broken shambles of my lost PS3 game saves, but they'll broaden to other older titles.

Unless you live with a family that loves to rock out each night, having a full Rock Band 3 set will attract dust faster than a Swiffer. While I still enjoy a good jam session with plastic instruments (sometimes on my Fender Stratocaster as well), the game becomes a solo affair almost 95% of the time. It's no surprise, then, that this game only gets some love on occasion. But is the replay worth the effort?
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Batman: Arkham City...finished!!

2012-01-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

With Batman: Arkham Asylum, the game offered so much more gameplay after the core game was over that it really felt like you're in the billionaire's cape and cowl. All the extra Riddler trophies and side missions made the game more meatier, allowing me to use Batman's arsenal of toys to the fullest. Batman: Arkham City does at least ten times as much of side missions and content, enough to make me think twice whether or not I would be able to complete them all.
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Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception...finished!!

2012-01-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

I'm going to just say it - I was a little disappointed in Uncharted 3. But not majorly so that I hated the game. The game was still jaw-droppingly awesome and had its moments, both in action and script, and the gun battles, while at times frustrating, were balanced out with the sense of learning from one's mistakes.

And while I enjoy a good story any day over the length of the game, I still found the playtime to be a little shorter than expected. It won't stop me from playing the game once more in Crushing Mode (I started in Hard, for a greater challenge), but it's a little disappointing all the same.

Another thing that was quite apparent was the number of glitches the game had. Uncharted 2 was quite polished, and there was nothing to note of when recalling any odd bugs. But this one had more than its share of clipping issues, texture drops, and the occasional falling-right-off-the-map moments.

Despite these flaws, the game still stands to be a very enjoyable experience, one that I will still enjoy again and again. At the moment I've been building my online stats thanks to a few co-op missions with a buddy of mine, so the replay value is still quite high. And I've started the game over again on "crushing" mode, like I did with Uncharted 2. To be honest, though, "hard" mode in Uncharted 3 was about as hard as the "crushing" mode on Uncharted 2, so I'm looking into a real challenge this time around.

Games Get! December in new games!

2011-12-31T00:36:00.000-08:00

In an effort to quell my post counts before the year's end, here's a lump of new games acquired in the month of December.

ICO/Shadow of the Colossus Collection

These games are just pure living, interactive art. For them to get the high-def treatment done right gives these aesthetic PS2 classics a prominent place amongst the triple-A titles currently on the PS3. This is an absolute must-have on the Sony console.
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December 2011: Month in Review

2011-12-29T10:20:00.000-08:00

This month of December has been quite a busy one, one where I haven't even had time to post anything on my blog for nearly the entire month. But I guess the only thing I can blame is my PS3.
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Extra-Life - Hour 13-24: Professor Layton and the Last Specter

2011-11-30T16:03:00.000-08:00

Since I've already posted that I finished the game, I figured I'd use the last 12 hours to wrap up the remaining 12 hours of my Extra-Life gaming accumulation to Professor Layton and the Last Specter. As difficult it is to believe, I've spent way more than 12 hours when trying to complete this game.
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Uncharted 3: Collector's Edition arrives

2011-11-29T15:44:00.001-08:00

A little late in posting this, but doing so before Thanksgiving wouldn't have mattered since my PS3 was still in the shop during that time. But yes, I went for the Uncharted 3: Collector's Edition, with small statue figure, ring replica, and belt buckle. I can't help it if I enjoy shiny things!

The figure itself is done well, with a loosely-draped attachments and gun. It will go nicely with the mini statuette from Infamous 2. Both the ring and belt buckle replicas are nicely made, and would've been perfect with any halloween or cosplay outing.

The game comes nicely adorned in a unique steelbook case, despite the minor flaw with its poorly-glued spine. I'm gonna have to fix it one of these days, but not today.

All of this is in a nice displayable ornate case that is quite sturdily built. It sits atop proudly on my fireplace mantle until GameritisGal (aka the wifey) wants it down.

Thanksgiving and PS3 Game Saves

2011-11-24T09:38:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving is a time of thanks and forgiveness, and is something I want to emphasize before I segway into the next topic: backing up your game saves.

The good news is that my PS3 system has been replaced. The bad news? My old PS3 hard drive can't be read with all my saves on it. This is because Sony enables an encryption key that is unique between the hard drive and system such that, should the drive enter another system, it would be completely unreadable.

So now, I have a useless drive that can't be read by any device other than the original PS3, which was replaced.

I've certainly went through my "denial" stage, trying attempt after attempt to recover my old hard drive to no avail. I've tried swapping the drive from the maintenance menu, I've tried to connect it to a windows or mac to access the files, and nothing. I get nothing.

So that's it. Gone are the hours spent in Disgaea leveling up weapons and items. Lost are the unique levels I've spent days creating in Little Big Planet 2. All the games I've only partially played through only to hope to finish at a later date...vanished. I'm definitely wounded from the experience, but at this point there's nothing left to do but to get back up and start walking again.

Thankfully, I have a working PS3 system once more. Thankfully, my progress still lives on in trophy achievements. Thankfully, all my DLC is tied to my PSN account so that I can download them once more to my system. Thankfully, I can return to playing the games I still yearn to play. I don't have time to be stubborn, to waste time wishing I backed up files. I've got games to play AND backup.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Super Mario Galaxy 2...completed!!

2011-11-15T08:30:00.001-08:00

While my PS3 is in the shop, I'm left with my other consoles. It's not like I have a shortage of games to play. In fact, I went ahead and searched for the remaining stars left in Super Mario Galaxy 2. I've forgotten how much harder it is to find these out-of-reach stars, made even harder by not having any clue where they are located.
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PS3 + Yellow Light = no Uncharted 3

2011-11-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

As everyone is well aware, Uncharted 3 has finally released this day. And, like everyone else, I've been eagerly awaiting this moment since the end of Uncharted 2. Unfortunately for me, however, my PS3 decided to breathe its last breath this past weekend and go YLOD (or "yellow light of death") on me, effectively halting all Arkham City playing and future Uncharted 3 gameplay.
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Professor Layton and the Last Specter...finished!

2011-11-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

I'm typically not the type of person that would play any game series out of order, but I found exception with Professor Layton and the Last Specter. Since the game plays as a prequel surrounding Professor Layton and Luke's first time meeting each other and with the first game (Curious Village) under my belt already, playing this latest game was logically sound.

Now that this is done, I'll have to dive into the Diabolical Box and Unwound Future soon.

Batman: Arkham City. 'Nuff said.

2011-10-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

Batman: Arkham City has arrived.

Time to kick ass.

Professor Layton and the Last Specter poofs home

2011-10-18T15:41:00.000-07:00

While the second and third game still eludes me, I thought it would be no harm in getting Professor Layton and the Last Specter, seeing that the game's story is a prequel to the events from the first game in the Curious Village. In fact, I've forgotten how fun these puzzle games can keep me enthralled, so it was a welcome change of pace to focus on elaborate puzzles instead of my usual gaming menu of violence and destruction.

Extra-Life - Hour 12: Uncharted 3 Multiplayer

2011-10-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

I think I'm probably the 5% remaining players online that is still below level 10 in experience in the Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta. Every online match is a crapshoot with me; I either run to survive, or make meager kills while everyone else is doing superbly and resting comfortably on the level 35 cap.

I did, however, progressed one level to level 9 and am quite close to hitting double digits and reaching the goal I've set during the Extra Life marathon. Will have to come back to this, however, when I don't feel so defeated.

Extra-Life - Hour 9-11: Big Bang Mini...finished!

2011-10-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

I never thought I'd get caught up in any single game during the Extra Life hours, but Big Bang Mini is just so easy to switch on and engage. Plus, most of the time I'm away from the TV, so my portables are the way to go. But the extra 3 hours is all I needed to finish the game!

And what a journey to finish the game it was! There was this one random time when the game actually went to this completely random "retro mode" where everything was all in 8-bit, then exited saying that it may never return again. I've done some research and found it's a rare occurrence, and that it truly comes at random.

Still have more hours to clock out!!

Gameritis Extra Life goal surpassed!! Gaming to still continue!!

2011-10-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

Wow!! I've only started my contribution 2 days ago in Extra Life with a goal of $100, something I wasn't sure I'd be able to achieve. Well, not only did we reach the goal, but we surpassed it! I clearly underestimated what could possibly be done in 2 days. Imagine if I had started this earlier! For certain, I'll be contributing to this next year, with an earlier setup and bigger goal.

All you gamers should be proud of yourselves!! $123 will be going to the UC Davis Children's Hospital! Thanks to all who donated!!

If you still haven't donated yet, there's still a little more than an hour left to contribute!!

Extra-Life - Hour 7-8: Disgaea 4

2011-10-15T22:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Disgaea 4's lengthy level-up system with weapons, I've easily done another 2 hrs of upgrading my party stats. At the average rate of half an hour to upgrade a weapon up 10-12 levels, I've successfully upgraded about 4 weapons during the 2 hours.

A third of the way there!

Extra-Life - Hour 6: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game

2011-10-15T20:13:00.000-07:00

Quarter of the way so far, one dinner later, and Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game tops off the gaming stack so far. I've capped the level for 3 of the 4 characters (not including Knives), so it's a good time right now to finish that off. Was able to climb one more level before the hour mark, though.

Onto the next game!!

Extra-Life - Hour 4-5: Big Bang Mini

2011-10-15T17:31:00.000-07:00

Gah, Big Bang Mini sucked me in again! The levels are quick and fast, the gameplay dynamic and changing.

That, and the wife has the TV. :/

Extra-Life - Hour 2-3: DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue

2011-10-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

Spent the next 2 hours playing DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue, a game whose original I couldn't put down for a while. Perhaps because there wasn't much change in the sequel did I eventually tire of those long swarms of enemies time and time again that made me stop playing for a while. But the past 2 hours reminded me of the fun of discovery as I trekked through new terrain and fine-tuned my combat skills!

Gonna have to pace myself. Moving on to the next game!

Extra-Life - Hour 1: Big Bang Mini

2011-10-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

Probably one of the bigger sleeper hits on this portable, Big Bang Mini is a modified bullet-hell SHMUP on the DS that has clever gameplay and an upbeat soundtrack (which was free last year but sadly their site is now down). Plus, it's a game I haven't touched in a while, which is why playing this game easily sunk my first hour into the Extra-Life 24-hr challenge.

Each section contains 9 levels, with the last level being the boss. During this time, I finished up the final 7 levels and boss of section 3, and completely finished section 4.

After you make a donation, pick up this game. There's no excuse not to. Big Bang Mini is probably in many bargain bins everywhere for roughly $15, and the game is just crazy fun overall. I might just finish the game after another couple of hours...

Saved a lot on that video game? Why not donate that to charity?

2011-10-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

I've been donating to Extra Life for 2 years now, and I figured I should just jump in like everyone else. Really, we're ALL gaming at one point or another, so why not do it for a good cause?
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Gamers unite! Donate to Extra Life and win fabulous raffle prizes!!

2011-10-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

Let's face it, gamers nowadays are extremely frugal; we save money on any sale we can get, we buy used if necessary...heck, there's even a dedicated site for us cheap bastards. Over the years, you've probably saved hundreds of dollars waiting for game prices to drop, price-matching incorrect ads, and finding the perfect combo to use that buy-two-get-one-free deal.

So there's no real excuse for not donating to a good cause, especially if it involves video games.
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When cross-promotion goes bad...

2011-10-03T16:19:00.001-07:00

Foot-longs and Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta

2011-10-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

For a moment, let's ignore the debate of promotional tie-ins into non-related companies, and how product placement has nestled a place in video games. What if I told you you can not only play Uncharted 3 multiplayer online, but you're able to transfer all your accumulated stats over to the game once it's released? Cool, right?

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Korg DS-10 Synthesizer Plus and playing non-games

2011-09-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

Creating music is not an easy thing to do. Not many people actively play with instruments or synthesizers to figure out what sounds good. In the video gamer cliche, that number is even smaller. So, to appeal to gamers a product that demands a full respect of the creative art of music compilation is a very hard sell. Little Big Planet 2 was probably the most successful game to introduce a music sequencer that everyone was willing to try. To a lesser extent was Electroplankton, giving DS owners the ability to remix familiar Nintendo sounds and songs. To an even obscure extent, PSX owners had MTV's Music Generator to create their own beats. And yes, I was one of the few that actually owned that.

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Another classic on the 3DS...Star Fox 64

2011-09-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

In a largely-stagnant library of 3DS games arrives Star Fox 64 3D, one of the great N64 classics in 3D form to the portable screen. I knew since E3 that it was a game I was looking forward to, but it wasn't until I watched how polished the opening scene was that it was an instant buy in my book.

But this marks the second game I bought for the 3DS that was a remake. And while the nostalgia is pleasant and warm, it's still a desperate cling to the past - of an age when games were still adventurous and daring, pushing past the envelope of potential. Where's that risk now? Where's that daring new game that will make people go "wow, I thought I was through with games...until now."

Oh well, back into my Arwing.

Child of Eden at a steal

2011-09-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

In search for more uses for my Kinect, I've purchased Child of Eden for the Xbox 360, more recenly for a sudden sale at Best Buy that knocked the price 75% off. From the same person that created Rez, Child of Eden is a rails shooter in first-person this time instead of third-person, with all the trippy and colorful polygons that defined its predecessor.

With the Kinect version, the ability to lock onto enemies and fire is integrated to their Kinect accessory. I'm looking forward to interact with this kaleidoscope mindfuck.

3DS Ambassador Program and 10 Free Games

2011-09-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

If you were like me and was one of the early adopters of a Nintendo 3DS, you probably felt a little betrayed with the recent $80 price drop down to $169.99. In an effort to not completely alienate people who bought their portables early, they initiated the 3DS Ambassador Program, which gives these people access to 20 free games - 10 NES games, and 10 SNES games - to download. Read more »

Disgaea 4 arrives...6 days early?

2011-09-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it was because I placed my pre-order months ago, but on the same day that I conquered Disgaea 3, I receive a package in the mail. I was aware, certainly, that my package had been already shipped, but I thought it would take a full week for the game to arrive on time by September 6th. Lo and behold my surprise when I get Disgaea 4 a full 6 days early!

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Disgaea 3...FINISHED!!

2011-09-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

In following Gameritis tradition, I must deploy an individual page to commemorate this achievement.

I finished Disgaea 3!!

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"Days until Disgaea 4" challenge Milestone - Day 7 - Disgaea 3...FINISHED!!

2011-09-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the 5-6 attempt at the second-to-last level, I decided to spend the extra 10 minutes leveling up a powerful axe up 20 levels for my axe-wielding character. In the end, I ended up practically doubling his 1000-point Attack stat to over 2000, making him stupidly powerful compared to everyone else.

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Gameritis, v2.5

2011-08-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

It's been almost 5 years since I started this Gameritis blog. What started as a way to monitor what games I've finished as I finish them has become an outlet for my inner gamer. Whether or not this blog is read or not, having one puts a written perspective upon myself and my "affliction." Which is why I've decided to make a few new changes to the site!

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"Days until Disgaea 4" progress - Day 4 - Not all trophies earn bragging rights

2011-08-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

In the past 3 days, I've spent whatever free time I had to buffing my party's current weapons in Disgaea 3, which required vast trips into the Item World. For all you non-Disgaea players out there, gamers have the potential to upgrade any item in the game by parsing through the Item World and conquering the random dungeons generated inside. Every dungeon you successfully pass is another level upgrade for your weapon.

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"Days until Disgaea 4" progress - Day 1 - Surprises and Sacrifices

2011-08-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

I've managed to successfully finish off the last 2 levels of Chapter 7 in Disgaea 3 last night, giving me a lot more confidence in my party of mishmash characters. I don't know what's the average number of characters players create, but since we're only given a limit of 10 characters per map, my party is not much more than that. In fact, only about 8 of the characters in my party are custom made. The rest were characters that joined on their own. But for such a small group of character to select from, I'm doing surprisingly well. Aside from the typical main characters, this is what I have:

1 fist brawler (m)
1 axe fighter (m)
3 mages - fire, ice, and wind (f)
1 archer healer (f)
1 shooter thief (f)
1 spear fighter (f)

In the upcoming battles, however, I may need more magic users, so I may spend some time doubling up on fire, ice, and wind characters. Another healer would be good, too. Then I can buff up the rest of my party to have more health. Currently, my mages, healer, and thief all are less than 1000 health, which can't withstand even one skilled attack from enemies.

The one thing I'm learning to accept during this challenge is the fact that not all my characters will survive in the end. In my early days of playing a Disgaea game, I've tried my best to keep everyone alive, so that everyone got a chance to survive and level up; if anyone died at any point, I would reset the game and start the level all over. As you can imagine, I never got very far because of this. But realistically, I could've probably finished the levels even with the sacrificed characters.

A good example is in the last level of Chapter 7. Due to storyline aspects, I was already short one player, but I had Mao (the main character) still. Halfway during the battle, Mao took a fatal blow due to a misjudgement in the enemy's attack, leaving me slightly upset. However, I still had the upper hand in allies and attacks, so I did the best with the remaining people I had left. The lesson here? Party members dying is not the end of the world...unless it's part of the story.

I can't believe I'm very close now...one more chapter to go!

The "Days until Disgaea 4" self-imposed challenge.

2011-08-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

So Disgaea 4 is coming September 6th. And yes, I've made my pre-order for it already. And no, I have not finished any of the previous Disgaea games prior to it. But in the days before it's released, I hope to change that.

From today until Disgaea 4's release is about 13 days. So I've challenged myself to complete Disgaea 3 at least once before the game comes out.

I'm already making some progress, on the second-to-last chapter right after the 4th level. I have roughly 6 more levels to go before I reach the end, but each requires me to consistantly power myself up more and more. Even with assistance from the official strategy guide, Disgaea 3 is just a wealth of micro-management to digest.

To sweeten the deal, I've foolishly purchased some discounted DLC for the game as well as incentive. The thing with this DLC is that it's only unlocked after you finish the game once - which means my purchase would be in vain if I never complete the game.

I'll try to post some day-by-day progress, all leading up to Disgaea 4!

Shadow Complex...finished?

2011-08-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

I didn't expect to finish Shadow Complex this fast. The ending came suddenly, and felt a little anti-climatic. And after 6.5 hours, the game felt like it should have had a bit more meat on its bones. But aside from that, the game is quite the Metroid clone, except your protagonist has a penis.

While enemies respawn in places after you progressed far enough, there doesn't seem to be much replay other than scouring the map to find all the places you didn't explore before. And with my character at level 17 (out of a potential 50) and armed to the teeth with 90% of my armor, the only things that can cause lethal harm are the environment dangers of electrified water, lasers, and thermal ovens.

Even with the training missions, Shadow Complex feels a bit shallow in content. I'd probably have to start a new game all over just to feel the full enjoyment of the game.

Overall, get the game for a quick Metroid-platformer fix. If you crave some more, look elsewhere.

Rez HD added in continuing quest for Xbox-only titles

2011-08-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

I realize the title above is not entirely true, seeing that Rez HD started on the Dreamcast and migrated to the PS2 before making the virtual jump to XBLA. Unfortunately, I've never had the pleasure to experience this game in its previous iterations until now.

The game plays like your typical on-rails shooter, where you're on a fixed path taking out enemies as they fly past. You play a small program in a human-like shape, trying to infiltrate the main system. You have the simple abilities to lock on to targets to take down multiple enemies at once, and you can deploy bombs for a quick area kill.

What makes the game a greater thrill for me especially is the game's presentation. Similar to watching commands on a command prompt screen like linux or dos, your actions are listed like executed programs to the upper left corner of the screen, detailing all actions done. If you lock onto enemies, it says so. It also details when you fire, when you bomb, and when you take damage.

Leveling up your character is not only a nice visual upgrade, but it also increases the number of hits you take and the number of lock-ons you can perform. But the task to do so requires you to collect 8 health icons just to progress to the next level, yet it takes only one hit from an enemy to bump you down a notch.

The challenge factor of the game is a little unbalanced, with conditions fluctuating from fairly simple to extremely difficult, but the game's short enough for you to keep trying again and again. Plus, the programmer in me geeks over the "lines of code" that appear in the upper left.

Shadow Complex, to fulfill my "Metroid-vania" urges

2011-08-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

In a focused effort to only grab the "creme de la creme" of Xbox exclusive titles, I've downloaded Shadow Complex (1200 Microsoft points) on XBLA. With a very familiar map system and level-up stats, it's no secret how the game gets its "Metroid-vania" label. What sets the game apart is its clever use of camera angles and detailed backdrops that make the experience more than a platforming romp through static level design.

After playing a lot of Dead Nation these past few weeks, the gameplay in Shadow Complex came almost naturally. You move with the left analog stick, while aiming your gun's laser sight with the right analog. And not only do you have free-angle aiming of your gun, you can take out enemies in the background thanks to the depths of certain rooms. In one, you'll have guards running towards you from the background, and your laser sights (when aimed properly) will aim straight into the background, allowing you to gun them as they come towards the screen.

The playful use of different camera angles also keep the game's story fresh and lively, and reminds us how Shadow Complex is much more than your typical platformer. Most of the time it emphasizes the level's scope and depth, and sometimes it's there to assist for hard-to-see angles. And sometimes it gives you a front seat on a hot turrent gun ready to take out a group of unlucky soldiers.

The game's item-upgrading system is practically in parallel with Metroid with the progressive gun upgrades and gradual increase of grenade inventory. And the level-up system improves your character stats over time, increasing things like precision and stamina.

Shadow Complex is a good mix of old gameplay style with a new graphics look, and will tickle the "Metroid" and "Castlevania" bones in veteran gamers.

Fruit Ninja Kinect slices its way home

2011-08-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

My wife, GameritisGal, is half the instigator for me acquiring the new Xbox 360 console with Kinect, really wanting to play more Dance Central at home. Which is fine. When I told her that Fruit Ninja was coming for the Kinect, however, she became quite obsessive on when the game's coming out. I'm glad that it came out today, which is selling for 800 Microsoft points - $10 to us nickel-and-dime people.

Compared to the $0.99 and $2.99 prices on the iPhone and iPad respectively, Fruit Ninja Kinect is hoping to bank much of the increased price on the fact that you don't need to smear smudges on a screen to slice strawberries. With a flail of the arms, you too can be a ninja, slicing imaginary fruit!

Here's hoping GameritisGal doesn't knock my block off.

Gamer Fanboyism, and why there's no place for it now

2011-08-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Fanboy - it's a stereotype that has grossly evolved over the years, dividing gamers into compacted factions of "this is better than that" all across the board. Whether it's console vs console, console vs PC, company vs company, genre vs genre, or game vs game, it's an ugly war that rages between all gamers. Any marketing executive would argue that fanboyism, positive or negative, is still publicity in their eyes. But, is our verbal hatred toward the lesser party denying us of quality games? When does gamer pride turn to gamer ignorance?

"Nintendo is for kids." "Xbox is for hardcore gamers." "What's good on the PS3?" All these remarks are used on a daily basis, like a stick poking a hornet's nest, yet few are ever supported well. Why is that? Simple - they are short and abstract, two things that forums and comments thrive on for heated fanboyism discussions on the internet. But even the opinions one uses to support these claims are fallacious because they're just that - opinions. Someone out there just hates seeing lots of games geared for children on Nintendo, or sees that there are only Halo and Gears of War players on Xbox, or that they can't find something of interest at all on a PS3. Someone just finds one thing that they do not like about something, and then throws out their opinions out there as if speaking for the greater good.

But why all the hate? If you don't want to have nothing to do with something, then just leave it alone. Just because it does not bring you enjoyment and satisfaction doesn't mean you need to project that feeling to others to "help them not make a bad choice." There are plenty of good games around, and some of them are exclusive to certain devices. Is it that hard to be an unbiased gamer and play games simply because they're good?

"Nintendo is for kids." - Try playing Eternal Darkness. Sure, it came out for GameCube, but you can play it on the Wii. A story well-told through the heroine's generations, Eternal Darkness is most certainly dark and bloody, and its insanity effects will have you practically question your own. Another good game is Epic Mickey, with its dark undertones of an alternate Disneyland.

"Xbox is for hardcore gamers." - Don't like FPSs? Try out something like Shadow Complex for "Metroid-vania" style gameplay. Or play Dance Central on the Kinect and get your groove thang going. And then there's Fruit Ninja coming for the Kinect this Wednesday.

"What's good on the PS3?" - If you're an SRPG fanatic, you can try your hand on Disgaea 3. Or maybe some good ol' platformers like the Ratchet and Clank or Sly Cooper series. Or if you like action, there's Uncharted 2 (with the sequel coming out in November).

There are good games all around, and if you're a true gamer, you can find a good game anywhere, on any platform. It shouldn't matter what system it's on, or where it's from. If you enjoy a game, then what's stopping you from playing it? Someone else's opinion? Please...

Xbox 360, Dance Central, and GameritisGal

2011-08-08T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've acquired an Xbox 360 with Kinect and Dance Central over the weekend, completing the trifecta of gaming consoles in the household. And while I performed the initial setup and got the system going, it was my wife, GameritisGal, that started right on Dance Central. I'm happy and glad that she's all into it, but it's a bit weird to have someone else in the house looking forward to games as much as I do.

And she's definitely looking forward to Fruit Ninja Kinect when it comes out Wednesday.

So, now that I have an Xbox 360 now, can anyone suggest any exclusive games on it besides Gears of War and Halo?

Limbo downloaded...and finished!! (Already?)

2011-08-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

I just purchased Limbo for the PSN over the weekend...and finished it a day later.

That's not to say that the game isn't good at all; it's very stylish and dark, and the gameplay is simple and uncluttered. The $15 price tag, however, left me feeling like I slightly overpaid for the experience.

There's still a few more rounds of replay in the game, but they'll only be for earning other trophies and showing off the gruesome deaths to others.

I recommend this game. I'd recommend it more if you can find it for sale.

Feeling charitable? Humble Indie Bundle #3 is here for you!

2011-08-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

What better way to donate to charity than to get some awesome games for the act? Humble Indie Bundle #3 is set to do just that with its latest bundle of games. In the bundle you get:

Also, they threw in a sixth game, Steel Storm! Not enough? Well, for your donation, they'll throw in the previous Humble Indie Bundle #2 as well, which includes:

Braid (which is a game I can highly recommend)
Cortex Command
Machinarium
Osmos
Revenge of the Titans

And might as well throw in the ability to play Minecraft for free until August 14th, when this bundle is over.

While you'll get Bundle #3 for any donation you wish to donate (whether it's $0.01 or $100.00), you'll only score Bundle #2 if you pay more than the average, which is just a little more than $5 at the moment. And you have control over how you want your donation to be distributed - to just developers, just charity, or an even distribution to all parties.

But you really can't go wrong with getting games for donations. And some pretty nice games, from the looks of the lineup.

Needless to say, I've made my contribution and will be heavily enjoying these games soon enough!

Tales of Monkey Island...finished!

2011-08-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

I believe a quarter of my developed wit came from the clever wit-involved sword fights in Monkey Island. I'm not talking about the Tales of Monkey Island episodic games, but from its earlier predecessors. To take something active like swordplay and convert it to a still-engaging thinking man's game is no small task, and is ultimately one of the many references that defined the series up until now.

Monkey Island games reward clever players with a hilarious take on the pirate life, and Tales of Monkey Island is no exception. The five-episode series does a great job reminding us of what makes a Monkey Island game memorable, and the wit here is as sharp as ever. If you're a fan, you owe it to yourself to at least give the game a try.

Frankly, I want to see more of these point-and-click adventures. They certainly hold a special place in my gamer heart.

Back to the Future: The Game...finished!!

2011-08-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

I'm such a fan of the Back to the Future trilogy. It's something I don't mind watching over and over, and I find much more enjoyment every time I do. So there was some reservation when the Back to the Future: The Game episodes came from Telltale Games, despite the acquirement of Christopher Lloyd reprising his role and an almost-vocal equivalent to Marty McFly by A.J. Locascio. It wasn't until I heard that Michael J. Fox was lending his voice to the final episode that I actually bought the bundle and had a look for myself.

This wasn't my first Telltale game. In fact, I downloaded the Tales of Monkey Island episodes before this and completed those as well, (What? I didn't post that? I'm ashamed!) so it's not my first dip into the Telltale pool. And after playing through two seasons of two different games, I'm very pleased with Telltale's work. It's something when the game gives you a lasting impression, but it's another when it makes you want to relive those moments again, and both games (especially BttF:TG) make me want to play through them again.

Personally, I found the new storyline to the original series a welcome addition to the plot, and I hope to see a second season from them if it's ever possible!

Dead Nation...finished!

2011-07-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

My wife asked me why I enjoy playing horror games yet never like to watch them. I told her that with a game, I have control on when I die; with a movie, I'm invested in character to whom I don't know whether they will live or die. I hate surprises, but I like it when I have somewhat control over them.

Anyways, I finished Dead Nation, the other free game from Sony after their online downtime. I'm quite pleased with the game, and it definitely warrants more playthroughs, much like the other free game InFamous I downloaded as well. The game becomes equally as hectic when you play co-op, which I highly suggest you do with this game. Nothing like yelling to your friend to cover your back as you get flanked from both sides with hoards of zombies.

InFamous 2...finished! (as good guy)

2011-07-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

A sandbox title should keep you playing "in" the sandbox for as long as you want, with no concern for time or urgency. InFamous 2 does a great job doing this in all their side missions, shard-collecting treks, and random city navigation. If I didn't want to do a story-based mission, I can hit up a side mission. If I don't want to do a side mission, I can randomly collect shards or find dead drops. If I don't want to do that, I just enjoyed myself surfing around the city.

If there's one thing I'd add, is that the shard sense should've expanded to the dead drops as well. I wouldn't never considered the last dead drop location I had left in the location that it was in.

There's still the joy of being evil in InFamous 2 to complete, but I'll do that once I finish being evil in the first InFamous.

The trials and tribulations of playing online...and enjoying it.

2011-06-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

So after a few rounds of the Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta, I realized something that wasn't new to me at all - that I'm a good online player. Not good as in "headshot from 200 meters away," but good in staying in an online match and playing it.

I'm one of those players that don't care whether or not a game has online features, who is quite content killing the computer AI whose sole intent is to fall by your hand. I'm used to being good in games and completing them, walking out from explosions without turning back and looking like a bad ass. Online, however, I'm as good as dead. Nothing happens the way you plan it, and your most elaborate kills turn out to be shooting the final bullet at someone else's target's barrage of bullets.

But I still consider myself a good online player. Despite shooting like a blind man, I still rank up - maybe not as fast as the skilled players out there, but I get my kills every now and then. And while I don't enjoy seeing my body crumple down like a paper doll, I don't get aggro or go into a verbal rampage. And I try to stay through from match to match just to show that I'm not a quitter; that to quit a game mid-match is worse than being a sore loser.

And while eventually all the weaker players get weeded out and people are more confident in kicking out lesser players from their team deathmatch games, I will still be adamant in sticking around. I shall forever play by Amy Hennig's motto - to "not take [playing online] so fucking seriously." Thank you again, Amy, for understanding hesitant online gamers like me.

Woohoo! Happy June 28th, everyone!

2011-06-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

Why?

Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta

Well, first off, the Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta kicks off today for all Playstation Plus members and early adopters of InFamous 2. After almost a 3-week wait after InFamous 2 came out, players can now redeem that voucher to get early dibs on the 3-week Beta trial! The Beta will be open for everyone else July 5th. And

Beyond Good and Evil HD

This re-mastered version of a video game cult classic has now finally arrived on the PSN. I've been very vocal about Beyond Good and Evil and its on-again-off-again impending sequel of sorts, but there's just something about the first game that just was done well. And while I do own my own physical copy of the game on GameCube, to see it again in HD will be a welcome sight.

Recently-acquired games before and after E3

2011-06-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

There have been a few new games occupying my attention these past few weeks, so I've decided to lump them all together into one post to put into scope my "gameritis."

In the months prior to E3, I acquired a couple more 3DS games - Steel Diver and PilotWings Resort. Both games, while looking decent in 3D, proved to be quite short and lacking in anything more than their original gameplay.

Shortly before E3, when the PSN service was fully up and operational, I decided to fully support the Back to the Future games by purchasing the entire series, as well as Arcana Heart 3. In the former, I can't get enough of anything related to the movies, and the Telltale style didn't get in the way of them telling an interesting appending story on time. In the former...well, I just wanted to get a fighter with chicks.

After E3, I had InFamous 2: Hero Edition waitin for me, since it was released around the first day of E3. The messenger bag became another laptop bag for me (wears comfortably), and the Sly Cooper patch was just gravy. The statue it came with is actually nicely detailed, and is sitting pretty at my work desk.

All other DLC was nice to have, especially since all of it was included in the package. The only thing left is to wait one more week to sign up for the Uncharted 3 beta.

And on Monday I acquired The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the 3DS. The game looks even better than I remembered, and I look forward to completing the game again once more!

I believe my plate is quite full now, thank you.

Post E3 2011: Some things never change

2011-06-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

Being a one-man correspondant for one of the largest gaming events in the world is a daunting task, and clearly trying to capture all my coverage during the event was even more tiring this year than ever.

There are lots of stuff I still have yet to write up, and will hope to do so this week, so please bear with me as I play catch-up.

E3 2011: Day 1 Streetpass results

2011-06-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

After the first day of E3, here’s that day’s results.
7:00 AM – Turned on 3DS

8:04 AM – Arrived at downdown LA, received first street pass – CommanderVideo! I don’t have a picture to prove it, but its greeting was “bittripgame.com.” But the Mii was a skinny figure with a Samus mask on – sounds like him. It makes sense, though, to make your Mii a virtual business card.

9:35 AM – 10 new people added (which is the max, I soon realize)

11:18 AM – 8 new people. Started to use them to unlock more pieces and play “Find Mii” since you can only use 10 at a time. So the first 10 people were wasted. Hmm, I got a ceo!

11:26 AM – 6 more people?? Okay, play some more…
11:31 AM – 9 more?? Okay, I need to get ready to enter the convention floor.
3:56 PM – 10 new people. Which doesn’t surprise me. But it’s a good time waster while waiting in line for events. Got someone from RockstarLeeds.

6:46 PM – 10 more people added. I got Zoidberg! And I’m exhausted.

Total number of new Miis Day 1 E3 = 54

E3 2011: Sony's successor to the PSP, the PS Vita!

2011-06-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

Let the portable console wars begin! Sony unveiled their now-officially-named PSVita device! Priced at $249 for the Wi-Fi version and $299 for the 3G/Wi-Fi version, the PSVita will be released near the end of the year, sporting dual analog sticks and a touch-interface in the back.

Again, will reserve judgement until I get more hands-on, but this is going to be very interesting.

E3 2011: Nintendo's first pics of Wii U and touch-screen controller

2011-06-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Still playing catchup to the recent Nintendo press conference, but here are the first pics of Nintendo's newest console, the Wii U!

I'm holding reservations until I can get more hands-on with the devices, but from the looks of it, it appears that Nintendo's trying to simulate an extremely large version of the Nintendo DS, with the touch-screen as a handheld, and the TV as the large "top screen."

What do you guys think?

Pre-E3: What type of gamers make our games?

2011-06-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

Everyone enjoys video games, but how much history is within each member in the industry?

When we judge video games, we rely on our own vast knowledge and history of video games in our lives whether we know it or not. And with the many years that video games have been a part of our lives, we tend to forget that not every gamer was born with the same background. For all we know, half of the engineers for Bioshock never owned an NES at all.

So I'm preparing an interesting questionaire to ask certain people on the floor, just to gauge how historically steeped is our video-game industry peeps are. Some of the questions I'll be asking are:

What was your very first system/console you played?
What was your very first system/console you owned?
What is your most favorite game? Did you play the original of it, or a remake?
Have you played in an arcade before?

I'll probably make more questions than this, but it would be great to know what type of gaming background various figures in the video game industry hail from. I'll be providing pictures and job title details of the people that participate as well.

3DS street pass progress - E3 edition

2011-06-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Since getting my Nintendo 3DS, I've tried for a while to activate my street pass and accumulate my friend list. So far, I've been only able to acquire 4 friends total so far. With E3 just around the corner, I expect these numbers to wildly grow after each passing day. So, I'll post my street pass progress at the end of each day at E3 to see who I may run across.

While a majority of them will probably be other attendees' Miis, there's the small hope that I might snag a couple of video-game-industry Miis in the process!

Preparing for E3 2011...

2011-06-03T16:32:00.001-07:00

It's that time again. Time to stretch out my walking legs and get the skinny on the latest games that will engorge our eyes for the next year. It's E3 season, all the players will be there, and I'll be in the thick of it all.

While I'm only an attendee, I'll still try to gain insight into whatever information I can get my hands on. That being said, please submit to me any questions you'd like me to ask while on the showroom floor, either as a comment post or as an email to gameritisguy@gmail.com. Bear in mind that results may vary due to schedules and, well, chaos of the convention. But I'll do my best to get the answers you want.

And all throughout next week, I'll be giving my best coverage from the showroom floor in both my blog here and in akiba-station.com, so be sure to check both sites for the latest and greatest!

L.A. Noire, or Ace Attorney without the training wheels

2011-06-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

L.A. Noire is like a graduation from all the Phoenix Wright games; your choices aren't on a linear path towards being right, and you have to really focus on people's facial tells. Okay, so there was that Apollo Justice game where you had to focus on people's facial tells, but they were all on cartoon images.

The great thing about the game is that, for the most part, the game continues on no matter what choices you make. So you could be going down a completely different lead, arrest the wrong person, and let the actual criminal escape. The game will still lead you down the story as if it was intended, and will not get in your way. And even if you completely botch a case, you can always replay it again until you get it right. I've went through one case already where half of my interrogation with a witness was botched, but I ended up catching the criminal in the end. When the case was over, small hints inform me that if I had asked the right questions, I would've solved the case sooner than expected. It's all these little "what ifs" that keep replay values high.

Add to this that all cases are set in mini-episodes, and you have a game that is sandbox-y yet still linear in story-telling - two things that I can completely get behind on.

InFamous...finished! (as good guy)

2011-06-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

Much like completing Portal right before Portal 2, InFamous is now finished and tucked beneath my "complete" belt, and I'm ready for the sequel. Going to probably go through the game as evil Cole now and see how my choices change me.

Games I've never played until now: InFamous

2011-05-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

Game: InFamous
Release Date: May 26th, 2009
Reason for not playing it: Hate having to choose.

Playing games with morality never was a strong point in my book for a video game. There are always two choices to make, and whatever choice you made would always make you wonder about that other choice. And you know you'll have to play the game all over again a second time just to make those alternate choices - that is, IF the game is good enough to tolerate through a second playthrough. Luckily, InFamous is quite good at being a good game.

I think the morality system overall turned me off from InFamous. Just the thought of having to play the game a second time just to make evil choices instead of good riled me up, making me want to say "what, you think you're good enough to play a second time just to see how things would've turned out?" I should've known the answer to that already if it's a game from Sucker Punch, creator of the wonderful Sly Cooper series.

After starting up InFamous, in no time did I make the analogy that the game was like Sly Cooper in a HUGE playground. It's like playing Sly Cooper 2, where you play a Sly who already has the prior knowledge from the first game to run on tightropes, climb on pipes, and spire jump on pointy structures. No joke, I spent a good amount of time jumping on the "no vehicle" poles by the park, going full parkour from pole to pole. The amount of attention to climbable points on a building is ridiculous.

Cole's ability is the power of electricity, which I largely thought was just a one-note ability. Turns out it's only the theme for performing projectile attacks, grenade blasts, seismic drop blasts, hovering, speed-grinding, energy-sapping, enemy hand-cuffing, and more. Plus, the game does a great way of doling out a story in which you restore a city from being without electricity to lighting it up like a christmas tree, Okami-style.

While the morality system seems to be very simplistic and almost entirely straight-forward (Cole's inner monologue tells you what's good or bad), the lasting affect of your choices really shines in the game. As you favor one side over the other, not only do you and your missions change, but the environment changes. Walls get plastered with poster propaganda, pedestrians change their attitude towards you depending on your side. Overall, you get a sense that your actions really do affect these NPCs. Even the tiny missions come off as random incidents, notifying you with the "point of interest" indicator. These range from just viewing the televised reports in the city to focusing on a pedestrian's cry for help for assistance. These things not only make the gameplay more immersive, but it makes the surroundings feel more real.

Verdict:

Almost 2 days to the 2-year mark that I haven't played InFamous, and I can't believe I let this game slip past my radar. Even though I'm borrowing my friend's copy of the game, I'll certainly download it for free once the PSN is back up. I'm glad I'm playing InFamous now, especially with the sequel coming out soon which will have the Uncharted 3 multiplayer Beta!

Chrono Trigger released for Wii Virtual Console!

2011-05-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

Chrono Trigger has finally been released to the Virtual Console, so if you've avoided getting the original SNES cartridge, the PSX re-release, or the DS re-re-release, you can get it now on the Wii!

To commemorate my already-insane love for this game, I now present to you the video of my "To Far Away Times" LBP2-created tribute level! (Thanks, JHKthree!)

If a game is re-released 3 times over, you know the game is well-renounced.

Portal 2 (single player mode)...finished!

2011-04-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

With many articles willing to spill out the game's story and secrets as if the writers expect gamers to play as fast as they did, I'll keep mine very short and sweet. I will say this, though - Portal 2 is definitely longer than the original Portal. And I'm playing single player mode again. And again. And again. At least until they release more levels in the summer.

I'll still need a partner to complete co-op mode, though.

Portal 2 (and Steam copy) arrives promptly

2011-04-19T12:42:00.001-07:00

Not long after I finished the first Portal, Portal 2 one arrives at my doorstep today. And because it's a PS3 copy, a free copy on Steam is inside as well!

I'm probably one of the last amongst my friends to acquire a Steam account, and I have to say, the service is nice and refreshing. Not only do you don't have to deal with the excess cardboard clutter one usually deals with for computer games, but everything's associated to your online account. It's nice to know that my games are still with me when I change hardware.

Plus, with the added benefit of playing with other Steam players through my PS3 game, I can choose my preference of control. That being said, finishing Portal re-introduced me back to the ol' "keyboard and mouse" control scheme that I'm now on the fence. Though, if I ever feel like changing back and forth, at least my game saves to the Steam cloud, so I don't have to be playing both games concurrently to play catch-up.

Rock Band 3...finished!

2011-04-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

I think after 2 iterations, the Rock Band franchise has reached its peak. Granting Pro Mode for drums, guitar, and keyboard; introducing the Rock Band Network; incorporating the triple harmony from Beatles Rock Band, and the pause/resume feature from Lego Rock Band - this is the ultimate culmination of everything that's good or worked with Rock Band. And it's going to be hard to top, even for Harmonix.

And now with the new Fender guitar in my hands, Rock Band has become my guitar instructor and seeing some extended gameplay as I train my fingers. This game will always be in play, through all other future releases.

Portal...finished! (Finally)

2011-04-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a friend's free Steam copy of Portal, I've finally played and finished the game in about a solid 4 hours. Now I've fully fleshing out those "the cake is a lie" references made throughout the years. After playing the original game from start to finish, I'm really looking forward to the sequel coming out this week.

I'm probably one of the few (if not, last) gamers that haven't finished Portal, but at least I've rectified that wrong. It wasn't that I didn't want to play the game - the gameplay concept was so simple and so unique, and executed so elegantly that you'll just have fun screwing around instead of trying to solve the puzzle.

I'm sure I'll kill as much time in the sequel coming out later this week.

It's out, so I'm ready to rock out.

2011-04-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

Now that the stringed Squier Stratocaster is actually in my possession, I'm intimidated. My early years of Guitar Freaks, my days with Guitar Hero, and my many months with Rock Band are meaningless to the real thing. There's no comparison - no more buttons, flicking a poor-excuse-for-a-string plastic bar, and wailing on the solo buttons.

And despite the $279.99 price, my guitar-playing friends assure me that the price is still decent for a Fender guitar, let alone one that is compatible with Rock Band 3. You can't help, however, that the absence of the Midi Pro Adaptor (another $40) was done on purpose to keep the price point below $300.

I'm now moments away from realizing that all my expert mode scores with a plastic guitar will mean shit now. But I'm gonna at least get a poor score on a real guitar.

Fourth time's the charm?

2011-04-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

As a gamer who's bought into the pseudo-fourth generation Nintendo DS (Not counting DSiXL...that's just a DS with steroids), it's a little odd for me to say that I'm comfortable NOT putting a screen protector on the bottom screen. After so many iterations, Nintendo seems to have done it right this time around.

I want to really chalk it up to me being lazy for getting one in the first place, and I'm typically uber-OCD when it comes to scratches on my screens. But the new touch screen has endured many fingerprints and stylus, enough for me to almost never purchase a screen protector again.

For a good week now, all I've used is a microcloth to buff out fingerprints and hardened stains, and the screens remain spotless. The hardware is proving to be quite reliable in endurance, and now only its heavy price-point is what will drive me to add the extra protection.

And, for the record, I only apply screen protectors on the touch screen. Unless you have people that will insist on touching the top screen because they believe both are touch-sensitive, I don't even bother with the top screen.

Generic "3DS has arrived" article, with pics

2011-03-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, I got the new Nintendo 3DS. See picture above.

I also got Super Street Fighter 4: 3D edition. It is also in the picture above.

Can I play now? What? One more pic? Alright.

Who reads these kinds of posts anymore anyways?

Portable gaming = casual gaming

2011-03-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

Let's face it - if you ask people what their favorite casual game they like to play is, most will answer some Facebook game. It's simple, it's fast, and it's only a separate window or tab away from instant 5-minute bursts of gameplay. But what about the other times when you're not smack-dab in front of a computer or laptop? Then you turn to a portable device.

Whether it's a DS, PSP, or even just the iPhone, portable gaming has been engrossing us for some time. And what better way to kill a few minutes on the go than just messing around in some mindless gameplay? But today, I'm not talking about the simple games that you can get away with for minutes at a time - I'm talking about whittling down full games.

You are either a gamer that can sit down for hours and play one game straight, or someone like me, who can only afford to play a game every few minutes. And what you can do in those few minutes, depending on the game, can be limiting. But it seems that many games (whether directly or indirectly) realize this, and portion their game to smaller, bite-sized pieces. They know that portable gamers will have to take out their system, boot/wake it up, get comfortable, and be patient long enough to sit through the intro to play a few minutes more of their games. Please note this - the longer you make gamers wait for the game to load, the higher the chance they'll just turn off the game completely.

Since my time is so scarce, there's only a couple of games I'm currently playing that can optimize what little time I have.

Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days

I continue to play Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days on the DS, spurred only by the thought that the game is canon to the story. Unlike the larger-scale games on the PS2, this DS addition is portioned out in a series of missions that I can choose whatever order to tackle them with. Most of the game has you in a central hub talking to other NPC characters and such, and the other half is embarking on missions that can be as short as 2 minutes - perfect for a quick break. It's these little bites at a time that I'm progressively making progress in the game in hope that I'll finish it soon so I can start up Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.

Pokemon White

Pokemon is one of those games that cater to both hardcore and casual gamers. Hardcore players can (and will) sit for hours leveling up their pokemon to ridiculous levels and clear the game in a solid week. Casual gamers, like myself, will probably take the minutes that we have and engage in the short random battles you encounter in the wild, which can last seconds. So, in 5 minutes worth of time, you can polish off good 20 battles if you're powerful enough.

Pokemon: an unexpected ordeal

2011-03-10T16:00:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday was host to the release of Pokemon Black and White on Nintendo DS, and normally I wouldn't care so much. The last time I played a Pokemon game was Pokemon Platinum, and even then I couldn't get into the game. Maybe it was all the micro-tasking, or the extra quests. So what would compel me to try it again this time around? Rare pokemon.

GameStop had a promotion where you could download Celebi, a rare pokemon, into a previous Pokemon DS game, and the last day for the promotion was this past Sunday - the same day as the launch of the new Pokemon Black and White. In a moment of hesitation, I bought a used Pokemon DS game Saturday to grab Celebi, with the intent of returning the game for a full refund within 7 days after I transfer it to the new game. I even placed a pre-order for the game at GameStop just in case, because my original intent was to pre-order the game from Amazon and get their $10 Gift Certificate.

Then things got complicated.

I thought the transfer of Celebi to the new game would be as easy as turning it on and sending it on its way. Turns out the method of travel would not be unlocked until I earn the first 2 badges. Second, Amazon's delivery of the game (even with 2-day shipping) was scheduled to arrive on Wednesday. Given my already complex work schedule and the 7-day used-game return policy,
earning 2 badges before Saturday was gonna be a feat for me. I had no choice; I bought the pre-order from GameStop.

The way I see it, if I get a 2-day head start in earning the first 2 badges now, I can spread out my gameplay time. At the same time, when my Amazon order arrives, I'll simply use THAT game as my return to GameStop. Hopefully by then, I'll have achieved 2 badges by then, granting me access to the device that will finally allow me to transfer Celebi to the new game, and giving me the green light to get a full refund on the used Pokemon DS game I purchased just to get the free Celebi pokemon in the first place.

Easy, right?

LBP2 level finally published!

2011-01-31T23:22:00.000-08:00

At long last, the second version of this level is complete! I'm trying my best not to monitor the level and just let it sit, but history marks me as an impatient man.

A musical level creation: before and after LBP2

2011-01-31T11:00:00.000-08:00

While everyone out there created unique and personal levels when the first Little Big Planet game came out more than 2 years ago, I spent a solid 2 weeks composing my musical tribute to Chrono Trigger. The game's musical tools took a backseat to all the other creation tools established, giving players the "bare bones" in what they could utilize. Limited instrument selection, one-note emitters, and roughly about 2 octaves worth of notes caused many people like me a large amount of grief in composing our favorite melodies.

But what I thought to be a challenging and near-impossible task became one of my most proud achievements in the first game - to create a musical melody to the ending music of Chrono Trigger - To Far Away Times. With only a few edits to the original song and a single different note to accommodate for the higher-octave note, I published my piano-only tribute to the LBP community.

The game's constraints, however, populated my level to such a degree that I could barely fit anything else in it. Decorations were practically non-existent, with the exception of a couple of stars and the earth, and I offered my pixel-rendition of one of the sprites used in the ending sequence as a prize bubble.

As if to answer the struggles of musical composers from the first game, Little Big Planet 2 gave players a midi sequencer, giving players a large group of instruments to use, all fully-scaled. Even better still, the midi-sequencer has its own limit, meaning that you can fully max out your midi sequencer without having to deal with space issues in your main level for creation.

Today, I'm adding the finishing touches to yet another 2 weeks worth of meticulous assembly and scrutinizing detail in my first published level in Little Big Planet 2, again for the same musical tribute. And the difference in construction vastly improved. To give you a sense of this, here's a quick list comparisons between both 2-week projects in LBP1 and LBP2

LBP1 level - (Entire level ETA 2.5 weeks; 2 weeks for song, half week for graphics and decorations)

Only instrument used was piano, used sheet music and ear as reference.
Scales were ranged to 2-3 octaves, hard to hit really high or low notes.
One note per speaker, so chords were 3-4 times the work.
Most of song made the cut, some parts were cut due to level constraints.
Entire music components made with physical materials, which filled up the level fast.
Had barely enough room left to add a pixel creation as a prize at the end.
Decorations were sparse, and vehicle was a plain box to propel switch that triggered song.

LBP2 level - (Entire level ETA 2 weeks; 1 week for song, 1 week for graphics and camera work)

Composed of 7 different instruments that closely matched the song.
Full-scale octaves, so every high and low note was covered.
Song was completed in its entirety - nothing was cut.
Midi-sequencer had own capacity limit, completely separate from the main level capacity limit.
Not only were all graphical components able to fit the level, but all necessary camera work and coordination were configured and setup in the sequencer.
Entire level is a cut scene, requires no user interaction to enjoy.

Just from the pictures alone, you can see how much cleaner the format is. Everything is laid out and labeled accordingly, and it's so easy to manage. The final product, when it's done, will speak volumes.

Little Big Planet 2...story finished!!

2011-01-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

If you're playing Little Big Planet 2 just as a game, you're missing out on the big picture. While the story mode itself is roughly about 7-8 hrs of gameplay, the levels themselves are so creative that you'll want to play them over and over again in awe. Just think...all the levels that were designed for the game were created with the very same tools at the players' disposal. In a very defiant way, Media Molecule just demonstrated their upgraded toolset with this sequel.

Earning more objects and stickers to use in your own imaginative levels are another incentive to replay the story levels again, especially when some of them require more than one player to achieve.

And even if you're the more reclusive type, there's plenty of levels online by other players that will last you quite some time.

Little Big Planet 2, multiplayer, and counting numbers

2011-01-19T20:43:00.000-08:00

It's only been the second day since Little Big Planet 2 came out and there are already some issues with multiplayer. There's no doubt that Media Molecule must have expected a lot of people to not only hop online to play people's level creations, but to simply just play multiplayer. Connectivity issues were a small problem in the first one, so you'd expect some resolution in the sequel. Unfortunately, within the first two days of the game's launch, the LBP servers must be chugging along, trying to accommodate the high load.

My first attempt at allowing someone to join was cut short promptly with a message saying they left only a minute later. Okay, I thought...fair enough. The person probably wanted to play more of the single player mode first. No biggie.

The second attempt, I became the joinee, trying to join into a game. A loading screen appears, and a loading bar as well. Sure, it's gonna take some time, so I'm willing to wait. And wait. And wait. 30 minutes later, and I just restarted my PS3.

The third try (second attempt as joinee) actually went through...up until right before the level started. Then a message suddenly popped up, telling me the leader kicked me off. For a game built to allow random multiplayer, the majority of online players seem quite persistant to play solo.

The fourth attempt (where someone wanted to join me in my level) was probably the longest and most successful (out of these) attempts...but only because they took forever to get into my level. Possibly I passed one of those markers that didn't allow more sackboys in, but I tried to faithfully wait by one of the spawn points for them to arrive, but they never showed.

I want to play with multiple players so bad, Media Molecule! Why won't you let me??

And one more thing....I enjoy how they tell you how many people are currently playing the story mode levels. Progressing further and further to the later levels, you notice the numbers dropping more and more....as if to suggest that people play single player for only a little bit near the beginning. Take that as you will.

Little Big Planet 2 is here!!

2011-01-18T15:32:00.000-08:00

It took Media Molecule 2 more months, but Little Big Planet 2 is finally here! Unable to resist a collector's edition, I placed this order back last July - that's how much I looked forward to this game. Let's crack this box open and see all the goods!

For an extra $20, it's not too shabby indeed!

Little Big Planet 2 book (or game) ends:

To be honest, I was slightly disappointed at the bookends, but only because I was expecting too much out of them. The picture made them look more sculpted than static, but I guess that's the quality of the image they used. So, to see them as just cardboard prop-ups made me sigh just a little. The shelf ends themselves, however, are pretty sturdy and are built strong enough to support the falling of any games to one side or the other, so I can't complain. Plus, at least there's some uniqueness in their appearance.

Little Big Planet Sackboy plushie:

This was more impressive than I thought. Maybe because the ones I saw in GameStop were slightly smaller than I remembered, but the plushie in this collector's edition is top-notched. With poseable arms and semi-poseable legs, it's not bad for an extra.

[UPDATE]: As quick as I brought this home, my wife kidnapped him and claimed dibs.

Little Big Planet 2 DLC:

This is where the collector's edition gets its stripes - ALL the DLC from all retailers. This is an extreme incentive over getting the game from one vendor than the other. Why separate all the cool DLC when you can just get all in one set?

And....mutliplayer?

Apparently the extra 2 months wasn't enough to catch the misspelling of the word "multiplayer" on the game itself. Though a character that looked like Mutley would be equally as awesome. How 'bout it, Media Molecule?

Little Big Planet 2 anticipation!

2011-01-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

My imagination is bursting off its seams, awaiting the second installment of Little Big Planet! Since its delay from the initial November release date, it's been a long 2 extra months, but the wait will soon be well worth it, I'm sure.

Can't wait for more Stephen Fry voice overs, new tools and gadgets, and a wealth of new community levels just waiting to be created!

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow...finished!

2011-01-03T21:15:00.000-08:00

Gonna start this new year right to get a bunch of posts out of the way, and what better way to start it on the right foot than declaring another finished game on the board.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a great culmination of what a good 3D Castlevania game can be - all the fast-paced whip action you can get, with the right amount of difficulty without making you pull your hair. Even with the collection-like quests to improve your stats and inventory and the extra trials on the side, all of that is still optional and you can finish the game just fine without trying to be a completionist.

For the record, I completed the game once on the Hard difficulty setting. Sure, I died quite a bit, but every death taught me something new, something I could use to my advantage against enemies.

While I'm certain I'm powerful enough to take on some of the earlier levels with ease, it'll probably be some time before I play this game again...at least until the new DLC is released.

Late on posts, just in time for Christmas Cheer!

2010-12-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

For more than a month and a half, work has pretty much consumed most of my time, leaving practically no time for posts. And within those 90+ days, there have been new games added to my library and to my little spare time. I'll probably do some fast and quick posting, but my goal is to get all my posts done before Christmas.

Just so everyone knows what to expect, here's a short list of what posts will be coming in the next couple of days:

- at least 5+ new games
- one game completed
- a gift from Nintendo
- random posts for random rants

And before I probably will forget, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Two new Capcom DS games to occupy my portable time, plus the main course

2010-11-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Amazon's Capcom deals, I binged on a couple of titles that will satisfy some portable itch. The first is Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, a spin-off of the much-popular courtroom drama. Instead of playing a defense attorney, you play as the prosecutioner Miles Edgeworth who, in parallel flair, also sports a female sidekick. In a change of pace, the crime scenes are now walkable rooms to explore and examine, instead of static images as the Phoenix Wright series have relied heavily on in previous installments. Me? I'm just looking for more great story-telling from the long-running series.

The second is Megaman Zero Collection, a collaboration of all 4 games and bonus content into one tiny cartridge. While it's not Megaman himself, the gameplay remains ever as hectic and challenging as any Megaman title to date. Plus, with a beautiful artistic aesthetic, unlocking artwork will be all the more sweeter as you progress through the games.

And finally, one of the most anticipated games I've been looking forward to all year...Rock Band 3, with keyboard. This needs no explanation. I mean, just look at it!

Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary Event, San Francisco

2010-11-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

The streets of San Francisco were alive with Giants fever as they were starting Game 2 of the World Series against the Texas Rangers in their home turf. Fans that were not in the stadium quickly populated nearby bars to catch all the action, including Taverna Avertine. Downstairs, however, there were people that were more than just Giants fans.

Nintendo celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Super Mario Bros. video game on the NES amidst the appropriately-themed brick-and-pipe-lined basement of the bar. Decorations of plush bricks and question mark blocks lay stacked by the bottom of the stairs as I made my descent, and the familiar theme music of World 1-1 and Mario jump flooded my ears. There were 3 TVs hooked up to 25th-anniversary red Wii consoles, all sporting the latest Wii-mote Plus controllers.

The event invited press in a friendly competition to see who could acquire the fastest speed run (best out of three) through World 1-1. It didn't take long for people to figure out the best path to take for the fastest time. However, once people did, everyone was calculating minute details on how to shave off seconds from the timer. Of course, this meant that people were playing WAY more than the "best of 3 runs," but no one seemed to mind the repetition, let alone playing a game that's 25 years old.

Pretty soon, friendly questions on which pipe leads to the underground section and how to tackle the stairs faded, and determination was set in the air. My official end time (after 3 tries) was at 365, or 35 seconds to complete World 1-1. Unofficially, however, my time was 3 seconds faster at 368, or 32 seconds. Andrew, the rep there taking down scores, playfully writes down the latter score, just for the "record."

During the evening, there were small quiz sections where winners received more Mario-themed prizes, but the top prize, a red Wii console, went out to the fastest official speed run for the evening, which turned out to be 366, or 34 seconds. Unofficially, someone eventually completed World 1-1 in 31 seconds, one whole second faster than my personal best! I commend him for his accomplishment, since he practically spent the rest of the evening perfecting his speed run to the most granular detail.

In the end, the event was a spectacular gathering of people who can't, nay refuse to forget a classic game such as Super Mario Bros. There was even a "confessional" chair set up for guests to reminisce and record on video about their first experiences and fondest memories of Mario in their lives. And despite the minor distraction of the Giants winning Game 2 of the series that night, the event made everyone feel like kids again, crowding around a game that reminded us how many of our gaming lives began.

More pictures from the event are below. Enjoy!

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow whips it good.

2010-10-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know how Castlevania: Lords of Shadow slipped past my radar, but it's a game that I completely overlooked. No previews, no reviews, not even a small video of the game in action. That said, after putting in a few hours into the game, I can honestly say I'm absolutely hooked. And I never thought I'd say that about a 3D Castlevania game, too.

Seriously, though...the game is freaken gorgeous. Playing it through on Hard, and it's brutally good.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed...finished!

2010-10-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

While the game was plagued with some of the most terrible bugs I've seen in years, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was still an enjoyable game. I probably did more force grabs than any other Force power available, but could anyone blame me? Yeah, I was a Jedi, I had a lightsaber - but I couldn't chuck it a hundred feet ahead of me, can I?

Despite the sometimes-button-mash gameplay, the story was an interesting one to play out. Being a rogue Jedi and able to take down anyone, whether Rebel or Empire, is liberating. If they're in your way, take 'em out. It's just that simple.

I think, in the end, I'm just glad I'm done with the game. Not for the buggy gameplay, not for the interesting storyline...but simply for the fact that I don't have to see those weird fish-like eyeballs of your main character. Seriously, those are some drug-induced eyes...

The Force Unleashed all over Borderlands

2010-10-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I binged out on some games, so I've decided to tackle two of some games released a while back.

Borderlands: Since no one I know is playing Uncharted 2 online, I've come to an agreement with my Borderlands friend and agreed to play with him co-op if he plays Uncharted 2 co-op with me later.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: The sequel has re-peaked my interest in the franchise again, and Guybrush Threepwood will be a playable character in the game as well! Now THAT'S some LucasArts love there!!

Both Borderlands and Force Unleashed were games I sampled and tried in the past, but just never really got into them. But, in dusting off some games to blow through and play, I thought "what the hell" and gave them another try. And I'm enjoying it!

I think for a while, I was aching for a FPS game to play...to the point of checking out any Modern Warfare or Medal of Honor game. With Borderlands, not only can I satisfy that need, but I can buddy up with my friend online and bust it out co-op!

With Force Unleashed, I think I underestimated the Force...so to speak. Force Pushing guards off cliffs and using it to hurl heavy objects to enemies far away is both intuitive and engrossingly fun! Sure, the fighting is sometimes mindless lightsaber action, but anything to hear the "whoosh" sound it makes as it cuts the air.

By the end of the month, both games will have received some sort of update treatment on retail shelves. Borderlands: GOTY edition has been already released, which contains all 4 DLC content in one game disc. The end of October will see the release of The Force Unleashed 2, so the first game will probably be pushed up the "finished" queue.

Little Big Planet PSP...finished!

2010-10-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

While creating levels is possible in both the PS3 and PSP version, the PSP controls make things a little more complicated in the portable version of Little Big Planet. The game, like its big-brother version, has a decent story going on for it, with regular level progression and item collecting. But the placement of stickers was so painful - to have to hold the L2 trigger button while rotating AND scaling the sticker using only the analog stick? That is beyond annoying.

So this is why this game will only receive my playthrough attention. I'll leave the level creation to its PS3 counterpart, where it's easier to share levels anyways.

Flower...finished!

2010-10-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's just good to play a game just to purely kill time, and that's what Flower allowed me to do. There's no one to kill, no missions to complete, and no cluttered HUD to observe - just going with the flow and riding the wind.

And the game wasn't really begging to be finished. I just found myself idle between games, and thought that I haven't played it in a while. And before I knew it, it's finished.

Flower's calming atmosphere and music are enough for me to return to it again when I need a break from any big-name games. Or if I want some nice and pleasant background on my TV.

Something freaky at Rockband.com...

2010-09-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

I'm all for Rock Band, and am completely looking forward to the third installment coming out October 26th. But right now, if you visit rockband.com, the splash image you see for Snoop Dogg Pack 01 before the video plays out is an oddly-disproportionate head on (what I think is) a drummer's body. Here, take a look for yourself:

Maybe it's just me, but don't you think it's just a bit "muppety"?

Open wide and say "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

New Scott Pilgrim DLC coming in November

2010-09-30T14:34:00.000-07:00

Just when I can't get enough of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game, Ubisoft also decides to reveal that new DLC will be available in November, around the same time the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World movie comes out on DVD/Blu-Ray.

For just a mere $1.99 on PSN, or 160 Microsoft Points on XBLM, Ubisoft plans to add one more character into the roster - Knives Chau - as well as 2 new gameplay modes: Dodgeball mode, and Arena mode. Dodgeball mode, I can imagine, would probably match the stylings of Super Dodgeball of yesteryear. Arena mode, on the other hand, will be more just a simple brawler with weapons sprawled all over the place.

In addition to the DLC, a patch will also be released to resolve some difficulty balancing issues in the game, incorporate drop-in/drop-out co-op, and a slew of other issues.

I never expected any patch, let alone new DLC, to come to this already awesome comic and game. And with my November anticipation already dashed by the delay of Little Big Planet 2, I embrace this news with open arms.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World DVD/Blu-Ray is scheduled to release November 9th.

Beyond Good and Evil Re-Release in HD Next Year

2010-09-30T07:21:00.000-07:00

It's been almost 7 years since Beyond Good and Evil was silently released and generated its own cult following despite poor marketing practices. If you were one of the few that missed out on a well-told game, you're in luck. Ubisoft has revealed that they will be re-releasing the game to the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network sometime in 2011. Not only will it be looking better in 1080p, but the game will sport new character models and textures, a re-mastered soundtrack, and Achievements/Trophies support.

While this is no sequel news, this most assuredly acknowledges the yearn for this game and its characters. I know I've been buzzing about the game's sequel for quite some time.

Tuesday Randomness: Chip

2010-09-28T15:51:00.001-07:00

Drawing was a big hobby of mine when I was young. I drew things from still-life to anime to portraits to....this.

Normally I'm good at writing down the date on my drawings, too. But yeah...I forgot what inspired/compelled me to draw this video-game-console-influenced character. You can even see the erased areas where I made adjustments. And the "Chip" name above was all computer-fied. I'm guessing I was trying to make a friend out of my SNES.

Heck, I just noticed this, but I even included a scribble on it shadowing where the embossed "Nintendo" logo was on the actual system.

I know I wasn't drinking back then, so I'll chalk this up under "childhood boredom." Really, there is no other reason I could think of that would explain this.

Also, the black line on the top was some dust, not some weird antennae sticking from the top.

Enjoy this weird, random image!

WarioWare D.I.Y. Showcase: Everything but the D.I.Y.

2010-09-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

As you know, I just purchased WarioWare D.I.Y. last week for the DS, and it's a great little app to create some of your own WarioWare mini-game creations. Going through the tutorials alone has opened up my eyes to the games a person can create and share.

But, despite the emphasis of sharing games with friends, the sad reality is that not everyone may be invested to purchase the game AND become active in sharing creative content. Which is why I find WarioWare D.I.Y. Showcase to be an ideal solution to show off your creations.

At 800 Wii points (or $8), you get a dedicated channel on your Wii purely to play WarioWare D.I.Y. games. The channel itself comes with its own set of game content that's different from the ones on the DS version. It appears they took a full list of WarioWare games and split it in half - one half going to the DS version, and the other going to the Wii. But while the channel has its own array of games, the heart of it lies in downloading new games to play, whether created by other players or Nintendo.

While new content only surfaces up on a weekly basis, it's still a kick to check out people's creative mini-games. And while there's a limited amount you can download from this mode, the channel really shines when you upload your own content to the channel. This allows you to really show off your creations without forcing your friends to huddle over a small screen to enjoy them.

There are a few setbacks with this WiiWare version of the game. For starters, without the DS game, you're not really getting enough bang for your buck. While there are games there you can play on its own, a large part of content relies on downloads of other people's games and uploads of your own. Another argument is the graphics. Now, knowing that the channel's an accompaniment to the DS game, the games are just blown-up games from the DS version, so there technically IS an inconsistency. However, people just getting the channel by itself will no doubt find the transitions from crisp cartoony graphics to fuzzy, blown-up DS graphics to be annoying. Also, remember that this WiiWare title has NONE of the game-creating elements as its DS version does, so don't purchase it with the intent of creating your own games.

Lastly, paying $8 for a limited amount of content would be considered a waste of cash if you don't have the DS game to pair it with.

Heh, I think I can probably sum up this review with a mini-game!

WarioWare D.I.Y. and creative content

2010-09-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

The month of August for me was very slow indeed. For well over a month, I have left this blog barren and empty, devoid of interesting news or articles. Here are a list of things that can either stand alone or be combined to explain my absense:

-Tons of work
-Hot days of summer making me sleep more
-Lack of interesting games that came out (I'll pretend that Metroid: Other M never was released)
-New cat (5 months old)
-Being creative

That last one is of particular interest because I've re-invested my love for games that allow creative content. There's no feeling out there quite like the feeling you get when you see your own ideas come to life in a level you create from the ground up. And while I did get some gaming done during my month-long hiatus, a majority of the time spent was with Little Big Planet.

Remember when I mentioned a long, long time ago that Little Big Planet has lots of replay value, and that it never gets old as long as there are good ideas? Well, firing up the community servers in-game, I still find lots of people creating absolutely incredible levels - levels that just simply blow your mind! I mean, people are not only creating great levels to play, but adding their own community keys in the levels for a player to continue the adventure, because there is still more levels to tell the story! And there's so much talent out there that these levels are more impressive that the original game's levels!

It's because of this creative surge that I went ahead and got myself WarioWare D.I.Y., which gives players the ability to make short 3-second mini-game in the same vein as the popular WarioWare franchise. All you need is a background, some objects, background music, and some simple actions, and you have an instant game! As simple as that sounds, you'd be surprised how creative these "games" can get.

Let's see what I can make!

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game...finished!!

2010-08-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've read the comics, I've watched the movie, and now I've played the game, which is a small mix of both, with a bit of Paul Robertson weirdness thrown in. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game is a visual blend of references pulled from everything in general and slapped into a "River-City Ransom"-esque game allowing 4-player co-op in the same room. And the game plays splendidly...when it works.

What probably bothered me the most was the game's inconsistent save feature. At times, I would progress a full 6 levels and then go back to the world map, then power out. When I returned to the game, that 6 levels of progression are wiped clean when I returned. After some OCD, I left my save demons to rest only after verifying through clean exit to the title screen before returning to the game. No game should exit without an exhaustive test of the save feature, and it's sad to see a game so awesome like this get neglected in that department.

Another annoying feature is the lag the game sometimes had when trying to access the pause menu at times, sometimes reaching as long as a full 3 seconds before anything would register. Add to that one game freeze so far, and the whole thing would've been a recipe for disaster if it was a game I didn't absolutely love.

The game is initially slow to get the ball rolling, and, if you have a short temper, can be quite frustrating to deal with. Your character starts with a simple jump and set of attacks, and all your stats are zero to begin with, so you will get beat up, and fast. It's not until you take advantage of all the stat-building items you can purchase before you can really enjoy the game for what it's worth - a really awesome street brawler with TONS of enemies. You have stats for your strength, defense, speed, and willpower, all of which can be leveled up (maximum 100 points) through items purchased throughout the game. But it takes more than increased stats to give you a fighting edge; you'll need extra moves, and those are acquired over time as you level up. From performing dash attacks to double-jumping, you will amass a vast array of attacks against any enemy.

And all the moves you learn are practical. Initially you only have a simple block and your attacks, so you have no choice but to go on the offensive. Later on, you develop stronger attacks, and even an evade and recovery ability to keep you in the fight longer. I went from being completely offensive to holding a defense first to performing evade tactics first before anything. Before I knew it, I took out large groups of enemies in no time.

Did I forget to add that a joystick makes the experience even more arcade-y? Like, say, a Street Fighter IV TE joystick? I've grown so accustomed to the stick that I fumble horribly on a regular controller now.

Finally, to those people that won't play/buy the game because of the lack of online co-op...GET OVER YOURSELF!! The game stands to be one of those great games you can play again and again by yourself, and is an absolute blast to play with 2 or more people IN THE SAME ROOM!! Who wants to deal with people that jump online to play a little bit, only to exit unexpectedly just to fuck you over? At least if everyone's in the same room, you can use something called a "pause" button and resume back into gameplay. But to deny a game because of its lacking online possibilities is very selfish of ANY gamer.

Overall, despite the games shortcomings, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game is one that, for a measly $10, will give any gamer wonderful visual easter eggs, awesome 8-bit music, and plenty of replay value. You'd be denying yourself a stellar game if you didn't pick this up.

Paul Robertson + Anamanaguchi = Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game

2010-08-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

That's the only thing I should say to people to convince them that Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game is awesome - both eye and ear candy! Oh, and there's 4-player simultaneous ass-kicking. C'mon!

Did I forget to mention that the game is only $10 on PSN now?

Oh, and don't let the "no online 4-player co-op" scare you away from this purchase. Why does a game absolutely need online for it to validate a purchase?? I mean:

It's Paul Robertson. He's been making made-up video-game videos for some time, it's about time one of them became real!
It's Anamanaguchi! Awesome 8-bit music and mixes. If you haven't listened to Dawn Metropolis, I urge you to check them out!

I've said my peace. Now I'm going to defeat some evil exes.

DeathSpank...finished!

2010-08-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

I finally completed DeathSpank over the weekend, with 100% in trophies to boot. I think DeathSpank falls in a category of those people who are fans of the creator, much like how Brutal Legend was great for those that were fans of Tim Schafer and his works. Players who enjoyed Ron Gilbert’s Monkey Island series and humor will enjoy the wit that gets tossed around in DeathSpank.

As fun and enjoyable the game was, there were, however, large amounts of grinding and item gathering. And while the humor was great, they were nestled in small morsels mostly at the beginning and near the end, leaving the entire game in the middle almost devoid of any elaborate humor. I had an awesome time in the beginning and end with lengthy random conversations with the NPCs, but the people in-between had little or nothing to say to keep the humor mill running.

The gameplay was also a bit unbalanced overall. While there were plenty of weapons to equip and use, all you really need is a good melee weapon, one or two weapons with special powers, and a really good crossbow. Sadly, most of my battles were spent doing ranged attacks at a safe distance. And even if I received damage, the food system was so terribly broken that I never really found a need to use potions, except during boss battles when I don’t have 8 seconds to consume food.

The game does give you a variety of weapons to use, and tries to enforce level restrictions and elemental improvements for its usage. But the hero cards that allow you to use equipment 1-2 levels higher than your current level defeat the former, and any stronger melee damage defeats the latter. And the only indicator you have that any elemental weapon is NOT working is the word “resist” above the enemy only AFTER you attack. The game could have used some enemy log to keep track of weaknesses or something.

The special runes are probably the most underrated items used in the game. They grant players to combine the use of two special weapons used at the same time for a greater combined effect. But, with an inventory system largely focused on a visual format, the runes surprisingly come with text descriptions on what to use.

Don’t forget that this is a Ron Gilbert game, and nothing would be complete without any puzzle-solving elements. Sadly, this felt a little lacking – almost like a half-finished Monkey Island game. I had items in my inventory that I almost NEVER used, making me wonder if I had truly finished all of the side quests. And believe me, I completed a HEFTY amount of them.

Despite my gripes with the game, the battles were solid and fun, and who doesn’t like going around taking out swarms of enemies at once? For a $15 experience, I think it would’ve been a better value at $10. But, considering it has been about 15 days since I bought the game, it was worth the $1-per-day to enjoy the game for what it’s worth.