Playing Games the Wrong Way.
by alzabo
Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2008When I got older my friends and I would try to best each other's accomplishments on NES. Many of the games had built in "yard sticks" for player skill, Metroid rewarded speedy play with bonus ending content and Super Mario Brothers 2 had hidden levels for expert players. Recent games are no different, with Xbox Live Achievement Points and PSN Trophies.
I don't have any complaints about these modern revisions of classic game extending modes and competitions. I just hope that the artificial creation of extended game play goals doesn't end up killing the idea of "screwing around" in a game just because.
When a player has extracted all the achievement points he can from a game, do they never return to it? I've started to notice this happening lately to games that should have absurd levels of replay value. I wonder if the current generation of games will have speed run communities build up around them?
What happened to the player "making their own fun?" What do you think?
This was all just an excuse for me to post this comic. Article Permalink
METAL GEAR?!
by alzabo
Posted on Friday, June 13, 2008
I Have Metal Geat Solid 4, but the PS3 I was hoping to use to play it is 500 miles away.
Until I can play the game I'm trying to avoid spoilers by playing Persona 3: FES. I must admit I bought the game on a lark, using a gift card that had been languishing for 3+ months in my gift card pile. However, it's turned out to be the best RPG I've played in a decade.
Yes, this is the best RPG I've played since Final Fantasy Tactics. Having never played a Persona game before, I find the battle system and dynamic rogue-like dungeons entertaining and surprisingly grind free. The non-dungeon portion of the game plays like a dating game without being lame. However I must admit that I would be embarrassed to play this game in front of other people while walking around the in-game high school flirting with animu women.
The game's art direction and music are excellent, the art direction in Persona 3 is distinct and in-game environments are vibrant; the game's menus themselves are quite a sight to behold, I spent 15 minutes in the menus during the first 90 minutes of the game simply using them to watch them unfold and explode with color and art. The music is a Japanese ambient hip-hop blend that never overpowers the player, accentuating the action in dungeons and adding a sorely needed rhythm to the school life sections of the game.
While I am obviously gushing and have not completed the game yet, I do feel that Persona 3 is worth a look if you've got the time. I suppose my temporary lack of PS3 is a blessing in disguise, it's allowed me to give my undivided attention to a game that had previously been assigned to my disturbingly large "unplayed games" pile. Article Permalink
Why Rock Band Rocks (And Guitar Hero 3 Sucks)
by K1
Posted on Friday, November 30, 2007
(disclaimer: when I say Guitar Hero 3 sucks I say this in relation to Guitar Hero 1 and 2 and Rock Band. The core Guitar Hero gameplay is there, but Neversoft dropped the ball in regards to what makes a must-own guitar hero game, making GH3 just an okay one.)Things I like about Rock Band:
Note charts that don't destroy your hands with CONSTANT 3-button chords
Seriously, GH3 has this strange idea that lots of 3-button chords are a good thing. Fuck that shit. Once in a while is fine, but that shit will destroy your hands way more than crazy solos.
Strict (but fair) note timing and a HO/PO system like GH2
For those of you that don't know this, the hammer-on/pull-off timing in Guitar Hero 3 is way more forgiving than GH2 and Rock Band. I don't quite understand the point of making the timing less strict then adding incredibly complicated note charts. Maybe it's some kind of high end difficulty inflation going on, but it sure makes it hard to go back to GH2 or Rock Band where the timing is more strict.
Extensive character customization and band customization
Once you fully explore the depths of the Rock Band character editor do you see how much you can do. I'm sure people have messed with the tattoo/face paint maker and the band logo maker, but did you know you can edit instruments and clothing the same way? Plus the fact that you can layer, move, rotate, stretch, and change the colors of the extensive library of stickers means there's some crazy customizing that you can do.
All that little touches that make playing with a group fun
Harmonix put a lot of love into this title, and you can tell. The loading screen faux band covers that are generated for your band? Awesome. The myriad of animations and camera effects that play in the background are awesome. The freeze-frame "Yay!" look each band member gets when you save someone who failed? hilarious. They way the lead singer crowd surfs and the way the audience sings along with the lyrics when the band is doing particularly well just adds to the flavor that you are playing as a band. Animations that actually match what you are doing (the singer's lip syncing in particular)? this shouldn't be amazing, but compared to how other games do it, it is.
That little meter that shows you how many stars you have and how close you are to the next one
It really encourages teamwork and putting that effort in to reach that next star.
The guitar solo system
It's just the right touch to add a new wrinkle to how the guitar is played, and adds flavor to the instrument that people might be tired of playing since it's been around more than the others. Plus, it lets people know when to pay attention to the guitar instead of the vocals :V
Drums are fucking hard
All the more satisfying it will make it when I finish Expert Drums Solo Career.
Being able to buy and download new songs one at a time
It would be really nice to be able to preview songs before you download, but I guess that's what Youtube is for. At least they don't force you to download song packs with songs you don't want, and when they do have a pack it's optional and at a discount compared to just getting the individual songs. Approximately $1.50 a song is fair price and since I've played the stock songs extensively already, so it's great how fresh it keeps the game.
Things I hate about Guitar Hero 3:
3-button chords can go to hell
See above.
All the extra crap they added for singleplayer
The ONE thing everyone hates about Guitar Hero is having to play the singleplayer game to unlock all the songs, and AGAIN at each difficulty to unlock the secret guitars. Aside from practice mode to get to hard parts down, the real appeal of Guitar Hero is the social experience of two player versus/co-op or playing with others to show of your skills (tournaments, parties, whatever).
Boss battles are stupid and pointless
Again, it's more pointless single player crap that gets played once, then the rest of the game's life is spent in quickplay or multiplayer. There isn't even much strategy to it: save up a bunch of powers then unleash them all in a row to make the other person fail during a part with a lot of notes. At least they released the songs as a free download pack, I guess if you want to play a song that's all solos there you go.
They replaced Pandora with Midori
Midori is a stupid character that has no place in a Guitar Hero game. In addition, they removed a character I actually liked. Why? They also made Judy Nails look like she's been taking steroids (or was previously a man). Admittedly, the quirky art style of the Guitar Hero games was one of its weak points, but at least it didn't detract from the game. They've somehow made it worse, which amazes me, really.
I could easily go into detail about the song choices and such, but there are plenty of reviews out there, and this is more of a hands-on report of details reviews might not emphasize. In conclusion, I feel that Guitar Hero 3 is an okay purchase for Guitar Hero fans, and Rock Band is a must-buy for anyone who likes music games and likes having/making friends. Article Permalink
It’s “Casting a shadow upon my floor”
by alzabo
Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2007
Ok, it’s not mine; it belongs to my brother. But it sits next to my Wii in our living room, hooked up to the HDtv, looming over the diminutive Wii like the Monolith from Auther C. Clarke’s famous novel. The conversations I’ve had with people about having it in my house are far more fun and interesting than actually playing it. Hold on, lets get the clichés out of the way. . .
Boring PS3 Facts:
1: FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETY NINE US DOLLARS (or soon to be) FIVE HUNDRED AND NINETY NINE US DOLLARS
2: (lol) BROWN
3: The best game for it is Folding@Home
It’s hard to describe the response people have when they see the George Forman Grill in my living room. My knee jerk response that it belongs to my brother doesn’t quell their ire, I usually have to explain the situation that led to the Grills arrival. My brother got it for $250 and some old car stereo equipment. Even with that explanation, most people still curl their lips and roll their eyes, I can see it written on their faces: “What a rip-off.”
I often liken Sony’s Folly to "The Raven" of Poe.
“But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow will he leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bird said, `Nevermore.' “
I honestly think this every time I see that damned thing sitting next to my TV gathering dust. A proverbial albatross around my neck, placed there for some past mistake that I cannot remember. . .
I’ll level with you, I’ve lost interest in writing this. I care so little about the PS3 that I can’t even be bothered to keep making fun of it.
“. . . And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,” I fear the PS3's curse shall be lifted -nevermore.
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