Yeah, I beat LittleBIGPlanet. It wasn't all that hard, the story mode is only about 8 hours long. I've been playing user-created levels for a while, and I found what is now one of my favorite levels, purely for originality: a working Pac-Man level. It's absolutely fantastic. I'm also hoping to write a review on LBP soon, so keep an eye out for that.
I've got to get in the bed now. I've been up for 22 hours and I'm freaking tired.
EDIT: OH FUCKING SHIT NANO STARTS TOMORROW OH SHIT I HAVE NOTHING PLANNED
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Review: Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS)
The Guitar Hero games on consoles have always been hit, both critically and commercially. Guitar Hero: On Tour for the Nintendo DS was a little different. Some reviewers loved it, some didn't like it very much, but nevertheless it sold over 300,000 units in the first week. In my opinion, it's a decent start for the franchise in it's transition to handhelds.
First, let's talk about the hardware. Guitar Hero: On Tour comes with the Guitar Hero Guitar Grip peripheral which plugs into the DS' GBA slot. It also comes with a cool guitar pick-shaped stylus which fits into a convenient slot on the Grip. I don't know if they still come with this, but when I got my copy of the game (I got it within the first week it was released), it came with a really cool Guitar Hero Collectible Harmonica. Seriously.
I hear a lot of people get cramps in their hands from the Grip, but I never had that problem. My problem was that my wrist started to get stiff after a while, but that's to be expected I guess. Another problem that a lot of people (including me) have is that, especially in the faster songs, everything can get too hectic and the Grip can slide out of the GBA slot, thus ending the game and forcing you to reboot your DS. It doesn't happen too often, but it happens more than it should. The last major control problem is on the faster songs when you have to strum a ton of notes really fast, the touch screen can be quite unresponsive.
The first thing you'll notice about the Grip is that it only has 4 buttons, as opposed to the regular 5 buttons on the console versions. This may sound like a bad thing, but take it from me, 4 buttons is plenty. If there were 5 buttons, not only would you be straining your had to reach all of them (either that or the buttons would have to be smaller, and they're already hard enough to hit as it is), but it would just be chaotic.
Now, for the software. This definitely feels like a Guitar Hero game. It may not always feel responsive and the Grip may be a little different than what most people are used to, but the gameplay is totally Guitar Hero, and it is a mobile version worthy of the Guitar Hero name.
The Set List in On Tour isn't quite as strong as it could be, though. There are only 26 songs total (only one of those is an unlockable song), and several of the songs are a little unorthodox by typical Guitar Hero standards (This Love by Maroon 5 and Stray Cat Strut by Stray Cats stand out a little), but there are some decent songs in there. All songs, however are brought down a notch by bad audio quality. Maybe the developers ran out of room on the DS card and had to compress everything, I don't know. I just know that the audio quality could have been a lot better.
As you know if you've played any other Guitar Hero games, to initiate Star Power, you either hit Select on the Guitar, or just tilt the neck up. Since neither the DS nor the Grip has an accelerometer and it would be near impossible to hit Select in the middle of a song, the developers decided to remedy this by forcing you to blow (or you can do what it says to do in the tutorial and yell "ROCK OUT!") into the microphone. This is both awkward and occasionally ineffective.
On Tour also has a few characters returning from previous GH games, and a couple of new characters, too. The game also features Local Mulitplayer, but seeing as I never go anywhere and know no-one, I have yet to test this.
So, Guitar Hero: On Tour is not a perfect game. Far from it. It's not a terrible game, but it definitely could have been better. It is no Guitar Hero III replacement, but it's not a bad mobile version, as long as it's not played for too long at a time (for both your wrist and/or hands, and your sanity), and it get a little repetitive. 3 out of 5.
First, let's talk about the hardware. Guitar Hero: On Tour comes with the Guitar Hero Guitar Grip peripheral which plugs into the DS' GBA slot. It also comes with a cool guitar pick-shaped stylus which fits into a convenient slot on the Grip. I don't know if they still come with this, but when I got my copy of the game (I got it within the first week it was released), it came with a really cool Guitar Hero Collectible Harmonica. Seriously.
I hear a lot of people get cramps in their hands from the Grip, but I never had that problem. My problem was that my wrist started to get stiff after a while, but that's to be expected I guess. Another problem that a lot of people (including me) have is that, especially in the faster songs, everything can get too hectic and the Grip can slide out of the GBA slot, thus ending the game and forcing you to reboot your DS. It doesn't happen too often, but it happens more than it should. The last major control problem is on the faster songs when you have to strum a ton of notes really fast, the touch screen can be quite unresponsive.
The first thing you'll notice about the Grip is that it only has 4 buttons, as opposed to the regular 5 buttons on the console versions. This may sound like a bad thing, but take it from me, 4 buttons is plenty. If there were 5 buttons, not only would you be straining your had to reach all of them (either that or the buttons would have to be smaller, and they're already hard enough to hit as it is), but it would just be chaotic.
Now, for the software. This definitely feels like a Guitar Hero game. It may not always feel responsive and the Grip may be a little different than what most people are used to, but the gameplay is totally Guitar Hero, and it is a mobile version worthy of the Guitar Hero name.
The Set List in On Tour isn't quite as strong as it could be, though. There are only 26 songs total (only one of those is an unlockable song), and several of the songs are a little unorthodox by typical Guitar Hero standards (This Love by Maroon 5 and Stray Cat Strut by Stray Cats stand out a little), but there are some decent songs in there. All songs, however are brought down a notch by bad audio quality. Maybe the developers ran out of room on the DS card and had to compress everything, I don't know. I just know that the audio quality could have been a lot better.
As you know if you've played any other Guitar Hero games, to initiate Star Power, you either hit Select on the Guitar, or just tilt the neck up. Since neither the DS nor the Grip has an accelerometer and it would be near impossible to hit Select in the middle of a song, the developers decided to remedy this by forcing you to blow (or you can do what it says to do in the tutorial and yell "ROCK OUT!") into the microphone. This is both awkward and occasionally ineffective.
On Tour also has a few characters returning from previous GH games, and a couple of new characters, too. The game also features Local Mulitplayer, but seeing as I never go anywhere and know no-one, I have yet to test this.
So, Guitar Hero: On Tour is not a perfect game. Far from it. It's not a terrible game, but it definitely could have been better. It is no Guitar Hero III replacement, but it's not a bad mobile version, as long as it's not played for too long at a time (for both your wrist and/or hands, and your sanity), and it get a little repetitive. 3 out of 5.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Fallout 3 and LittleBIGPlanet Both Totally Rock
LittleBIGPlanet finally came in the mail today, and it's even better than the Beta was. Fallout 3 is still freaking awesome, too. In fact, I got several screenshots of the game (Click to enlarge (That's what she said)):
This is (probably) the first town you will find after leaving Vault 101, Megaton:
This is what I can only imagine is a horribly mutated cow, called a Brahmin:
I went in the women's restroom in Megaton to see if I could find anything worth stealing. This was all I found. Why are women's restrooms always so much fancier?
And then I took a couple of landscape shots for scale. If you look really hard (That's what she said), you can see what I think are the remains of the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument (the game takes place in and just outside of a post-apocalyptic Washington DC):
This is (probably) the first town you will find after leaving Vault 101, Megaton:
This is what I can only imagine is a horribly mutated cow, called a Brahmin:
I went in the women's restroom in Megaton to see if I could find anything worth stealing. This was all I found. Why are women's restrooms always so much fancier?
And then I took a couple of landscape shots for scale. If you look really hard (That's what she said), you can see what I think are the remains of the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument (the game takes place in and just outside of a post-apocalyptic Washington DC):
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
So Overwhelmed
I just realized that NaNo starts in like 4 days...and I have NOTHING planned. I don't think I'll be able to make a single story stretch out to 50k words, so I may just write several short stories. I don't know.
I bought Fallout 3 today, and so far, this game fucking rocks. I haven't played much of it, because one of my friends started talking to me, but what I did play was great.
I bought Fallout 3 today, and so far, this game fucking rocks. I haven't played much of it, because one of my friends started talking to me, but what I did play was great.
Monday, October 27, 2008
5 A.M. Ramblings
Oh God, I'm so freaking tired. I've been up since like, noon, and I've been trying to sleep for at least two hours. Nothing worth watching comes on TV on the weekends, so my DVR is empty. I could play a game, but that would keep me up. I have a lasagna TV dinner in the microwave right now. Why the hell do I have to stir the pasta and the sauce separately? Okay, the microwave is dinging and I'm uber-tired, so I need to go.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
[Untitled]
Man, there are so many games coming out (or have already come out, or were supposed to have come out. I'm looking at you, LBP) that I really want. I started playing Fable (the first one) recently. I've had the game for months, I tried to play it once, but was put off by it's really long "tutorial" type of thing (it's probably an hour or so before you actually get to play the game), but I'm really liking it this time through. Anyway, there's several games that I can think of right off the top of my head (Fallout 3, LittleBIGPlanet, Fable 2, Left 4 Dead, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Guitar Hero: World Tour, etc.), but I don't know how I can scrape up enough money to get them (have enough for LBP (I have it preordered) and Fallout 3, and possibly another, but I still need to start spending my money better).
I also have several game reviews in the works, so keep an eye out.
I also have several game reviews in the works, so keep an eye out.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Strange AIM Messages and General Bullshittery
I don't normally get random AIM or Skype messages, and when I do, it's usually just an ad or something, so I respond with "Fuck off" or "Go Fuck yourself" or something like that. Today was a little different. I got the strangest message I've ever gotten.
Then, I tried to look at one of my buddies info. She didn't have any, but there was a GoogleAd on the page, and I don't think I've ever read so much bullshittery:
EDIT: I just saw another ad saying the Britney Spears has an IQ of 137...now THAT is true bullshittery.
OppositeCoho is offline and will receive your IMs when signing back in.
OppositeCoho (5:01:03 PM): Ever watched a marmot bite a lamb to death while blindfolded? No? Well, you're sure in for a treat!
OppositeCoho signed off at 10:47:34 AM.
[My AIM username] (10:50:18 AM): What the hell is a Marmot?
[My AIM username] (10:50:31 AM): But I don't really care
[My AIM username] (10:50:53 AM): Seeing lambs get bitten to death by anything is pretty kickass
Then, I tried to look at one of my buddies info. She didn't have any, but there was a GoogleAd on the page, and I don't think I've ever read so much bullshittery:
EDIT: I just saw another ad saying the Britney Spears has an IQ of 137...now THAT is true bullshittery.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Even More Oblivion
When I got Oblivion for the 360 several months ago (I think it was around last Christmas), I liked it. It wasn't my favorite game by any means, but I liked it. A few months ago, I got it for the PC (the version I find superior, mainly for all the mods), and I didn't play it much. Actually, I'm not sure I even made it out of the tutorial "level". I find the tutorial to be pretty bland. Not even Patrick Stewart was enough badassery to save it.
When I got my new PC last month, I had pretty much forgot about Oblivion, at least up until about a week ago. Man, am I glad I started playing again. I never realized how much fun this game actually is, and I don't even usually like RPGs (I want to like them, but there are very few that I do like. All the Pokemon game up until Ruby and Sapphire (with the exception of FireRed and LeafGreen) and Oblivion are the standouts of my favorite RPGs). Maybe it's because I'm not playing a weak character this time through. I usually play a weak Thief or a sad attempt at a Mage, but this time I chose to play as a Spellsword, which combines Spellcasting and Swords (duh), so I am pretty powerful.
Also, I chose to use Heavy Armor this time through, so I don't have to just stick to Chainmail and other crap like that. I also got a pretty badass Glass Sword:
I'm currently level 13, Arena Grand Champion, halfway through the Dead Drop quests for the Dark Brotherhood, almost done with the Thieves Guild quests, not very far in the Fighter's Guild, and I still haven't joined the Mages Guild. I keep trying to continue with the main storyline, but there's just so many goddang sidequests, and I just get distracted.
When I got my new PC last month, I had pretty much forgot about Oblivion, at least up until about a week ago. Man, am I glad I started playing again. I never realized how much fun this game actually is, and I don't even usually like RPGs (I want to like them, but there are very few that I do like. All the Pokemon game up until Ruby and Sapphire (with the exception of FireRed and LeafGreen) and Oblivion are the standouts of my favorite RPGs). Maybe it's because I'm not playing a weak character this time through. I usually play a weak Thief or a sad attempt at a Mage, but this time I chose to play as a Spellsword, which combines Spellcasting and Swords (duh), so I am pretty powerful.
Also, I chose to use Heavy Armor this time through, so I don't have to just stick to Chainmail and other crap like that. I also got a pretty badass Glass Sword:
I'm currently level 13, Arena Grand Champion, halfway through the Dead Drop quests for the Dark Brotherhood, almost done with the Thieves Guild quests, not very far in the Fighter's Guild, and I still haven't joined the Mages Guild. I keep trying to continue with the main storyline, but there's just so many goddang sidequests, and I just get distracted.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Two Months Already?
Yeah, so today is my two month "blogiversary". I've blogged at least once a day for the past two months, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Yay for me, sucks for you.
Review: Portal: Still Alive (X360)
Back at E3 '08, VALVe surprised and excited many gamers by announcing Portal: Still Alive, and expansion for the award-winning Portal, which was one of the five fantastic games in The Orange Box. The day has finally come, and Portal: Still Alive is finally released.
First: Portal by itself was an absolutely fantastic game. It was fun, challenging and humorous all at the same time. The Portal Gun was something that hadn't been seen in games before. You played as Chell, a female Test Subject for Aperture Science. Throughout the game, you were guided by the often witty and sarcastic GLADoS, a talking supercomputer who would taunt, threaten and applaud you, sometimes all at once.
Portal: Still Alive is not a full-out sequel. It's an expansion of sorts. It adds 14 new Challenge Maps in the game, all of which amazingly creative and super fun to play. The maps are based off a fan-made map pack which was based on Portal: The Flash Version, so if you play through P:TFV, you not only get the general gist of Portal itself, but you also get a sneak-peek of sorts at P:SA.
Since it's based on the Flash version, which had several hazards that weren't in the original Portal, a few of those hazards are in P:SA. In turn, P:SA "feels" a lot different than Portal. P:SA requires an entirely different way of solving the puzzles, so you'll have to learn to "Think With Portals" all over again. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad thing. The thing that I always liked about Portal was that it never seemed to get so frustrating that I would want to quit, and the same goes for P:SA. Even though it can get frustrating, it's never too much.
Now for the bad. For one, it's an Xbox Live exclusive, at least for a while. It's also the biggest XBLA game right now (it's about 630Mb). This isn't necessarily bad, but it can take up quite a bit of space if you don't have a very big Hard Drive. Next, since it's basically just a Map Pack, GLADoS isn't in any of the 14 new Challenge Maps. A lot of people will say that since it doesn't have GLADoS, then it's no good. That is not true. It's still amazingly fun, just not as humorous. The last thing is a problem that everyone had with the first: it's ridiculously short. Most people can beat Portal in about 3 hours. I beat P:SA in a little over two.
Portal: Still Alive is a fantastic game, and an even more fantastic deal. 1,200 Microsoft Points ($15) may seem a little steep, but it's well worth it. If you haven't played Portal then this is a definite buy, and if you have played it, then you should still buy this, as even though it contributes nothing to the storyline, it's still a fantastic game, and on top of that, the original Portal in it's entirety is also in there. 5 out of 5.
First: Portal by itself was an absolutely fantastic game. It was fun, challenging and humorous all at the same time. The Portal Gun was something that hadn't been seen in games before. You played as Chell, a female Test Subject for Aperture Science. Throughout the game, you were guided by the often witty and sarcastic GLADoS, a talking supercomputer who would taunt, threaten and applaud you, sometimes all at once.
Portal: Still Alive is not a full-out sequel. It's an expansion of sorts. It adds 14 new Challenge Maps in the game, all of which amazingly creative and super fun to play. The maps are based off a fan-made map pack which was based on Portal: The Flash Version, so if you play through P:TFV, you not only get the general gist of Portal itself, but you also get a sneak-peek of sorts at P:SA.
Since it's based on the Flash version, which had several hazards that weren't in the original Portal, a few of those hazards are in P:SA. In turn, P:SA "feels" a lot different than Portal. P:SA requires an entirely different way of solving the puzzles, so you'll have to learn to "Think With Portals" all over again. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad thing. The thing that I always liked about Portal was that it never seemed to get so frustrating that I would want to quit, and the same goes for P:SA. Even though it can get frustrating, it's never too much.
Now for the bad. For one, it's an Xbox Live exclusive, at least for a while. It's also the biggest XBLA game right now (it's about 630Mb). This isn't necessarily bad, but it can take up quite a bit of space if you don't have a very big Hard Drive. Next, since it's basically just a Map Pack, GLADoS isn't in any of the 14 new Challenge Maps. A lot of people will say that since it doesn't have GLADoS, then it's no good. That is not true. It's still amazingly fun, just not as humorous. The last thing is a problem that everyone had with the first: it's ridiculously short. Most people can beat Portal in about 3 hours. I beat P:SA in a little over two.
Portal: Still Alive is a fantastic game, and an even more fantastic deal. 1,200 Microsoft Points ($15) may seem a little steep, but it's well worth it. If you haven't played Portal then this is a definite buy, and if you have played it, then you should still buy this, as even though it contributes nothing to the storyline, it's still a fantastic game, and on top of that, the original Portal in it's entirety is also in there. 5 out of 5.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
I Feel Überw00t Right Now
Holy shit. I just got the PUSA newsletter, and I have been overcome with awesome. New music video, upcoming EP album, and a fucking Rock Band 2 Track Pack! Hot damn, I can't breathe.
Side note: Shit, my speakers just fell of the wall. I started peeling the duct-tape...and I'm not sure if some paint came off with it. Oh well, these walls are white anyway (or off-white at least).
Man, this post wasn't as long as I thought it would be.
I had a dream last night...I don't remember the first part, but in the last part, I was in Nevada, it was in the year 2000, close to the presidential elections. John Kerry was there, and he was really short. Frankie Muniz was also there (I have to stop watching Malcolm in the Middle before I go to sleep), and he was taste-testing bean dip. Whenever he would say it needed something added, John Kerry would run out and get it.
...
I've never put much thought into the myth(?) that eating before bed gives you strange dreams, but I don't know now.
P.S. I am the fastest pee-er I know. Faster than both ACDude800 and FranceFreak.
Side note: Shit, my speakers just fell of the wall. I started peeling the duct-tape...and I'm not sure if some paint came off with it. Oh well, these walls are white anyway (or off-white at least).
Man, this post wasn't as long as I thought it would be.
I had a dream last night...I don't remember the first part, but in the last part, I was in Nevada, it was in the year 2000, close to the presidential elections. John Kerry was there, and he was really short. Frankie Muniz was also there (I have to stop watching Malcolm in the Middle before I go to sleep), and he was taste-testing bean dip. Whenever he would say it needed something added, John Kerry would run out and get it.
...
I've never put much thought into the myth(?) that eating before bed gives you strange dreams, but I don't know now.
P.S. I am the fastest pee-er I know. Faster than both ACDude800 and FranceFreak.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
An Exerpt From Game Informer
Top Ten Things We're Neglecting While We Play All The Great Holiday Games
10 - Our dog Fido, who can probably just eat in January
9 - Christmas Shopping; Seven Eleven is a godsend on Christmas Day
8 - Car maintenance; overrated, if you ask us
7 - Heating bills, which probably aren't important in the winter
6 - That gaping bullet wound
5 - Our jobs - this issue was originally slated to be 300 pages long
4 - Parole officer; what are they gonna do, throw us in jail?
3 - Your whiny emails - zing!
2 - The ever-widening expanse of space and time as the universe balloons outward
1 - The Wii
I thought that was funny, had to post it.
Monday, October 20, 2008
More Oblivion
Well, I'm level 9, and I'm Grand Champion of the Arena, I just got to the level of The Dark Brotherhood where I can access the sanctuary from the well, I'm not very far in the Fighter Guild, and I haven't even joined the Mages Guild (and I won't until I complete The Dark Brotherhood). I've played Oblivion on the 360 and had two characters, but neither one was as powerful as the character I've been playing (Pruane, named after the YouTuber Pruane2Forever). Pruane is a Dark Elf Spellsword, so while I mainly use a one-handed sword, I have some pretty good spells, too.
The night before last I had a strange dream. I was in the game Dead Rising, but there were several more friendly characters than in the real game, and the AI was substantially better. The weird thing was, my allies were mostly old Sunday School teachers and celebrities I've heard of maybe once or twice. Such a strange dream.
Then last night, I had a dream that LittleBIGPlanet wasn't delayed a week. But alas, twas a dream.
The night before last I had a strange dream. I was in the game Dead Rising, but there were several more friendly characters than in the real game, and the AI was substantially better. The weird thing was, my allies were mostly old Sunday School teachers and celebrities I've heard of maybe once or twice. Such a strange dream.
Then last night, I had a dream that LittleBIGPlanet wasn't delayed a week. But alas, twas a dream.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
OblivionW00T
I've gotten back into playing Oblivion lately. Man, this game is great. I have it on both the PC and 360 (I've been playing on the PC though), and despite getting kinda far on the 360 (I think I was head of both the Thieves Guild and The Dark Brotherhood and I did an assload of sidequests) I think I like it better on the PC, because there's a ton of mods, which add a ton of playabilty/replayabilty to the game.
On a side note, I finally got fed up with my speakers falling off my desk, so I duct-taped them to the wall. It's pretty good for a sense of surround-sound. I'll post a picture from my phone in a minute.
On a side note, I finally got fed up with my speakers falling off my desk, so I duct-taped them to the wall. It's pretty good for a sense of surround-sound. I'll post a picture from my phone in a minute.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Ugh
Man, I can't talk much, but I have to go pick up my brother tonight. He's not that annoying until he's been here for a while. GTG
Thursday, October 16, 2008
EndWar Demo and Chris and Tad
The demo for Tom Clancy's EndWar came out either today or yesterday (I don't know which, but it doesn't matter), and it's really good. It's been hyped for being able to be fully controlled through voice, and it actually works pretty well about 95% of the time. I'll probably be getting this game pretty soon.
Man, Chris and Tad rock. That's Chris Ballew from PUSA (PUSA broke up for two years in 1998), and Chris formed the short-lived but totally awesome Chris and Tad with Tad Hutchison, formerly of the Young Fresh Fellows (another great band).
And here's Picture Book by YFF
Man, Chris and Tad rock. That's Chris Ballew from PUSA (PUSA broke up for two years in 1998), and Chris formed the short-lived but totally awesome Chris and Tad with Tad Hutchison, formerly of the Young Fresh Fellows (another great band).
And here's Picture Book by YFF
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Review: World of Goo (PC)
First off, you just need to know that I love physics-based games. The Incredible Machine, Garry's Mod, Fantastic Contraption, I love them all. Therefore, I went into World of Goo (PC version, I haven't played the WiiWare version, but I expect them to be the same) expecting a great game. Somehow, this game met every one of my expectations. This is a damn good game. Sure, it's frustrating at times, but even then you don't want to give up, you want to go back and try again.
If you're looking for a game with a deep storyline or fast-paced action, look elsewhere. While World of Goo has a story of sorts, it's not very deep. There are a handful of cutscenes, but nothing epic or groundbreaking. Throughout the levels of the game, you'll find signs which narrate the game. They are all signed with some variation of "The Signpainter", and they can be pretty funny at times.
The graphics are simple, but they're stylized and look very good. It's completely 2D, but don't let that put you off. This game may not have the best graphics ever, but it doesn't need them. These simple graphics get the job done quite nicely.
The sound is very good, like the funny little Goo Ball shrieks. One of the biggest things that shocked me, was that the music didn't make me want to rip my ears off. It's actually good, and fits the situation pretty well.
One of my favorite things, however, is the World of Goo Corporation feature. Whenever you finish a level with any extra Goo Balls, any extras get sent to the World of Goo Corporation, where you can try and build the tallest tower you can. The cool part is that if you're connected to the internet, you can see how tall other players' towers are in the form clouds.
Now for the bad. There is no options menu. That's not a very good thing for people like me who have widescreen monitors, much less a 1440x900 screen resolution. I'm guessing that the game runs at 1024x768 (that's a guess. I don't know the real resolution, but it's definitely not 1440x900). Another thing I would've liked to see is an option to run the game in a Windowed mode. Neither of these make the game unplayable, but it wouldn't hurt, at the very least.
This is a fantastic game. Yeah, it can be a little frustrating, there are no options to change the screen resolution, and it's pretty short (I beat it in about 6 hours, but if you go back through and try to perfect everything, I'm sure the game would be considerably longer), but it's just so great. The graphics, sound, and especially gameplay are all very stylized, and I love it.
4 out of 5 (5 out of 5 if they add an option to change screen resolution)
EDIT: After lurking on the forums for a while, I happened upon a thread about the screen resolution, and this is what an Admin had to say about it:
I tried it, and everything works perfectly except for the "Continue" button that pops up after you complete a level. If they can fix that and put it in a patch, it's a 5 out of 5.
If you're looking for a game with a deep storyline or fast-paced action, look elsewhere. While World of Goo has a story of sorts, it's not very deep. There are a handful of cutscenes, but nothing epic or groundbreaking. Throughout the levels of the game, you'll find signs which narrate the game. They are all signed with some variation of "The Signpainter", and they can be pretty funny at times.
The graphics are simple, but they're stylized and look very good. It's completely 2D, but don't let that put you off. This game may not have the best graphics ever, but it doesn't need them. These simple graphics get the job done quite nicely.
The sound is very good, like the funny little Goo Ball shrieks. One of the biggest things that shocked me, was that the music didn't make me want to rip my ears off. It's actually good, and fits the situation pretty well.
One of my favorite things, however, is the World of Goo Corporation feature. Whenever you finish a level with any extra Goo Balls, any extras get sent to the World of Goo Corporation, where you can try and build the tallest tower you can. The cool part is that if you're connected to the internet, you can see how tall other players' towers are in the form clouds.
Now for the bad. There is no options menu. That's not a very good thing for people like me who have widescreen monitors, much less a 1440x900 screen resolution. I'm guessing that the game runs at 1024x768 (that's a guess. I don't know the real resolution, but it's definitely not 1440x900). Another thing I would've liked to see is an option to run the game in a Windowed mode. Neither of these make the game unplayable, but it wouldn't hurt, at the very least.
This is a fantastic game. Yeah, it can be a little frustrating, there are no options to change the screen resolution, and it's pretty short (I beat it in about 6 hours, but if you go back through and try to perfect everything, I'm sure the game would be considerably longer), but it's just so great. The graphics, sound, and especially gameplay are all very stylized, and I love it.
4 out of 5 (5 out of 5 if they add an option to change screen resolution)
EDIT: After lurking on the forums for a while, I happened upon a thread about the screen resolution, and this is what an Admin had to say about it:
hey guys, if you go to the directory where the game is installed, inside a directory called properties is a file called config.txt. you can edit that file to specify the resolution you want the game to run in. it doesn't work for all resolutions because we didn't have time to fully test this feature, so use at your own risk, and if it doesn't work right, return the values to 800x600. we'll probably fix this feature in a future patch.
I tried it, and everything works perfectly except for the "Continue" button that pops up after you complete a level. If they can fix that and put it in a patch, it's a 5 out of 5.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Former Future Career Choices
I'm tired. Really tired. I was laying (lying?) here in the bed, and I thought "Oh crap, I almost forgot to blog", so I don't really have anything to blog about. I guess I'll just ramble.
I think I have decided that I want to be some sort of writer when I get older. I don't know how long this decision will last, because none of my other future decisions have lasted. For instance, when I was younger, just a few of the things I had thought about were: Game designer, game tester (I might still decide to do this, at least on the side), private investigator, professional musician, professional athlete (Karate, most specifically. I'll have to write about my karate escapades sometime), professional video editor, cameraguy, conman (I quickly gave up on this. I can't keep a straight face), magician, animator, artist, and most recently, writer.
So far I really enjoy writing videogame reviews, even though I don't think I'm very good. I have to practice to get better, right? Too bad anyone who reads them has to suffer, though.
I think I have decided that I want to be some sort of writer when I get older. I don't know how long this decision will last, because none of my other future decisions have lasted. For instance, when I was younger, just a few of the things I had thought about were: Game designer, game tester (I might still decide to do this, at least on the side), private investigator, professional musician, professional athlete (Karate, most specifically. I'll have to write about my karate escapades sometime), professional video editor, cameraguy, conman (I quickly gave up on this. I can't keep a straight face), magician, animator, artist, and most recently, writer.
So far I really enjoy writing videogame reviews, even though I don't think I'm very good. I have to practice to get better, right? Too bad anyone who reads them has to suffer, though.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Ahhhhh
I was reading the IGN review for the PC version of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, and it had this little tidbit, regarding the enemy AI:
BAHAHAHAHAHA
Such awkward gameplay is further hindered by unsophisticated enemy behavior. Akrid, bosses, and VSes mount some interesting attacks, but the humanoid enemies are as intelligent as anyone who genuinely enjoys watching Deal or No Deal.
BAHAHAHAHAHA
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Review: Mouse About (iPhone/iPod Touch)
With the iTunes App Store being such a mess with so many things that aren't worth your time or money, it's always great to find one from the other end of the spectrum. One of these games is Mouse About, and it's probably the best $3 you'll spend for a while.
You control Marv, a mouse, as he scoots through mazes trying to eat all the food on the screen. Marv can move in straight lines and he doesn't stop until he either hits something, be it food or nuts and bolts, or moves off the screen to Sacha the cat, waiting to kill him and eat him. The goal is to eat all the food on the screen, so you have to plan out your moves to go from one piece of food to another without moving off the screen. You have to be fast, however, because there is a timer at the top of the screen, and when the timer runs out, Sacha will eat him anyway.
Of course, there's never any violence. This is a bright and colorful kid-friendly game. All of the graphics in Mouse About are great looking, with nicely drawn sprites and great backdrops. There are even several different environments Marv runs through, including a kitchen, underwater and space.
The sound effects are also good and everything is very nice to hear. I don't, however, like the music very much, because it sounds almost exactly like music from a really bad game I used to play (Casper: Friends Around the World for PS1), but that's just a personal problem I have, and it's one that I'm sure not many other people will have. If I weren't biased that way, I'm sure I'd like the music.
If you look at Mouse About for what it is, a casual puzzler on a mobile platform, you'll be very pleased with what you get. It's a game that looks great, sounds great, it's a helluva lot of fun, and since it has a practically nonexistent learning curve, it's very easy to pick up and play. Probably the best $3 you'll spend in the App Store. 4 out of 5.
Version 1.1 of Mouse About was reviewed.
You control Marv, a mouse, as he scoots through mazes trying to eat all the food on the screen. Marv can move in straight lines and he doesn't stop until he either hits something, be it food or nuts and bolts, or moves off the screen to Sacha the cat, waiting to kill him and eat him. The goal is to eat all the food on the screen, so you have to plan out your moves to go from one piece of food to another without moving off the screen. You have to be fast, however, because there is a timer at the top of the screen, and when the timer runs out, Sacha will eat him anyway.
Of course, there's never any violence. This is a bright and colorful kid-friendly game. All of the graphics in Mouse About are great looking, with nicely drawn sprites and great backdrops. There are even several different environments Marv runs through, including a kitchen, underwater and space.
The sound effects are also good and everything is very nice to hear. I don't, however, like the music very much, because it sounds almost exactly like music from a really bad game I used to play (Casper: Friends Around the World for PS1), but that's just a personal problem I have, and it's one that I'm sure not many other people will have. If I weren't biased that way, I'm sure I'd like the music.
If you look at Mouse About for what it is, a casual puzzler on a mobile platform, you'll be very pleased with what you get. It's a game that looks great, sounds great, it's a helluva lot of fun, and since it has a practically nonexistent learning curve, it's very easy to pick up and play. Probably the best $3 you'll spend in the App Store. 4 out of 5.
Version 1.1 of Mouse About was reviewed.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
My Thoughts on The Toxic Avenger
My thoughts throughout the whole movie: What the hell? I can't really tell what type of movie they were trying to make it, but whatever it was, it turned out laughably bad. That has to be one of the biggest shit-bombs I've ever seen. I have absolutely no clue what they were thinking when they actually made that movie, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to know. They must've been on something when they started writing it(maybe Toxic Waste? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOL). There was little to no continuity throughout the whole thing, it reminded me of the book Lord of the Flies. I didn't like that book.
LBP Beta ends tomorrow ;,(
LBP Beta ends tomorrow ;,(
Friday, October 10, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
LittleBIGPlanet is Amazing.
This game freaking ROCKS. It's so simple, and yet so deep. I've seen so many awesome themed levels, like a remake of the SMB 1-1 level, the Green Hill Zone from Sonic, a Metal Gear Solid level, a remake of the obstacle course from the Ninja Warrior show, and a Grand Theft Auto themed level. I've also seen many musical levels. I think those are some of the coolest in design, because you have to set up every single not in a very 2.5D Mario Paint kind of way.
Oh, and I got a haircut last night, and I actually almost like it for once. I think it's because it doesn't actually look cut. I hate it when everything is just...cut.
Going to play more LBP, kthxbai.
Oh, and I got a haircut last night, and I actually almost like it for once. I think it's because it doesn't actually look cut. I hate it when everything is just...cut.
Going to play more LBP, kthxbai.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
O SHT
OHMYGOD
I never got an email from G4 about the LBP beta, but today I found out that USA Today was giving away 15000 beta keys, and this one was first-come first-serve, as opposed to the random drawing that G4 was doing...I FUCKING GOT IN. I'M IN THE FUCKING LBP BETA. It's only until Sunday, but still. I said I would get in, and lookey here.
FUCK YEAH
I never got an email from G4 about the LBP beta, but today I found out that USA Today was giving away 15000 beta keys, and this one was first-come first-serve, as opposed to the random drawing that G4 was doing...I FUCKING GOT IN. I'M IN THE FUCKING LBP BETA. It's only until Sunday, but still. I said I would get in, and lookey here.
FUCK YEAH
Review: Sneak King (Xbox/X360)
Way back in November 2006, Burger King started selling actual videogames based on the Burger King (the creepy guy in the commercials) for the Xbox and the Xbox 360 for an extra $3.99 with any value meal. Sneak King was one of the three titles they sold (alongside Big Bumpin' and Pocketbike Racer), and it's my favorite out of the three. It borrows heavily from games like Metal Gear Solid, and does it fairly well, at least to some extent.
The basic premise is that you play as the King, and you run around the four levels, hiding in places like bushes, garbage cans, and piles of leaves, waiting for someone to walk by so you can jump out and give them a hamburger. Sounds fun, right? It is, for a while at least. As you can imagine, sneaking around handing out food gets a little repetitive after a while.
As I mentioned, there are only four levels (ranging from locales like a lumberyard to a Burger King parking lot), but there are twenty challenges per level, so there are 80 challenges in all, and each one only takes a few minutes to complete. You start out the levels in a sandbox-style, and from there, you run around the level looking for floating newspapers that represent the challenges in the level. After you finish a challenge, you are graded with a letter. The challenges are all pretty simple, just typical stuff like having to deliver so many hamburgers in so many minutes, that kind of stuff.
Now, you can't just run up to someone and give them a hamburger, you have to find hungry people (you can tell who they are because they have hamburger icons over their heads) and get food to them before they faint. The people all walk on a set path and have a Metal Gear Solid-style vision cone, and if you step in that cone, you're caught and they lose their appetite. If you do get the food to them in time, a meter pops up, and if you hit the "A" button at the right time, you get a Flourish score (depending on your button timing, and depending on your Flourish score, the King will do a little dance to celebrate, which is funny at first, but it gets a little annoying after a while), which multiplies your score for that particular delivery. If you deliver more than one burger without getting caught, you start building a chain, which also multiplies your score.
The graphics in the game are surprisingly decent. Don't get me wrong, it's no GTAIV, but they're decent. That being said, this is one of the creepiest looking games I think I've ever played. Think about it, you play as a giant-headed King (who already looks pretty creepy alone) jumping out of places giving people food. There are a few graphical glitches here and there, mainly with shadows, but nothing major. The sound is just...there. Nothing special, but nothing that will make you want to mute your TV right away.
All in all, this is a decent game...for about 3 hours, if that long. After that, it's pretty bland. This isn't exactly the deepest title out there, you know. You'll probably just play it for a weekend and then be done with it forever. This game is more for just sitting on your shelf and looking cool (which it does) than for playing. You do have to remember, though, that this was a budget-title, and basically just a big Burger King commercial, and on top of that, it was only $4. What can you get for $4, a hamburger?
I give this game a 3 out of 5.
The basic premise is that you play as the King, and you run around the four levels, hiding in places like bushes, garbage cans, and piles of leaves, waiting for someone to walk by so you can jump out and give them a hamburger. Sounds fun, right? It is, for a while at least. As you can imagine, sneaking around handing out food gets a little repetitive after a while.
As I mentioned, there are only four levels (ranging from locales like a lumberyard to a Burger King parking lot), but there are twenty challenges per level, so there are 80 challenges in all, and each one only takes a few minutes to complete. You start out the levels in a sandbox-style, and from there, you run around the level looking for floating newspapers that represent the challenges in the level. After you finish a challenge, you are graded with a letter. The challenges are all pretty simple, just typical stuff like having to deliver so many hamburgers in so many minutes, that kind of stuff.
Now, you can't just run up to someone and give them a hamburger, you have to find hungry people (you can tell who they are because they have hamburger icons over their heads) and get food to them before they faint. The people all walk on a set path and have a Metal Gear Solid-style vision cone, and if you step in that cone, you're caught and they lose their appetite. If you do get the food to them in time, a meter pops up, and if you hit the "A" button at the right time, you get a Flourish score (depending on your button timing, and depending on your Flourish score, the King will do a little dance to celebrate, which is funny at first, but it gets a little annoying after a while), which multiplies your score for that particular delivery. If you deliver more than one burger without getting caught, you start building a chain, which also multiplies your score.
The graphics in the game are surprisingly decent. Don't get me wrong, it's no GTAIV, but they're decent. That being said, this is one of the creepiest looking games I think I've ever played. Think about it, you play as a giant-headed King (who already looks pretty creepy alone) jumping out of places giving people food. There are a few graphical glitches here and there, mainly with shadows, but nothing major. The sound is just...there. Nothing special, but nothing that will make you want to mute your TV right away.
All in all, this is a decent game...for about 3 hours, if that long. After that, it's pretty bland. This isn't exactly the deepest title out there, you know. You'll probably just play it for a weekend and then be done with it forever. This game is more for just sitting on your shelf and looking cool (which it does) than for playing. You do have to remember, though, that this was a budget-title, and basically just a big Burger King commercial, and on top of that, it was only $4. What can you get for $4, a hamburger?
I give this game a 3 out of 5.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Quantum of Solace Demo
If you didn't know, the demo for the new James Bond game, Quantum of Solace came out yesterday, and I just played it. From what I could tell, it's actually pretty good, although short (I beat it in about ten minutes). Is it strange that I've never seen a James Bond movie? Or that the only Star Wars movie I've seen was Episode 1? Probably.
You know what? I'm just going to stop here. I'm tired and just not in the mood to blog, but I have to, because I'll probably sleep the rest of the night. Sometimes I wonder why I decided to blog at all, much less a post a day. I never can remember the real reason, but I'm pretty sure I was out of my mind at the time.
Oh, and you can get the aforementioned QoS demo here.
You know what? I'm just going to stop here. I'm tired and just not in the mood to blog, but I have to, because I'll probably sleep the rest of the night. Sometimes I wonder why I decided to blog at all, much less a post a day. I never can remember the real reason, but I'm pretty sure I was out of my mind at the time.
Oh, and you can get the aforementioned QoS demo here.
Monday, October 6, 2008
i think Age of Chivalry is a pretty cool guy. eh makes for some epic battles and doesn't afraid of anything
As you may know, VALVe has recently started hosting Half-Life 2 Mods directly from Steam, as opposed to just having a page with a link to a site that hosts the Mod. Due to this new feature, I finally got around to downloading Age of Chivalry, and it's actually very good. If you can get on a server with several people (which isn't too hard right now, but the player numbers may eventually start to go down as soon as the "new" wears off) on a large map, it can actually make for some pretty epic battles, because there's maybe 30-something people all fighting fairly close together (all classes are melee except for the archer, but even then you have to be pretty close because it's kinda hard to aim the arrows), and the classes are, for the most part, pretty balanced, so it's actually pretty great.
I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't have anything of importance to blog about, but I needed to go ahead and do it now, because I plan on going to sleep soon and I probably won't be up for twelve hours or so.
I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't have anything of importance to blog about, but I needed to go ahead and do it now, because I plan on going to sleep soon and I probably won't be up for twelve hours or so.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Stuck in a Rut
Well, I haven't gotten an email about the LBP Beta. Yet. I will. I know I will. I have until Monday to get the email, but be assured that I will get in that beta if it's the last thing I do (at least I'd die happy, right?).
You know, as you can probably tell if you read this blog much (ha ha, good one), I haven't been very inspired to blog about much of anything of importance as of late. I've just been a little depressed lately, but I don't know why. I feel like I need to vent about something, but I can't really think of what. I feel like I should really be doing something. I haven't really done anything lately. I mean, I'm 15, and I don't even have my driver's permit. I don't even really want one, but I think I should at least have one. I know how to drive, and I know most of the laws and everything, but from what I understand, I'll have to take a written test. I'm not sure how I would do on an actual test. Like, think about it: I've been homeschooled literally all my life, and the homeschool laws where I live have never been very strict, so I've never had to take an actual, legal test. I'm pretty sure I could do well enough, but I don't want to just do well enough.
I'm a perfectionist, at least with some things. I've never been very good at any sports (except for Karate, I was pretty good at that), so I've always felt the need to prove myself to people with my intelligence, and even though I'm no Einstein by any means, I like to think I'm at least above-average. If I don't do exceptionally well on intelligence-proving things like tests, I start my emo-ish self loathing phase, and although I don't do any physical damage to myself, I tend to do some bit of mental loathing. I feel like, if I don't have my intelligence, what do I have? Gaming won't get me that far. I used to be pretty good at drawing, but I just haven't been able to do much with that lately.
The calmer, more logical part of me wants to just try new things (such as Blogging and NaNoWriMo), hoping that something will stick and that I can just get my feet in as many doors as possible, but the dumber, more practical part of me just wants to..."give up", so to speak (not as in suicide, but more as in just not even trying at anything anymore). Of course, my logical mind is overpowering my practical mind, but sometimes it seems like my practical mind is putting up a helluva fight, you know?
Meh.
You know, as you can probably tell if you read this blog much (ha ha, good one), I haven't been very inspired to blog about much of anything of importance as of late. I've just been a little depressed lately, but I don't know why. I feel like I need to vent about something, but I can't really think of what. I feel like I should really be doing something. I haven't really done anything lately. I mean, I'm 15, and I don't even have my driver's permit. I don't even really want one, but I think I should at least have one. I know how to drive, and I know most of the laws and everything, but from what I understand, I'll have to take a written test. I'm not sure how I would do on an actual test. Like, think about it: I've been homeschooled literally all my life, and the homeschool laws where I live have never been very strict, so I've never had to take an actual, legal test. I'm pretty sure I could do well enough, but I don't want to just do well enough.
I'm a perfectionist, at least with some things. I've never been very good at any sports (except for Karate, I was pretty good at that), so I've always felt the need to prove myself to people with my intelligence, and even though I'm no Einstein by any means, I like to think I'm at least above-average. If I don't do exceptionally well on intelligence-proving things like tests, I start my emo-ish self loathing phase, and although I don't do any physical damage to myself, I tend to do some bit of mental loathing. I feel like, if I don't have my intelligence, what do I have? Gaming won't get me that far. I used to be pretty good at drawing, but I just haven't been able to do much with that lately.
The calmer, more logical part of me wants to just try new things (such as Blogging and NaNoWriMo), hoping that something will stick and that I can just get my feet in as many doors as possible, but the dumber, more practical part of me just wants to..."give up", so to speak (not as in suicide, but more as in just not even trying at anything anymore). Of course, my logical mind is overpowering my practical mind, but sometimes it seems like my practical mind is putting up a helluva fight, you know?
Meh.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Nintendo DSi Offically Announced
Yeah, the rumors from last week were true. Today in Japan, Nintendo officially announced the Nintendo DSi, a revamped version of the DSLite, but without a GBA slot. The DSi will feature a larger 3.25 inch screen, two cameras that boast a resolution of 640x480 pixels (VGA) each, and unspecified audio enhancements, according to Wired. In addition to a new SD card slot, the DSi will feature built-in memory for the storage of games and pictures.
The DSi will have a built-in web browser, which can be used to access the DSWare Store, where gamers can download games to their SD card, with Nintendo Points (formerly Wii Points), where games can be bought for free, 200 Points, 500 Points, or 800 Points. In addition, anyone who accesses the DSWare Store before March 2010 will receive 1000 Points (worth $10 USD) free.
The DSi will be available for purchase on November 1st in Japan in both white and matte black colors for 18,900 Yen (about $180 USD), and sometime in Spring 2009 for the US.
Man, no GBA slot? Does that mean I can't play Guitar Hero: On Tour?
The DSi will have a built-in web browser, which can be used to access the DSWare Store, where gamers can download games to their SD card, with Nintendo Points (formerly Wii Points), where games can be bought for free, 200 Points, 500 Points, or 800 Points. In addition, anyone who accesses the DSWare Store before March 2010 will receive 1000 Points (worth $10 USD) free.
The DSi will be available for purchase on November 1st in Japan in both white and matte black colors for 18,900 Yen (about $180 USD), and sometime in Spring 2009 for the US.
Man, no GBA slot? Does that mean I can't play Guitar Hero: On Tour?
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
More WoW and The Else
I've been playing WoW quite a bit lately. I'm almost level 19 now. I don't want to get addicted. I had that problem with MapleStory (the Dark Days of my gaming...career?), and I want to be able to quit whenever I want. I don't think I'm addicted yet, but I do play an awful lot. I'm debating on whether or not to go ahead and buy Burning Crusade. I mean, if I keep playing this much, I'll probably end up getting it sooner or later anyway, and then I'll end up getting Wrath of the Lich King when it comes out, but I just don't know. I'm still way in debt.
I've been listening to They Might Be Giants a lot lately, specifically their album The Else. I'm not really sure what you'd classify them as, but I really like it. I think I like it more than their older stuff, too. I'm really liking the songs The Bee of the Bird of the Moth, I'm Impressed, Upside Down Frown, Careful What You Pack, The Shadow Government, Feign Amnesia, and The Mesopotamians. There's actually not a song I don't like, but those are my favorites.
I've been listening to They Might Be Giants a lot lately, specifically their album The Else. I'm not really sure what you'd classify them as, but I really like it. I think I like it more than their older stuff, too. I'm really liking the songs The Bee of the Bird of the Moth, I'm Impressed, Upside Down Frown, Careful What You Pack, The Shadow Government, Feign Amnesia, and The Mesopotamians. There's actually not a song I don't like, but those are my favorites.
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