ravenis

[Game Review] Plants Vs. Zombies (PC)

2010-01-02T23:59:00.000-06:00

As of writing this, I've just 100% finished Plants Vs. Zombies, aside from growing the tree as high as possible. And all I can say is... well, keep reading.

Premise

Plants Vs. Zombies is just one of those games where the premise alone gets you. Basically, your some random dude in the middle of a zombie apocalypse who's just trying to stay safe in his house. Naturally, being one of the few humans left in the world, the zombies all want to eat his brains. So what does he do? Plant vicious plants that guard your house from zombies with their life. I just love it when movies and games take the zombie route in a humorous, hysterical way. So naturally, the premise alone of Plants Vs. Zombies deserves a high score in my book.

Score: Above Average 8/10

Gameplay

The gameplay in Plants Vs. Zombies takes the Tower Defense genre to a whole new level. You see, it's not just your typical old tower defense game. Plants Vs. Zombies has a tower defense-like feel and objective, but the real time interactivity within the game add something that really spices up the genre as a whole. In a typical game, you plant your sunflowers(or other sun producing plants) as soon as possible to start building up sun power. With sun power, you can plant more seeds in turn, including more sunflowers. Eventually, you have to start growing offensive plants such as the peashooter so that approaching zombies will be killed before they reach your house. Other than that, you don't really need to use any of the other plants, though it's highly recommended and especially in the later stages of the game. Some of the other types of plants include wall-nuts, which act as a wall that the zombies have to eat through to get to your other plants/house, as well as other types of support plants such as the magnet shroom, which steals metal buckets, ladders and many other magnetically attracted objects from zombies. All in all, there is a lot of strategic complexity to this delightfully simple game. And in my eyes, it's a perfect balance that other games should strive for. And with so many different modes to keep you occupied--adventure, mini game, puzzle and survival--perfect really is the correct choice of word.

Score: Perfect 10/10

Sound & Graphics

Plants Vs. Zombies utilizes very two dimensional looking graphics, though it can still pass as looking like a modern game. It's not as if the graphics are pixelated or anything horrible. In fact, they look quite nice if you ask me and are absolutely fitting to the game. The music is also nice and fitting, though all in all neither of these categories are very special in this game. Not that it matters much, of course.

Score: Above Average 8/10

Final Thoughts

So maybe there is a lot I can say about this game. Hell, I could talk about it for hours. If you haven't played Plants Vs. Zombies yet then what are you waiting for? Definitely one of the best games of 2009, and it's very cheap. Seriously, I don't care what kind of games you normally play or enjoy. Plants Vs. Zombies might be a chance of pace from the usual, but it's a nice one. I can't remember the last time I played a game from start to finish in 100% completion. BUY THIS GAME NOW!

My overall score is: 9.0/10.0

[Game Review] Torchlight (PC)

2010-01-02T00:06:00.001-06:00

Wow. I can't believe 2010 is already here. And with the first day almost over, I guess I better get this review out to you guys. BTW, tomorrow I'm reviewing Plants Vs. Zombies. Enjoy!

Environment & Atmosphere

Torchlight doesn't really make much of an attempt at having a story. Instead, they spent their time developing a little bit of lore that creates a rich environment and atmosphere to the game. As a result, that's what I'm going to be reviewing rather than it's "story". Though to be honest, with that said, even the lore seems to be lacking a bit in this game. But the aesthetics of the mines as you get deeper down, and their ability to really make you feel like your in an entirely different world each time you get to a new area is just flat out impressive. In that regard, they did a very good job. But in terms of anything that involved writing... I'll just let the numbers speak for them self.

Score: Average 6/10

Gameplay

The gameplay is definitely the strong point in Torchlight, especially since everything else seems to be pretty low budget. Though, most people value a game having better gameplay than anything else anyway, with myself included for the most part(I've played games where story took some precedence over gameplay but the gameplay was still very good.)

First off, you should know that this game is essentially Diablo 2.5. In fact, some of the people who made it used to work for Blizzard and ended up working on Diablo 2. The only catch is that the game has no multiplayer. *waits a few seconds* Yeah, I know I just lost a bunch of you right there. We've essentially got Diablo 2+ and they forgot multiplayer! Okay, okay, I get what you're saying, just here me out. They haven't "forgotten" multiplayer. They're actually working on a free mmo of Torchlight that is going to use a lot of the stuff that's in the game but is going to actually be multiplayer like Diablo. As for the Torchlight we've got now, it has something HUGE on Diablo games. Two words: Player mods! For a single player game, Torchlight seems to be pretty community based, and I would guess that's because of the mod communities that have developed. In fact, well over 100 mods have been made and 100s are in the process of being made as I write this.

Score: Above Average 8/10

Sound & Graphics

The music and art styles used in this game are just absolutely stunning if you ask me. A lot of people claim that some of the music was taken directly from Diablo 2 but honestly, even if it's true I really don't care. They really do a good job using the WOW like graphical style to create visually stunning environments and they pair it with music that is both moving and fitting. At least in this aspect, they really capture the essence of gaming and what it's like to feel immsersed in a game.

Score: Above Average 8/10

Final Thoughts

This one is simple. If you're considering buying this game you've only got a few things to consider. One, do you like Diablo or similar dungeon raiding, isometricly viewed action rpg games? Two, would you play a game like this despite there being no multiplayer? If you answered yes, then go buy this game now! It's only $20! Actually, $10 on steam if you buy it before Jan. 3rd. So hurry!

My overall score is: 7.6/10.0

Happy New Years!

2010-01-01T04:40:00.000-06:00

To kick off the new year, I'm gonna do a week straight of reviews as well as other good shit. Though, seeing as this is somewhat a fresh start I'd like to denounce my current review structure and allow myself a bit more freedom. Generally, all the reviews are going to be similar enough for them to be comprehensible but I'm not going to restrict myself by forcing myself to write a section on the story of games that never even attempt at having a decent one. I'm also going to have sections in reviews that only really apply to a few games, so you can expect each review to be a little different and more catered towards each specific game. First review of the year goes up later today: Torchlight.

I'm Back!... and I Brought A Whole Bunch of PC Games!

2009-12-24T00:40:00.002-06:00

I wasn't sure if I'd actually come back to this blog, but after some long thinking I realized I had no choice. You see, I started this blog because I liked to write and I wanted somewhere to speak to an audience about random shit--video games in particular. I never actually intended on using this as a way to make money until the opportunity was made available to me. So if Google wants to take away my account without telling me why and won't even respond to my appeal, there's nothing I can do about that. But I shouldn't let that hold me back in life. Especially when it comes to my writing. But enough talking about that nonsense.

I've recently acquired quite a few pc games this holiday season(mostly as gifts), and I'd like to review them all for you guys. Although, most of them are at least a year old, but there are a few newer ones among them. And none are more than... 5 years old? At least I don't think so. I'm not gonna post a complete list, because the list could grow in the next few days, so just keep an eye out for a bunch of reviews this winter. I'm hoping to find the time to do a lot more writing. Even more than I did back in the first few months of the blog. The first review of the aforementioned should be Torchlight, which leads me into my next topic...

Loose Ends - WILL THEY EVER BE TIED UP?

Fret not, my worrisome reader. I am aware that I left a lot of loose ends when I pretty much abandoned this blog(Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, Torchlight, and my special Zelda Double Review just to name a few) but I promise you that they will all happen eventually. I'd like to give you a date but that would be just as irresponsible as what I did before. Also, I really want to do some more Game Theory articles as I have ideas for them, so you should expect those as well.

Lastly, if anyone has any suggestions for things I should do or comments on what I've done, feel free to either post a comment here or email me at kalaswwt@gmail.com.

update 12.7,09

2009-12-07T23:20:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm still discouraged but I figure I should at least give you guys an update. And to be honest, I don't think I'm going to be using blogger for much more other than these little progress updates from now on. I'm just gonna cut to the chase, no bullshit.

PROGRESS

I've been making a lot of progress with web development. Things I can now do include:
- Basic php
- Basic javascript
- Basic Apache server management

Things I still need to learn before I can have a real website up and running:
- More complex php functions and classes as well as a better understanding of the language and its syntax as a whole.
- I need to learn how to do a ton of stuff with Javascript. While I have some understanding of its syntax and structure I need to learn how to do some of the common things like write cookies and some other simple stuff.
- I need to learn how to use MySQL. This is a must for what I plan to be doing in the future.
- I need to get a better feel of apache and phpMyAdmin.

For those of you who don't know what any of this means, I would say I'm about 1/3 of the way there with it only taking me about 3 weeks to get that far. So ideally, 6 more weeks? Bah, let's just pretend I never said that.

As for other things, Google still hasn't contacted me(we're starting to push three weeks... what the hell) so I'm even more discouraged than I was before, and now I'm looking for a job because I need money bad. And the last thing I can afford to buy now is new video games, so that explains why reviews have been at a halt. Basically, I'm getting my life on track. The one thing I can assure you though is that when I have a real site up and running it will be something I am very dedicated to. I would say even more so than how I was for the first few months of this blog. Also, when that time comes I am hoping to have multiple writers(and I've even spoken to a few people who may be interested already), but if you think you might want to do some professional writing for a game news/reviews/article site then send me an email at kalaswwt@gmail.com.

There is a good chance I won't post to this blog for at least a week, but every time I make significant progress on the aforementioned topics I'll be sure to keep you guys updated.

Thanks for reading and making this a fun experience for me while it lasted. I hope to see you all there when I release the new site.

~Rob M

update 11.26.09

2009-11-26T01:06:00.000-06:00

Damn, this sucks. I've been having some problems with Google lately and am waiting for a response back from them for almost a week, and it's making me not want to post on this blog anymore. It's very discouraging, but I don't want to get into the details. Hopefully, I'll be able to figure things out(at least for my sake) and use this as a chance to make the real gaming site I've been promising for so long. In fact, I've been spending a lot of my time here lately to make that vision come true. Although, like I said, there are still some things that need to get worked out.

I've actually been ready to do a review of Torchlight for awhile now but to be completely honest I've been too discouraged to actually do so. That and I've been coming over a sickness that is finally starting to go away. I also plan to do a review for New Super Mario Bros. Wii and possibly a few other games(I'm not naming them at this moment) that I have in mind, that is, if things get back up off the ground and I start doing reviews again. Oh, and next on the planned list was an article talking about Torchlight mods and actually linking some of the better(and maybe some of the worse) ones.

I know this is a lame way to justify my absence, but I hope it will suffice nonetheless.

Finished Torchlight!

2009-11-15T15:54:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I know it's sad, but I just finished the campaign of Torchlight for the first time. I was using an Alchemist on easy and now I just made a Vanquisher on Hard. I want to try all the characters at least once and on varying difficulties before I review the game, so don't expect the review for at least another week lol. Be sure to check the Games I'm Playing for my status in Torchlight, as I'll be updating it a lot with character status and what not.

In other news, we're finally starting to organize things a little better for TorchlightCC. Hopefully we can get things going along soon and pump out this mod.

Team TorchlightCC

2009-11-12T23:38:00.001-06:00

Well, it's official. I'm now working with a handful of other people on a Torchlight mod project called TorchlightCC. The intent of TorchlightCC is to bring an episodically released campaign that explores both a deeper plot as well as a deeper world than the original Torchlight. Using the tools that Runic Games has provided, as well as a free wikispace page to organize(which can be found here), we're going to be working as a team over a long period of time trying to conceptually design TCC, as well as follow through with it in the editor. My specific role in TCC is to design levels(both conceptually and in the editor) and to work on character concepts(basically creating a clear idea of who the character truly and what their role is in the story, as well as developing them throughout the story). Though I'm probably going to be using this blog a lot to post updates on TCC as they happen, you can always be sure to monitor our wikispace page if you want to see the latest progress.

Torchlight Editor Released!

2009-11-11T18:49:00.000-06:00

If you can't tell already just by reading the title of this post(or some of my tweets), I'm pretty damn excited. Wanna know why? That's right, the devs for Torchlight finally released their editor to the public for us to make and share mods. As I'm writing this I'm downloading the file(21%) and to be honest, the only reason I'm writing this is to kill some of the time. I plan on talking more about the editor in a future post and I'm actually talking with someone on working on a team project mod, so we'll see where that goes.

And just cause I feel like it I'ma post a link!

Torchlight Forums

Too Much On My Plate...

2009-11-08T17:17:00.000-06:00

Lately, I feel like I've just got too much to deal with. Aside from my messy personal life I've got this blog and now a ton of games are coming out that I've been looking forward to for months. And the saddest thing is, I don't know how I'm going to get to them all anymore. That and I've been trying to learn how to create things using programs lately(kind of trying to figure out what's right for me), and I'm just feeling overwhelmed. Phantasy Star 0 comes out Tuesday and I still haven't finished Layton, or much of Torchlight for that matter. This is sad. Maybe I can pick up the pace tonight, but for once I feel like I've got too much to look forward to. Is that really a bad thing?

Serious Writing and the Future of Ravenis

2009-11-07T23:11:00.000-06:00

Well, yet again I haven't been writing much on this blog. Though I really feel like I should be honest with you, the readers, to some degree. I'm somewhat at a crossroads where I really don't know where I want to take this blog. It seems like the reason I haven't been writing much is because I feel like I'd rather be writing about something deeper than just video games or other things along those lines. For those of you who don't know me personally, I like to do a lot more writing than just on video games. I write about philosophy, psychology and I'm currently doing some writing for a couple of books/short stories. It's just, I don't know if I want to or if I should take that writing to this blog. I made this blog with the intention of having somewhere to post game reviews and articles catered towards that specific audience, and I would hate to alienate readers by discussing more serious topics. I seriously don't know what to do and can't make up my mind at this point. Part of me feels like this started as a gaming blog and should always stay that way, while another part of me feels dishonest for having a blog that only focuses on a part of my life that can even seem minute when you look at the big picture. One solution I came up with was to make another, separate blog for my other writings, with nothing held back. Though it's clear that I can barely maintain one blog let alone two, so I'm not entirely sold on this idea. Another idea I had has more to do with my future plans of making this a real website. I thought that maybe I could have a website with different categories for people to read, but I still don't think that really solves anything either. The final, and most realistic idea I've had is to make the gaming website that this blog was initially intended to be. I didn't want it to just be me, but I'm also not looking to make some sort of large, upscale user content based website like gamefaqs either. I figured having a team of writers and maybe some editors would allow me to cover all the latest gaming news, reviews and theory across all platforms. But that still leaves me wondering what to do with my other writings. Well, I figured I'd make this post and see what everyone else thinks. Be sure to comment and leave any suggestions you might have.

11.01.09 update

2009-11-01T23:41:00.000-06:00

Well after a hectic month and an extra long, crazy weekend I think it's time I start paying attention to this blog again. I wish I could make some sort of promise like, "I'm going to make sure to post every day all month." or even every other day, for that matter, but the truth is I really can't say what's in store for me in the upcoming months either. That and sometimes writing is the last thing in the world I want to do. Though rather than use this update to vaguely mumble about some ideas I got brewing up in here I'm just gonna post a link to a really cool article I stumbled upon recently. The article is about a prototype USB drive that uses bug protein to store about 50 terabytes worth of data. Check it out if you don't believe me.

Initial Thoughts On Torchlight and EVE

2009-10-31T00:31:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a few days since I've gotten both Torchlight and started my 21-day trial of EVE, and while I may not be ready to do full reviews yet, I do have some initial thoughts to share.

I guess I'll start by talking about EVE because I have a lot less to say about it. I've really only put about 5 hours into EVE so far(which is nothing for an MMO) so I can't say I've experienced much but my feelings on what I have experienced are varied. I feel like EVE is incredibly complex and innovative for its time. The combination of detailed graphics as well as it's incredibly realistic space travel physics engine is just astonishing. Traveling across an entire solar system in a matter of seconds is really an amazing feeling. And while these things may be great, they're really the extent of praise I'm willing to give to EVE at the moment. The game is also very economy and freedom oriented but I really haven't been playing enough to say if I like these things or not.

The bad part about EVE though is definitely its incredibly steep and punishing learning curve. Right from the get go you have this extremely complicated interface filled with tons of windows that link to several more windows each. I'm finding that it really is a hassle to try and immerse myself into this game because every hour or so of playing it I begin to feel incredibly overwhelmed and need to take a break. Perhaps this is something that will pass eventually but I know it won't be happening anytime soon, that is, if I'm still playing this game in a week or so.

Torchlight on the other hand is a completely different story. With an easy learning curve and a simple diabloesque premise, I haven't really been having the same problems with Torchlight as I've been having with EVE. In fact, the only real problems I have with Torchlight seem to be bugs that the development team is already aware of and is working on putting out a patch to fix. Things like long loading times, experience and item duping exploits and other assorted problems can get in the way, but for the most part Torchlight is a pretty good game. Especially for 18 bucks.

Full Reviews for both games coming November.

Ravenis is Steampowered!

2009-10-26T22:10:00.000-05:00

Now that I've got a solid internet connection going on my laptop I'm starting to venture into more PC gaming via Steam. I've never really been much of a PC gamer, aside from a few MMO's I've played over the years. Though I think it's funny that I never knew about Steam before because it really is pretty awesome for PC gaming, particularly if you are playing online. Right now I've only been playing a game called Trackmania Nations Forever which is a free racing game that isn't half bad, but I've also got Torchlight, a highly anticipated diablo-esque game that comes with an editor, on pre-order, as well as a 21 day free trial of EVE that's currently downloading. Expect reviews for all 3 of these games. Well, maybe not EVE but I'll probably at least talk about it in a post. I'm still unsure if I want to review an MMO, but we'll see.

[Game Review] Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (DS)

2009-10-24T20:25:00.002-05:00

Wow. I can't believe it's been so long since I've done one of these. It feels really awkward writing this seeing as it's been well over a month since the last. And when you take into consideration that I never did finish The Diabolical Box. . . Ah, well. No one's perfect. Not even this game. But it sure puts in a good effort. Now without any further ado(and by ado, I mean rekindling the awkwardness between me and those reading this), let us continue on to my psuedo-formal review I've got prepared for you guys!

Storyline

AHHH! IT'S THE BLORBS! Hah, so much for not being awkward. But I suppose if you haven't played this game yet you don't know why I'm laughing right now. I really don't want to say much about the story for a couple of reasons though, to be honest. One reason being that there really isn't a lot there to talk about without spoiling something and another being the little that is there can be pretty genius. It's not that Bowser's Inside Story has a strong plot, rather it has a neat premise with fun dialogue. But of course, being that it's a Mario game there are glaring plot holes(like the lack of an explanation for traveling between bowser and the world via pipes!) Not that it really matters. But you can't really be surprised by my score for this section.

Score: Slightly Above Average 7/10

Gameplay

Perhaps the best thing the Mario & Luigi has to offer is it's constant ability to combine refined, interactive gameplay whilst incorporating new mechanics throughout the series to keep things interesting. I find it increasingly impressive that Mario & Luigi have made it through three games without feeling the slightest bit redundant. Similar to its predecessors, Bowser's Inside Story is an adventure RPG game starring the dynamic duo of plumbers known as Mario and Luigi. The adventure aspect of the game includes two large, explorable worlds with enemies, items and hidden areas to discover, while incorporating many platforming elements such as timed jumps and other moves the bros learn throughout their adventure. However, the combat system of the game maintains being turn based but incorporates timing into both attacking and defending or avoiding the enemies attacks. It is almost like an action RPG, only with turns. Sounds weird? Well, probably not if you've already played a previous game in the series.

One thing that is different in this game as opposed to the rest of the series though is your control of Bowser. While this technically isn't the first time Bowser has starred as a playable character in a Mario game, I'm fairly certain it's the first time Bowser stars as a world for Mario & Luigi to explore. And it's not just that you explore the insides of Bowser but you actually end up playing a lot of little minigames inside of him, such as tapping bits of food as Bowser swallows it to digest it. And despite Bowser's unawareness, you actually work together a lot to fight a common enemy in the end. As for controlling Bowser himself, only one thing really stood out to me as awesome, but I don't want to spoil it(you'll know what I'm talking about the first time it happens.) Other than that, Bowser just punches, breathes fire and performs other moves that overall feel a bit uninspired, yet not too disappointing. One last thing I want to mention that I almost forgot is that if you enter a battle as Bowser, some enemies can actually be swallowed for Mario and Luigi to fight. I thought this was actually pretty innovative, but like I said, it's not the most impressive thing you'll see Bowser do in this game.

To be honest, I could spend a whole lot more time talking about the gameplay of this game, but instead I'm not going to spoil every little detail. I want you to explore this game and all of its little surprises as I did. Because they developers of Bowser's Inside Story did a really good job on innovating a lot of classic aspects of both Mario games in general and the Mario & Luigi series as a whole.

Score: Almost Perfect 9/10

Sound & Graphics

When it comes to the sound and graphics for Bowser's Inside Story, I almost feel like sound should just have its own section. The graphics for the game a pretty average and for the most part what you would expect from a Mario & Luigi game on the DS. The sound on the other hand, well exceeds expectations. It's not enough that they put in the effort to make a diverse soundtrack for the game but they actually made remixes of songs that they played while you were inside Bowser. I truly feel like they outdid themselves with the music this time around, and for that reason alone I'm giving a pretty good score.

Score: Almost Perfect 9/10

Final Thoughts

There truly is a lot to say about Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, but you have to realize that the only reason that's true is because this game is packed full of surprises. With over 30 hours of exciting and innovative gameplay(if you do the extra stuff) I would recommend this game to just about anyone. Whether your a Mario junkie who isn't real into RPGs or longer games in general, or you are that hardcore gamer that wants to feel immersed. This game has enough appeal for both sides of the gaming spectrum. So if you have a DS and haven't played this game yet, my only question is, "What are you waiting for?!"

My overall score is: 8.4/10.0

Fuck!

2009-10-24T12:39:00.000-05:00

I just did something really stupid that I can't fix. You probably haven't noticed this, but I accidentally deleted my review for Professor Layton and the Curious Village. I might be able to recover it, but I might just have to rewrite it. I do have parts of it saved so, all hope is not lost. But it's worth noting that me deleting this review was part of me trying to save the review for Mario & Luigi, so that will be up soon tonight. But damn, I'm really pissed I deleted that other review. I'm gonna have to see what I can do about that.

10.20.09 update

2009-10-20T21:22:00.000-05:00

Wow. i've never been this bad about not updating the blog. Sorry, but I've been having a lot of problems getting the new modem to work lately and haven't had access to internet with the laptop, nor have I really had time to make posts. I know this update doesn't really make up for that, but hopefully I can get back on track posting throughout this week and hopefully stay on track for the rest of the year. As of now, the Review for Mario & Luigi is in the works as well as the next Game Theory. I also had some personal issues I was taking care of that seem to be in the past at this point, so there's really no more excuses. And as much as I would like to promise you the review will be up tomorrow, I know better than to make promises that I could let people down on by this point. But I do intend on having it up by tomorrow.

10.05.09 update

2009-10-05T00:23:00.000-05:00

Damn. Mario & Luigi is taking much longer than I expected. Longer than it should, actually. I'm gonna try and get the review out within the next day or so, but no promises. I'm also planning on doing at least one movie review this week, though I might do two, as well as a follow up to my last Game Theory. I hope some of these better posts make up for my laziness and absence.

[Game Theory] Tell Me A Story...

2009-09-28T22:22:00.000-05:00

Tell me a story...

A story?

Yeah. A story.

Well, what kind?

Hmm... I guess it really doesn't matter. You know, if I knew what kind of story I wanted to be told I wouldn't really need to actually hear it, now would I? I mean, where's the fun in that. Though, I will admit there's more to storytelling than the story itself.

I'm not sure I understand.

What I'm tryin' to say is that it doesn't really matter what you've got to say. It's all about how you say it. After all, a sequence of events can only go so far, and you have to be able to draw the line between mere documentation of an occurrence and truly being able to illustrate it perfectly for others to see.

Take for instance the well known Banjo-Kazooie. Here's a game that truly defines itself through its humor, wit and clever characters, despite having a plot that can be summed up into a few paragraphs. Granted, there are plenty of other great aspects of the Banjo-Kazooie franchise capable of carrying its weight, but many will agree that one of its defining features is that damned bear, Banjo, and his ever so daring friend, Kazooie.

Ahh, I see. So if you've got a weak plot you make up for it with interesting characters and witty humor to distract the audience?

Umm...(this is going to be a headache) Not quite. While it's good to have these things, you still need to have substance. I guess I over exaggerated when I said that your story doesn't matter, but I was making a point. In fact, it's important to have at least somewhat of a story to back these things up, otherwise your game could feel gimmicky.

Here. This time take the example of Chrono Trigger. Chrono Trigger was a great game for its time and is still enjoyed by many, although you might say it started some bad trends in the RPG game industry. Playing Chrono Trigger today might leave you with a bad impression. Especially if it's your first time playing the game. Without some sort of nostalgia to back it, you may find that it feels both dated and downright gimmicky. But what you have to consider is that the only reason Chrono Trigger may appear so gimmicky, is because after its release, countless ripoffs of the game have been produced. These days the use of such concepts as time travel, nonhuman party members and post apocalyptic scenarios are all too common. So despite their appeal to many gamers out there, including me, they can't be relied on to carry a game on their own.

Now do you understand?

Golly gee, that was an awful lot to follow. But I think I get the idea. Thanks to you and your grand wisdom, when I grow up, I'm gonna make games that don't suck!

Ha ha ha... That a boy, Johnny. That a boy.

Mission of the Week: Ace in the Race for Sprint 5P

2009-09-28T16:21:00.000-05:00

This weeks mission at tetrisfriends.com is to win 1st place in Sprint 5P 10 times. Honestly, I'm a little unimpressed, but I'll still participate. But when you consider that they seem to only be releasing 1 mission per week(hopefully this will change in the future) this just feels lazy. But I digress.

Bowser's Inside Story is longer than expected...

2009-09-27T23:20:00.001-05:00

Damn. I was hoping to have this finished by tonight but it's looking like it might not be done even by tomorrow night. I mean, I'm definitely going to spend a lot of time tomorrow playing it but I'll have school and other shit getting in the way. But whatever, because the article will at least be ready for publishing tomorrow.

High Ambitions this Weekend!

2009-09-25T15:22:00.000-05:00

I'm going to accomplish three things:

1) Write the game theory I promised weeks ago.

2) Play through the entire new Mario & Luigi.

3) Review the new Mario & Luigi when I finish it.

Expect them in that order, as well as Mission of the Week for tetrisfriends.com this Monday.

Mission of the Week: Insomniac Cow for Marathon

2009-09-22T18:55:00.001-05:00

As some of you may know, I've been playing quite a bit of tetris these days. Particularly at tetrisfriends.com. Ever since I've discovered this site I've been playing at least every other day. And with getting into the open beta and now their mission of the week thing they're running, I don't see any reason to leave or switch to another tetris site/community. I encourage any tetris lovers who read this blog to visit this site and play along, at least with the mission of the week. Each week when the mission of the week is posted(for as long as I am keeping up with the site) I'll be sure to post here at the blog to both let you guys know what's going on and also to log my progress. I'll also talk about their "personal missions" and "premium missions" once they start those as well, in these posts.

This week's mission is to clear 2000 lines in Marathon within 5 days I think. I've only played one game prior to writing this and I managed to clear 147 lines. For updated progress be sure to read the "Games I'm Playing" sidebar.

XNA Framework is appealing

2009-09-20T22:10:00.000-05:00

As many of you know I had already attempted the monstrous project of creating a game a few months ago using the RPG Maker XP engine. While the engine is very friendly to those who aren't good at directly editing code, I'm considering exploring other options. One option in particular that appeals to me at the moment is using the XNA Framework, which is the framework developed by Microsoft used to make PC and 360 games. The only problem with this is I'm going to have to learn to program in C#, but that shouldn't be too hard. Honestly, I'm still not sure if I wanna do this but I might just experiment a little with it and make a shorter game(or a demo) before committing to an entire project. On the other hand, making games with the XNA framework opens up better marketing opportunities. This may be the path I choose to take for my independent game development.

Laptop has been got!

2009-09-17T23:47:00.001-05:00

So yeah. Title says it all. Got my laptop and now all it needs is internet....

I actually ended up getting a different one. The only real differences between it and the one I posted a link to are that this new one has 1 less GB of RAM but 70 more GB of harddrive and a wider screen(as well as more keys on the keyboard including the keypad).

Megaman X4 and so on...

2009-09-15T22:23:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to review this game, at least I don't think I will. At first, I was okay with it but now I'm starting to realize that the slight differences in controls and physics is starting to get to me. In Megaman X, X2 and X3, you tend to be very agile with lots of capability for quick timing. But in X4, that aspect of the game just feels ruined for me. There seem to be way more projectiles than necessary and you move very strangely. Either Megaman X4 truly is the downfall of Megaman(as the Nintendo fanboys like to claim), or I'll just get used to the new controls. *sigh*

9.14.09 update

2009-09-14T23:04:00.000-05:00

So, yeah, didn't get laptop today but honestly didn't expect to. Definitely going to have it in a week(but if not, then something really has gone wrong lol). Also there will be a Game Theory tomorrow as I am going to make it a weekly thing for Tuesdays. I'm also considering having a day for each week where I review all the retro games I've been playing. That way, for those of you interested, you can expect them at a certain time. And for those of you who aren't, they will all be posted within a short period of time and therefore will be bumped off the page. I will still be doing reviews for newer games as I play them(still working on Layton...) but I'm just making this clear because I'm going to be playing a lot more retro games in the near future. Particularly PS1 games I've never played.

If All Goes Well...

2009-09-14T00:17:00.001-05:00

I should have a brand new laptop tomorrow! This is what I'm getting. I'm only going to use Vista for about a month and then Windows 7 is out! That's going to feel like an awkwardly rushed transition...

Update: Not a big deal, but I won't be getting it until later this week in about 5-7 days. Still, I'm pretty psyched!

9.12.09 update

2009-09-12T00:52:00.002-05:00

Wow, this totally isn't better than a game review, but you're going to have to deal with it. For whatever reason, I've been having a little bit of writer's block lately and can't seem to follow through with any of my good ideas. Because of this, I think I'm just going to stop making promises all together(dammit I just did it again). The one thing I really want to do though is have a Game Theory go up every Tuesday. If anyone has a suggestion for an interesting topic to write about for Tuesday, leave me a comment or email me.

[Game Theory] Designer Brand Levels?

2009-09-08T21:21:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you've all heard of designer brand clothes. But designer brand levels? Alright, I'll admit it's just another term I coined. But that doesn't mean there isn't any truth to it? Come with me and take a look into one of the key elements of the gaming industry, and what I believe to be the most important to a franchise. Aside from characters, that is.

Level design is a very important part of the game development process, and is becoming more and more important every day. Hell, the college I'm planning on going to has not one, but two courses on it. And it's not just in platformers, RPGs, and other adventure games that you would expect. Even sports game are adapting some emphasis on their level design now. Even if it's as simple as adding weather effects to a field, although we're getting to a point where that doesn't even cut it anymore.

Recently I've been playing a lot of games that are famous for having some of the best level design in the industry, and by sheer coincidence. I have to admit that this article is a bit spontaneous and a little inspired by these games, because a lot of these games are personal favorites of mine. Games from the Megaman, Metroid, Mario, Advance Wars, and Zelda franchises, as well as some individual games like Oblivion and even a flash game called Use Boxmen(which by the way, you should all totally check out) all come to mind as I write this article.

Poor level design is one of the biggest things that can easily ruin a game for me. All too often I play games that have good mechanics and control, pretty good graphics, and maybe even a decent story or interesting characters, but I just get bored less than halfway through the game. Why is this, you ask? The levels just suck. They are uninteresting, uncreative and feel a little too much like that recurring dream you've been having. Few things bother me more than poor level design, and I'm beginning to realize it's one of the reasons I keep enjoying games of the same franchises.

Often times franchises like Mario, Zelda and Megaman in particular have their games feel like they are built off of a model that unifies them all. And this of course does lead to some repetitiveness, especially in basic play mechanics and level design. But while this can be a bad thing, for Mario and Zelda it usually ends up being a good thing. Personally, I love it when game franchises make games of very similar style but with defining differences. That feeling of an open world Mario level or a puzzling dungeon from a Zelda game. . . It's the very essence of what branding is supposed to be. And branding is the key word. Some game developers just don't seem to understand the difference between branding, and selling the exact same product, just in a different package.

It's quite hard to place my finger on what specifically makes level design truly shine in a game, but I urge any game developers(or future game developers) reading this to take this little nugget of wisdom: Once you have something that works, a framework, a blueprint, hold onto it. You don't have to reinvent the wheel every time you make a new game. Especially when working within a franchise.

The Diabolical Box: Day 13

2009-09-08T00:20:00.002-05:00

So it's kind of sad this game is taking me so long, but what can I say. School is a total bitch. As of now I have 76 puzzles completed and if I had to guess 1800ish picarats. I cannot wait to do a proper review of this game. Hopefully I'll be done in a week at the most, though, I'm definitely going to have to pick up the slack if I want that to happen.

The Diabolical Box: Day 7

2009-09-01T23:23:00.002-05:00

Ahh, not much to say this time, though good progress has been made. So far 59 puzzles solved and 1350 picarats. That and the story is starting to pick up! Next Layton update might not be for awhile, but some real posts will be coming this week(two almost ready for publishing!)

EDIT: Originally I said this was day 6 but it was actually day 7.

The Diabolical Box: Day 4

2009-08-30T01:50:00.002-05:00

Yep. It's been four days since I got Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box - and four good ones to say the least. Honestly, I haven't made as much progress in the game as I'd expected to, but I blame the fact that I'm making the guide for it. As of writing this I have 47 puzzles completed, which is about one third of the total puzzles in the game, and I've still got a lot more to go. Instead of posting these daily(as you can see there was no day 3 update) I'm just gonna post these whenever good progress is made in the game or the guide. Tomorrow's looking like it's gonna be busy, and school starts Tuesday. I also have a Game Theory I've been working on planned to go up tomorrow. This time it's about level design, so stay tuned.

The Diabolical Box: Day 2

2009-08-28T00:31:00.002-05:00

Another day of Layton has passed and a lot more progress has been made this time around. Now that I'm up to 34 puzzles completed and have at least had a chance to try all three of the minigames I feel I can have more of an opinion on the game. And thus far, my opinion is nothing less than great. Seriously, I feel like improvements have been made in every aspect of this game. Not only are you exploring more areas, the story seems to pick up much earlier and the puzzles feel harder. Although I have encountered a few puzzles that have been poorly presented(involving intricate details in small pictures on the already small DS screen), overall the game seems to be an improvement on the series.

Vote in the Damn Poll!

2009-08-27T17:29:00.003-05:00

Only 4 days left, and I know a lot more than 4 people read this blog. If you haven't voted in the poll yet, please do so!

The Diabolical Box: Day 1

2009-08-27T00:58:00.003-05:00

Well, who would have thought that writing a guide for a game takes more time than playing the game itself? Because of this, I've only been able to complete 12 of the puzzles in the game so far. But to be honest, I haven't have very much time to play today and the time I had I spent setting up my guide and trying to figure out an exact solution to a slide puzzle(grrrr...).

In other news, Level - 5 announced that the fourth(yes fourth, not third) Professor Layton game will come with the additional game, Professor Layton and London Life, an RPG with supposedly 100 hours of gameplay that was developed by the company that made Mother 3(Earthbound 3). I don't know what to say, because I'm just in awe. Layton has just become the best modern gaming franchise.

The Diabolical Box: Initial Thoughts

2009-08-26T07:54:00.003-05:00

So far, I have just barely scraped the surface on the new Professor Layton game, having completed the prologue and just begun chapter 1. With only 7 puzzles down, I feel like for the most part I have no idea what's in store, but there are some things I can say for sure:

First off, this time around, Professor Layton puts you far more into the story far earlier on. I've noticed that there seem to be more cutscenes also, meaning more of their grade A voice acting.

Second off, pretty much all of the features from the old game were kept in this one. This includes the play style, the interface, the music, the graphical style and the menus. While this sounds like a complaint, I'm glad they stuck to something that works. The only things I wanted to be different going into this game were the story and the puzzles.

And my last and final of the initial thoughts is that the puzzles feel much, much harder this time around. As early as the fourth and fifth puzzles I found myself using hint coins and still making mistakes.

Be sure to check back every night where I'll be posting my daily progress as well as progress I've made in the walkthrough I'm writing that goes with this game(and wow who would have thought writing a walkthrough makes playing the game take infinitely longer.)

Just Got the New Professor Layton!

2009-08-25T20:51:00.004-05:00

I'm pretty excited to play this. Not only am I going to review this when I get done with it, but I'm considering writing the answers to each puzzle down and submitting a solution FAQ to gamefaqs, seeing as no one else has done so yet. We'll see how that goes, though. Check back tomorrow for my initial thoughts on the game.

[Top 5] My Top 5 Favorite DS Games

2009-08-24T17:49:00.007-05:00

I'm having a little bit of writer's block, and I don't want to have 4 game reviews in a row, so I'm doing a short little blog about my 5 all time favorite DS games. Also, it seems appropriate to do this in celebration of the new Professor Layton. By the time you're reading this, I'll be playing it.

5. Pokemon Pearl Version
Recorded Game Time: 214 Hrs. 03 Min. Honestly, I barely have any recollection of this game at all. When I first saw this I was more surprised than you probably are right now.

This slot could easily have been taken by a few other games. The only reason I picked this one is because of the obscene amount of time I spent playing it. 214 Hours spent playing it seems like a pretty reasonable tie-breaker. I'm not going to bother explaining a pokemon game, though. Everyone should already know what to expect, aside from a few new features included and online battling/trading with voice speak(on the DS fuck yeah!)

4. Advance Wars: Dual Strike
Recorded Game Time: 137 Hrs. 07 Min. A lot but not surprising. One match of Advance Wars can easily take over an hour. Damn turn based strategy games.

Advance Wars is just one of those franchises that seems to take the same game and reinvent it every few years. Not that this is a bad thing, of course. If you haven't played an Advance Wars game, it's a turn based strategy game on a grid(similar to chess), and you have different units that can move different lengths and use different attacks. All in all, it's a very complicated game with a lot of depth and strategy.

3. Geometry Wars Galaxies
Estimated Game Time: There is no actual counter in the game that keeps track of how long you've played, so I'm just going to have to make a real vague guess of about 40-60 hours. With this game, it's just too easy to lose track of time.

I've often referred to this game as Asteroids on crack. Check out my review of it here.

2. Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Recorded Game Time: 17 Hrs. 04 Min. (w/ 2 extra puzzles left) Granted I haven't spend as much time playing Professor Layton as these other games, I feel it just has so much to offer in the time it takes to play it.

I just reviewed this game here.

1. Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Recorded Game Time: 212 Hrs. 25 Min. This is actually 1 1/2 playthroughs of the game. My first playthrough was 159 Hrs. 32 Min. and the one I've been lazily working on for the past year is at 52 Hrs. 53 Min. Once again, another damn turn based strategy game.

I love this game so much. Even the story(which is often complained about). Another turn based strategy on a grid here, except this game is an RPG making it more like Fire Emblem than Advance Wars. Part of why I love this game so much is because it is by far the most immersive game I've ever played, with the highest quality of content throughout the entire game. In terms of immersion and quality, it feels like a high budget MMO only it's not an MMO. I would compare it to Oblivion more than anything in this aspect. Deep gameplay and immersion with hundreds of hours of gameplay to be had, only on a grid. And I dig grids. There is a good chance I will review this game in the future and when/if that day comes I'll add the link here.

Making this only a top 5 list was kind of hard, and there were some games that really just barely fell off the edge for me. Mario Kart DS, Yoshi's Island DS and Phantom Hourglass come to mind, but honestly you should try all these games if you have a DS. Also, I didn't want to put Kirby Super Star Ultra on here because it's just a remake with some new content.

Please keep in mind that this was written July 24, 2009, meaning Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, Phantasy Star Zero, Mario & Luigi 3, Golden Sun DS and many other future hits haven't come out yet. These are all games that have a good shot at making this list, and I might even make a second list sometime in the future.

[Game Review] Mega Man X (SNES)

2009-08-20T02:35:00.003-05:00

If you haven't figured this out already, I've been doing a lot of retro gaming as of late, reliving some of my old favorite childhood games. And man, do I have some great memories playing this game(and probably a few busted SNES controllers.)

Storyline

I honestly have no clue what the story is. For all I know, this is just a hobby for Megaman. And can you blame him? Just look at all the cool weapons he gets every time he's in one of these games! But really, if you want to know the full story you have to have the instruction booklet that came with the game. And that's a real letdown.

Score: Average 6/10

Gameplay

Megaman X is very similar to its predecessors, only being the start of a new series in itself you can expect it to introduce new features, such as the dash boots. But other than that, you're still that little blue man going around killing robots with your buster in order to gain new abilities. The only other thing I need to say is that THIS GAME IS HARD. Really fucking hard. Unless you're some sort of Megaman expert, which I know there are a lot of you out there, you're probably going to spend a lot of time repeating the same levels. Especially if you want to get all the upgrades. Then you have to repeat some of the levels. And good luck beating the final boss without save states. You're going to need it.

Score: Above Average 8/10

Sound & Graphics

The sound and graphics for this game are pretty good for the most part. Each level has its own theme with its own song and graphics style, and for the most part the artistic quality of this game is pretty good. In fact, much better than its predecessors. Though, I still have problems enjoying music on the SNES. It just always sounds artificial. A little too artificial. Even for a Megaman game.

Score: Above Average 8/10

Final Thoughts

If you do decide to play this game, don't come into it with very high expectations. A lot of people overhype this game(and Megaman games in general), and I have to admit I am one of those people at times, but it's still a great game nonetheless. Especially if you just want a few hours of platforming goodness and you're getting sick of Mario.

My overall score is: 7.8/10.0

[Game Review] Metroid Fusion (GBA)

2009-08-18T16:00:00.004-05:00

I remember playing this game when I was younger and having trouble with it. It always seemed so hard at the time. After replaying it a couple weeks ago, I guess you could say my opinion has changed a bit. Regardless, I still love the game.

Storyline
While on her way to planet SR388, Samus is attacked by the parasitic life form X. As she returns to the station, she becomes unconscious due to the effects of X and her ship drifts into an asteroid belt. She is then rescued by Biologic's team and transported back to Galactic Federation HQ. After receiving a vaccine created from a metroid, Samus learns of an explosion on Biologic's ship, and rushes to the scene. And thus the adventure begins. Throughout the game Samus uncovers more of the mystery behind Biologic characters and certain plot elements are introduced through Samus's thoughts. The story definitely isn't the greatest, but it's the best I've seen from a Metroid game yet.

Score: Slightly Above Average 7/10

Gameplay

The gameplay of Metroid Fusion is very reminiscent of Super Metroid, although there are very distinguishable differences. The most important of these differences probably being the tremendously crippled exploration in comparison to Super Metroid. Aside from the fact that there are far less bugs and glitches that allow you to sequence break in Metroid Fusion, there are 4 colored lock doors that must be opened in order to advance in the game. This essentially makes it impossible to go somewhere you're not supposed to be. In my opinion, the exploration element isn't missing in this game. I just feel that the developers implemented a little more control over the sequence of events throughout the game. The only other thing I want to mention about gameplay are the SA-X events. Throughout the game there are a few rooms that when you enter, a clone of Samus Aran formed by the X parasite, known as SA-X, will be looking for you. This clone has all of your old equipment from Super Metroid and will demolish you(especially in the earlier parts of the game) if it sees you. In most of these instances you can actually avoid SA-X if you are careful, and this adds a sort of stealth element to the game that's worth appreciating. But if SA-X sees you, you'd better run like hell.

Score: Almost Perfect 9/10

Sound & Graphics

For a Gameboy Advance game, I feel Metroid Fusion excelled in both of these departments. Particularly graphics, with it's vibrant colors and detailed environments. Aside from the main area in the game, there are 6 themed areas which you explore. While playing this game I got a sense that each area had it's own identity. Not only were the backgrounds and sprites different, but certain gameplay elements were also incorporated to achieve this sense of identity(underwater areas, lava, etc.) And the music truly represented these areas as well. My only complaint was that some areas you can easily spend over an hour in, and the music doesn't change very often aside from boss battles and occurrences with SA-X.

Score: Above Average 8/10

Final Thoughts

Metroid Fusion is a pretty good game. It has it's flaws and is very short(my completion time was like 5 hours, though, I was missing many of the upgrades when I beat the game). If you were one of those people who played Super Metroid and loved it, then you should probably give this game a try. I don't know for sure if you're going to like it as much, but chances are you'll get something out of it. Even if only a few hours of exciting 2D Metroid action.

My overall score is: 8.1/10.0

1's, 9's, Everything in Between, and the Elusive 10 out of 10

2009-08-17T13:59:00.004-05:00

My biggest fear with game reviews is that I will be misunderstood. To someone a 7 could mean, "This game is worth picking up, but it won't be the best game I've ever played." While to others, a 7 implies that there are many 8's and 9's I could be playing, so why even bother. This is something I really want to clear up for those of you making decisions based off my ratings.

Let's stick with the previous example of a 7(I like this one because it is often the number that gives me the most trouble in reviews.) Most people wouldn't bother with a game lower than a 7, and most people agree on games given 9's. But with 8's and 7's especially, there seems to be a little bit of grey area. Personally, I've always felt this was an issue with ratings so because of this I've introduced some word association(listed below).

Game Review Scale

10-perfect
9-almost perfect
8-above average
7-slightly above average
6-average
5-slightly below average
4-mediocre
3-below average
2-disgrace
1-atrocious

Regardless, things can still be confusing.

Generally, I try to make my reviews as objective as possible. I don't give numbers just because I enjoyed aspects of the game. Some things in a game have to subjectively appeal to me in order for me to enjoy it. For example, if I were reviewing a game that had a combat system was well made, even if I didn't enjoy it I would still give it a good rating for the most part. God of War comes to mind. The games are very polished and well made, but I'm not personally a fan of linear exploration neither am I a fan of quicktime event bosses. So when it comes to 7's and 8's, my suggestion would be give the game a try if it sounds like something you would like. Chances are you'll enjoy it. But if I give something lower than a 6 and you still decide you want to play it, don't say I didn't warn you.

Another issue I want to talk about is giving games a 10. Lots of popular magazine and internet reviewers give out perfect scores all the time. I haven't done this yet, not only because I haven't reviewed a game I felt worthy of it but I'm also a little afraid of the implications giving a 10 would cause. One implication being that as soon as a game earns a perfect 10, where is the room for improvement? I can't think of a single game that can't be improved upon. Although, part of me thinks it is possible for a game to earn a 10 in my eyes. There's actually one game that comes to mind I've considered giving a 10 to already. And because of this, I've held off on reviewing it thus far. It's probably my favorite game of all time, and most people I know who've played it share similar feelings(although maybe not to this extent). Maybe I'll do it for my blog's 1 year anniversary or something cool like that, because I'm going to need a lot more time before I decide what score it truly deserves. But don't worry, I'm actually in the middle of writing several reviews, as well as closing in on finishing a few more games I plan to review. I've just got a little catch up to do.

8.15.09 update

2009-08-15T15:43:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've written anything for this blog(other than finishing up part 2 which was actually posted a few days ago despite the blog saying it was posted August 2nd, because August 2nd is actually when I started writing it. Kind of said when you consider it's about half as long as part 1, but I've been occupied with a number of things in these past few weeks. It's funny how in the summer I seem to get the least done, despite having all the extra free time. Hopefully with school coming up I can use this blog as an excuse not to do my homework. So to the few readers I have, expect more content in the upcoming months. Which leads me to another thing. What kind of posts do you guys like the most? Part of my reason for not writing so much lately was because I wasn't sure what you enjoy reading, and I don't want to write if no one is going to read it. By now there should be a poll to the right so either vote or leave a comment if you want to be more specific than the poll. Now, time to get back to writing...

[Game Theory] Risk, Reward and the Perfectionist's Wet Dream Part 2

2009-08-02T04:10:00.004-05:00

In part 1 of this series I discussed the archetypes of gamers and the games that attract them. I talked about the behaviors they display and their personal obsessions. Now in part 2, I'm going to talk about specifically what it is that game developers do to appeal to these archetypes, and possibly get into some related ethical issues.

While it is true that these archetypes are labels I made up, proof of their existence can be found within their corresponding game elements and genres. One key thing to remember, though, is that even though archetypes can often be attributed with several genres and vice versa, someone belonging to an archetype does not always match up with each genre attributed to the archetype. Often times this is because people generally do not fall into one archetype, and that archetypes are incredibly vague. I think that in order to make specific implications based off of a gamer's archetype, many sub-archetypes would have to be defined and attributed as well. I've tried figuring out what these sub-archetypes would be, but so far every attempt has been unsuccessful. And although all of this sounds really confusing, it can be explained with what I believe to be a perfect metaphor. Think of gamer's mind as being a genome in which these archetypes would be the chromosomes and the sub-archetypes would be the individual genes. If this metaphor confuses you even more then refer to this. With that said, lets continue on to examine what it is the game developer does with this information.

While I do not believe my theory's have been formally taught to game developers throughout the country(it's not as if I'm a conspiracy theorist), I do believe that most game developers have a general idea of what it is I am talking about. I just have a different and more specific way of looking at things. After all, it's not just a coincidence that games have gotten better over time; and it's not just technology that governs progress in the industry. A good deal of psychology is involved, and this is most prevalent in a more recent gaming trend: the MMORPG. What is now becoming an industry in itself, MMORPGs are becoming more and more popular among gamers and the internet. In fact, if you are reading this article on my blog there is a good chance that the banner to the right is linked to an MMORPG. But enough chit-chat because I've got a few issues left I want to touch down on in this article that I wasn't able to in the last.

The MMORPG is many things. Some see it as an escape from a miserable life. Some see a cure to their social anxieties and a chance to make real friends. But most either see it as a big waste of time or a way to kill some time. The truth of the matter, however, is that the MMORPG is all of these things and much, much more. The MMORPG can be whatever you want it to be, and that is where lies the problem. Though I guess it's only a problem if you want to look at it that way, but it really depends on your personal philosophy on life. But now I feel like I'm getting a little ahead of myself, so allow my to put things into perspective. All complex archetypes fall victim to the MMORPG at one point or another. The strategist has a marketplace, a player vs player aspect and an entire population of gamers to manipulate. The character has the power to shape his or herself and the freedom to live out any sort of gaming fantasies they desire. And when it comes to the perfectionist. Well lets just say that the MMORPG is the perfectionist's wet dream. There are endless goals that are mostly unreachable within the human lifespan for the perfectionist to strive for. And game developers know these things. Why do you think MMORPGs and online gaming in general have grown in popularity exponentially over recent years(aside from the fact that internet connections have excelled and become more accessible.) Bottom line is that it's the game developers who decided to program the customization capabilities and freedom in these MMORPGs, and it's the developers who also decided to put easy learning curves and elongated growth curves on these games. Their jobs are very similar to those of cigarette company CEOs. They need to hook you quick and make sure you're going to stick around for the long run. Whether it be subscription based, in which you pay a monthly fee; expansion based, in which you pay for expansion packs that provide you with enough content to last until the next; or the ever more popular "cash shop" method of payment, in which you are rewarded with incredible features for small amounts of money that usually add up to much greater amounts than what you would pay for a subscription of a year's worth of expansion packs. Either way, the one thing MMORPGs have in common is that they need you to keep playing. It's not enough for you to just play for a summer or play until college comes and you need to focus on the real world. They want you, and they want you for good. And I have to admit, they even had me for awhile. And they might get me again someday. Just not today, because I've got too much to look forward to.

8.2.09 update

2009-08-02T03:57:00.003-05:00

Just a few things again:

1. I know I've already announced some reviews that I plan on doing, but honestly I'm really slow when it comes to completing games(especially since I usually play more than one thing at a time), so I plan on doing more articles like the Game Theory one I did a while back to fill in the gaps. I don't want this blog to be just reviews, because there are plenty of other(better) sites you could go to for just reviews. I want this blog to be a place where I can display my gaming opinions and ideas and hopefully discuss them with my readers. So definitely keep an eye out for more gaming related articles.

2. I'm unsure what direction to take my youtube account in at the moment. If anyone liked my stupid ass Mario Party videos let me know, otherwise I don't plan on making those kind of videos anymore. At the moment I do have a few ideas on what I could do with my youtube account, but I'm not sure which is best.

3. ToP, the game I was working on has been indefinitely canceled. I might work on it from time to time but being only one person(and someone who lacks any sort of artistic or musical talent) I find it very hard to make any sort of real progress. Starting shit and not coming through makes me feel sort of like a failure, but whatever. I've already got enough shit I'm trying to do and trying to make a game like ToP is a full time job for more than one person.

Expect another Game Theory and possibly a short review later today.

[Game Review] Star Ocean: The Last Hope (360)

2009-07-27T07:42:00.004-05:00

So, it has come to my attention that I haven't done a video game review since June. I didn't even realize I've had this blog for that long. Wow, time in the Summer really goes by quick. And I know that my last review was of another Star Ocean game, but don't think I'm doing these because I'm some huge fanboy of the series. I'm fairly new to the series as a whole, actually, and gave the last one a 7.3. Star Ocean: The Last Hope, however, I was tempted to give two different scores to. By the end of this review you might understand why.

Storyline

This isn't intentional, but I'm starting out with the bad. There is really nothing good to say here, unless your definition of good expands to mediocrity. The plot isn't bad but it is poorly presented and at times is nonexistent. The game starts you off as up and coming officer, Edge Maverick, and only five minutes into the game you're already left wondering who was in charge of the character design. In fact, the characters in this game are so bad that they shut out any hope that this game's mediocre story could ever have. I could write about 10 paragraphs nitpicking little annoying things that they did with this games script and voice acting, but instead I'll just talk about Lymle. If you've already played this game then you don't even need to read the rest of this paragraph to know what I'm going to say. Actually, words cannot even begin to describe how much of an utter gutwrenching abomination Lymle is. I don't know who thought it was a good idea to take a 6 year old character, call her 15 and put her in situations that many adults wouldn't be able to handle. And as if that's not enough, in her world every fucking sentence has to end with the word 'kay. It might not seem bad, but when you have a game with hours and hours of cutscenes, bad cutscenes, 'kay 'kay 'kay is the icing on the fucking cake. I've never hated a set of characters in anything as much as I hate the playable characters in Star Ocean: The Last Hope. That is saying a lot people.

Score: Below Average 3/10

Gameplay

Gameplay in The Last Hope is a mixed issue for me. Unlike the game's storyline, the gameplay has some goods to go with its bads. Some of the goods include its real time action based combat system that plays like a fighting game in ways, as well as the fact that many of the dungeons and areas in this game are designed to be long, challenging and consistently entertaining. So what are the bads? Well, there's a lot of them, but most are just minor issues. Almost every quest is collect a bunch of some obscure item that involves tons of backtracking for an irrelevant reward or "Hey! I'm lazy as shit. Can you find this person for me?". And it wouldn't be so bad if every city didn't have 50 NPC's, or if there were a more convenient method of travel before disc 3. Also, the customization is both promising and a let down. When I first discovered the item synthesis in this game allows you to combine any two items in the game I was really excited. The only problem is that it is incredibly tedious and it often isn't worth upgrading equipment until the end of the game, otherwise it just gets outranked by the next best thing you pick up in a dungeon. And as for the actual item creation, this game creates the illusion that you're going to have a lot to look forward to. Especially later in the game. The only problem is that you keep playing and playing and playing and then you realize you've beaten the game and you still don't have any of the materials required to make the good stuff. In fact, the only way to get most of the best items is to do tons and tons of sidequests that the game doesn't even hint to you exist. You have to just spend about 20 hours guessing, talking to random NPCs or look it up online. And even most online guides don't know about a lot of the secrets. Overall, the gameplay offers a lot but it isn't offered in a very convenient or accessible way. In fact, by the end of the game if you want to revisit older areas in the game you actually have to take out disc 3 and put one of the old discs in. This can get very repetitive if you are gathering an item that is only on disc 2, because you can only do item creation/customization on disc 3. Usually, I like to mess around near the end game and see the extra content these games offer but it's so poorly presented in this game that for the most part I just said "Fuck it!"

Score: Above Average 8/10

Sound & Graphics

At least there's one area of this game to be appreciated. In terms of sound and graphics, this game excels beyond most other games of the genre. The environments in this game have tremendous amounts of detail put into them and the music is almost always perfectly fitting throughout the game. My only complaint here, yet again stems from whoever's job it was to work on the characters. I got this impression that some of the characters, notably Reimi, felt inhuman by their lack of expression. For the most part they didn't even bother to program the character's mouths moving during dialogue. That seems like a pretty big detail to leave out to me.

Score: Above Average 8/10

Final Thoughts

Although certain aspects of this game are atrocious *cough*LYMLE*cough*, I still don't regret playing it. With over 60 hours of immersive gameplay and a genuinely fun combat system, for the most part I enjoyed it. If you happen to have a 360 and you like longer RPGs then maybe you should check this game out, but it's definitely not worth going out of your way for.

My overall score is: 7.0/10.0

[Game Theory] Risk, Reward and the Perfectionist's Wet Dream Part 1

2009-07-23T02:18:00.003-05:00

Today, or I suppose yesterday, I spent hours playing through old Mario games. It all started when I was at my friend Ryan's house. He was playing the original Super Mario Land on his Gameboy Advance. I distinctly remember him complaining about how he had wanted some coins that led him to a trap. At the time, I chuckled and didn't think too much of it. But as the evening went on the thought of this moment triggered something in my mind that led me to think more deeply about the risk and reward of video games and gaming in general. It has always been something that had interested me, but it wasn't until today that I had found it truly fascinating enough to write about. By the way, this is going to be a long article and it is going to incorporate a lot of behavioral psychology and video game references as I attempt to summarize my philosophy behind what makes games fun and keeps people playing.

Often times you might find games offering a plethora of rewards throughout. I would say that most of us keep playing games as long as we are continually rewarded, however it is important that the game offers a variety of different rewards and through different means. This is to ensure that everyone will have a reason to play the game. But for the purpose of this article, I am going to generalize everyone as being either someone who plays a game for pure entertainment to just kill a few hours(simple archetype), someone who plays a game for the sake of completing goals within the game until everything is done(complex archetype), or those who fall right in between these two archetypes of gamers. The typical gamer who is just looking to kill some time will often find enjoyment through completing the levels of the game or finishing the game itself. A good example of this is someone who sits down and plays one of the original Mario games for an hour or two and is willing to let go of the game very quickly after losing a few times. This is usually the result of the loss of the gratification of successfully advancing throughout the game, which can be explained by either a short attention span or just mere prioritizing. This example, of course, is an extreme. The other extreme would be someone who likes a game like Pokemon and tries to actually catch them all. This person typically finds gratification through individual smaller goals set throughout a game that lead up to a final reward which usually marks the end of said person's interest in a game. That is, however, until they decide they want to do it all over again. Now, assuming you have at least an ounce of sanity and are fairly intelligent - because if you weren't, you wouldn't have made it this far - you would fall somewhere in between these two and find yourself fluctuating between them from day to day. As a gamer myself, some days I don't mind spending up to 10 hours in an enormously immersive video game. One where you have to collect things and do side quests, and could spend hours just fighting enemies because the combat system is so refined. But in the same respect, I often times have days where I have plans or am just not in the mood to play a game like that. Sometimes an hour or two of Mario, or a few games of Advance wars is all it takes. So now that we've looked at these archetypes, lets begin to delve into what they really mean.

First lets look at the game you would play to kill some time: the entertainer. The entertainer is typically a short length game, or at least permits you two play for as little as five minutes before it rewards you. In fact, many games that fall under this category typically reward you so fast that there is virtually no depth within the game. To explain what I mean, I'm going to use Super Mario Bros. again. I would be surprised if anyone reading this didn't know a lot about the original Super Mario Bros. Eight worlds, and four levels in each. Every fourth level of the world is a castle and everything you can collect is infinitely available. And did I mention there is no saving? It's about as simple as it gets. And while Super Mario Bros. may be a classic, it is likely that it would not appeal to the complex archetype of gamer. Rarely, will anyone go out of their way to collect every single coin in a Mario level and rarely will that person go out of their way to kill every enemy. Most of the time it's as if you are trying to beat the level as fast as possible. And that involves little dicking around, cutting straight to the reward. Super Mario Bros. is perfect for the simple archetype. In fact, any game you can fully explain in under five or ten minutes probably appeals to this type of person.

On the other hand, there's still the complex archetype. What kind of games appeal to the complex archetype? Well, I would say the vast majority of RPGs, RTS games, adventure platformers and just about any sandbox type of game would appeal to the complex archetype. Although, I would say there are many different branches of the complex archetype. *sigh* I guess I should further explain each of these branches as well.

The first of these complex branches would be the Perfectionist. The Perfectionist is that guy who becomes one with the game. He doesn't skip anything finite and he will try his damnedest to find everything there is to know and do within a game. The perfectionist does not necessarily care about story or strategy, and for this reason is typically attracted to lengthy RPGs. For all you know, he is skipping cutscenes to make time for the level grinding required in his absence of ability.

The second complex branch is the Strategist. The Strategist likes to manipulate the game, and often times strives to spend the least amount of time possible playing a game. If he is playing an RPG he will not train. If it's a RTS then he will cut corners wherever possible. Be it using less supplies, spending less money or even avoiding ocd-like behaviors during the game. The Strategist focuses on a risk/reward mental process while playing the game. He/She is always three steps ahead of the game, and usually has no desire for extra content.

The final complex branch is probably the one I can relate to the most, or at least more than a lot of other people: the Character. The Character is deeply motivated to play the game for reasons tied into the story of the game. Although, not every complex game has a story. Sometimes the character just focuses on what they believe to be the role of their character is, whether it is stated clearly by the game or not. The Character is very attracted to story driven linear gameplay and/or customizable sandbox gameplay, and will often be either severely disappointed or enthralled by the end of the game.

So that's generally how I would categorize gamers based on what types of games appeal to them. I think I generally belong to the complex archetype, and often find myself being a cross between all three branches. When I'm playing a platformer game like Banjo Kazooie or an adventure game like The Legend of Zelda I can be bit of a perfectionist. But I'm primarily a Strategist when necessary and a Character when possible. What are you?

Blog Just Got Better

2009-07-20T21:29:00.005-05:00

I just adapted a plugin to this blog that will allow you, the readers, to highlight either a word or a header or even a quote and you can search either Google, Wikipedia, Twitter or even post it to your Twitter! Have fun. I hope you guys enjoy it.

First youtube video uploading now!

2009-07-17T02:53:00.004-05:00

I'll post a link when it's done uploading. Tell me what you guys think!

Here it is!

My Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/15kalas15

7.15.09 update

2009-07-15T06:25:00.002-05:00

So my birthday's finally over, and thanks a drink consisting of 200mgs taurine, 160mgs ginseng, 160mgs caffeine and 200% of both vitamin B6 and B12 I didn't sleep last night.

I spent a good portion of my birthday sleeping in, but when Mom got home we went out to eat at this good Mexican place and went to Best Buy. I managed to pick up a nice headset and a wireless Xbox 360 controller for windows while I was there, so I think I'm going to spend today playing around with some audio and video recording software. I'm definitely looking into making youtube videos in the near future.

Aside from that, I have a couple things to say about the blog:

1) I changed some of my overall scores for some reviews. After comparing some of the scores, a couple of them just didn't feel right.

2) I have three upcoming reviews planned for sure. Star Ocean: The Last Hope (360), Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS), and the movie Bruno. I also have a special double review planned which will involve me nitpicking every little thing out of the two most highly regarded Legend of Zelda games of all time. Yeah, that'll piss of my nerd readers... I'm only kidding. So yeah, make sure to keep reading!

Oh, and if this post looks like it was written by a retard, please refer back to the first paragraph I wrote.

Yay! I am officially 17!

2009-07-14T02:28:00.003-05:00

I've been staying up so lately that I haven't been noticing when days end and new ones start. And although I'm a couple hours late on figuring this out, it is my birthday! Lol. Kind of sad when you forget about your birthday. Even momentarily.

Also, I know I haven't been posting a lot of stuff lately(including a Youtube top 5 vids of the week, which I don't think I'm going to do anymore because it is hard to find 5 truly special videos each week) but I promise I have some good reviews coming up. Including some newer games, some classic games and new movies(including Bruno I hope). That and I may start making youtube videos in the near future and doing a podcast isn't out of the question. Be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.

Michael Bay eating a bowl of cereal

2009-07-13T02:35:00.002-05:00

Unfortunately, I take no credit for this video.

[Movie Review] Public Enemies

2009-07-10T17:31:00.001-05:00

Earlier today I saw Public Enemies, and in retrospect, the title feels a little misleading. Because I have to be honest with you, while I was watching this movie I was totally rooting for the bad guys. Overall I thought it was pretty good and it gave pretty much exactly what you would expect it to.

Set in the Great Depression, the movie depicts the true story of FBI agent Melvin Purvis's attempt to stop major criminals including John Dillinger. And John Dillinger is, hands down, what makes both this movie and the real-life story behind it so fascinating. A lot of things can be said about John Dillinger, but I think the most important thing that could be said is that he was human, and it really shows throughout the film. This isn't the story of an apathetic psychopath or some delusional, drugged up deviant. There are many little things about yourself that you will be able to relate to John Dillinger, even if he is out robbing banks and killing people who get in the way.

There isn't a whole lot more to say without just spoiling the whole movie, because lets be honest, it is kind of predictable what happens as it is. The only other thing I wanted to really address was that Christian Bale didn't suck too bad in this movie. So if that was a concern for anybody out there - and I'm sure it was - then no worries. But man, Johnny Depp really nailed John Dillinger. Great character plus great actor and a story linked to the history of Midwest crime and the founding of the Federal Investigation Bureau equals what could possibly be the best movie of the year.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5

It was just a rumor...

2009-07-09T22:41:00.001-05:00

Apparently the twitter account was actually being run by a hyped up fanboy and actually had nothing to do with Nintendo. So I guess that means no Geno. *sigh*

If you don't know what I'm talking about then read this.

Potential New Smash Bros. Characters Revealed?

2009-07-07T02:40:00.004-05:00

Read this first.

Yeah. Apparently they are already drafting new character concepts for the next Smash Bros. game. Assuming this isn't just a rumor, that is. Either way, Geno NEEDS to be in another fucking game. And if you don't know who Geno is then YOU NEED to play this game!

EDIT: THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED AS BEING JUST A RUMOR.

[YT5] Top 5 YouTube Videos of the Week #3

2009-07-05T18:29:00.003-05:00

I know I'm a day late on this but whatever.
EDIT: For whatever reason, when I embed videos onto the blog they never fit, so I have to shrink their size and this sometimes results in parts of the videos getting cut off. From here on out, I would recommend just clicking the youtube logo on the video(or the link I usually provide) and just watch it on youtube so you can see the entire video. I know for some videos this doesn't matter a whole lot but I've noticed it cuts of some important stuff in this weeks top 5.

#5 Hot Girls Share Hepatitis in Montana

Really funny Sxephil video about the anti-meth campaign in Montana. Just watch it lol.

#4 Oracle of Ages: Part 1 - Grim Beginnings

There's nothing too special about this video in particular, it just marks the beginning of a series I'm excited for.

#3 Black People Are The Borg. You Will Be Assimilated

Hilarious video about Independence day and racism in the media. Seriously, he has some valid points.

#2 2 Girls 1 Truck

The highlight of this video is the clip where this girl tricked her grandma into watching the 2 girls 1 cup video and recorded it.

#1 Chulzy91 returns to Majora's Mask

Chulzy91 finally returns to the world of youtube to finish what she started in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask! Definitely watch her. She's probably the funniest lper I've ever seen, or a close second to Griffinlobster. Tough call.

[Movie Review] Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-07-03T03:18:00.008-05:00

So a couple of days ago I went with a few family members to see the new Transformers movie. Now, I know that I shouldn't have high expectations for a movie like this and it might seem like I'm being unfair, but even compared to the first one this movie fell very short.

My first issue with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, is also my biggest issue: the plot. SPOILER ALERT! The entire plot of this movie can and will be summed up in this tiny paragraph. Waaaaaaaayyyyy back during the time of the pyramids there were 7(I think) Primes, including Optimus Prime. It was the duty of these primes to journey to desolate planetary systems and use their special technologies to somehow absorb or convert the energy of the sun to power their homeworld. The only catch is one of them turned out to be an asshole and decided he would try to absorb the Earth's sun and kill all the humans. Now The Fallen aka. asshole, is back to try and steal the energy of the sun. He had his henchman kill Optimus Prime who was then resurrected by the technology that was going to be used to absorb the sun, thus allowing him to stop The Fallen. Seriously, this is probably the worst plot I've heard in a long, long time. None of this makes any sense. Though I guess it doesn't have to; it's a Michael Bay movie. END SPOILERS

My second problem sort of adds on to the first problem, which is of the two and a half hours that make up this movie, two of them are filled with cheesy, nonfamily friendly jokes to which I'm unsure of whom the target audience is. That and every other scene is a close up of Megan Fox. I mean, sure, she's hot. But I really don't give a fuck how hot she is when I'm in a movie theater. It's not like I'm gonna just whip out my dick right there because "HEY LOOK IT'S MEGAN FOX ON THE BIG SCREEN!" Seriously, boners make it hard to focus on the movie. And Shia Lebeeoufffe(who the fuck can spell that shit) is overrated.

I guess that covers just about most of the shit in this movie worth talking about. And this turned out to be more of a rant than a review.

My Rating: 2.5 out of 5

[ToP Update] Unofficial Title Screen

2009-07-01T18:23:00.004-05:00

DISCLAIMER: Content is not guaranteed to appear in final version of game, and may be subject to change.

click to enlarge

I want to look into making the font look better than just the plain white.

Fuck...

2009-07-01T13:21:00.001-05:00

I made one.

[Game Review] Star Ocean: First Departure (PSP)

2009-06-29T12:16:00.003-05:00

Star Ocean: First Departure is a remake of the SNES game Star Ocean, released in 1996 Japan only, for the PSP. And while the new game has added more items, new features and an extra dungeon, the heart of the game is still there.

Storyline

The story of Star Ocean: First Departure is one which takes place primarily on a planet named Roak. Without getting into details or spoilers, I'd like to say a few things. The first of which being that for an RPG originally made in 1996, Star Ocean makes a valiant attempt at originality. And while the story is cliche at times, it almost feels appropriate. The framework of the story and the objective of the protagonist, Ronyx, slips your mind as you venture into this game. And while this framework itself is unique, the vast majority of the game takes place in the typical, medieval-like setting most RPG fans are sick and tired of by now. I only wish that more time would have been spent in the more unique settings used in the game.

The second thing there is to say about the storyline of Star Ocean is that it does a very good job at making you forget it is just a story. Perhaps this can be explained by the layered storylines within the game, though. It's just a shame I can't further explain what I mean without giving away key plot points of the game.

What I can talk about though are the characters. The interesting thing about Star Ocean: First Departure is that it features 14 different playable characters, although you can only have 8 over the course of the game. As a result of this, some proper character development is sacrificed in place of the possibility of alternate cutscenes and endings as well as a case for replayability. Though, I can't really comment too much on that because I've only beaten the game once.

Score: Above Average 8/10

Gameplay

Star Ocean: First Departure plays in a limited but three-dimensional world with towns and dungeons laid out on the world map of Roak. The extent of the exploration and problem solving is fairly typical compared to other RPGs. Not too much to say here as I find it one of the weakest points of the game.

The combat system used in Star Ocean uses is action based in real-time. Most battles are random and occur on the world map or in a dungeon-like area, and when triggered you enter the battle screen. The exception to this obviously are bosses. While this combat system may have been innovative when it was originally released in 1996, now it just doesn't cut it for me. The beginning of the game is fairly enjoyable, but at around the middle of the game combat already feels tired and uninteresting. Although, this can mostly be attributed to two things: The first is that when a spell is cast in combat the entire fight stops and you have to wait 3-10 seconds for the spells animation to finish itself. At first it seems cool and cinematic and what not, but not after long you feel the urge to remove the casters from your party. If only they weren't so much more overpowered than your non spellcasters. The second problem is that halfway through the game you have access to ways of making infinite money, obtaining every useful item, obtaining (almost)all the best equipment, and it becomes very easy to accidentally over level your party. By the time I got to the end of the game my main character was level 101, and the guide I was using said it could easily be done with a party below level 70, just to give you an idea incredibly easy and unbalanced this game can become.

Score: Average 6/10

Sound & Graphics

The sound department of Star Ocean is fairly impressive considering it is a PSP game. A lot of the songs fit their respective areas very nicely and not too many songs are reused throughout the game. More importantly, however, is the fact that most important characters in the game has voice acted lines. But what is most impressive about this is that the dialogues can change completely depending on which combinations of characters are in your party. Meaning lots and lots of voice acting was put into this game. I was impressed.

Graphics on the other hand... Well, let's just say I wasn't impressed. But that's not to say they weren't good. They were pretty average, but I don't feel they completely utilized the PSP in terms of what it's graphically capable of. The one good thing I do have to say about this games visuals is that of the few cutscenes that are in the game(including the intro), none of them were bad. Some of them were long and they were made in the anime style of art, so I can understand why some people wouldn't be too fond of them. But I thought they were nicely done.

Score: Slightly Above Average 7/10

Final Thoughts

This review ended up being a little shorter than I'd expected, but when there is so much cliche about a game there isn't a whole lot to say. Some parts did end up being unique enough to stretch the imagination, but for the most part the events of the game were unexciting and the gameplay felt repetitive at times. I would only recommend this to someone who really likes RPGs or real-time action based combat systems. If that's you, then you might enjoy this game enough for it to be worth it. Otherwise, don't even bother.

My overall score is: 7.3/10.0

[YT5] Top 5 YouTube Videos of the Week #2

2009-06-27T21:07:00.003-05:00

I know I said I was going to plan ahead a little better this week, but to be honest I've been busy lately with personal stuff this week and haven't had a chance to watch all the videos from my subscriptions list yet. That said, here's this weeks list:

#5 Unuseless

An instrumental poem by Cody Weber. Not his best work but worth watching.

#4 This Conversation Is Over.

Chris rants about anarchists. Watch it. It's funny.

#3 Let's Play Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards: Part 15 - Dark Star

Odinspack33 finishes up his let's play of Kirby 64. The best part of this video - in my opinion - is Odin's announcement that he's going to be playing through Oracle of Ages starting July 1st.

#2 Dear Fatass

Chris again. Now he's looking to take your shitty life problems and give you advice. Also he does a short review(kinda, not really) on Transformers 2, which I plan on doing.

#1 1,000 Subscriber Special - A Song

I know I kind of spoiled this by talking about it here, but in all honesty it deserves the #1 spot for this week.

Things you can expect in the near future...

2009-06-27T15:32:00.003-05:00

Things you can expect in the near future aside from random posts(like this one):

Top 5 YouTube videos of the week every Saturday(This week's will be up later tonight)

More Game Reviews and Double Reviews, the next one being for Star Ocean: First Departure.(Probably today or tomorrow)

More Tales of Phantasm updates(I might include some screenshots in the next post)

Also, I know I said I was going to movie reviews and haven't done any yet, but I'm thinking about doing one for the new Transformers movie cause I just saw it. So keep an eye out for that.

Something random I might try out soon is putting up a poll on the front page of the blog. It would probably change either every day or every week if its an important one. Still unsure about this though.

Random articles about gaming. I might even make it a column to be updated on a scheduled weekly basis. Still unsure on this also.

And last but not least, HOPEFULLY Griffinlobster will be posting soon. If you've watched the video in the post below this though, you'll know he's been very busy and that sucks.

Griffinlobster has contacted me again...

2009-06-23T23:10:00.001-05:00

Just a little bit longer...

In the meantime watch this awesome parody he made(lots of inside jokes though):

Something I've been working on...

2009-06-22T03:03:00.003-05:00

So, I know I haven't been posting here a whole lot lately, but I have been busy. Aside from things I have had to do recently, I've been working on making a game for awhile. This was something I'd started probably two months ago but kind of tried to let die because I suck with graphics. But after doing some research(a lot of research), I've pretty much decided to go back to what I was doing and suck it up. Everything else is a lot harder and requires me to learn a lot more that I have no fucking clue about. I know this blog is pretty lackluster in information, but there are a few things I can say about the game. I suppose I'll start by telling you the title of the game is Tales of Phantasm(sort of an unofficial "Tales of" game). It is going to be an RPG with simple mechanics and it will use the built in turn based combat system. Also the graphics are based off of 2d tilesets. Now that I've pretty much talked everyone out of even trying it I guess I'll end this off by saying that there is going to be a clear emphasis on story(particularly character development), balance and customization. This game isn't going to be the best game you'll ever play, but it is going to be my first game, and you can expect a demo of it in a couple weeks or so.

[YT5] Top 5 YouTube Videos of the Week #1

2009-06-20T03:01:00.004-05:00

So yeah, I've been busy and haven't posted in a few days so I came up with this simple idea for a weekly thing. This list was kind of last minute also but I'm gonna plan ahead for next week's so I can make the best list possible. Anyways, I hope you enjoy.

NOTE: Several of the videos are related to this pathetic excuse of a video, so you might have to suffer through some of it to understand why some of these videos made the list.

#5 Palin vs Letterman

#4 NVP Parody

#3 HOLOCAUST!!!!111one

#2 Bowls

#1 Dumbest Youtuber Ever

[Double Review] Baten Kaitos(GC) vs. Baten Kaitos Origins(GC)

2009-06-15T14:58:00.008-05:00

Before I start this double review(hopefully the first of many in an ongoing series), I'm going to flat out admit that both of these games are probably in my top 10 favorite games of all time. With that said, I'm going to try as hard as I can to provide unbiased facts along side my very biased opinion of these games. I really hope you guys enjoy this article, and be sure to leave me a comment in the comments section below if you want to see more reviews done like this.

Storyline

Baten Kaitos

The game begins with a little blue boy named Kalas asking you your name. You will be playing the role of this boy's guardian spirit. You soon find yourself in a town and things start to slowly progress as you meet Xelha and encounter new areas and islands to explore.

The lore behind the world Baten Kaitos takes place in, is that a long, long time ago some evil god named Malpercio swallowed the ocean. I know. It's weird, but just go along with it. Even weirder is that human civilization now lives on continents or islands floating above the Earth. Some of these aspects can feel very cliche at times, but most of them feel justified and/or well-explained by the end of the game.

Perhaps the biggest complaint about this game's storyline is its lack of proper character development for the main characters. And although this is generally made up for by exciting, unpredictable plot twists throughout the story, I find the biggest plot twist itself adds to this problem(You'll see what I mean if you play the game). There are also various sidequests near the end of the game, including one for each character in your party, that will aid in explaining the background and history of each character.

The Baten Kaitos story certainly isn't the best I've seen in a game, but comparatively to most other games of the genre, Baten Kaitos fairs well.

Baten Kaitos Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean Score: Above Average 8/10

Baten Kaitos Origins

In contrast to the story of Baten Kaitos, Origins offers a far more diversified and compelling quest, exploring both the hearts of the characters and the world in which it takes place. Once again, the main character is a spiriter, meaning you'll be playing the role of guardian spirit. In some respects, the opening sequence is similar to that of Baten Kaitos, only this time the main character's name is Sagi.

This time around, the story progresses much quicker, even putting you right in the action at the beginning of the game. The only complaint I have about this is that there are only three playable characters in the game, and they seem to join you very early on. This sort of left me hoping there would be some more future party members, and it wasn't until the end of the game that I finally let go. Usually, I would say that three party members really isn't enough, but in retrospect the excellent character development that was put into all three of these members outshines any traces of character development found in the original Baten Kaitos. And for that I am grateful.

The story of Baten Kaitos Origins seems to base itself around the concept of traveling between two different realities: One being the real world and the other within the mind of Sagi. Scattered throughout the game are plot points in which Sagi experiences severe head pain and enters this alternate reality. There he is recognized by others, but not as himself. I know it sounds very complicated, but this is really all the game tells you at first. Thankfully, what is really happening during these sequences is explained through an important plot twist near the end of the game. And it is at that moment you will feel as if everything is connected, and the story really falls into place. The combination of the excellent character development of protagonists and antagonists, the further explanation and exploration of Baten Kaitos' underlying themes, and this concept being masterfully revealed through the best plot twist in gaming history give this story a perfect score in my book.

Baten Kaitos Origins Score: Perfect 10/10

Gameplay

The gameplay of both of these games is very similar. Both games involve a card based combat system, class ups and level ups that occur in a mysterious church, and incorporate the traverse between the different island continents. There are some changes that were made to the combat system when it was transported to Origins, so I'll note those below.

Like I said, the combat system for Baten Kaitos is based off of cards in the game called "Magnus". These magnus are used to trap the essence of different matter and objects throughout the world. Weapons and armor are stored within magnus and used later in battle. In the original Baten Kaitos, using a weapon magnus would attack an enemy, and using an armor magnus would defend from an attack by the enemy. Each character had a customized deck with these weapons and armor magnus available for them to use in battle. In Origins, however, both of these things changed. All three characters shared the same deck, and equipment magnus were far more scarce. The reason for this is that a new type of magnus, the attack magnus, were introduced. Chains of attack magnus would be used sequentially after using a weapon magnus, and each attack magnus represented an attack by that weapon. Personally, I would have rather seen them keep each character having their own deck, but it's not that big of a deal in my opinion.

Overall, the combat system is far too complicated to explain here and near impossible for me to tell you if you're going to like it or not. Personally, I like the innovation behind it but as many RPGs, it can be tiresome at times. If you really want to know about the gameplay you're pretty much going to have to try it and find out for yourself. Just keep in mind that being a card based system, there is some luck and a lot of skill involved. And grinding has almost nothing to do with it.

Baten Kaitos Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean Score: Above Average 8/10
Baten Kaitos Origins Score: Above Average 8/10

Sound & Graphics

The sound & graphics are really were these games shine. Both games have long, appropriately used soundtracks that utilize the orchestral abilities of Motoi Sakuraba. If you really want a good example of the power in the music then watch this video.

Final boss music for Baten Kaitos Origins

The pre-rendered graphics used in both games are also just beautiful. They look as if they were painted right on. The game looks and feels so real. The aesthetics of these games in their entirety are awe inspiring. So much so, in fact, that I don't feel words do it justice. So here's another video.

Just after rewatching those videos again, nothing seems more appropriate other than a perfect score.

Baten Kaitos Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean Score: Perfect 10/10
Baten Kaitos Origins Score: Perfect 10/10

Final Thoughts

Like I said at the beginning, I really love both of these games. The combination of a compelling story and the beautiful aesthetics behind these games always gives me goosebumps. The verdict? I would have to go with Origins. But just keep in mind that Origins couldn't be what it is today without the original.

My overall score for Baten Kaitos Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean: 9.2/10.0
My overall score for Baten Kaitos Origins: 9.5/10.0

Griffinlobster is joining the team!

2009-06-13T23:08:00.003-05:00

I have just received conformation that griffinlobster from the glorious youtubes is going to be writing for this blog. Assuming you're still reading this blog cause you like what I have done, you're gonna love this guy. He's twice as funny and an even better writer.

Here is his account:

Go check out his videos too!

YouTube Intellectuals

2009-06-13T00:00:00.004-05:00

More and more I find myself spending time on youtube. But I don't really see it as a waste of time. I mean sure, I watch a lot of dumb entertaining videos. But here's just a few really intelligent people on youtube:

James Randi(aka. Santa Claus)

Penn Jillette

Fat guy with funny videos as well as deep philosophical ones

FOX News Debunker

Really cool kid that speaks out against idiots on the internet

The first two have real credentials, and the other three are just smart and fun to watch. Check um out.

[Game Review] Geometry Wars Galaxies (DS)

2009-06-11T23:25:00.009-05:00

Geometry Wars Galaxies is an asteroid-like game for the DS, in which you are in a ship with a little helper ship that is under constant attack from geometrically based enemies. While simple, this game can be addictive. Very addictive.

Storyline

There is literally no storyline. However, I think that's justified being that this game is modeled after an old arcade game.

Score: N/A

Gameplay

Geometry Wars Galaxies has some of the best gameplay I've ever seen in a game. And that's coming from someone who has played probably near 1000 different video games. When playing Geometry Wars, you'll find yourself enjoying classic gaming aspects similar to those of asteroids, combined with new age technologies that support an easier, more natural control of your ship. You even have a choice between using buttons or the style to aim your shots. Despite being a game with some of the best gameplay elements I've experienced, there really isn't a whole lot to say about it. It's simplicity speaks for itself.

Score: Perfect 10/10

Sound & Graphics

For a simple game such as Geometry Wars, you would expect simple graphics. You would also probably expect an average to low score in this department. But that's where you would be wrong. Granted, Geometry Wars does have very basic graphics, but what you have to note is that they are utilized in an almost perfect way. With bullets flying across the screen and infinitely spawning enemies, more detailed graphics would just complicate the game and make it unplayable. Geometry Wars is laid out with a black background representing outer space, with the enemies and your ship outlined in a neon color. This in itself makes it easier to comprehend what is happening in this incredibly fast paced game. And as for sound? While the game does have a very catchy tune played to it, it only has that one looping track. The first few times you play this game you might get real into it, but eventually it might cause you to lose your sanity. I usual play the game with the sound off these days.

Score: Above Average 8/10

Final Thoughts

I can't really stress this enough, but this really is a game you need to try to get the feel of it. You can probably find it cheap for like $15 at a used games store. And if you do, then congratulations. Now you've got a reason to spend an hour taking a shit.

My overall score is: 8.5/10.0

Reflecting on E3 '09

2009-06-10T16:03:00.002-05:00

Now that E3 is over I think it's a good time to pick 5 of my favorite and most anticipated games announced.

My top 5 anticipations from E3:

5. Metroid: Other M

Seeing this game for the first time made me very happy. Finally, we get a game that feels like it would come after Super Metroid. I mean, don't get me wrong, the Metroid Prime games are good and all. They just don't feel like the old school Metroid I remember. In Other M, the game has sidescrolling platforming like in the originals, as well as third person platforming, as opposed to the first person view in the prime series. With the alternating dimensional views, this game still feels like it could be hit or miss. I'm hoping hit.

4. Alpha Protocol

This was a game that really took me by surprise. You watch the trailer, and the last genre you expect it to be is an action RPG. Only instead of using traditional RPG combats like swords and magic, your character can specialize in either firearms, hand to hand combat or "spy gadgets". Man, talk about re-inventing the genre.

3. Golden Sun DS

So it's finally here! After taking a 6 year hiatus, Golden Sun plans for its arrival on the Nintendo DS. There isn't really much to say about this game though, as the only information out on it implies that Golden Sun DS is loyal to its predecessors.

2. Project Natal

Personally, I think this was the most impressive demo featured at E3 this year, and if I actually owned an Xbox 360 it would probably be #1 on my list. Once again, there really isn't much to say that the video can't say better. Just watch and be amazed.

1. Super Mario Galaxy 2

I'm actually kind of surprised that this made #1 on my list, because when I first heard rumors of it I wasn't really that excited. I mean, don't get me wrong, I thought Galaxy was a blast. I just didn't think it was that great. Anyone who's played the original will tell you that while being great, the game has its fair share of problems. But enough talking about old games. So why did this make the top of my list? One word: Yoshi! Yes, they're bringing back Yoshi, and it's about damn time. I mean, it seems like every time they put Yoshi in a Mario game it gets significantly better. Let's just hope they don't blow it.

2009-06-09T16:39:00.003-05:00

"My son died to make jerking off better..."

2009-06-08T22:54:00.006-05:00

This video is just too funny. Do 1000's of people a year actually die from this? Regardless, what an awesome way to go David Carradine. R.I.P. and L.O.L.

[Game Review] Super Mario RPG - Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES)

2009-06-06T15:29:00.010-05:00

For my first review, I'd like to start with an old game that was very ahead of its time. This game is one of my favorite games from my early childhood, and still remains one today. It's just unfortunate the game never got the true sequel it deserved.

Storyline

The game starts you off as Mario is put into a situation where the princess has been kidnapped by Bowser. Once again, you will have to go Bowser's castle and save the princess. Although Bowser's plot is short lived, you now have to worry about Smithy and his giant sword that has taken over Bowser's castle, as they begin to wreak havoc in the Mushroom Kingdom. Personally, I think this game has one of the most unique storylines among any in the Mario series, whilst retaining the charming light-hearted characteristics you would expect in any Mario game.

Score: Almost Perfect 9/10

Gameplay

We all know that when it comes to Mario games, great gameplay is key. Fortunately, Super Mario RPG doesn't fall in this area. The best way to describe the way the game plays to anyone who hasn't played, is that it combines Mario-like platforming elements with a traditional turn-based combat system. With the exception of finicky controls in platforming sections of the game - which are very apparent in later areas of the game like Bean Valley and Barrel Volcano - the gameplay overall is excellent.

Score: Almost Perfect 9/10

Sound & Graphics

There really isn't much to say here, but I'll do my best anyway. I think given the fact that this game was released in 1996 on the SNES, it's not fair to have high expectations in this department, nor is it fair to compare this game to more modernized games. With that said though, the majority of the music in the game is very enjoyable and the graphics were pretty good for its time. Perhaps the most impressive thing this game has to offer in the graphics department is its revolutionary isometric "3D" point of view. Technically, you could argue this game was really the first 3D Mario platformer(and there aren't even any camera problems to worry about! :]).

Score: Above Average 8/10

Final Thoughts

Like I said, this game was very ahead of its time. It was the first Mario game to offer some sort of three dimensional platforming, and it was also the first Mario game to have an original storyline that didn't suck - and possibly the last. This game is just packed with secrets, cameos, mini-games and lots of fun, and if you haven't played it yet then do so. It's even available on the Wii virtual console. So go. Do yourself a favor!

My overall score is: 9.2/10.0

2009-06-04T21:54:00.003-05:00

Welcome!

2009-06-04T18:59:00.005-05:00

Welcome to Ravenis, my new blog for reviewing movies, video games and anything that tickles my fancy! When it comes to Ravenis, nothing is off limits! I'll review what's hot and new as well as the classics. I also blog about random shit from time to time.

Also, for those of you who may know me from other popular websites I'll post a list of the ones I'm at as well as my username for each site:

www.mtgsalvation.com - Tarmogoyf
www.terroja.com - Kalas
www.gamespot.com - Tarmogoyf_Sal
www.youtube.com/15kalas15 - 15kalas15(By the time I joined there were no good usernames left)

My email is kalaswwt@gmail.com. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.