Category Archives: Games

Apr 06 2009
Games

DSi: No time for love, Dr. Jones

The DSi arrived today.

Although I can’t tell you much about it other than it’s black, and it seems to work.  I’ve been so busy doing real life things that I haven’t even put it on the network.  I’ve got it charging right now, and have played around with the camera.  Overall, that’s about it.

I should probably order an SD card for it.

As far as software is concerned, I was thinking about the Brain Age: Math edition.  WarioWare, while usually consistent in terms of fun factor is just more of the same with a new gimmick.  Or it could just be “Ware Fatigue.”  I’m Ware’d out.  (sad trombone)

But at least with the Brain Age: Math I’ll be playing something I enjoy.

Apr 03 2009
Games

DSi

Apparently the lowercase “i” stands for what “I’m going to be doing with the DS.”  Not “Interactive” or “Internet.”  I think that means they want it to be more of a multifunction device, instead of simply a handheld gaming console.  I’m hoping that it gets there, but the lack of MP3 support is going to hurt the DSi.  I’m just saying.  If they want me to use it for more than just video games, they’re going to have to at least try.

Mine, in matte black, is on its way from Amazon.  I’m the early adopter that they’re making money from.  I’m looking forward to not carrying cartridges around.  Even though the current cartridges are about the size of a large postage stamp and about as thick as a quarter, it’s just too much to carry around in this modern age.

The era of digital stores, online repositories of small, easily downloadable applications and games, locked to a single platform is already here, has already been here for several years.

I’m just astounded that it took this long to get to this level of  adoption.  I know that carts and proprietary formats won’t ever go away, but at least offer the same software that’s physically available.  As a handheld owner, I know that I’d buy games again just so that I wouldn’t have to carry the media around.  That’s why I like services like Steam and Impulse on the PC.  Impulse I like even more because I don’t even have to be logged in to play the games that I buy from them.

Is that so hard?

The market is there, the companies just need to react to the demand and provide the virtual goods and services.

Mar 19 2009
Games

Dungeon Crawling

I’ve got this urge to just play something akin to Diablo II and Titan’s Quest, but neither of those games. Possibly something closer to the Baldur’s Gate games on the PS2.  Good old dungeon crawling and infinite loots.  I mean, I could just pop in Too Human, but I’m looking for sort of a medieval fantasy sort of thing.

Just a good dungeon crawl would do the trick.

The whole top down view, press a single button a lot, manage your inventory, and drink potions genre has kind of been ignored lately, and with good reason.  I just summarized it for you in that last sentence.  Still, there’s no reason why someone can’t make a well crafted version of the same type of game and have it stand out.  It’s not like the market is really taking chances with new franchises, developers and publishers might as well go back to some old standby titles.

I hear that Sacred 2 may fit the bill.

Although to be honest, I may start playing it and then just lose interest.  It’s entirely possible that this phase may pass.

Tagged ,
Mar 18 2009
Games

For Mature Audiences

Played a bit of Madworld for the Wii and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for the DS.

Both M rated titles, and both on Nintendo platforms.

I played a good bit of Madworld, lumbering my way through a couple of the earlier levels before I really started to “get it.”  It’s really more like a puzzle game combined with a fighter, and a tiny bit of pixel hunt.  You’ve got to combine prop kills with environmental kills to really get things going, but sometimes, finding the props is difficult because everything is in black and white.

The exception of course, is blood.  Which is everywhere.

Madworld is the other answer to that knock knock joke.  “What’s black and white and red all over?”

Chinatown wars is well, it’s top down cel-shaded GTA on the DS.  It’s like a deeper version of the 1997 client.  This time, there’s a bit of Dope Wars (remember that on the Palm?) as well.  Money seems quicker and easier to come by if you’re running merchandise to different parts of the city.

It’s not bad although I’ll probably get sick of it around the impossible missions.

Madworld is just too over the top not to play through.

Tagged , , ,
Mar 17 2009
1 Comment
Games

The Stupidly Fantastic Idea Open Letter to Electronic Arts

Dear EA (and other developers),

I was having dinner with a friend of mine and we were discussing how much fun we have playing Rock Band (Lots of fun!) with the Rock Band Stage Kit (Lots more fun!).

While I was on the subject of Dead Space, he suggested that EA should support it as another peripheral.

Please, for the love of all that is awesome:  Make this happen.

Granted, this is a small, niche audience.  But it is an audience that craves more use out of their Rock Band Stage Kit than just being a stage kit.  I’m not saying put it into every game.  I’m not sure that Tiger Woods Golf is the type of title that needs this sort of enhancement, but just consider it for a couple of other games.

Imagine, if you will, Dead Space with on demand strobe lighting and smoke.  Or lighting effects that match the action on screen.  Red alerts on screen, red hues in your family room, and not just from your television.  That much more immersion from a title that’s already pretty engaging.

Burnout Paradise could have smoking tires.  Not all the time, of course.  But I think that a red, yellow, green countdown would make the race starts much more exciting.

The upcoming Dante’s Inferno is easy.  I’m just guessing here, of course at possible stage scenarios, but use the stage kit LEDs for lighting effects.  Cool blue lights while walking over traitors trapped in the ice.  Got lightning in any stage?  A single strobe light flash would be fantastic for setting that mood.

The possibilities are pretty open.  As long as it’s not overdone, the lighting effects could definitely enhance the dramatic effects of a scene, similar to how creative lighting is used on stage.  Sure, it’s gimmicky, but it’s additional value to a piece of hardware that I and many others have already purchased.

Sincerely,

Someone who bought the Stage Kit and is looking for additional reasons to keep it connected all the time.

Tagged
← Older posts
Newer posts →