Lirael Live

Ten RPGs That Matter... to Kaitlyn

2010-04-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to announce that my blog was published this weekend on the Frag Dolls website. I've wanted to be a Frag Doll for over 5 years, so this is a huge dream come true for me. If you want to read the whole thing (and you should!), go to the Frag Dolls site.

In the meantime, here's a sneak peak at the games I talk about in the blog:

Back By Popular Demand

2010-03-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a long while since I was blogging regularly. I guess I've been swamped with directing, work, and gaming—the usual. The yoozh? So... what have I been playing/reading/watching, you may ask?

There will be some juicy details in the next couple weeks as I get you caught up on my entertainment life these past several months. As a sneak preview, here's what's in store for your ravenous reading:

PLAYING
1. Eternal Sonata: I came back to this after a long respite and it was worth the wait. What a beautiful game... even with the strange Chopin infomercial slideshows interspersed in there.

2. Assassin's Creed 2: I ambushed this game on opening day and threw it eagerly into my 360. I think AC2 improves some of the flaws of the original, but it's somehow less magical now that we're experiencing it for the second time.

3. Dragon Age: Origins: This game distracted me from AC2. The plot and characters are not as stirring as Mass Effect, Eternal Sonata, or Lost Odyssey. But the gameplay is exciting enough to keep my interest.

4. New Super Mario Bros., Wii: We played it at work, we played it at home. It's everything you ever loved about the Mario series, plus some of the best cooperative playing dynamics I've seen in a videogame.

5. Mass Effect: We spent some time playing this game during our lunch breaks at work. There's something exciting about making all the important dialog choices as a group. Mob mentality at its best!

6. Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise: I made a brief return to Piñata Island and immediately remembered how addictive this game is. Curse you, 3am Romances!

7. Left 4 Dead 2: Like AC2, this game lost some of its magic in the sequel. We'd already rode the roller coaster of frantic zombie defense. Fortunately, there is a little bit of sparkle in here.

8. Beatles Rock Band: I am still astonished at how well Harmonix handled this game. They could have just phoned it in and threw some Beatles songs in a Rock Band game, but this is entirely different. Everything is handled with such care!

9. The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom: Some mutter that it's a beautifully designed rip-off of Braid. I think this game far outshines the self-important complacency of Braid. Charming, witty, clever... good job, Odd Gentlemen!

10. Doodle Jump: Is the iPhone/iPod a legit gaming platform? It is now! This is just one of many awesome games I've found that has put mobile gaming onto my radar. It's not just for dabblers anymore.

11. Boom Blox: Did you know that this game is still fun? Some games really stand the test of time. And it's not just the Ocarina of Times of the world.

WATCHING
1. The West Wing: The thing I love the most about this show is that it still feels relevant, still makes me laugh and cry, and still has about 4 or 5 seasons that I've never seen. It's like there's this gift that I know is out there for me and that I get to open later.

2. House: At least half of the episodes I watch of this show really make me think. It's another that I'm watching slowly on DVD. What a great distraction.

3. Guilty Pleasures: When I'm sitting at home and can't be distracted by videogames, I actually turn on my TV and work during the commercial breaks. I know... cable. It's crazy. But I get to fulfill my guilty pleasure of crime drama. Bones is my favorite, but there's also NCIS, CSI, and Numb3rs. Also filing under the category of guilty pleasures: The Amazing Race.

4. Sports: Another great reason to have cable? I get to watch basketball, football, tennis, the Olympics, and (soon) baseball! What a day.

READING
1. Robert Jordan: So I did, in fact, finish the most recent Wheel of Time book. (After re-reading the entire series for the first time.) Sanderson did a great job. I'm excited to devour another volume and sad that the series will soon come to an end.

2. Anathem: The latest by Neal Stephenson completely blew my mind. One of the most incredible epic literary journeys I've taken in a decade. From the London Guardian: "The only catch to reading a novel as imposingly magnificent as this is that for the next few months, everything else seems small and obvious by comparison."

DOING
1. I became a member at the Boston Museum of Science. Just in time to catch the wonderful Harry Potter exhibit. But also in time to see Running the Numbers, meet Cliff, and dance among the butterflies.

2. In the most recent news, I went to see Carbon Leaf in Portland, ME. They put on a great show (as always) and left me with all sorts of ruminations about the nature of performance, who gets it right, and why.

3. Directing. Yup. I'm doing it. This past fall I wrapped up a joyous production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Now I'm moving on to Annie, Get Your Gun. And helping out with a high school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Oh the adventures of theatre.

Also, two of my close friends from college just had babies. I'm not even married or engaged. But I think I'll spare you the usual despair about singledom, growing old, and... (gasp) RUNNING OUT OF TIME.

I think life is a pretty awe-inspiring thing these days. With plenty to keep me busy, to revel in, to enjoy... Why rush away from this into something that will take time away from playing videogames?

Big Dreams!

2009-04-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

Five years ago, someone sent me an article about this amazing group of female gamers, called the Frag Dolls. I've been following them ever since, as they spread the word about women in gaming, altered the world's perception of what girl gamers can be like, and fostered a safe and comfortable community for female gamers of every ilk. They are sponsored by Ubisoft, so they promote Ubisoft games, participate in Ubisoft community endeavors, and compete in a number of popular FPS titles. In short, they are awesome.

Three years ago, I applied to be a Frag Doll. I got to be interviewed by Morgan (aka Rhoulette), but didn't ultimately make the final casting round.

Well, tomorrow (my birthday!) I'm applying again. It's been my dream to be a Frag Doll for so many years that it seems silly to not apply.

For your fun and amusement, I'm posting my "Gaming History," which will be one piece of the application I submit. Wish me luck!

***

My gaming history.

If you want to find me, don’t look for me to be sitting on a couch, in front of a television, controller in hand. Instead, you can find me throwing touchdowns or cruising behind the wheel of an exotic sports car. I have been known to spend my lunchbreaks doing nosegrinds and boardslides in my custom-built skate park. I am a conspiracy theory photojournalist, I am an explorer of archaeological ruins, I stack irregular, two-dimensional solids with efficiency. Occasionally, I need food badly.

I grew up swinging across tar pits on jungle vines and dodging the occasional barrel tossed by an oversized simian. When I was just 14, I out-skated the skinny guy and drove the game-winning slapshot through the fat guy, across the ice, and into the opponent’s goal. I can do hurdles while running in place.

Nineteen years ago, I discovered the cure for an obscure red, blue, and yellow virus by stacking the appropriate medicinal pills. Six years ago, I liberated the galaxy from the dominion of the evil Darth Malak. And three years ago, I eliminated the terrorist threat inside several famous casinos.

If you want to know about my gaming history, ask my mom where I was when Samus first removed her helmet or when Sarge hugged the Elite. Ask my friends how many hours I’ve spent playing matchmaker to a host of paper animals full of candy.

And if you’re ever venturing into the unknown, consider taking me along. I never leave home without night vision goggles and sticky cameras. I hurl turtle shells at passing cars with deadly accuracy, I can fend off a grue with only a lantern, and I can sing lead vocals on “Enter Sandman.” I am an expert with the crowbar, a veteran with the chainsaw, and an artiste with the undead-slaying whip. When aiding injured comrades, I am occasionally invincible.

I have single-handedly uncovered a bioengineering conspiracy involving mutants and zombies, prevented the bungling DataDyne corporation from giving an evil alien race the power to destroy humankind, and rescued Mr. Pokeylope, the turtle. I have saved the princess, though she was in another castle.

When I was in Jerusalem, I instinctively wanted to climb the highest building. When I saw War of the Worlds, I expected the invaders to line up in neat rows. And I always wondered why the Scooby gang never took the magical pellet that would let them eat ghosts.

But if you need some practical advice, then look no further. I can tell you that the secret to a strong body is plenty of pizza. I know that a golden gun means a one-hit kill, jousting is properly done with ostriches, and folding fans are terrible weapons. Mist is spelled with a y and combat is spelled with a k. And when the dog laughs at you, I think it’s okay to shoot him.

To tell you the truth, I rarely have time to play video games. In the evenings, I’m an art student with the power to bend space and time. By day, I deliver newspapers with uncanny accuracy. In short, my life has been a tale of souls and swords from the kingdom of Daventry to the empire of Sun Hai.

If you want to find me, I can tell you where to look: flying my Arwing through the skies of Corneria, casting my spells in the plains of Cyrodiil, or playing my music in the fields of Hyrule. I have saved the Empress of Time, I have avenged the flower girl, I have beaten Mike Tyson.

But I have never been a Frag Doll.

RE5 and Gaming Anticipation

2009-03-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

If you follow my gaming life at all, you'll know that I've been stuck in a Team Fortress addiction for... eons. L4D is a nice nightcap every once in a while, but it's pretty much TF2 that has me glued to the controller day in and day out.

Maybe it's time to change all that...! Last night, they started selling Resident Evil 5. It's the latest entry in a series that has always been top quality entertainment—and sometimes much more than that. So I'm eagerly anticipating all that is scary and exciting (and delicious) in RE5. I know many of my friends are already playing it, but I didn't see the point in picking it up at the midnight release. (I do have to earn a living during the day, after all.) So, after work, I'll scurry down to my local game store and drop $60 on the release.

There's something inherently nostalgic in rushing to a game store, clutching your hard-earned money on the day a new game comes out. Something about it makes me a little giddy and, I think, makes me enjoy the game a bit more. It's a feeling not unlike when your mom would give you a single dollar bill and you would scramble off to the arcade. I would always run straight to the change machine, get my trusty quarters, then stand in awe—or maybe nervous anticipation—wondering what to play. What game pried those four sweaty quarters out of your hand? For me it was Cruisin' USA. I know, it doesn't exactly give me gaming street cred. But I just loved that game.

There's something else special about RE5 for me. I get to play it with someone I love. The social aspect of gaming has always been the one thing bringing me back. And playing a cooperative survival horror game with my best friend is the happiest thing a girl can ask for.

TF2 Ladies

2008-12-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

In honor of my re-addiction to TF2, I'm posting a collection of great female renditions of TF2 characters...

This might be my favorite all-team pose. True to the spirit:

Cutest cartoon ladies:

Badass chicks:

A decent sexy team. Like the Scout, Sniper, Engineer, Medic, and Soldier:

Anime TF2 Girls! The Pyro is awesome! Cute Heavy too:

A great Engineer:

My favorite Demogirls:

Three cute Scouts:

Two great Heavy ladies:

The only two spies I like. And they're great!

Medic!

Too good to leave it out:

In Utter Shock

2008-09-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

Rarely does something occur that leaves me so confounded that I simply must write about it. Even more rarely does something of that magnitude occur that does not involve video games.

When I found out today that Merrill Lynch had been bought by Bank of America, I was so astonished that I was sure I must be misunderstanding what had happened. When I became certain that this financial stalwart had actually been purchased, I was just speechless. I just kept repeating "what?"

It's not the financial import of this event that has struck some vital chord. I do acknowledge that Merrill Lynch has become synonymous with wealth management and that this is an important sale. But...

The real crux here is that the symbol of Merrill Lynch has been shaken, if not dismantled. Since before I was born, my dad has worked for Merrill Lynch. When I was growing up in Texas, my brother and I would go into the office with my dad on weekends and play among the filing cabinets and dry erase boards—this was really cool technology to us at the time. I remember the plastic plants and the enormous lunch room. It seemed cavernous at the time and we would run among the tables and chairs and build puzzles and play Othello. For my entire life, my dad has brought home t-shirts and dufflebags and mugs adorned with the iconic Merrill Lynch bull. For summers in high school, I even worked at Merrill Lynch: in the mailroom getting to know all the names of the most important people and what all the acronyms meant for all the Merrill Lynch departments.

And for my entire life, I have had my savings account, checking account, and stocks with Merrill Lynch. Well past the time when it was convenient, I grasped onto my Merrill Lynch account and my blind devotion to Merrill Lynch services. I say blind, but I think there's a reason they're the best at what they do and had lasted (until now) for 94 years. I've never encountered better customer service with any bank, investment firm, or company of any kind. When I moved to Boston, I decided I needed something a little more logical for day-to-day banking. A bank with more convenient, local services and easy, friendly online banking. Ironically, I opened a small Bank of America account. While I use this to automatically pay my rent and put money in a small savings account every month, it doesn't hold most of my money. I still have my Merrill Lynch account. My FA manages my pitifully small investments, I have an equally pitiful IRA, and I faithfully mail my checks in whenever direct deposit isn't an option. I love the little bull imprinted in the corner of my ancient faux leather checkbook.

So when I say that I was astonished, I'm not sure it's possible for you to grasp my full meaning. To me, it's as though I found out that Pepsi bought out Coca Cola or that Microsoft bought out Nintendo.

And I'm still reeling from the gravity of it all.

Tuesday Tribute: Graeme Base

2008-09-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

Beyond the ken of mortal men, beneath the wind and waves,
There lies a land of shells and sand, of chasms, crags and caves,
Where coral castles climb and soar, where swaying seaweeds grow,
And all around without a sound the ocean currents flow...

http://www.graemebase.com/Home.cfm

Friday Celebration #9

2008-06-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

Live from Times Square

2008-06-12T01:37:00.000-07:00

1:00pm I show up at Virgin Records in Times Square. Kojima begins signing in 11 hours. Unfortunately, about 100 people decided to get here earlier.

1:30pm I am, in fact #119. The guys on my left and right are from Jersey. But I don't hold that against them.

2:00pm Cheap Chinese food is being fetched. I'm so hungry! Sweet and sour chicken is just what I need.

2:30pm About 15 people have asked me what the line is for. I'm always the one people come to for help, directions, and clarification. I must have a target on my forehead. Or maybe I'm just un-intimidating.

3:00pm We're passing the time watching episodes of Naruto. This is a new thing for me, but I'm giving it a try for the sake of a fanboy friend.

3:30pm Still watching Naruto. Some of the Jersey guys are hilariously insulting XBox and its lack of diverse titles. "It's all FPSs." Oh good grief. This is why Sony is going to win. Blind, undeserved devotion.

4:00pm A guy went by pulling a palette of boxes (or something) and actually broke two huge pieces off. And left them on the sidewalk. With huge nails sticking out. I miss this city.

4:30pm My pretty white MacBook is getting gradually coated in NYC street dust. Battle scars.

5:00pm Naruto is putting me to sleep. It's a great show, but I'm tired! Time to wake up with some web surfing or something.

5:30pm Woman #36ish just asked what we're waiting for. The guys next to me answered very politely and with tons of enthusiasm. Her response: "It's a guy thing." Sure warms a girl's heart!

6:00pm The guys in front of us were kind enough to shift up a bit so that we could avoid the raw chicken meltdown happening at our spot. Apparently, someone delivered some bad chicken.

6:30pm Indulging one of my fast food weaknesses: McDonald's Oreo McFlurries.

7:00pm Metal Gear fan alert #1: someone has inflated a condom in the hopes of starting a balloon pass down the line. The pass didn't last long, but someone used a sharpie to adorn the condom balloon with a pretty amazing sketch of Snake. Now they're gathering autographs from folks in line. That'll make for a strange keepsake of the day.

7:30pm Metal Gear fan alert #2: hilarious. A guy in a cardboard box.

8:00pm Back to more Naruto. I can see why people like this show. It's neat that they make you care about nearly everyone except Naruto, who is pretty annoying.

8:30pm Metal Gear fan alert #3: a guy wearing a large boa is walking up and down the line. Unsurprising if this were a guy in a feather boa. Maybe less surprising that it's a man with a snake around his neck?

9:00pm I'm walking the line myself now... just to stretch my legs. Spirits seems to be pretty high, maybe because the hour is finally getting nearer. The front of the line seems to have gotten a little bloated. I hope we don't have too many people jumping in front of us.

9:30pm May as well watch more Naruto to pass the time.

10:00pm A huge cheer went up as a towncar with darkened windows went by with police escort. One guy swears he saw Kojima inside. It's probably just a random NYC VIP, but it's good to have things like this to raise everyone's energy and everyone's spirits.

10:30pm Metal Gear fan alert #4: Our first full-fledged cos-player is making the rounds up and down the line. He's done up in 100% camo, face paint, and gear. (Well, no firearm that I can see, but still a good effort.)

11:00pm The troops are getting restless. I started as #119 and now appear to be around #200. Some people in front of me are causing trouble with some suspected line-cutters. There will be chaos if some of the people who have been here all afternoon don't get a signed copy.

11:30pm There's some anxiety in the crowd about getting in, but I think everyone will be fine. They've promised 300 signed copies and there's no way there could be 300 people in front of me.

12:00am They've started to let the first group in!! They seem to be pretty organized (suddenly) and I feel solid about my chances of getting in and meeting the man! There's tons of cheering and yelling and excitement!!

12:30am We're inside and the line is still pretty substantial. They have the MGS4 trailer playing on one TV every two feet. Kojima is sitting at a table on a raised platform. I've bought my copy of the game and just had my picture taken with the voice actor who plays Otacon! Also had him sign the game. What a nice guy. I got the impression that he's just here because he lives in NY and is taking in the big event. Really nice guy.

1:00am I've got the goods! Signed by the American voice actor for Otacon, the Japanese voice actress for Raging Raven, and Mr. Hideo Kojima himself. I'm no Sony fangirl, but I'm utterly in awe of this man's accomplishments. Definitely worth the wait.

1:30am Saying goodbye to new friends. Michael bought the limited edition MGS PS3 (his second PS3) and has all three autographs on the console itself. Unbelievable. He's like a celebrity now, with people in line taking pictures of his console. My silly autographed game seems like a cheap trinket in comparison. But I'm still a happy gamer.

Friday Celebration #8

2008-06-06T09:55:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Criticism Industry

2008-06-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

My first review is up over at Game Positive. I have to tell you that I'm very proud to be a part of the site. I think they do an excellent job generating quality content.

When I played Penny Arcade Adventures, I was taken aback by the incredibly high quality of art that this game represents. And I'm not talking about "ooh these environments are pretty," I'm talking about the artform that is game design—the feat that is creating a seamless, compelling, and elegant game experience.

I can tell you right now who will not enjoy this game: people who are offended by vulgarity, people who expect engrossing adventure puzzles, and people who want high action. But what happens when someone creates a game that doesn't mesh with your taste, despite achieving its goals with perfect execution? The problem with the Penny Arcade game is that hard core gamers are disappointed by the simplicity of the gameplay. And a lot of casual gamers can't stomach the game's humor.

This is a complicated issue, so I'll only say this: I think a reviewer's job is to tell you whether a game succeeds at what it is attempting to do and whether what the game attempts is something that you might like. The Penny Arcade game is not for everyone. But if you read my review and it sounds interesting to you, I think you will find that this game deserves higher than an 8.4. It may be a "niche game" in terms of humor and gameplay, but the niche is served flawlessly.

Lost Odyssey got mediocre scores because the industry is no longer impressed by turn-based combat. Viva Pinata received a tepid response because it looked like a kids' game and was actually a complicated affair. The Penny Arcade game features vulgar, dry wit and uncomplicated action and adventuring. But all three of these are brilliantly executed pieces of art. How do you put a numerical score on such a feat?

Excerpt from the review:
The artist/writer/industry-satirizing duo of Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins have finally taken the designer seats to create a game based on Penny Arcade - the phenomenally successful web comic and blog that you probably already know about if you're reading this review. Enter Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: an action-adventure hybrid that combines clever writing and a brilliant comic art vibe with world exploration, quasi-turn-based combat, and saving mankind.

Continued at Game Positive...
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Friday Celebration #7

2008-05-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

Games for Girl(friend)s?

2008-05-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

I spend a lot of time playing with and chatting with other girl gamers. Sometimes I seek them out subconsciously like some kind of strange girl gaming metal detector. A few years ago, I woke up and found that all my gaming friends were men. This was around the same time that I was spending my nights playing Halo online. (And to this day, I can assure you that the Halo crowd is not one that lets women forget their gender.)

Today, women gamers are everywhere I look. Whether it's on XBox Live or waiting in line for Phantom Hourglass. But it's still a sad glance at any end credits when I realize that women are such a minority in the industry—as programmers, designers, artists, producers, or testers. And the review biz is the same way.

There was an interesting article a couple weeks ago in the Sydney Morning Herald reflecting on the growing female gaming demographic and the apparent lack of titles "being made for women." Honestly, there were a lot of good points raised by both the reporter (Jason Hill) and the women he interviewed. But the whole "games made for women" idea just confuses me.

Continued at Game Positive...

Battle of the Bands

2008-05-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

Last night was a long, wonderful swing dance hosted at MIT as part of the Boston IndepenDANCE Exchange. I had a lot of great dances with locals and out-of-towners alike. And with two great bands playing live music and so many incredible lindy hoppers out on the floor... The $20 entry fee was definitely worth it! What a fun event.

But my favorite find of the weekend has got to be the song "Battle Royal," originally recorded by the great rival orchestras of the original Big Band era: Duke Ellington and Count Basie. My knowledge of swing and jazz music is woefully limited anyway, but it was so incredible hearing the White Heat Swing Orchestra and Beantown Swing battle back and forth for the whole night and then conclude with this great song.

Here's the original recording. Mandatory listening.

Friday Celebration #6

2008-05-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

Arrogant Developers

2008-05-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

According to Denis Dyack, the incredible, engrossing, action-packed co-op mode of Too Human will not incorporate the gripping, groundbreaking storytelling of the single player campaign. So, you can either play through it with a friend or you can experience the story.

Apparently, the justification for this "design choice" was as follows: "we pulled that out because we didn't think people would want to sit through the cinematics." What? Thanks, Silicon Knights for so poorly reading the minds of gamers and not even giving us the CHOICE of watching the story.

God forbid I want my first playthrough to be on co-op. Or God forbid I want to introduce my friend to this incredible story by playing a few levels together. And God forbid you include the option to skip the cutscenes—a technological feat that Gears of War co-op, Halo co-op, and even freaking Guild Wars has!

I'm sorry. This makes me so upset. "Design choices" like this show a basic failure of developers to appreciate that some people enjoy gaming as a social experience.

I know many people wouldn't even care or notice this. But social and co-operative gaming is really important to me... I think it's so crucial to breaking stereotypes about gamers and pushing the industry to develop innovative products. Silicon Knights is basically forcing me to play through it alone. Nice one, guys.

Found Odyssey

2008-05-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

115 hours is a long time to be playing one video game. I'm not sure I even spent that long playing Final Fantasy: Tactics. But it was no great difficulty putting this amount of time into Lost Odyssey. I'm not going to write a whole review here. (I have to start playing my next game, which I actually do have to review!)

But I need to at least take the time to commemorate two momentous events.

Number one is that I actually got 1000 Achievement Points in this game. My first thousand ever. This is a pretty big deal. In case you don't know, I have two of the most inconveniently contradictory personality traits for gaming... I'm a completionist and I have gaming attention deficit disorder. So, I like to explore every nook and cranny of every dungeon, but if another new game comes out, I leap all over it and the other game gets left to gather dust. This isn't to say I don't sometimes return to uncompleted games. When I'm in a gaming drought or an odd mood comes over me, sometimes I'll throw in some old, half-finished game and give it a go. But I can say with some certainty that I own vastly more incomplete games than complete ones. So... yes. 1000 points is a very big deal.

In Lost Odyssey, these 1000 points are not easy to come by. Several of them require an absurd level of detail. ("Treasure Trove," for instance, means finding every treasure in the game, including combing the bottom of the ocean, doing every side quest, revisiting areas to get previously invisible chests, etc.) And then there's the traditional "max out your characters" achievements—one for each character. Fortunately, this requires each character to learn all possible skills, rather than reach level 99 or something. And I've always loved any game with an SP system. I know plenty of people think I'm silly for spending so much time doing this... but I'm happy as can be.

Momentous event number two is the completion of the story. I call this a momentous event not because it's a game that spans four discs, but because it easily goes down as one of the greatest video game stories I have ever experienced. Perhaps even the greatest. The combination of in-game events, cut scenes, and the 1000 years of dreams side stories make these characters some of the richest, most empathetic protagonists I've had the pleasure to follow. It's true that the villain could have been given a deeper treatment, but the player characters are so fascinating that you can hardly even care about who they're fighting.

And when the final (hour long?) series of cut scenes was over, I had shed more than a couple tears and was filled with such peace and joy.

There is something special that a video game—appropriately called interactive entertainment—can achieve that other media cannot. The inherent participation that's required of the player brings so much more investment to the story, the characters, and their lives. Especially when the game is done well. To feel that you're not just participating, but driving the events of the story... this is something that no movie or book can create. And in the best games of this generation, it's something that is not only created, but nurtured.

Friday Celebration #5

2008-05-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Thursday Poem

2008-05-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

The Thursday blues are in my shoes
And socks and bra and sweater.
So someone said a poem instead
Would make me feel much better.

But will the day go by this way?
Is rhyming therapeutic?
Or will each rhyme just pass some time?
Like solving cubes of Rubik?

So then I dote on what I wrote,
Examine punctuations.
And glancing up, cry that's enough
Of questioning sensations!

Is a question mark the kind of spark
I need to find my passion?
Discover pride that's lost inside,
That long went out of fashion?

No more questions, deep depressions,
And boredom as vocation.
To never mention banished tension,
I'll live with exclamation!

Overwhelmed!!

2008-05-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

What on earth is a girl to do!? Next week, I have free tickets to see The Huntington's She Loves Me. And Indiana freaking Jones opens Thursday. And the Penny Arcade video game is released. Considering how slow this week has been (and how much laundry and cleaning I still have to do to recover from the last 8 months or so), the impending rush is nothing if not overwhelming.

She Loves Me

It's with sick fascination that we attend professional productions of shows that we've been a part of. I poured many months of sweat and blood into directing She Loves Me. And it was a very good production. Sure, it wasn't perfect. I didn't feel like every moment was exactly as I envisioned it. But there was some incredible talent on the stage and some really great theatre happened. So... why am I going to see the pros do it? Obviously, they have the money, talent, and resources to surpass our little show. I'm not even sure what to expect, since what I'll be seeing is a "better" production that is being performed according to someone else's vision. Basically, I'll be wishing I had directed the Huntington version.

Indiana Jones

When I was in 9th grade, I decided I wanted to be an archaeologist. I don't think this was because of Indiana Jones. I think I just liked history. And puzzles. And the romanticism of ancient civilizations. I starting buying lots of books about the Mayans, the Aztecs, and the Incans. And when I applied to colleges, the first thing I did to narrow my search was look only at schools that offered programs in archaeology. Well, one thing led to another and I was at Dartmouth, where the archaeology program was part of the Classics department. And so I found myself learning Latin and Greek and sitting on beaches in the Mediterranean.

Well, since then, I've come to realize that the life of an archaeologist isn't for me. I'm a girl who wants a stable life with a house and a yard and kids and a hammock. I love to travel, but only for short amounts of time and with a home to come back to. But I still love Indiana Jones. I've seen the movies dozens of times and would love to talk to you about why he's the perfect hero. And I'm more than a little in love with Harrison Ford. But not Harrison Ford in any other part. Just Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. And while other people don't want to see him in his "dusk," I'll be happy to see one more adventure with Indy, who always manages to find incredible journeys and always makes it look so hard.

On the Rain-Slick Precipice

I've talked more than once about the sad demise of the pure adventure game. Exploring a world, discovering new characters and new places... If it weren't for the Infocom text adventures, I never would have become a gamer. So, I'm damn excited about the first installment of the Penny Arcade action-adventure title set in a dystopian 1920s New Arcadia. And with the excellent twisted humor of Tycho and Gabe, I'm not sure how this game can disappoint me. I think a lot of "modern" gamers will be disgruntled with the lack of action, but I can't wait to engross myself in the universe of this game.

A Sad Separation.

2008-05-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted much about my gaming life recently because theater has taken over my spare time. It's been a sad, gameless life...

In all seriousness, though, it's been hard finding time, but I'm relieved to be back to "normal" life and able to play again. I'm about halfway through the GTA IV campaign and it's definitely growing on me. When I first started it up, the driving mechanics felt so clumsy that I was desperately yearning for my days with Crackdown. But now I actually enjoy restraining myself a bit and making liberal use of the e-brake. The world is, of course, phenomenal. And the story is some of the best stuff I've seen in the series. I think it rivals and even surpasses Vice City. A perfect 10 it is not. The best game since Ocarina of Time? Definitely too bold a statement. But it's very well done and I'm enjoying my time in Liberty City.

I also just recently started playing Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings on the DS. (I know I'm late to the party.) It's slow getting warmed up to it, but I'm willing to take the time if it's even remotely as good as its PS2 predecessor. I already like that there are story connections.

And a few nights ago I had my first Team Fortress match in a long time. It was a great one, too! I'm so happy that they've returned some of the splendor to the medi-gun. Now I can heal in happiness again.

So nice to have things returning to normal.

Australian Gamer Girls

2008-05-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

There was an interesting report today on female gamers in Digital Life, the tech portion of the Sydney Morning Herald. (I can't wait for the day when articles like this aren't seen as revelations.) But Jason Hill does raise some interesting questions about what games are being developed and how they're being marketed.

What I really like is how Hill attacks the issue from the perspective of recruiting more women into the industry. It's nice to see people actively thinking about the problem. I would love to be one of the women who actually starts changing things...

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-04-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

This is so hilarious. I couldn't possibly have made it up myself. I have taken the liberty of bolding my favorite line.

John B. Thompson, Attorney at Law
1172 S. Dixie Hwy., Suite 111
Coral Gables, Florida 33146

April 21, 2008

Mrs. Zelnick
Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two Chairman’s Mother
New York, New York Via e-mails to intermediaries

Re: Your Son, Strauss Zelnick

Dear Mrs. Zelnick:

Your son, as you may know (or maybe you don’t know), is Chairman of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., whose most popular video games are the Grand Theft Auto murder simulator games banned in some countries but sold to children here.

Your son last week was reported to have said the following about Grand Theft Auto IV, due to be released Tuesday, April 29: “We’ve already received numerous [GTA IV] reviews, and to a one, they are perfect scores. My mom couldn’t write better reviews…”

Taking your son’s thought, I would encourage you either to play this game or have an adroit video gamer play it for you. Some of the latter gamers are on death row, so try to find one out in the civilian population who hasn’t killed someone yet.

What you will see in your son’s game, if this iteration of GTA is anything like its predecessors, is incredible interactive violence aimed at police officers (whom you can shoot in the head and see the blood spray), innocent bystanders (whom you can run over with your car just for the heck of it), and of course the plentiful female prostitutes you can have sex with and then filet with a knife or stomp with your feet in order to get your money back. Experts note that the recent plethora of cop killings is caused in part by your darling son’s entrepreneurial energy. There are three policemen dead in Alabama because of Grand Theft Auto. I was on 60 Minutes about it. I hope Strauss has provided you with a flat screen tv to see the grief of the bereaved families that fills the screen.

The pornography and violence that your son trafficks in is the kind of stuff that most mothers would be ashamed to see their son putting into the hands of other mothers’ children, but, hey, your son Strauss has recently assured the world that he is “a Boy Scout, everybody knows that.” I’d love to see the merit badges that Scout Troop handed out. Is there a Ted Bundy merit badge? If so, your loving son deserves one now. It should be red and green, for obvious reasons.
With Passover having just come and gone, it is appropriate to note the following from the Old Testament, Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Mrs. Zelnick, did you train up your son, Strauss, to make millions of dollars by pushing Mature-rated video games to children? Any kid can go right to little Strauss’ corporate web site and buy GTA IV with no age verification. Strauss is even marketing the new Grand Theft Auto IV on World Wrestling Entertainment tv shows seen by millions of kids. If you trained up Strauss to do this, then shame on you.

But maybe the explanation for your son’s corporate sociopathy is to be found in Old Testament Proverb 29:15: “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.” Maybe you, Mrs. Zelnick, were so taken by your handsome son that you spared the rod and spoiled the child. That would explain why he has brought you, by the way he presently acts, “to shame.”

There’s another mother you would do well to talk to. Mrs. Crump in Alabama had a son who was a police officer. He’s now dead because a teenaged boy unwittingly trained himself to kill him on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. She has a grief she carries every day that only a mother can know. There are other such mothers in the heartland of America whose inhabitants your son simply sees as commercial targets.

Your son, this very moment, is doing everything he possibly can to sell as many copies of GTA IV to teen boys in the United States, a country in which your son claims you raised him to be “a Boy Scout.” More like the Hitler Youth, I would say.

Happy Mother’s day, Mrs. Zelnick, which this year is May 11, two weeks after your son unleashes porn and violence upon other mothers’ boys. I’m sure you’re very proud.

Sincerely, Jack Thompson

Friday Celebration #4

2008-04-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

Friday Celebration #3

2008-03-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

You did a really nice job with that compliment. If you keep working on that...

2008-03-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

Last night, while I was at rehearsal, my best friend was online playing Team Fortress 2. Evidently, he played some rounds with one particular player, who kept telling him: "Hey. If you keep working on that, you could be really awesome."

Now, you might not be reading this as the blatantly patronizing insult that I see it as, but just consider this: the "potentially awesome" player has put 200+ hours into this game and was the top scorer every single round. Sometimes with double or triple the points that this oh-so-complimentary teammate had. He is the top scorer in so many of the matches that I play with him. And he's not just a point-hoarder. He plays smart, gets the objective, works with the team. I love playing with him. He is already awesome.

This got me thinking about other situations in which a comment like this is not appropriate:

Roger Federer beats some 17-year-old nobody 6-0 at tennis. At the net, the kid shakes Federer's hand and says, "Good game. If you keep working on that, you could be really awesome."
A doctor leaves the O.R. after a difficult, exhausting, but ultimately successful operation. The doctor's colleague looks over and says, "Close call. If you keep working on that, you could be really awesome."
A high school senior pours his heart into writing the application for the college of his dreams. In the spring, he receives a letter from the university: "We're sorry to inform you that we are unable to offer you admission at this time. Your penmanship, however, is excellent. If you keep working on that, you could be really awesome."
A man's wife walks into the room wearing a new dress. He looks up, smiles, and says, "Hey. If you keep working on that, you could be really awesome."

I've learned a very important lesson from all this: the simplest compliments are always the best. Everything else is just as likely to be a knife in the back.

Friday Celebration #2

2008-03-21T17:39:00.000-07:00

Sequel Revolution

2008-03-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

Why is it that gamers expect something extraordinarily modern and revolutionary when it comes to game sequels? Consumers and media alike seem determined to undermine a sequel's success if it's only a slightly improved version of the original. People start calling it a $60 expansion and other such nonsense.

Maybe it's just me. When a sequel for a game is announced, I expect the developers to a) continue the story and b) fix what was broken. If I wanted something utterly new and different, I would buy a different game. If I wanted an elegant improvement over something I already liked and the continuation of a plot... well, then I would buy the sequel. After all, that's what sequels are for.

Granted, if you wait ten years for a sequel, then you expect updates in gameplay and technology. But that's true of any game... you can't be a contender in 2008 with 2002 graphics or 1995 gameplay.

Rainbow Six: Vegas had great gameplay, a fun and exciting multiplayer experience, and awesome environments. In 2, they've given us a sprint button, an engrossing RPG-like experience (in both multiplayer and campaign), and fixed the ludicrous co-op from the first game. The game picks up where the last one left off. This is what I call a sequel.

Maybe I'm not a sufficiently discriminating consumer.

Friday Celebration #1

2008-03-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

Every Friday, I'm going to start posting an image homage to everything great from that week. Here's this week's celebration:

Metal Gear American

2008-03-02T10:04:00.000-08:00

I'm very nearly shedding tears with the recent announcement that MGS4 will not have a Japanese language track stateside. Evidently, Kojima couldn't fit everything he wanted onto a single disc and this is one of the cuts they'll be making.

The only reason this is blog-worthy? No one else I talk to seems to care! Now, I'm not the kind of elitist girl who turns her nose up at the impurities of dubbing. But with 99% of my favorite games and movies, the translation and the voiceover just don't do the original justice. I find the voice actors hired by Japanese developers to be completely dull at best and infuriatingly irritating at worst. When Blue Dragon started up with American voice actors, I scrambled to reach for my controller and switch the options to Japanese.

And with Metal Gear? I just can't imagine sitting through such a convoluted story and such epic cutscenes if they're being read by whatever twobit American hack Konami could get their hands on.

*deep breath*

I will admit that I'm not the world's number one Metal Gear Solid fan. I won't slice my wrists if the game passes me by. But I was looking forward to more quality content for my dusty PS3. And I don't know if I'm up for more David Hayter. (Brilliant as he was in Eternal Darkness.)

New Blog!

2008-03-01T08:06:00.000-08:00

Starting March 1st (that's today!), I'm moving everything over to this lovely site on Blogger. I'll be dragging over some of my old posts, but... honestly, I don't have time to do laundry. So website maintenance won't exactly be at the top of my list.

In the meantime, hooray for the new site!

And here's a fun picture:

Evil Midnight Bombers What Bombed Again

2008-01-21T20:43:00.000-08:00

Whew. I'm back (more or less) to the real world after an exhausting marathon weekend thanks to The MIT Mystery Hunt. And I'm happy to report that The Evil Midnight Bombers What Bomb At Midnight found the coin at 8:28 pm on Sunday January 20, 2008. Indeed, we have secured a repeat victory!

This year's hunt was especially grueling—maybe because it felt like there were very few "easy" puzzles. Every one was draining, difficult, esoteric, and sometimes just plain tedious. When we were constructing for the 2007 hunt, someone on our team said that the constructing team's job is to make the hunt like Disney World. Fun is the most important goal. I'm not saying that I didn't have fun this year, but it wasn't always clear that fun was the central priority for the hunt. Sometimes, other goals seemed paramount: like difficulty, cleverness, or impossible-to-Google-ness. I spent entirely too many hours searching for photo identifications (including a particularly pesky cartoon weasel).

That's not to say that there weren't some real highlights. I spent hours mapping out a Zork-like maze of twisty passages. When finally drawn, the map spelled out the letters to the answer. And the Where's Waldo? meta was especially fun. And there was a great tag-team run-around where we had to split into two teams and feed information to each other via cellphones. Very cool. The story and structure of the hunt never really hit home for me, but there were certainly plenty of puzzles to keep us going through the night(s).

The final run-around was well done... we got to the final location only to discover that Dr. Awkward dropped the coin on his way to there. So, we had to follow the run-around in reverse. It was maybe an hour longer than I would have liked, but I love our team and it was a neat opportunity to "group solve" with lots of teammates.

So... yay! We won!! I'm impressed every year by the genius, patience, and graciousness of my teammates, our competitors, and the constructors. It's an honor just to be mentioned in the same breath with some of these folks. So, here's to great friends and smart, fun people! And to another 12 months of building the best mystery hunt ever for 2009.

Edit: Check out the final chart of all the teams' solving progress. (We're the red line on top!) You can see some photos from the weekend on my Flikr page.

Ode to Summer Movies

2007-07-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

So, we all know that most of my hours are spent glued to the TV screen with some sort of controller in hand. In fact, except for my weekly swing dancing jaunts, I don't usually get out much. Theatre season keeps me so busy from September to April and that means missing out on a lot of valuable gaming hours.

This summer, though, I've resolved to get out of the house more than just once a week for dancing. So, I'm filling my social calendar with pub trivia, museums outings, amusement parks, beaches... and the occasional trip to Ireland.

But more than anything else, I've been spending quality time at my local movie theaters. And so, a quick shout-out to all those great summer movies that have been filling my nights and weekends:

Nancy Drew
Transformers
Live Free or Die Hard
Ocean's 13
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
1408
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

So they're not all destined to be film classics. In fact, none of them are destined to be film classics... but I've had a a ton of fun every time. And it's good to put down my controller every once in a while.

April Ryan and the Dead Genre

2007-07-09T18:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I'm a little behind the times. Seriously... who was playing original Xbox games this summer!? Not this 360 fangirl. But the long-awaited sequel to 2000's The Longest Journey has been on my wish-list ever since its April '06 release. And when my boy pulled through and bought it for my birthday, I finally had the means to match the motivation.

Tell me more.

Dreamfall: The Longest Journey takes place 10 years after the original. April Ryan's continuing story is complimented by the derring-do of our new super chick, Zoë. Dreamfall is nearly a straight-up adventure game, though the usual dialogue trees and puzzling is loosely supported by some rough action sequences. (Also known as the slightly awkward slashing around and pseudo-judo of the game's fight system.)

Even as a puzzling adventure game, Dreamfall wears thin. There are a few strong moments, and plenty of good adventuring early on, but gameplay eventually gives way to pure story. Thankfully, awkward combat and petering puzzles don't detract from a quality tale that truly lives up to our first trip to Arcadia.

Death of Adventure.

There are plenty of us who mourn the death of the adventure genre. My earliest gaming addiction was Infocom's Zork masterpiece. These games were so hard, especially for a 5th grader! They key was my mom. My only female gaming role model for years to come, mom had an unending devotion to Infocom text adventures. While I went on to idolize platformers, RPGs, and FPSs, there will always be a place in my heart for Zork. To this day, I love telling my mom how a game is or isn't like Zork—and how so many games owe their existence to Infocom.

But now I'm afraid that the days of the pure adventure game are coming to an end. King's Quest has come and gone and even the popularity of Myst has fallen away. The Longest Journey may, in fact, be one of the last great adventure games, unless the style comes into fashion again. I loved Phoenix Wright and Hotel Dusk, but even those are seen by gamers as Japanese oddities, rather than possibilities for breathing fresh life into the genre.

Not that there aren't options. Zelda will continue to persevere as a sublime action adventure title. Capcom's upcoming Zack and Wiki will bring puzzle adventuring to the Wii. And most RPGs are just character-developing adventure games. (Isn't a turn-based RPG a lot like typing "hit thief with knife"?) Even so, the tacked-on fighting sequences in Dreamfall make me think no one believes in marketing a "pure" adventure game anymore.

I just need to talk about storytelling.

Many gamers hold a special reverence for Final Fantasy VII. But even if you don't adore the game, you have to recognize the place it holds in gaming history and the bar it set for cinematic videogame storytelling. The loose, simplistic hero tale just isn't good enough anymore. And whether you're making Rainbow Six or Halo or Zelda or Final Fantasy, gamers expect a story. A good one. With intriguing characters and unlikely story arcs.

I don't believe the last hour of Dreamfall has a single combat sequence or puzzle. There is plenty of walking and button pushing—a little bit of dialogue progresssion. Mostly, you have an interactive storytelling experience. A completely engrossing interactive storytelling experience. It's so fascinating. Would I buy a game that promises me intriguing story if all I did was walk around and push a button to advance cutscenes? Apparently, if the story is good enough, I will!!

Throughout grad school, I was constantly battling on behalf of videogames. You won't find a more anti-gaming crowd than prospective educators and the educators who are educating them. Time and time again, I found myself falling back to the comparison between videogames and television. As parents and teachers, wouldn't we prefer the interactive, thought-provoking world of videogames to coma-inducing television? There is certainly some great TV out there, but the medium itself is far less conducive to engaging your brain.

It brings to mind the Choose Your Own Adventure books I used to read as a kid. My mom loved the idea of these books. Being able to make choices and understand consequences. And I think she appreciated videogames for the same reason. No one talked in the 80s about games improving eye-hand coordination... but having played Zork herself, my mom knew that grappling with Mario or even driving a virtual car was more likely to get me thinking than The Facts of Life.

I've played through thousands of hours of videogame stories in my life. I'm grateful for the time spent with each one. But especially for my days in Arcadia. Here's hoping the 360 DLC expansions come to fruition.

Achievement Chowdown

2007-05-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm just about finished with my latest XBL arcade phase—Eets: Chowdown. When I was a kid, I was a big fan of both Lemmings (coming soon to PS3 "arcade") and The Incredible Machine games. Eets is a spiritual successor to both and, I'm relieved to say, a lot of fun. Of course, I'm also a girl and Eets himself is irrestibly cute!

In light of recent talk about the addictive quality of achievement-getting, I should also mention that the game is simple to "achieve"—with two small exceptions: one that's painfully difficult and one that's only a slight obstacle.

Double Marshoburger

Eets: Chowdown comes equipped with a fun, addictive shooter game called "Marsho Madness." Some people think it's more fun than the regular game. I think it's a neat add-on. Basically, items march inexorably toward your Eets (firmly rooted in place at the center of the screen). Each item is labeled with a button combo (like "X, Y, B") that must be entered in before you pull the trigger. Type the combo accurately and the items will be destroyed. Of course, there are all sorts of little variations, but that's the crux of the game.

The Double Marshoburger achievement is awarded to players who score 1,000,000 points in a single game. This is painfully difficult. According to the Eets leaderboards, only about 40 people have actually managed to accrue a cool million points in Marsho Madness. Determined to join their ranks, I searched all the best achievement websites (of which there are really only three). I found the best strategies on Achieve360Points.com, where Chamaelleo gives a detailed "guide" with pointers on how to join the 1000k club. The only tidbit I want to stress is that your score is heavily dependent upon your multiplier, which resets whenever you die. So, like in Geometry Wars, longevity is definitely rewarded.

Ninja Skillz

In the regular Eets game, you place various items on the screen to guide your little Eets creature towards a puzzle piece (placed in a different part of a unique landscape for each puzzle). The Ninja Skillz achievement is awarded to players who complete 20 puzzles without using three or more of items provided for that puzzle. This is the "slight obstacle" achievement. Honestly, all it takes is a slightly obsessive personality and a bit of patience.

Many of my Ninja Skills puzzles were a matter of only a little ingenuity and a whole lot of running the puzzle over and over again so that Eets would bounce in just the right way.

After finishing the game (and during my search for Marsho Madness tips), I found the Xbox forums to have the best collection of Ninja Skillz puzzle solutions. In case anyone is curious, here are my 23 Ninja solutions:

Smore Land 6
Just use the Prankster Whale. Face left. Place the whale to the right of Eets with its tail brushing up against the bush and a little below the level where Eets is. When the game starts, suck up Eets and he should fall right to the puzzle piece platform. (The same method was described by MysticWeirdo.)

Smore Land 9
Just use the Ginseng Factory. Face left. Place the factory on the platform next to Eets, between the two GiftBoxes. When Eets is about to jump, shoot him with ginseng so that he falls to the Explodomallows below and gets the puzzle piece. The Ginseng Factory placement isn't all that important—it's all in the timing. (The same method was described by Alexalted.)

Smore Land 14
Just use the Prankster Whale. Face right. Place the whale between the pink tree and the GiftBox. The whale's bottom fin should be just touching the top of Eets' head. When the game starts, wait for Eets to start his jump off the platform, then suck him up and he should go up off the screen and back down onto the skinny pillar in the center. When he lands to the right, shoot him with the Choco Cloud until he falls off. Whether he eats the happy bud or not, he should get the puzzle piece. (The same method was described by Syanaide.)

Kaboom Desert 2
Just use the Prankster Whale. Face left. Place the whale above and to the right of Eets. The whale's tail should be nestled as high as possible in the mouth crevice of the rock man. When the game starts, grab Eets immediately and toss him up off the screen and into the mess of Happy Marshmallow Buds. If he lands right, the Sleepy Sow won't be set off until Eets bumps it. Then Eets will get hit in the explosion, fall down, and jump to the puzzle piece. (The same method was described by Xebu.)

Kaboom Desert 3
Just use the Prankster Whale. Face right. Place it above and between the Happy Marshmallow Bud and Ginseng Factory. The Whale's eye should be level with the Giant Marhsmallow's eyes. When the game starts, shoot Ginseng to make Eets angry. Grab Eets with the whale and toss him towards the Sneezy Sow. Your goal is to bounce Eets straight up off the pig, where he'll then get caught to the left and eventually fall down onto the puzzle piece. (An alternate and even trickier method was described by Xebu.)

Kaboom Desert 7
Just use the Prankster Whale. Face fight. Place it overlapping Eets up and to the left. The whale's upper fin should meet its body just below the tip of the rock man's nose. When the game starts, use the whale to toss Eets into the upper Explodomallow. He will rebound onto the far right platform, then rustle the Explodomallows enough so that they eventually fall and clear a path to the puzzle piece—while Eets is on the left platform.

Kaboom Desert 15
Just use the SpringBoard. Rotate 15x and place it under Eets. The right edge of the SpringBoard should be not quite touching the lower-left protrusion on the cactus. When the game starts, activate the SpringBoard. If placed and timed correctly, Eets will bump his head on this platform and land to the right. Eets will eat the Angry Marshmallow Bud, then the Explodomallow, and be sent flying into the puzzle piece. (The same method was described by MysticWeirdo.)

Kaboom Desert 16
Just use the Prankster Whale. Face right. Place it in the pit to the left of the second present from the bottom. The whale's tail will slightly overlap the barrier to his left and his mouth is just below the bottom of the present. When the game starts, hit B to shoot the Angry Marshmallow Bud (AMB). It will explode some stuff, then fall down through the pit, where you quickly hit Y to shoot it into the last remaining Explodomallow. If your whale is positioned properly, the AMB will bounce off the center rocks, then down into the pit one last time. Grab it again to launch the AMB to rest on the far right platform. Meanwhile, Eets is bumping into the Sneezy Sow enough times to eventually break through to the pit. When he does, grab Eets with Y and launch him onto that far right platform. Eets will eat the AMB, then jump into the puzzle piece. (An easier and more elegant solution was described by Mystic Weirdo.)

Ginseng Hollow 5
Just use the Sneezy Sow. Face tail to the right. Place the pig to the left of the Ginseng Factory. When the game starts, hit X immediately so that the pig will clear the way to the puzzle piece. If the pig is in the right position (and not in the middle of its exploding animation), Eets will trip off the ledge, rebound off the pig, and bounce into the puzzle piece. (The same method was described by MysticWeirdo.)

Ginseng Hollow 14
(I used the same method OniKenkyaku used in his video on YouTube.)

Ginseng Hollow 16
Use the SpringBoard and Prankster Whale. Place the SpringBoard flat below Eets. Place the whale to the right of the x2 multiplier and centered below the Sneezy Sow. (The whale should face right and the tip of his tail should be below the "2.") When the game starts, bounce Eets to the upper SpringBoard, then hit Y when he is near the bottom of the second SpringBoard. Eets should bounce off the first flower, then over the second flower and into the Explodomallows. If you do this just right, he'll bounce straight up when they explode and down into the Sneezy Sow. Grab him with your whale when he walks into reach, then rebound Eets off the bottom of the far right vines.

Marshomech Lair 2
Use the Scared Marshmallow Bud and Ginseng Factory. Place the scared bud on the small platform to the left of Eets. Place the Ginseng Factory up against the left side of the Marshomech. When the game starts, shoot the Marshomech once to get it to storm to the left side of its platform. Shoot ginseng again to turn on the light bulb next to the Prankster Whale. Meanwhile, Eets will jump down, become afraid, and sneak past the Marshomech. Once Eets is to the right of your Ginseng Factory, shoot him four times to make him angry. He'll jump up to the whale and you can fire him up into the puzzle piece. Be careful not to shoot Eets off the ledge or turn off the light bulb once it's lit. (OniKenkyaku suggests a trickier—but much better—method.)

Marshomech Lair 6
Just use the Ejection Cart. Place it on the far left side of the flat peak near Eets. When the game starts, Eets will climb up into the cart. As soon as it starts to roll, eject Eets so that he bumps his head on the rocks (and Happy Marshmallow Bud) above him. Eets will eat the bud, become happy, and eventually make his way over to the puzzle piece. (This is really similar to the solution posted by OniKenkyaku.)

Marshomech Lair 8
Just use the Prankster Whale. Place it above Eets. (The corner of his mouth is above the tiny pink pyramid below and the top of his back is just below the bottom of the first gift Eets will get.) When the game starts, immediately grab Eets with the whale. He will run ito the pointy crystals, but keep falling to the right. Bouncing off the Sneezy Sow, then the far right wall, he'll trigger the Angry Switch, turn around, and leap straight to the puzzle piece. (This is a super snazzy method, but much harder than the solution posted by chrille331.)

Marshomech Lair 11
Use the Sneezy Sow and Prankster Whale. Face both the whale and the pig's tail to the right. The pig goes in the pit below the other Sneezy Sow. Place the whale to the left of Eets. When the game starts, shoot chocolate once to clear out the bottom of the pig's pit. Grab Eets with the whale until he gets the puzzle piece. For me, that was three times: first, Eets bounced up to the left; second Eets bounced off the Choco Cloud; third, Eets bounced off the Sneezy Sow and into the puzzle piece. (The method described by MysticWeirdo seems a little easier, but OniKenkyaku has a lot of success with this alternate version.)

Marshomech Lair 15
Use the Prankster Whale and TNT Cart. The whale faces right; the cart is not rotated. Place the whale below and to the right of Eets. It should cover the left half of the gap over the x2 multiplier and the whale's tail should just touch the little spiral pattern on the ledge. Place the TNT cart between the Marshomech and the Explodomallow. When the game starts, make sure nothing explodes. If it does, reposition your cart and start over. If the cart is set, use the whale to grab Eets and he will bounce strangely along the top ledge and crystal and fly over the Marshomech—who should be heading towards the whale. When Eets is over the TNT cart, hit Y and he will explode into the the puzzle piece. (Onikenkyaku's solution is way cooler.)

Topsy Turvy 2
Just use the Prankster Whale and SpringBoard. The whale faces right; the SpringBoard is rotated 12x. Place the whale between the Choco Cloud and the right-facing Metal Reflector. The whale's tail should be centered on the Choco Cloud. Place the SpringBoard directly right of the puzzle piece, brushing against the right side of the Metal Reflector. When the game starts, an Explodomallow causes the Marshomech to stampede towards the Happy Switch. When Eets is happy, shoot him up off the screen with your whale. Eets will walk along the top, then jump down on the right. Use the SpringBoard to fling Eets into the puzzle piece. (The same method was described by dwinch.)

Topsy Turvy 3
Don't use any items. When the game starts, wait for Eets to run into Bob. This will cause the TNT cart to fall down and roll over the Happy Switch. When it does, press Y to clear a path to the switch. Then, press B one ba-jillion times to fill that space with choco chips. Eventually, one will fall down and hit the Happy Switch. When Eets is happy, you can grab him with the whale, then launch him up to the right of the Choco Cloud. Barrage Eets with chips and you might eventually hit him just right so that he flies into the puzzle piece. This takes a million tries, but it's lots of fun—in a sadistic sort of way. (I am so embarassed at how many attempts I made before I got this... especially after seeing MysticWeirdo's astoundingly simple solution.)

Topsy Turvy 5
Just use the SpringBoard. Rotate 15x. Place it so that Eets is nearly resting on the left half of the SpringBoard. When the game starts, spring Eets up and to the left. Before he reappears onscreen, shoot ginseng at the Giant Marshmallow so that it hits Eets on the head while he is walking on the platform below. If you time this correctly, the Giant Marshmallow will bump Eets and send him into the Explodomallows. They will explode and Eets will fall down into the puzzle piece. (I came across two other methods by MysticWeirdo and OniKenkyaku.)

Topsy Turvy 13
(I used the same method OniKenkyaku used in his video on YouTube.)

Topsy Turvy 16
(I used the same method OniKenkyaku used in his video on YouTube.)

Smore Mishmash 2
Use the Happy Marshmallow Bud and Prankster Whale. Place the bud on the platform with Eets. The whale faces right. Place it below the second Happy Emotion Platform. The bottom of the whale should be brushing along the bottom edge of the screen. When the game starts, begin firing ginseng to make Eets angry (use the Metal Reflector and hit him when he's onthat first emotion platform). When Eets is angry, he'll fall down to your whale. Spit him back up into the puzzle piece. (This method is far less brilliant than OniKenkyaku's.)

Smore Mishmash 5
Use the Ginseng Factory, SpringBoard, and Choco Cloud. The factory faces right; the SpringBoard rotates 4x. Place the factory near the left of the Sneezy Sow. Place the SpringBoard below the Emotion Platforms and lined up with the puzzle piece. Place the Choco Cloud to the left of the Marshomech, up next to the GiftBox. When the game starts, shoot the Sneezy Sow with ginseng to make it blow up the platform under Eets. Eets will fall down, bump into the Choco Cloud, and walk the other direction. On his second pass over the Scared Emotion Platform, he'll trigger the Angry Switch and fall down. Use the SpringBoard to fling him into the Puzzle Piece.

Once I realized the achievement would be pretty easy, I stopped obsessing over every single puzzle. And when you finally get the achievement, it's hard to even bother looking. But there are two in the last world that I seem to recall being pretty easy to get (in case you're stuck trying to get any of the others).

Boston, Politics, and Games

2007-05-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

Mayor Thomas Menino is catching heat from some corners of the gaming community for his "encouraging" remarks in light of last month's conference at Northeastern. You can get the full scoop at GamePolitics, but here you will find my two cents:

An important understanding.

Menino is a politician. And politicians notoriously say all sorts of things to get money and votes. Take, for instance, the hot quote from The Boston Globe being cited by angry gamers: "We want to help these young people and entrepreneurs understand that we’re a digital-friendly city. My administration is dedicated to helping creative industries flourish."

You see? He wants to help developers! The MA government is going to offer aid to entrepreneurs who want to start game companies in Boston. That's great news. Why are people upset about this?

Well, because Menino has held some pretty controversial stances on gaming legislation and advertisement in Boston. The three noteworthy issues:

Last February, a letter was issued to the MBTA demanding the removal of M-rated videogame ads from MBTA trains and buses. Menino eventually signed that letter.
Last November, Menino announced plans to sue Sony for PS3 launch-related disturbances at the Sony store in Copley.
In January, legislation was proposed preventing the sale of M-rated games to minors in MA. Menino supported (if not motivated) the drafting of this legislation.

The devil's advocate.

What I would like to point out is that these are three relatively benign stances to have held.

(1) This advertising controversy is old news. Remember when cigarette companies were catching so much heat for using cartoons like Joe Cool to promote their products? But since a small non-profit in Boston will never successfully stop Rockstar's GTA campaign (after all, playing M-rated games, unlike smoking, is still legal for minors), they target the people purchasing the ads. Should game companies be marketing violent games to children? Probably not. Are we able to stop this without infringing on developer's freedom to market their products? I don't know. Furthermore, it wasn't Menino who decided M-rated games were the equivalent of X-rated movies. That was silly Daniel Grabauskas at the MBTA.

(2) And, yes, Menino is sueing Sony for the "disturbances" at their store in Copley. And, yes, it was the fault of the Sony Store. For not releasing numbers, for encouraging customers to wait in a mob on the other side of the street, for doing all of this without giving a heads up to local law enforcement. At every Best Buy in the Boston area that night, the store manager visited at least once, an orderly line was formed, and police were warned about the possible chaos. I don't blame Menino for sueing Sony. (I might point out that Menino didn't even sign that MBTA letter until the absurdity of the PS3 launch. Maybe our fine mayor was thinking how stupid and violent gamers can be.)

(3) The legislation. I've made it clear in the past how I feel about this. The gaming industry absolutely should be allowed to make a game with any content they choose. And children of any age, with their parents' support, should be allowed to play those games. But the fact remains that 13-year-old children should not be buying M-rated games. Or R-rated movies, for that matter. As a sales associate at a game store, I will not sell M-rated games to minors. And I will not sell them to parents without making sure they're aware of the content. The proposed MA legislation is a little insane (preventing minors from purchasing any game that "lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors"?), but its intention is the same.

End rant.

So that's what I think about all that. Of course Menino is pandering a bit in order to win political and financial confidence. But he isn't all that much of a hypocrite. I'm not sure I would have made any of his decisions differently. And I'm as devoted a gamer as you can get.

Have Achievement Points™ Ruined Gaming?

2007-05-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

In my post about the Shivering Isles, I wondered whether Achievements have ruined gaming. (Or maybe ruined me as a gamer.) Dead Rising, which has received acclaim for its creative use of Achievements, seems like exactly the sort of game that is either making our lives as gamers more wonderful... or more revolting. If anyone has any advice for how I might cure my illness...

Just to re-cap.

From my ruminations on Shivering Isles: "And that's why Achievements are a beautiful thing. (Or are they?) I visit all the changing rooms at the Willamette Mall... because it's an achievement. I comb the Pacific City skyline for orbs... because it's an achievement. GoW II rested in its original wrapping for weeks and even Puzzle Quest is hardly enough to lure me away from my 360. My PS3 is gathering dust (mostly) and my Wii is left by the wayside. All because of those lovely, addictive, damned points. Seriously... why would I ever play Cloning Clyde instead of Twilight Princess!?!"

The sad reality.

There is an achievement in Dead Rising that requires you to kill 53,594 zombies in a single play-through. (That's the exact population of Willamette, according to the opening cinema.) After browsing the message boards, my boyfriend discovered that the best way to earn this achievement is to take a car into the maintenance tunnels, do a quick loop to mow down any zombies in your path, then rinse and repeat. About 150 times.

To me, this represents the ultimate in gaming insanity. Yesterday, I watched him drive this monotonous route for nearly 3 hours of straight, tedious gameplay. All for an Achievement. He is currently spending another 7 hours playing through the game a third time (and wrestling with some pretty frustrating AI) so that he can escort 50 survivors successfully (and answer all the transceiver calls). And when he's finished this, I have no doubt that he will play through a fourth time to get any achievements he might be missing. This is insane! This I do not condone! This is exactly... what I want to do now! I'm not proud of this weakness. Why should we keep playing a game when it becomes painful? Aren't there a hundred beautifully designed games begging for our attention? Is any frackin' game worth 200 Achievement Points?

But whether or not they foresaw the Achievement craze, Microsoft must be feeling pretty smart about now. I am buying and playing games for this system because of Achievements. Of course there are exceptions. (Any true gamer buys a game like Rainbow Six: Vegas on 360 because of online play.) But why preorder GTA IV or Assassin's Creed for 360 when they will be co-released—and potentially more graphically stunning—on PS3? Because that's exactly what I did.

I have absolutely no defensible point to argue here.

993 More MB of Obsession!

2007-04-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

Is the concept of downloadable content encouraging developers to withhold actual gameplay? Will Microsoft Studios start releasing unfinished games with endings you have to pay for on Marketplace? Well, who cares as long as we're still facilitating the release of high quality, triple-A expansions... like The Shivering Isles!

Devotion is not a four letter word.

In 2006, there was no question that Elder Scrolls IV was my game of the year. Immersive gameplay, an addictive leveling system, and a beautiful HD world... how I loved my 300+ hours in Cyrodil! If you're reading this, you already know that I'm a Nintendo fangirl. And prone to revisiting 5-year-old games. And consumed by the idea of getting achievements. Let it be noted—for the record—that those 300 hours were lovingly spent exploring Bethesda's universe instead of gathering achievements or playing with my Wii. Some might say it's a little pathetic. But I think if a game can keep me coming back for that many hours, it deserves my time and adoration.

Thank you, Bethesda, for making sure the gates of Obsession remain open for hours to come. (And for enabling me to purchase this expansion on release day in the comfort of my own home.)

Meticulous children shouldn't read Choose Your Own Adventure books.

Remember those books that gave you a choice about how the story would proceed? Just turn to pg. 15 or 65, depending on what you think the protagonist should do. Game designers have been monopolizing on this concept for years... that's why we call it "interactive entertainment" and that's why the industry is throwing around words like freedom, customization, and choice. GTA gave birth to the sandbox fad, FPS campaigns often feature multiple paths, and the days of boss battles on rails are... well, mostly at an end. Freedom, freedom, freedom. Choice, choice, choice.

Now here's the thing... I tend towards the completionist side of things. I'm not as thorough as some. I didn't get every figment in Psychonauts and I never beat Resident Evil in under 3 hours. I can even miss a heart container or two in Zelda and still go to sleep at night. But I like to see every quest completed. I want to know I'm experiencing the whole game. So what's a girl to do when KOTOR makes you choose between the dark side and the light side? Is Fable really a good enough game to play through twice? And what about the Shivering Isle worlds of Mania and Dementia? Which soldiers shall I betray? Who shall I assassinate?

I admit it... I always cheated with the Choose Your Own Adventure books. I would keep my finger in the page and go on to read all the possible outcomes. It made me so nervous to think that I might be missing a funny, exciting, or gruesome alternative. Maybe I just can't handle choice. Bad news for me if I'm journeying in the Shivering Isles.

The new expansion for Oblivion has all sorts of branching paths. You're constantly being asked to choose between two possible courses of action. Should I keep an alternate save file so I can stick my finger between the proverbial pages? Or should I creep along dangerously, just making my decisions and praying for satisfaction? I know the choices I make in the Shivering Isles won't cause me to "lose" the game. But with each choice, there's a whole other half to the story that I'm missing. On the other hand, is it worth playing through twice so I can see how events might unfold in the alternate course of action? There are so many other games to play...

How Achievement Points™ have ruined gaming.

And that's why Achievements are a beautiful thing. (Or are they?) I visit all the changing rooms at the Willamette Mall... because it's an achievement. I comb the Pacific City skyline for orbs... because it's an achievement. GoW II rested in its original wrapping for weeks and even Puzzle Quest is hardly enough to lure me away from my 360. My PS3 is gathering dust (mostly) and my Wii is left by the wayside. All because of those lovely, addictive, damned points. Seriously... why would I ever play Cloning Clyde instead of Twilight Princess!?! You don't even want to know what my boyfriend has planned for Dead Rising. I guess the moral of this story is... I will gladly play through the Shivering Isles twice because it's a great game... but I'm ashamed to admit, it's also an achievement.

Somewhere in this post I will talk about the game.

All this chatter and I haven't really talked about the game. The way I see it, this is an expansion for people who love the Elder Scrolls series. There is a collect quest unlike any you'll see in the regular retail version of Oblivion. And the landscape design of the Isles themselves looks like something out of Oblivion's predecessor, Morrowind. The voice acting—of a quality almost unparalleled in the gaming industry—gives life to characters who are already interesting and charismatic. Everything you loved about exploring Cyrodil is back.

The expansion is less polished and boasts a few more glitches than the original game. And some people might have already gotten their fill of the same old Oblivion schtick. (This expansion is not for those people.) I, for one, am enjoying every drop of additional material I can glean from the Shivering Isles. And I won't let excessive freedom scare me or the siren song of other games' achievements lure me away.

For a while, anyway. Seriously. There are a lot of achie... I mean, games... out there.

The Gates of OBSESSION

2006-05-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't have an Elder Scrolls obsession right now? Jumping around to nearly every gaming blog I know, it's obvious that Oblivion is the hot ticket addiction item right now. Then again, maybe I don't spend enough time on Nintendo fanboy sites.

This is a paragraph about alchemy.

Yes, I'm a collector. Running hither and thither from quest to quest, I take every mushroom, flower, and loaf of bread I can find. I bring them back to the little trunk in the corner of my house. And when I need levels in alchemy, I come home and brew up little potions using my fancy calcinator. And when I need levels in mercantilism, I sell my favorite shopkeeper all the complicated and obscure treats I've concocted.

This is a paragraph about power-levelling.

There is little more satisfying than a perfect level. 5 in strength, 5 in intelligence, 5 in endurance. Yes, I keep careful tally. (And wish every day that I had distributed my major skills a tad bit more evenly.)

This is a paragraph about friendship.

I should also mention that I'm playing through the game with a friend. It's a wonderful pairing because we're both being meticulous (and ridiculous) about levelling. And because we both have things that we love doing. He can spend an hour taking hits at Goblin Jim's, while I can't get enough of racking up completed quests. I love finding the last piece for his set of elven armor and he loves procuring my journeyman-level alchemy equipment. And we both spend too much time making sure we've scoured every crevice of a dungeon. Plus, it's a lot easier to put 10 hours a day into a game if someone else can hold the controller for a while.

And if you're an Oblivion fan and haven't yet seen Calyber FD's brilliant Oblivimari post... well, you should.

Nintendo Monde!!

2006-05-09T23:56:00.000-07:00

I love spontaneity! It's so incredible to be able to throw prudence to the wind and do something fun and entirely selfish every once in a while. And that's how I ended up on the second floor at Nintendo World in NYC watching the pre-E3 Nintendo press conference. Is there anything better than gruff, "cool" frat boys cheering over Yoshi's Island 2?

Trip to NY and Ruminations on Sony

Mike and I left for New York Monday night and stayed with his friend's parents in CT. The trip down was fun and music-filled, highlighted by phone calls to our friends keeping us updated on the Sony press conference. It was all smiles, including the greasy late night pizza. Until we heard about the ridiculous hijack Sony pulled.

Now, I might just be a cynical Nintendo fangirl. And it may be true that I've been gradually losing faith in PlayStation. But this controller business is nonsense. To announce a delay and blame it on the Blue Ray technology... then to turn around and unveil a weak rip-off version of the sexy, innovative Wii-mote... I know I sound like every other bitter Nintendo fan out there, but it just seemed a little uncouth. Unsavory. Uncool. The sort of thing we've come to expect from the evil Microsoft. But is Sony so desperate to maintain their hold? I definitely had a gut reaction of f**k this. I might still buy the thing, but it will only be out of a sick need to experience the industry as a whole. Then again, I still haven't bought a PSP.

To Rockefeller Center!

Metro-North is a lovely thing. And the MTA. We arrived at Nintendo World in plenty of time to secure a nice little spot in line. Mike got us McDonald's for breakfast and we chilled with the fanboys, played some Kart over Wi-Fi, and talked about the gaming world. I also spent some time browsing around the store, which I had never been in before. It's such a beautiful mecca of all things Nintendo. And who doesn't want to watch 20-year-old college boys playing DDR: Mario Remix?

I also loved seeing the bits and pieces of Nintendo past on display. Old consoles, games, paraphernalia. It's so funny how NES gear can make me get emotional.

The Press Conference

When it finally came time to head into the store, the line got tense. There was worry that not everyone in line would get in. And you know how mob mentality can get. But we slipped in pretty early (yay good spot in line!), got our little Wii lapel pin, and headed upstairs to get premium floor space.

The conference itself was everything I had hoped for. Feeling the buzz of excitement as the time drew near. Experiencing the thrill of every scrap of game footage and every announcement. It's like seeing a film with a cult following at the midnight opening. Every line is funnier, sadder, or more thrilling. Serenity was like that. People cheered for Miyamoto and Reggie and pretty much everyone else who walked on stage. The frat boys were as excited about Metroid and Mario Galaxy as they were about Yoshi's Island 2.

And everyone in the room was drooling at the prospect of hands-on time with the Revolution. The live "tennis" match was fantastic. Will there ever be another console as perfectly suited to the party atmosphere? I know Mike was disappointed with a lot of the gameplay footage, but I still can't help feeling the thrill of Nintendo running through my veins. Wii launch couldn't come soon enough.

We didn't stay for the tournaments (opted for a walk around the city, Central Park, and tickets to Sweeney Todd), but it was great to just soak in the atmosphere.

In essence...

I love Nintendo. They would have to make a lot of mistakes before I lose faith in them. And despite all the debates raging across the internet, I am excited for the coming season. So many games and consoles to love and adore. I can't wait to fish.

Euclid's Heroin

2006-02-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

This is not a review. It's a confession. I admit that I am an addictive personality. Especially when it comes to videogames. I don't think of myself as having a gaming addiction—more like a passion that I indulge whenever I want and for as many hours as I want. I go swing dancing two or three times a week and I don't consider that to be an addiction.

But Geometry Wars? It's just so pretty. And shiny. And look at all the colors! This is probably a game that would have dug in its roots even in its original form. But take one look at Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved and you'll see why it just might be the best bang for your buck on the 360.

It's true that "easy" games tend to be the most addictive—the concept behind Tetris was never difficult to grasp, but true mastery was a lovely and elusive prize. So it is with Geometry Wars. I've played until two in the morning on a Tuesday because I always knew that my next high score was just on the horizon. And I admit it will be a good long while before my addiction is sated.

The bastard responsible for bringing my gaming life to a halt is also dangling the high score carrot in front of me. My 800,000-something is nothing in the face of his 1.5 million-something. And those achievements are just too tantalizing. I'm not a compulsive Pokemon-type collector, but I do have a distinct streak of it in me.

So, expect to see me on the XBox Crack Arcade for many weeks to come...

Nintendo Power's Top 200

2006-01-15T21:07:00.000-08:00

I'm posting this here so I can refer to it later and so that others can see what was chosen. We all know that any list like this is bound to have dozens of flaws, but I think they actually did a pretty good job. Maybe I'll post my grievances at a later date.

A little context for you... the list was released in several installments over the past few issues, culminating in the top 40, which were written up in Nintendo Power's 200th issue (200th issue!). They did a Top 150 for issue #150 and a top 100 for issue #100. I love watching how the list changes over time—and how it stays the same.

Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games to Ever Appear on a Nintendo Console

200: Harvest Moon: Another Wonderful Life-GCN.
199: Cubivore-GCN.
198: Rush 'n Attack-NES.
197: Pac-man Vs-GCN.
196: Super Baseball Simulator 1000-SNES.
195: Zombies ate my neighbors-SNES.
194: Maniac Mansion-NES.
193: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: The Manhattan Project-NES.
192: Gyromite-NES.
191: The Legend of the Mistikal Ninja-SNES.
190: Secret of Evermore-SNES.
189: Pokemon Trading Card Game-GBC.
188: Out of this World-SNES.
187: Mortal Kombat-SNES.
186: Illusion of Gaia-SNES.
185: Mortal Kombat 2-SNES.
184: Wario Land-Virtual Boy.
183: Gradius 3-NES.
182: Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals-SNES.
181: WarioWare, Inc.: Mgea Party Game$-GCN.
180: Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen-SNES.
179: Mario Bros-NES.
178: X-men Legends-GCN.
177: Rock N' Roll Racing-SNES.
176: Dragon Warrior 3-NES.
175: Spider-Man 2-GCN.
174: Metroid Prime 2 Echoes-GCN.
173: Mario Kart: Super Curcuit-GBA.
172: Pro Wrestling-NES.
171: Breath of Fire 2-SNES.
170: Star Wars: Rogue Squadron-N64.
169: Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble-GBC.
168: The Simpsons Raod Rage-GCN.
167: Mario Tennis-GBC.
166: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2-GBA.
165: TimeSplitters 2-GCN.
164: The Lost Vikings-SNES.
163: SimCity-SNES.
162: Mario Paint-SNES.
161: Breath of Fire-SNES.
160: Wizards and Warriors-NES.
159: Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean-GCN.
158: Beetle Adventure Racing-N64.
157: Final Fight-SNES.
156: Tactics Ogre: The Kingdom of Lodis-GBA.
155: Duck Hunt-NES.
154: Pokemon Snap-N64.
153: Pilotwings-SNES.
152: Phantasy Star Online: Episode 1 and 2-GCN.
151: Killer Instinct-SNES.
150: ActRaiser-SNES.
149: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers-GCN.
148: Donkey Kong-NES.
147: River City Ransom-NES.
146: Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand-GBA.
145: Baseball Stars-NES.
144: Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts-SNES.
143: Rygar-NES.
142: Ice Hockey-NES.
141: R.C. Pro-Am-NES.
140: Drago Warrior-NES.
139: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater-N64.
138: Super Bomberman-SNES.
137: Pinball of the Dead-GBA.
136: Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town-GBA.
135: NHL Hitz 20-03-GCN.
134: Dr. Mario-NES.
133: Double Dragon-NES.
132: Feel the Magic: XY/XX-DS.
131: Gradius-NES.
130: Skate or Die-NES.
129: Ghosts 'N Goblins-NES.
128: Astro Boy: Omega Factor-GBA.
127: Wave Race 64: Kawasaki Jet Ski-N64.
126: Mario Golf-N64.
125: Contra 3: The Alien Wars-SNES.
124: NBA Street-GCN.
123: Burnout-GCN.
122: Viewtiful Joe 2-GCN.
121: Pokemon Colosseum-GCN.
120: Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour-GCN.
119: Banjo-Kazooie-N64.
118: Kirby: Canvas Curve-DS.
117: PilotWings 64-N64.
116: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003-GCN.
115: Crystalis-NES.
114: Earthworm Jim-SNES.
113: Bionic Commando-NES.
112: Skies of Arcadia: Legends-GCN.
111: Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Calibur-N64.
110: Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link-NES.
109: Ikaruga-GCN.
108: Castlevania: Circle of the Moon-GBA.
107: Tales of Symphonia-GCN.
106: Super Punch-Out!!-SNES.
105: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3-GCN.
104: Metal Gear-NES.
103: Mega Man X-SNES.
102: Tetris Attack-SNES.
101: Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem-GCN.
100: Perfect Dark-N64.
99: Excitebike-NES.
98: Mario Party-N64.
97: 1080` Snowboarding-N64.
96: WarioWare: Touched!-DS.
95: Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat-GCN.
94: Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader-GCN.
93: Rayman 2: The Great Escape-N64.
92: Pokemon Puzzle League-N64.
91: Mario Tennis-N64.
90: Donkey Kong Country-SNES.
89: Ninja Gaiden-NES.
88: Pokemon: Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald-GBA
87: Tecmo Bowl-NES.
86: Secret of Mana-SNES.
85: Metroid 2: Return of Samus-GB
84: Luigi's Mansion-GCN.
83: Killer 7-GCN.
82: Star Fox-SNES.
81: Resident Evil Zero-GCN.
80: Pokemon: Gold/Silver/Crystal-GBC.
79: Jet Force Gemini-N64.
78: Harvest moon 64-N64.
77: WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$-GBA.
76: Final Fantasy 1 and 2: Dawn of Souls-GBA.
75: SSX Tricky-GCN.
74: Yoshi's Island: Super Mario World 2-SNES.
73: Star Fox 64-N64.
72: EarthBound-SNES.
71: Blast Corps-N64.
70: F-Zero-SNES.
69: Golden Sun:The Lost Age-GBA.
68: Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes-GCN.
67: Final Fantasy Tactics Avance-GBA.
66: Super Castlevania 4-SNES.
65: Conker's Bad Fur Day-N64.
64: Pokemon: Red/Blue/Yellow-GB.
63: Paper Mario-N64.
62: F-Zero GX-GCN.
61: Mega Man-NES.
60: Street Fighter 2: The World Warrior-SNES.
59: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones-GBA.
58: Madden NFL 2005-GCN.
57: Contra-NES.
56: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening-GB.
55: WarioWare: Twisted-GBA.
54: Kid Icarus-NES.
53: Mario Kart 64-N64.
52: Meteos-DS.
51: Animal Crossing-GCN.
50: Pikmin-GCN.
49: Final Fantasy-NES.
48: The Legend of Zelda: Four Sword Adventures-GCN.
47: Pikmin 2-GCN.
46: Metroid: Zero Mission-GBA.
45: Super Mario Bros. 2-NES.
44: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars-SNES.
43: Resident Evil-GCN.
42: Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles-GCN.
41: Fire Emblem-GBA.
40: Super Mario Kart-SNES.
39: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages-GBC.
38: Super Monkey Ball-GCN.
37: Mario and Luigi: SuperStar Saga-GBA.
36: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time-GCN.
35: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door-GCN.
34: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons-GBC.
33: Mega Man 2-NES.
32: Tetris-GB.
31: Golden Sun-GBA.
30: Metroid Fusion-GBA.
29: Beyond Good and Evil-GCN.
28: Final Fantasy 2-SNES.
27: Viewtiful Joe-GCN.
26: Advance Wars-GBA.
25: Mario Kart: Double Dash-GCN.
24: The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap-GBA.
23: Castlevania-NES.
22: Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow-GBA.
21: Chrono Trigger-SNES.
20: Goldeneye 007-N64.
19: Super Smash Bros.-N64.
18: Soul Calibur 2-GCN.
17: Myke Tyson's Punch Out!!-NES.
16: Super Smash Bros. Melee-GCN.
15: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask-N64.
14: Final Fantasy 3-SNES.
13: Super Mario Sunshine-GCN.
12: Super Metroid-SNES.
11: Metroid-NES.
10: Metroid Prime-GCN.
9: Super Mario Bros.-NES.
8: Super Mario World-SNES.
7: The Legend of Zelda-NES.
6: Super Mario Bros. 3-NES.
5: Super Mario 64-N64.
4: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker-GCN.
3: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past-SNES.
2: Resident Evil 4-GCN.
1: The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time-n64.

Shiny and White Hardware

2005-11-26T18:54:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with family, great food, and my shiny new 360. I admit... I waited in line all night in the parking lot of the Watertown Best Buy. In the pouring rain. I hope that others with the overnight dedication were enduring better weather. It was cold and wet and entirely worth my while.

I hate giving into the megalomaniacal commercialism of the evil Microsoft, but they make a darn good piece of gaming hardware. We spoke in the parking lot of the reasons we were there and the games we were most looking forward to. I'll always be loyal to the innovation and game development of Nintendo. And I'm grateful to Sony for making the Final Fantasy games available on a console after they made the move from Nintendo. But the Xbox has officially replaced the Play Station in my heart. And I think my personal migration will show itself in the wider market. I pray to the vg gods that Sony proves me wrong, but I think the early 360 release, the seductive hopes for a third Halo installment, and the incredible support of Xbox Live have secured Microsoft a commanding presence in the industry. Maybe even domination in the American market. Who can tell?

And despite my LJ title, I want to be clear that I'm not an Xbox nut. I love all consoles equally for what they have to offer. I really, truly am hoping that the PS3 surprises everyone and comes out on equal footing. And of course, I'm hoping that the Revolution will knock everyone's socks off. That internal gyroscopic control still has me smiling in my dreams.

I've strayed from the point. The Xbox 360 is a solid piece of hardware. And if there are bugs, my system hasn't shown a single one. The new Live is shiny and smooth like butter. It took some getting used to, but it's been worth the price of admission. The gamer cards are great, but I hope rep and zone get incorporated into matchmaking so I can keep away from self-proclaimed "underground" gamers and the people with a lousy rep. "Pro" all the way. (If you don't know what I'm talking about check out this write-up.)

Coming soon? Reviews of my three launch titles of choice... Kameo: Elements of Power, Project Gotham Racing 3, and Perfect Dark Zero. And maybe some of the sweet DS games I've been playing.

Gotta love a gamer's world.

Review: Kirby Canvas Curse (DS)

2005-06-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a game is so blissfully simple that I am suddenly reminded of why I play videogames. Enter my latest foray into the duel screen handheld world of Nintendo. Kirby: Canvas Curse is a fun-filled romp through the two-dimensional, side-scrolling world of our favorite pink ball. Use your stylus to guide Kirby through intricate levels and clever mini-games. This is more than just another showcase for DS technology—it's the real deal.

Serious Business

I know what you're thinking: kid stuff. But this isn't just a race through glitzy, star-filled realms... this is serious business. After all, Kirby has been cruelly wrenched out of his Dream Land home and dropped into a world drawn by the evil sorceress, Drawcia (yes, Drawcia). Things are looking dire and as Kirby, it's up to you to advance through seven dangerous worlds, defeat the evil sorceress, and set things right again.

Okay, so the plot won't have producers clamoring for a movie deal. But don't let the stars and rainbows fool you; Canvas Curse is a challenging and exciting game for players of all ages, abilities, and tastes. There are time trials, unique mini-boss battle scenarios, and unlockable features. Kirby fans will rejoice as they tap and crash into enemies to steal special abilities. And anyone can appreciate the satisfying gameplay throwback to the original Sonic—action is often fast and furious as you spin, spiral, and soar to the goal at the opposite end of the screen. The premise is shaky, but the payoff is fantastic.

It's Dangerous To Go Alone

Good thing you're armed with a magical paintbrush (ahem, stylus) that conveniently taps on Kirby to give him a speed boost, taps on enemies to freeze them into vulnerability, and taps on obstacles to make your path easier to navigate. And that's not all. The real beauty of the "magical paintbrush"—and the crux of the game—lies in its ability to draw rainbows that launch Kirby through the air, protect him from enemy fire, and steer him around dangerous obstacles.

In fact, Nintendo has come up with a surprising number of unique ways for Kirby to interact with that little rainbow line. Sometimes, the buoyant Kirby must be pushed underwater with the rainbow or kept from drifting in a "zero gravity" environment. The rainbow keeps lasers from frying our hero, guides Kirby into lamps to light a pitch dark room, and bounces him around like a pinball to collect items on the screen. By the time you reach the final boss battle, you'll be using all of these tricks—and plenty more—to dodge traps, defuse missiles, defeat minions, and destroy Drawcia.

How Kirby Conquers All

Of course, it's not all wanton zooming and bouncing. Sure, Kirby collects stars to gain extra lives, items to restore health, and medals to trade in for bonus features. But there are challenges along the way. Paint for your brush is limited and replenishes slowly unless you're rolling on solid ground. And when you run out of lives... you begin again at the beginning of the world (not the last level or checkpoint you cleared). There were many times when I would reach far into the third level, then lose my last life and begin at level one all over again. Thank you, Marble Madness, for teaching me patience.

And while the patience was much needed in later levels and the final battle with Drawcia, the "boss battles" at the end of each world proved strangely simple. I finished all these scenarios unfailingly on the first try—not a testament to my gaming prowess, I assure you. The difficulty level was obviously scaled down in favor of offering a change in pace from the regular gameplay. In Block Attack, you hurl Kirby around like a pinball to defeat Kracko the eye monster. In Cart Run, you race King Dedede in fruit-boosted carts (that look like they belong in a coal mine). And in my personal favorite, Paint Panic, you emulate the paint strokes of Paint Roller—some kind of roller skating artist fiend. Don't be surprised if you blast through each mini-boss, but be sure to replay the scenarios as subgames outside the regular "plot," where they offer a bit more challenge.

And the final battle? Surprisingly tricky and extremely satisfying. It took me several tries, but by the end, quick-thinking helped me discover important strategies and my skills with the stylus had certainly reached a pinnacle. Kirby won the day.

Replay Value is For Wussies

I want to be clear: Canvas Curse absolutely shines in its regular gameplay. It's like a conversation with the game developers; they teach you level by level how to combine dozens of moves into one seamless enterprise and you show them what their game can really do. And when you finally defeat Drawcia, you feel as though you've really mastered something. But I don't think it's the sort of thing most people would play again and again.

Don't get me wrong... Nintendo has plugged in a number of features to extend the life of the game. Between main game missions, you can replay your boss battles in classic "score attack" style, racing King Dedede into eternity or imitating Paint Roller with increasing grace and agility. Plus there's the Rainbow Run, which allows you to replay various levels as a time trial (clear the level as fast as you can) or a line trial (clear the level using as little paint as possible). There's even a reason to play the subgames and race through Rainbow Run; achieve certain results in the games and you'll be awarded more medals to swap for bonus features. You can add health to Kirby's life meter, turn your rainbow into a "tropical" line, or earn the ability to play as the huge ball-shaped King Dedede.

But those things aren't why you should play the game. What makes it so fun is that it's quick to learn the gameplay, fun to discover new ways of moving Kirby through the level, and just as you think it might start getting tedious, the game is over. After just five and half hours of game time, I was taking on the big bad boss, bringing my stylus play to the next level, and adding Canvas Curse to my completed games resumé. So if you're looking for a solid rental offering for your handheld, look no further. If you're looking for a game you can purchase, cherish, and come back to five years from now, this probably isn't it.

Review: The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)

2005-01-11T21:35:00.000-08:00

It's easy to have very high standards for a Zelda title. After all, we've been playing the Miyamoto opus for 20 years. And when Nintendo Power placed nearly every Zelda game ever made in its top 200 Nintendo games of all time, I was hardly surprised. Eight Zelda games in the top 40. Three in the top five. It's not the best "best" list in the world, but one thing is spot on: Zelda games are just that good. And when it comes to Minish Cap, the gameplay, storytelling, and overall aesthetic thankfully live up to the legendary Zelda franchise.

Unlikely Hero Needed to Fill Floppy Green Hat

The premise is nothing earth shattering. You play the role of an agile, sword-wielding youth who must save Hyrule and the Princess Zelda from the evil machinations of a power-hungry sorcerer who's after the Triforce en route to world domination. Sweet. The clever addition that really makes the game is the addition of the magical Minish Cap, a wisecracking and chatty floppy green hat that not only guides your hero, but also allows Link to shrink down to the size of the tiny, elf-like Minish. In essence, you get two worlds in one: the regular Hyrule overworld and the various homes, caves, and secret places of the Minish.

The gameplay is nothing revolutionary, but it's certainly a well honed version of the typical Zelda game. Link carries a sword that is gradually "levelled up," as are his sword techniques, bow and arrows, boomerang, and bombs. There are also some clever new items:

The gust jar sucks up nearby air (and some enemies), then releases a strong gust of wind (or the enemy). In lovely, physics-defying Zelda tradition, the gust jar can be used to propel small watercraft.

To be continued...