May 2008 Archives

I'm full steam behind on the catchup express! Now that the new floors are finished I can finally dedicate some time back to gaming. My current pleasure is the wonderful Pikmin 2, which I'm about 3/4 of the way though. I can't believe I missed out on the Pikmin titles when they first came out - they are so great! Really, it was the buildup to Smash Bros Brawl and the introduction of Captain Olimar onto the roster that got me looking back into the Pikmin games, and I'm damn glad I did.

What I love about these games beyond the charming characters is the gameplay mechanics. There is something to be said for a game that can pull off an RTS feel on a console and make the controls feel so intuitive. In the RTS I'm working on (which I'll talk about some other time), I'm really trying to stress simplicity in the controls and I've been citing this game as an example. I think this is key for a console title not only because you don't have all the inputs you would on a keyboard - but because you would attract a much wider audience if they didn't feel overwhelmed by all the micromanagement and unit overload. I've been hearing from the Nintendo team at IGN that they are working on an as of yet unannounced Pikmin 3 for the Wii, and I can't freaking wait. The Wii remote would be the perfect interface for that type of control scheme and I'm going to be paying very close attention to it. And now back to paying off the debt of the Hocotate freight company!

I finally got around to finishing some games this weekend and wanted to share my thoughts:

Super Paper Mario (Wii) - I started this one when it first came out and bailed on the last world for months and months before picking it back up. Maybe I'm just a sap but I really dug the story in this game, as it was about a lot more than just saving Peach again. It was all about love, and friendship, and uh, love. I hate chickflicks for the most part, but a well crafted story with a relationship at the core always gets me, especially if it involves a mad magician and a princess who got turned into an electric butterfly. The gameplay was outstanding as well, I loved the blend of 2d and 3d platforming and puzzle solving. I just wish the blanks catch cards would have been more available. They could have really pushed the whole collection aspect to give it a bit more replay value.

My grade: A

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword (DS) - Been playing this one since it came out on and off. It was just a little bit shorter than I would have liked but it was paced perfectly for a portable, as the save points were readily available after each major skirmish. The controls were amazing for a stylus based game, you really felt like you had complete control of Ryu's moves and once you got the hang of them, you could execute them at will. The normal difficulty seemed pretty toned down compared to the previous console versions, but that was fine with me, as I'm too old to waste my time repeating the same levels and boss battles ad nauseum. The bottom line though is if you have a DS and like action, you need to pick this up.

My grade: A-

I realized once again that I have too many goddamn games to play through. Don't get me wrong, this is a great problem to have, but there are so many good games coming out these days that it's just been extremely difficult to keep up. On top of that since I only get a couple of hours each night to game late, I'm falling further and further behind. But this summer will be catch up time.

I decided today that I'm putting GTA IV on the back burner until I slim down the queue a bit. I've only completed a couple of missions so far, and before I get totally consumed by it, I'm going back in time. First stop: the last two levels of Super Paper Mario: 8-3 and 8-4. Will Count Bleck be defeated? Will Tippi and Blumiere be reunited? How could I have put it off for so long? I actually think it was Bioshock's fault, but at this point I can't even remember. Hell, until I picked it up again the other day, I couldn't even remember exactly what was going on in the story, but I managed to get my paper bearings as I defeated O' Chunks and Mimi the disgusting spider girl once again, losing Bowser and Peach to Castle Bleck in the process.

Of course, I could always just play a couple levels of Boom Blox first...

After hearing that it was a pleasant surprise on various gaming podcasts, I picked up Boom Blox last Thursday night and justified the purchase by telling myself that it was a game that my family could play together. Turns out they won't be getting many turns with me around.

Take the game Jenga and mix in baseballs, bombs, and explosive chemicals and you've pretty much got the idea. I'm not exactly sure how much direct input Steven Speilberg had in designing the game, but if it was substantial then I'm going to have to give him his due props as a game designer. This game simply captures what is truly fun about playing a game and boils it down to it's basic components: puzzle solving, intuitive interaction, and blowing shit up. There is just nothing more satisfying than taking out the very bottom block of a huge tower and watching it slowly begin to topple over towards an eventual massive explosion as two of the chemical blocks collide.

I really really dig this game, though I still don't really get the inclusion of the strange animal block characters, but I'm sure they'll grow on me. Oh, and my family seems to like it as well, at least from all the time they've been watching me play.

Ah, my gaming blog is born. Welcome to the internets! I have big plans for this blog. I intend to document my thoughts on the games I play, and host a weekly podcast. Most of my gaming occurs late at night (family comes first), therefore "Gaming Late."