Sunday, April 26, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Best of: Summer Entertainment
I certainly hope we all had a great summer this year. Before we begin drowning in school work, I'd like to look back at the summer one last time before I start looking forward to the next one.
The video game industry is infamous for its habit of holding all of its good games until the holiday season, and this year was no different. However, there were still a good handful of games released that brightened up my summer and prevented me from breaking out my old N64 to fight off boredom. Mario Kart Wii was quickly added to my Best List of Wii games. The introduction of the new Wii Wheel seemed a little gimmicky at first, but actually increased the amount of fun one can have in this already awesome franchise. I'm not here to write a review, but I will say the the controls were smooth, fun, and quick to learn. The online play was exactly what I was praying for, save the fact that there was no voice chat. (Side note: Wii Voice Chat is on the way this year!) I also loved the ability to play as my Mii in the races.Boom Blox was an unconventional, yet welcome surprise. After an unexpected partnership was formed between Steven Spielburg and Electronic Arts, they created a game based solely on falling blocks. Sure, this seems incredibly simple at first, but remember how fun Tetris was? I picked this game up out of curiosity and I was not disappointed. EA took the simple concept of falling blocks and turned it into an addictive bomb-throwing game that will have screaming at the TV trying to make sure all the blocks are destroyed, while your friends watch the pretty explosions from the chaos you created. It has Jenga-style puzzles, block puzzles where you have to make sure all blocks are destroyed withing a certain number of throws, different blocks that cause different effects when hit, and an awesome multi-player mode where you and your friends compete for points in several explosion-filled minigames. The game has a realistic physics engine which allows for some sweet debris effects after the explosions and also adds strategy to the game. Remember what made Legos so much fun? Knocking them down after you built something with them, right? Well, you can do that too!
Build your own puzzle in the Create Mode and have a blast knocking it down with your buddies. I also bought Okami for the Wii. The original was released for the PS2 last year, but I do not own a PS2 so I couldn't play it. Now that it is ported to the Wii, I can enjoy the game and its awesome Japanese art-style, great (and LONG) gameplay, and enhanced controls.
With TV pretty much dead with all the re-runs, the internet proved to be the best (and only) source of great videos. TV's only saving grace was the new website www.hulu.com. This site streams several popular TV shows straight to your computer. Most all of the popular TV channels have signed on to stream content to Hulu, including Fox, G4, FX, Comedy Central, and NBC. It can also stream feature films from studios like LionsGate Films, Paramount, and Universal Studios. This made watching re-runs a bit easier because I could find my favorite episodes whenever I wanted instead of waiting for them to appear on TV. Fox's new show, Fringe, premiered on Hulu, and Fox also announced that season premieres of The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Chuck, among other shows, will premier on Hulu a week before the show them on TV, which sounds pretty awesome to me. Hulu is also equipped with a few tools to share content with your friends and make you movie-watching experience easier. If you sign up for a free account, you can tell Hulu which shows are your favorite and it will e-mail you when a new episode is released. Hulu also allows you to embed your favorite episodes on your MySpace, or e-mail them to a friend. If a movie is too long, you can select the best part and just embed that. If you have a laptop, like me, I suggest buying an S-Video Cable so you can stream video off of your laptop to your TV, a great way to watch Hulu videos with family and friends.
Well, this was about all I had room for, some quick reviews of summer games and an awesome website you should check out. Ashton claimed the right to review the summer movies so I will leave that to her.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Crazy Rainbow Lady
Hey people. I'm back after a one-month hiatus thanks to my parents strict rules of being home by mid-night and not one in the morning. Oops. I just wanted to let people know I'm back so here is a video of the stupidest lady on the planet.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Yeah....so
I haven't written in this all summer for a number of reasons. I was having too much fun hanging out with my friends left and right, I got grounded from the computer for my stupid report card, I have been spending as much time as possible with my girlfriend.....you know, the usual. XD
But I've been mulling over some ideas so don't expect too many blog posts. I think I'm gonna use my video camera for my next post so feel free to look forward to that. Anyway, here is a review of a DS game that has been taking up a LOT of my time:
I've had this game on my radar for a while, and the more I read about it, the more I was confused as to whether or not I would like it. The concept sounded cool, but I wasn't sure if a two-screen simultaneous battle system could be pulled off. Well, I was proved wrong. This game is great! One of the best DS games I have played in a while, and definitely the best game I have played this year.
The beginning seems kinda confusing and might be scary for players who are not used to RPG's. It thrusts you into the storyline head-first and spares no expense throwing more details at you then you need. But after a while it all starts coming together once your main goal is explained. My only other beef with the storyline is that it would cut-away to flashbacks and I would not realize it was a flashback until after it was over. That got really confusing, but you'll get used to it.
Now I REALLY want to talk about the battle system. I love that fact that this game does away with random encounters and lets you choose the enemies' group size, the number of consecutive battles, and you can choose not to fight any if you want. You are only required to fight when it is meant to complete an objective or when you are attacked by a boss. The battles themselves take some getting used to. The character on the bottom screen, Neku, is controlled by the stylus. His attacks are trigged by tapping, dragging, and slashing certain areas of the Touch Screen. You choose your set of 3-6 different attacks (known as "Pins") in the main menu, and the attacks you choose are the only ones available during the fight. It does not allow you to switch them out until after the fight. Depending on the attacks you have equipped, certain elements on the screen activate the different moves. For example, tapping an empty space on the screen will activate an attack while slashing or tapping an enemy activates another. If two Pins use the same action to activate, the game will use the one that comes first in order from left to right, which adds a good strategy the game. You can also choose to turn pins on and off throughout a fight if a certain attack is getting in the way. This strategy can also be used to pull off really effective combos, but I wouldn't try that until much later in the game, as it is difficult to pull off. Pins can only be used a certain amount of times before they have to recharge during battle, so using the same move over and over will not help One thing about the Touch Screen I do not like is that the only way to move Neku around is by dragging him. Sometimes, when I meant to drag Neku, I would accidentally activate a Pin and Neku would not move out of the way. Also, there is no way to defend from attacks other then to dodge them.
While your slashing and tapping the bottom screen, you also use the DS's D-Pad (or the ABXY buttons for you lefties) to control your partner on the top screen, who changes throughout the story. When you press a direction, a combo map will appear on the top screen. While reading this you must press the corresponding arrows in order to reach the desired attack. Depending on what attack you reach, you will get a different card. These cards are used for a sort of minigame on the top screen. I will just explain the first partner's minigame, as they are different depending on who your partner is. Shiki, your first partner, has a guessing mini-game. 3 cards will be flipped over on the top screen and you have to guess the highlighted card by reaching your guess on the combo map. If guess all three of t.hem you will unlock a super attack that damages all enemies on screen and gives you a little health. These attacks are very effective and will keep you alive much longer if you unlock them enough.
While controlling both screens at once seems pretty harsh, you can always let the computer take over the top screen, leaving you to focus on Neku on the bottom. However, controlling both screens gets you a lot of bonuses, such as the unlockable special attack I mentioned. When Neku pulls off a successful combo with a Pin, he passes a "light puck" to his parter. This doubles the partner's attack power. When the partner successfully gets a card after going through the combo map, the puck is passed back to Neku and doubles his attack power. You can continue doing this throughout the battle. A rare bonus occurs when both Neku and his partner defeat the same enemy at the same time. (Enemies share health between both screens, as do Neku and his partner) When this happens, your health gets completely recharged!
As for the story, it is very deep and interesting. Offering suspense at every turn, with a cast of colorful and complex characters. I don't want to go too deep into the story, so here is a quick summary: When people die, they get sent to a place called the UG. (UnderGround) In the UG they are forced to play The Game. In order to win, players must complete missions sent to them by the Reapers, people who run The Game. Reapers are also required to kill players in order to survive, so everyone is pitted against each other. If you fail a mission, or get killed by the Noise (the monsters in The Game) You get "erased" which is essentially death. The Game takes place takes place over the course of one week, and those who win get to come back to life. This whole thing is run by The Composer, who created the UG. You play as Neku, who does not remember how he died. He sets out to win The Game and discovers a plot much deeper behind The Game.
Now all that is left is to describe the little things about the game. When you are not fighting battles, there are plenty of things you can do to up your stats. You can buy clothes from different shops that boost your Health, Attack, Defense, and Sync. Those are the only four stats you have to worry about in this game, which is simple and I like that. It also offers a good customization of your character to fit your fighting style. There is even a mini-game where you use pins as tops and fight other people Beyblade-style by knocking them off of a board. You can play against people in The Game, or with your friends through wireless multi-player. You can also use the Wireless Function to up your stats even when you are not playing. If you leave your DS in "Mingle Mode" your DS will pick up other DS's transmitting info no matter what game they are playing. If you pass those DS's, you gain EXP points and other stats. If the person you pass has a copy of "The World Ends With You" you can trade items with them. There is so much more to do then just fighting and going through the storyline.
In conclusion, this is a deep and intricate RPG that can be customized to fit almost anyone's play style and offers plenty of things to do during this summer. I highly suggest that you pick it up, this game is a blast.
But I've been mulling over some ideas so don't expect too many blog posts. I think I'm gonna use my video camera for my next post so feel free to look forward to that. Anyway, here is a review of a DS game that has been taking up a LOT of my time:
I've had this game on my radar for a while, and the more I read about it, the more I was confused as to whether or not I would like it. The concept sounded cool, but I wasn't sure if a two-screen simultaneous battle system could be pulled off. Well, I was proved wrong. This game is great! One of the best DS games I have played in a while, and definitely the best game I have played this year.
The beginning seems kinda confusing and might be scary for players who are not used to RPG's. It thrusts you into the storyline head-first and spares no expense throwing more details at you then you need. But after a while it all starts coming together once your main goal is explained. My only other beef with the storyline is that it would cut-away to flashbacks and I would not realize it was a flashback until after it was over. That got really confusing, but you'll get used to it.
Now I REALLY want to talk about the battle system. I love that fact that this game does away with random encounters and lets you choose the enemies' group size, the number of consecutive battles, and you can choose not to fight any if you want. You are only required to fight when it is meant to complete an objective or when you are attacked by a boss. The battles themselves take some getting used to. The character on the bottom screen, Neku, is controlled by the stylus. His attacks are trigged by tapping, dragging, and slashing certain areas of the Touch Screen. You choose your set of 3-6 different attacks (known as "Pins") in the main menu, and the attacks you choose are the only ones available during the fight. It does not allow you to switch them out until after the fight. Depending on the attacks you have equipped, certain elements on the screen activate the different moves. For example, tapping an empty space on the screen will activate an attack while slashing or tapping an enemy activates another. If two Pins use the same action to activate, the game will use the one that comes first in order from left to right, which adds a good strategy the game. You can also choose to turn pins on and off throughout a fight if a certain attack is getting in the way. This strategy can also be used to pull off really effective combos, but I wouldn't try that until much later in the game, as it is difficult to pull off. Pins can only be used a certain amount of times before they have to recharge during battle, so using the same move over and over will not help One thing about the Touch Screen I do not like is that the only way to move Neku around is by dragging him. Sometimes, when I meant to drag Neku, I would accidentally activate a Pin and Neku would not move out of the way. Also, there is no way to defend from attacks other then to dodge them.
While your slashing and tapping the bottom screen, you also use the DS's D-Pad (or the ABXY buttons for you lefties) to control your partner on the top screen, who changes throughout the story. When you press a direction, a combo map will appear on the top screen. While reading this you must press the corresponding arrows in order to reach the desired attack. Depending on what attack you reach, you will get a different card. These cards are used for a sort of minigame on the top screen. I will just explain the first partner's minigame, as they are different depending on who your partner is. Shiki, your first partner, has a guessing mini-game. 3 cards will be flipped over on the top screen and you have to guess the highlighted card by reaching your guess on the combo map. If guess all three of t.hem you will unlock a super attack that damages all enemies on screen and gives you a little health. These attacks are very effective and will keep you alive much longer if you unlock them enough.
While controlling both screens at once seems pretty harsh, you can always let the computer take over the top screen, leaving you to focus on Neku on the bottom. However, controlling both screens gets you a lot of bonuses, such as the unlockable special attack I mentioned. When Neku pulls off a successful combo with a Pin, he passes a "light puck" to his parter. This doubles the partner's attack power. When the partner successfully gets a card after going through the combo map, the puck is passed back to Neku and doubles his attack power. You can continue doing this throughout the battle. A rare bonus occurs when both Neku and his partner defeat the same enemy at the same time. (Enemies share health between both screens, as do Neku and his partner) When this happens, your health gets completely recharged!
As for the story, it is very deep and interesting. Offering suspense at every turn, with a cast of colorful and complex characters. I don't want to go too deep into the story, so here is a quick summary: When people die, they get sent to a place called the UG. (UnderGround) In the UG they are forced to play The Game. In order to win, players must complete missions sent to them by the Reapers, people who run The Game. Reapers are also required to kill players in order to survive, so everyone is pitted against each other. If you fail a mission, or get killed by the Noise (the monsters in The Game) You get "erased" which is essentially death. The Game takes place takes place over the course of one week, and those who win get to come back to life. This whole thing is run by The Composer, who created the UG. You play as Neku, who does not remember how he died. He sets out to win The Game and discovers a plot much deeper behind The Game.
Now all that is left is to describe the little things about the game. When you are not fighting battles, there are plenty of things you can do to up your stats. You can buy clothes from different shops that boost your Health, Attack, Defense, and Sync. Those are the only four stats you have to worry about in this game, which is simple and I like that. It also offers a good customization of your character to fit your fighting style. There is even a mini-game where you use pins as tops and fight other people Beyblade-style by knocking them off of a board. You can play against people in The Game, or with your friends through wireless multi-player. You can also use the Wireless Function to up your stats even when you are not playing. If you leave your DS in "Mingle Mode" your DS will pick up other DS's transmitting info no matter what game they are playing. If you pass those DS's, you gain EXP points and other stats. If the person you pass has a copy of "The World Ends With You" you can trade items with them. There is so much more to do then just fighting and going through the storyline.
In conclusion, this is a deep and intricate RPG that can be customized to fit almost anyone's play style and offers plenty of things to do during this summer. I highly suggest that you pick it up, this game is a blast.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
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