Latest Timesuck

Well, it has been a while since I did a post. I have started several drafts, but none of them are anywhere near ready to go. This week, I have abandoned doing anything because of my addiction to Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. I am really addicted to collecting souls, which give you new abilities to choose from and can be fused with weapons to make better weapons. I am at a high enough level to finish the game, but I do not have the weapons that I want. I currently use the third best axe, which is a slow but powerful weapon. I only need to collect a duplicate of a soul that I already have so that I can upgrade my axe to the second strongest form, but the strongest form requires the soul of a boss, and I am not sure if I would want to give up one of my boss souls for any weapon. When I get the correct souls for it, I will probably try to get a Valmanway, which is the equivalent of the Crissagrim from Symphony of the Night, which was by far my favorite weapon in that game. I also use a throwing sickle occasionally when I want to attack from a distance. I also use Eversing armor, which has the second highest defense in the game. I switch between accessories a lot, but my favorite is the Soul Eater Ring because it increases the appearance of souls.

As for souls, there are four types that you can use: Ability, Bullet, Guardian, and Enchant. All ability souls are active all the time, so you never have to choose between them. Enchant souls are souls that are always active and do not use magic. I have used Ghost Dancer almost the entire time, as it increases your luck, which increases the appearance of souls. (Gotta catch them all!) Guardian souls are pretty interesting, as they are activated and drain MP at a constant rate until deactivated. This category includes familiars. I switch in this category more than any other. I use Flying Humanoid when I want to increase my luck, I use Manticore to grow a tail when I want to increase my attack, and I use Bat Company when I need to turn into a bat. Bullet souls are one time costs to MP. I mainly use Malachi which shoots an enormous dark energy ball that usually hits the enemy four or five times as it passes, Witch which is basically a homing missle, and Waiter Skeleton which serves delicious curry. That is the most amusing soul in the game: He throws a plate of curry on the ground, which burns any enemy that steps on it.

Anyway, so I am not done with the game yet, so I know I am not posting a lot. (Also, our DVR is getting really backed up.)

Here are two of my favorite links, to try to make up for lost time. I enjoy Grand Theft Auto, and one of my favorite aspects of both Vice City and San Andreas was the amazing soundtracks. These two links are to decode the music so that you can use it on your computer. Vice City had a single sound file for each of the stations, so that is what you get when you decode to a wav file. (It should be easy enough for you to cut into the individual songs with a sound editing program.) Really, while the way that they did the decoding for Vice City is impressive, it pales in comparison to the San Andreas radio program. This program is amazing, allowing you to do everything you could want to do with the sound files. If you have either game on the PS2, get these programs.

Vice City Radio

San Andreas Radio

First Impressions: 3 New Games

Of my recent purchases, my three latest games are portables. Here are my impressions of the three after at least an hour with each.

DK: King of Swing (GBA) - Do not play this with your DS, it is extremely painful that way. So far, the use of the L and R buttons almost exclusively does not feel very inuitive and pretty gimmicky. I am also a bit tired of the Donkey Kong Country figures. I will be giving this another try, but so far, I am not very impressed.

Trauma Center (DS) - So far, very good. Excellent, in fact. I have learned that I am pretty good with everything but suturing. I like the wide variety of actions that you can perform, although I worry that you may be forced to learn memorize too much, which is not good for me because I often leave a game for a few weeks and come back to it.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS) - Excellent game so far. I am not sure if I like having to draw magic seals to vanquish major bosses, but the gameplay is solid like all of the recent portable Castlevania games. (I unfortunately waited too long to get Aria of Sorrow, and have not seen it in a long time, except for eBay, so I have never played it.) I am hooked on this game right now, so I will probably be playing this exclusively for a while.

I will post full reviews eventually. I think I will start doing this first impressions thing for all new games that I try out.

Puzzle Games Ranking

Today, I want to rank my favorite puzzle games, but I have run into a bit of a snag. Finding a consistent definition for the puzzle genre is pretty much impossible. Searching Gamefaqs reveals several hundred games that are classified as puzzle games, and from a quick glance, I would say that most should not be listed in this category. I try to avoid including most board games and strategy games. While there is an element of strategy in basically all puzzle games, I do not feel that games like Risk or Final Fantasy Tactics really fit into the puzzle realm as they take the strategy element to a different level, although the strategy realm is definitely going to be worthy of its own list very soon. My quick impressions of a puzzle game are that it should be simple to pickup, but difficult to master, and that it is it is possibly trying to create order out of an increasingly chaotic system in the game. I don't think it is necessary for a puzzle game to not have an ending, as puzzles can have solutions.

Wikipedia defines the puzzle game as:

Computer puzzle game is a genre of computer games that emphasize puzzle solving.
The types of puzzles involved can involve logic, strategy, pattern recognition,
sequence solving, word completion or, in some cases, just pure luck.

I would tend to agree with several parts of this definition. I think that logic and strategy are key elements to a good puzzle game, and in a sense, luck is a key element to a poorly executed puzzle game. It is easy to make a definition that includes puzzle games, but it is difficult to come up with a definition that excludes non-puzzle games. With that in mind, I have prepared two lists with my favorite puzzle games; one list following strict definitions of a puzzle game, the other list with games that could be considered puzzle games, but might not be. Please let me know what you think about both lists. Also, I have not played Meteos, Lumines, Chu Chu Rocket or Puyo Pop Fever, so it would not be fair to include them, and I also avoided using any internet games. (parentheses indicate the system upon which the game was mostly played.)

Strict interpretation list:
20. Daedalian Opus (Gameboy) - Not that much fun, and doesn't really hold up that well over time. Basically you fit pieces together to fill a rectangle. Inbetween levels there is an annoying section where you have to walk to the next puzzle and get a new piece. Trust me, not fun for long.
19. Wrecking Crew (NES) - Another game that has not held up well over time, but still somewhat fun. You have to break all of the walls to exit the level. It is fun for a while, but gets old fast.
18. Mario and Wario (SNES) - Pretty solid puzzler, where you lead Mario, who has a bucket on his head, to Luigi.
17. Qix (Gameboy) - A weird randomly moving force is in the middle of the screen, and you need to isolate it to a small portion of the screen by boxing it in with lines. This is a challenging game, but I am not sure that it really holds up as well as some other ones do. It is still fun every now and then, but not completely a classic.
16. Mario Clash (Virtual Boy) - Even though the Virtual Boy had V-Tetris and 3D Tetris, this was a much better game, basically a 3D Mario Bros. I struggled deciding whether to include this here, given the level of action, but each screen is basically a strategic puzzle that you must work out (spaces are more confined than in Mario Bros) in a limited space. Enjoyable, although perhaps it does not have the pick up and play appeal of Mario Bros.
15. Pipe Dream (NES) - Put together the plumbing to lead the liquid to the exit. Fun, easy to pick up, just not necessarily my favorite game for no real reason. By the truest definitions, one of the more innovative games on my list (possibly inspired some of the later games where you lead a character to a destination without their input, but the same could be said about Gyromite.) I had a friend in middle school who loved this game like no other, and I have always just felt fairly ambivalent towards it.
14. Beetris (PC) - There have been several Tetris clones, even if you exclude some of the games that could be classified as clones that also appear on this list. I have personally played 3D Tetris, Sextris, and Fruitris, but my favorite has always been Beetris. Beetris uses hexagons rather than squares as the basis of the falling blocks. It offers a different but familiar experience from Tetris itself. And it was Shareware, so I never paid anything for it.
13. Panic Bomber (Virtual Boy) - The Virtual Boy was a good platform to have puzzle games, but owing to its short lifespan, very few games of any sort were made. Panic Bomber appears on other platforms, and other platforms have multiplayer, but this is my preferred platform for single player. Even with single player, you are constantly playing against an opponent, and so you have to do well on your side of the screen to cause their screen to flood with extra pieces.
12. The Lost Vikings (SNES) - Innovative puzzle-action game where you have to use the skills of each of the Vikings to make it through each level. The one problem, and this plagues a few of the games on this list, is that once you have played the easier levels, there is little point to playing them again, so you never have the option to play something easy again without already knowing how to complete the level. In any case, it was a really great game. I would definitely pick up the sequel if I had a chance. (And the first one, for that matter, which was a rental for me.)
11. Klax (NES) - This game is a lot of fun, and the objectives vary by level, so there is a lot of variety. I have this game on Midway Arcade Treasures, and it is one of the games that I play most frequently. The sound effects are fun, but it definitely has a dated feel to it. I can see someone who is unfamiliar with it having trouble getting into it, which is too bad.
10. Columns (GENESIS) - I now play this game on the Sega Classics Collection. This was a major game for Sega back then. I think that it is perhaps a little too simple for my tastes now, but at the time it was a lot better.
9. Kwirk (Gameboy) - This game still holds up very well. The sound is fun, the graphics are simple but effective, and the gameplay is easy to learn, but very challenging. I would say that the one drawback to this title, as long as you do not consider black and white graphics a drawback, is that like other games, once you have learned how to complete a level, it is no longer really a challenge. Still, a great game, and it has aged well.
8. Lemmings (SNES) - Assign roles to the lemmings and save as many as you can while leading them to the exit. The game can get quite frantic as you keep track of lemmings at several different locations on the map, and you need to make sure you assign them their tasks at just the right time. I played this again a few weeks ago, and it was still pretty fun. I tend nowadays to play more King Arthur's World, which is the medieval action version of lemmings, but I don't get far because the levels get to be far too long, and there are some enemies that basically do not fight fair. Lemmings would definitely win in a head to head mainly because of the level design.
7. Krusty's Super Fun House (SNES) - I enjoy this game because of the simplicity in each level. This game is another one where you lead a character, in this case rats, to the end of the level, where they get destroyed rather than finding an exit. The animations when the different people destroy the rats are one of the best parts. My favorite is when Corporal Punishment eats the rats. Classic!
6. Mario vs. Donkey Kong (GBA) - This is a newer game, but it is already a classic. It combines the best elements from several games, like Krusty's Super Fun House and Donkey Kong Jr. Unlike most puzzle games, and admittedly, this is a puzzle action game, this also has boss battles. I am surprised that more people have not gotten into this game.
5. Zookeeper (DS) - Fun and addicting Bejeweled clone. Bejeweled does not have cute animals, so this is the far superior version. Easy to pick up, easy to learn. If it suffers from anything, it is that success depends far too much on luck, much more so than the games that are higher on the list.
4. Tetris (Gameboy) - The game that launched a handheld empire and that launched a thousand clones. Most people put this game higher, but as brilliant as it is, and as fun as it was, I think that it lacks a bit of soul for me. I don't enjoy this game as much as I used to, and I am not sure if I should have it this high up, but I am giving it the benefit of the doubt.
3. Emerald Mine (Amiga) - I know that not many people had an Amiga, but this was one of my favorite games. You have to get to the exit of the room and pick up a certain amount of gems while avoiding cave-ins and monsters. Very clever, and very well-designed. This game is very out of print, but I have seen it available on the internet and also with extra levels.
2. Dr. Mario (NES) - Great music, great premise, great game. Simple and fun, and based upon skill rather than luck. You can play for a short time or a long time, and just because you have completed a level before does not mean it is not as challenging to play again. Almost the perfect puzzle game, if not for...
1. Bust A Move (SNES) - Comparing Dr. Mario and Bust A Move, there are good arguments for both. I give the graphics nod to Bust A Move, but music nod to Dr. Mario. Randomized variety is obviously a part of Dr. Mario and not Bust A Move. It is the control and gameplay itself that for me gives Bust A Move the edge. For me, I could pick up and play this game anytime, whereas I need to be in the mood for Dr. Mario, but that is not taking anything away from Dr. Mario. (Bust A Move also has several sequels to make up for the lack of random levels.)

Tomorrow, I will post my list of (currently 13) games that could be considered puzzle games, but did not quite fit the standards of my strict list.

Please let me know what you think of this list.

XBox360 pwns all?

Welcome to my new blog, my exclusively video games oriented blog. This blog will be exclusively for talking about video games, whether it is video game culture, reviews, rumors or anything else gaming. I will give my thoughts on EVERYTHING gaming in this space.

That said, I would really like some input on good websites to link to regarding video games. Right now I am probably going to link to:
Attack of the Blog
IGN
Gamespy
Gamefaqs

Today's topic is a statement by Peter Moore of Microsoft in a keynote address at the X05 conference in Amsterdam in which he said the following:

As we stand here, on the very cusp of launch, it is my sincere opinion that we
have the best game lineup in the history of video games.

(This is a direct transcription from footage shown on G4's Attack of the Show.)

Keeping in mind the hubris shown by Microsoft overall and in the console wars already, and also noting that this is a trade show, this still seems to be taking it a bit far. For a moment, let us presume that he is comparing like with like, in the sense that he is comparing his launch titles with those of other systems, and not comparing the few games that have been revealed so far to those on the best systems of all time, although I do not think it a stretch to think that he would do so. That said, the following are the launch titles that I have per IGN (launch titles for me would normally be strictly those that are available in the first week the system is out, but I am being generous and including all games that are listed in the November and December of this year.)

Quake 4
Frame City Killer
Call of Duty 2
Dead or Alive 4
Full Auto
Kameo: Elements of Power
King Kong
Madden NFL 06
Need for Speed Most Wanted
Neon
Perfect Dark Zero
Project Gotham Racing 3
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Condemned: Criminal Origins
Gun
Ridge Racer 6
Test Drive Unlimited
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
Mutant Storm
[eM] -eNCHANT arM-
BioWare RPG (Untitled Project)
FIFA 06
NBA 2K6
NBA Live 06
NHL 06
NHL 2K6
SSX 4
War Devil - Unleash the Beast Within

Now, I am being VERY generous with how I define a launch, but this does not seem to be a spectacular launch by any stretch of the imagination. What immediately stands out to me is that there is ABSOLUTELY nothing revolutionary about any one of these titles. If I were to win an XBox360, the only games that I might buy from this list, and this is based purely on what we have seen so far, are Kameo (high potential for this game to fall on its face), Full Auto, Dead or Alive 4 (which I would immediately be disappointed in, just like with all of the other DOA games... Just a bad series.), Condemned (only if the reviews love it), Tony Hawk (I have skipped the last few, so it would be nice to get reacquainted with the series), and NBA 2K6, which in my opinion is the best current sports series. That is a grand total of 6 launch games, and honestly, Full Auto is the only one I would choose over other games on other systems being released at the same time. (And in case you are wondering, 6 iffy games is nowhere near what I would consider a great launch.)

How many of these games are available on other systems, and more importantly, does anyone feel that they actually any more than a slightly superficial improvement over games on other platforms? Also, I have my own opinions on the subject, but does anyone else have any opinions about better system launch lineups? If this is the best lineup of games in history, I think I may need to reevaluate my choice of hobbies...