This past weekend during White Water Rafting, I got a chance to play Puzzle Quest again. I remember how much fun it was and how many countless hours I spent the year before at the Cottage on the dock playing...
So I decided to pick up the game for PC... And it's everything I remember, with better graphics!
There's two prerequisites in order to enjoy this game: 1. You enjoy RPG games. 2. You enjoy Puzzle games.
Did you like Tetris? Did you like Final Fantasy? Well I pretty much guarantee you'll enjoy this game...
Fight in the puzzle portion, level up your character, gain new skills to "attack" your opponent, train mounts, gain castles... It's the most enjoyable puzzle RPG (and only one that I know of). You can even battle your friends with your toons...
There's been many great reviews on the game, and it's out on lots of systems including the DS, PSP, Xbox 360, Wii, and PC.
I'm a little late on picking up the game, since the sequel has already been announced, but the enjoyment is just the same.
It looks like practicing the guitar will have to wait again... =P
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Fav Games: Puzzle Quest!
Boy does this game ever bring back memories... It was one of those games that my cousins and I would play, all huddled around the computer.
Jones in the Fast Lane is Sierra's take on the game of Life. For up to 4 players, your goal was to make your character successful before everyone else. You start off looking for a job at the Employment Office, (usually at Monolith Burgers), then you need to work. You can apply at Hi-Tech U in order to get degrees. Don't forget to eat every week (usually Fries at Monolith Burgers).
You have to pay your rent every month, buy new clothes when they get old, and make sure you work enough each week.
As you progress, you can buy stuff for your house, like a Color TV, Stereo, and Fridge. If you're unlucky, random bad events can occur, like getting robbed, getting a pay cut because of an economic downturn, or even losing your job.
You can find the game online by searching for abandonware. It's definitely a fun, quick game to play with your friends.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Fav Old School Games: Jones, Colonization, Balloon Fight
You could call me a "long-term relationship" gamer. Once I find a game I like I'll stick with it. It happened with Tetris, DDR, Quake 2, Halo 2 and especially with Everquest and World of Warcraft.
Now 8 months after its release, I'm sitting here with my brother, about to start another game of Halo 3, (at 3am) and I'm wondering why the heck is this game so good that it keeps me coming back for more?
Something in science class is coming to mind... Something about neuro-receptors or neurons associating pleasure with the game. I'm sure in Halo 3, every time we kick another teams ass, some endorphins are released.
And considering I've been playing video games since I was 2 years old, (with Pac-Man on the Atari 2600) my brain must be fully hardwired to thinking that video games = enjoyment. Since my brother also enjoys the same games, it's our family time. =)
Multi-player online games are what REALLY got me hooked. Artificial Intelligence has vastly improved over the years, but to this day it doesn't compare to playing against live competition. We can verbally strategize. Yell commands at each other. And thrill in the last minute heroics of getting the last key headshot that won us the game! (you should see my brother's reaction to getting teabagged)
We also love some of the little things about Halo 3. 1. Trying to decipher the names that people are using. Most notably, "Watch out for S...Omega...S..." "That's not S...Omega...S... That's Some...GaS" 2. Listening to little kids taunt us on the mic. It's amazing how many racist comments we hear on the mic, just because they're speaking online. (similar to comments Michael Richards made) 3. Or when we imagine the cancellation call with Microsoft: "Hi I'd like to cancel my subscription. My tagname is Always High 123."
All in all, Halo 3 is one of those games that will keep me addicted for a long time... At least until Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3 comes out. =)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Fav Games: Halo 3, Online Poker, Trailers of Diablo 3
When I look back on Wii Sports, I think about the continuous hours of fun that my friends and I could have with only a handful of games. Could Wii Fit balance games bring the same fun factor? It will be a tall task.
Soccer Heading is fun minigame. However, like a lot of the games on Wii Play, they're more for show. They don't have the lasting factor that will keep you coming for more. On top of that, in terms of exercise, it's not really beneficial in that way either.
Ski Slalom is a great game! I completely understand why Wii Ski came out. Even though it was such a quick minigame, it was engaging, it was frustrating, it was responsive, and it felt like skiing.
Ski Jump is also very enjoyable. I found myself going back for more, trying to beat my score. My gf's calves were hurting the next day from all the ski jumping she did.
Table Tilt is my favorite game of all the balance games. Unfortunately it ended too fast... Conclusions: There's some Wii Play-esque type stuff here. There's some fun stuff but will I be playing them in a year? Unless I'm showing it to friends who haven't seen it, probably not.
I believe that it wouldn't be fair to base my review on only the first few hours, but probably at least a month of play. If I am able to lose weight or get stronger, it would definitely affect my perception of the game.
So far, my feeling is that the game is not for everyone. But if you were willing to buy a Wii in the first place, then you're willing to buy into innovative ideas. You might like it after all...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Fav Games: Wii Fit, DDR, Halo 3
Ahh... The infamous Aerobics exercises that I've heard about. (Particularly the Hula Hoop)
Two words for Hula Hoop. Fun and hilarious! Not only is it fun to play, but just watching people play is fun! On top of all that, it's amazing how well girls do at this game. =)) Here's the 4 million view video:
Being a fan of DDR, I didn't have much expectations for Basic Step... And boy was I right. It's boring and feels unresponsive. The song is quite repetitive, and it was waaay too easy for me. Hopefully the Advanced version of step has more to offer.
The Basic Run was a pleasant surprise. Sometimes the run wasn't responsive, but the scenery brought me into it, and seeing my Mii friends running around was a nice touch. I found myself running as close as possible to the screen in order to immerse myself. Real runners will cringe at this activity though. Also make sure you hold on to the Wii in your pocket, cause it fell out of pocket onto the ground a few times.
2P Basic run is the same thing, but with two people. Depending on who you play with, you'll end up racing, and rolling numerous times. =)
Conclusions: 2 fun games out of 3 ain't bad. I wonder how the boxing game is...
I was very excited about the strength training. I've never been motivated to do strength training in the past. Perhaps Nintendo could motivate me.
5 activities were initially available. (probably because I unlocked it during yoga)
1. Single-leg extensions They were easy enough. I didn't feel that much resistance though.
2. Push-ups and side plank I was impressed with this exercise. It recognized when I did the movements, which is important. Also, I could see myself being motivated to do this again. And I was actually getting into a sweat.
3. Torso Twist Another simple exercise that doesn't have as much to do with strength as it does with balance.
4. Jackknife This is a variation on a sit-up. When I watched the demo, I realized that you can totally cheat on this exercise and it would think you're doing it. You basically lie beside the balance board and place your feet on it. To the time of the whistle, you lift your feet and do the sit-up variation. I did them for real, and obviously I could feel my abs working. However, if you can't get over the fact that the board has very limited use in this exercise, you'll cheat, or at the very least you won't be motivated to do it again.
5. Lunge Great exercise. I felt the burn with this activity. I could see myself being motivated to do this again.
Conclusions: You can definitely get a good workout with some of these exercises (pushups, jackknife, and lunges), as long as you can motivate yourself to do it, and NOT cheat.
I'm normally pretty open to trying new things, but I was sure that Yoga wouldn't be my favorite part of the game. However, I've tried yoga with the gf at home once, and I'll admit that it was very relaxing, almost too relaxing... To the point of falling asleep.
When the screen loads, there's only 4 poses to start. The first exercise, Deep Breathing, is relaxing... But in the back of my head I was thinking that this better not count as one of the 40 activities.
The real highlight of the first 4 activities for me is the tree pose. The first time I did it, I nearly fell off the board. Needless to say, the Tree Pose is tough for a yoga noob.
Obviously you can guess that the gf beat me on every yoga activity.
Something to note. Switching out between profiles seems like a chore. Conclusions: For guys: You probably won't enjoy the Yoga. For girls: It's relaxing, and you'll probably kick guys asses at it.
Being Smarter Than the Average Bear, I realized that some of our friends haven't touched their Nintendo Wii's in a long time. So a phone call l8r and I have a Wii until I get it mine back from repair! Woot!
When the Wii arrives, I'm totally ready... This should only take a minute to start right? Hell no...
I totally didn't realize how long it takes to set up. First I gotta hook it up. Then I turn the Wii on. Then I realize I need to sync the remotes. I sync the remotes, and the Wii Board. Then I turn on the Wii, and it tells me I need to do a Wii System Update. *a few grueling minutes l8r*
Ok it's go time! I load up Wii Fit. Omg the Wii System Time is wrong...
*another few minutes l8r*
Aw crap my Mii's aren't on this Wii. I load it up from the saves from my remote (luckily).
*another few minutes l8r*
After several screens, verifying my birthday, and setting a password (which I realize is pretty pointless), its finally time for the Body Test.
*measuring... measuring... measuring... All done!*
My Wii Age is 37! Boo! At least I'm in the normal BMI range (though not by much).
I'm sure there are many people out there that feel really dumb not to pre-order Wii Fit. Guess what? It's been sold out everywhere and unless you want to bay $50 more on Ebay you weren't going to get one for a while.
I've been checking the stores constantly...
I went to Best Buy a few times (always sold out) and they said that last Friday morning, they had 150 units come in. Unfortunately they had 300 people line up that morning. So 150 people went home unhappy... Best Buy says check on Fridays.
I went to Future Shop a few times (always sold out) and they said to come in on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. They were all very helpful though, which is nice.
I went to The Source a few times (always sold out) and they have no idea when they get their shipments. Apparently they only received 2 copies of the game in their last shipment. (very sad) Also, the sales reps that I spoke too seemed very annoyed (obviously by the amount of times he's been asked the question). Hopefully for the store's sake it was just that sales rep.
Despite the unlikeliness, I went to HMV, hoping it was there. Of course it wasn't, and he said that every shipment that has come in never made it to the shelves cause ppl were there waiting for the copies to come out the door.
I thought about going into the Sony Store and asking if they had Wii Fit... I chuckled and moved on.
I've been to EB Games three times. The first two times with no success.
But the third time was the charm... A friend and I walked in, and he asked the obvious question. No was the reps reply... Grrr...
When are you expecting more asks my friend? "Well lucky for you a Purolator shipment is scheduled to come in in 90 minutes."
No f 'in way!
I looked at my friend, knowing he had to leave soon, and I said "l8r man I'm sticking around!" And I was immediately on the phone, calling a friend to head over since he wanted a copy. Luckily for me I was the only one in the store looking for the game. (I think the release of Ninja Gaiden 2 had something to do with it)
So I stood there... And chatted it up with the rep. What he didn't know was that I wanted a 2nd copy to give as a gift. At the same time, my friend might not make it in time. I had to hedge my bets and try to pick up 3 copies... He turned out to be a really nice guy.
He told me that he's become desensitized by the amount of times he's heard the same question, every time there's a big release. I suggested putting up Sold Out signs. Apparently they've tried that... People will miss the sign completely, or will literally look at the sign, read it, and ask, "So it really IS sold out?" That probably would piss me off even more. =P So eventually he allowed me to take two copies.
40 minutes l8r the shipment arrives. They were expecting 15 copies, but the shipment only had 10. After being on the phone a final time (in front of the rep), I knew my friend wasn't going to make it in time. I guess he was feeling awfully generous, but he allowed me to pick up a third copy (using another credit card). Is it worth all the hype? I dunno yet... I haven't got my Wii back from repair! But what I do know is that the gf is excited, and I'm all for any games that she wants to play as well. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Fav Games: DDR, Halo 3, Soon to be Wii Fit
DDR is old news to most of us... But there are still people out there that haven't even heard of it. I'm not surprised, since there's still plenty of people in the world that can't get on the internet if the E (Internet Explorer) icon isn't on the desktop. But I don't judge... I only want to impart my enjoyment of games to others. =)
So if you have friends over and you want to introduce them to the game. What should you do? Well its more complicated than it seems. If you demonstrate the game in the wrong way, then they'll get turned off, frustrated, or think youre having a flailing seizure. Or worse:
So here's my patented way of weening people into the game.
Pre-Game Make sure you're wearing outer and undergarments that will keep all your "goods" in place. You wouldn't want your flabbage to be the cause of turning them off from the game.
Rule #1: Dont show them the most difficult level you can do... Yes you've just passed Maxx Unlimited on heavy after a million tries. But have you ever watched yourself look like a tard while doing it? It should be obvious that when you're pushing yourself you usually have less body control.
I've made this mistake to a friend, who has said to this day that it was the most unattractive sight he's ever seen of me... The first (and only) song I've shown him was Rhythm and Police (9 Foot Heavy). I was ready... I stretched a little... I focused in... The song starts, and I was going through the motions, kicking ass. Finished with an A rank I believe. Then I turn to him and he has a furrowed brow, and he's obviously thinking that I'm a freak. That's when I realized that I single-handedly turned him off from the game in one fell swoop...
Rule #2: Pick a song that they're somewhat familiar with I.E. don't pick RevenG Bag as the first song to show them... Your goal is for their brain receptors to connect DDR with enjoyment. So do yourself a favor and pick one of the popular songs that you have actually heard on the radio. Some good suggestions are Sandstorm, Busy Child, I Like to Move it or Days Go By.
Rule #3: Try your best to make it look like youre dancing The game IS called Dance Dance Revolution, so you may as well attempt to dance. It's much easier if you pick the light or standard version of the song you've chosen. Then embellish a little, bop your head, move your hands a little, don't be stiff. If there isn't a step for a four count, you can move your foot back to the middle, cause it looks smoother
Rule #4: Have Fun This time around, don't try to get a good cardio workout Just enjoy the songs, and that should come across with the person you're demonstrating it to.
Good luck! And in the words of Body Break with Hal Johnson and Joanne McCloud: Keep Fit and Have Fun!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Fav Games: Mario Kart Wii, DDR, Halo 3
Somewhere along the line I realized that I can't live without games. And I'm not just talking about Video Games. I'm talking about any game. Perhaps any activity that involves competition. And I always intend to win. =P If it weren't for working, eating and sleeping, I'd probably be playing some sort of game 24/7.
So how do you know whether you're addicted? If you can relate to the 10 signs of an addicted gamer, then I pray that you also got game with the ladies...
1. You've made up games Gamers will turn any situation into an opportunity to find a new, super-awesome game. Relaxing by the water? Turn rock skipping into a clay shooting competition. Eating breakfast out? Use the creamers as baskets to play mini basketball. I've even made a game with a poker table top and poker chips but without playing cards. (don't ask)
2. All-You-Can-Eat = Competition
8 friends going to an all-you-can-eat restaurant spells trouble. When they split us up into two tables of 4, it means war... I have left many restaurants unable to walk, and afraid of burping.
3. You don't go easy on your girlfriend I'm sure a lot of guys don't follow this rule, but I've always followed the adage that it is my duty to try to win if I'm playing any game. It doesn't matter who you are, I will try my best, and that includes against the girlfriend. It just happens to be that a lot of the games I play include her. But as a bonus for kicking her butt for a while, she's improved very quickly, and is now a force when we play poker! (I also can't beat her at Dr. Mario)
4. You skipped school to play the release of a video game One of the most disappointing games of all time, but I called in sick for Mortal (Kombat) Monday. Sweat replaced glory and all (Super Nintendo version). I never made that mistake again... Until Zelda, Ocarina of Time came out. =)
5. You've waited in line over 10 hours for that gaming system It was a really fun time. I arrived at around midnight at the nearest Best Buy. I had some friends along for the ride. We watched Heroes, and played Handball and Hacky Sack. We chatted with the rest of the gamers in line about their favorite old video games, and we came away with 2 Nintendo Wii's and 1 PS3.
6. You've participated in a tournament that wasn't Poker or a Video Game
The tournament I entered was for Magic: The Gathering, the collectible card game. Yes I felt out of place, and didn't win a match, but I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. And I'll admit, I had a great time.
7. You've played a game from sunset to sunrise
Sometimes when the planets align just right, you can find a game that will immerse you to the point of forgetting about the natural calls of life. I'm sure Halo 3, Final Fantasy 7, Metal Gear Solid have all had their close to 24 hour sessions, but I was willed to wait in line for 10 hours, not sleep for over 48 hours, and play incessantly with every friend that wanted to try it out, when the Nintendo Wii and Wii Sports came out.
8. You can play poker seriously, even when it's NOT for money
How many people out there can honestly say that they can play their best poker, even if there's no money on the line? Oh really? I remember when you said, "Meh I call, it's not for real anyways." 9. You've lost friends over a sport It was our weekly basketball game in the gym I rent out for invites only. I remember my brother getting fouled by this guy (friend of a friend) under the basket, and I called foul for him. It was already pretty chippy at that point, so patience was wearing thin. A few angry words later and we were shouting, ready to fight. Luckily we were pulled apart before anything happened. I haven't seen that guy again...
10. You've forced a friend to repeat a year of school from a game
This one is so far-fetched for most people... But not for me... It was a game I introduced to 4 others in Residence at university. We were all addicted to the game. It was sick. Would I take it back if I could? Hell no... More on that next time.
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