Apologies for not posting. I keep going into that 'no-one is reading my blog so why post' mindset [and although it's true, that's not the point] and not posting. Also, the fact that I now have Super Smash Bros Brawl accounts for me missing a week of my life. That's right, since Tuesday I have had this golden game, and trust me, I'm loving it. After 9 hours of Subspace Emissary alone [that sprawling single player mode which amazingly for Smash Bros actually has a plot!] I've unlocked every character and stage and am Brawling [notice the capital] against computers, and generally getting my skills up to standard.
Although I don't actually own Melee, I have played it quite a lot [at sleepover and such] and borrowed it off my friend. I consider myself quite good. Not brilliant, but good enough. Of course, now I have enough time to practice. I beat a level 9 computer earlier. Apparently they fixed the bug where Ness suicides on Jungle Japes.
It's an awesome game. No two ways about it. I can't even separate one thing for the other about which to write about. So expect more posts. If I can be bothered.
Showing posts with label games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label games. Show all posts
Sunday, 30 March 2008
Super Paper Mario (*sniffs and sighs, contemplating how much ~d~ is enjoying brawl.*)
So, right, ~d~ imports Brawl from America, and spends loads of time brawling with his friends, while meanwhile I'm stuck with the ANCIENT Super Paper Mario.
So, ~d~ should be able to give all ZERO of you readers an in-depth review once he stops gaping, way before we can even buy it over here in the lonely U.K.
But for now, another amazing trip into the mind of my monkey-like-stinky-obnoxious-selfish-self-indulgent-10-year-old-argumentative-brothers, and their exodus into another game that somehow "breaks" everytime the controller falls into their little snot-coated hands.
Wow, big sentence.
And suprisingly, i'm going to give this game a thumbs up.
Don't be put off by my brothers. A), they suck at it, and B), the only reason they've got as far as they have is because they use an online walkthrough, completely missing the enjoyment part of gaming.
However, if you DO like to enjoy a game, you won't be dissapointed. the gameplay is clear and fun, with intuitive puzzles and cute graphics. It has a certain witty humour which just makes it all the more easy to get along with, and the levels bring back the old platforming, jumping-on-enemy's-head's- days, with a twist.
Lol- one of my favourite moments.
In this game, Bowser, shockingly, is not the bad guy- in fact, he's a fully playable character!
Instead, the new villain is Count Bleck, who wants to destroy the very fabric of the universe, and the old foes must band together to fight this new threat.
While you collect Pure Hearts, charaters and Pixl's- small squareish creatures with special powers to let you find hidden stuff, become ultra-thin, etc, Count Bleck is brainwashing old villains to come on his side and be more... villainy, kidnapping strange witch's that speak in poetry, commanding his minions and expanding the Void. The Void is a big purpley black fuzzing thing in the background, that sucks everything into it and grows.
So, like a black hole, but with a catchy name.
Just one problem.
This picture is from the game, but it has an element of truth. The cut scenes are about thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis long. Actually, scratch that- times it by 6, add the number of users on google, and then square it to the power of the world population. Seriously! My parents set us a time limit on our game consoles. We get 40 minutes, which is reasonable. But I spend 20 of those minutes reading all the dialougue from what is actually a great story.
It's a shame, because apart from that, this game rocks, when you actually get to play it, and it's lasted longer in our house than Super Mario Galaxy.
FOUR STARS.
Another must-by from the Miyamoto Militia. Just get comfy for the opening sequence.
~E.G~
So, ~d~ should be able to give all ZERO of you readers an in-depth review once he stops gaping, way before we can even buy it over here in the lonely U.K.
But for now, another amazing trip into the mind of my monkey-like-stinky-obnoxious-selfish-self-indulgent-10-year-old-argumentative-brothers, and their exodus into another game that somehow "breaks" everytime the controller falls into their little snot-coated hands.
Wow, big sentence.
And suprisingly, i'm going to give this game a thumbs up.
Don't be put off by my brothers. A), they suck at it, and B), the only reason they've got as far as they have is because they use an online walkthrough, completely missing the enjoyment part of gaming.
However, if you DO like to enjoy a game, you won't be dissapointed. the gameplay is clear and fun, with intuitive puzzles and cute graphics. It has a certain witty humour which just makes it all the more easy to get along with, and the levels bring back the old platforming, jumping-on-enemy's-head's- days, with a twist.
Lol- one of my favourite moments.
In this game, Bowser, shockingly, is not the bad guy- in fact, he's a fully playable character!
Instead, the new villain is Count Bleck, who wants to destroy the very fabric of the universe, and the old foes must band together to fight this new threat.
While you collect Pure Hearts, charaters and Pixl's- small squareish creatures with special powers to let you find hidden stuff, become ultra-thin, etc, Count Bleck is brainwashing old villains to come on his side and be more... villainy, kidnapping strange witch's that speak in poetry, commanding his minions and expanding the Void. The Void is a big purpley black fuzzing thing in the background, that sucks everything into it and grows.
So, like a black hole, but with a catchy name.
Just one problem.
This picture is from the game, but it has an element of truth. The cut scenes are about thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis long. Actually, scratch that- times it by 6, add the number of users on google, and then square it to the power of the world population. Seriously! My parents set us a time limit on our game consoles. We get 40 minutes, which is reasonable. But I spend 20 of those minutes reading all the dialougue from what is actually a great story.
It's a shame, because apart from that, this game rocks, when you actually get to play it, and it's lasted longer in our house than Super Mario Galaxy.
FOUR STARS.
Another must-by from the Miyamoto Militia. Just get comfy for the opening sequence.
~E.G~
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Mario And Sonic At The Olympic Games
Wow, this blog is collecting dust and losing intrest...
But, anyway, games.
Mario And Sonic at the Olympic Games.
I thought i'd do this one because ~d~ has a vendetta against that small blue hedgehog-formerly-needlemouse.
Yeah, despite the long intro-cutscene and Sega's trademark REALLY ANNOYING american commentry telling you what buttons you've just pressed-(Main Events! Rowing! Mario!)- i really don't mind this game. The events are genuinely fun- bar table tennis. God, i hate table tennis.
A lot of thought goes into some of these events. For example, the dream events are events that are completely out of fantasy, showing the surrealism nintendo are renowned for.
we're not big sega fans here at wwag, but this game gets a solid three and a half stars.
~E.G~
Monday, 11 February 2008
[abxytv] - Brawl pt 1.
*We now return to scheduled programming after our technical... well actually it was because we're lazy... difficulties. We apologize for the inconvenience.*
Yes, it's time for another thrilling episode of the gaming show, ABXYTV! With your host today, ~d~!
Down to business now. Since January the 27th, so many things have happened it the gaming world, and possibly one of the most important - The Brawl leak and release. On the 31st of January, the massively anticipated game, Super Smash Bros Brawl, came out in Japan, and boy were we showered with a deluge of information about the game. Plus, it says something about the popularity of the game, that there are still many many rumors circulating after the game has been released.
Brawl will be THE game. Trust me on this. The only thing stopping it from being perfect is Sonic... but you guys know about my deep hatred of that damned blue hedgehog.
*commercial break*
[abxytv]
Yes, it's time for another thrilling episode of the gaming show, ABXYTV! With your host today, ~d~!
Down to business now. Since January the 27th, so many things have happened it the gaming world, and possibly one of the most important - The Brawl leak and release. On the 31st of January, the massively anticipated game, Super Smash Bros Brawl, came out in Japan, and boy were we showered with a deluge of information about the game. Plus, it says something about the popularity of the game, that there are still many many rumors circulating after the game has been released.
Brawl will be THE game. Trust me on this. The only thing stopping it from being perfect is Sonic... but you guys know about my deep hatred of that damned blue hedgehog.
*commercial break*
Friday, 11 January 2008
WE LOVE NINTENDO!
And that is the best thing about Nintendo. They are really nice.
They don't advertise their best games as 18-rated blood fests. They aren't all about the aldult market. Their games are fun, and for everyone! They gave us more great games this christmas than you can shake a Wii Zapper at, and everyone is still playing super mario galaxy!
So here's a short post- to the greatness of nintendo!
Friday, 4 January 2008
50th Post! And Knytt Stories!
Wow! 50 posts already! I have to say that I couldn't have made this blog so full without the help of my colleagues, ~E~, ~E.G~ and possibly even ~T~ and ~J~ even though the former isn't a member and deleted all his posts and the latter only has one post xD.
But seriously, if you find this blog through your daily surfings, please comment - we'd love to hear what you think of us, even if it's derogatory and insluting. We wanna know.
Anyway, my actual post content leads on from Nov 19 '07s post. That is, it doesn't concern a Nintendo game, or even a console game. Or even a game you have to pay for. It's a free game, downloadable from here.
And it's beautiful. You probably know my habit of describing vaguely pretty games a beautiful, but it really is lovely, in a different way to Grid Wars. For one, no neon effects, pretty backgrounds, even prettier tilesets, and even the enemies are pretty.
There are many options for screens - warping, shifting, no climb blocks, invisible blocks, three layers of ground, three layers of dynamic objects, and 2 tilests at once! It comes with a level editor, and to be honest, how would I know all this without testing it?
Once you get the basics, it's /really/ easy to make your own level. Then you can upload it to Nifflas' forums [google]. Seacrh for Hempuli, one of my IRC buddies!
I'm bored. Time to continue making my own level!
~d~
But seriously, if you find this blog through your daily surfings, please comment - we'd love to hear what you think of us, even if it's derogatory and insluting. We wanna know.
Anyway, my actual post content leads on from Nov 19 '07s post. That is, it doesn't concern a Nintendo game, or even a console game. Or even a game you have to pay for. It's a free game, downloadable from here.
And it's beautiful. You probably know my habit of describing vaguely pretty games a beautiful, but it really is lovely, in a different way to Grid Wars. For one, no neon effects, pretty backgrounds, even prettier tilesets, and even the enemies are pretty.
There are many options for screens - warping, shifting, no climb blocks, invisible blocks, three layers of ground, three layers of dynamic objects, and 2 tilests at once! It comes with a level editor, and to be honest, how would I know all this without testing it?
Once you get the basics, it's /really/ easy to make your own level. Then you can upload it to Nifflas' forums [google]. Seacrh for Hempuli, one of my IRC buddies!
I'm bored. Time to continue making my own level!
~d~
Saturday, 22 December 2007
A Brief Guide To Guitar Hero
As Christmas approaches, the one thing that I really want to get is another Wii Guitar peripheral. I have a friend that lives just down the road and he's good at GH, and he comes round often to play with/against me. It's logical that I would want another guitar.
And I'm sitting here listening to songs of the first game and wondering what to put in my guide. Keep in mind that I haven't planned this so they won't be in order.
1. - HOPOs, or Hammer Ons and Pull Offs [try saying that 5 times quickly!]
It's surprising that such a little thing could make such a difference, but it actually halves the amount of effort you have to put in at some points of the song. Picture this - you're having to concentrate on a huge solo with 4million notes per second, bit you also have to strum each one. You'd lose, and pretty damn quickly.
But think about it this way. You're having to do the same solo, but you don't have to strum. As long as you can move your fingers fast enough, you can survive it.
That's why HOPOs are so important - they do just this. As long as you hit the previous note, you can hit the next one - so one important bit about HOPO strings are making sure you hit it all, or you're at least ready to strum again should you miss a note. A good song for practicing this is The Metal, imo, although correct me if I'm wrong.
Of course, if you're a showoff, you can stick your strum hand in the air for long HOPO strings like in the end of Laid to Rest [although that one hurts].
2. - Playing through a lot of different songs on one day
I'll explain this one, because it may not make sense. My usual GH habits are that I get on to the game, and play through songs that I like [most of them, thank goodness], and I never play through the same song twice. Apart from Cliffs of Dover, my signature song.
If you do this, you not only get used to the songs and the note charts, you also get used to different techniques, and you generally get to like the songs more. Before I got GHII, I disliked metal. When I got GHIII, I disliked all but about 2 of the songs. Now I love them all.
If you continue this every day, you'll
get better at the songs, because you'll actually enjoy them, as well as practicing them.
3. - Get Hold Of The Songs, and put them on your iPod
This is an extension of 2. in that you do it so that you get used to the songs ever when you aren't playing the game. I myself have an iTunes playlist full of GHI and II music for any times when I want some good rock/metal music, and when it starts playing, I always start, yes, Air-Guitar-Heroing to it. Even if you don't know the note chart, it still helps you get the gist of the song. Plus, I've never tried it but I suppose you can always get the Scorehero notecharts while you're sitting at your computer and practice like that.
And yes, I do get weird looks.
4. - Get a Signature Song
Mine is Cliffs of Dover. It is my song, the one I adore, it's just awesome. And you should get one too.
Yeah, I know I said that you should get diversity, but it's also good just to practice a few songs more than others. This, to me, used to be Talk Dirty To Me, Cliffs of Dover and Bulls on Parade. Now I'm better at those songs that others. It's obvious really.
5. Chord changes
I'll just briefly explain this one - if you can do chord changes, then you're at an advantage, because a lot of the songs include a lot of hard chord changes, especially Before I Forget. Therefore, get some practice in [required brackets so that I'm not ending a sentence with a preposition, I'm quite a grammar and spelling freak].
6. And Finally, Practice.
Practice mode is quite possibly the best thing that was added in GHII. Now you can play your favourite songs without failing miserably cough cough TTFAF cough cough. So use it, and use it often, and play once a day if you can. It might sound cliched, but practice makes perfect. And it does, because I've been playing for a year [well, if you count the time I've played GHI at other places, more, but that wasn't very often. I got a PS2 with GHI and II on Christmas 2006, so a 362 days as of this writing] and I'm on Expert, whereas I know people who haven't been laying as long, and obviously aren't as good as me, although I don't pride myself as being that good, after seeing Wulfe and Priest etc.
So, if you want to get good at Guitar Hero, throw yourself into the deep end - because you can't lose on practice mode. So if you're a Medium player, try a few songs on Hard or maybe Expert!
Trust me, eventually it'll click and you'll be able to play some awesome stuff.
That's all from me today, and considering my laziness, the next post will probably be after Christmas.
So have a Merry Christmas everybody - and game on!
And I'm sitting here listening to songs of the first game and wondering what to put in my guide. Keep in mind that I haven't planned this so they won't be in order.
1. - HOPOs, or Hammer Ons and Pull Offs [try saying that 5 times quickly!]
It's surprising that such a little thing could make such a difference, but it actually halves the amount of effort you have to put in at some points of the song. Picture this - you're having to concentrate on a huge solo with 4million notes per second, bit you also have to strum each one. You'd lose, and pretty damn quickly.
But think about it this way. You're having to do the same solo, but you don't have to strum. As long as you can move your fingers fast enough, you can survive it.
That's why HOPOs are so important - they do just this. As long as you hit the previous note, you can hit the next one - so one important bit about HOPO strings are making sure you hit it all, or you're at least ready to strum again should you miss a note. A good song for practicing this is The Metal, imo, although correct me if I'm wrong.
Of course, if you're a showoff, you can stick your strum hand in the air for long HOPO strings like in the end of Laid to Rest [although that one hurts].
2. - Playing through a lot of different songs on one day
I'll explain this one, because it may not make sense. My usual GH habits are that I get on to the game, and play through songs that I like [most of them, thank goodness], and I never play through the same song twice. Apart from Cliffs of Dover, my signature song.
If you do this, you not only get used to the songs and the note charts, you also get used to different techniques, and you generally get to like the songs more. Before I got GHII, I disliked metal. When I got GHIII, I disliked all but about 2 of the songs. Now I love them all.
If you continue this every day, you'll
get better at the songs, because you'll actually enjoy them, as well as practicing them.
3. - Get Hold Of The Songs, and put them on your iPod
This is an extension of 2. in that you do it so that you get used to the songs ever when you aren't playing the game. I myself have an iTunes playlist full of GHI and II music for any times when I want some good rock/metal music, and when it starts playing, I always start, yes, Air-Guitar-Heroing to it. Even if you don't know the note chart, it still helps you get the gist of the song. Plus, I've never tried it but I suppose you can always get the Scorehero notecharts while you're sitting at your computer and practice like that.
And yes, I do get weird looks.
4. - Get a Signature Song
Mine is Cliffs of Dover. It is my song, the one I adore, it's just awesome. And you should get one too.
Yeah, I know I said that you should get diversity, but it's also good just to practice a few songs more than others. This, to me, used to be Talk Dirty To Me, Cliffs of Dover and Bulls on Parade. Now I'm better at those songs that others. It's obvious really.
5. Chord changes
I'll just briefly explain this one - if you can do chord changes, then you're at an advantage, because a lot of the songs include a lot of hard chord changes, especially Before I Forget. Therefore, get some practice in [required brackets so that I'm not ending a sentence with a preposition, I'm quite a grammar and spelling freak].
6. And Finally, Practice.
Practice mode is quite possibly the best thing that was added in GHII. Now you can play your favourite songs without failing miserably cough cough TTFAF cough cough. So use it, and use it often, and play once a day if you can. It might sound cliched, but practice makes perfect. And it does, because I've been playing for a year [well, if you count the time I've played GHI at other places, more, but that wasn't very often. I got a PS2 with GHI and II on Christmas 2006, so a 362 days as of this writing] and I'm on Expert, whereas I know people who haven't been laying as long, and obviously aren't as good as me, although I don't pride myself as being that good, after seeing Wulfe and Priest etc.
So, if you want to get good at Guitar Hero, throw yourself into the deep end - because you can't lose on practice mode. So if you're a Medium player, try a few songs on Hard or maybe Expert!
Trust me, eventually it'll click and you'll be able to play some awesome stuff.
That's all from me today, and considering my laziness, the next post will probably be after Christmas.
So have a Merry Christmas everybody - and game on!
Sunday, 16 December 2007
The christmas rush.
Do you remember last christmas? Was there a particular thing that happened? Did you visit someone you don't see often? Did you have a great time? Did you get drunk off your head?
Or, like me, do you remember ripping open the wrapping paper to find a nintendo Wii? And if so, was that not the time you fell in love with gaming on the Wii? After poor sales of the GC, the Wii really brought Nintendo back to being the most popular competitor in this three-way-market. Profits for the Wii are still rising. Wiis are STILL in short supply, and people are demanding more than can be made. The release of the Wii last year brought us great new releases, such as Legend Of Zelda- Twilight Princess, Red Steel (which my dad has spent many an obsessive night over), the ground-breaking Wii Sports (which cleaned up at the golden joystick and gaming BAFTAs this year) and Wii play, to name a few I can immeadiatley think of.
And this year will be no different. Here's a list of games being released for the christmas rush:
Super Mario Galaxy * @
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games * @
Lego Star Wars- The Complete Saga *
Guitar Hero 3 @
EA Playground !
Thrillville !
The Sims 2: Castaway
Spider-Man: Friend Or Foe !
Rockstar Table Tennis !
Rayman Raving Rabbids
Spyro: The Eternal Night
Tomb Raider Anniversary
The Simpsons Game
Zack + Wiki: Quest For Barbaros' Treasure
And those are just the ones I know about from my Nintendo Magazine! Here's the key for my annotations:
*- My brothers just got for their birthday.
@-Thoroughly recommend.
!- Avoid!!!
Now I could do any of those games for an online review. I could do 'em all right now. But instead I'm just going to focus on Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. I wanted to do SPG, because of how AWESOME it is, but ~d~ already has.
So- anyway. MSOG.
Three words- Hard yet fun.
It is so HARD.
Yet fun.
...
Let me give you an example. When I first inserted the disc and clicked the start button, which makes that trademark G note by the way, I did the 100m run. When it says "Ready", on the screen, you have to hold B to build up power. Then on "Go", you have to release B and flick the remote to start running and unleash your power. Then you have to do the whole up-and-down-running-even-though-your-arms-do-not-go-up-and-down-when-you-usually-run thing with the nunchuk and Wiimote. The first time I treid it, I played as sonic, a speed character. And that makes sense. But i came 8th. Out of 8, by the way. Because it takes a lot more effort then you think! I had to shake so hard that the cable flew into my face... heres a tip. Little flicks up and down. Makes you go faster. Anyway, I changed to my Mii, and eventually won. Two other things I will also mention- Archery and Trampolining. We'll start with the good news- trampolining is great, and you have to press buttons and twist the wiimote to get tricks, and flick the wiimote to bounce. As for the archery... am I allowed to swear? Can I swear on blogs? Is that ok? Anyway, point made. Its rubbish. To put it lightly. At the start you have a heart monitor- the thing that goes beep for hospital patients. You have to press A when the small white dot is in the centre. (Correction, btw- this is shooting, not archery. Archery is unlocked later in the game.) And the closer to the middle you are, the bigger a crosshair you get. Could someone show me the point of it , please?
Here's another3of my favourite moments.
1. On the long jump and triple jump. When you are being introduced, you repeatedly bring the wiimote and nunchuk togther to clap and draw applause from the crowd. And they keep clapping while you jump. Hilarious.
2. The controls. Most of the games are with the wiimote and nunchuk- but all are optional for just using the wiimote. Is that not a great door of accesability for all players opened? But when I raced my dad, he had just the wiimote, I had both. He lost, because in effect he was just using one leg! Funny.
The games are also-again- hard yet fun. A good investment. Me gives this game a cookie!
~E.G~
Or, like me, do you remember ripping open the wrapping paper to find a nintendo Wii? And if so, was that not the time you fell in love with gaming on the Wii? After poor sales of the GC, the Wii really brought Nintendo back to being the most popular competitor in this three-way-market. Profits for the Wii are still rising. Wiis are STILL in short supply, and people are demanding more than can be made. The release of the Wii last year brought us great new releases, such as Legend Of Zelda- Twilight Princess, Red Steel (which my dad has spent many an obsessive night over), the ground-breaking Wii Sports (which cleaned up at the golden joystick and gaming BAFTAs this year) and Wii play, to name a few I can immeadiatley think of.
And this year will be no different. Here's a list of games being released for the christmas rush:
Super Mario Galaxy * @
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games * @
Lego Star Wars- The Complete Saga *
Guitar Hero 3 @
EA Playground !
Thrillville !
The Sims 2: Castaway
Spider-Man: Friend Or Foe !
Rockstar Table Tennis !
Rayman Raving Rabbids
Spyro: The Eternal Night
Tomb Raider Anniversary
The Simpsons Game
Zack + Wiki: Quest For Barbaros' Treasure
And those are just the ones I know about from my Nintendo Magazine! Here's the key for my annotations:
*- My brothers just got for their birthday.
@-Thoroughly recommend.
!- Avoid!!!
Now I could do any of those games for an online review. I could do 'em all right now. But instead I'm just going to focus on Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. I wanted to do SPG, because of how AWESOME it is, but ~d~ already has.
So- anyway. MSOG.
Three words- Hard yet fun.
It is so HARD.
Yet fun.
...
Let me give you an example. When I first inserted the disc and clicked the start button, which makes that trademark G note by the way, I did the 100m run. When it says "Ready", on the screen, you have to hold B to build up power. Then on "Go", you have to release B and flick the remote to start running and unleash your power. Then you have to do the whole up-and-down-running-even-though-your-arms-do-not-go-up-and-down-when-you-usually-run thing with the nunchuk and Wiimote. The first time I treid it, I played as sonic, a speed character. And that makes sense. But i came 8th. Out of 8, by the way. Because it takes a lot more effort then you think! I had to shake so hard that the cable flew into my face... heres a tip. Little flicks up and down. Makes you go faster. Anyway, I changed to my Mii, and eventually won. Two other things I will also mention- Archery and Trampolining. We'll start with the good news- trampolining is great, and you have to press buttons and twist the wiimote to get tricks, and flick the wiimote to bounce. As for the archery... am I allowed to swear? Can I swear on blogs? Is that ok? Anyway, point made. Its rubbish. To put it lightly. At the start you have a heart monitor- the thing that goes beep for hospital patients. You have to press A when the small white dot is in the centre. (Correction, btw- this is shooting, not archery. Archery is unlocked later in the game.) And the closer to the middle you are, the bigger a crosshair you get. Could someone show me the point of it , please?
Here's another3of my favourite moments.
1. On the long jump and triple jump. When you are being introduced, you repeatedly bring the wiimote and nunchuk togther to clap and draw applause from the crowd. And they keep clapping while you jump. Hilarious.
2. The controls. Most of the games are with the wiimote and nunchuk- but all are optional for just using the wiimote. Is that not a great door of accesability for all players opened? But when I raced my dad, he had just the wiimote, I had both. He lost, because in effect he was just using one leg! Funny.
The games are also-again- hard yet fun. A good investment. Me gives this game a cookie!
~E.G~
Monday, 10 December 2007
R, Y, G, O, B, RB, RG, YG, BG, OR, OB, OG, GRYBO AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!
Gotta love Guitar Hero II. Or any game in the GH series. And to be honest, it's highly likely that, unless EG sells his soul to the devil, I'm the best player here. On Guitar Hero III, I play Final Tier songs on Expert in public places. Well, song [cliffs of dover] but still... And the only reason I haven't posted (EG, non-ninty games are fine, but ninty is more... us) is because I'm lazy! Now to the actual game.
The original Guitar Hero was released in 2005/2006 depending which country you live in, and it was pretty much the first PS2 game I liked, and it changed my perception of the console altogether. Why would such an awesome game be released on a rubbish console - and only now do I admit that, yes, the PS2 is a console to have.
And Christmas 2006 was when my parents got me a ps2, Guitar Hero, and Guitar Hero II. I bet it cost a chunk of money, and GHII was pretty much new at the time. I played those games, and I'm not kidding, every day. And after a while, I got to Expert level. The fun doesn't stop there.
With the release of Guitar Hero III : Legends of Rock on PC, PS2, PS3, 360 and Wii not long ago, I went out and spent a chunk of my money on the Wii version. To begin with, the songs were disappointing, but I got used to them. I'm rambling!
And with that I hastily conclude my post, not being able to focus my attention on one thing for more than about a minute...
EG? How long can you play GH for without injury? Picking slow songs generally gives you pretty much unlimited play, or at least enough that it won't really matter - but playing better songs like Thunderhorse, Six, Jordan [I'm sorry, is ANYONE able to Exp-complete Jordan? Well, obviously PriestMLH and Wulfe, but anyone else? And there's no hope of an FC...], Hangar 18 [with all of it's 9 solos], and strum-fests such as Stop! and Misirlou gives you about 10 minutes :D
Plus, people who wish to play Freebird, and do well, better not want to play any songs after that, because it KILLS. It's like TTFAF, only... erm, actually TTFAF hurts more. But Freebird still kills. And it's 10 minutes long >.>
The game case should say "Warning : Anyone attempting to play Yes We Can should have their ears smashed out with a huge hammer covered in beef. Because that's what it feels like to listen to it." Seriously. I don't think I have ever completed that song.
And yes, I love Red Lottery. Insult me now.
Is that enough? Apologies for massive post. I love this game. Possibly expect more.
~d~
PS. Devil in a Midnight Mass and Fallen Leaves by Billy Talent, plus Joker and the Thief by Wolfmother, should be on the next game!
And Christmas 2006 was when my parents got me a ps2, Guitar Hero, and Guitar Hero II. I bet it cost a chunk of money, and GHII was pretty much new at the time. I played those games, and I'm not kidding, every day. And after a while, I got to Expert level. The fun doesn't stop there.
With the release of Guitar Hero III : Legends of Rock on PC, PS2, PS3, 360 and Wii not long ago, I went out and spent a chunk of my money on the Wii version. To begin with, the songs were disappointing, but I got used to them. I'm rambling!
And with that I hastily conclude my post, not being able to focus my attention on one thing for more than about a minute...
EG? How long can you play GH for without injury? Picking slow songs generally gives you pretty much unlimited play, or at least enough that it won't really matter - but playing better songs like Thunderhorse, Six, Jordan [I'm sorry, is ANYONE able to Exp-complete Jordan? Well, obviously PriestMLH and Wulfe, but anyone else? And there's no hope of an FC...], Hangar 18 [with all of it's 9 solos], and strum-fests such as Stop! and Misirlou gives you about 10 minutes :D
Plus, people who wish to play Freebird, and do well, better not want to play any songs after that, because it KILLS. It's like TTFAF, only... erm, actually TTFAF hurts more. But Freebird still kills. And it's 10 minutes long >.>
The game case should say "Warning : Anyone attempting to play Yes We Can should have their ears smashed out with a huge hammer covered in beef. Because that's what it feels like to listen to it." Seriously. I don't think I have ever completed that song.
And yes, I love Red Lottery. Insult me now.
Is that enough? Apologies for massive post. I love this game. Possibly expect more.
~d~
PS. Devil in a Midnight Mass and Fallen Leaves by Billy Talent, plus Joker and the Thief by Wolfmother, should be on the next game!
Guitar Hero 2- how long can you play it for without injury?
Hi. ~d~ told me to stick to Ninty games, and I said fine.
But why has no-one done a post about GH2 yet? ~d~ practically plays it like a musical instrument!
Here's where I stand. I have just completed it on medium and got 3 stars on the first song on hard. I am working towards 5 stars on all easy songs, and being comfortable with hard-end medium songs. And frankley, I think that's where I'm going to stay. I mean, any normal human being can just about do medium. But for hard, you need an extra finger, a load of spare time from homework + stuff, and very leniant parents. The notes come at you at like, 500mph! HTH? (how the hell- Im hoping it will catch on.)
However, GH2 has such a good soundtrack, and is just so fun, it kinda makes up for it. I just bought the Grim Reaper on medium! But my favourite character is definitely Johnny Napalm- the nuclear punk!
Anyway, I don't have much more to say. Feel free to add your own bits about GH2- let's see who has got the furthest on WWAG!
~E.G~
But why has no-one done a post about GH2 yet? ~d~ practically plays it like a musical instrument!
Here's where I stand. I have just completed it on medium and got 3 stars on the first song on hard. I am working towards 5 stars on all easy songs, and being comfortable with hard-end medium songs. And frankley, I think that's where I'm going to stay. I mean, any normal human being can just about do medium. But for hard, you need an extra finger, a load of spare time from homework + stuff, and very leniant parents. The notes come at you at like, 500mph! HTH? (how the hell- Im hoping it will catch on.)
However, GH2 has such a good soundtrack, and is just so fun, it kinda makes up for it. I just bought the Grim Reaper on medium! But my favourite character is definitely Johnny Napalm- the nuclear punk!
Anyway, I don't have much more to say. Feel free to add your own bits about GH2- let's see who has got the furthest on WWAG!
~E.G~
Monday, 3 December 2007
Burning through the sky, yeah, 200 degrees...
Sooner or later, it had to come to this. Super Mario Galaxy is out now, and has been for quite a while... and there have been no blog posts about it. ~E~ doesn't have it, and I'm not sure about EG but I do. Oh dear, it seems the blame is on me. Lazy me.
Seriously, this game is awesome. You don't realise it when you first get it, but it really is genius. I mean, the graphics are good, the gameplay is great, and the music is nice, but there is some underlying feel here... it won't work if you are the only one in a house or something, or the game is somewhere secluded, but when I had the TV in the lounge, I felt it's repercussions. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a /main/ part of the game, it's not featured in other reviews as a main point...
...but the 2 player mode is awesome. Player 2 doesn't really do much, collecting star bits and helping Mario with his jumps, freezing enemies - but it's pick up and play. Many a time my brother or sister has walked into the room and just picked up a wiimote. It just feels... right. Not to mention the fact that freezing Chomp Heads or Boulders so that they smash into each other gives you a load of starbits...
OK, so I may have gone a bit over the top on the two-player aspect of the game - but it's still an awesome game.
More to come.
~d~
And ~EG~ - Don't create one-time tags please, tags are for ease. If you do I have to delete the tags and it takes me ages.
Seriously, this game is awesome. You don't realise it when you first get it, but it really is genius. I mean, the graphics are good, the gameplay is great, and the music is nice, but there is some underlying feel here... it won't work if you are the only one in a house or something, or the game is somewhere secluded, but when I had the TV in the lounge, I felt it's repercussions. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a /main/ part of the game, it's not featured in other reviews as a main point...
...but the 2 player mode is awesome. Player 2 doesn't really do much, collecting star bits and helping Mario with his jumps, freezing enemies - but it's pick up and play. Many a time my brother or sister has walked into the room and just picked up a wiimote. It just feels... right. Not to mention the fact that freezing Chomp Heads or Boulders so that they smash into each other gives you a load of starbits...
OK, so I may have gone a bit over the top on the two-player aspect of the game - but it's still an awesome game.
More to come.
~d~
And ~EG~ - Don't create one-time tags please, tags are for ease. If you do I have to delete the tags and it takes me ages.
Sunday, 2 December 2007
THE MOST INSANE GAME OF ALL TIME
Excite Truck on the wii. It is fast, furious and crazy. You get to drive at speeds besting the seisure-provoking Sonic Rush, and after zooming of a REALLY steep ramp, you go at heights rival to aeroplanes. Especially the ones from Heathrow- they are just >expletive<. Okay, maybe I should explain. In as many words as possible. Or maybe you should just see a video first-
Pretty crazy, huh?
Basically/not basically, Excite truck is a game where you race in trucks, duh. They aren't monster trucks, but they aren't measly cars. They're... monster cars.
The trucks go fast as it is, but you also have the option to use turbo- of which you have an unlimited amount, but have to watch the temperature or you will overheat. You also have a item that you can pick up called "POW", starting a siren sound, making you do the whole Sonic Rush thing and smashing everything to pieces.
So, with that, with any track, you have insanity. Monster crucks zooming about at Mario-Knows-What speeds.
But it doesn't stop there! When you go in the air off a ramp or something, if you get a nice landing you get a POW styley boost. So it's not just a rare pickup.
You also get a boost for, when you crash, tapping the "2" button as hard as you can. So if you get smashed, get a boost, do a nice landing, and then get POW, you are moving at about the speed of light.
That's not the end of this world of craziness. There are also pickups that change the terrain. This might be plunging a section of track underwater, flattening a hill making a shortcut, or creating a ramp 'n' rings. This is making a bit of road into a ramp, and then creating rings at the end. You have to fly through the air and get through as many as possible. You get a star for each ring you go through.
Oh yeah, something I forgot to mention. In a race, you have to collect enough stars to go through to the next round. You get stars for drifting on corners, weaving between trees, getting rings, getting air, getting a good position at the end of the race- and smashing other trucks.
So if it isn't enough to be racing around like Sonic The Hedgehog on some kind of drug, weaving in between trees, changing the ground in chaotic ways, players are encouraged to smash each other up. Is it me, or is that just crazy?
And that's what makes it such a good game. It's crazy. It's fast. It's exciteing. It's EXCITE TRUCK.
The soundtrack is prett cool too. It's like the best band in the world doing music for a game. Which I suppose it is.
...
I haven't had a reply about Mario's weight yet- I have no idea why. Do they think it's silly or something?
I dunno.
~E.G~
Pretty crazy, huh?
Basically/not basically, Excite truck is a game where you race in trucks, duh. They aren't monster trucks, but they aren't measly cars. They're... monster cars.
The trucks go fast as it is, but you also have the option to use turbo- of which you have an unlimited amount, but have to watch the temperature or you will overheat. You also have a item that you can pick up called "POW", starting a siren sound, making you do the whole Sonic Rush thing and smashing everything to pieces.
So, with that, with any track, you have insanity. Monster crucks zooming about at Mario-Knows-What speeds.
But it doesn't stop there! When you go in the air off a ramp or something, if you get a nice landing you get a POW styley boost. So it's not just a rare pickup.
You also get a boost for, when you crash, tapping the "2" button as hard as you can. So if you get smashed, get a boost, do a nice landing, and then get POW, you are moving at about the speed of light.
That's not the end of this world of craziness. There are also pickups that change the terrain. This might be plunging a section of track underwater, flattening a hill making a shortcut, or creating a ramp 'n' rings. This is making a bit of road into a ramp, and then creating rings at the end. You have to fly through the air and get through as many as possible. You get a star for each ring you go through.
Oh yeah, something I forgot to mention. In a race, you have to collect enough stars to go through to the next round. You get stars for drifting on corners, weaving between trees, getting rings, getting air, getting a good position at the end of the race- and smashing other trucks.
So if it isn't enough to be racing around like Sonic The Hedgehog on some kind of drug, weaving in between trees, changing the ground in chaotic ways, players are encouraged to smash each other up. Is it me, or is that just crazy?
And that's what makes it such a good game. It's crazy. It's fast. It's exciteing. It's EXCITE TRUCK.
The soundtrack is prett cool too. It's like the best band in the world doing music for a game. Which I suppose it is.
...
I haven't had a reply about Mario's weight yet- I have no idea why. Do they think it's silly or something?
I dunno.
~E.G~
Saturday, 24 November 2007
Oh Mario, what is wrong with you?
I'm sure you've all seen the adverts for that new game where Mario and Sonic are in the Olympics. And I'm sure you've heard of Mario's football game, baseball game, racing games, dancing games, and games where you have to run around and jump on things and fight people. Fair enough to say, Mario has had his fair share of sports in his never-aging time. Also he his constantly on a diet of Mushrooms and stars, so Mario is pretty healthy.
So why, then, has Mario got a bulge in his stomach?
So why, then, has Mario got a bulge in his stomach?
Im sure you can all see it. That little circle protruding out between his legs. Why, Nintendo, why?I got in touch with Dr. Fungustein, Mario's official health consultant.
"Mario," The doctor commented, "Has a rare condition. It's called"being fictional". For some reason, the instant you become fictional, the artists/writers NEVER change you. For example, look at the simpsons. They wear the same clothes EVERY DAY! And Yoshi. Having been to all these exotic locations such as Isle Delfino, surely that green would have been tanned turquoise by now? Fictional characters are, unfortunately, never going to change. That's why Nintendo have to keep Mario doing all of these sports. So that being pudgy dosen't go to his head. It's for his self-esteem. Mario has regualrly turned to drink and drugs after a depression crisis about his complexion. If it happens again, we could be seing the last of Mario."
So, is Mario destined to stay the same forever? He has changed slightly in different games.
"That's the thing." Fungustein admitted, "It's a very rare condition in the fact that it can change irregularly at random times, depending on the writers' moods. Unless Nintendo do something, Mario will never feel good about himself."
So therefore, Mario's health is completely in the hands of Nintendo! Well this reporter is going straight to Nintendo to complain!!! I shall forward you the reply I get.
~E.G~
Monday, 19 November 2007
Electric lights in a fluid sky...
Now, this post makes a change from our usually Nintendo-themed blog. The game I'm going to write about is a PC game - a free one - but it is very pretty and addictive, so I thought I'd throw it in here.
The backstory of this game is a vaguely uninteresting one, but I will include it anyway, just in case. Basically, I got a del.icio.us account. A while back. If you want to know when, there's a post aboput on my other, dead, blog. But anyway.
Then I discovered the magic that is del.icio.us/popular, and I check it regularly now. And today, I found this. Now, as a Windows User and a Windows Disliker, I thought 'Hm. If I switch to Ubuntu,' which I wanted to do, already having gotten hold of the live CD, 'What games can I play?'
Number 2. That's right, a Geometry Wars clone [I think, I've never played Geometry Wars]. But, to be honest, it's free.
And beautiful. Pictures don't do it justice. When you're whizzing through space firing yellow bullets at mulitcoloured baddies, with awesome kinda neon effects, and sparks flying everywhere at the touch of a button, it feels, to paraphrase the late great Douglas Adams, like having your eyes smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped a large gold brick.
The motion is lovely as well, I play with the keyboard ¬.¬ but it still looks great.
The music is ok, not bad enough to affect my opinion of the game, not good enough to, well, affect my opinion of the game - and it's a generally really good play. You start off rubbish, but then you get used to the game. And occasionally, I've even found myself staring somewhere else on the screen while my ship careered between enemies... but those were flukes.
It's fun. Play it. NOW.
And Geometry Wars /is/ coming out on the Wii and DS. so be ready...
~d~, off to blast more vector enemies to neon hell.
The backstory of this game is a vaguely uninteresting one, but I will include it anyway, just in case. Basically, I got a del.icio.us account. A while back. If you want to know when, there's a post aboput on my other, dead, blog. But anyway.
Then I discovered the magic that is del.icio.us/popular, and I check it regularly now. And today, I found this. Now, as a Windows User and a Windows Disliker, I thought 'Hm. If I switch to Ubuntu,' which I wanted to do, already having gotten hold of the live CD, 'What games can I play?'
Number 2. That's right, a Geometry Wars clone [I think, I've never played Geometry Wars]. But, to be honest, it's free.
And beautiful. Pictures don't do it justice. When you're whizzing through space firing yellow bullets at mulitcoloured baddies, with awesome kinda neon effects, and sparks flying everywhere at the touch of a button, it feels, to paraphrase the late great Douglas Adams, like having your eyes smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped a large gold brick.
The motion is lovely as well, I play with the keyboard ¬.¬ but it still looks great.
The music is ok, not bad enough to affect my opinion of the game, not good enough to, well, affect my opinion of the game - and it's a generally really good play. You start off rubbish, but then you get used to the game. And occasionally, I've even found myself staring somewhere else on the screen while my ship careered between enemies... but those were flukes.
It's fun. Play it. NOW.
And Geometry Wars /is/ coming out on the Wii and DS. so be ready...
~d~, off to blast more vector enemies to neon hell.
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
ElGenius writes a blog about... The latest Wii release.
Ask any Ninty fan about when they got a Wii. Ask them what the first thing they thought when they first gripped that white/black remote of destiny.
Wow was probably answer number 1.
Star Wars and lightsabers is number 2.
I,for one, have spent an unhealthy amount of time thinking about when, and if, Ninty will release a lightsabre game for the former "Revoloution", whose name sounds like a rude bodily function. I thought about the graphics, the colours, I thought about the storyline, then for some reason I thought about pie, but I think I was hungry.
Anyway, the bottom line is that everyone exclaims about the potential of a lightsabre on a wii, thinking it is their great idea. But so far, the closest that the Japs have come to quenching our thirst for lightsabre-based wii game is Red Steel, with its awkuard controls... but that's a different post.
And know, finally, at a little known games show which I can't remember the details about, the creators of poos' little brother are showcasing the game which might just be all Game Geeks' saviour. It might be perfectly executed, with a gripping storyline, fast gameplay and Mario. Well, maybe not Mario. I suppose Jar-Jar Binks comes close enough. Both have annoying accents, and both are probably the Jesus of the gaming/movie world, and both jump down pipes.
But maybe it will be a flop, a mere merchandise of the SW saga.
Ill keep you posted.
~ElGenius~ :)
Wow was probably answer number 1.
Star Wars and lightsabers is number 2.
I,for one, have spent an unhealthy amount of time thinking about when, and if, Ninty will release a lightsabre game for the former "Revoloution", whose name sounds like a rude bodily function. I thought about the graphics, the colours, I thought about the storyline, then for some reason I thought about pie, but I think I was hungry.
Anyway, the bottom line is that everyone exclaims about the potential of a lightsabre on a wii, thinking it is their great idea. But so far, the closest that the Japs have come to quenching our thirst for lightsabre-based wii game is Red Steel, with its awkuard controls... but that's a different post.
And know, finally, at a little known games show which I can't remember the details about, the creators of poos' little brother are showcasing the game which might just be all Game Geeks' saviour. It might be perfectly executed, with a gripping storyline, fast gameplay and Mario. Well, maybe not Mario. I suppose Jar-Jar Binks comes close enough. Both have annoying accents, and both are probably the Jesus of the gaming/movie world, and both jump down pipes.
But maybe it will be a flop, a mere merchandise of the SW saga.
Ill keep you posted.
~ElGenius~ :)
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