Watch it here.
Due to language, violence, and sexual themes, you shouldn't watch this if you're under the age of 17 (according to the site), but I expect you're going to anyway.
Showing posts with label Video Games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Video Games. Show all posts
Monday, November 30, 2009
There Will Be Brawl
I really want to spread the word about this absolutely incredible web show called There Will Be Brawl. It's a gritty crime show featuring the cast of Super Smash Brothers Brawl; the drama is intense and believable, the acting and costumes are spectacular, and the show is written with a lot of obvious love for its source material and includes many hilarious references and in-jokes. As far as I'm concerned, it's the most entertaining thing on the internet in recent memory. If you're a fan of Super Smash Brothers or Nintendo games in general, I highly recommend it.
Watch it here.
Due to language, violence, and sexual themes, you shouldn't watch this if you're under the age of 17 (according to the site), but I expect you're going to anyway.
Watch it here.
Due to language, violence, and sexual themes, you shouldn't watch this if you're under the age of 17 (according to the site), but I expect you're going to anyway.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
4 Games That Defined My Childhood
Here's another blog post! I've actually had a rough draft of this floating around for a couple weeks. Sorry if this one isn't interesting to you guys, but if that's the case, let me know and I can avoid similar topics in the future...
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So, I've been playing video games since I was a young chap. Here are 4 games that had a large impact on me back in the day.
Super Smash Bros.
Big adventure games were cool, but Smash Bros. managed to single-handedly control 90% of my social life. I grew to be extremely competitive and would play for hours on end--daily--so that I could hold my title as #1 smasher. It's just ridiculously fun--and I've developed a lot of strong friendships out of it. Not only that, but it introduced me to many game series that I later grew to love-- the Mother series in particular, but also Star Fox, Metroid and F-Zero.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Donkey Kong 64 was what got me started playing 3D games, but Ocarina was the first one that really captured my imagination. Some kids grew up on cool movies or cool TV characters or cool comic-book stories, but I'd go so far as to say that Link was one my heroes that I grew up with. The adventures told in this game were just so epic and large-scale... I even dressed up as link one year for halloween when I was a kid.
Pokemon Blue Version
This game was so addicting, it was like they put crack in the GameBoy buttons. I really couldn't get enough of the Pokemon games, despite loathing the show with a passion. The great thing about the Pokemon games was their combination of basic RPG tactics with a great deal of the player's creativity; there were a ridiculous number of different unique pokemon, each with bottomless possibilities in what attacks they'd utilize, so that every one's elite team of 6 pokemon was radically different, and that was awesome. I had a lot of fun starting a new game, planning out who my 6 would be... and although not as significant in Smash Bros. in establishing my circle of friends, it did give me a new way to connect with a lot of people.
Super Mario Land
The story of how I came to play Super Mario Land is the story of how I grew to love video games. Some kids asked their parents to get them their first video games, some kids' parents already had videogames and got their kids into it. My very first taste of video gaming was when my mom won a GameBoy Pocket in some magazine competition by total chance... she hadn't actually tried to enter it or anything, but she got the gameboy and had no idea what to do with it except give it to me. My encounter with videogames wasn't something anybody had ever previously considered or thought of; it was fate. The GameBoy came with 3 titles: Bugs Bunny: Crazy Castle, Tetris Plus, and Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3.
And those games kept me busy for a while, actually. But one day I was browsing a friend's bin of old games when I found Super Mario Land. I didn't realize it was a prequel to a game I already had, though I did notice the lower quality graphics and sound. What I did see in it was much more exciting level design and simpler, more intuitive play mechanics; this was my first true Mario game, and I was hooked. I traded Wario for Mario in a heartbeat, and today I'm proud of myself for seeing past the glitz and recognizing a better game, even if it was older. Nowadays when I look back, I realize that those are the same ideas I bring in today, now that I'm designing games.
---
So, I've been playing video games since I was a young chap. Here are 4 games that had a large impact on me back in the day.
Big adventure games were cool, but Smash Bros. managed to single-handedly control 90% of my social life. I grew to be extremely competitive and would play for hours on end--daily--so that I could hold my title as #1 smasher. It's just ridiculously fun--and I've developed a lot of strong friendships out of it. Not only that, but it introduced me to many game series that I later grew to love-- the Mother series in particular, but also Star Fox, Metroid and F-Zero.
Donkey Kong 64 was what got me started playing 3D games, but Ocarina was the first one that really captured my imagination. Some kids grew up on cool movies or cool TV characters or cool comic-book stories, but I'd go so far as to say that Link was one my heroes that I grew up with. The adventures told in this game were just so epic and large-scale... I even dressed up as link one year for halloween when I was a kid.
This game was so addicting, it was like they put crack in the GameBoy buttons. I really couldn't get enough of the Pokemon games, despite loathing the show with a passion. The great thing about the Pokemon games was their combination of basic RPG tactics with a great deal of the player's creativity; there were a ridiculous number of different unique pokemon, each with bottomless possibilities in what attacks they'd utilize, so that every one's elite team of 6 pokemon was radically different, and that was awesome. I had a lot of fun starting a new game, planning out who my 6 would be... and although not as significant in Smash Bros. in establishing my circle of friends, it did give me a new way to connect with a lot of people.
The story of how I came to play Super Mario Land is the story of how I grew to love video games. Some kids asked their parents to get them their first video games, some kids' parents already had videogames and got their kids into it. My very first taste of video gaming was when my mom won a GameBoy Pocket in some magazine competition by total chance... she hadn't actually tried to enter it or anything, but she got the gameboy and had no idea what to do with it except give it to me. My encounter with videogames wasn't something anybody had ever previously considered or thought of; it was fate. The GameBoy came with 3 titles: Bugs Bunny: Crazy Castle, Tetris Plus, and Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3.
And those games kept me busy for a while, actually. But one day I was browsing a friend's bin of old games when I found Super Mario Land. I didn't realize it was a prequel to a game I already had, though I did notice the lower quality graphics and sound. What I did see in it was much more exciting level design and simpler, more intuitive play mechanics; this was my first true Mario game, and I was hooked. I traded Wario for Mario in a heartbeat, and today I'm proud of myself for seeing past the glitz and recognizing a better game, even if it was older. Nowadays when I look back, I realize that those are the same ideas I bring in today, now that I'm designing games.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Mega Man 9: A Review
EDIT: Oh, another interview of me went up at Interview Game Makers. Check it out!
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I haven't done one of these straight-up yet, have I? Let's review Mega Man 9!
Now for a while, I was really hesitant to get this game. I'd been reading reviews of it, and they all seemed to tell me that because I never played a Mega Man game before, I would hate it and its difficulty. But I really, really dig the retro stylings of the game, and I'd already been listening to the soundtrack for a month or two (yep, I got the soundtrack without playing the game--I'm really into VG music)... eventually my curiosity got the better of me and I finally bought it.
And I'm going to be honest: I like this game. A lot.
No I never played Mega Man, but I didn't need to. This is a great game in its own right and a fun introduction to the series. The simplicity in its concept combined with really tight, effective level designs make for a fun package. The levels are all technically short but their life is extended by the array of different unique mechanics you'll be encountering room after room, not to mention the number of times you'll be dying and replaying them before you finish.
And honestly, this game never frustrated me through the deaths. Sure, I might end up quitting after only half an hour of dying, but I always come back; it really does an amazing job at filling my need for some good old gaming once in a while. The game gives a lot to help you overcome its challenge, too. You can buy extra lives and a special item that halves damage for one run, two very useful options that can make up for the fact that you actually suck. Through sheer stubbornness, the game trains you to overcome its challenges the hard way, death by death, until you finally reach the level's end with an incredibly satisfying victory.
And this is old news to all you Mega Man vets, I'm sure, but I really love how the game is structured too; you can choose from any of the 8 levels and bosses to fight at any given time rather than progressing in a linear fashion, and after beating a boss you claim their item to equip whenever you desire. While the game does have its "right" boss order if you want the straightest path to the game's end, having the freedom to defeat each level and collect its item in whichever order you please is really liberating. Being able to play a different level for a change after dying several times on a particularly difficult one is also a breath of fresh air and helps alleviate any frustration.
At only ten dollars, I'd recommend this game to anyone who enjoys simplicity and a bit of retro in his games--NOT just Mega Man veterans. They don't make commercial games like this anymore, and if you don't try it now you're missing out.
-----------
I haven't done one of these straight-up yet, have I? Let's review Mega Man 9!
Now for a while, I was really hesitant to get this game. I'd been reading reviews of it, and they all seemed to tell me that because I never played a Mega Man game before, I would hate it and its difficulty. But I really, really dig the retro stylings of the game, and I'd already been listening to the soundtrack for a month or two (yep, I got the soundtrack without playing the game--I'm really into VG music)... eventually my curiosity got the better of me and I finally bought it.
And I'm going to be honest: I like this game. A lot.
No I never played Mega Man, but I didn't need to. This is a great game in its own right and a fun introduction to the series. The simplicity in its concept combined with really tight, effective level designs make for a fun package. The levels are all technically short but their life is extended by the array of different unique mechanics you'll be encountering room after room, not to mention the number of times you'll be dying and replaying them before you finish.
And honestly, this game never frustrated me through the deaths. Sure, I might end up quitting after only half an hour of dying, but I always come back; it really does an amazing job at filling my need for some good old gaming once in a while. The game gives a lot to help you overcome its challenge, too. You can buy extra lives and a special item that halves damage for one run, two very useful options that can make up for the fact that you actually suck. Through sheer stubbornness, the game trains you to overcome its challenges the hard way, death by death, until you finally reach the level's end with an incredibly satisfying victory.
And this is old news to all you Mega Man vets, I'm sure, but I really love how the game is structured too; you can choose from any of the 8 levels and bosses to fight at any given time rather than progressing in a linear fashion, and after beating a boss you claim their item to equip whenever you desire. While the game does have its "right" boss order if you want the straightest path to the game's end, having the freedom to defeat each level and collect its item in whichever order you please is really liberating. Being able to play a different level for a change after dying several times on a particularly difficult one is also a breath of fresh air and helps alleviate any frustration.
At only ten dollars, I'd recommend this game to anyone who enjoys simplicity and a bit of retro in his games--NOT just Mega Man veterans. They don't make commercial games like this anymore, and if you don't try it now you're missing out.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Super Mario 64 is Better Than Mario Galaxy
I often see people claim that Super Mario Galaxy is a better Mario game than Super Mario 64, if not the greatest Mario game to date. I completely disagree, and I've always wanted a chance to talk about why in full detail. So here's my two cents on why Mario's first 3D platforming outing is still far better than his most recent...
Super Mario 64
Presentation
Graphics-wise, both games are/were pushing the limits of the system and treading new ground in their respective times. I don't think I need to spend more time on that particular matter.
But when considered as a whole, Mario Galaxy wasn't as universally appealing. With its cutesy bunny rabbits, cheesy talk about stars and frolicking in fields of flowers, Galaxy is decidedly girly and childish (an opinion only further made popular with the infamous U R MR GAY discovery). I felt outright embarrassed to be playing it at certain points. Mario 64 certainly was no GTA, but it didn't border on this level of girliness; as a young child and as a young adult today I still have fun playing it, and not once does it feel too "kiddy."
Mario Galaxy also got a lot of praise for its complex, epic orchestrations. I'm not going to argue with that, the music was big, loud and adventurous, and it fit. But the N64 cartridge they stuffed Mario 64 could never hoped to achieve that level of orchestration anyway. What Mario 64 gave us were a lot of really catchy, memorable tunes, songs I still remember today very clearly. What about Mario Galaxy? How many tunes do you remember from that? In all its powerful orchestration and big sound, it lost something. I'm not saying a game has to have memorable music to be good, but Mario 64 did have some classic videogame melodies and Galaxy didn't.
Super Mario Galaxy
Gameplay:
Mario Galaxy brought some new cards to the table in the gameplay department, that I won't deny. It's high point--for me--were the really great new powerups. Ice Mario? Boo Mario? Yes please.
And of course it got a lot of talk going about its crazy physics engine, right? Mario could walk around the surface of an entire sphere! But as cool as that was, it created some problems, too. The game's gravity rules weren't universal: sometimes you could walk around the bottom of a a planet, sometimes you couldn't, and there was never any indication of whether or not you could. There were a few good handful of times when I died because I assumed I could walk off the edge to the underside of a platform.
Mario 64's level design was more fun, too. Yes, you read correctly. Mario 64's open, explorable levels were fun and exciting, and they totally captured our wonder, totally helped us understand what a 3D game could be. Mario Galaxy's levels are almost all linear; the only path is to go from planet A, find the launch star, get to planet B, etc. And even when it did offer some large explorable areas, they never felt as open and exciting as in Mario 64. Really my biggest gripe in Mario Galaxy was that they reused level maps. I repeat: They took one level, copy and pasted it, and called it a new one with a little recoloring. Don't believe me? Look:
Wow! What a cool level!
Hey, wait, isn't this a little familiar?
I don't care if they had some differences here and there, if the missions were different, whatever. This was a HUGE game, destined to be a trend-setter for all Wii games to come. It was Mario's newest platforming adventure in years. How is it that nobody, at any level of this game development, saw level repetition and thought "This is great"? The game already has a few dozen maps, I'd rather have one less than the same one again.
Is Mario Galaxy a good game? Yes, it is. It was fun, certainly among the best of the Wii's offerings. But it isn't at the same level as Super Mario 64, and I can't agree with anyone who thinks so.
Super Mario 64
Presentation
Graphics-wise, both games are/were pushing the limits of the system and treading new ground in their respective times. I don't think I need to spend more time on that particular matter.
But when considered as a whole, Mario Galaxy wasn't as universally appealing. With its cutesy bunny rabbits, cheesy talk about stars and frolicking in fields of flowers, Galaxy is decidedly girly and childish (an opinion only further made popular with the infamous U R MR GAY discovery). I felt outright embarrassed to be playing it at certain points. Mario 64 certainly was no GTA, but it didn't border on this level of girliness; as a young child and as a young adult today I still have fun playing it, and not once does it feel too "kiddy."
Mario Galaxy also got a lot of praise for its complex, epic orchestrations. I'm not going to argue with that, the music was big, loud and adventurous, and it fit. But the N64 cartridge they stuffed Mario 64 could never hoped to achieve that level of orchestration anyway. What Mario 64 gave us were a lot of really catchy, memorable tunes, songs I still remember today very clearly. What about Mario Galaxy? How many tunes do you remember from that? In all its powerful orchestration and big sound, it lost something. I'm not saying a game has to have memorable music to be good, but Mario 64 did have some classic videogame melodies and Galaxy didn't.
Super Mario Galaxy
Gameplay:
Mario Galaxy brought some new cards to the table in the gameplay department, that I won't deny. It's high point--for me--were the really great new powerups. Ice Mario? Boo Mario? Yes please.
And of course it got a lot of talk going about its crazy physics engine, right? Mario could walk around the surface of an entire sphere! But as cool as that was, it created some problems, too. The game's gravity rules weren't universal: sometimes you could walk around the bottom of a a planet, sometimes you couldn't, and there was never any indication of whether or not you could. There were a few good handful of times when I died because I assumed I could walk off the edge to the underside of a platform.
Mario 64's level design was more fun, too. Yes, you read correctly. Mario 64's open, explorable levels were fun and exciting, and they totally captured our wonder, totally helped us understand what a 3D game could be. Mario Galaxy's levels are almost all linear; the only path is to go from planet A, find the launch star, get to planet B, etc. And even when it did offer some large explorable areas, they never felt as open and exciting as in Mario 64. Really my biggest gripe in Mario Galaxy was that they reused level maps. I repeat: They took one level, copy and pasted it, and called it a new one with a little recoloring. Don't believe me? Look:
Wow! What a cool level!
Hey, wait, isn't this a little familiar?
I don't care if they had some differences here and there, if the missions were different, whatever. This was a HUGE game, destined to be a trend-setter for all Wii games to come. It was Mario's newest platforming adventure in years. How is it that nobody, at any level of this game development, saw level repetition and thought "This is great"? The game already has a few dozen maps, I'd rather have one less than the same one again.
Is Mario Galaxy a good game? Yes, it is. It was fun, certainly among the best of the Wii's offerings. But it isn't at the same level as Super Mario 64, and I can't agree with anyone who thinks so.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
A Look At My Favorite GM Games
Alright, so. I've been a member of the Game Maker Community for about 4 years now, and in that time I've played a LOT of games. I'd like to talk about my four most favorite Game Maker-made games of all time. These are in chronological order.
Grapnel by ArchMageOmega
http://www.yoyogames.com/games/show/522
Take Spiderman-Man, combine him with the famous Helicopter game, and you've got Grapnel. This is a game that somehow borders on perfection; completely engrossing, completely addictive, exhilirating, and amazingly simple.
This is a game I will end up spending hours playing, usually without even thinking about it.
It's only flaw is in the unlockables; there are some really awesome ones that make the game even better (Accelarate and Rubber Floor, I'm looking at you) but many aren't very good. Geting the money to buy an unlockable is hard enough, worse that the one you decide to buy might end up being a waste of time.
Clean Asia! by cactus
http://www.yoyogames.com/games/show/2358
Clean Asia! is seriously awesome. The story involves giant alien eyeballs attacking Asia, and so of course the only method to defeat them is to send a lone pilot out against them in a super-cool spaceship. Whatever.
The game has two different ships from which you can select, the Reflector and Attractor. Of the two, the Reflector is the more classic ship and was the one I used first. But the Attractor is where things get cool. Its only main attack is a short ramming attack. It can blast through parts of the enemy ship, shattering them into a hundred tiny squares... and then with the second button, it draws the enemy's shattered pieces toward it, like a giant vortex of multicolored squares. Once you've got some enemy pieces floating around you, you can fire them one by one with the ram button, or--my personal favorite--just let go of the attractor, unleashing a storm of squares that does massive damage. And then, naturally, the enemy will shatter apart more and you'll have more pieces to fling at him.
Combine excellent SHMUP gameplay with excellent vector-y graphics, three totally different totally crazy fun levels, and some kickass music to top it off, and you've got one hell of a game.
The Hanrahan Game: Final Mix by flying squire
http://www.yoyogames.com/games/show/16984
The Hanrahan Game is straight-up well made action with a storyline that is pointless yet engaging. The graphics and music aren't spectacular but they work; the game does a good job at keeping things varied with many different locations and colorful environments. At the core this game is fun because of the awesome swordplay and enemy physics. When killed enemies go flying around in a hilrious mess, and you feel pretty badass running through a group of enemies, throwing them about like a demon. There's also a nice subweapon feature that opens the doors to some really cool extra attacks (particularly those of the explosive variety). The only major flaw in this game are some poorly designed bosses.
Shotgun Ninja by cactus
http://www.yoyogames.com/games/show/27705
Shotgun Ninja sets itself apart from the other games on this list as being the only I've actually managed to finish. This is partly a testament to how short it is, but even more a testament to how much fun it is. Slippery platforming with some awesome features like sticking to the ceiling, combined with fun shotgun/grenade kills makes for really fun gameplay. The graphics and sound are awesomely retro, and the music is particularly catchy and fun. Not to mention a hilarious plotline and engaging level design.
The only moment in which the game loses its magic is during a couple of the particularly long levels; getting hit once kills you, and dying makes you respawn at the beginning of the level. This leads to some huge frustration, but the game's sheer awesomeness made it bearable for me to play through the same level 15-20 times.
Those are my favorite Game Maker-made games. As I play more games of interest I'll probably be posting about them here.
http://www.yoyogames.com/games/show/522
Take Spiderman-Man, combine him with the famous Helicopter game, and you've got Grapnel. This is a game that somehow borders on perfection; completely engrossing, completely addictive, exhilirating, and amazingly simple.
This is a game I will end up spending hours playing, usually without even thinking about it.
It's only flaw is in the unlockables; there are some really awesome ones that make the game even better (Accelarate and Rubber Floor, I'm looking at you) but many aren't very good. Geting the money to buy an unlockable is hard enough, worse that the one you decide to buy might end up being a waste of time.
http://www.yoyogames.com/games/show/2358
Clean Asia! is seriously awesome. The story involves giant alien eyeballs attacking Asia, and so of course the only method to defeat them is to send a lone pilot out against them in a super-cool spaceship. Whatever.
The game has two different ships from which you can select, the Reflector and Attractor. Of the two, the Reflector is the more classic ship and was the one I used first. But the Attractor is where things get cool. Its only main attack is a short ramming attack. It can blast through parts of the enemy ship, shattering them into a hundred tiny squares... and then with the second button, it draws the enemy's shattered pieces toward it, like a giant vortex of multicolored squares. Once you've got some enemy pieces floating around you, you can fire them one by one with the ram button, or--my personal favorite--just let go of the attractor, unleashing a storm of squares that does massive damage. And then, naturally, the enemy will shatter apart more and you'll have more pieces to fling at him.
Combine excellent SHMUP gameplay with excellent vector-y graphics, three totally different totally crazy fun levels, and some kickass music to top it off, and you've got one hell of a game.
http://www.yoyogames.com/games/show/16984
The Hanrahan Game is straight-up well made action with a storyline that is pointless yet engaging. The graphics and music aren't spectacular but they work; the game does a good job at keeping things varied with many different locations and colorful environments. At the core this game is fun because of the awesome swordplay and enemy physics. When killed enemies go flying around in a hilrious mess, and you feel pretty badass running through a group of enemies, throwing them about like a demon. There's also a nice subweapon feature that opens the doors to some really cool extra attacks (particularly those of the explosive variety). The only major flaw in this game are some poorly designed bosses.
http://www.yoyogames.com/games/show/27705
Shotgun Ninja sets itself apart from the other games on this list as being the only I've actually managed to finish. This is partly a testament to how short it is, but even more a testament to how much fun it is. Slippery platforming with some awesome features like sticking to the ceiling, combined with fun shotgun/grenade kills makes for really fun gameplay. The graphics and sound are awesomely retro, and the music is particularly catchy and fun. Not to mention a hilarious plotline and engaging level design.
The only moment in which the game loses its magic is during a couple of the particularly long levels; getting hit once kills you, and dying makes you respawn at the beginning of the level. This leads to some huge frustration, but the game's sheer awesomeness made it bearable for me to play through the same level 15-20 times.
Those are my favorite Game Maker-made games. As I play more games of interest I'll probably be posting about them here.
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