aprilstorme's Xanga

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Sat, 11 Feb 2006 19:29:05 GMT

Fight Night for PS2

Because I can’t play every game ever made (though I’m really working on it), I often ask friends to tell me about games they have played that I might otherwise have missed. While having coffee with my friend Elayna, she revealed to me her secret video-gaming pleasure.

“My favorite game is Fight Night.” She said, daintily nibbling a bite of her bagel.

“Fright Night?” I asked, wondering how I could have missed a game in the horror genre, one of my favorites.

“No, Fight Night. A boxing game for PS2. It’s fun, and it gets all my stress out.”

The image of my very feminine friend punching the lights out of someone on a videogame was quite amusing to me. “Tell me more.” I said.

“Basically, I hit people. I beat them up. It’s really fun. It’s taking some time out for myself. Me time.” She giggled.

My me time usually involved a box of donuts and a few wine coolers, but we all have our way of coping with things.

Elayna went on to tell me that each fighter has a signature hit and her personal favorite was the Above Ground Pound as she referred to it. This move was empowering. “It gets out all my frustrations when I beat the crap out of someone.”

“The only thing I do not like is that once you get knocked down there are three fighters to contend with because your vision is blurry. You have to line them up to hit to get back up. That’s frustrating.” The same could be said after a box of donuts and three wine coolers. I could relate.

So what were the rewards for winning?

Money. Each successful fight would win you some good, hard cash. With this cash you could buy better…boxers !(as in boxer shorts)!As a fighter you want to have the very coolest boxers around don’t you? The better the fighter the better the shorts. There are also some other nifty things to unlock, like better boots, better tattoos and even better ring girls. I asked her if the upgraded items actually did anything, aesthetics aside.

“I don’t know, I think so.” She said, thoughtfully. She had not really given it much thought.

After my meeting with Elayna I did some cyber-investigating for more information on Fight Night. According to customer reviews on Amazon.com the fighters in Fight Night are real career boxers, not just ones made up by the developer. The boxers do have signature moves and the controls are easy to work. Most people found the game very realistic. “You can make your boxer stop on a dime after a punch.” Said one reviewer, happy with the game. As far as boxing games went, this seemed a good choice if your goal is just to knock someone around for awhile after a long day.

On a side note, I learned that boxers, boots, tattoos and ring girls don’t do anything for your career, other than make you look good. But isn’t that all you really need in life anyway?

Friday, February 10, 2006

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 04:30:46 GMT

Another Wonderful Life...Same Stuff, Different Day

I really feel like I’ve been cheated. I broke down and purchased Another Wonderful Life for Nintendo Game Cube. I love the Harvest Moon series, I love the the first game: It’s a Wonderful Life, so I was sure that I would love this game. Afterall, the girl on the front of the box looked so…so cute.

They could have told me somewhere on the box that it’s the EXACT SAME GAME as A Wonderful Life. Sure, I expected it to have some of the same storyline, the same gaming componants, the same people in Forget-Me-Not Valley, even the same chickens. But I did not expect for them to completely repackage It’s a Wonderful Life changing only the main character from a boy to a girl.

Maybe I have not played long enough into it, but methinks at this point it is safe to say I’m having a bit of gaming deja vu.

To make matters worse, look at the marriage prospects I have here in the valley. Marlin, Gustafa and Rock. These guys are all losers. I know, I’ve hung out with them before in my incarnation as a male. Rock has the intellect of his name, Mustafa can’t keep a job and Marlin…well, let’s just say that he gives me the creeps. He’s always watching me. Would it have killed Nintendo to import a few new males into this version of Harvest Moon? Makes me want to stay single and barren.

The game itself is cute, as is A Wonderful Life. And I do like being a girl for once. It’s always a bit strange for me to play a boy character and to try and ‘woo’ a woman. (Why did they make boy chars anyway? How many males actually purchase anything in the Harvest Moon series for themselves?) But, I’m disappointed that I spent money on a game I’ve alreayd played. (Well, okay in all fairness I had never really finished A Wonderful Life, but that’s another story).

I want my money back…or I want them to send in some new guys to Forget-Me-Not Valley, big strong, handsome non-creepy sorts… Either/Or…I’m not picky.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 18:01:47 GMT

Nintendo's Revolution: Will It Change the Way We Game?

With the launch of the Xbox 360 last fall and the promise of Playstation 3 set to launch by summer, Nintendo's Revolution has not gotten a lot of press. Maybe it's because it's predecessor, GameCube, has not enjoyed the popularity that Sony and Microsoft consoles have had in recent years. Even so, Revolution is set to launch sometime in 2006 and Nintendo promises it will change the way we game forever.

So what is different about Revolution? According to a 2005 interview conducted with Nintendo spokespeople by IGN.com, Nintendo Revolution will not cater to the 'more powerful the better' mentality of recent gaming systems. Instead, Nintendo will focus their efforts on developing a "small, quiet and affordable console" that will change the way games are played. How affordable? Nintendo is looking to sell Revolution for less than $200.

Some of the features promised on the new Nintendo system will be a sleek, new design, 512 MB flash memory, and a state of the art, wireless controller (which looks very much like a TV Remote and is operated with just one hand). Revolution users will also be able to play online via Wi-Fi and watch DVDs (though you must buy an additional accessory to turn your Revolution into a DVD player).

As for games, Nintendo promises that the Revolution will be backwards compatable with GameCube, enabling it to play all of the NGC titles. New titles are also underway for the Revolution, as well as remakes of old Nintendo favorites including Animal Crossing, Super Smash Brothers and Metroid Prime 3 (though these have not been confirmed). Perhaps the most exciting element for old-school players is that Nintendo is promising users the ability to download and play many games from the twenty-year history of Nintendo (theoretically all NES, Super NES and Nintendo 64 titles).

While we are not real clear on how the Revolution will change the way we look at game-playing, one thing is for certain. If anyone can deliver, it's Nintendo.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 15:17:38 GMT

Civilization IV for PC: Tips and Tricks

Today’s Post is courtesy of my husband. Because of the seeming lack of tips and tricks for Civilization 4 out there, he has kindly written some. The following is what he has sent to me. Enjoy.Tips for a good start at Civ4

Don’t expand too early.
Money plays a huge role in Civ4, especially early on, and each city costs a lot of money to get started. It’s best to stick with one city, maybe two if you need a particular resource. This is a huge difference from other civs where the only policy is fast expansion.

Build near resources.
Unlike earlier Civ games, in Civ4 the food resources (wheat, corn, rice) mulitply your food gain for that tile. So starting out it’s a great idea to build next to one of these resources.

Build a scout early on.
My second unit after a warrior is always a scout. Early in the game there’s usually plenty of village huts to uncover and, with a scout, you’re guaranteed something good. If you’re playing with barbarians on then you may need a few scouts as some will invariably die.

Found a Religion
There are many civic advantages to having a state religion, and great financial advantages to having founded a religion (assuming other civilizations are also of your faith). Religion also plays an important role in foreign relations. It’s not easy to get the first few religions as other civilizations are scrambling for them, but it could really sway things in your favor to have one, especially early on.

Build a trade network.
Build roads or connect your civilization to other civilizations via waterways to encourage trade networks. This results in more money for each of your cities on the trade network, especially once connected to other (friendly) civilizations. This is only possible if you have an Open Borders agreement with them, which is always to your advantage.

Use a variety of combat units.
Combat takes place with the attacker going against the toughest defender. What this means is that, if you only build archers, you’ll be eaten alive by cavalry who ignore first strikes. If you put some spearmen in there then the cavalry will have to face them instead. Each unit has an archetype it falls under and has an antithesis unit. Think rock, paper, scissors. So you see, building a stack of a single type of unit could get you killed if your opponent uses that to his advantage. Vary your approach, and use all the units’ strengths together.

Pay attention to your Leader’s abilities.
Look in the book and find out what bonuses your Leader has given you. Some can work very well together. Do you like the more expensive civics? Go for Organized for -50% civic cost. Think you’ll be building in jungle areas? Go for Expansive for +2 health in each city.

There have been a lot of really bad reviews on Civilization IV, but it really is a great game. Recently, some people have spoken up against these bad reviews, calling them what they are - afraid of new ideas. The problem (or good thing if you see it my way) with Civ4 is that it’s vastly more complex than other games, previous Civs included. You really have to think about what you’re doing, and there are layers to any strategy. I honestly think a college course could be taught on the intricacies of Civ4.

I hope these tips will help you get started. I lost several games before I figured these out, and now I’ve actually won once (on Warlord difficulty with no barbarians J )

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Sun, 05 Feb 2006 21:22:16 GMT

I have this ‘thing’ about gaming. Before I can sit down and enjoy a video game everything has to be just right. Here is my usual routine…

1) Pop game into console/pc

2) Notice the pile of mail on my chair, sigh loudly, and move pile of mail to another suitable location

3) Notice that the place I have moved pile of mail also has other piles of things…some of which have not yet been identified

4) Decide I can not play game with piles of unidentified ‘things’ lying about

5) Curse my no-cleaning family members, sigh even louder, and finally go and clean up piles of ‘things’

6) Run from something that emerges from pile of suspicious ‘things’

7) Spot unread Sears catelog among pile, also notice 20% off sticker glaring at me from front cover if I order now

8) Decide it wont hurt to just browse catelog

9) Quickly flip through catelog and notice lovely pair of shoes that will make my feet look delightfully dainty

10) Contemplate how much time I have to make a quick call before my husband gets out of shower

11) Quickly dial number, order shoes, and destroy tattle-tale catelog

12) Pass by refrigerator on way to destroy catelog, and remember there is old pizza lurking somewhere in it’s midsts

13) Scour refrigerator, cursing greedy husband who must have eaten old pizza, swear to be spinster in next lifetime, and finally settle on a handful of cereal and a swig of milk from the carton

14) Pour myself a cup of diet soda with exactly five ice cubes, the proper number of cubes needed for a long gaming session, before leaving to officially start my ‘gaming session’

15) Go back to gaming chair and settle in

16) Notice that my pants must have shrunk in the dryer…again

17) Get back up to put on comfy pajamas which somehow never shrink in the dryer

18) Settle back into chair and hit start button

19) Listen happily as opening music begins

20) Hand over the controller to my husband who emerges from his shower, ready to take his turn on the game

OCD and ADD…making video games more challenging to get to than to actually play

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Sun, 05 Feb 2006 18:40:11 GMT

Well, I did it.

After almost a month of sobriety I ended up resubscribing to EQ2.

I told myself it would be different this time. I should have known. I'm a recovering addict, but I stopped going to group sessions. I started visiting the forums, just for fun, I'd say. I'd download pictures which I kept in secret. Finally, I used. And it was all over.

I've been playing EQ2 on and off for almost a year and a half. It was a fluke purchase. I was an avid EQ mocker and could not believe I'd ever fall for EQ2. But I was bored and bought the game...and hence hooked.

But I was clean for the last 30 days...clean and dare I say it, bored. That is the beauty of an mmorpg, there is always something to do.

At any rate I resubscribed last night, and it's been fun. So has my husband. But 30 bucks a month gets a bit pricey. We will see how long we last this time.

Saturday, February 04, 2006

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 00:06:57 GMT

Zelda: Twilight Princess Coming out for Nintendo Revolution?

Argh! Why are the gaming gods doing this to me? I have been a good girl, mostly, and I have waited ever so patiently for Zelda: Twilight Princess to come out for Nintendo GameCube. Yet, time and time again the powers that be keep moving back the release date. It was going to be my birthday present (shh…I havn’t told my husband what he is getting me, yet) when it was released this April, 2006, but now it looks like Link is set for a June release. Sigh.

Worse…and yes it does get worse, I have been hearing horrible, evil rumors that Zelda: Twilight Princess may not be released for NGC, afterall. Some are speculating that Zelda’s release will coincide with the release of Nintendo’s Revolution. From a selling standpoint this makes sense, as Nintendo has so few games that people really MUST HAVE and Zelda is certainly one of them. But what about us, the poor saps stuck with a GameCube, what are we supposed to do? Why, why, why take away the one title millions of people are holding onto their GameCube’s for? (well, yes, for money, the greedy, corporate bastards, bah).

I really hope this is just a rumor. It is hard enough to scrounge up the 40-60 bucks per game, let alone 200 plus dollars to buy a new console every two years (and that’s if you are only partial to one company, like Xbox or Nintendo). I love Link, but I don’t know if I love him that much. After he disappointed me in Wind Waker, I will be hard-pressed to buy another console just to see if he is back to his old, lovable self.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 05:28:00 GMT

Why My Husband Is Not Allowed To Play Animal Crossing

It’s been almost four years since it’s debut and Animal Crossing is still a very popular title for owners of Nintendo GameCube. It’s adorable animal characters and evolving world make it a great game for kids and grownups (well some, say me) alike. But never, ever, under any circumstance play Animal Crossing with your husband. Take it from someone whose been there, some games are better left unshared

If you have never played Animal Crossing and are a fan of the ‘cute and simple’ games like Harvest Moon and Spyro the Dragon, this is a really fun game. You take on the persona of either a boy or a girl who decides it’s time to leave home and strike it out alone. Somehow you end up in a town inhabited by (talking) animals. It is a lovely little town and you decide to stay. In the town there is a shopkeep (Tom Nook), who is also a slum…er… landlord on the side. He will be happy to sell you one of the four homes he owns in trade for doing some odd jobs. Working hard you eventually pay off your home and can have an even bigger one made if you desire. At Tom’s shop and around the town you can find TONS of items and furniture to decorate with. Fun!

After having your basic needs for shelter and a cute coffee table met, you decide it’s time to get to know your neighbors. Have I mentioned they are talking animals? This town is a habitat for so many different types of wildlife, you ask yourself how they can possibly coexist as they do. They make it work and some eventually become friends of yours, or at least tolerated neighbors. You can visit their homes, give them gifts or just hang out with them. You can even design clothes for your toon or an animal friend to wear. Because everyday in the ‘real world’ is also a day in the Animal Crossing realm (say it’s September 17th here, it will also be Sept 17th in the game) there will be interesting things for you and your animal friends to do. You might pick fruit, fish, collect butterflies or attend a holiday festival. There is even a post office where you can write letters to the animals to let them know how much you like them so they don’t feel lonely and move away(it’s always sad when an animal feels neglected and leaves town).

I played Animal Crossing happily for many months, enjoying the changing of the seasons and the holidays. There is no violence or crime in the Animal Crossing world. The worst damage you can do to a resident is to hit him on the head with your butterfly net until they get angry and stormclouds brew over their heads. It was a peaceful existence I had with the animals and I cherished each moment. Until that one fateful day when my husband moved in.

My landlord had three other homes for rent so I thought I’d extend the offer to my husband. I wanted him to share in the lovely world the animals and I had created. I should have known early on, when the animals asked what his name was and he replied Jerk-Face that things would get ugly. But I have never been good at seeing red flags.

Jerk-Face worked hard to pay for his home. In fact, he had a much nicer home than I did within days. He toiled for Tom Nook and I admit to being a bit envious. He had not, however, made friends with any of the animals yet and I felt he was missing out on the comaraderie of the town. I urged him to venture out and meet his new friends. Although four people can live in the Animal Crossing town, only one person can play at a time. I had a long week at work so I told him that he was in charge of keeping the animals happy while I was away. On Friday I asked him how things in the Animal Crossing world were going. He smiled wickedly.

I had seen that smile before. We had played Sims together for awhile and this was the same smile he had when my sim-girl up and left my house to marry his evil, scientist sim, who made her work all day while he made potions. I think the scientist’s name was Jerk-Face, too. Why hadn’t I learned my lesson then?

I grabbed the controller and logged in my character. I quickly saw what he was grinning about. All of the animals were bringing me letters that Jerk-Face had written them. They went something like this…
Dear Cow….Sleep with one eye open you stupid buttwipe. I’m having steak for dinner! mwahahaha…Love and Kisses, Jerkface

The animals were also wearing new clothes, Jerk-Face exclusives. They were bright red and black nightmares with pictures of devils and skulls painted on them. I glared at my husband and he shrugged.

But, perhaps, the very worst thing he had done was to chase the animals with the butterfly net all week, hitting them so many times that a few left town without saying goodbye. He was quite proud of himself.

“What have you done to my town?!” I asked, wanting to find a butterfly net of my own to beat him over the head with.

“I’ve cleaned out the rabble.” He reported happily.

My face reddened. The animals had coexisted together but the whole town was in mayhem because Jerk-Face had moved in.

“You can’t play anymore.” I said to him, comforting a camel. That would teach him to destroy my fantasy world.

“Thank you.” he said, kissing my cheek and heading to his computer to turn on Grand Theft Auto.

I played AC after that, but it was never the same. I missed my friends that had moved away, and weeks later animals were still bringing me the letters Jerk-Face had written. Without anything to capture, beat, kill or zap my husband had been bored. Though we were both gamers our tastes differed greatly in genres. He had given mine a try, but in the end it played out his way.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 05:26:04 GMT

Video Game Ratings and Kids

Do stores that sell video games, always, and I mean ALWAYS, check for ID on questionable titles? I have it on pretty good authority they do not.

"I always check for ID, but my boss does not. He wants a sale," says one assistant manager for a top gaming franchise. When I asked someone who worked for a competing store, he too agreed that they can be pretty lax in checking for ID. "If it gets busy and we have a long line, I don’t check for ID. I don’t think I checked ID once during the holiday season. If a kid wants a game bad enough he is going to buy it or steal it. I’d rather have him buy it."

While not everyone agrees that games should have a rating feature, parents certainly have the right to make sure their kids are buying games that are indicitive of their values. A few years ago Mortal Combat was as close to real violence as we could get with video games, but now technology and a driving market force have changed the way we game. There are titles where you can do virtually anything: gamble, kill a person, solicit prostitution, have sex, and more.

So is it the responsibility of the gaming stores to make sure your kids are buying games that are deemed appropriate? Perhaps. That system, however, is not fail-proof. "If a kid knows that one sales-clerk always checks ID they will just wait until another salesclerk is on duty," says a hard-core gamer I know. "There will always be someone willing to bend the rules."

Bottom line parents, it’s up to you to keep your kids safe. Go shopping with your kids or ask them to show you the game once they have bought it. The game ratings range from EC (anyone 3+) to Adult Only, and most ratings are labeled in a very easy to see place on the box. If in doubt look it up online to determine what others are saying about it. If the game goes against what you are trying to teach your kids talk to them about it and help them find a more appropriate title. Or play the game with them and talk to them about ‘real life vs fantasy’ (if it’s a game thats only slightly questionable). Don’t rely on the gaming industry to do all of the work for you. It’s a business, and because 40% of gamers are under 18*, this is a demographic that some stores are willing to cater to, even when they shouldn’t.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 05:20:38 GMT

Disney's Toon Town

Looking for a safe, MMORPG that kids can play? Disney’s Toon Town promises a fun, online world for kids to explore in a safe environment. Communication is limited to pre-selected thought bubbles, unless you know the person ‘in real life’ (then you obtain a password which enables you to chat to one another). To find out more about Toon Town I asked my friend Angel, age 6, what she thought about it.

Me: How long did you play Toon Town?

Angel: I don’t know….I think a couple weeks.

Me: Did you buy TT or did you get the free download?

Angel: I don’t know…they just did it (points at her parents)

Me: What did you do in Toon Town?

Angel: I played mostly. I’m an explorer girl.

Me: Explorer girl?

Angel: Yeah, I go from city-to-city. There are lots of different towns. I think, let me count..1, 2, 3, 4, 5 towns to go to.

Me: I see. What was your favorite thing to do in ToonTown?

Angel: Fighting cogs. There are robots called cogs you are supposed to fight. You fight them with these things called gags.

Me: Cartoon gags?

Angel: Yes.

Me: Did you beat the cogs?

Angel: Mostly I won. Depends on what level.

Me: Do you get costumes?

Angel: No, but you can buy clothes with something called clothing tickets. It’s kinda hard. Sometimes you can beat enough cogs to earn one.

Me: Do you fight any cog?

Angel: Yes, you go into a room and fight cogs. If you win without dying you get stuff.

Me: What happens when you die?

Angel: You go back to your starting town and get ice cream.

Me: That doesn’t sound too bad.

Angel: It’s really not.

Me: I heard you get houses also, and maybe pets.

Angel: Yes, you buy them with jellybeans. Guess what? In the different areas you are in the more money animals cost.

Me: Can you type to other people in Toon Town?

Angel: You can only talk to people you know. (Mom says in the background: You have to get their password directly from their mouth, otherwise you can’t talk to them. There are pre-selected things to ’say’ in the game, but unless you have the password, that is all the communication you have with others.)

Me: Did you make any friends in Toon Town?

Angel: Oh, lots and lots of friends. You get to see their thought bubbles over their heads (from the preselected words).

Me: Anything else I should know about Toon Town?

Angel: You can be a cat, dog, duck, rabbit or a mouse.

Me: That sounds fun.

Angel: It is. But one thing I don’t think is fair. Sometimes the cogs you fight are really, really big. I dont think it’s fair that a little toon towner should fight a very big cog. Do you? It’s really not fair.

Me: That must be frustrating.

Angel: *sighs* It is.

Me: Well, would you recommend this game to other kids?

Angel: Yes, I would recommend this game to other kids.

So, Angel gives it the thumb’s up. Other kids I’ve met who play Toon Town love it too. I wouldn’t be a very good reporter if I didn’t tell you this, however. Toon Town has quite a large adult following. Don’t log your child in thinking they will only interact with other kids. Many grownups have taken quite a fancy to the game. Most of them will have good intent, but the world is a strange place. Also, a friend of mine (a grown up friend) reported to me that he met several toon-towners who have learned to bypass the friends only code by arranging their house furniture in a way that spells out their password. Surprisingly, these players turned out to be kids. Yes, Toon Town is safe, relatively speaking, but with anything, parents should still be alert and involved.