Purse v. Game

The other day I was posed with an odd situation.

A friend had explained to me that he was interested in buying a "sports" type game that is new. The new price of this game is roughly $60 but being like the rest of us he too is burdened by the ewwwy economy and said that a reasonable price for the game was $40. Now my automatic dislike for sports games and the little to nothing new that they offer with sequels I began a sort of rant that even $40 was not a low enough price for the game. So eventually we ended the discussion agreeing to disagree and the night concluded.

The very next day I encountered a purse, yes a girly object of little necessity versus great want, that I felt compelled to have. Now, I rationalized that it was not acceptable to spend full price on the purse but it was on sale for $44, only slightly more than what my friend was willing to pay for the game he wanted.

How could I rationalize it was alright for me to spend just about the same amount for something that serves very little difference from what I already have and not find that same rationalization for this game my friend wanted? Am I too girly and not hardcore enough to be called a gamer?

This brings me to the point of this little tale, want versus need, gaming versus being girly. As a female gamer I work on keeping a happy balance with my hobby and my femininity, but is that actually possible? Am I as hardcore as the boys or do I lack that intensity because I find just as much enjoyment from the girly things?

Let me know your opinions in the comment section. : )

Test your NES knowledge

As I was stumbling this evening I came across a fun Nintendo quiz. As I'm working on a NES play through this quiz fits right in.

So I'm a noob at this NES quiz, but how well do you think you know your Nintendo games? Take the quiz and post the results in the comments. Good luck!

NES Quiz
Click on the link to test your Nintendo game skills.

Oooops for A

So I stand corrected on my ABC play through set. I actually do have a game that starts with the letter A and it is, drum roll please, Al Uncer Jr.'s Turbo Racing.

Turbo Racing is similar to other Nintendo racing games, especially similar to Rad Racer with some subtle differences. Some added game elements are: car upgrades, pit stops and three game play styles.

Here is my sample of Al Uncer Jr.'s Turbo Racing


Next is Beetlejuice based off the feature film and animated series. You play as the ghoul with most Beetlejuice who is trying to scare away the Deetz family. It's a side-scrolling game for the most part, with some overhead game play scattered throughout the game. Exploring through the Maitland house you get scare upgrades to assist with the many enemies and bosses.

Here is my attempt at Beetlejuice

Going Back to the Future

Going back in time to when I learned the alphabet with a play through set of all my Nintendo games from A ,or in this case, B through Z.

First on the list is Back to the Future 2 and 3. Developed by Beam Software the game is a combo of sorts squishing the the last two movies in the series into one not so good game. A single player game for the NES that didn't offer a save feature, a map function and is lengthy, is talked about as being one of the worst games ever.

I have had this game since childhood and I have never gotten past the first stage and never experienced the part 3 section of the game. It is kind of sad that Back to the Future 2 and 3 was so horrible because the first game in the series, while hard, is beatable and fun.

Here is my most recent attempt:

No Nintendo Game

A particular line from rapper Eminem's new single, "Love the way you lie," caught my gamer ear.

The line in question is, "You don't get another chance, Life is no Nintendo game." While yes you only get one life, or in gamer lingo one man, life kind of is like a Nintendo game.

A bit about Nintendo games:

• They are expensive and they rarely get cheaper
• They are all about being fun
• They are some of the hardest (frustrating) games ever
  
• They strive to be unique and memorable

A bit about Life:

• From birth to death, experiencing life is expensive
• Journeying through life is a fun adventure
  
• No matter what path you take life is hard
  
• Life is the most unique thing their is and each life has its memorable moments for everyone that crosses your path.

That's just a few of the obvious comparisons for the few that may have thought the same thing when they hear this song.

Enjoy the musica of Eminem and Rihanna

Racing the rad way

Designed by Square in 1987, Rad Racer does everything to try and live up to its name, even trying to incorporate 3-D way before it blew up in popularity.

At the car selection screen, the player can pick one of two cars: a Ferrari 328 or an F1 racing machine, both drive exactly the same though, just personal preference on what you want to drive. Once you pick your car the racing begins. There are eight courses in the game that get progressively harder and all have the option to be played in 3-D.

Programmed by Nasir Gebelli, designed and supervised by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and music by Nobuo Uematsu, these three who contributed similar roles to the final fantasy series, surprisingly are responsible for making Rad Racer an enjoyable game for the NES.

Now here is my non successful attempt at Rad Racer.

Scott Piligrim is the next Kick-Ass?

Well not literally but the next big comic to movie adaptation, is Scott Pilgrim vs The World and it looks eerily as awesome as Kick-Ass did, just from the trailer.

Check it and see if you agree.



Based off the comic series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. The series and the movie are about 23-year-old Canadian Scott Pilgrim, who plays bass guitar in a band called "Sex Bob-Omb." He is an uber slacker who falls head over heals for an American delivery girl Ramona V. Flowers, but before he can date her he must defeat her seven "evil exes."

Is this the next awesome summer film? You can find out when it hits theaters summer 2010.

The Kick Ass summer movie

Average high school boy becomes real life superhero, minus the super powers, in the super awesome Kick-Ass movie.

Kick-Ass hits all the bases: comedy, action and even romance, in this comic to movie adaptation. Based off of the comic series written by Mark Millar and illustrated by John Romita Jr. It was published under Marvel comics' Icon Imprint in February 2008.

The movie is pretty spot on to the original graphic novel. All the characters are are there. For the good guys you have: Kick-Ass, Hit-Girl and Big Daddy. For the villains you have: Red Mist and mob boss John Genovese and his henchmen.

In the movie Hit-Girl steals the show. From her action packed scenes to her equally intense script she alone should makesthe movie worth seeing and owning. But her acting plus the flawless cinematography and the perfectly balanced soundtrack make this the summer to beat this year.

As Kick-Ass says,"With no power, comes no responsibility. Except, *that* wasn't true." Now enjoy the trailer.

Explore the Tales of Mr. McDuck

Going old school with a review of Duck Tales 2 for the NES.

Scrooge McDuck, Huey, Dewey and Louie are back and on the hunt for lost treasures. Travel to five famous destinations: Niagara Falls, Bermuda Triangle, Mu, Egypt and Scotland. Each level offers bountiful treasures, a treasure map piece and a boss to boot. You can find all seven map pieces but it is not necessary to complete the game, but with them you unlock a secret level and more treasure.

Some changes were made with this sequel. The pogo jump now only requires you to press the B button alone and now there is an inventory that can be stocked with health items and safes that save your money, if you were to fail in your quest to be the richest duck in the world.

Enjoy my play through !!

Calling all dungeon crawlers and treasure hunters!!

The mining town of Torchlight needs your help! Traverse the 50 dungeon floors in search of loot, adventure and to secure the safety of the town from the evil bubbling up from beneath it.

While mining the townspeople stumbled upon a type of ore that is the richest and most pure element ever found known as ember. Ember is the essence of magic and a key component in alchemy but it is also a source of much evil. It is on you, the chosen champion, to help rid the town of all the evil crawling out from the dank underbelly of Torchlight.

KEY FEATURES

• Randomization – level layouts are randomly created, so each adventure is unique. Monsters, treasures, puzzles, and items are also different each time you embark on an adventure.
• Easy, approachable interface – The intuitive interface gives players easy access to a rich and varied world.
  
• Retirement System – Once characters are sufficiently leveled up, they can “retire” and bestow specific benefits and perks to new characters.
• Pets – Players will choose a pet to accompany them. Pets can level up along with the player, and will help in battle, carry items, and perform a variety of helpful services.
• Character Classes – Players will create and customize a character and choose an animal companion. Through cosmetic choices, skill path decisions, and the treasures they acquire, each character will be custom-tailored and different.
• Fishing – Players can take a break from the high-energy pace of adventuring to visit one of the fishing holes and relax and see what they can catch. Fish have interesting benefits for the player and pet, and other rewards can also be discovered
• Editor – Runic Games is embracing the modding community by providing an editor so our players can create and design their own content.

Three things really make this game worth purchasing:

1. It's similarity to Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction, Titan Quest and Fate. It's like if these three games were to have mated and then had a spawn, Torchlight would be said spawn. From the music, to the skill tree design, to the randomized level design and even to the story the similarities are too there to be missed. This is all due in part to the developers of the game. Development of the game is led by Travis Baldree, designer of Fate and Max Schaefer and Erich Schaefer, co-designers of Diablo and Diablo II, joined by the team that developed Mythos. While similar, Torchlight still holds its own with its unique pet design, limitless modding and seemingly endless in and out of game extras, including achievements.

Torchlight Town Music


Diablo 2 Tristram Town Music


2. The what's next factor for the game. Right now Torchlight is a single player RPG that is exclusively for the PC but by 2011, there will be an MMORPG version of the game, that is still set in the town of Torchlight, and a version for the Xbox 360. "We're going to put some serious effort into it, pretty quick, getting Torchlight onto consoles," Runic CEO Max Schaefer confessed on The Rumble Pack on March 12, 2010.

3. Price! As has become the trend for most of my posts and most gamers price is a leading factor in purchasing a game. Retail Torchlight goes for $19.99 but you can find it on direct download sites like Steam, Direct2Drive.com, or gamestop.com for as low as $9.99 and on sale for $4.99 .

Boy put that game down!

So while going around the news sites today I came across an article that basically touted that video games are a possible but indirect cause for the decline in males receiving degrees. While this seems odd for me to post something about males and gaming, this does relate to females and gaming too. A "study" was conducted and the conclusion was that males become addicted to games and thus fall behind in their studies. (Click on the link to read the full article)

"Robert Weis and Brittany C Cerankosky of Denison University measured a group of boys' academic baseline achievement and surveyed their parents and teachers as well. They then gave half the boys video-game units. Boys receiving the video-game stations experienced an academic nosedive. The control group of boys without video games continued with solid schoolwork. This established the cause-and-effect relationship." Taken from University World News.

My question for this article and my linking it to females, is why in this case study did they not perform the same trial on a group of females? It seems biased to say that females do not become as addicted to video games when you don't conduct the test or study on a group of girls to come to said conclusion.

More and more woman are emerging in this market and articles like this, while yes it promotes that woman are doing well in school and apparently don't have video games to blame, it also seems to be denying women gamers too. With out a fair and equal case study that had a group of girls that were giving video games and girls that were not it is biased to say that only boys become addicted to games and then begin to fail in their studies.

While I do pat myself on the back for being one of those females that was able to attain a degree, I did it with a huge video game addiction. I know that I am only one female but I also know that there are many more just like me that have done the same.

Defend that Grid

Defense Grid: The Awakening is a similar yet different tower defense game. Swarms of robotic aliens are out to steal your orbs of power and you must defend your grid with varying towers.

The world of Defense Grid is brought to life by a well composed soundtrack, engaging environments and beautifully rendered graphics. There are multiple ways to construct your defense and that leads to a high replayability. Another perk of the game is its diverse enemy selection including 15 different types of alien hordes. With 20 unique levels, a multitude of tower upgrades and budget price tag of $9.99 Defense Grid is worth the try.

Game trailer ahoy !!


And me beating the game !!

Pew Pew !!

So you say you want shooting plants and zombies in your game? Done! With Plants vs Zombies.

A game that is simple, cheap and fun to the point of being addictive, Plants vs Zombies is a great game for any one, gamer or not.

One day you get a letter from these zombies that just want to have fun, oh and eat your brains. You have to put up a defense in your back yard with zombie-zapping plants, including: peashooters, wall-nuts, flaming chili peppers and more to fend off the 26 different brain munching zombies. So think fast and plant even faster or else your brain is num nums for these persistent zombie foes.

• Play five game modes: Adventure, Mini-Games, Puzzle, Survival, plus the stress-free Zen Garden
• Conquer all 50 levels of Adventure mode -- through day, night and fog, in a swimming pool and on the rooftop
• Battle 26 types of zombies including pole-vaulters, snorkelers and “Zomboni” drivers
• Earn 49 powerful perennials and collect coins to buy a pet snail, power-ups and more!

Created buy PopCap Games, the creators of Zuma, Bejeweled and Peggle to name a few, aims to make games that appeal to everyone.

With a motto for making games that, "... are easy to learn, tough to master... and utterly addictive!" as said on PopCap's website. (Click on the link to be redirected to PopCap's website to learn about them) The best part about a majority of PopCap games is the fact that they are free or really cheap. Plants vs Zombies is priced at $9.99 but you can catch it on sale for only $4.99 and it's available every where. You can buy it for your cell phone, on the PC and on your consoles.

Enjoy the trailer!!

So much killing on that floor!

A unique first person shooter for the PC, Killing Floor holds its ground against other more popular FPSs. (click on the link to read the review for Killing Floor on Gamespot's website)

Killing Floor is a survival horror game that offers:

• Co-op and single player options: Survive hordes of mutated experiments gone wrong with up to 6 teammates.
• Seven character perks including: Field Medic, Support Specialist, Sharpshooter, Commando, Berserker, Firebug and Demolitions experts.
• Twenty five weapon choices: Knife, 9mm Pistol, Machete, Axe, Katana, Chainsaw, Handcannon, Dual 9mms, Dual Handcannons, Shotgun, Bullpup, AK47, Lever Action Rifle, Crossbow, L.A.W, Hunting Shotgun, Flame Thrower, M14 EBR, AA12, SCARMK17, MP7M Medic Gun, M32 Grenade Launcher, M79 Grenade Launcher, Pipe bomb and Grenades.

Each time you complete a wave, which entails you killing all the mutants, the next wave is harder and has more mutants than the last. This aspect can make the game very addicting, and with it's unique character perks, grossed out mutants and cheap price tag of $19.99, Killing Floor is worth the buy.

Watch for yourself in the game trailer:

Deadly Premonition, what is this game about...????

After the holiday season my game inventory is huge. On my steam account alone I now have 67 games. (click on the link to learn more about steam) I also now own an Xbox 360, with nine games for that. So my gaming options at the moment really feel limitless and I think the only way that I will ever really try out all of these games is if I have some kind of purpose for playing them. So in the next few weeks keep checking in because there is some hardcore reviewing that will be taking place, starting with Deadly Premonition for the Xbox 360.

Deadly Premonition was released exclusively for the Xbox 360 on Feb. 17, 2010 and is priced at $19.99, which is great for the gamer on a budget. It is a survival horror video game or at least that's what wikipedia and game sites will tell you.

In all actuality it's more of a free-for-all run around puzzle game.

You play as Special Agent Francis York Morgan, you can just call him York everyone else does (insider joke). York has a bit of a split personality and his alter ego is simply known as Zach.

York is an FBI agent sent to Greenvale, a small creepy town, to investigate the murder of a local woman named Anna. As you investigate and profile the townspeople you slowly come to find out that the town is plagued by what the locals call the rainy night serial killer and a fog that brings with it, what appear to be, undead Joker wannabes.

But the story really doesn't seem all that important to the game. As you progress through it you begin to notice that there are so many distractions that the creators intentionally didn't want you to follow the story. For example, during nearly all the cut scenes the background music is playing louder than the characters voices, to the point where, at times it seems like, the characters are trying to compensate for the loud music.

Yes the music is really loud, yes that is a huge table and yes it is all done on purpose!


And the game provides you with an ample amount of side quests that don't progress the story at all but merely provide you with Xbox achievements to boost your gamerscore. (Click on the link to learn more about gamerscore and Xbox live)

Deadly Premonition is entertaining, massively frustrating and flawed and at times scary. It is a unique find that will shine out in any gamers collection and if completed it is one of those games that will give a gamer, "street cred," or at least street cred in the gaming universe.