Category Archives: Gaming

Minute to Win It

Minute to Win It for iOS | iPhone/iPod, Reviews, Action Games, Arcade

Minute to Win It, provided to me by Capcom, is a new iOS game based on NBC’s television program. The game features a variety of one-minute challenges / mini-games. From the graphics and sound to the system of unlockables, the game is very polished. Unfortunately, the challenges are too challenging! …At $1.99, many gamers will likely find themselves frustrated over the challenges. Minute to Win It is available now on iTunes, and if you’re up to the (extreme) challenge, you’ll likely enjoy the game. However, if you’re like me, you may want to see if Capcom tunes the difficulty down a bit.

If the game is patched to become easier, I suspect I’d come back to play more of it. The structure is great, but the the challenges are too hard given the touch controls.

The Video Game Chronology Project

selectbutton :: View topic – The Video Game Chronology Project

Migrating from the Penny Arcade Forums, here is my latest attempt to chronologically place every video game. I am currently in the process of transferring all of this data onto a spreadsheet, but here is the straight list in the meantime. Any omissions, misplaced entries, or games which just shouldn’t be there? Be sure to let me know. Thanks for participating with me in this Herculean and maybe impossible endeavor.

Gorblax of Select Button has compiled a chronological list of as many games as he can based on the setting of the game rather than the release. Why? I have no idea. But I guess it’s interesting to note that Diablo, Diablo II, and Lord of Destruction took place over 1263 to 1265. The project seems worth noting just for how much work Gorblax must have done to compile the list.

Pokemon White and More

Pokémon White Version
I started playing this recently, and it’s been enjoyable. It feels like a reboot of the series. It features all new pokemon, and no old ones will be encountered until after the defeat of the Elite Four. The starters seemed cool, and you your pokemon before even leaving the first room. Unforunately, you can’t trade until after the first gym, so getting all the starters would be difficult. You learn to run pretty quickly, which is nice. I’m not sure why you can’t just start the game with the ability to run though. This seems like a bad design decision. The professor tells you about “someone’s” PC early on in the game, and then within abut about a half hour, you meet this “someone.” It also seemed like a chuckle and nod at that old series staple.
My only complaint so far, and it really isn’t the game’s fault, is that I can’t stop grinding for the correct nature. It’s so time consuming and annoying, but spending countless hours training a pokemon of the wrong nature sounds horrifying. I’m about ten hours into the game yet I only have one badge.
The villains are Team Plasma, an organization who denounce mankind’s enslavement of wild pokemon. They seem sort of… right on, actually.The game also features C-Gear, which is the in-game tool you use to play with others. What’s interesting is that it uses an always-on approach to see who’s playing near you. I’d rather conserve battery life myself though. Also, they seem to have removed the underground, which I enjoyed, and replaced it with the Entranet and Dream World, which I either dislike or don’t fully understand.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
Playground Brigade is now 5/6 Blackwing Descent, 2/4 Bastion of Twilight, and 1/2 Throne of the Four Winds. We’re also not raiding anymore. We also cleared up to General Vezax in Ulduar, which was fun. A lot of the guild hadn’t seen much of Ulduar. For some reason, General Vezax never spawned. We did, however, defeat Algalon the Observer, which was awesome. I got the Reply-Code Alpha and started the chain for the key. With 4.1 on the way, I really need to get working on at least finishing Mount Hyjal. I’m also still one heroic short of Cataclysm Dungeon Hero.
GTA4: The Ballad of Gay Tony
I’m only a few hours into this game still because gem likes to be there when I play it to watch. I’m enjoying it so far though. In the latest level I played, I got to steal a military helicopter and then use it to blow up a yacht and some smaller boats. Pretty fun.
Super Meat Boy, The Force Unleashed II, and Beat Hazard
Here are three games that I was playing a lot previously but haven’t played in a while. I definitely want to get back to the first two. If I don’t get back to Beat Hazard, I at least reached the maximum rank already.
iOS: Infinity Blade, Doodle Lab 101, and Angry Birds
I purchased Infinity Blade recently, which is an interesting action-RPG. I need to put more time into it though to see how it holds up. I’ve also been playing Doodle Lab 101, which feels like a simple little Flash game honestly. You have to draw paths for differently colored bouncing balls to reach the correct goal. You also have to combine the balls to create the right colors. Lastly, I’ve been playing more Angry Birds. It doesn’t deserve all the hype it got, but it’s fun.
To Play Later
As usual, there are a lot of games I’d like to get around to playing. I started both Demon’s Souls and No More Heroes 2 but didn’t put too much time into them. I should finish up BlazBlue and Guilty Gear XX^Core Plus as well as play BlazBlue: Continuum Shift. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 also looks pretty fun. Mad World, Blue Dragon,Guild Wars, BioShock and Viva Piñata are all games that I own and have played but never finished. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Odin Sphere, killer7, Psychonauts and God Hand are games I’ve wanted to play but haven’t yet I own them. There’s also the latest Layton, the rest of the Phoenix Wright series, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Epic Mickey, Lost in Shadow, and Armored Core: For Answer. And then there’s an itch to play a shooter – maybe Resistance, Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops, or the newly released and negatively reviewed Homefront.

Another World Ported to iOS

Another World’s Creator Eric Chahi Chooses BulkyPix And DotEmu To Port His Iconic Game to iPhone And iPad | News | Game Boyz

San Francisco, CA – March 3rd, 2011 – Eric Chahi, the visionary and the architect behind Another World, (aka Out of this World) today revealed that developer DotEmu and Publisher BulkyPix have been chosen to bring his iconic game to the iPhone and iPad platforms. Recognized by the gaming community for its pioneering and highly stylized vector graphics and animation this the French masterpiece goes is even today remembered as one of the greatest, most unusual titles of its era.

This is pretty awesome (assuming it’s a good port). Another World was a great game and one that I never finished. I’d love to get the opportunity to try again on my iPhone.

Pucca Noodle Rush

Pucca Noodle Rush for iPhone | iPhone/iPod, Reviews, Strategy

Pucca Noodle Rush ia fun game! It does contain the animation and sound problems I mentioned, but the problems don’t hurt the gameplay; They simply show a lack of polish. Time-management masters looking for a challenge might be let down, but if you’re looking for a cute, fun time-management game, this fits the bill nicely!

If it wasn’t about Pucca, I probably would have enjoyed it far less, but it was a cute little game.

LGB Representation GOGmix

GOGmix – GOG.com via GayGamer.net
Good Old Games allows you create GOGmixes, list of games based around a topic of your choosing. Recently an article on GayGamer.net announced that the writer of that article had recently created a GOGmix of games that had LGB representation in them. It’s worth noting that this list can only contain games available on GOG, but it’s interesting nonetheless. Also – I’ve never played any of the games on the list, but I’ve been interested in both The Longest Journey and The Last Express.

Patch 4.1

Patch 4.1 Public Test Realms Coming Soon – World of Warcraft via WoW Insider

That’s right, folks. Development on the first major content patch for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is well underway! We’re currently making preparations to bring some of the initial content and updates we’ve been working on for this patch to the Public Test Realms. So you ask, “what will we find in the first 4.1 test client?” (You did ask that, right?) Well, let me tell you!

4.1 will come with lots of minor tweaks that I don’t feel like talking about. But the fact that we have notes on it means it’s coming soon. If it’s coming to the PTR soon, it’ll be live not too long after. I really don’t think finishing heroic mode and the achievements of the current tier is going to be an option. However, as we’re 8/12, I think finishing normal mode is achievable.
The patch also mentions new heroic dungeons! Zul’Gurub and Zul’Aman will be back as heroic 5-man dungeons in a new tier of heroics above the current Cataclysm heroics! The rare mounts will all be back with updated models to distinguish them from the originals! Yay, rare mounts!

Gemini Rue Review

Gemini Rue | PC, Reviews, Adventure

Gemini Rue, formerly known as Boryokudan Rue, is a new PC game developed by Josh Nuernberger. Published and provided to me by Wadjet Eye Games and Dave Gilbert, Gemini Rue was a 2010 Independent Games Festival Student Showcase Winner. Nuernberger has created a wonderful point-and-click adventure game featuring a dark, sci-fi future.
The game’s neo-noir narrative takes players through a grim future in which trust should be withheld and the Boryokudan crime syndicate controls the Gemini system. The story kept me at the edge of my seat through the entire game. In fact, not being able to talk about the game while playing my review copy was almost painful! Gemini Rue explores the themes of individuality, identity, ethics, loyalty, and what it means to truly be who you are.

Finally the embargo on this game is over! Gemini Rue is an amazingly great adventure game I had the pleasure of playing recently. The setting and atmosphere intrigued me, the narrative kept me interested and playing, and the ending was awesome. I end up having to review a lot of mediocre stuff, but I never expected to get to review something so awesome.

The Death of Hudson

The Downfall of Hudson – A Behind the Scenes Look via Joystiq.

It’s now official: Konami has completely taken over Hudson. As a result, all of Hudson’s operations will be folded into Konami, and most unfortunate of all, the US branch of Hudson closed its office doors for good, with a number of Hudson’s outstanding titles now in limbo.

John Lee, formerly of Hudson, gives an account of how Hudson’s downfall came to pass. Included in that, however, are a lot of high points as well. It’s a fascinating read for people who really care about and are interested in the industry.