02-26-09

Using Walkthroughs: When It’s Not Cheating

How many times have you gotten stuck in an adventure game because you missed one tiny little pixel you somehow neglected to click?  Or because you couldn’t make sense of the convoluted story hinted at within the 300 pages of books and diaries the game expects you to read?  Or maybe you didn’t realize that you were supposed to combine the rope with the rubber chicken (how silly of you) which turns out to be miraculously critical in making your great escape.  It’s hair-pulling moments like these when the temptation to use a walkthrough is at its strongest.  It’s the inevitable ethical dilemma all adventure gamers must face: do I continue to waste hours getting nowhere, or do I take one little peek at the answers?  We’re torn between the desire to feel satisfied in solving puzzles for ourselves, and on the other hand, the desire to merely get on with the rest of our lives.

If you’re like me, you’ll reach one of these maddening impasses and at least try to give it your best shot.  You’ll click and double-click everything, retrace your steps, talk to everyone, and exhaust a good hour or two of playtime before your brain transforms into Jello and your once optimistic powers of reasoning deteriorate into thoughts of obscene and utter contempt for the makers of such mindfucks, that were obviously designed specifically to destroy you.  I’ve been there.

Case in point:  Last night while playing The Black Mirror, I got stuck in William Gordon’s tower study room and for the life of me could not figure out why.  I knew I was looking for a diary, and I knew it would be in this room.  I picked up every object there was to pick up, tried combining items to no avail, and clicked and double-clicked on every square pixel of screen real estate that I could.  Yet the game would not let me leave the room, stating that “I need to explore this area more thoroughly.”  When I realized I had wasted over an hour in this single room, I decided to sacrifice my pride and guiltily consult a walkthrough, feeling stupid and defeated.  And you know what it turns out I was doing wrong?  I needed to right-click on the damn desk drawer to find the secret hidden diary, not left-click it.  (WTF!)  So even though I had already figured out exactly where to go and what to do, an unfortunate technicality prevented my progression.

When it comes to adventure games, I believe there’s a fine line between difficulty and poor game design.

Let’s be honest, game designers sometimes do things that are just plain stupid and/or  make no sense.  And it’s circumstances like the one described above when I will happily consult a walkthrough and not feel guilty afterward.  When we learn puzzle solutions in a walkthrough, we will usually experience one of two reactions:

1. Wow, how could I have missed that!??
2. OMFG that is SOOOOO stupid!

The first reaction typically leads to feelings of guilt and shame for having looked up the answer.  But if it’s the second reaction, should we feel justified?  I say yes.  Can it really be considered cheating if a game’s poor design or quirky control system practically requires you to cheat?  (Of course, the only problem is, you won’t know the difference until you’ve cheated…)

So in the interest of restoring everyone’s dignity during our moments of desperation, I’d like to propose the following:

Using a walkthrough is not cheating when…

• You already know where to go and what to do, but cannot figure out exactly how to do it.
• You discover something important or connect the dots earlier than the game’s protagonist, and you must then do excessive amounts of backtracking to bring your less intelligent alter-ego up to speed.
• Terrible control or interface designs make otherwise easy tasks exceedingly difficult.
• The game has known bugs that inhibit progression.
• Excessive use of red herrings featured in the game.
• Puzzle solutions turns out to be almost completely illogical, with no prior clues given for how to go about solving them.
• Solution requires combining two completely unrelated objects in a nonsensical fashion to become keystone of epic McGuyver-like proportions.

I remember playing adventure games before the Internet.  Before walkthroughs, before GameFAQs.  Before you could just Google a description of the exact part of the game you were stuck on and be met with hundreds of detailed, pictorial solutions.  Those were the days.  You felt a real sense of accomplishment when you completed games.  Nowadays it’s far too easy to Google up the answers, or worse, unintentionally stumble upon cheats and spoilers posted online.  I guess one solution could be to avoid the Internet completely while you’re playing a game, but let’s be realistic here.  These are the reasons why I’m thankful for sites like Universal Hint System which is helpful without giving too much away.  After all, the very reason we play adventure games is because we enjoy games that reward us for our cleverness and intuition, not punish us with frustration and feelings of inferiority.

02-20-09

A love letter to the Sega Genesis/CD

Remember the sheer awesomeness of Sonic the Hedgehog?  Remember how great the 6-button controller was?  Remember Sega Visions magazine?

I got my first glimpse into that 16-bit world one summer when my older cousin came to visit and brought along his shiny new Sega Genesis.  All I knew at the time was that it wasn’t a Nintendo, the only console I’d ever really known.  The Sega Genesis was black and mysterious, almost as if it were intentionally designed to be in stark contrast with the pedestrian light gray of Nintendo.  I had no concept of graphics, hardware, or these things called “bits.” I just knew video games were fun to play.  But when my cousin showed me those early Genesis games for the first time–games like Golden Axe and Alex Kidd–my world changed.  These games looked like nothing I had ever seen before.  I vividly remember the first time my cousin and I played Altered Beast.  The characters looked real. The sound effects used real voices (POWER UP!).  It blew my little 7-year-old mind.  Suddenly my Nintendo games seemed boring and amateur.

And you must admit, the graphics were amazing for 1990.  It was at a time when most kids had never heard of Sega Genesis, and if they did, their parents probably couldn’t afford to buy them one.  And if they could, good luck convincing them it was somehow different or better than “that Nintendo you already have.”  Lots of begging and tons of chores later, I was one of the proud but few kids in my neighborhood with a Sega Genesis.  When I went to the local video rental store (this was before Blockbuster), I was one of the handful of customers who had any reason to go near the small but brand spanking new selection of Genesis games.

Two years later, Super Nintendo arrived.  And inventiably, us kids were divided on whose video game system was superior. (Funny how some things never change.)  The lucky kids had both.  The rest of us were forced to choose one or the other.  The Super Nintendo kids were the softies, the kids with the “toy” console.  Us Sega kids were the hardcore gamers, the ones with the console that actually showed blood in Mortal Kombat.  Choosing your alliance was critical to your social status and geek cred, and I defended my console’s honor with a noble fist.  A side-by-side screenshot comparison of every single game looked more realistic on the Genesis, and that was all the justification I needed.  And though years later I eventually did get a Super Nintendo (and yes it was a great console) for the majority of the 1990s I was first and foremost a Sega girl.

Remember this?

Naturally when the Sega CD came out, I knew I had to have that too.  And like the Genesis, the Sega CD blew me away with its graphics and sound.  Video games on a compact disc?  Sega has always been ahead of its time.  (Their experimentation and forward thinking is perhaps the reason for where they’re at right now, but that’s another blog post for another time.)  Before Playstation, even before the Panasonic 3DO, us Sega CD owners were playing massive games with full-motion video and CD-quality sound.  The Sega CD is also the console (or should I say pseudo console) that really ignited my love for adventure games.  Willy Beamish, Snatcher, Rise of the Dragon; no other console was putting out games like these.  I remember lusting after the CDX, one of the first multi-purpose consoles on the market.

Although it eventually became unpopular, I kept right on playing my Genesis/CD, even when the games began to disappear from that local video rental store.  There were so many great games, the console kept me playing for a long time after its eventual demise.  Over the years other consoles came and went in my life, and somewhere in between I got Saturn and Dreamcast too.  But my fondest Sega memories center around the Genesis/CD years, which to this day remains my favorite console of all time.

I guess what I’m really trying to say is, I heart you, Sega.  Thanks for making my childhood a little more awesome.

02-13-09

Worst Valentine’s Day Gifts for Gamers

Valentine’s Day is just 1 day away.  So what have you gotten for your sweetheart who loves video games?

Stuck for ideas? There’s a ton of good blog posts out there recommending awesome V-day gifts for the special gamer in your life.  Great stuff like  this, any of these, and (my personal favorite) this.

But for all the great Valentine’s Day gifts for gamers, there’s a whole lot of bad ones.  And bad Valentine’s Day gifts can lead to crying, shame, and the withholding of sex.  Lucky for you, I’m here to help you avoid such pitfalls by reviewing some of the worst gifts possible.  This is especially helpful for you non-gamers who know you want to get your Valentine something gamer-related, but have no idea what NOT to buy.   And if you’re a gamer yourself, you should know better.

Warning: Giving your significant other any of the following items for Valentine’s Day may result in a swift and immediate breakup.

Wii Fit

There’s nothing like giving your partner a Valentine’s Day gift that not so subtly suggests they should lose some weight.  While I don’t think it’s quite as bad for a girl to give this to her man, I do pity the guy who makes the mistake of buying this for his girlfriend, especially if she didn’t ask for it. Getting a Wii Fit is analogous to receiving a bathroom scale, which, FYI, usually tops the lists of worst Valentine’s Day gifts.  Even if your intentions are completely innocent, stay on the safe side and just assume that on some level, whether subconsciously or not, she will get offended.

Generic Game Systems

For gamers, there’s nothing quite as disappointing as receiving a generic game system as a gift, especially if you had your heart set on a real one.  You know the ones I’m talking about–they’re the no-name “all in one” consoles with built-in games that QVC tries to pawn off on clueless moms around the holidays, or the Brand X game systems that resemble controllers collecting dust in some bargain bin at Toys ‘R Us. They’re easy to identify because A) they’re cheaply priced; B) they usually say things on the box like “you’ll never need to buy another game again!”; and most recognizably C) THEY DON’T FUCKING SAY “NINTENDO”, “XBOX”, or “PS3″ ANYWHERE!  Nobody, I repeat NOBODY wants one of these worthless pieces of shit as a gift on any holiday, let alone Valentine’s Day.  Avoid!

Stupid Gamer T-Shirts

There’s a lot of cool gamer t-shirts out there, but also plenty of uncool ones.  If you plan on getting some geeky gear for your favorite gamer, make sure you at least buy one that doesn’t make them look like a complete douchebag.  As a general rule of thumb, you should avoid anything that says “1337.”  Also terrible are shirts based on shitty games, shirts boldly proclaiming how much you “pwn” (unless of course you really don’t, and you’re just trying to be ironic), unfunny custom design jobs that nobody understands but you, or perhaps this shirt.

Rock Revolution

Also known as the game that ISN’T Rock Band or Guitar Hero.  So if your BF/GF had their heart set on either of these games for Valentine’s Day and you get them Rock Revolution instead, congrats, you fail.  It’s almost like the developers deliberately made this game to trick naive people into buying it thinking it’s one of the other two.  The tracklist is surprisingly not horrible, but hardly any of the songs are performed by original artists.  The game has also received terrible reviews from most critics and game sites.  Compared to Rock Band and Guitar Hero, Rock Revolution is undoubtedly the red-headed stepchild.

Plug ‘n’ Play TV Games

These little one-trick ponies are a close cousin to the aforementioned Generic Game Systems, and they come in a wide variety of games ranging from crappy to crappier.  These are the kinds of video game products you buy for someone that only likes or has ever played one video game in their entire life (usually Tetris), your grandmother who only knows how to play card games, or young children who you don’t yet trust enough not to fuck up a real console.  These plug ‘n’ play devices are typically very gimmicky, with product designs that go out of their way to let you know what game you’re playing, and uncomfortable controllers. While there are SOME decent retro plug ‘n’ play devices that mimic classic game consoles, they usually have exceptionally shitty controllers and/or a limited library of built-in games. The only time it’s acceptable to buy one of these toys is if you’re unable to acquire a real Atari or Commodore 64 and are desperate to play your old favorites.  Buy your Valentine the real thing instead!

Hope I saved you from a sex-less Valentine’s Day!

01-06-09

Temple of Storms + Levitate = Awesome

One of the best things about Levitate?  Jumping from extremely high elevations.  Tonight while questing in The Storm Peaks, I found a new winner: The Temple of Storms.  This place is so high up you can’t see the ground from the top.  Perfect.

Know of any other awesome places to jump?

01-02-09

Rock Band 2: The Perfect Game

Okay, I know Rock Band 2 has been out for a few months, but after getting it for Christmas and being completely consumed by it ever since, I feel more than a little compelled to declare my love for it.

My previous Rock Band experience had been limited to a one-night stand with Rock Band 1 at a seedy karaoke bar in Baltimore where the guitars and drums had seen better days and the same bunch of drunk douchebags kept getting up to play “Wanted Dead Or Alive” over and over and over again.  And knowing how expensive it was to buy the whole outfit, I figured I’d wait it out and keep myself occupied with the Guitar Hero series I already owned and loved for PS2.  Besides, I had heard about Rock Band’s hardware issues, the drums breaking, the guitar’s strummer sucking, and felt fully justified not ever buying it.

So when Rock Band 2 came out and I heard about all its features, new songs, and improvements over the original Rock Band, it immediately went on my wishlist.  But being somewhat broke around that time and trying to save money for Christmas shopping, I held off.

And then I got Rock Band 2 for Christmas, and I felt like Ralphie opening his Red Ryder BB gun.

Fun Solo Play

I took it home and set it up immediately, where it is currently dominating my living room.  I cranked the volume on my surround sound system and tried a couple of Quickplay Solos on the guitar just to warm things up–I’ve had difficutly putting it down ever since.  Since I was already familiar with the Guitar Hero series, I had no problems playing guitar for Rock Band 2 and was suprised at the quality of the guitar controller.  Very smooth, nicely weighted, and realistic-looking.  Next I tried out the drums, which I had never played before, and I admit it took some getting used to.  My hand-eye coordination is awesome, but my foot-eye coordination?  Not so much.  Hitting those beats embedded in the foot pedal beats were rough, and I’m glad nobody was around on my maiden voyage of rock to watch me make a complete fool of myself.  But still, the drums are FUN.  Surprisingly so.  And I’m getting better.  Then I tried out the mic and sang for a few songs (again grateful that nobody was around) and by that point the sun was coming up and I couldn’t tell you where the time went.

Awesome Multiplayer

The next night I invited family over, anxious to try out the multiplayer.  I should preface this by saying  that except for my brother-in-law, my family does NOT play video games.  But with a few drinks in them and my sincere promise not to laugh, they let loose–on Easy mode, of course.  The gameplay is so infectious on multiplayer since everyone’s trying to do their best so they don’t screw up the song for the other people in the band.  And it helps that the music is great.  I was really impressed how much fun it was for a bunch of non-gamers.  Also, the character creation process was really fun; everyone had a good time with that.

Tour Mode is Addictive

Then my boyfriend and I started a band (I’m the drummer, he’s the lead guitarist) and playing through all the venues and racking up fans and cash is super fun.  Although I think some gigs completely whore you–$20 bucks for a 5-star performance?  Seriously, GTFO.  Warning: playing Rock Band 2 with your significant other will lead to arguments.  Like when I want to spend all our money on cute slutty outfits for my character, and he wants to save up for better quality instruments.

New to Rock Band period?

Here’s why you should buy Rock Band 2 instead of Rock Band 1:

• Ability to purchase lots of additional tracks = unlimited replay value
• Improved drum set, compatible with cymbal kit add-on (sold separately)
• Improved guitar with better strum bar and more realistic feel
• You can import all the songs from Rock Band 1 (for $5/500 points)
• No Fail mode
• Online world tour play

I can’t see any reason to even go back and purchase Rock Band 1.  Rock Band 2 is really that much better.

Awesome solo game?  Check.  Awesome multiplayer game?  Check.  Kickass music?  Check.  Fun for both gamers and non-gamers?  Check.  Just a few reasons why I think Rock Band 2 is the perfect game.

01-01-09

My Gamer’s New Year’s Resolutions for 2009

In 2009, I resolve to:

Quit buying into the industry hype leading up to huge game launches.  So far it has continually lead to disappointment.

Give more love to my old game systems. I have a closet full of old consoles and games that probably miss me.  I hope to find some time in 2009 to fall in love with them all over again.

Finish games before starting new ones. I am probably least likely to succeed at this one, but it’s a noble aspiration all the same.

Master the Hard mode on guitar in Rock Band.  I do all right on Hard, but some of the more wicked solos make my fingers hurt and my fans disappear.  Of course, then I watch things like this and it makes me weep.

Level my warlock to 80. I have less and less time these days to play WoW, but I’m hoping I can carve out a few days in 2009 to level my oft-neglected alt.

Play more adventure games. Even though it’s getting harder and harder to find decent titles within this unpopular genre, I’ll continue trying to seek out and discover great new point and click style games I love so much, and feel good about supporting the mostly indie developers who still make them.

Embrace the game industry’s desire to make games that appeal to girls, even though they’re getting it all wrong.  At least they’re trying, right?

Stop spending so much money on Wii & Xbox Live points. It’s just too easy and convenient to get in trouble going shopping on these next gen consoles!  Actually, I think I’m just addicted to watching Mario run across my screen…

And finally…

Break down and buy a widescreen HDTV this year. Because right now I look too much like the guy in the above pic.

It’s a tall order, but my mind is open and my thumbs are ready.  Here’s to a fun and productive 2009!

12-31-08

2008 Kind of Sucked for Gamers

So it’s New Year’s Eve, and right on cue my annual bout of gamer’s retrospection is kicking in.  This is normally the part where I look back on all the games that came out during the year and reflect on how awesome the year in gaming has been.  But as 2008 comes to a close, I’m left feeling more disappointed than affectionate over this past year’s offerings.  And I’ve come to a somewhat alarming realization: 2008 kind of sucked for gamers.

2008 was supposed to be “the year for gamers” right?  But what did that really mean?  For the video game industry (well, except perhaps Sony) it meant huge sales figures and overhyped sold-out game launches, despite the failing economy.  (What recession?)

But for us gamers, 2008 was mostly a year of sequels and rehashes that we gladly lined up and shelled out big bucks for–again.  Blockbuster titles like Grand Theft Auto IV, Fallout 3, Fable 2, Gears of War 2… Noticing a pattern here?  Where was the originality and innovation in 2008?  And I’m not just talking about killer graphics–that’s something none of these games were short on.  I’m talking about the gameplay itself.  Riveting and unpredictable storylines, amazing characters, truly immersive worlds you can spend hours getting lost in–where were these things?  The games of 2008 seemed to be all style over substance, more hype and high-tech than moving and memorable.  Brittany Vincent over at TGR sums up my feeling exactly.  Where is the heart?

What was this year’s big “it” game?  GTA IV, according to Spike TV who awarded it Game of the Year.  Seriously?  I wonder how dead the horse has to be before the game companies stop beating it.  I don’t think I could bear another Call of Final Grand Theft of War 5 release.  I don’t care how realistic a game looks if that’s the only thing worth playing it for.  I don’t care if I can pick up and throw every object I see.

What I do care about is “that feeling” and I’m sure you know the one I mean–that euphoric feeling that can only come from playing a really amazing video game.  And that’s something 2008 hasn’t given me.

12-16-08

Awesome RPG Openings

It wasn’t so long ago that RPGs were simple affairs involving a few different-colored pixels with a sword roaming over an endlessly similar landscape fighting other different-colored pixels to mind-numbingly repetitive music (I’m looking at you, Dragon Warrior).

But over the years, as game consoles have evolved, so too has the gameplay and the immersive experience we’ve come to expect from RPGs.  With plots and characters that completely suck us in as we journey alongside our hero, RPGs have been elevated to the level of storytelling art.  And one of the best ways RPGs plunge us into these vast worlds of might and magic is through the game’s opening sequence.

Here are a few of my favorites from systems past and present:

Lunar Silver Star Story Complete

Platform: Playstation
Year: 1998

A re-make of the original Lunar (Sega CD), Silver Star Story’s opening features a great original song that introduces our hero, Alex, and his love interest Luna, while giving us a glimpse of all the party characters we’ll meet along the way in our quest to become a Dragonmaster and defeat the evil Ghaleon.

Lunar 2: Eternal Blue

Platform: Sega CD
Year: 1995

Okay, so I may be a little biased putting both Lunar games on my list, but this opening for the original Lunar 2: Eternal Blue was pretty impressive for its time, considering the depth of its storytelling and the Sega CD’s limitations.  A lengthy introduction that combines both story and credits, we see Lucia’s awakening on the Blue Star one thousand years after the first game’s events to her ominous premonition for the world of Lunar.  Beautiful music and atmospheric visuals, Lunar 2 remains my favorite RPG of all time.

Wild Arms

Platform: Playstation
Year: 1996

The Wild Arms opening introduces Rudy, Jack, and Cecelia, three unlikely heroes whose destinies intertwine to take up ARMs and save the land of Filgaia.  A beautiful intro to an amazing game.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Platform: PC, Xbox 360
Year:  1996

Emporer Uriel Septim speaks his dying words with a little help from Patrick Stewart.  Does it get much more epic than this? A fitting intro for one of the most epic RPGs ever made.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Platform: Wii
Year: 2006

An understated but effective intro that sets the mood for the entire game, the opening for Twilight Princess harkens back to The Ocarina of Time with Link riding his faithful Epona through the twilight-shrouded landscape of Hyrule.

12-12-08

Sony PS3 Sales Slip, Not Surprisingly

Today CNN Money reports that sales of Sony’s PS3 have plummeted 19% from last year’s figures and the console is literally “dying on the shelves.”  Meanwhile, Xbox 360’s 2008 sales have improved over 2007 and Nintendo’s Wii continues to be a sellout since its launch.

So why am I not surprised?

Huge Pricetag

When it launched in November 2006, the PS3 cost $500 for a 40G model, and $600 for a 60G model.  And that price only included one controller and no games.  Who could afford to spend that kind of money on a bare-bones video game console?  Certainly not me, and I’m a single adult in the 18-35 demo with a great job who loves video games–their target market.  So I can’t even imagine how parents struggled to afford this price-bloated piece of plastic plus a $60 game game or two, trying to give their kid a merry Christmas.

But even though the console’s price has dropped several times and there’s now a wider range of models to choose from, the still-pricey PS3 continues to struggle.  If Sony’s console sales hadn’t been disappointing since launch, I might chalk it up to the recession, but that’s not easy to do when nearly every other game company seems to be thriving despite the economy’s current hard knocks.

Console Competition

When it comes to video games, Sony is a relative newcomer to the scene compared to Nintendo who has maintained a huge following since the original NES ignited a love for video games in many of our hearts as kids in the 80s.  And over the years, Nintendo has always put out quality systems (I like to pretend VirtualBoy never existed) with great libraries of games that have been fun and innovative.  The Wii, despite its silly name, was destined to be just as successful.  So why did Sony think it was a good idea to choose a launch date for PS3 so close to the Wii’s?  This is where I think they really underestimated the competition.

The PS3 also launched at a time when the Xbox 360 had been out for a year already.  But Microsoft had been quietly biding its time improving the 360’s hardware, building up a solid library of games, and winning players over with its Xbox Live experience.  If Sony was expecting 360 owners to buy a PS3 as well, they certainly didn’t have much of anything new to offer.  I’m willing to bet that most people who already owned 360s went out and bought Wiis instead.

Nothing New to Offer

Sure the PS3 has “amazing graphics”, which has been its main selling point.  But is that all that really matters to gamers?  Sony’s sales have indicated otherwise.  Other than improved graphics and offering a Blu-Ray player at a time when most people didn’t even know what Blue-Ray was, what else did the PS3 offer?  Certainly not an impressive library of games or innovative design over its predecessors.  Even the PS3’s controller design was more of the same.

Disappointing Game Library

The PS3 launched with a pretty underwhelming selction of games that either nobody heard of, or titles that had already been out a long time on the 360.  Compare that to Nintendo Wii, whose launch titles included mega hits like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.  Sony should have offset the console’s huge pricetag by at least offering more compelling titles, especially at launch.  If a console has great games, gamers tend to overlook the price, no matter how ridiculous.  After all, what good is a technologically superior video game system if it doesn’t have good games?   Like many, instead of buying a PS3, I waited to see if any titles would launch later on that compelled me enough to purchase this system.  Two years later, I’m still waiting.

It will be interesting to see what Sony does to try to win over gamers and dig itself out of its hole.  CNN suggests deep price discounts–that would certainly help.  I guess.  My advice to Sony: count your losses and just focus on Playstation 4.

11-29-08

The murloc suit: possibly the best quest ever.

Yep, that’s me dressed up as a murloc.

I know at level 75 I’m unfashionably late to be reporting how cool this level 71 quest is, but that’s what I get for playing WoW on one of the most heavily populated servers.  Now that the shiny newness of Wrath of the Lich King has had a few weeks to wear off, I can actually get the Borean Tundra quests done without them being camped as hell.

To pick up this quest, head to Winterfin Retreat in Borean Tundra and talk to King Mrgl-Mrgl.  He’ll start you on a chain quest beginning with Oh Noes, the Tadpoles! and ending with the actual suit part Surrender…Not!.  Tragically, the suit is only wearable in this part of the zone.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, here’s the back:

Gotta love the heart print underpants.  Not that I was looking…