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Finally, the Wii U is unwrapped, opened, connected, and already has a sticker or two on it. Our Christmas and New Year vacation is over, and our family had a ton of fun.
The actual video gaming didn't begin until near the end of Christmas day proper, as I had to construct the Mario Kart K'Nex sets for the older kids. The sets were pretty easy to build, and fairly nifty to boot. For the curious:
http://www.amazon.com/Nin...35&sr=8-12&keywords=mario+
So that bought me and my Beloved some food-prep and relax time. The later evening was filled with Wii U game-time, and it did not disappoint in the slightest. I recall reading a 'not yet' purchase recommendation for the system from Kotaku, and I just couldn't disagree more. The Wii U will very likely compete with our PS4 for game-time in the years to come. Here's our impressions of the half-dozen titles we have so far:
Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD:
I'm glad this art style survives the ravages of age much better than its contemporaries. Pacing issues aside, I still think this is a marvelous (and gorgeous!) Zelda game. The revisions and gamepad make a great game excellent.
New Super Mario Bros. U
The second most played thus far. Just a fun, fun Mario platformer that becomes a co-op riot with five people playing together. The addition of a gamepad player's ability to add platforms and mess with baddies gives much needed balance to the added challenge of extra players, and the experience just comes together wonderfully. I purposefully pushed off getting 3D World until we finish Mario Wii U and Luigi Wii U, and I'm glad I did so because I think these games deserve their own play-through time.
New Super Luigi U:
A perfect example of an expansion pack done right. Remixed challenges to a superb game. Definitely worth it if you're as big a fan of Mario Wii U as we are.
Nintendoland:
I had not really heard a single positive thing about this one, but we picked it up on sale and I'm so glad we did. I suppose as a single player experience it's not worth full price, but as a multiplayer game it's a blast. The Luigi's Mansion mini-game and Find Mii were reminiscent of our Pac-man Versus nights in the best way. I'm a Balloon Fight fan as it is, and the Nintendoland version was a neat addition. We blazed through the Zelda game and enjoyed it, and then stayed up way too late challenging Kraid and a few tough stages on the Metroid game. Even the F-Zero game got passed around a bit. All in all, Nintendoland was a great party game with a few fun single player experiences I intend on returning to. Nice to pick up on sale if you have the social atmosphere to support it.
Scribblenauts Unlimited:
Here it is, my favorite experience on the Wii U by far. I've championed the series since the clunky but inspired first title, and they've just gotten better with each iteration. (I've yet to grab Unmasked, for the same reasons we have yet to pick up 3D World.) We load this up, the whole family sits on the couch, and we just take turns with the quirky puzzle-solving this game provides. The interesting, creative input young kids offer for solutions is priceless, and even helps us synapse-hardened adults sometimes. Everything about this title is great, from the story to the art to the execution. We've laughed, thought hard, and thoroughly enjoyed this game so far. I see myself going back through this myself on the 3DS version later and coming up with different solutions, it's just so much fun.
Zombi U:
I'll admit I haven't put much time into this, only because I can't play it around the kids. But I have been impressed thus far with the production and tension. I'll have to update about it later, but it definitely interests me because of the use of system exclusive features (particularly the gamepad) and that's exactly what I want to see on the Wii U: games built around the unique features of the system.
Overall, I have to say I'm very happy to own a Wii U. There are still several exclusives out now that I'm excited about, not to mention announced games on the horizon like a new Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and Zelda. Even features that may seem like a gimmick, such as playing only on the gamepad, come in handy; my middle child is actually playing on the gamepad, curled up next to me as I type! Perhaps the best part overall is that I definitely feel as though our family is on the same wavelength as Nintendo for this system and it's games.
Most of what's new on the Xbox One, even including the changed policy features, are at best throwaway clutter we won't use, and at worse outright antagonistic toward our entertainment preferences. The PS4 is a great system, but mostly because it is a straight-forward upgrade from the PS3. Nothing wrong with that, and I've already had fun with games that were basically upgrades from the last generation. But with the Wii U, right out of the gate, we're playing interesting twists on old classics or outright new experiences. It feels more fresh. That will fade, no doubt, but the emphasis on couch-co-op and family friendly games are foundationally evident. Sure, I'll play some great new games on what some would coin the 'real' next-gen systems. But it'll already be hard to match the Wii U on outright fun.
Episode 19 discussion thread: http://www.rfgeneration.c...rum/index.php?topic=13452
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We're back! During the time away, our very own Crabmaster has been busy building his store, Game Quest. We take the time to discuss what the process of opening a store is like, what are the lessons to be learned, and how it effects the owner. Many collectors consider opening a retail store to do what they love, and this will give you a peek at someone that has made it successful.
It's been a bit since we last caught up on the amazing gaming finds that everyone has made. We've changed the format to place the Small Scores after the main topic, so make sure to stay tuned to hear about all of the fantastic things that everyone has picked up.
Show Notes
Japan Retro Direct: http://www.gamegavel.com/sites/famicomvinnk/
Game Quest: https://www.facebook.com/GameQuestPrinceGeorge
Music: Silpheed (SEGA-CD)
8:25 Opening a Game Store
1:25:00 Small Scores
4:48:38 Outro
Growing up in the arcades led to my future nickname...
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What has gaming given you?
Welcome to 2014 everyone!
The Community Playthrough team would like to wish everybody all the best in the new year and we've come up with a great way to kick off a new calendar of gaming.
Get ready to cause some trouble in January with Ultra-Intergalactic-Cyber-G, Marina Liteyears in Mischief Makers for the Nintendo 64. Shake Shake your way to victory on planet Clancer to save Professor Theo in this month's Retro Community Playthrough.
The Modern Community Playthrough is the place for adventurous heroes. Join Link as he sails the wide seas in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for the Nintendo GameCube, and now in glorious HD, on the Nintedo Wii U. Perilous battles, fantastic discoveries, and epic dungeons await the brave.
We would also like to sincerely thank the amazing Crabmaster for starting this great community activity. It's always so much fun to play a game as a group and we owe that pleasure to you. Thank you!
Ready to play?
Head on to the discussion threads and join the fun!
Mischief Makers Discussion Thread
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Discussion Thread
Happy New Year! Its hard to believe another year has come and gone, and just as I was getting used to dating stuff with 2013...
2013 wasn't an easy year for RFGeneration, with temporary outages and performance issues have been occasionally plaguing us the last couple months, but nothing worth doing is ever easy. Luckily for us, things don't have to be so easy when you have hundreds of awesome members helping out. With so many people each doing a small share, we no longer have to employ a dozen children in China to fill in the tedious information. But who needs them when you have slaves members who will work for free? Kidding aside, we really do appreciate all the work every one of you do here at the site. Whether its just a small page edit to fix a typo or adding every game for a system that's been neglected.
And boy, did we ever have a lot of submissions in 2013. How many, you ask? 44,373 total submissions if you must know. The best part of that IMO is that more than half were images, which are always awesome to have more of.
So, who submitted the most this year? It was our very own DB Reviewer, Bildtstar with a truly astounding 5542 submissions this year, that averages out to more than 15 submissions every single day in 2013. I tip my hat to you sir, and I suggest everyone else does so as well.
Up next, we have DB Editor ApolloBoy with 3909 submissions. Thanks man, you've been here since week #6 and have made over 20,000 submissions over the years, more than all but one other member.
Next is a fairly new member, joining in only November, he has somehow managed to rack up 3331 submissions. Keep up the pace Kaysow, and you'll do just fine here.
And our last member to get over 3000 submissions this year, the world famous Crabmaster2000. Somehow, between shoveling a mountain of snow 9 months out of the year, co-hosting the greatest podcast of all time, and running his own store, this man has managed to make 3280 submissions this year.
As an honorable mention, I'd also like to thank Shadow Kisuragi not only for his 2910 submissions this year, but for his tireless and never ending work on keeping the site running. He and bickman2k are out there every day in the code trenches fighting bugs as well as trying to bring new functions and features to the site.
But that's not everyone, I'd also like to thank the following people for making over 1,000 submissions in 2013. Tynstar, ericeskapade, CoinCollector, thegreatska, Sirgin, and Razor Knuckles. And thanks to the other 240 of you who made another 14,500 submissions.
If you're sad that your name isn't listed here, there is a simple solution, just submit more. Its simple to do and is even a bit addictive. Start out simple with the games you know well and then move onto things you're less familiar with.
And if every game page you look at it is full on information and pictures but you still want to help out, there is always the option to help us out financially. We haven't started our annual donation drive yet, but that doesn't mean you can't beat the crowds and get that donation in early. Just hit the button below and chip in a few bucks.
Happy New Year!
As previously mentioned, we have a very social home, and we host a New Year's party every year. Of course, we have some great party games set up! And the highlights of our New Years parties are often, naturally, video games.
We've cycled through all sorts of favorites. During the Dreamcast years, popular multiplayer games included Virtua Tennis, Red Dog (No kidding! MP is lots of fun!), Fur Fighters, and lots and lots of Unreal Tournament.
Fast forward a few years, and 16 player Halo LAN parties ruled the night. (With a bit of Crimson Skies and Mech Assault.)
A few more years and we grew into Gears of War 2/3, COD: BO Zombies, and ODST: Fire Fight LAN matches that kept us up long past the Times Square Ball dropping.
And some games have always been in the rotation, including many renditions of Bomberman, Guitar Heros and Dance Dance Revolutions.
If I had to pick a favorite New Year's party video game moment, it would be split between two:
Playing 4 player Rock Band all night until we finished the last set list and watched the credits. We had no idea this game had a credits screen. Or any ending.
Then there was the night many years ago where my greatest 2D fighter/Dance Dance Revolution rival and I decided to settle our score once and for all. I tended to barely win more often on Street Fighter Alpha 3, and he would generally defeat me on Dance Dance. So the obvious next step was to load up Street Fighter Alpha 3 on a Playstation, plug in two dance pads instead of controllers, and fight each-other as God intended; skill against skill alone.
It. Was. Hilarious.
We wore ourselves out after only three matches (I got him two out of three!) because, let me tell you, it's harder than it looks. But so worth it. Ryu and Ken twitched and jerked about like they were in a Lady Gaga video. And I hope that's the last reference to Lady Gaga I ever make, ever.
Other than video games, we've kept coming back to some other favorites including Jenga, Battletech, HeroScape, and Jamaican Scrabble.
Well, whatever you do this year and into next, I sincerely hope you're New Year's Eve is as fun as ours! Feel free to share some great New Years Eve experiences (gaming or otherwise) and stay safe out there!!
Let's face it: There were a lot of great Video Games released this year. Some were good, and some were bad. That being said, here are the ones I enjoyed the most:
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Shin Megami Tensei IV is a 3DS RPG from the Shin Megami Tensei series of RPGs. (Obviously). Featuring a System similar to Pokemon, you have to persuade Demons to join your party and shape the world into one of your choice. One that falls under the Rule of God, one that falls under the Rule of Lucifer, or one under the rule of Humanity. I've played tons of RPGs in my time, and this one feels like a fresh take on the Genre, despite having been done before. It's quite an improvement over it's predecessor, Nocturne, and it can be made to be a lot easier, or a lot harder, depending on your tastes.
Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V is an open-world Action Game. Following in the footsteps of it's successful, but clunky prequel, it makes some subtle, but brilliant changes to the Gameplay of GTA IV, which makes it far more playable than IV, which in turn enables it to be more fun. Despite a poor launch of the online component, Rockstar was responsive to the complaints of the players and made it work, creating one of the more fun titles for 2013.
Pokemon X
Pokemon X is the latest game, along with Pokemon Y, in the Pokemon Series of games. Featuring the familiar gameplay we've come to know and love, it added more features to the age-old formula, giving it a fresh new style. It's also quite emotional, especially at the end. I never thought a Pokemon Game could touch my heart with it's story, but this one did, and that's why it is awesome. I can't wait to see how the developers top this one.
Now, what is the one true Game of the Year in my opinion? Well...
Killer Instinct
Killer Instinct is the long awaited Sequel to Killer Instinct 2, which was released over a decade ago in Arcades, and honestly, I could never ask for a more worthy sequel to it. This game is fighting game perfection. I've never been too good at fighting games, but I can play this one easily. More content is coming to it next year, and the Ultra Edition includes the original Killer Instinct. To put it simple terms, I love this game, and it is the very definition of awesome.
Well, that's it. See you all next post!
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Posted on Dec 29th 2013 at 11:04:31 AM by ( noiseredux) Posted under List |
What a crazy year it was for me and gaming! After buying our house, I decided to scale back the obsessive Sega collecting, eventually branched out to PC gaming and found that the 3DS is my favorite portable in a long time. So with all this in mind, let's take a look at my Favorite Games of 2013:
1. XCOM: Enemy Within
Some of you (or at least one of you) might consider it lame to award an expansion for a 2012 game (Enemy Unknown) with my 2013 GOTY. But as my list is based solely on how much enjoyment I got out of 2013 releases, it would be an outright lie for me to not give Enemy Unknown this title. Moreover, Enemy Within is so much more than just some new maps and missions. It is an entirely new experience encompassing new maps, enemies, weapons, upgrades - and perhaps most import - mechanics. Indeed the additions of Bio- or Mecha- research for your own troops strips your squad of their earthly limitations while new human EXALT enemies pose a different kind of threat than EU had delivered. Add to this new covert missions and base defense missions which further add variety to even the sorts of missions you might encounter. Not to mention the addition of MELD which virtually turns the “slow and safe” approach to taking turns on its head and instead pushes you to march ahead with oftentimes poorly judged urgency. In a sense, calling Enemy Within “just an expansion” is doing it a huge injustice. It is far closer to an entirely new game built on EU’s engine than just a batch of DLC to expand upon the original, and I’d urge anyone who played Unknown to be sure they’ve experienced Within.
2. Bioshock Infinite
Now here’s a game that really took me by surprise. Bioshock Infinite was a game that I decided to play solely based on how pretty I thought it looked. And other than the prettiness of screenshots, I mostly went into it knowing nothing. A dozen hours later I walked away with an emotional experience on par with some of my favorite games of recent years like Shadow of the Colossus and Heavy Rain. Infinite is a staggeringly gorgeous game that incorporates various bits of history, theology, literature, architecture and much else as bits and pieces weaved together like a fever dream. That the FPS mechanics are so strong certainly propels everything else forward effortlessly. Add to this that the majority of the game is pretty much an escort mission, but one done so well that it begs the question “who was escorting who?”
3. Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
As an adult have you ever gone back to your elementary school’s playground? That’s pretty much A Link Between Worlds. For those of us in a certain age bracket, Link To The Past pretty much remains the pinnacle of gaming. It’s that 16-bit Hyrule that I know the best, because that was the last time I spent so much time exploring every last nook and cranny of a game world. I can vividly remember staying up to ridiculous hours every weekend as I made my way through A Link To The Past, spending hours on stupid things like archery mini-games and feeling like that world was so vast, it could never possibly end. The idea of a sequel to my favorite game of all time was certainly something I felt optimistically nervous about. But it’s within that first hour that it all comes rushing back - the overworld, the music, the weapons and faces both friend and foe. There’s so much familiarity and yet you know you’re playing an all new adventure. And though I haven’t beaten it yet (as I just got it for Christmas), I’m thrilled to be re-visiting my youth in such an exciting way.
4. Tomb Raider
Before the Crystal Dynamics ‘reboot’ of Tomb Raider, I considered myself a casual fan of the series. Starting with my exposure to the first game on PS1, I had always just cherry-picked certain games throughout the series to pay any attention to. Often I’d like the games. But that’s as far as it went. I liked them. They would keep me interested for a while. Then I’d move on to something else. But the 2013 Tomb Raider delivered to me the game that I had always wanted TR to be. It’s something bold, exciting and even a bit scary at times. From the opening hour of having Lara kill a deer to eat, to the next hour where she must kill a man to prevent her own demise, the game is a non-stop thrillride that kept my heart pumping and my eyes impressed by the ridiculously detailed environments. And while it was a prequel, Crystal Dynamics was able to successfully show us the heck that Lara had to go through before becoming the total badass she would soon become. Although by the end of the game she’s all guns-a-blazin’ she also spends a dozen or so hours looking like girl who just barely survives to the last reel of a slasher film. If any of you with even a passing interest in the franchise missed this one, go ahead and rectify that. Chances are you’ll end up looking further into the other Crystal Dynamics-developed titles in the series as well.
5. Shin Megami Tensei IV
When SMT IV was first released there was a lot of hubbub about it costing $10 more than most 3DS games. Yet one look at the wonderful artbook/strategy guide, soundtrack and box containing it all seemed to instantly justify the extra premium. In truth this was a game so awesome it demanded attention in a way that no puny 3DS game case could pull off. And in fairness that strategy guide really did come in handy! SMT IV was no joke. Sure, it offered up the option to drop its difficulty down to an easier setting - but this was only after you had been demeaned by Charon, the ferryman at the River Styx. While SMT IV was one of those RPG’s that just seemed to get everything right. The music, the animation, the settings, the demons, the conversations with the demons, the story, the difficulty, the morality, the weight of your decisions, and most importantly the ridiculously fun battle system.
6. Fire Emblem: Awakening
There’s something to be said for the ‘if it ain’t broke” philosophy of Awakening. Perhaps it’s because handheld consoles seem so inviting for retro throwbacks, but what makes this new Fire Emblem great is the minimal additions of unnecessary bells & whistles. Oh sure there’s a story, though the cut-scenes of footless squads are all skippable. Admittedly, they’re also really great and you probably won’t bother doing so. And sure there’s a deep as heck system of leveling your characters, pairing them up and even spawning babies to go on and kill for you. But at its heart Awakening does best what all the best Fire Emblem games do best - it offers you the ability to recruit soldiers, get attached to them, and then feel awful when you allow them murdered. While the game offers you a more casual mode of play where you’re troops aren’t permanently killed off after a battle, it’s the Classic Mode that makes this game so compelling. It’s the perfect portable strategy game. One where you might spend months on a single battle - picking it up and failing after 20 minutes, throwing the 3DS aside until your next small chunk of downtime.
7. Alien: Colonial Marines
Snicker if you want, but I’m just keeping it real. Although I am a fan of the Alien franchise, it was the overwhelmingly poor reviews of Colonial Marines that made this one a must-play for me. And while I expected a “so bad it’s good” experience, instead I just got a “hey this is a hell of a lot of fun” experience instead. There’s nothing ground-breaking here. In fact there’s really nothing exceptional. Although there are brief moments of almost-brilliance - hinting, I suppose, that a far better game was possible. But none of that ultimately matters. What matters with games - and any form of entertainment for that matter - is that it entertains you. And I can honestly say I was fully entertained for the whole of the single player campaign. And yeah, I’m looking forward to Alien: Isolation.
8. Sturmwind
The novelty of new games appearing on old consoles is always fun. But as is the nature of novelty, it can also soon wear off. What makes Sturmwind so special is that it’s not just a great shoot-em-up, it also pushes the Dreamcast to the absolute threshold of its capabilities and proves that to a certain degree this failed hardware from 1999 could still make brilliant 2D arcade games worthy of competing with the current generation. The appearance of Sturmwind is incredible - and viewed through the DC’s VGA output rivals any indie shmup released this year on more competent technology. The art-direction itself is fantastic, with brightly colored bullets, insanely detailed backgrounds, and memorable boss battles. Even the power-up system was an interesting take on an old formula. Add to this a bevy of extras from online leaderboards, to unlockable ‘achievements’ and even the capability to save replays to a 3rd party SD card adapter and you’ve got a serious argument that the true death-year of the Dreamcast is still anyone’s guess.
9. The Typing of the Dead: Overkill
Speaking of Sega hardware, if there was a Dreamcast 2 it would certainly be home to Typing of the Dead: Overkill. This was a pleasant surprise that popped up on the Steam Store on Halloween week. Much like how the original Typing of the Dead took House of the Dead 2 and mashed it up with a typing tutor, Overkill has HOTD: Overkill re-imagined via Mavis Beacon. The fact that Sega gave us a sequel to the cult-classic completely out of the blue is awesome enough, but the addition of online co-op and the stream of DLC that they’ve been releasing since October (some of it free, even) is an even better gift to longtime Sega fans. Next time you think that Sega is a horrible beast that is dead-set on destroying any lingering love you had for the Sonic series, try to remember that they’re all still a little crazy in an awesome way as made evident with TOTD: Overkill.
10. Castlevania: Mirror of Fate
Here’s one I was a little nervous about. The GBA and DS Castlevania games have had a long history of sticking to the 2D Symphony of the Night style, so hearing about a sequel to a 3D Castlevania game coming to a portable that’s pushing the angle of its 3D capabilities sounded like bad news. But what we got was a really cool 2.5D adventure that I think probably went fairly overlooked this year. The series had gone in a similar direction on the PSP remake of Rondo of Blood. However that was a true 2D classic that had been retrofitted into a 2.5D mold. As such, it suffered. Mirror of Fate fares far better. The controls are great, the level-structure is fun to explore and the boss battles are brutally punishing making for a challenging experience for series fanatics.
To all the staff, members, and visitors of RFGeneration, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Even for those of us gamers who are greatly opposed to the materialistic nature and family stress inherent to the season, we enjoy getting surprised by awesome gaming-related gifts. Despite some tough times in my childhood, one particular game-related Christmas memory will forever grant some occasionally much-needed holiday cheer and appreciation for the thankless job my parents often faced.
Many moons ago, in the ancient age of '93, I was working a pretty rough construction job after high-school. I hardly saw my parents, and though they knew my many interests, any parent knows that's a far cry from knowing exactly what to get. So they called up my then-best friend Thor.
Yes, that's his name. Yes, it fit him perfectly.
Thor, as eclectic as his name implies, grew up with a gaming mother. And while he was very specific about what he would play, he was just as into video games as I was. Thor's family was the first I knew of to get the awesome machine that was the Turbo Duo, shortly after launch. Including the hidden Bomberman, this beast came packaged with seven (!) games covering a broad spectrum of genres; Ys Book I & II, Bonk's Adventure, Bonk's Revenge, Gate of Thunder (still a favorite!) and a TurboChip copy of Ninja Spirit.
Needless to say, Thor's house was very popular amongst our friends.
(The following was relayed to me after-the-fact, obviously.)
So when my folks gave my best friend a call and asked what to get me, his natural response was to talk-up what I played at his house every weekend. Then, likely because my parents were unaware of the excellent pack-ins, they asked what game to pick up with the system. Because Thor was the best friend a gamer could ask for at the time, he said something along the lines of, "well, he likes Castlevania games a lot, and they make one for it. So probably that one."
Did I mention I love this guy? I love this guy.
Since the cost of the Turbo Duo far exceeded any gift I had ever received at that point, I'm under the opinion that my parents probably had no idea that Devil's Castle Dracula X: Rondo of Blood was import only, or how much that would cost them by the time they found it. I imagine that by the time they took the effort to track it down in pre-internet '93, they had already spent so much time and effort to get it that they probably gritted their teeth and bought it despite the total cost.
Now we didn't have much money growing up. Most of my gaming after the C64 and a surprise NES to the family was through systems I bought or traded to get myself. So I cannot explain to you how impressive this Christmas was to me. Maybe it was because I was hardly at home and my mom wanted to give one last big hug. I'm not sure, though now as a parent myself I can identify with the occasional 'wow-I-shouldn't-have-spent-that-much-but-its-my-kid-so-OK' frame of mind.
I can't relay how blown away I was after opening that Turbo Duo. Or how over-the-top it was to open up Dracula X. (Or how frustrated my dad was after learning that we had to buy another expensive adapter to play the RCA AV cable only output on our RF only 25" console TV.) But my parents sure knew they had a happy teen that Christmas. I still cherish that memory.
In an unfortunate turn of events, things at home got much rougher the next few years, so perhaps I was blessed with that burning-bright moment beforehand. Either way, when it comes to physical Christmas presents, I have to admit that one is my childhood best. I played that system until I finished almost every game it came with more than once. (well, not Ninja Spirit. Man is that a hard game!) And I've gone through Dracula X more than perhaps any game I've owned, and still enjoy it today.
Now of course I'm not saying gifts (even gaming gifts!) are the point or should even be a focus over the holiday. But I hope that everyone has some great, cherished Christmas memories, and if they have some video games included there, even better!
So if you have some fun gaming or non-gaming related Christmas memories, please share,
God Bless, and GAME ON!!
This week I go ABC Wide World Of Sports up in here and break out one of the best bowling games Ive played in some time. Check it out.
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'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the--
Izret: Oh damn it Redd, not another Christmas Story!
Redd: Yes, Izret, another Christmas Story.
Bickman: Every year, Redd. Every freakin' year.
Redd. Yep.
Bickman: (Sigh)
Slackur: Oh, come on guys. Yes, last year's story was painful, but it wasn't THAT bad.
Shadow Kisuragi (Shadow): What happened?
Slackur: He told us the story of how Coleco conquered the Gaming World.
Shadow: ......What?
Zagnorch: He's insane. He has nothing but tall tales and other stupid crap.
Redd: I am not insane, and all my stories are true. You guys are just jealous that I get to go on all sorts of adventures, and you like, don't.
Shadow: ...Your serious right now, aren't you?
Redd: Yep.
Shadow: Shit... (Shakes his head)
Redd: Now, before I present this year's story, I have a Video to show all of you.
Slackur: What is it?
Redd: It features Bickman as a kid.
Bickman: Your insane.
Redd: Am I? (Pulls Video up on Computer) Gather round, everyone.
(Everyone gathers around him, to see the video in question)
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Bickman: What the hell?! That's not me!
Zagnorch: I don't know. You love Nintendo so much, that I'm actually having no trouble believing that that is indeed you.
Bickman: Bah...
Redd: Now, I present to you--
Shadow: Hold up Redd. Aren't you the guy with glasses in THIS video?
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Redd: Oh, you are just the worst kind of person, Shadow...
(Everyone laughs)
Redd: Right then. This is the Story of how me and Slackur beat up the Grinch and rescued Christmas.
Slackur: Whoa! Hold on! I've never beaten up anyone in my life!
Redd: Says the Advocate for Armed Pacifists, which is written on your Profile by the way.
Slackur: Crud...
Redd: Right then, our Story begins on top of a Mountain somewhere in Greenland, which is very cold for some reason. Me and Slackur were contacted by the Government to get back a bunch of presents that were stolen by an unknown thief on Christmas Eve of 2012. We--
Bickman: Redd, weren't you both here on Christmas Eve of 2012?
Zagnorch: And weren't you telling us that Coleco Story?
Redd: Do not try to defy my divine logic. Now, shut it and listen.
Zagnorch: (To himself) Divine logic...?
Bickman: (Whispering) Just go along with it. No way we're getting out of this anyway.
Redd: Now then, we scaled the mountain, and came upon a cave. When we entered it, we found a pile of presents. When we tried to take them, wouldn't you know it, the Grinch showed up. He cussed at us, then muttered something to Slackur, which set him off.
Slackur: .........
Redd: Slackur shouted out "I'm the Matrix, jerk!" and proceeded to go Kung-Fu on the Grinch. While they fought a lengthy battle, I proceeded to take the presents out of the cave, and use my magical teleportation abilities to send them back to the town.
Shadow: I think all that Eggnog has gone to your head and is making you stupid.
Redd: First off, I can't have Alcoholic Beverages, as I am a Diabetic (True story), and second, do you see any Eggnog around here?
Shadow: Well...no, not really.
Redd: Exactly, now shut up.
Shadow: Sheesh...
Redd: The Grinch landed a lucky blow, knocking Slackur to the ground, which led me to rush in to save my friend. I tackled the Grinch to the ground, and Slackur proceeded to get up, and elbow drop him right in the face, knocking him out. And that, my friends, is how we saved Christmas.
Bickman: Redd, that story sucked. Really bad.
Slackur: I kind of liked it.
Shadow: Me too.
Zagnorch: Not me. Look, it even put Izret to sleep. (Points to a sleeping Izret)
Redd: I was wondering why he was so quiet.
Zagnorch: (Sighs)
Bickman: Redd, where do you even get these ideas?
Redd: Well, I--
Bickman: Never mind, I don't wanna know. Go play with your Nvidia Shield.
Redd: Okay. (Walks away)
Shadow: Slackur, did that REALLY happen?
Slackur: Ehhhhh...
Shadow: Sheesh.
Bickman: Whatever. From all of us here at RF Generation, we hope your Christmas is...is...you know what? No. I took a muscle relaxer earlier, and it's just now kicking in. One of you guys can announce this stuff.
Slackur: Okay...From all of us here at RF Generation, we hope your Christmas is safe and fun! Merry Christmas!
NOTE: This is all fictional, and made for entertainment. The users of RF Generation are not this conceited.
Thank you to my secret santa these items will start me on a new area of A8 gaming that before I thought I wasnt sure I should get into. The games that keep on gaming.
<![CDATA[<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/CJYP46X6qPM&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/CJYP46X6qPM&rel=0</a>]]>
NOTE: This entry WILL contain spoilers from the game. Direct yourself to another page if you don't want to spoil the game for yourself. Otherwise, read on.
Everyone who knows me knows that I love Chrono Cross. It's my favorite game ever. Lately though, people have been asking me WHY I love it so much, and just what it is that makes it the best game ever. Well, here's the story:
I can't recall exactly when I discovered this game, but I do remember how. My best friend brought this game to my attention. When he did, I didn't think too much of it. It was obviously a sequel to Chrono Trigger, which I wasn't too fond of. Then I started it up...
Right away, it's impressive opening lines and movie captivated me. I was most impressed, as the quality of the game was better than anything I had experienced since Super Mario RPG. Once I started a New Game, I was greeted with 3 Characters emerging from an elevator (after the introduction movie of course).
It started out with what was clearly some serious stuff. Then your Character wakes up, as it was actually a premonition of things to come.
Anyway, it only gets better from there, as what unfolds is the greatest story ever seen in a video game. As I played the game, I only became more impressed with it, and when I finally achieved the true ending, I cried manly tears. I was upset that it was over, but I was happy that it came to a nice, ultimately wrapped-up, conclusion.
Along with the main story, there are over 40 different characters to recruit, several side-quests, and what's more, the optional, secret boss isn't just a powerful enemy in this game, but he also has a tragic backstory that ties into the Main Story, which is something you don't see in RPGs of today.
All of this and more is what makes this game my favorite game ever, and THAT is why it's the best game ever. There are other games which have received a perfect score from me, but this one is sentimental to me, which is why no other game can top it. Me and my brother will forever debate over this and his favorite, Final Fantasy VII, but he's always going to lose. I can think of 50 reasons why this game is better than that sorry piece of game, and I will defend it until the end of gaming comes.
The bottom line is, Chrono Cross just has more heart than other RPGs. It came along at the end of what I call The Golden Age of RPGs, and ended it with a bang. As I've said time and time again, no game will ever top this one. Period.
Thanks for reading!
We're all familiar with the modern FPS conventions. Character movement with an analog stick or keyboard, a 3D 'look' with another analog or mouse, and often a jump and shoot button. Some games, like Battlefield 4, add layer upon layer of complexity, strategy, and high player population to take this control mechanism to its current extreme. This control method and design is now so ubiquitous that it is often just called the 'shooter' genre, snatching the moniker from the recently retitled 'shmup' classification in the common gamer vernacular.
In the common gamer mindset, this particular convention of game design is so entrenched that the occasional rethink and upset can lead to something remarkable. Perhaps the most popular recent example has been the Amnesia series, which purposefully take away combat and focus on a helpless, tension-filled atmosphere to excellent effect. Plenty of other games such as the Thief series and newcomer Dishonored also put more thought into interacting with the game world itself instead of using the environment as a shooting gallery. Perhaps the greatest example of using the FPS design to give an open-ended, choose-your-own-adventure setup while still obeying the norms of FPS design has been the Deus Ex series, the first of which is often still regarded as one of the greatest games ever made. In fact, from the Elder Scrolls series to the Portal games to RealMyst, the FPS has proven far more robust than golden oldies like Quake suggested.
So when a game uses this design in a unique way, it still surprises because the modern gamer has seen so much variation with this interface methodology. Enter The Unfinished Swan, a fascinating game/storytelling method/interactive art project. The opening narrative tells of a recently orphaned youth whose mother never finished her paintings. Taking a single, minimalist painting of an unfinished swan to the orphanage, the child notices one day that the creature has disappeared from the painting, and he begins pursuit.
Then, the screen goes white and no other clues, hints, or tutorials are given. Through sheer experimentation, the player quickly realizes that a button press ejects a round glob of black paint that splatters against the white space, revealing walls, objects, and an entire environment to navigate, with loose paths to follow. Too much black paint hurled against surfaces begin to obscure their details, since at the beginning the only thing giving definition to the environment is the contrast between the white space and the hurled, splattered paint. Color is shown sparingly, to call attention to a handful of objects or show the foot-paths of the absent fowl. Cue 'wild goose chase' pun.
While the color is almost exclusively black and white, the sound is also minimalist, with more environmental sounds heard as more of the world is revealed. A simple jump is the only other control besides the conventional move, look, and 'shooting' paint. More narrative is told as the game progresses by using the simple tools of the game and a storybook-like series of reveals.
The pace is slow, purposeful, experimental, whimsical, and best of all, playful. Other games of this ilk such as Dear Esther or the recent critical darling Gone Home have a moody, voyeuristic design, but the difference with The Unfinished Swan is that the interaction with the environment figuratively and literally defines the game. Better still, it uses this original interaction method as a story device that feels intrinsic and holistic, instead of tacked-on or forced. Whereas some artistic game worlds are criticized for force-feeding standard game conventions into an otherwise complete virtual experience (the Bioshock series are popular examples) The Unfinished Swan feels like a complete experience defined by how its gameplay is intrinsic to storytelling.
If any of this sounds interesting to you, please take the plunge and grab it from the PSN. It's worth it just to see something different, interesting, and in my opinion, wonderful. Seeing a 'normal' game design used like this inspires me to continue believing that our hobby has far more to give us in the future, even using the familiar.
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We are a community of collectors, gamers and the likes, and some of us enjoy to let the world know what is on our mind. For those members, we have the community blogs, a place where they can publish their thoughts and feelings regarding life, universe, and everything. Some of those members might even choose to write about gaming and collecting! Whatever they write about, you can find it on their blog. You can either see the latest community blog entries in the feed you see to the left, or you can browse for your favorite blog using the menu above. Interested in having your own blog hosted on RF Generation? It's rather simple, first be a registered member, and then click the "My Blog" link that you see in the navigation above. Following those two steps will certainly get you on your way to blogging.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy our entries, rantings, and completely unrelated series of thoughts. We write for you to read, so we certainly hope that you enjoy our material.
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