(Insert creative/funny thing about reviews here) Part 3: The Awesome

Finally, we move on to part 3, the awesome. First up, Prince of Persia. In case you've been living under a blah blah blah blah, then you know who the Prince is. He is arrogant, self-centered, funny, and amazingly acrobatic. Oh, and he also had an emo phase, but let's not talk about that. These games have always had the elements of amazing acrobatic stunts, fighting, and in the recent games, the ability to control time (to an extent). Now, in the new game, you still have all that, except for the time control, but it is all somewhat different. Now, you have a sidecick named Eleka, the Prince is not the same Prince as before, and the battles (all of them) have become thematic and intense events. Overall, the game is really fun, but gets too automated at times. This game got a B, B+, and A-. Finally, the last review for this magazine, RESISTANCE 2. Awesome game! Resistance 2 is from the developers of Insomniac, who created great games like Ratchet and Clank, and is a first-person shooter completly exclusive to the PS3. Now, if you've read some of my previous posts, you might be thinking: "Gadzooks!!! A FPS that Tanner likes???" Or something like that. This game has amazing bosses, and an insanely addictive Co-Op and online mode. Oh, and it also has a competitive mode, but who cares about that? Also, the single-player has epic bosses, which is great, because most FPS' don't have any bosses, which sucks. In addition, there are cool weapons, epic bosses (oops, said that), greatly-designed levels, and a great ending. The game got a A+, A, and A-.

(Insert creative/funny thing about reviews here) Part 2: The Good

Okay, so in part 2 we move on to the good games. First up is Call of Duty: World At War. The game: is fun. Way too similar to Call of Duty: 4, but still fun. But this game has zombie nazis! The single-player of this game is fun, somewhat brutal, and way too difficult at times. Also, the single player just isn't as good as Call of Duty 4's campaign. Also, the multi-player isn't as good as CoD4. It is still a solid game though, most likely worth a rental. That is, unless you're me and don't really like shooters that much. The game got a B, B-, and B-. Next, Sonic Unleashed. This game is definitely the game I have been looking forward to more than anything all year. More than Resistance 2, Fallout 3, Little Big Planet, and Silent Hill: Homecoming. And that's saying a lot. This game is AWESOME. After the flop that was Sonic The Hedgehog 2006, which personally I think could have been a great game if they didn't insist on getting it out so soon, this game is showing that Sonic Team and Sonic are moving ahead, quickly too. This game, using the new "hedgehog engine" has brought new speed to Sonic. Also, a nighttime combat and platforming part is added, using the Werehog (a transformation of Sonic), similar to that of God Of War. This game is divided into 3 parts: Sonic 40%, Werehog 40%, and Hub Worlds 20%. All of these parts are great, but the hub worlds can be annoying at times. Some flaws of this game are a little too much Werehog and a occasional bad camera. The game got a B+.

(Insert creative/funny thing about reviews here) Part 1: The Terrible

The next three blog posts (including this one) will all be about reviews. In part 1, I'll talk about terrible games, part 2 will be good games, and part 3 will be great games. First up, Castlevania: Judgement. In case you're unfamiliar with the Castlevania games, they are typically side-scroller action games, and are typically well recieved. But not this. Noooo, not this at all. Suddenly, Castlevania became a fighting game, like Soul Calibur or Mortal Kombat. The game has an awful camera, sloppy combat, and stupid characters. This got a D-. Next, Legendary. So, another game from the "Generic-First Person Shooter- Everyone Will Buy It Even Though It Sucks- Creator" (patented by me.) There are many things that make it worse than most typical First Person Shooters. The game's thing that was supposed to appeal to people is that you fight mythical monsters instead of people. Of course, the problem is that you don't. Much. Also, the game has linear level designs, with no creativity. The game got a D.

Reviews + P = Previews (Part 2)

Well, I talked about a great game coming out, now for a bad game... So, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Make the Grade." Wah..wah...wah..wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" Sigh... I weep for society. But mostly me. I guess society too though. Here's a direct quote from the magazine: "With host Jeff Foxworthy and a line up of virtual 10-year-old braniacs, Are You Samrter Than a 5th Grader? Make the Grade gives you a chance to earn gold stars and work your way up to the Million Dollar Question, just like a real-life contestant on the FOX TV show." Wow amazing! You can PRETEND to be on the show that NO ONE wants to be on, because the ONLY reason they go on it is for the money, and THAT"S TAKEN AWAY TOO! YAYYYYYYYYY! So, the things wrong with the game: 1) Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader 2) Graphics are terrible, no seriously, a baby still in the womb could draw better 3) WOWIIE! You can earn fake money in a game no one like! COOOOOOL. Okay, I'm done. My caps-lock key is in pain.

Reviews + P = Previews (Part 1)

Something different this week, because apparently my new gaming magazine is...weird...and does not want to put in reviews. But they put in previews. So...The game "Fat Princess," for the PS3. What comes to mind when you hear that name? Fatness? Princesses? Lol? Well, all WRONG. Okay, only the last is wrong, whatever. Fat Princess is a fairly....really unique game which would be called..uh...a "comedy-rpg-online" game. The princess is apparently fat because bad guys have forced her to eat food and get fat, so she is harder to carry her back home. Yeah, you read that. While it sounds strange, it actually sounds fun to me. You work together with up to 15 other people online, with five different rpg-type classes (archer, fighter, mage, etc.) to carry the princess back to her home, while fighting off enemies and doing puzzles. In addition to playing as the good guys, you could also play as the bad, in which you try to make the princess fat and stop good guys. Personally, it sounds great to me and will arrive on the Playstation Store in the 1st quarter of 2009. More previews coming soon.

O Rly? Ya Rly. No Wai! More Reviews 2 (Nintendo Power)

Now that the good games have been mentioned, we can talk about bad games. Yay bad games! Thank you for giving us something to point and laugh hysterically at. One game that had good hopes, but failed, is Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. Spider-Man 2 was a GREAT game. Seriously, it was awesome. But then 3 came out and it sucked...then there were really bad spinoffs. So, now: Web of Shadows. Web of Shadows has sloppy controls, and Wiimote waggling that is in WAY TOO MANY GAMES (look at this Nintendo!!!). It got a 6.5. Next up, Star Wars The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels. Many people probably looked at the Wiimote and yelled to no one, "OMGZ, I COULD TOTALLY BE LUKE CAUSE THIS IS JUS LIKE A LIGHTSABER! COOOOOOOL!" and then started swinging it around going "KSSHHH, VOOOSH" and looking like a complete moron. Hey moron! Here's the game for you! The game has sloppy controls (yay for more wiimote waggling) and highly monotonous gameplay. It loosely follows the movies story-wise, but that's it. It got a 4.0.

O Rly? Ya Rly. No Wai! More Reviews (Nintendo Power)

At E3, the head of Nintendo said that they wanted to move focus away from hardcore gamers, and shift focus to casual gamers. Sigh.... This is evidenced by the fact that one of the biggest things this month is Animal Crossing: City Folk. Animal Crossing is a game that is real life...but with animals. It sounds/looks ridiculously boring to me, but people seem to love the game (fine, I admit it, I'm ridiculously biased.) Also, you can never win, it goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on.... People like it because it is (apparently) simple fun, cute, and addictive. The game got a 8.0 (how, I don't know). Now, the other main game this month, is Sonic Unleashed. Unless you've been living under a rock millions of miles away, someplace that no one's heard of, you know who Sonic is. A long time ago, Nintendo created Mario, and Sega wanted a mascot better than Mario, and created Sonic. The old Sonic games were all about speed, and that was basically it. Soon though, Sonic games became about puzzles and platforming, and became glitchy and not so good. Most people hated these, especially original Sonic fans, although I liked them. This new game, Sonic Unleashed, brings back the super-fast Sonic, but also brings the new, combat/platforming-oriented Werehog. The game looks amazing, and hopefully will bring back Sonic. It got a 8.0...should be at least 8.5.... or Animal Crossing's score should be lowered...bleh.

Back to the Reviews 2! (EGM)

Arguably the best recent games for the PS3 and XBOX 360 are Little Big Planet for the PS3, and Gears Of War 2 for the XBOX 360. Incidentally, they are also complete opposites. Little Big Planet is a simple, yet very fun, charming platformer that is basically just great fun. The controls are simple, and the characters are cute. The game lets you play levels with others or by yourself, plus you can make your own levels and publish them on the server, and play other people's levels. I own the game and think it's and awesome PS3 exclusive, albeit it gets old after awhile. It got an A+,A, and A, and is the Game of the Month. Next, Gears Of War 2. Anyone who owns a XBOX 360 has heard of it. Any XBOX owner in my class, of which I'm sure there are many, either owns the game or knows about it. Being the COMPLETE opposite of LBP, it's interesting. It is a gritty, bloody, third-person shooter. I've never played the game myself, but apparently the campaign is much improved from the first, and same with multiplayer. From what I've heard it's an awesome game, exclusive to the XBOX 360. It got an A+, A, and A, and is the Game of the Month. At this point observant readers would notice I've said they are both the Game of the Month, and if that is you, congratulate yourself on your observancy and drink a pop. It was indeed a tie for Game of the Month between these two games. Well, that's it for now. Maybe I'll talk about some bad game next week.

Back to the Reviews! (EGM)

Great month for gamers this year. Seriouosly, really great. The end of this year overall is great. With games like Little Big Planet, Fallout 3, Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Resistance 2, and Mirror's Edge how could it not be great? So, Mirror's Edge. Parkour and awesomeness. The game is all in 1st perspective, and is basically about running. Run, run faster, RUN! That's about it, but it's an amazing game. It got an A-, B+, and B. Next, Fallout 3. Haven't played it yet, but from what I've heard, it's an amazing game. It's an action-rpg (kind of) and is very, very similar to Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. But with guns. It also is a very long game, at least 40 hours for the average player. It got an A, B+, and A+. Look for a continuation of reviews soon…

Blu-Ray Goes from Christmas Casualty to Christmas Savior? (kotaku.com)

Do to the current state of the economy, people thought that the Blu-Ray would start dying, but now people are starting to buy Blu-Ray players faster. Also, the PS3 helps it as well, due to the fact that it plays games, stores music, goes online, and acts as a Blu-Ray player. The Digital Entertainment Group, a assortment of studios and other Blu-Ray backers, forecast that by the end of the year, 10.5 million households have Blu-Ray players — with 8 million of them being the PlayStation 3. PS3 executives also expect 4-5 million more PS3s to sell by March, which is also saying they expect 4-5 million more Blu-Ray players to sell by March. Personally, I own a Wii and PS3, and I find it nice to have a Blu-Ray player. Overall though, right now it's more of an option to watch Blu-Rays than DVDs, as opposed to later when Blu-Rays will be the only choice, so most people will either get a PS3 or Blu-Ray player soon.

LBP (Little Big Planet) Moderation Remains Inscrutable, Unaccountable (kotaku.com)

Little Big Planet...great game for the PS3. Fun, simple, creative...and way too heavy on moderation. Personally, I had 5 of my levels (the game lets you create levels) moderated and taken off the server, and was never told why. It angered me, but I found a hole in the system, and reposted them. Apparently, one of the best user-created levels up on the server just got deleted, again, for no reason. This level was amazing, had over 20,000 plays and 4,000 hearts (a system like favoriting). Now though, thanks to the moderation, no one can play it. This of course, angered the level's creator greatly, and he said: "I invested a huge amount of time making The Azure Palace to not only be original, but to shift the gameplay of this wonderful game you guys made. Besides similarities to underwater stages in general, there is nothing directly taken from any game/movie/etc. If there so happened to be one, the terms of moderation are by far extremely irrational. The user is given no chance to change certain aspects of his creation to conform to said rules above. WE'RE NOT EVEN GIVEN A FREAKING REASON AS TO WHY IT HAPPENED!!!" He sent this to Media Molecule (the creator of the game), but as of now, no response. So, all in all, bad moderators, and no reason.

The New DSi (Kotaku.com)

First, we had the Gameboy. Then the Game Boy Color, followed by the Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Advance SP, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite, and now: the Nintendo DSi. I can sum up what I read about it in four words: I am highly disappointed. The DSi sounds better at first with new (yet in my opinion, unnecessary) features like a .3 mp (mega pixel) camera, the screens will be 17% bigger, at 3.25 inches each, an SD memory card slot, and finally a DSi shop for (sigh....) DSiWare. Okay, not let me go through all of the new features I just stated (in order): Highly unnecessary, okay that's fine, no one cares, gah..... Now, the worst feature has yet to be said. The new DSi will not have a GBA slot, so you can't play GBA games at all.... That was lost for these new features. Highly disappointing. The new DSi will arrive some time in 2009 at approximately $180.

Blah Blah Blah Reviews 5 (EGM or Electronic Gaming Monthly)

(Blah Blah). More reviews and stuff, except in EGM now and the review scores are A+ through F- instead of 1-10. First, Battlefield: Bad Company. A typical FPS (First Person Shooter) developed by the Generic-FPS-o-matic...or DICE, nothing really unique. This game got a B. Next, Civilization Revolution. Civilization Revolution is a fairly complicated strategy game that is a PC port, that went to the PS3 and XBOX 360. Some negatives are that games can end quickly, the voices are really annoying, but it is still a pretty fun strategy game that has lots of depth and detail. This game got a B+, A-, and another A-. Lastly, Haze. The terrible game of the month, Haze, starts off bad, right with the box art. It's another generic FPS, but worse that has bad visuals, no unique weapons, bad controls, and a bad A.I. The game got a D+.

Reviews 4 (Nintendo Power)

(More continuation). First up, Ninjatown, for the DS. Although the game has cutesy graphics and seems to be for kids, it actually is a real-time strategy game, and also is fairly complicated. Also, even though the single player is very fun, there is no Wi-Fi, no level creator, but it's still a fun game with some great humor. This game got a 8.0. Next, Away: Shuffle Dungeon, for the DS. This game is an interesting new idea for top-down dungeon crawlers/RPGs. The dungeons are divided into two screens, and one half of the dungeon switches with a different half every few seconds, and overall sounds like a fun and interesting game. It got a 7.0. Lastly, Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2, for the Wii. So...another fighting game made after an anime...how original. Anyways, most fighting is done by moving the Wiimote and Nunchuck around, and also new moves, abilities, and combos. The game also has new characters and a new story, but no online. The game got a 8.0. Huh...no similarities. Weird.

Reviews 3 (Nintendo Power)

(Continuation of last post). Brothers in Arms: Double Time, is finally available on Wii. Was that waiting worth it? Yes and no. The game contains both Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30, and Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood, so it's a good deal, but the AI is fairly bad and there is a lack of multiplayer. Overall, the game got a 7.0. Next, Lego Batman: The Videogame. Even though it's very similar to Lego Star Wars and Lego Indiana Jones, there are a few noticeable differences. For starters, this game does not follow any specific story, unlike the others, and thus loses some of it's charm. Also, the game is still slightly redundant in it's gameplay, although it's still and fun and simple game that most will enjoy (at least for a while). The game got a 7.0. Lastly, Dragon Ball: Origins. This game, out of the three, I can relate to the most, because I used to watch Dragon Ball Z. This is an action-adventure game that looks pretty good, and has lots of combos and skills to make the game more interesting. The game got a 7.0 also. Huh...all 7.0s. Weird. 777

Reviews 2 (Nintendo Power)

Now, reviews from the next issue of Nintendo Power. This month, there wer a lot better games coming out for the Wii/DS than last month. Starting off, Kirby Super Start Ultra. Kirby Super Start Ultra is the remake of Kirby Super Star for the SNES. The original game had eight total games all featuring Kirby, some mingames and some full games. This new remake has added seven games, four full ones and three minigames, and got a 9.0. Next, Wario Land: Shake It! Wario Land: Shake It! is a action/platformer for the Wii that is very similar to the original Wario Lands but were new gameplay mechanics and updated graphics. Playing through the game, there are many times were you will have to tilt or shake to Wii controller to do various actions, including getting treasure and doing a ground-pound. Overall, it's not anything startling and new, but it sounds like a fun and simple game that got a 8.0. Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, is a new concept for Sonic games, straying away from the traditional platforming and high-speed areas, and moving into the RPG genre. This game is made by BioWare, a famous group and from what I can tell, they have done a great job with the game. The battle system has touch screen inputs reminiscent of Elite Beat Agents, and seems like a fun addition, albeit slightly annoying. Overall, a somewhat annoying but very good game that got a 8.0. Overall, a fairly good month for gaming on Nintendo systems.

Reviews (Nintendo Power)

(Something new this time. Instead of talking about articles I will talk about the review scores and main points about them.) First, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia scored 8.0 and main points are that the game has a new battle system, which is summoning "glyphs" instead of using normal weapons. Another game, much less nice, got a 3.0. The game is called Spray and is a terrible puzzle game, and has a bad camera, uncooperative controls, and clunky gameplay mechanics. Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ is a game that is a terrible as it's name. The game is clunky, the touch screen does not always accurately detect what you are trying to do, and it's just plain weird. Shaun the Sheep...hehe he heh. In this "game" you're supposed to find Shaun's other sheep friends, and the whole gameplay composes of only guessing games. Overall, a bad month for DS and Wii games, with only a few good ones such as Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia and Ninja Town.

Video Game Heroes

(Going for some pity here. I spent four hours working on this Thursday, and was just about done but had to go to school, so I could not save and and then my computer was shut off by my step-dad. Then, Friday, I spent five hours doing everything again, and then before I could save it, my internet stopped working and I lost everything. AGAIN. So, what you are now reading is the third time I've done this project.

Video game heroes. We see them all the time. It used to be just the basic heroes who were trying to save a girl, but now heroes in games have developed into real characters with tons of depth, leading to a better gaming experience. When I think of video game heroes, I immediately think of Snake from Metal Gear Solid, Tidus and Auron from Final Fantasy X, and Sora from Kingdom Hearts I and II.

Note - There will be spoilers for the following games:

Note 2 - I cannot provide a full summary for all these games, because it would be hundreds of pages long, but I will try to provide some back story for the following games:

• Metal Gear Solid 1


• Final Fantasy X


• Kingdom Hearts I-II
  

Metal Gear Solid:

Metal Gear Solid is a stealth action game directed by Hideo Kojima. The story of Metal Gear Solid follows Solid Snake, a retired soldier who infiltrates a nuclear weapons disposal facility to neutralize the terrorist threat from FOXHOUND, a renegade special forces unit. Snake must liberate two hostages, the head of DARPA and the president of a major arms manufacturer, confront the terrorists, and stop them from launching a nuclear strike. The series/game is famous for its exploration of the nature of politics, warfare, censorship, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, loyalty, reality, subjective vs. universal "truths" and other philosophical themes.

Metal Gear solid Snake tribute [Hero]

Throughout the video, you can see the ways in which Snake is a hero. He defeats Liquid (the bad guy), saves the DARPA cheif, destroys the helicopter with a bad guy in it, etc.

Solid Snake: It's easy to forget what a sin is in the middle of a battlefield.

Even though some may view Snake as just a normal soldier, he knows the difference between right and wrong, even though it may be hard to differentiate.

Sniper Wolf: I finally understand. I wasn't waiting to kill people, I was waiting for someone to kill me. A man like you. You're a hero.

As she said, Snake's a hero. He mercy killed her even though she attempted to kill Meryl (the girl) and Snake himself, out of his own good will.

Solid Snake: A strong man doesn't need to read the future, he makes his own.

Snake knows that he is strong and powerful enough to create his own future, through his own actions.

Final Fantasy X:
For this game, I will be analyzing two heroes: Auron (who incidentally is shown in my profile picture) and Tidus (even though he is typically a whiny crybaby). Final Fantasy X is basically the story of the never-ending quest to defeat Sin, and Tidus' quest to go "home" to Zanarkand, which he was taken from. The group that goes after Sin is composed of the following: Yuna, Lulu, Tidus, Auron, Wakka, Kimahri, and lastly Rikku.

Auron telling Tidus about Sin

(Go to 1:50 for the part I will be discussing) (Warning: Tidus is a huge whiny crybaby for this part) Auron finally tells the truth to Tidus, and in doing so reveals that he has followed a promise to Jecht (Tidus's Dad) all this time. Tidus also finally realizes what he must do, becoming more heroic in the process.


"Outside the dream world, life can be harsh--even cruel, but it is life." -Auron

Auron knows that life can be terrible and horrible, but it must be faced, because it is all we have. This idea shows heroism in Auron.

"This is my story. It'll go the way I want, or I'll end it here." -Tidus


Tidus, still kind of a crybaby, can stand up to what others say and determines his own fate, which many view as a heroic quality.


"Now! This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!" -Auron


Auron, even though he expects certain things to happen, allows others to choose their own path and story in life. This is a noble trait for people to have.

Sin

Sin is the monster of Final Fantasy X, an ever-present threat that (initially seems to) represents the evil that people commit. Everyone 10 years, people sacrifice someone to kill it, and every 10 years, it returns (at least, until the end of the game).

Kingdom Hearts I and II:

Kingdom Hearts I:

Kingdom Hearts is an interesting combination of Final Fantasy and Disney. The game stars Sora as the hero, trying to save the world from the heartless and trying to find Kairi his friend/girlfriend.

Kingdom Hearts II:

Basically the same, but in addition to fighting the heartless, he also has to fight the nobodies.

Sora's Sacrifice (Kingdom Hearts I)

Sora is such a hero that he unlocked his own heart (using the keyblade) to bring back Kairi, knowing what would happen if he did (by the way, he didn't actually die).



Sora Finds Kairi and Riku



After looking for Kairi and Riku for all these years Sora finally finds them, going through many hardships just so they could be together again. Overall, he is a huge hero, because he could just have left them on their own.


The World That Never Was and Kingdom Hearts (Kingdom Hearts II)

Though the picture may not seem significant, this is where the final battle against Xemnas is held. Sora could have left when Xemnas tried to enter Kingdom Hearts (the giant heart in the sky), but he strives and chased after him into Kingdom Hearts, yet again saving the world and being a hero.

Overall, heroes can be divided into a few categories. There are some heroes that feel they are not a hero at all (ex: Snake), and there are some heroes who are forced into it (Sora gets the keyblade because he is chosen, and same with Tidus). Also, of course, there are heroes by choice, like Mario. In conclusion, there are tons of heroes to be found in video games, all very different with many different stories leading to, typically, a good ending.

The Furious & The Fast (Nintendo Power)

Recently I read another issue of Nintendo Power in which there was a section about the new Sonic game, Sonic Unleashed, titled "The Furious & The Fast." The game is taking a very new, and also a slightly new direction for Sonic. The very new direction is the game is divided into two different forms of gameplay, the first being playing as normal Sonic, and the second being the Werehog, the altered and savage version of Sonic. During the day, Sonic is running full speed through different areas of the world, but at night, Sonic becomes the Werehog and the gameplay becomes more platforming and fighting. This game is a huge difference from the more recent failures (in the majority's opinions) and goes back to the older games. The first, original, Sonic games were all about speed, and just running non-stop. During the fourth generation of gaming (Dreamcast, Nintendo 64), the games became more platforming and puzzles, and less about speed. The games also had glitches, such as falling through floors and objects not working properly, which led to most of them getting scores like 6.5-7.5. Overall, this game looks completely awesome and will be coming to stores November 11th, for PS3, X-Box 360, and Wii (yay for plug-in advertisements!).

Resident Evil 5 (Electronic Gaming Monthly)

(As I said in the last blog, back to the gaming stuff.) Recently I read an issue of EGM in which there was an awesome article about Resident Evil 5. Some main points of this article are the history of Resident Evil, the changes in Resident Evil games, and the new co-op system in the new game. Resident Evil started all the way back on the PlayStation 1, slowly moved to the Gamecube, had a few spin-offs on the PS2 and DS/PSP, and now is finally moving to the seventh generation of consoles. Throughout all of this there have been some major changes, one obviously being the graphics. The old games, even though I liked/still like them, honestly looked like they were drawn by a 4-year old. Another huge change that occurred when Resident Evil 4 is the gameplay in general. It was from having a bird's-eye view camera to being in third-person perspective, practically only involved guns, and was much more combat-oriented. Lastly, the co-op system is completely new as someone else will be joining you through the whole game, and there will be new puzzles that require both Chris and Sheva's (the main characters) efforts. Overall, this game sounds completely awesome, and they were wise in going with the whole "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" idea.

Foxtrot (Not a specific book, but rather in general)

(Uh, I'm out of gaming magazines so I can't do something on that, but don't worry, they'll be back. So for now, enjoy the summary of... a comic.) Foxtrot is a comic book about a slightly dysfunctional and very funny family and their adventures. The family is a family of five, Roger Fox: the father, Andy Fox: the mother, Peter Fox: the older brother, Paige Fox: the sister, and Jason Fox: the younger brother. Also, the creator decided to semi-quit a while ago, and now only does Sunday strips. As for personalities: Roger is a not too intelligent but well-meaning guy. Andy is a writer for a paper and is typically nice but very strict on the kids. Peter, a sophomore in high school, is not too smart either, is obsessed with watching sports but is terrible playing them, and has trouble with girls. Paige, a freshman, is obsessed with clothes, really unpopular in school, and also has trouble with guys. Lastly, Jason is the nerdiest and smartest of all of them, is completely obsessed with video games, and online games like World of Warcraft. This family goes through many crazy adventures, some examples being: Jason and his friend Marcus trying to turn the garage into a spaceship, Jason making a new iPod called the jPod and selling it in stores, and Roger getting to close to the White House in Washington D.C and getting attacked by the secret service. The main thing that I like about this comic is that it's relatable on so many levels, almost everyone can find some similarity.

Return Of The Game (Nintendo Power)

Recently I read an issue of Nintendo Power in which there was an interesting article about how the iPhone could possibly have an affect in the industry for the handheld-gaming market. The main point of the article is how the iPhone's advances may create competition for the Nintendo DS and PSP. A new thing called the "App Store" will be coming out soon for the iPhone/iTouch in which there will be games created by third party deveolpers exclusively for the iPhone. Some reasons why people may prefer the iPhone/iTouch to the DS or PSP are that the iPhone has more than just games, and the games will be more reasonably priced. Personally, I think the people at Apple are getting a little overconfident, saying "I think it's pretty clear that this will be a better user experience than either the Nintendo DS or the PSP. If I were them, I'd be afraid" (Anonymous 44). This seems overconfident to me because even though the iPhone will start getting better-games, the big-name games will still be coming out for the PSP or DS. In conclusion, while the iPhone (most likely) will not dominate either the PSP or DS in sales, it has a chance of taking some profit from the other two main hand-held systems.

Hironobu Sakaguchi (Nintendo Power)

Recently I read an issue of Nintendo Power in which there was an interesting article about Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy (a famous RPG series.) Throughout the article he discusses the beginnings of Square for him and the beginning of Final Fantasy. Approximetly twenty-five years ago, Hironobu bought an Apple II and began creating software. Eventually he applied to Square, which at the time, only had five members before he joined, very tiny compared to the huge company that it is today. The first Final Fantasy game only had 8 people working on it and, unbwknownst to them, would become the first in a huge series (soon to be thirteen games.) At that point Squaresoft and Enix were big competitors, with Squaresoft having Final Fantasy and Enix having Dragon Quest, but eventually the two merged into what is now Square-Enix. Overall, Hironobu is a very famous and accomplished video game designer who is also an insperation to aspiring developers today.

The Rise And Fall (And Rise?) of Japan (Eletronic Gaming Monthly)

Recently I read an issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, in which Yoshiki Okamoto discussed the the key points about the Japanese gaming industry. In it the article it discusses some landmarks, setbacks, and the workers in the gaming industry in Japan. Some examples of landmarks were the creation of the Nintendo, the creation of the Dreamcast, and the creation of the Nintendo DS. Some examples of setbacks were the Dreamcast failing quickly, and the creation of Street Fighter. Apparently though, most game developers in Japan know that Western development of games have evolved, but Japan has stayed pretty much the same. Yoshiki Okamoto even admits that, "when a company approaches us to do work, they'll always say something like, 'Let's make a game where you shoot zombies' or 'Let's make a fighting game' " (Okamoto 62). The point being that those are the kinds of games they make all the time. Lastly, recently, American games have become more like movies, and Japan is noticing an even bigger gap being created between the two.

Comparison Paragraph for Animal Dreams

Between Codi and Hallie, there are many differences, yet at the same time, there are a few similarities. Many people seem to view Codi and Hallie as basically the same person, but that's not right. One similarity between the two is that they are both very tall, "The height, at least. wasn't lost on Hallie and me. We turned out to be six feet on average - Hallie one inch over, and I, one inch under." (p.46) Another similarity between Codi and Hallie is that they both were very close to each other: "Hallie and I were so attached, like keenly mismatched Siamese twins conjoined at the back of the mind. We parted again and again and still each time it felt like a medical risk. as if we were being liberated at some terrible cost: the price of a shared organ. We never stopped feeling that knife." (p.8) As for differences, Hallie tends to be significantly more selfless than Codi, with the latter typically being self-centered, "She might as well not have skin, where emotions were concerned. Other people's hurt ran right over into her flesh. For example: I'll flip through a newspaper and take note of the various disasters, and then Hallie will read the same paper and cry her eyes out. She'll feel like she had to do something about it. And me, if I want to do anything, it's to run hell for leather in the other direction." (p.88), which has affected them in different ways: "The strangest thing is that where pain seemed to have anesthetized me, it gave Hallie extra nerve endings. This haunts me. What we suffered in our lives we went through together, but somehow we came out different doors, on different ground levels." (p.89) Another difference is that typically Codi feels tense and unwelcome/out of place, while Hallie almost always feels content. The differences between the two has led Codi to figure out the main difference between the two: "I was getting a dim comprehension of the differences between Hallie and me. It wasn't a matter of courage or dreams, but something a whole lot simpler. A pilot would call it ground orientation. I'd spent a long time circling above the clouds, looking for life, while Hallie was living it." (p.225)

Full Tilt

Last year I read a book titled Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman. The book would be classified by many as a thriller, proven by the very first line in the book: "It began the night we died on the Kamikaze." (p.1) The star of the book is 16-year-old Blake, searching for his brother Quinn, who is lost in a diabolical carnival full of evil (sounds cheesy but it basically sums it up.) Throughout the book Blake (searching for Quinn with his two friends) encountered many rides (which were a sort of test) that changed into something dangerous, and was also under a time limit to save Quinn for a outwardly appearing beautiful woman, but internally a monster. Some examples of rides were a mirrored maze that showed anyone in it as horribly disfigured, preying on the weaknesses of the individual, and a bumper car ride that became a gigantic gun fight in a huge city. Besides the dangers of the rides many things occurred that challenged Blake's priorities such as one of his friends disappearing, his other friend becoming corrupted and attempting to hurt him, and a past that haunts him daily. Overall, it's a very interesting book that has become one of my favorites.

Adjective paragraph

Here it is:

A trait that would be used to describe me is diverse because I like many different types of games, music, and movies. First, I like many different types of games. For example, I like action-adventures, platformers, fighting games, and RPGs (role-playing-games.) Next, I like many different genres of music. I mostly listen to metal but I also like a little techno, some classic rock, and occasionally pop. Lastly, I like many different types of movies. For example, while I typically watch comedies, I also like horror movies and action movies. The points stated have shown that I am very diverse.

The Blog

Hi, this is my blog so...uh....enjoy?