#95 Little Computer People

Posted: 16th December 2010 by Jeroen in Games
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5

9th game played so far


Genre: Life Simulation
Platform: Various ones
Year of Release: 1985
Developer: Activision
Publisher: Activision

Did you know there are little people living in your computer? Well, there are, and in this Tamagotchi-like fishbowl game, you can see one of them going through his daily routine.

Yes, a guy and his dog in a house. They walk around and do the usual it’s a quiet day and I’ll relax stuff, while we just get to watch. Oh, you can bring food and water occasionally, and ask them to do things, but most of them, you just watch.

Our Playthrough

Turn on, sit back, do other things while occasionally glancing over to the screen. It’s all you can do, really.

Our Thoughts

Please dance *shrug* boring.

It’s like watching someone doing nothing for a few days. Watch some TV, read, talk on the phone, eat, drink, ignore the dog. Basically, it’s like Big Brother without the possibility of nudity or any real drama. And with no other people around. The game isn’t really one I’d recommend playing. It’s interesting as a piece of history – a predecessor of the Tamagotchi and other toys – but there’s nothing for you to do. Press “give food” and “Give water” and “Give dog food”, and that’s it.

I can see how it came to be an inspiritation for games like The Sims. To the right person this could be incredibly fascinating, even nowadays. Someone with as much of a life as the guy in the game? That’s not for me to judge.  Even so, the first thing games like The Sims did was adding interactivity, and that’s the one thing missing from this game. Sure, you can type in requests for the man, but you have to be lucky enough to have him listen.

In some ways this game was reaching way beyond it’s grasp. Possibly. In any case, it was a first step that needed some more work to really become a game, rather than a slightly interactive screensaver. In some ways a real life aqauarium would have been more fun, at least there is some chance of the fish fighting each other.

Final Thoughts

This game is a relic, pure and simple. It is always interesting to see where successful franchises such as The Sims came from historically. This is not something you can really play… but it’s an interesting distraction for 5-10 minutes.

#730 Viva Piñata

Posted: 13th December 2010 by Mulholland in Games
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3

8th game played so far

Genre: Life Simulation
Platform: X-Box 360
Year of Release: 2006
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Microsoft

Ah Viva Piñata. The simple sandbox life simulation where you look after a garden and hope to entice some colourful chocolate-filled pinata animals to live there. Of course there are complications from ‘sour’ pinatas and ruffians who come in to smash about the place… but it would be too easy otherwise.

As premises go it is exceedingly simple, which is probably what makes it so attractive.  It’s loveable cast of characters with their cute sweet-inspired names (such as Sparrowmint and Chewnicorn) actually made this the first game that I got for the 360.

This also marks the first of quite a few Rare games that appear on the list (others including Banjo Tooie and Goldeneye 007) so stay tuned for those.

Our Playthrough

I have wasted so much of my life on this in the past (whilst listening to Joanna Newsom no less) so this is a game where I am letting Jeroen take the lead. After all, it’s still a joy to watch all the little cut-scenes again for the first time… makes me remember how cute a newt can be when animated right.

Our Thoughts

SMASH THE PRETZTAIL!  Don’t you dare touch my bunnies! For those not in the know… a pretztail is a piñata for; one that loves to sneak in and eat your piñata bunnies and chickens (poor Cluckles).

Yeah. Anyway, I can safely say this is a good, fun game and incredibly addictive. I remember it from when I first played it years ago, watching you… reinforced that opinion. Yeah, unfortunately so. In a way I’m happy that we’ve finished our time, because now I have to move on, rather than feeling I could play another hour because ah well, I might as well.

I was really happy to see that this made the list, it’s such an unusual title because of the way it marries normal life simulation, cute creatures and things normally associated with games such as Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing. One disadvantage of only playing 5-6 hours is that you don’t get to see all the different piñatas. Some such as Galagoogoo and the elephant (who I gave some rather festive earrings) are some of the title’s true piñata stars.

Yeah, but this gave a good impression of what is possible, combined with looking at your old garden. Absolutely, at times this can be an incredibly relaxing and easy game… then suddenly you are whacked in the face as saboteurs enter your garden, your piñatas start to fight and you REALLY need to water a tree to stop it from wilting. And all of these can occur in quick succession.

Yeah, especially level-ups can cause this. You gain a rank every once in a while as you play, based on things you do. Because of this, they might occur while, for example, you’re in the middle of breeding your piñatas, and then may cause new nasties to show up, while you get a new shovel and a few other odds and ends, and you hear you need to deal with them all at once. And there were times when I was telling Peter “Yes, I’ll get to that, but I first need to do these three other things!”

And there were times when Jeroen was happily allowing his piñatas to be eaten and it upset me… I guess I’m a bit less sensitive than you with these things. If I can get a nicer or different piñata back for it, I don’t think it’s much of a problem. You can grow incredibly attached to certain piñatas though.

Yeah, the worms are cute. They’re the first piñatas you get, and I got plenty. So are the sparrows, especially when they do their happy dance.

 

One other thing to mention – while there are a lot of bad things you need to keep track of, the game gets quite flexible in this, and with a bit of work you can return to proper sandbox mode where you can do what you want soon enough. For example, while baddies show up, you can convert most of them, after which they won’t show up as baddies, or you can buy items or helpers that’ll chase them away. Or not, in which case you can deal with it. This way you can create your own difficulty level and deal only with the problems you want to deal with, something which added to the fun to me.

And that makes this game dangerously addictive.

Final Thoughts

And that’s what this is – a colourful, addictive, fun game, that looks cute, steals your heart, and while it can get tough and overwhelming, it’s always easy to recover and bounce back. Whether you want a challenge in keeping away the guardians and smashing every sour pinata that turns up, or just want to see your creatures walk around a nice garden that’s taken care of by all your helpers, this game will work for you.

#901 Bayonetta

Posted: 10th December 2010 by Jeroen in Games
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2

7th game played so far


Genre: Action Game
Platform: Playstation 3, XBOX 360
Year of Release: 2009
Developer: Platinum Games (XBOX 360), Nex Entertainment (PS3, port)
Publisher: Sega

Another callback to a previous game, with the developers of this game coming from Capcom, developers of Viewtiful Joe. It shows in style and game play, with this game being as cinematic as the former. It also includes more fan service than the former, and quite a different storyline.

Basically, you’re a witch, the last surviving one, more or less, and you have to find rather non-angelic angels to stop the heavens from becoming too powerful. Sorry mum. The controversy seems obvious, but we will not let that distract us from the game itself.

The witch – creatively called Bayonetta – fights her way through using swords, guns, and demons summoned from her own hair – hair that also forms her costume, so we can only assume the average player tries to summon these as often as possible. We will leave it as an exercise for the reader to understand why we’re not as affected.

Our playthrough

Five hours of fighting action goodness, with frequent repeats, although many of these work quite well compared to the average ‘redo the level from scratch’ continues. One of us got addicted, the other loves watching but also has time to actually write about the game.

Our Thoughts

Right, now that I’ve finally dragged you away from the 360… I guess you think the game isn’t too bad then? You dragged me away for this!? I was about to disembowel an angelic manta ray… thing! Well, we have about 994 more games to play and you’ve been playing for a while, for good reason.

I could tell earlier you’ve lost sleep because of it. Well I’ve sort of been having dreams about having some of Bayonetta’s powers… it’s just way too immersive in that respect. Yeah, it is, even when you’re waiting for the next level to load.

 

The loading screens are a little bit of a hindrance, but in them you are free to practice any combo and (if anything) it makes a nice change from being spoon fed like you get in games like Assassin’s Creed. The fact that the first thing you get to do in the game is test drive it on opponents without any chance of dying is a great introduction.

And the introduction sequence certainly makes you wonder what’s going on; one big battle. The same goes with a lot of the cinematics. I am in LOVE with the creatures they have created to fight they are angelic enough to fit and are the right mix of scary, creepy and holy. Yeah, angelic, but weird enough to be credible as enemies, with unsuitable names like Harmony and Grace.

One thing about this game (which is a link back to Viewtiful Joe) is that there is a lot of restarting. There are battles that are brutally relentless. They are, and some take some practice. Yet it bothered me less than it did in Viewtiful Joe, in part because you always jump back only to the start of the battle or halfway through in some boss fights. It’s a credit to the people who were involved in the overall fight design, there is enough variation that a second or even a sixth go can still be incredibly enjoyable. It took me 5 attempts to clear a boss and I was still having fun ripping its dragon heads off.

Yeah, and it is rarely tough enough that you get the feeling it’s impossible unlike Viewtiful Joe where I was ready to through the Gamecube remote into moving traffic. I agree with that sentiment.

Some of the bosses are about the size of Birmingham… it’s amazing she makes a dent in them at all let alone manipulating her hair into the shape of a crow which then devours them. Again this is greatly helped by the mid-boss battle save points a fantastic little addition that is missing from so many other games out there which doesn’t detract from the overall difficulty in any way.

It keeps the focus on the fun parts – getting past the next bit – instead of on the boring parts – defeating the same enemy twenty times over because of the boss fight afterwards (by fun bit’s we mean the torture attacks. Gloriously gory especially when you chainsaw something in half.) Which says a lot in this game, considering the massive amounts of gore, chainsaws, iron maidens, you see all sorts of things. Further enhanced by the ‘climax’ moves you use to finish off bosses.

Can I get back to playing now?

Just one more thing of note here, the music; completely inappropriate and yet fits in perfectly (even if one of them is a JPop remix of ‘Favourite Things’ from The Sound of Music) It works. It sounds strange, but it works.

All I can say is… glory be to Bayonetta. One great game, an example of how games have improved over the past decade.

Final Thoughts

I know this is only the 7th game in but… I can not see that a game is going to top this for a while, especially in the action genre. It’s completely immersive, has a great back story and mythology plus some of the best use of gore that I have ever seen. True the British accent is a tad… weird but it all adds to the atmosphere.

#97 Super Mario Bros.

Posted: 7th December 2010 by Mulholland in Games
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13

6th game played so far


Genre: Platformer
Platform: NES
Year of Release: 1985
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

It may seem a little bit odd to cover another Mario already but there must be in excess of 20 different games (this could be an exaggeration) featuring this plumber so it’s a good idea to get a few out-of-the-way early.

I say get out-of-the-way but we are talking about the big daddy of them all, the title responsible for the renaissance of console gaming after the money pit that was the Atari E.T. game.

We all know the story about some fire-breathing turtle stealing a princess and then some Italian in a red hat goes off to save her, massacring the Goomba population of the Mushroom Kingdom as he goes along. Then again Super Mario Bros. sold over 40 million copies worldwide and is widely regarded as the most influential game in the history of the industry. However brief that history may be.

Our Playthrough

We decided that the most democratic way was for us to play through this was together using two player. I tried to go through it normally whilst Jeroen made heavy use of the warp pipe cheat. At least this way we get a good look at most of the worlds.

Our Thoughts

The first Mario platformer. Not first Mario game, thanks to the Donkey Kong series and Mario Bros. But the first proper platformer?

Well it definitely made side-scrolling platformers a household name. Not sure there were many before that attempted to do that. Yeah, none that I can think of right now to be sure, and it made Nintendo a household name.

Don’t forget that it saved home console gaming. It’s strange to think that we may not be sitting in a world of Wiis and PS3s if not for this game. I think there were many NES games responsible for it, not this one, but Super Mario Bros. is obviously most closely linked to the console, simply because you normally got the game when you got a NES.

True, and I think it was just able to take the world by storm because it flows naturally and just feels innovative. Unlike Duck Hunt… You won’t understand Duck Hunt until you’ve used the light gun to try to shoot the dog laughing at you. I’ve played Point Blank and had similar experiences with various mini-games.

 

Of course let us not forget that this game originated all the Mario paraphernalia (minus Mario himself). Bowser, Peach, Toads, Goombas, Hammer Bros, Bullet Bills… I could go on. They are such parts of gaming culture that it’s like they’ve always been there. And even some that you keep remembering were in there already (for me at least), like the jellyfish.

 

As a game, it’s a good game. It’s hard to compare now, really, as the subsequent games improved on the formula, but the original is still fun to play. The graphics aren’t great, it might be lacking in variety, palette swaps may be everywhere. The challenge is there though. It’s unforgiving at times and extremely compelling, even if one level if just the photo-negative of another.

The challenge is there, and you can tell that’s what matters here. As well as the music; it may be crappy in quality, but they’re instantly recognisable. Well just 3-4 notes in and it feels homely. Like an old pair of slippers that you’ve perfectly broken in. Always a pleasure to slip in and out of. And I think that goes for the entire game.

Yeah, there are so many things other games have done better. But the game works, it’s solid, and it’s fun to just play, whether it’s the original NES version or one of the many remakes. And I suspect that, with the way it’s been everywhere, it’s the closest to a shared experience gamers around the world have.

That and Tetris. Yeah, but less face it – would you rather look at Russian buildings or eat a flower so you can start shooting fire (from your nose, if you look at the sprites used for it in this game). Both, then I’d be like Godzilla.

Anyway, I look forward to covering The Lost Levels in a month or so. And Lost Levels will be interesting. Possibly the best example of an early level pack. And a game not released outside Japan until the release of Super Mario All-Stars for the SNES. But more on that once we reach that game!

Final Thoughts

The word classic comes to mind, and I know it’s a word we’re going to use often, but it’s the best to describe why Super Mario Bros. deserves to be in here. Addictive, fun, instantly recognisable, and who hasn’t played it? Worth a look for everyone, not just for historical value, but to see how far you can get and how well you do. And to see why Goombas actually look like mushrooms.

#777 Peggle

Posted: 4th December 2010 by Mulholland in Games
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6

5th game played so far

Genre: Puzzle
Platform: Various
Year of Release: 2007
Developer: PopCap Games
Publisher: PopCap Games

PopCap have made a household name for themselves by developing games that are mindnumbingly addictive. This is because the concepts employed are so simple, yet profitable, it makes you wonder how other game developers have restrained themselves from setting fire to PopCap headquarters.

Peggle is a prime example of this. It employs similar principles to bagatelle and pinball whereby you try to strategically release a ball in such a fashion as to hit as many of the orange pegs as you can. Each level ends when all of these has been hit…. simple enough right? In order to up the ante PopCap decided to equip Peggle with a number of colourful characters (including a French lobster and a rather creepy unicorn) and the ‘Ode To Joy’ in each level’s pay-off.

Our playthrough

In total there are 50 levels of this puzzle game. So the only logical course of action was to play our way through… I mean it’s not as if either of us could tear ourselves away from the screen without much prior prodding. Of course, after that there are the challenges, which is doing the same thing, but more challenging (Yes!). This can be hitting more orange peggles, getting a certain score or beating your opponent.

Our Thoughts

One word: Addictive. Absolutely addictive in every possible way and I think that because it relies so much on a mix of skill and luck whilst being incredibly accessible to all ages.

In that sense, it goes back to older days, where you get the sort of games that are easy to learn, but hard to master. Like Tetris and Asteroids. And all those other games you used to love but have now forgotten. Many of which we will possibly be covering in this blog. I hope so, just not too many, or else this will take too long.

I really loved all the colourful characters. The zen owl, the creepy unicorn and the Egyptian cat were personal favourites. The unicorn had a crap power up though, so I can’t say that became as much of a favourite. I liked the magic bunny though. He had serial killer eyes… as I said, I liked him.

Anyway, I guess the main downside is that, as addictive as the game is, after a while it gets boring and you do want to put it away. After you play through the proper adventure, it does feel like enough for now.

Maybe, but I can see that in a year’s time I will be more than happy to start again right from the beginning. I think it has proper replay value which, considering how simple a game it is, is rather impressive.

That’s true. But longer term, it’s more of an occasional play than that you’d want to spend a session of a few hours on it. Which means it outlasts a lot of other games that get relegated to the “played drawer” since it’s not a big commitment to start again and can be easily parcelled out in bite size chunks whereas games in the Final Fantasy line demand 2 or so hours in the first sit-down.

That’s very true. It’s just a different experience. Amen to that.

Final Thoughts

The perfect coffee break game… or one for the stay-at-home parents who can only do their gaming whilst their newborns take a 20 minute nap.

#801 Wii Fit

Posted: 1st December 2010 by Mulholland in Games
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2

4th game played so far

Genre: Fitness
Platform: Wii
Year of Release: 2007
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

Before the advent of Wii Fit there were very few games out there (minus Dance Dance Revolution) that could offer both a gaming experience and a way to lose weight.

By doing this they were able to create a new image of casual gamers who are healthy and yet still like to wander through Hyrule in search of currency.

Our Playthrough

I am always on the Wii Fit, in fact the weight loss documented in my other blog is partially due to exercising on it a few times every week. So since I knew this game back to front it was up to me to show Jeroen the true Balance Board experience.

This meant hula-hooping, yoga, muscle exercises and basically any excuse to find a way to make him look silly. Truly it was a great time to be me.

Yeah. I’ll admit, it wasn’t as dreadful as it may seem. Some of the exercises were fun, and all in all I could start to feel an effect.

Let’s be fair on this first – I’m a skinny guy. I’m the skinny geek who’s blown away in a good storm. For this reason, calorie burning isn’t a concern of mine – in fact, right now I’d be better off gaining weight instead. At the same time, I used to get regular exercise – cycling to work and back, totalling about an hour – that I’ve been lacking since I moved. For that reason, getting some more exercise is a good thing, and this was a surprisingly nice way to do so.

Our Thoughts

Wii Fit… basically your game that you subjected me to. And a game I subjected myself to 30 minutes a day, five days a week during the summer. I know. And the results show.

So how did you find it? It’s not bad. I wouldn’t go for the whole half hour each day – I try to keep up some exercise in other ways (such as a lunchtime walk), but 10-15 minutes for some exercise might be a good idea from now on.

What I love about it is that depending on how serious you are about your work-out it can either be gentle or fairly intense. It’s the customisability that makes it the best fitness game created. Wii Fit Plus really built on that by adding new options to create a work-out plan rather than having to select a new exercise after completing the old one.

Yeah. Some of the games are really just fun. That penguin one is a blast. And it’s probably the only fitness game worthy of inclusion. The steps game reminded me a bit of the dancing I once did (as part of acting classes!) This was about the level I reached.

The jogging reminds me of the warm-ups I hated during games, but more colourful and with dogs to chase. If anything, that’d be the yoga exercises for me.

Still, I think we can say that this is the game most likely to make you sweat while playing it, from the pure exercise, and that alone is notable here. And if you own a Wii, this is probably the best alternative to going to a gym that you can get.

I maintain that it’s the best £70 I ever spent in my quest for a reduced waistline. With it’s help I’ve achieved just that. So thank you Wii Fit.

Final Thoughts

When it comes down to this Wii Fit is great at what it is: a fitness game. I can not imagine many people coming home from a day of work and saying “I’ll crack out the old Wii Fit” as a means to relax.

But it never pretends to be anything else than what it is which is why it is so great and is well deserving of a place on the list.

#547 Viewtiful Joe

Posted: 28th November 2010 by Mulholland in Games
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4

3rd game played so far

Genre: Action/Platformer
Platform: Gamecube, Playstation 2
Year of Release: 2003
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

This is the first of a number of Capcom games that we are going to cover. The reason that we chose this one is not because of a random number generator (as is the process with most other games) but because I actually borrowed Viewtiful Joe off of a friend of mine some years ago and only found it in my drawer last week… oops. Still, a few more weeks before I return it won’t make a difference now (sorry Sam, I hope you didn’t buy a new copy)

The story behind this is as old as time. Geek takes girlfriend to cinema, girlfriend is kidnapped by a villain from the film, geek follows girlfriend into film and is given superheroic powers so he can rescue her… wait, what?

It borrows heavily from the tradition of a 2D side-scroller with the addition of cel-shaded 3D graphics as well as the ability to slow-down and speed-up time in order to achieve better combos and generally kick ass more “viewtifully”.

Our Playthrough

Well, there’s not a lot of choice here, the game is straightforward: We played through it for five hours, which dropped us about two thirds of the way through. We went for the easier (‘kids’) difficulty. I wanted to. I couldn’t deal with more. We’ll discuss that later.

Since I had played this before this was left to Jeroen to play his way through… unless it got too difficult and he got upset, then I kicked some serious robot ass. In my defense, my reflexes aren’t as good, I’m not as trained in these sort of games… and I sort of might have been dealing with a mild concussion (all too get out of peeling the potatoes) while playing it which affected a major part of my mood and such. And I’m just not as good as these games.

Our Thoughts

I would like to reiterate that this game was not stolen. That’s your opinion.

Anyway, one interesting game; very fast paced, lots of action, very colourful, and with very good visuals. It makes you feel like you’re in a movie.

It is also fairly difficult for newcomers and they are never afraid to up the ante to make sure that it doesn’t feel like a walkover. That’s very true as well, and I admit I ran up against it relatively soon – the first level is doable, after that it goes up rapidly. It’s a difficulty that is enhanced by the infrequent save points and the large amount of boss-fight strategies that need to be devised.

That’s probably what I ran up against the most. A lot of replaying of certain sections is required, and you have little time to work out strategies without having to go back through half the level because you’re out of lives. It’s a call-back to how older games went, and I suppose shows how gamers are spoiled these days with more frequent saving (helped by the gaming systems making it easier and faster to save).

You do get inundated by grunts but they are easy enough to defeat. Once you figure out the strategy for defeating them …which isn’t that hard. Usually not, no. Especially since they let you know in advance whether the majority of them are about to hit you in the head or the legs allowing you to counter attack. Which can be too late if you don’t have great reflexes which is where I flourish and you come unstuck.

I also have to admit it doesn’t help I kept hitting the rather large jump button when just trying to punch or kick. One thing we haven’t mentioned is the fantastic time effects used for fighting.

Even watching the game being played is a lot of fun due to those cinematic effects. It’s sometimes just fun to jump around whilst in super-slow motion.

You do need to have a will of iron with this game as it will kick you in the shins on many occasions. But if you are happy to get plugging away at puzzles and boss fights this is great. Part of that also requires you to enjoy the game enough that you want to keep trying.

Also, because of the cel-shaded graphics time has been really slow in dating this. It would mostly work now, yeah. And it seems to me that something like the Wiimote could interact quite well with any more sequels. Well it was a critically acclaimed franchise, but the low sales figures have led it to the gaming graveyard.

As so many other games have. But this is certainly a game that could work again a few years down the line, updated, with some new abilities, but the same cinematic gameplay. Replaying this makes me want to check out the Nintendo DS sequel.

Final Thoughts

At times so frustrating that you want to chuck your Gamecube controller at the TV Viewtiful Joe is a fast-paced cel-shaded thrillride. It has well withstood the test of time and is a great way to fight an anthropomorphic shark in slow motion.

#321 Super Mario RPG

Posted: 25th November 2010 by Jeroen in Games
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1

2nd game played so far

Genre: Role-Playing Game
Platform: Super Nintendo
Year of Release: 1996
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

Bowser has caught the princess again. Mario goes out to save her. Having wisened up, he lives right next door to Bowser’s castle, so runs straight there to rescue. Just as he does, though, a giant sword falls from the sky into the castle, and sends Mario, Bowser and the Princess away. The Smithy gang is invading the world and Mario has to stop them.

It’s Mario in his first RPG adventure. It’s colourful, it’s funny, it’s memorable, and it features a marshmallowy character who thinks he’s a tadpole (even though he is clearly a Japanese anime chicken). How could that make sense?

(We’d normally start the series from the start, but Mario has enough games that we can break it up by the game types.  It saves some time and means we can start with a very pleasant and fun game)

Our playthrough

I’ll be honest – I’ve played this game before and really liked it. It’s a colourful, fun game, not so difficult it can’t be beaten, but quite tough as you get into it. However, I’ve let Peter take the lead so he can experience it, while I offer advice and play some parts just for fun. The first night went up to the point where your next party member joins you, and it seems to have gotten Peter hooked already.

Our Thoughts

I’d best start this off, as this was my first pick.

Super Mario RPG. Colourful, fun, using familiar characters, but with a distinct gameplay that really set up a lot of future games and some pretty decent battle music that becomes endearing rather than annoying over prolonged exposure. Yeah, absolutely.

It certainly got stuck in my head. The graphics are more clearly dated, but with this being a SNES game around the time the N64 came out (the last Mario SNES game if i’m not mistaken) that makes sense. Possibly one of the reasons why originally, this game never made it to Europe.

Considering this is 1996 the graphics would have been dated even for then. Possibly more on par. But yeah, using 3D models as sprites just doesn’t always work. It worked in the original Tomb Raider though. Both released in the same year and yet it’s graphics ran rings around Mario RPG I don’t understand why they did not wait another year so it could be a launch title on the N64.

It’s a different platform though – Super Mario RPG was for the aging SNES, while Tomb Raider wouldn’t run on PCs from the time the SNES launched. Probably speed of development – had they waited another year, a lot would need to be redone to make it work.

In Japan they were released 3 months apart, bit of a false economy if you ask me as it would have made for a supreme launch title. That’s true, although it’s worth remember that this might’ve meant that the game wouldn’t have been made – this is the last Square game for a Nintendo system for quite a while, things were probably already strained.

It’s also a bit obvious to me that this is a 3rd party development deal. The sense of humour is slightly different and the gameplay is a bit simpler (more traditional maybe?) compared to what was then a typical Nintendo game. That’s true. The Final Fantasy influences are there especially in the way that the battles and menus are arranged (and the lengthy cut-scenes) and the ambiguity of whether something is a frog, a cloud or an anime chicken (In-game, a cloud. I won’t spoil it, but there’s some neat sequences related to Mallow).

Still, I say it’s a great game, well worth playing for anyone who loves Mario or RPGs. A great game in both ways. However, if you are like me and see RPGs as the likes of Fallout 3 you will be slightly knocked by the stopping and starting concerned with the battle sequences. This is a highly traditional RPG in that sense and to be a serious gamer you really need to sample one like this at some point. The Mario RPG seems like a good introduction.

In style, absolutely. And if you’re like me, the turn-based nature means it can be easy playing as you get easily distracted. Plus, there’s plenty of secrets to discover.

But if you like gaming for the adrenaline rush of being under fire or nearly dying at the hands of some robot it could be a bit of a turn-off… then again so would Tetris.

Yes. If you’re curious – the game is on the Wii Virtual Console now, so nothing is stopping you from playing it (if you have a Wii)!

Final Thoughts

It’s funny, it’s a good story, it’s challenging, it’s Mario, it’s an RPG. It’s not a game if you prefer action-packed non-stop violence, nor is it for you if you want the latest and best graphics, but if you want to get into a Mario game that’s more than “Bowser captures the Princess, Mario gets her back by jumping around the world and making sure he doesn’t fall into endless holes.”, this is the best to start of with. Not to worry though – sequels are coming, other Mario RPGs with more action and/or better graphics. More on those before we’ve gone through all 1001!

#2 Pong

Posted: 22nd November 2010 by Jeroen in Games
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8

It’s the first game!!!


Genre: Sports game
Platform: Arcade
Year of Release: 1972
Developer: Atari
Publisher: Atari

The year is 2184 and evolution has brought us to our pinacle. Humanity consists of paddles and has but one goal in life: Stay entertained by throwing balls at…

Okay, never mind. There’s no story in Pong. There’s no real point. It’s an early form of table tennis. Move a paddle up and down and bounce a ball back and forth. Don’t hit it and when it hits the back wall, it explodes and the opponent gains a point. That’s it.

Our playthrough

After a false start, we did the one thing we could with this game: A straight 1 vs 1 Pong match to the death. Or to the end of the game, which ended up being 11-5 for us. In Peter’s favour. In my defense, I won the first trial match. He did win the second one, but I clearly have the intuition advantage here.

Our Thoughts

I still can’t believe that you broke the bloody thing. If you play a game like this, you have to push it to the limit. blah blah blah.

 

Probably an integer wraparound that caused a wrong position on the screen. In layman’s terms he magicked onto the top and the bottom at the same time and because of a neat trick in the original design the paddles do not go all the way up or down, apparently to make sure a game could not go on infinitely.

 

Well, it was just at the top, it just made it look like it was also on the bottom. Yea, but the paddle could not reach all the way to the bottom in our version and I exploited that sweet spot with a wicked shot. Just once, though, and I got close a few times.

Yea but you never succeeded and that’s why I won 11-5. You’re more easily fooled by a sudden last second move you made out of nowhere and you’re more easily able to break an Atari classic. That’s me, I suppose.

And a classic for sure, by the way. It’s cool to play it on laptops… if a little awkward.

 

The book features one earlier game, but this is the game that really started it all. The only previous one is The Oregon Trail. A game only I have played before since it came installed on my first PC. And no I am not a time travelling journalist from the 1970s, sometimes I wish I were…

… Yeah. Anyway, Pong’s certainly the game that entered the public consciousness and is known as the early video game, and one that’s still replicated in other situations, often as some Easter egg or similar. I remember it being included as bonus game in some of the Commander Keen games.

I remember it for being in an advert with Andy Roddick where he had to play tennis against it. A lack-lustre volley always defeats Pong. That’s not exactly playable… but really? It’s like playing badminton against a brick wall, a weak shot and you always win.

Anyway, it’s clear to see why it would become a game that lasted that long. These days, we’re used to more, but it’s a fun, simple game. And if you’re not careful, it can get quite addictive.

It still stands up in the face of realistic graphics and RPG storylines that make you cry. It’s a classic example of K.I.S.S. which still endures to this day. Granted, there was a lawsuit about the originality of the game… but that’s for Wikipedia to educate.

Yeah, that’d be interesting to look up. As another testament to its simplicity – the game is entirely done in hardware, no software, no code was written for it. In other words, there are no microchips or anything like that involved – it’s all based on how things were soldered together. That’s an impressive achievement too. Like a bicycle. Yes, and unlike a car these days.

Right, so it’s time to break out the Wii Balance Board. You’re investigating Wii Fit! Seemingly so. From the oldest game to something quite new. Although both still seem to feature bars and hitting them, just in one case with a featureless 3D woman in the background. …and both have a chance of causing a sports injury. Fun times…

I look forward to watching you try the yoga. Of course you will. I will see whether it’s actually going to be fun doing any yoga. I am not yet convinced.

Final Thoughts

As first game played, this is obviously the best and worst played so far – a list we will be making later as we get more into it. If nothing else, this is the classic that started a lot. That, as well as its gameplay, fun experience  and the sheer delight of letting a square miss your opponent’s rectangle, will mean this game will most likely outlive the vast majority of games now out there and coming out now.

And So It Begins…

Posted: 22nd November 2010 by Mulholland in Introduction
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Are you settled in? Good, then let us begin.

Most crazy blog ideas tend to formulate under the happy influence of alcohol. Then again so does the majority of man’s strange decisions. Yes, rugby players I’m talking about your drunken antics.

However, this blog’s birth had far more humble beginnings. It started after a trip to the Piccadilly Waterstones when the boyfriend caught sight of what would have been a rather cracking Christmas present… God!

A few months ago a veritable tome of gaming knowledge was released called the 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die… and I think you guys know what’s coming next. That’s right; our plan is to get through all of these games in a challenge that is likely to take us 5+ years.

We’ve spent a week or so copying out the actual list onto a spreadsheet and rounded up all the games on the list that we actually own… more than either of us actually expected (a selection of which you can see below).

Of course there are games which we do not own or won’t be able to find for free via Google (at least Tetris and Ms. Pac-Man have been taken care of eh?) So there will be the enlisting of friends and possible future visits to arcades so that any gaps in ownership are soon filled.

There are some ground rules. Each game needs to be played to either completion of for 4-6 hours. This may not seem like too long but when you consider how many games are ahead of us it means we have at least some chance of finishing this before they invent hovercars.

That’s it for now: Let the games begin! (sorry)

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