Category: Video Games

Amish Otaku, PS3, Video Games

Plebian Plays Playstation 3

I never thought that I’d be writing this article on why I enjoyed my first thorough thrashing of the Playstation 3. My interest in video games has, with the exception of the Nintendo Wii, been limited within the past year to the X-Men Legends series and some occasional skull crushing in WWE Day of Reckoning. I had been over to my friend’s house and had thus far been able to resist the temptation to play the PS3. It sat there, nestled in the darkness of his entertainment shelf, looking expensive and imposing. I was so enamored with the Wii that I never thought I would enjoy Sony’s new entertainment monster. I was dead wrong. Even when played on a non-HD screen like a 46″ Plasma ED, the PS3 delivers breathtaking and stunning visuals. You’re probably thinking, “Of course it does, you moron. And an Enzo Ferrari is a fast automobile.” Continue reading “Plebian Plays Playstation 3”

admin
Amish Otaku, DS, Nintendo, Video Games

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

 

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords for the DS is a game everyone’s been waiting for but no one knew they were waiting. It’s a blend of traditional RPG elements and Bejeweled. Wait, huh?

The RPG aspects of this game aren’t what’s making it so popular, nor is it entirely the Bejeweled-like puzzle gameplay of the combat. Rather, the seamless integration of the two and the new gameplay that emerges from it are the true reasons behind this game’s sleeper success.

As I said, combat takes the form of a game of Bejeweled on an 8×8 “Battle Grid” with each combatant alternating turns. Damage is inflicted by matching a row of three to five skulls. You can also attack your enemies with various spells, which can be cast by using mana collected by clearing like-colored mana gems. Experience and gold are collected the same way and are represented by a purple star and a stack of coins, respectively.

The combat is fun, though the alternating turns take some getting used to. Continue reading “Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords”

admin
Amish Otaku, PC, Video Games

EVE Online: Revelations

 

“EVE is shiny.”This was a comment by a friend of mine a while back when we were discussing the MMO I’d been watching my roommate play for a few months. I had been considering taking up the game myself, while she-a devoted FFXI player-had been trying to recruit me into the throngs of Vana’diel.

To be honest, I had never really played an MMO of any kind. It just wasn’t something I’d felt inclined to do. In fact, I had told many people that if I want to interact with others, I’d leave my house. Video games were something I played so that I didn’t have to bother with other people.

For these reasons, I didn’t tell my roommate when I decided to download the EVE client and install it. In fact, it was a week or more before I mentioned to him the desire to play at all. (To be honest, I was still working on the tutorial for my first avatar.) Continue reading “EVE Online: Revelations”

admin
Amish Otaku, Nintendo, Video Games, Wii

Super Paper Mario: From Mushroom Kindgom to the Multiverse

 

Somehow I’ve managed to miss all the previous Paper Mario and Mario RPG games released so far. It’s always been the wrong time or I didn’t have enough money at that moment, but with Super Paper Mario I think I’ve redeemed myself.

On the surface it plays like a traditional side-scrolling Mario game, albeit with cell-shaded graphics and a few new enemies, but behind this first impression lies a 3-D world that’s been hidden from us until now.
By pushing the A button on the Wii remote, you rotate the on-screen view 90 degrees horizontally and reveal the more dynamic 3-D world behind the relatively mundane 2-D platformer. Continue reading “Super Paper Mario: From Mushroom Kindgom to the Multiverse”

admin
Amish Otaku, PSP, Video Games

Mega Man Powered Up: The Blue Bomber Blasts From the Past

Capcom

Capcom is without a doubt the king of franchises. Sure, Konami has classics like Castlevania, DDR and Metal Gear, but Capcom blows them away with hits like Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Phoenix Wright and—perhaps most famously—Mega Man, with over fifty individual titles. Yes, fifty. Unfortunately, a lot of those games have been cheap knock-offs of the genuine article. That’s not the case for their latest update to the series.

Mega Man Powered Up is the best thing to happen to the PSP since Lumines, in my opinion. Aside from the original Mega Man with updated graphics, Capcom has included a brand new game based on the first with two new bosses: Oil Man and Time Man.

The mechanics are exactly the same as the original game but they’ve improved by extending the gameplay. In addition to the new levels, which are loads of fun, a challenge mode has been included. The object of this is simply to complete an objective. Typically you have to reach the end of the level or collect all of a certain object. The replayability is a nice feature, but the true value of these challenges is how they improve the way you play. Complete a few challenges and you’ll have no problem with precision jumps and shots. Continue reading “Mega Man Powered Up: The Blue Bomber Blasts From the Past”

admin
Amish Otaku, Video Games, Xbox 360

Guitar Hero II: The Future of Red Octane’s Crown Jewel

Like many, I have been eagerly awaiting the release of Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360 since it was announced. Despite already owning the game for the Playstation 2, I picked up another copy because the game quite obviously has the potential to be the far superior product.

Unfortunately, almost 48 hours after launch, a large number of people have reported through various forums that their X-plorer controllers are defective, particularly the whammy bars. Some complaints even go so far as claiming to have completely non-functioning guitar controllers. Continue reading “Guitar Hero II: The Future of Red Octane’s Crown Jewel”

admin
Amish Otaku, PC, Video Games

World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

 

“You are not prepared!” Illidain challenges as the opening cinematic plays. I wasn’t prepared, either, for the gameplay changes anyway. As for Illidain himself, he’s not even in the game yet. By the time Illidain shows himself, everyone who plays WoW seriously will be ready … and waiting in line to take a swing at him.

As a softcore raider, I lived in a dungeon with my guild on weekends. After a few months, my gear was shiny and, dare I say it, 133t. Not the best of the best, but that was for the hardcore raiding guilds who threw themselves into dungeons on a daily basis. So imagine my surprise when I venture through the Dark Portal and am greeted with scores of quests that give me better gear than I could find in the most dangerous instances back on Azeroth! Continue reading “World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade”

admin
Amish Otaku, PC, Video Games

Supreme Commander: Giant Robots Make Tanks Very Flat

 

So this game’s been hyped up for the past eighteen-hundred months, a game that claims to revolutionize the RTS genre for everyone. So what does it have?

New system? Nope.

Really awesome graphics with low requirements? You wish.

No, it really just dives right into the inner geek of everyone who loved playing RTS games, who said to themselves, “Hey, if I could just step on them, then they’d like… die faster.” So hey, someone heard you! Continue reading “Supreme Commander: Giant Robots Make Tanks Very Flat”

admin
Amish Otaku, PSP, Video Games

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters

 

The best new product for Sony’s PSP is Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters, developed by High Impact Games. While I haven’t played any Ratchet and Clank games up to this point, Size Matters seems to keep the same visual style and platforming controls as the previous games.

The parts of the game where you play as Ratchet have been the most fun for me. You start out exploring the beaches and islands of a resort planet, fighting your way back to your ship to rescue a young girl who’s been kidnapped. Continue reading “Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters”

admin
Amish Otaku, Video Games, Xbox 360

Crackdown: Police Brutality with a Superhuman Edge

I haven’t dabbled in the world of sandbox games since the days of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Although not much has changed since then, this game takes a refreshing step in a new direction.

Crackdown borrows heavily from the conventions of the GTA series in much the same way most new shooters borrow heavily from Halo (don’t mess with something that works). Although you now play the role of a law enforcement agent instead of a criminal, little has changed in the mechanics and conventions of this game. While you can’t pay and then kill prostitutes in this game, you can appropriate any vehicle you please as long as you stop it or catch up to it.

There are still radios playing in all the cars you take, providing the soundtrack for the game. For instance, in the area dominated by the Latin gang, the majority of the cars will have Latin music. Not tejano or mariachis, but some of my personal favorites like Molotov and Control Machete, two deliciously heavy Latin bands. Continue reading “Crackdown: Police Brutality with a Superhuman Edge”

admin