Mahjong - I-Pod

I'd Figure I'd follow in Josh foot steps and do a interview with my girlfriend/fiancee (soon to be wife) Karyn about a game that she is currently playing. Mind you now, this was done when she was half asleep on the couch, so I had to make the answers out of mubbles and blurbs.


Me: What type of games do you like?

Karyn: Ummm..I don't know..puzzle games.

Me: What are you playing right now?

Karyn: Majong...on I-pod

Me: Why you playing it on a I-pod?

Karyn: Yeah.........Its portable, small..I'm sleepy..

Me: How does it play on the I-pod?

Karyn: Very limiting, cause you have to use the wheel, theres no up and down. The direction follows through on the wheel.

Me: Is the awkward control just related to Mahjong or all I-pod games?

Karyn: yeah...theres no up and down........

Me: Do your games make you mad, like my games make me and I yell at pixelated characters who won't respond to my controls?

Karyn: mmmmmmmm....Nnnnoooo.......sleepy...

Me: Do you think we are in over our heads with the flesh eating space monkeys?

(no answer, it was at this point I said, we finish the interview in the morning...

Whew..next morning. That was fast)

Me: What do you like about the game, Mahjong?

Karyn: Its simple, mindless and a distracting.

Me: What don't you like about it?

Karyn: Theres no suped up levels like in Peggle. Right now I am doing the Emperors challenge, where I do a bunch of levels that unlock more levels. Theres no special power ups.

Me: So its boring?!

Karyn: Some might care, but I don't. Peggle, now thats a fun game. I've played through that game 8 times now.

Me: Would Mahjong be better if you could shoot or kick the squares..AAAHHYAAAA!!!

Karyn: No....It would be better if there were more challenges.

Thats that. I don't play puzzle games. Karyn is more of a puzzle person. Life is a big enough puzzle for me, I don't need them in my games. Next from the i-pod, the talked about PEGGLE.
And to get people excited about Mahjong, I made a trailer for everyone to enjoy.

Thanks for the interview Karyn!

Mike Tyson's Punch Out - The 30 sec (or so) Game Expereince

Here we go 1 Round with SUPER MACHO MAN.

Mario Kart Wii

I was going to write a review for this game, but my girlfriend has been playing it more then me. I thought I'd bombard her with questions while she was having one of her online matches to find out what makes this game so addictive to the casual gaming market:



Nikki: "I'm huge bitch!" (referring to getting the mega-shroom power up)

Josh:What's your favorite level?

I like this one (DK Summit) and Maple Treeway.

yeah?

yeah, watch me and I'll show you how not to get stuck in the snow.

Okay.

Oh shit! Don't mind that..... fuck! Whenever you watch, I do terrible but I'm usually really good!

You didn't really "not get stuck in the snow" you just fell off a cliff.

No but I'll show you in just a sec. Here's the snow part..when you go over the speed thing go at it at an angle go off to the side, give it a shake, and off to the side..

Is the bullet bike your favorite vehicle in the game?

yes (Nikki loses, toad says "ohhhh noooo!") ohhhwww! but see I didn't get stuck in the snow.

You didn't do too well. You came in last...

I know but I still had fun!

Does it make you mad when you come in last?

Nope I don't mind.







What would be your favorite classic track?

The one.... (I'm the worst person to interview)... the one where your going through the city, but I don't remember what it's called... It's all streets and it's from an older game.... I think it's from the gameboy one or something???... Delfino Square!! It's hard because it's narrow and it's very easy to get caught on the walls, but it's very competative because it's so narrow! Everybody is kinda rammed together and throwing stuff at each other and there's a short cut that's really fun.

Is this your favorite Mario Kart??

I would have to say.... I don't know... it's very close becuase I really liked the one for the Gamecube because everyone had their own individual special weapon and this one doesn't have that. I miss that.... that's why it's very very close..If this had the specials it would be top of the charts!!

What is the most useful powerup when your behind in the race?

For me it's the super mushroom that you just mash on the button and it keeps giving you speed boosts cause even when your behind it can put you four places ahead or more depending on how close everybody is.

What do you really like about this installment of Mario Kart?

I really like I can play against people over the internet. Like right now I'm playing against people all over the world! That's crazy! I'm racing people in Finland! That's bananas!! I can't talk to them, but it's still exciting to do that and I really like the wheel! I thought the wheel at first was kinda a shtick. I didn't think it was going to be fun. I thought they were just doing it as a gag... Like to make money and it wouldn't really be that fun. It's actually really fun! And after you get used to it it's really easier to control it then any other way to play.

What do you think could have been improved about this game?

There are a lot of tracks but I think peoples biggest complaint is that it doesn't have all the old tracks.

Do you think there should be voice chat??

I'm kinda glad there's not cause if you're someone like me, you kinda curse a little bit, under your breath....

So you think you would curse to much at people?

I think there's a chance I would let one slip in front of the kids, and I don't want to do that... I'm playing against 8 year olds too so...I'm glad that they're censoring me without me having to censor me.

Is this your favorite game right now?

Right now? Yeah... I come home and play it every night and I haven't been that way with a game in a long time! I look forward to it which is crazy! It's like "ahh I'm not doing anything right now and supper's in the oven, better play against my friends in Finland."

What is your least favorite power up in this game?

There's a raincloud and it rains on you and slows you down... actually I think it makes you drive a little faster but it shocks you. There's also a POW switch that makes everyone spin out a little bit..

Final question: What rating (out of 10) would you give the game??

9.5/10

Well there you have it! Mario Kart is hella fun as a casual game for the online play.

StarWars Episode 1 - The Gungan Frontier

This is a neat little premise for a game. It plays has if you were Noah's Ark. You get a bunch of animals and vegetation and you choose a place to start up a new Ecosystem. You plant grass and trees and then herbivores and some predators. Then when the numbers are good, you harvest to build a Gungan city and try and make is prosper. Sounds Fuuuun.??? I don't know about fun, but theres definitely alot of reading and remember what does what and how one thing affects the other.
A player can choose to be Obiwan or Princess Amidala and have your goal to see if you can get the Gungan's to build a shrine of you. Thats your ultimate goal to reach to finish a level. Although the game doesn't really end there. You can keep your Ecosystem dance going on forever if you want. Theres a nice balance between flora and fauna, Controlling the harvest so that the gungans have everything they need to keep them stable with a little on the side to expand. Its all good. Like I said, alot of facts to remember and checking in your help files to see what animal does what and what plants are needed to make the animals happy. Of course we all know playing buy the rules get boring after awhile.


(Save before doing this)I figure I release all the rancors in my ecosystem to see what would happen. Yeah, thats not a good idea. They eat everything. Including each other, then they all die out from starvation. Then theres no animals left for harvesting and the gungans pack up and move away. But it sure was fun seeing everything run in terror!! There are over 80 different animals and plants to frig around with. Some get along really well, others don't. Some plants won't survive without a certain animal to pollinate them. And some animals need certain plants to get around on, like the pom hopper, which hops around on giant lily pads called Poms. Of course you have the small population that do well in any environment like the Eopie, Shakk and the every popular Nuna. Which is that little animal that Jabba flicks off the railing before the pod race.

The game has scenarios that you can play out, and you are given a certain number of animals and plants to start out with. So if you use them all up, or start a ecosystem with the wrong kind of plant or tree and add a animal that can't eat any of those types, Then most likely that animal will die out from starvation and the land will be over populated with that plant. Like I said, there's alot of reading and going through the ingame books on what animals like and all that crap. When I first started to play the game. I was overwhelmed with how does this affect that scenario. There was alot of trial and error but it was addictive enough that by the end, I had a pretty good idea of what was the best scenario to keep the harvest going to keep the gungans happy.

Then theres the create a creature, ..............................................................................thats about all I have to say about that. Lets move on!



Although when it came for me to getting the idol made. I did a test. I saved the game , then put the harvest up to max on all plants and animals. Until there was nothing left. With all this extra materials from a harvest, the population soared and I got the idol made. But then the supplies began to run out and the population left. But the point was, I got a idol made. YAAAY, me. Of course the first thing you want to do when you play this game is turn off the help menu. Someone thought it be funny to have jar jar shout out hints while you played. Its not! Turn him off and read. If you can't read, then trial and error. Put a rancor in with a bunch of nuna's and see what happens. Or Joshify the game up. Pit various Starwars animals against each other and see which ones comes out on top. Will it be the bantha, the whomprats, maybe the Fambaa's (The huge animals that were carrying the shield generators for the gungans) Test them out and see who is the prize fighter for GUNGAN FRONTEIR!!! DUM DUM DUMMMMM!!!!

Its a ok game, not bad, not good.
5/10

The Incredible Hulk - Sega Genesis

Seeing has the movie is coming out soon. I figure I go back and revisit this old title. I never played any of the newer games based on this franchise. The one based off the piece of broke back fuknut mountain director Ang Lee, nor the Hulk, Ultimate Destruction. Which I heard is quite good and I like to get my hands on to give it a try. The only one I ever played was ,"THE INCREDIBLE HULK" for my Sega Genesis.

I remember being excited about this game, mainly for the look of it. For the time , the look of the hulk was quite good. He moved very smoothly and all his attacks looked really good. Especially when he grab the enemy's and they squirm around while you decide to pile drive them, ram them into the floor or ceiling, or pound the lovin shit outta them. My only grip with the baddies, when they shot at you. Like most games during this time, you could see the bullets or lasers that were being shot at you. Not here, you saw the blast from the barrel and you had to guess when to duck or jump. I guess thats like really life, I wouldn't be able to see a bullet coming at me. So maybe what I am missing here is that this was a pioneer, ....or not.

I remember dieing quite a bit by falling off ledges and missing jumps. I'm not too fond of games where my downfall is falling off a ledge or not making a simple jump that I didn't have the patience to wait until I was to the very edge before I pressed the jump button.But this was a common thing for most games, so I guess I will just have to live with it. Other things were the enemy's getting cheap shots in areas, where I can't move, or jump, so they just beat the living hell outta me and I die, all because I can't MOVE!.Either it be climbing a ladder, entering sewers or just stuck in a small area. The baddies are always up for a cheap shot.

A neat thing about the game was that you could transform into Bruce Banner and get into areas that are too small for the Hulk. That was pretty cool. But of course he couldn't stand up against the enemys, so something I like doing was watching banner change back and fourth into the Hulk. Sorta like a Star Wars game where you could play with lightsabers. I turn them on, then off, on, off, on, off, untill Karyn ask ,"what are you doing?" and I realize I just spent the last 10 min turning off and on a lightsaber. But thats a different story.

Overall , its not a great game, but its not a bad game either. Its a pleasant way to pass the time. Its not too hard, and has enough going for it that it doesn't feel like I am doing the same things over and over. If you can get your hands on this. I recommend giving it a try. Banner..Hulk...Banner...Hulk and so on and so fourth.

5.5/10

The only video I could find on this was the SNES version, but whatever, its still the same game, just different system.

Coleco Tabletops

I'm not too big on the handheld systems. I never had a gameboy and all those other weird ones that came out during that time such has the jaguar, Sega game gear. I don't like playing on tiny screens when a big TV screen is available. I did break down last Christmas and buy my first handheld, the Nintendo DS and its quite fun. But when I started thinking about it, I did own a handheld, way before the popular gameboy. I owned what were called,"Tabletops"

In 1981 Coleco had released what was then near perfect versions of the most popular arcade games during this time. Such has Donkey Kong,Donkey Kong Jr, Pacman, Ms Pacman, Frogger, Galaxian, and Galaga. They could run on 4 C batteries or an adapter could be plugged into the back. They weren't no lite weights, you wouldn't see any of todays kids walking around holding one of these up for more than 5 min befor their arms fell off. I guess thats why they marketed them has "tabletops" and not "walkarounds". Whatever, you still didn't have to have a TV to play these.



The look of these games were really good for the times. It was set up with a bunch of pre-set images that were lite up from behind creating a glow effect for the game. I remember trying to play these at certain times of the day in bright areas and having my face stuck has close has I could get it, to keep out the light. Otherwise your just looking at a EVERYTHING lite screen.


The games played really well, they were responsive, great sound, and fun has hell.Pacman even had 2 players playing at the same time, although it was a little crowed with 2 kids smashing their faces into a small opening, still... Both you and a friend chomping around the room, it was great fun. Also the space invaders, you could set it up so that one guy played the aliens and the other took the traditional stance has the good guys, but this setting always seem lopped sided. Who ever controlled the aliens seemed to lose.You could never get it fast enough like the game itself.Overall the games were really good for their times.

Growing up I had Pacman, Donkey Kong and Space Invaders, which in my opinion are the 3 classics of gaming. Later on when I was much older, I got my hands on Galaxian and Frogger. I still have these games at home today. But none of them have stood the test of time. They don't work, I may get a sputter out of one or two. But I know my pacman, both joystick would stick and one just seemed to move pacman where ever he wanted.I never had the urge to take them apart and try to mess with them. Me taking things apart usually doesn't end very well for whats being taken apart. So I stay away from that avenue of "how to fix"

These are great memories for me, and great to have around for conversation pieces. If you can get a working one,Bonus. Perhaps one day I will try to tinker with the insides of one and see what I can do.Until then, they sit in a box waiting and wondering, "when will that dingaling try to pick us apart"

7/10

The trailer doesn't show any of the actually game play, but it sure is Spamtacular!!

Star Trek Conquest - PS2

Whats with a second Star Trek game? They were on sale in the bargain bin. I like trying different games and when they are so cheap. It really doesn't matter if they are horrible and if they turn out to be good, then bonus.

This one was so much better than the Star Trek Encounters. Not even in the same playing field.(what ever that means, but it sounds right) I had alot of fun playing this game and thats what games should be, FUN! Even bad games have things that you can do that weren't meant to be done. Josh is Fantastic at doing things in a game that probable weren't meant to be done. Such has his last post on GTA4 and Assassins Creed.

Encounters is a RTS( Real Time Strategy) You choose from 6 races with everyone out for themselves to see who can take over the Galaxy and wipe out the competition. You have the Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Breen, Dominion, and Cardassians. Each with their own set of unique strengths and weaknesses. Each race gets 3 classes of ships. A scout, Cruiser and a Dreadnought. It doesn't sound like much. But its enough to keep things interested. Like I said before each race has different strengths for their ships, their economy, research, weapons, movement. Alot of stuff, not too much that I don't have a frikken clue what does what or how something else effects this or that. But enough that it keeps me entertained.


Now there is no story mode in this. You pick a race and choose your settings. If you like to start out with 3 opponents or 5 , choose the level of difficulty and that determines fog of war and starting credits. After that you just start the game and try and take over the different worlds. You have a limited number of moves that you can do many things, buy, build, attack, reinforce, upgrade, etc. After that the computer has a turn and it goes around until two races meet in space. Now here you choose to do 1 of 3 things. When 2 races meet in space with a fleet of ships, you can choose instant, which the computer will instantly decide who wins based on your stats, no waiting. Or Sim, where you can see your ships lined up like old Final Fantasy games, take turns shooting at eachother. Or Arcade, where you control your whole fleet and take on the ships yourself by flying around and blasting stuff with phasers and photon torpedo's. CHOOSE ARCADE. I lost every battle when I choose sim or at least lost almost all my ships. But arcade gives you way more control over your fleet that you can command all of them to shoot at once at a certain weakened shield area. Much more gratifying to see a flood of torpedo's stream towards the enemy.

Like Encounters, they did a good job of making the ships feel like star trek ships, blasting eachother out of space. This one does it even better. Its pretty cool to see 12 ships all flying around eachother, phasers and photons flying everywhere and colliding with shields and hulls. A great job in my opinion. After you beat the level with that particular race you are rewarded with a new world to fight in or a new race. You can unlock 3 new races, well 2 really the third is a new set of federation ships. The other 2 are the Borg and the Xindi. Oh, I guess I should say that this game takes place in the Generations era. So all ships have the look and feel of this particular era. You can fight other races aswell, but you can't unlock them to play. Such has the Orion's and the Ferengi.


So after you beat all the worlds with each race you unlock everything and then you choose to go to skirmish and choose to set up a onetime battle with whatever race and whatever planet you want. This is my only gripe with the game. With everything unlocked, this would be a fantastic game to play online or with a group of friends. I can see a group of people having a great time with this game, its just too bad that they didn't go so far and put that in. I don't know why, its a great game overall. But a mulitiplayer option would make it full marks. I had alot of fun playing this. I don't know if you need to be a Star Trek fan to play this game or if you like playing RTS's, but watching the space battles has a kid and now playing in one is kinda cool. I recommend it to anyone who falls in that category. Its dirt cheap. I got mine for $6.00. well worth the money.
The trailer does a nice job of showing you the basics.

8/10

Grand Theft Auto 4- Things to do

Reviewing this game, right off the bat 10/10. It's just great! But I don't want to write a review for it. Instead I'm gonna tell you some things you can do in Liberty City.

1. Punch-a-thon- So in previous installments of the GTA series you could punch air while running. In this one though Niko (the main character) doesn't punch while running he pushes, so this may be a little more hard then previous games. Run down a populated section of Liberty City punching as many people as you can at least once just to see how many people you can get chasing you.

2. Whore Launcher- Pick up a prostitute but don't park anywhere. Instead drive as fast as you can towards a jump and just before the car hits said jump press the "y" button to exit the vehicle. The farther you launch your whore the better!

3. Angel of Death- Go inside the hospital to the patients in the beds. Walk up to each patient firing one bullet into their head playing the role of Death.

4. Drunken Suicide- See how far you can launch Niko from the windshield of your car while driving under the influence.

5. First Impression- Take some girl out on a first date to a Strip Club. While there spend all your money on other girls.

6. Second Impression- After a date get in a car and drive away from your date but just a little bit. Let her run to the car then drive a bit more away. Repeat until she made it home on foot. Then immediatly ask her if you can "Come inside with her."

7. (Online) Drunken Race- Name says all. Get drunk online with a friend and try to race somewhere across the map. Winner gets $5.

8. Stripper Pole Accident- Run into the strippers on stage knocking them off the pole. When the bouncers attack, run out of the bar and re-enter (after things have cooled down) and repeat the offence.

9. Enemy of the Poor- Find a bum and give him some change. Then walk a short distance away, get in a car, and run him down. It's like you paid to do it.

10. Leap of stupidness- Leap from the rooftop of a tall building trying to land on either the hood of a car or a pedestrian. The more pedestrians the better!

(Trailer-Everyone's a rat)