Labour Day Weekend

I can't believe the last weekend of summer is already approaching! I had a busy summer this year, which resulted in almost no blogging. Back in May, I had already planned almost every summer weekend until September. Surprisingly, not too many conflicts occurred this year, which was probably helped by joining just one softball league this year instead of the two I played in last year.

This weekend I wanted to go down to NYC to watch a Yankees game because the Blue Jays were visiting and this is the last year before they tear down Yankee Stadium. I also considered attending PAX this year as well, but I would have convince some people to go with me (It's in Seattle). Penny Arcade is going to organize an East Coast one in the future and I would love to attend that one. But the trump card was being invited to a wedding. I'm excited to go since a lot of people from out of town are flying in and it'll be good to see them all again.

So instead of going to NYC this weekend, I'm going in the middle of September to try to catch a game. Any advice on getting tickets for a Yankee game? I really hope we will be able to get in. Otherwise, anyone interested in going to PAX with me next year?

A video Keith would enjoy

Keith, I thought you might enjoy this:



Am I right?

Smaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaash

I am bored with all my games. I have a lot of games to play, yet whenever I start playing them I get bored really quickly. I just started Metroid Prime 3 and even though the controls are really good and the game is interesting, I haven't made much progress. I'm having trouble finishing Phoenix Wright even though the story should be drawing me in. I even rarely log onto b.net, but that's mostly because I suck now.

The reason for this is that I can't wait for Super Smash Brothers Brawl! Smash consumes my thoughts. Sadly enough, I think about it all the time nowadays, so it's almost at the point where it's guaranteed to be a let down. It was my favourite Gamecube game and we spent countless hours playing it in University. It has depth and variety and most importantly, it's fun.

The Japanese version has already been released, so there are no more surprises in content. The number of new characters is overwhelming and even includes surprises such as Snake, Sonic and Olimar, Pit and R.O.B. My main character, Roy, was one of only four characters removed from this version :( . He was replaced with Ike, which appears to be a similar character, but I might take this chance to pick a new main as I was known for using the C stick to spam Roy's side smash relentlessly (and somewhat unskillfully).

Unfortunately, I will have much more difficulty employing this strategy. First of all, I plan to use the Wiimote + nunchuk control combination which means I won't have the cruth that is the C-stick. I don't own any wavebirds, so I have little choice in this matter. The other control schemes don't seem as good. The other change is that repeatedly spamming the same attack decreases the damage of that attack.

In general, the gameplay mechanics changed quite a bit. There are no more advanced techniques, making it easier for beginners to play. Other example include the automatic ledge grab, needing a higher % for knockouts and the slower pace. The biggest change is the introduction of the smash ball. This should really mix things up as everyone will try to go for these when they appear so they can pull off their Final Smash.

Having these "fair" (as in fair definition 8, not forward-air) gameplay mechanics might mean the gameplay is not deep, but the Penny Arcade guys had some really good thoughts in their recent blog post about the game balance. Games like MarioKart and Mario Party are "communist" in the sense that they allow for random outcomes and help the losers. Luckily, they don't get that feeling with Smash.

So, in hopes of playing Smash the way it was meant to be played, I'm planning on holding Super Smash Sundays. This means that I'll have an open invite every Sunday afternoon, at my Toronto home, for a Smash party with junk food included. The first one is March 16th and we'll see if we can keep it up week to week!

SMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!

Super Mario Galaxy

I just "finished" Super Mario Galaxy today. (110/120 stars, so pretty close). The game critics have said they think it's the best game of all time, or at least one of the best of all time. Is it that good?

The best word to describe it is fun. Plain and simple, it's fun. There is just enough variety, just enough new things to discover, with no filler crap and well placed check points. It's not an addictive type of fun either. I never felt I had to keep playing to "progress" the story. Whoever "directed" the game did a splendid job of pacing.

The gameplay mechanic of planets makes the game really varied and therefore fun. Just watching Mario flying from planet to planet aided with a quick twirl of the wrist is a visceral joy. They added just the right amount of motion controls and except for a few dumb minigames (taking out the trash ftl), it adds to the experience. The controls include a second player option, which is a perfect way to include any person watching. (The link leads to a humourous story of shared gaming)

And of course there is the nostalgia factor. Who hasn't played Mario before? To add to it, they included a storybook which evocates feelings of lost childhood innocence. And then the music. The music is my favourite part of the game. The orchestral Mario music is....magical. I shit you not.

Despite all the positive comments, I don't think it's the best of all time, but I think it ranks very highly. There are a few flaws, the biggest one for me was that it was too easy. But that might be what made it so fun.

So if you want fun, play Super Mario Galaxy. Fun is guaranteed, but expect nothing more.

Portal

Portal has recently been getting a lot of accolades as one of the best games of the year. It would fit perfectly into my style too...short, inventive and fun. Unfortunately I don't have a system to play this on! My computer is shit for games and I don't own a PS3 or XBox360. I'm forced to be content with Portal: the Flash Version. It's not the same (I think).

But in the same vein, a creative, short and fun game is Cursor*10. It'll take just minutes to play so give it a try. You'll be playing with yourself....literally It reminds me of the episode "All Good Things" from Star Trek: TNG.

*spoilers ahead*
Check out Floor 16:



Beat my score, this was just my first try.

Now they could extend this type of gameplay to a FPS like Portal. Just imagine if the game starred Hiro from Hero and the game mechanic was that you can travel back and help yourself complete levels. Then you could work in the other heroes too, especially Peter. It'll sell millions. Make it so.

PS how long did you figure I could last before blogging about games?

Pokemon can be Heart Warming

First off, I just wanted to link to this heart-warming story with a video gaming theme. I especially like that part about the kids shaking hands and thanking each other after each match. A sharp contrast to what you'll find on something Xbox Live. If only everyone was as civl. To cap it off, a little girl sent an email upon reading about Gabe's kind actions.

Besides that, here is a boring list of some games that sound interesting (to me):

Raving Rabbids 2. I think I'll buy this one as soon as it comes out, just based upon how much I enjoyed the first one. There are more multiplayer games that can be played simultaneously, a definite improvement over the first one.

I had a chance to play Mario Strikers Charged on someone's modded Wii recently, because it was out in Europe months ago. The gameplay is suppose to be fantastic with enough depth for lot's of replayability. Should be a great multiplayer game. I think I'll purchase this right on August 1st, when it comes out. I checked today and the stores haven't received it yet. It has online play as well, which should be fun. I'm thinking of modding my Wii as well, and hopefully it won't wreck online play in any way. I'll delay modding to make sure it has no problems with online, or maybe just until my warranty runs out, as I have had Wii hardware problems in the past.

With the recent release of The Simpsons Movie, there was bound to be a simultaneous video game release. The difference is that this one is suppose to be good rather than just some licensed crap. Could be fun.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympics sounds promising, but is probably going to suck. I'll keep an eye out on reviews when it comes out.

Wii fit was Nintendo's big announcement at E3. Could be intersting, but I don't know if I'll buy this. Maybe it'll finally make doing cardio enjoyable for me, because I really hate cardio.

A DDR game is coming out for Wii. They add arm motions into the mix using the wiimmote. Sounds interesting at first, but the reviews says it's just a gimmick.

Boogie, one of EA's first orignal IP to hit the Wii is a singing+dancing game. Comes with a mic too. When they first announced it, it sounded promising, but I don't think the end result is great. They have a pretty good soundtrack. Too bad I can't sing.

The most important information about Smash Brothers is the controllers that are supported. Originally they were only going to support gamecube controllers, but now they've expanded the roster. Thank goodness. This is a guaranteed instant buy on release day.

Godfather

I always have a tough time posting in the summertime. It's seems like there are so many activities to do that blogging becomes secondary.

This weekend, I hit up Docks, saw my cousin Eric there with his gf, played 3 softball games + practiced, checked out Missisauga Ribfest, ate out for dinner twice and had a BBQ with extended family.

I also opened Godfather for Wii, which I had bought 8 months ago. Wow, that game is violent. Maybe I'm not in the right demograph for these type of violent sandbox games, but having it on the Wii makes it even worse. The controls are really well done and you perform violent actions, like beating people up with bats (or my favourite, the flaming 2x4), punching them, grabbing them, throwing them around, choking them, etc. After my initial shock, it became really fun. I still can't bring myself to needlessly kill innocent civilians, but I have no problem with rubbing out rival mobsters. Check out the video to see it in action.



Godfather is my favourite movie, so maybe I was destined to like the game as well. If there is a popular license, the actual content can be subpar and the license can bring it up to make it an enjoyable experience. Like Transformers the movie for example. Maybe I'll like the Transformers game, even though it was rated horribly by all outlets.

A nice touch is that I recognized a lot of the real life NYC locations in the game. I can't wait for a game to recreate Toronto. This is one of the first "sandbox" games that I've played. I've somehow managed to avoid GTA all this time.

EA did a relaly good job with the Godfather license. They've recreated all the characters from the movie and you follow along with the movie plot For example, one of the early missions has you beating up the college preppie who violently raped Bonasera's (Funeral Director in the opening of the movie) daughter. Another one has you accompanying Luca Brasi to befriend Sollozo. Another mission has you helping Micheal Corleone protect the Don at the hospital. I can't wait to play out the rest of the movie. This leads me to believe that I'll give Scarface a try as well, although I didn't like Scarface as much as The Godfather movie.

So far I think this is one of my favourite games for the Wii. Right up there with Zelda for single player games. But now, I can't wait for Smash Brothers Brawl, Mario Galaxy and Mariokart Wii.

Rock Band vs Guitar Hero III

Music rhythm games are fun....especially when drinking. This fall, two really popular music rhythm game variants will go on sale and consumers will have to pick one. One is the 3rd iteration of Guitar Hero and the other is called Rock Band.

Rock Band includes not only two guitars, but also drums and a mic for singing. If you have four people together and all the necessary equipment, you could "play" as if you were a band. Doesn't that sound fun? I'll let the video speak for itself


*NOTE: apparently this video isn't representative of the final gameplay, but I think it gives the general idea

Meanwhile, Guitar Hero III will include a multiplayer "battle" mode.


So the question is which to buy? On one had, Rock Band will be crazy expensive, likely costing as much as the Wii itself after buying every accessory, but it has the potential to be much more fun having four people "jamming". Guitar Hero III doesn't look that innovative from the previous generations, but it should be cheaper and includes an interesting multiplayer competitive mode. Any advice on what you would rather play?

PS where the heck am I going to put all this stuff, let alone transport it every week to and from Waterloo!

DS Flash Cart

If you read my lengthy entry on my New York City trip over the long weekend, you'll know that I bought a Nintendo DS. It's a great device, especially when you only have a few minutes and want something quick to play. For example, while waiting in line for my free Harvey's Original Hamburger this weekend, I pulled it out and play a few quick games of Tetris.

It's also great for multi-player. Yesterday, I had a Wii party in Waterloo, and had more than 4 people show up. The other people played multi-player Tetris DS instead. One of the best features of the DS is the ability to quickly get a wireless multiplayer game going.

Anyway, the whole point of this entry is to find out if anyone wants to get in on our order for a DS flash cart. A lot of people recommended the DS-X, but I think we're going to go with the R4 instead. We're up to 5 people already! So let me know ASAP if you want in!

Boring Diary Post

Haven't updated in a while. Lot's of people clicked on my link for the "My Toronto is" voting, so hopefully many votes were submitted. I wonder how much Matt's one comment skewed the voting. I was hoping more people would comment, since so many of you clicked through!

Even though it's boring, what have I been up to lately?

My parents are off in China/Korea/Taiwan for work/vacation and my sister is back in Queens so no one is in the Toronto home and therefore, there's no one to cook my weekend and Monday/Tuesday meals. I bought a four pack of steaks for $18, so I've been happily eating that this week. So far one's gone in the oven, the other on the foreman grill and tonight's will be pan fried. Any suggestions for the last one? Unfortunately, Steaks don't make for great pictures for BiteMe, since it's just brown. Bacon looks so much more appetizing.

I've caught a little bug so I have a slight sore throat and cough, but nothing serious. I'm finding I need a lot of rest this week though. Yeah, that's my excuse for not posting. It's also my excuse for not working out this week.

My computer started working again spontaneously, and since ATI is all out of stock of discounted cards, I'll try to hold out on making a new purchase until they have some more in stock. I keep my computer turned on all the time now for fear of it not working again.

Been playing a lot of Civilization IV recently. I only started playing because I read an article in Wikipedia about the Mongols and then hours later, had proceeded to read several (dozen) more articles. Then I felt like taking over the world myself. Since that's not practical in real life, I'll do it virtually and hence the Civ IV playing. Civ IV supports multiplayer, so this could be an idea for our next LAN party. Although it could potentially suck for someone that died early or if someone got ganged up on. Still, any supporters?

Started to read Joy Luck Club, which should be required reading for all CBC/ABC, especially first generation emigrants. Perhaps not as relevant to HKers though.

I had no idea you could get season tickets for the Blue Jays for only $95! Sweet deal, and could be fun if you go with fun people (because the game itself isn't that exciting). Too bad I live in the wrong city.

Played some Charades with Taboo cards in Reety's really sweet condo. How do you do "Billy the Kid" in charades?

Played some Settlers of Catan, which was fun, but not the greatest in the world. I still want to try Carcassonne, the other classic tile game. Apparently they've made these games for Xbox Live so it could be fun online as well, but you'd miss out on the social interaction (read: arguing) with your friends.

Haven't heard from a lot you recently, so what have you been up to?

Desktop Tower Defense

Wow, this little game is taking over my life. This is practically the only thing I can do with my "safe mode" computer. I'm still not very good at it, because I'm not close to reaching a top score. That scoreboard is CRAZY! Remember add your scores to the group, "hustheman".

When I open up my computer up, I can smell what I think is a leaking electrolytic capacitor. I've blown them up in the past and know what they smell like. Since I havne't disassembled it, I can't physically see which one is blown so I can replace it. Anyway, I think I'll be getting a new computer regardless.

The cards at ATI are out of stock! I hope ATI continues the employee discount program, because it's such a good deal. I don't have high hopes though, especially after ATI was bought out by AMD. They are also behind NVIDIA, as they aren't offering a DX10 card until May at the earliest.

I'm probably not going to get a Mac as I want to do some gaming on this computer, as I've never really had a decent gaming computer before. Running virtualization (XP and OS X) does sound promising though as I hear from Maggie and Mike that it's pretty slick. I probably won't get a laptop either, since I'm looking for a bit more power and it lasting a longer. I might pick up a laptop down the road at some point so I can bring something back and forth from Waterloo/Toronto.

I currently have 3 HDD (80, 250, 320), LCD/keyboard/mouse and can borrow a video card from Matt to wait until ATI/AMD has more cards in stock. I'm not considering a complete system (Dell), although I should research it. Is it cheaper to buy a complete system or build my own?

So I need:
1) Motherboard
2) CPU
3) RAM
4) Video Card
5) Case + power supply
6) OS

Also, I don't have a DVD burner, so I'll probably need to pick one of those up as well. Any advice?

Desktop Tower Defense

If you didn't try out the Tower Defense link from the other day, give it a try sometime this weekend. It's quite an addictive and quick game.

They added new creep and a new tower type this week to spice things up a bit. Matt and I have been playing a lot recently and posting our scores to the group "hustheman". I didn't pick that name, Matt did, but regardless, post them there to see how you compare!

I just checked and Keith has apparently come out of nowhere and kicked our asses. I think it's the use of the new bash tower that's making the difference...or rather that's my excuse.

I've only been playing a lot of it this week because my computer crapped out again. So I'm back to "Safe Mode with Networking". Shitty. It worked on Sunday, stopped working Monday and Tuesday, started working again on Wednesday and then crapped out again on Thursday. This means I'm forced to get a new computer this time. I've inquired about video cards already with ATI folk and will look into the other components shortly. Anyone got any computer advice? Probably Intel this time around. Should I wait for DX10 video cards? 1 or 2 gigs of RAM? Vista or XP? Drop some wisdom in the comments.