drvid's GameLogBlogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=275The Color of Hope (PC) - Mon, 12 Mar 2007 20:30:21https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1523In The Color of Hope, the title plays a huge role in the game. In this RPG, your main character discovers that he is the guardian of the color green and suddenly all the color in the world is gone. This game has a very interesting and humorous storyline that makes this game very interesting. I also liked how there was a tutorial that helped you learn how to play, and also how you technically have two objectives; bringing color to the world and saving your friend. Although I didn’t play all of the game and only saw a few minutes, I hope that most of the game isn’t in black and white. That would make the scenery kind of dull and annoying after a while. But besides that, this game looks like an excellent RPG.Mon, 12 Mar 2007 20:30:21 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1523&iddiary=3188Super Mario 64 (N64) - Fri, 23 Feb 2007 18:19:28https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1446What keeps the players interested is the level design. Each world is unique. Each world has its own theme and practically everything in it, except Mario, is designed to fit that theme. For example, in Shifting Sand Land, a desert themed level, the landscape includes sand, palm trees, quick sand, dust devils, a tiny oasis, and a pyramid. Along with landscape, the music, enemies, and challenges are all made to fit the theme of the level as well. For example, in Cool, Cool Mountain, the music is very cheery and snowy mountain village like; in Big Boo’s Hunt, the enemies include boos, big eyes, spiders, haunted books and possessed books, flying chairs, and monster piano; and in Jolly Roger Bay, the challenges incorporate a giant eel, a sunken ship, many treasure chests, and swimming. The only thing that is frustrating is how you work so hard to gain lives and try so hard not to loose them all, just to find out that every single time you turn the game on you have four lives no matter what. Since you get thrown out of the level and have to start over every time you die, I think the game would be more rewarding when you get a star if the game kept track of how many lives you have. It sucks when you end with 25 lives and go to play again for many hours and see that you only have 4 lives again. As far as the story goes, you know from the beginning what the main story is and you learn more details by talking to characters and reading notes from the princess as you progress through levels and open new areas of the castle. I’m up to 59 stars now and I won’t give up until I have saved Peach (Princess Toadstool) and her beloved castle.Fri, 23 Feb 2007 18:19:28 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1446&iddiary=3067Super Mario 64 (N64) - Fri, 23 Feb 2007 17:11:05https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1446It has been years since I have played Super Mario 64, and last I played, I didn’t get very far since my friend and I shared the same save on her big brother’s game on his system. This time around I have my own save on my boyfriend’s system, which I have access to at all times, so I consider this a whole new experience. When I started out, the first few worlds were easy since I remembered parts of them from childhood. However, Super Mario 64 is a game of emergent complexity, so the more levels I went through, the harder the challenges, enemies, and landscapes became. The thing I love most about the game is that it’s a game of skill. From the second Mario jumps out of the warp pipe in the beginning, he can do many different types of jumps and attacks as well as different ways of walking and swimming. A player can get through the first few worlds without having mastered Mario’s many abilities, which is good for those slow learners and uncoordinated individuals, but as the levels get more complicated in every way, the player has to rely more and more on Mario’s special jumps and so on just to get around. If Mario had to learn his different moves throughout the worlds, had to pay for them with coins or stars, had to gain levels in order to use them, or had to acquire every one as he has to with the three different caps, the game would be entirely different and pointless to play. In the same way, the game would be too easy and different and not nearly as enjoyable if Mario was allowed to use all three types of caps from the start. The designers of Super Mario 64 knew the perfect mix that would make the game what it has become today.Fri, 23 Feb 2007 17:11:05 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1446&iddiary=3046Legend of Zelda: Four Sword Adventure (GC) - Sat, 10 Feb 2007 03:43:21https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1305Emerging complexity! Okay, this game gets a lot harder really fast. In the first two levels, we all died about once or twice, maybe even three times at most. In the next few levels our death rate rose and our final scores shot through the floor (those embarrassing negative numbers) since every death takes off 100 points. Also, the enemies get harder and harder to kill, the levels get really complex, and the bosses are deadly. The coolest thing is the teamwork. Teamwork is needed much more in later levels. At first you only have to push giant blocks to open up paths. Later on, you also have to pulling chains in a line (which is hilarious to try to coordinate), you have to throw each other over huge gaps and boomerang the last person, you have to share lights in dark places, and in certain puzzles each member has a task that only they can do. You even have to work together to perform certain attacks on the bosses, which can either be funny or very frustrating. In the end, if you don’t have a team that can cooperate, Legend of Zelda: Four Sword Adventure multiplayer mode would be the worst game ever. The team is the key to the game. Like in every Zelda game I have played in the past, this game proves that a good balance of puzzle and action makes a great game. This is something that the game achieves with ease. It is also something I hope to do when designing my game.Sat, 10 Feb 2007 03:43:21 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1305&iddiary=2787Legend of Zelda: Four Sword Adventure (GC) - Sat, 10 Feb 2007 02:56:38https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1305Playing Legend of Zelda: Four Sword Adventure with two other people is really fun. Since I finished my first session, I have been craving to play more. However, I admit I hated the game in the beginning because I was playing with somebody who pretty much had the game memorized. He sped through the talking parts so quickly that I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Then he ran off and got all the good things for himself before I could even learn the controls. When I was finally catching on, the two of them teamed up against me and threw me off edges and so forth. I was about to knock both of them off their chairs and throw my controller at them, but I just kept trying to keep up instead. Finally I figured out what to do and how to do stuff and they got caught up in their own personal goals instead of trying to destroy me. There are some really fun factors of this game, and some that could be changed. The good part is that it’s like a race: a race for the force gems, for the different kinds of weapons, for the chests, for the heart pieces, and for the enemies. Therefore, the game is very fast paced and fills you with adrenaline. Another fun part of the game is the voting. At the end of every completed level you get to vote for which player helped you the most, and which got in your way the most. All of the above, other than the weapons, go into a total score after the voting that names which player was the best throughout the level. This is something that keeps the players moving as well as keeping them in the action as opposed to sitting on the side with full health while the others get beat up. Something else that really adds to the game is the fact that you cannot continue on in certain areas without the help of the other three Zeldas. Teamwork sometimes and a war/race the rest of the time, what could be more fun? Lastly, as you move through the levels, you unlock mini-games, which can be really fun. On the other hand, playing with somebody who knows the game all too well is the worst thing you can do to start out the game. Besides that, there are a few other things about the game that can be improved. First of all, you have to own 2-4 Gameboy Advances in order to play multiplayer. Secondly, when you enter certain areas, like caves, you have to look down at the Gameboy Advance, and then back at the screen when you get out, and back at the Gameboy Advance if you fall back in or have to go into another cave right away, or most annoyingly if another Link picks you up and throws you into a hole. Usually this is a fun thing to do, but when it happens many times within the same minute, your neck and eyes start hating you for playing the game. Well, I better get back to the game before I die of anticipation.Sat, 10 Feb 2007 02:56:38 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1305&iddiary=2783Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) - Wed, 31 Jan 2007 17:51:09https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1017I managed to beat the boss in the Deku Tree and talk to Princess Zelda. On my first play session I didn’t get to hear much of the story, but on my second play session I finally got a taste of the storyline, which I find very interesting. I learned by talking to Princess Zelda about who the main enemy is, how the world was created, and what I am trying to do . This makes the game much more appealing because now there is actually a narrative progression in which I now have a mission to accomplish and I know why I’m trying to do it. The little love scene with Saria was also cute, by the way. The world map is enormous! I was impressed by the size of Hyrule Field and how it could turn from day to night. Even though I knew I had to go to the castle I was tempted to go exploring all over the huge map, which is what the designers were probably aiming for. The areas everywhere have been amazing, including the forest, Deku Tree, Hyrule Field, Hyrule Town, and the castle. The music is always catchy and fits the mood of the areas perfectly as well. One aspect of this game that keeps me interested which I realized before but forgot to say on my last blog is that there are plenty of characters you are able to talk to. In the forest, there are a bunch of other kids you can talk to and each have something interesting to say. In the castle town as well I was impressed by all the people there and all the things you could do. The other aspect is, again, being able to find more items and use them. Like the chicken egg, I got it from a farm girl and was later able to use it to get into the castle. This makes you want to talk to everybody you can just so you don’t miss anything cool. Overall, I can tell why most people get surprised when they hear that I’ve never played this game before. Even though it came out a long time ago, it still seems like a very fun game and I look forward to continuing it and hopefully passing it. The music, area designs, characters, ect are all amazing and make me truly feel like I’m part of their world and make me want to play more and never stop.Wed, 31 Jan 2007 17:51:09 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1017&iddiary=2342Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) - Wed, 31 Jan 2007 16:23:46https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1017On my first play session I managed to get to around to the end of the first dungeon inside the Deku Tree, and yes, this is the first time I have ever played this game. I first noticed that if this is supposedly such an awesome game, why can’t I jump?! I like how you can use a sword and many other weapons, like sticks and slingshot. The targeting system makes you have more control over what you’re doing, and also allows for better camera angles. This game is pretty hard but I haven’t died yet. The puzzles are sometimes a bit hard, but this is an element in the game that makes me like it more. I’m not just fighting and fighting, I get to solve things and use my brain. Thus this game’s most innovative element in my opinion is its perfect mix of action and puzzles. The areas are well done and each have their own perfect mood set. The forest you start out in is very lively and filled with many kids and fairies, and the music is fast paced and fun. While inside the dungeon, everything is dark and murky and the music fits it. Obviously, a lot of time was spent on the designs of each area to achieve the perfection the areas have. I also liked this game’s reward system. As I went on in the dungeon, I was able to find cooler items to help me. I found a slingshot, a map, a compass, and deku sticks to help me on the way. I usually get deku sticks and deku nuts from killing enemies, but the more important items I get for doing a puzzle or beating a room. This makes me want to play longer because I want to find more weapons and stuff. Also, I like how I can’t move on in some areas unless I have found a certain new weapon. So far I’m hooked to this game and can’t wait to beat the boss of this level and discover what the storyline will really be about. I want to find cooler weapons, discover more areas, ect and these aspects are what give me a great interest for this game.Wed, 31 Jan 2007 16:23:46 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1017&iddiary=2291Kirby's Adventure (NES) - Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:56:39https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=802Ok, well this game gets repetitive and annoying fast. On a short term note, this game is great. Each level and each boss gets noticeably harder and the reward system for finishing a level, which is the chance that a mini game door will be unlocked, can hold a player’s interest for up to an hour (most for only a half hour). But any longer and the game gets annoying. The music is fun and fits the art of the levels perfectly. However, due to lack of variety, the music starts to get annoying. Not only does the music start to get to your head, the colors do too. I’m not quite sure if my headache is from looking at the screen for too long or from the bright colors. Anyways, I don’t think the game was designed to hold people’s interests for more than an hour. If it was, than the designers were missing something in their creation of this game. Maybe it was in the reward system.Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:56:39 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=802&iddiary=1800Kirby's Adventure (NES) - Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:47:02https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=802Kirby, the adorable pink hero boy from another world. I have only played one other Kirby game before this, and that was the very first Kirby game created: Kirby’s Dream Land, which was released for the Nintendo Game Boy in 1992. Had I never played the very first game, I would have probably said that Kirby’s Adventure was not very exciting. However, in Kirby’s Dream Land, two things were very different from all the other Kirby games. First of all, the game had no color. Even Kirby was drained of all his pink, he was white. Secondly, Kirby did not have the ability to suck up his enemies and take their powers as his own, which happens to be Kirby’s trademark talent. Having experienced Kirby’s Dream Land first, I was shocked and in awe when I first started Kirby’s Adventure. The simple beautiful artwork and the bright pastel-like colors in each level were unlike any I have seen before (with the exception of the Kirby levels in Super Smash Bros.). As a platformer game, the one thing that really surprised me was the vertical levels. Sometimes Kirby can only run right with a little range to venture below or above the land, and sometimes the only Kirby could go was up or down. I do admit that I was confused for a few seconds when I got to the first climb the inside of a tree level. As far as the combat goes, the only moves Kirby really has to begin with is the air puff move and the sucking an enemy up move, both of which are very useful considering Kirby can not actually touch an enemy without getting hurt and both of those moves are ranged attacks. When Kirby sucks an enemy up, he can either spit that enemy out at another enemy, killing both, or he can eat it and take its powers (if it has any powers to give). Once you figure out how to steal powers, there are many possibilities of weapons. However, and this is what makes the game more complicated and interesting, once you take one enemy’s power, you have to discard it in order to use your sucking ability once more (which is required to properly beat the bosses) and when ever Kirby gets hurt, his acquired power is knocked out of his body in the form of a bouncing star that can be reacquired only if you can catch up to it and suck it up fast enough. Also, Kirby needs to acquire specific powers in order to proceed in some levels and get some extra lives and health items (most of which are needed). This means that you have to battle your way to a specific enemy and suck its power up and then attempt to proceed all the way to the place where that power is required without getting hurt. Anyways, must get back to playing.Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:47:02 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=802&iddiary=1795World of Warcraft (PC) - Fri, 12 Jan 2007 19:25:16https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=636Well, like I said earlier, I value that courtesy more now. I decided to work on my level 20 night elf druid this time and I am really happy because I finally got my cat form. I was a little disappointed though, because I spent 2g on training for the form instead of being sent on a crazy series of quests that the bear form and aquatic form required. Okay, I was very disappointed, but at least I have my cat form now. Out of all my characters, my druid’s guild is my favorite. We are a small guild with mixed levels but we are all really close friends now. In fact, I just received a new pet from someone in my guild as an early birthday present, a mechanical squirrel, and he’s so cute. The people you meet along the way via quests or guilds and so on are the things that keep me coming back day after day. Having people say hey to you when you log on, having people you can rely on if you have questions or if you need help on a quest or a little money to get you through is a great feeling. Also, being there to help others is also something that makes me happy, and occupied when I’m bored and somebody asks me to help them do a quest. Anyways, what still amazes me is how big the world is and how complex the cities are dungeons and everything in between are. Even the coast is busy with its shipwrecks and its enemies and its reefs and so on. There is always somewhere else to explore, for both Horde and Alliance, especially when it comes to exploring enemy territory. And now, with the expansion and all, well I don’t think the adventure will ever end. There is always something to do in WoW. Sure at times people get sick of it, but you always come back to it one day, don’t you? Everywhere I go in the world, I always wonder how long it took the game makers to creat this place and that place, what might it have looked like, what will it look like in the future, and will I ever be able to do this one day? Maybe. Hopefully.Fri, 12 Jan 2007 19:25:16 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=636&iddiary=1465