Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=428https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3104======================== This entry is spoiler-free! ======================== GAMEPLAY ----------- Okay, continuing on my comments from last time, another great aspect of the Rock Band experience is the distinct artistic style featured in the game. Everything has a classic rock feel to it, from the vintage typeset, to the fuzzy DV-style camera effects, to the selection of cities you can play in, even to the - how do I describe it - "red shine tint" effect (like from a vintage movie) from menu to menu. Together, these stylistic choices make you feel like you're seeing your band in some sort of vintage "Legend of Rock" movie. Another really nice aspect I forgot to mention previously that adds a nice touch is the integration of your customization choices through the game. Yes, of course these characters appear in the game while you're playing - it would be silly if they didn't. But what impressed me is how they use these customizations outside of gameplay. You'll find many times that loading screens will feature dynamically-created pictures from the road that include your characters in a variety of poses, vehicles you've unlocked with your band name printed on the side, and/or posters from your latest gig. There's also times when the loading screen will show a random factoid about the song you're about to play instead. Also, for each gig your character plays in, they independently gain money, which in turn they can use to purchase new clothing in the store. There were a couple of minor irritations I came across while playing the game. For one, the Bass is, at times, too easy. I found that, playing on medium, I was barely doing anything on some of the songs. On the other hand, the bass is probably a good instrument to use to introduce someone new to the guitar. Also, there were some sets that were Fan Requests, where the fans would pick the songs that the band does the best on. This is great, in theory, until you end up playing "Here It Goes Again" and "Blitzkrieg Bop" over and over and over again. After a while, the songs kind of lose their charm. Once again, though, these were minor inconveniences and didn't stop me from truly enjoying the Rock Band experience. A new feature I tried in my second gameplay session was the single-player tour mode. This mode more or less echoes the style of the Guitar Hero series. You have a setlist of five songs in each venue, with each venue's setlists increasing in difficulty as you progress. Yes, the single-player experience was still fun, but after playing the multiplayer band mode, it felt like something was missing the entire time. Essentially, I felt like I was practicing to get better for the World Tour mode. Still an enjoyable experience, however. DESIGN --------- Rock Band, in terms of its gameplay, doesn't stray too far from its Guitar Hero roots. Essentially, the gameplay all comes down to fulfilling actions with your respective instrument in sync with on-screen cues. Yet, the move from a typically single-player experience to a multiplayer-based experience has created a significant difference between the two series. Now, the series moves beyond the typical game-to-user interaction and adds in a social experience that is addicting and amazingly fun to participate in. This is exhibited in much of the gameplay, from having the Overdrive multiplier affect the entire band, to using Overdrive to save a fellow band member from failing. Overall, the game is well-polished, from the core gameplay mechanic to the stylistic choices made in presentation. The song selection offers enough diversity to offer something that most players can relate to, yet the selection is still quite cohesive as a top song list from rock history. The graphical presentation of the game adds to the classic nostalgic rock feel, choosing not to go with sharp graphics that convey a more metal feel, but with a softer general rock feel that looks like an old filmstrip. Finally, the ability to customize your band's members, as well as see those customizations applied to elements both inside and outside gameplay, help convey the sense that, ultimately, this is your band, not some computer-generated creation that has been given to you. Collectively, all of these design choices create a cohesive, enjoyable experience that is a delight to be a part of. The item that Rock Band excels at that many games fail to include is the idea of collaborative multiplayer. Seeing a game based around this mechanic creates a fresh experience that the masses can enjoy, rather than watch.Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:46:33 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3104&iddiary=5950https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2009Error... this was posted in the wrong game log... (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:46:10.)Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:45:28 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2009&iddiary=5946https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3104======================== This entry is spoiler-free! ======================== SUMMARY ----------- Rock Band (2007, Harmonix/Electronic Arts, Xbox 360) is the latest in a stream of music games to be released. Like Guitar Hero, Harmonix's former project, Rock Band gives players realistic-feeling instruments, like a guitar device, and has them play the instruments in accordance with colored cues placed on the screen. Unlike the Guitar Hero series, however, Rock Band provides players the chance to play four instruments (Guitar, Bass, Drums, and Vocals) in cooperative play as the four players work together to become a world-renowned band. GAMEPLAY ----------- Over the past year or so, I have become a huge fan of such music games as Guitar Hero. Originally, I really didn't get what the craze was about, but once I played Guitar Hero, I was addicted. It was pretty cool actually having a guitar device and playing along as if I was actually playing a guitar. Even though it didn't really feel like I was playing a guitar. Yeah. Anyway, enter Rock Band, which is really nifty because it doesn't offer just one instrument - it offers four. The coolest aspect of Rock Band I enjoy is the multiplayer experience that is native to Rock Band. In the game's World Tour mode, you grab three of your friends and join together to form a band and tour the world, gathering cash, groupies, and sweet rides. Really, it is the multiplayer aspects of this game that truly breathe life into the experience. When we were playing the game in my friend's room, we quickly gathered a group of people that were itching to try the game. As a side note, incidentally, the most popular instrument was the drum set, probably because it is the newest instrument to the console and the drum set that comes with the game truly feel like a real drum set. We'd find through the evening that we'd switch off instruments so everyone could get a chance to try all the instruments and have a great time. What's also really fun about Rock Band is the level of customization it offers. The customization it does offer is not as deep as other games, but is still satisfying nonetheless. Not only do you get to name your band what you want (Our band name was "She Likes Cloth." Don't ask, I don't know what it means, either), but each player can create their very own rocker using their Xbox Gamer Account. The player is given the option to select their name, their appearance, their home city, and even their "rock style" (i.e. Rock, Punk, Metal, Goth). Me? I have two characters, actually - one singer and one drummer. My vocalist, Spark, is a rocker hailing from Los Angeles (the closest city to my hometown) that has a rocker's face with attitude and a shredded shirt. Oh, and blue hair. My drummer, Sonic, is a topless metal rocker hailing from San Francisco (closest city to my college) with a "baby" face that makes him look like he leaped out from a Japanese RPG. Oh, and blue hair. Overall, while there is ultimately a limited number of selections, I felt that there was quite a large level of customization in these characters. Plus, creating these characters was fun and it's fun talking about who you created. Rock Band also has a really nifty design style to it, but I think I'll save that for my next entry. Until then, I'm going to go back and keep rocking out.Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:27:44 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3104&iddiary=5778https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2748========================= This entry is spoiler-free! ========================= GAMEPLAY ----------------- Upon playing a second session of Super Mario 64, I realized that there was one critical aspect of the game I had forgotten to mention, in terms of its open-world feel. Another great aspect of Super Mario 64 is that not only are the level designs open-ended, but the player’s choice and order of levels is left much more to the player’s discretion than in previous games. I came to appreciate this as I would find challenges that seemed tedious or too difficult, as I could simply choose to go to another world and go after another star, instead. At first, you must go after a specific star on the first level, but beyond that, the world slowly opens up to the player as the game progresses. After collecting the first star, the player could choose to play the level again for another star, or move on to a newly-unlocked level. Beyond this, though, I must mention a couple of gripes I have with the game thus far. Yes, the game is good, but it is by no means perfect. The biggest problem I have faced thus far playing the game is the clunky controls. This observation probably comes from having played many modern platformers, but the controls could have used some polishing. At times, I find it very difficult to get Mario to walk in a straight line, especially over narrow ledges. I’ve gotten better at this, but it still seems Mario sometimes moves weirdly in a way I can’t control. But beyond Mario’s movement controls is the camera controls. Instead of fluid camera controls, like most modern games, Super Mario 64 features a camera that moves to a static angle on each movement of the control stick. Being used to the ability to manipulate the camera to whatever angle I choose in modern games, this gets to be frustrating. There are even some times when the camera is controlled by the computer that it decided to place itself at the most inopportune angle, like around a corner from where Mario and his enemies are at. But, it must be remembered that Super Mario 64 is not a modern platformer by any means and, for the time it was released, the controls were impressive. DESIGN ---------- What must be remembered about the design behind Super Mario 64 is that what made it such an impressive seller at the time was the innovation it featured in its Core Gameplay Mechanic and Level Design. These are the key aspects of Super Mario 64 that makes it a truly great game. For its Core Gameplay Mechanic, the main mechanic is the simple fact that you can control Mario through a three-dimensional space. A few games had attempted this before, but were usually limited in control. Super Mario 64 was the first game to get 3D platforming right. But to show off this new Core Gameplay Mechanic, there needed to be a suitable space for the user to move through. This is where the beauty in the level and world design comes in. The levels in Super Mario 64 are much larger than previously imagined and are not really restricted. Sure, the levels are designed to guide the player towards the goal, but the player is by no means obligated to follow the breadcrumbs. These wide open worlds, combined with the ability of the player to pick and choose which challenges they would like to face in what order and three-dimensional movement all contribute to one key design innovation: player freedom. The beauty in the design of Super Mario 64 is the emphasis towards giving the player freedom to move about in this created world in whatever order they choose. The player could choose to follow the breadcrumbs left by the design team. On the other hand, the player could simply choose to explore the vast worlds created by the design team. The player has the freedom to choose what they want to do, an innovation previously unexplored in the industry as a whole. Because of the innovative design in Super Mario 64, many games today are much more open to player choice and movement. This is a trend that continues to grow as designers seek the creation of photorealistic worlds that interact and change with the player’s input.Thu, 21 Feb 2008 03:57:35 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2748&iddiary=5471https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2748========================= This entry is spoiler-free! ========================= SUMMARY --------------- Super Mario 64, one of the first games released on the Nintendo 64, is widely considered as one of the most influential games in video game history. In Super Mario 64, you play Mario who, as usual, is tasked with rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser. In Super Mario 64, the Mario franchise moved from 2D to 3D, with the ability to move Mario around and about in open game play worlds. GAMEPLAY ---------------- It should come as no surprise at this point – for those that have read my previous game logs – that Super Mario 64 was played using the Wii Virtual Console. A GameCube Controller was used to play the game, which better represents the N64 Controller than the Virtual Console Controller. As usual, Nintendo doesn’t alter the games released on Virtual Console, so playing the game using the Virtual Console is fully representative of the experience one would get from playing it on the N64. With that out of the way, I must confess that I never got the chance to play Super Mario 64 when I was younger for the plain and simple reason I never owned an N64. I blame this on my parents, whom believed PC gaming was comparable to owning a console. Regardless, though, as one who keeps his ears tuned in on the industry news, I recognized before playing that Super Mario 64 has been highly regarded for years as one of the most influential games in video game history, being probably the first game to truly get the concept of 3D platforming right. I will say right away that I have enjoyed playing Super Mario 64 thus far. As a future game designer, however, the question extends beyond whether the game was enjoyable to why the game was fun or not. There are many answers to this question, but the real answer to why Super Mario 64 is fun is its innovative design in level and game play. Compared to previous Mario titles, Super Mario 64 is a much more open-ended experience. This is attributed to the game’s Core Gameplay Mechanic: the ability to move, run, and jump through a three-dimensional space. When playing the game, I felt I had the ability to explore around the level and it felt like a more complete world as a whole. Yet, what I found interesting is that, as I would play, the path would kind of guide me towards the level’s goal. Even beyond this, though, the game does lay out for you the goal of the level through character dialogue and the level select screen, so you’re fairly certain what you are supposed to be doing as you explore. As with the other Mario games I have discussed previously, there also exists a certain charm and aesthetic when playing Super Mario 64. The colors are bright and saturated, and the characters are cartoonish in their portrayal. As with other Mario games, this creates a more carefree experience when playing. Anyway, that’s all I have to say for now. More on Super Mario 64 later.Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:00:40 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2748&iddiary=5155https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2356================= WARNING! This entry contains spoilers! This Game Log covers through Chapter 1 of Paper Mario, so if you haven’t played that far, your game experience may be spoiled a bit if you read this. ================= GAMEPLAY --------------- I am very happy with how the pacing of “Paper Mario” has picked up quite a bit since my last Game Log. Previously, I had played through the Prologue, which, while it wasn’t boring, was a tad slow-going. For this game log, I played through Chapter 1 (the Koopa Bros. Fortress). While the Prologue had its comedic moments, this first Chapter gave me what I expected I would see in terms of humor, based on the reviews and recommendations I had received. Quite simply, the dysfunctional nature of the Koopa Bros. creates comedy that is charming and simply hilarious. For instance, the first portion of the boss fight between the Koopa Bros. has Mario and co. pitted against... some sort of sorry excuse for Bowser on wheels that the Koopa Bros. think is completely fool-proof. Beyond this, though, things have really picked up for me because the game is turning over control of much of the game’s mechanics to me, including Action Commands, Badges, Abilities, and Allies. Through Chapter 1, I received a new ally (Kooper, an adventurous Koopa), many badges to decide between (Badges enable abilities. I only have a certain number of Badge Points – you need Badge Points to equip badges), new abilities that give me much more choice during battle than simply “attack,” and full control over the Action Commands available in battle. Overall, all these new choices bring out much more of the RPG elements in the game and give me more control over the resource management of my characters, which results in a much more fulfilling experience. DESIGN ------------ Overall, “Paper Mario” is an interesting hybrid of the traditional Platformer and Role-Playing Game, creating an exploratory element where you must jump around and use skills in the overworld, but also a strategic battle element with traditional RPG mechanics infused with in-battle action elements that make turns a little less boring. The Action Command is one of the more noteworthy elements in terms of design because they solve a traditional problem with turn-based RPGs – having to sit around between turns with no control over an action’s effectiveness. In “Paper Mario,” the Action Commands give you something to do both when you’re attacking and when your enemy is attacking. Also, it removes much, but not all, of the luck element associated with turn-based combat (I don’t know if this attack will be effective or not... are the fates on my side?). Beyond this core gameplay mechanic, the presentation of “Paper Mario” is best described as charming. It’s funny, it’s happy, it’s saturated, it’s... well... cute paper cutouts that are fun and loveable. There’s even an affinity to the enemies, which also look like paper cutouts. Once again, referring to the Koopa Bros., they were a main enemy in the game, but they were still funny and charming, matching the overall tone of the game. Together, it creates for a pleasurable experience that invites fun. Also, I must note the tutorial elements of the game. The entire Prologue section is pretty much the game’s tutorial, and for being that, it’s not that bad. There are a few moments that feel like tutorials, where an in-game character walks you through, for instance, Action Commands. Though, these experiences are kept to a minimum, reserved for the most unique elements of the game. Instead, the designers favored the option of putting the player in a relatively safe training environment and letting the player discover these elements through actual gameplay. This is a good decision on the designer’s part, seeing as players don’t typically like to sit through page after page of on-screen text tutorials. In summary, “Paper Mario” is a fun game that still hasn’t lost its charm despite being many years old and lives up to its predecessor, “Super Mario RPG” (SNES). I look forward to playing much more of this intriguing game.Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:54:07 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2356&iddiary=4814https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2356================= This entry is pretty much spoiler-free. I only discuss elements from the game’s Prologue – stuff that’s likely been discussed in reviews and previews, anyway. ================= SUMMARY --------------- “Paper Mario” (2001 – Intelligent Systems/Nintendo – N64) is a Role-Playing Game based in the Mario universe that features a distinct artistic style. In “Paper Mario”, you play as Mario, who must travel across the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue seven elder stars in order to gain the power to defeat Bowser, who possesses the Star Rod – a rod with the power to grant wishes. This game, while it is a role-playing game, also features certain action/platforming elements both while travelling and in battle. GAMEPLAY ---------------- Once again, like before, I must clarify that this game is being played via the Wii Virtual Console. However, for this game, I went with a GameCube controller, as it more closely resembles the N64 controller. Inevitably, while I am playing this game, I am reminiscing to other classic Mario RPGs that I have played, including the classic “Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars” (SNES) and more recent “Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga” (GBA). However, despite having played those RPGs and “Super Paper Mario” (Wii), I had not played “Paper Mario” before this GameLog. I had always been interested to see what all the fuss was about, but had never gotten the chance. So far, I’ve been having an enjoyable time playing “Paper Mario.” For reference, I have played through most of the tutorial stuff, to Toad Town, up to Shooting Star Summit, and back to Toad Town. I think an inevitable aspect of games with a tutorial level is that the opening can be a bit slow. While I will say that the opening areas did drag a bit, this was by no means to the degree that I’ve experienced in other games. I think what made the prologue items bearable for me, as well as what helps make this game distinct, is the certain level of charm everything has. The music is light and playful, the characters are fun and lively, and the overall presentation has this nearly cartoonish feel to it. Character reactions are more comic than realistic (example: Mario expresses surprise with a big exclamation mark over his head) and the allies you find early on in the game are slightly ironic. After all, Mario’s ally for the Prologue is Goombarino, a kid Goomba that know a lot about everything in the Mushroom Kingdom. In terms of combat, it’s a lot like traditional turn-based RPGs. When you get attacked, you lose HP. When you attack enemies with special powers, you use Flower Points (FP – the equivalent of MP in the game). What makes this game distinct, however, is the action elements added into this combat. If you can time your button press just right when you attack an enemy, you’ll inflict more damage. The same holds true for defending against attacks. Also, when walking around in the world, you’ll gain the advantage of “First Strike” by attacking the enemy in the field. I guess what’s frustrating about this, though, is that you don’t learn how to use “action commands” – a.k.a. the timed button presses for extra damage – until towards the end of the Prologue. Having played “Super Mario RPG,” I was used to this mechanic and was expecting a reaction for my button presses early on. It was a tad frustrating, but not inexcusable. I have enjoyed playing “Paper Mario” so far because it has a unique, comedic style that makes the world fun to explore. That said, I really look forward to the game picking up a bit as I move ahead into the first chapter.Fri, 08 Feb 2008 03:57:46 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2356&iddiary=4550https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2009========================= This entry is spoiler-free. Well, mostly spoiler-free; there’s not much to spoil in terms of story in a Mario game. Keep in mind, though, that I do talk a bit about hidden levels and Easter Eggs, so if you’d rather find those on your own, you probably don’t want to read this entry. ========================= Gameplay: So, I have played another hour of Super Mario World and, interestingly enough, the game has ramped up the difficulty, but not by too much. The game’s levels are still quite accessible for a wide audience, though I will say that I felt a noticeable increase in difficulty, especially when taking the “side route” in the cave locale. In particular, the fortress above the cave was a fairly difficult level based on the sheer number of monsters and their particular placement in the level. I often found myself wanting to swim upward to avoid a hazard below me, only to find a skeleton fish was swimming above me. A slight amount of frustration ensued. Really, that’s the biggest difference between my last play session and this one – an increase in the level difficulty. I was finally feeling challenged by the game’s mechanics, where in previous levels I had to subconsciously invent challenges to keep my interest. The controls were still the same as I had experience in the past – simple to use and very responsive. The level design was more varied as I continued to progress, creating new challenges involving new mechanics, such as one of the secret levels where you had to ride across the ocean on a series of dolphins. Along with the challenge, interest in the game began to increase. I felt myself wanting to continue playing even beyond the designated time and level I had originally decided to stop at. In comparison to other games I have played, however, this interest wasn’t as strong as, say, Psychonauts, or Super Mario Galaxy, or Kingdom Hearts. Once again, maybe it’s because of the whole “been there, done that” feeling, but it’s also possible because of the saving mechanic, which more clearly define good points at which to stop playing. DESIGN: When considering the design of Super Mario World, it has to be considered that it is one of the first games released on the SNES and that it is, at its core, a traditional two-dimensional platformer. Therefore, one would expect a main focus to be placed on the level design, game mechanics, and controls. Later platformers have benefited from other elements, such as a well-developed story, but they are merely polish on the core game mechanics. It could just be a personal issue, but I just can’t seem to get over the shallowness of the storytelling in this game. The storytelling is fairly non-existent in Super Mario World, and while it’s not a big issue, the game might have been a bit more compelling to audiences to play if the story was deeper. That, or at the very least more exhibited in the actual game. Story aside, what I feel is the most developed piece of this game is its level design. Yes, the levels are fairly linear, but they are challenging and varied, nonetheless. Also, the great aspect of the level design is that the levels are developed with a nice learning curve to them. The earlier levels are easy so that the user can get comfortable with the controls, while the later levels begin to ramp up the difficulty so the player continuously feels challenged. And if the user feels adventurous, they always have the option of searching for hidden levels and “side tracks” that differ from the typical path players take to complete the game. The artistic style of Super Mario World is as whimsical as one would expect, using bright colors and fun, loveable characters through the game. The music matches the visual style in that it is light and playful. The blatant exception to these observations are, of course, the dungeons, castles, and ghost houses, which all adopt a darker style to them. For instance, the ghost houses use dark colors and eerie music to match the creepy, almost surreal nature of the ghost houses (these levels usually involve solving some kind of puzzle to find the secret exit to the level). Overall, what makes Super Mario World a great game for the SNES is its variety in level design and its accessibility for a variety of audiences. Though it lacks many modern features of today’s platformers, it is still a fun game on the basis of its game mechanics.Sat, 26 Jan 2008 02:29:04 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2009&iddiary=4326https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2009========================= This entry is spoiler-free. Well, mostly spoiler-free; there’s not much to spoil in terms of story in a Mario game. Keep in mind, though, that I do talk a bit about hidden levels and Easter Eggs, so if you’d rather find those on your own, you probably don’t want to read this entry. ========================= SUMMARY: Super Mario World (Nintendo – 1991 – SNES) is a classic two-dimensional platformer. The game features Mario, the famous plumber, travelling through seven distinct locales of the Mario world to rescue Princess Toadstool, who has once again been taken captive by Bowser. Super Mario World includes classic platforming action in a variety of themed locales with the simple goal of making it to the end of the level. GAMEPLAY: First, a bit of clarification here; for this assignment, I am playing Super Mario World on the Wii with the Virtual Console, using a Virtual Console controller. I tried using a GameCube controller and found the game controls to be too frustrating, so I switched to the Virtual Console controller and began anew. I wasn’t that far into the game, anyway. Regardless, the Virtual Console version of Super Mario World is no different from the original release on the SNES, so this should have no effect on my analysis of the design. Great, now that that’s out of the way, on to my gameplay reflections. It’s interesting coming back to this game after having played it last as a child. Back when I was a child, this game was amazingly fun and sucked quite a bit of my time away. I recall being challenged by many of the levels as I got acquainted to the universe and having fun trying to find some of the other alternate paths and hidden levels – though such side quests were reserved for much later in the game. Returning to the game as an eighteen-year-old game designer-in-training, I could really sum up my initial experience with the game with one word: “Meh.” It’s not that I didn’t have any fun – I was having a pretty good time reliving the levels I had played when I was a child. But it had a “been there, done that” feel to it all. I had seen the challenges before, some more than others, so the experience wasn’t really fresh and new. To make it a fresh experience, I went ahead and took an almost elitist approach to it and sought to unlock all the possible paths and levels in the game as early as I could. It’s not that I was intentionally seeking to do this – this desire to unlock all the secret levels early sort of developed subconsciously. This made the experience a bit more interesting, as I was bouncing around and about unlocking the bonus switches, side routes, and Star Road levels. I can’t exactly say why I subconsciously decided to go this route. Maybe it was the concept that I knew about these secrets so why not go and unlock them early. In terms of story, there’s much left to be desired. In case you didn’t know, Princess Toadstool (now Princess Peach) has been captured by Bowser, the King of the Koopas, and it’s up to Mario, the plumber, to jump in and save the day. Actually, there’s a bit of a backstory about how they went on vacation and the whole game takes place in this vacation world, but the way the game is developed, you don’t know much about it unless you peek at the manual. And, ultimately, the story really doesn’t seem to matter anyway. As far as the game mechanic is concerned, the goal is to get to the end of the level without dying. Simple enough, eh? The gameplay mechanics themselves are pretty solid. Once I switched over to the Virtual Console controller, which is more like the SNES controller than the GameCube one is, I felt in control of Mario’s every move, which is critical in a platformer. The levels exhibit variety in terms of the challenges presented. That said, there wasn’t too much variety. The levels all had the same linear feel to them, though there were times where you could find secret exits, and the baddies really didn’t feel all that different. I will say, though, I love the feather power-up. Caped Mario is by far my favorite in the game simply because the cape is so useful, be it for floating over hazards, spinning away blocks, or attacking enemies. I was almost disappointed whenever I got a fire flower instead of a feather. That’s all the thoughts I could dump into one entry for now. I look forward to playing more of Super Mario World and posting more of my thoughts later. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 04:19:21.)Thu, 24 Jan 2008 04:17:53 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2009&iddiary=3900https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1744========================= WARNING! This entry contains spoilers. I try to be careful not to spoil many plot points in my entries, but I am fairly lenient when sharing level, gameplay, and character information. Long story short, if you haven't played a good portion of the game, this entry may spoil some of the game. Read at your own risk. ========================= GAMEPLAY ------------------- First, let me get out of the way that the game has gotten much better since the last time I played. I feel I have gotten a good handle on the controls, though there are still an instance or two where the controller can be a little too sensitive. Also, the game's pacing has improved greatly since the Captain Oleander's Basic Braining level. I think the one comment I have that's most important is, so far, the game hasn't lost my interest. My character keeps learning new skills that make it easier to complete tasks in interesting ways, and the levels are ingenious in design. Sprinkled with fantastic humor, the game is a delight to play. So far, my favorite level is Lungfishopolis. Following the adage "It's more scared of you than you are of it," Lungfishopolis takes place in the mind of a giant fish monster, where Raz (you) become a giant-sized monster in a level reminiscent of the Monster Movies of old. The opening cinematic to this level is downright hilarious, seeing Raz as a giant monster reacting in surprise. It's also been interesting seeing the story unfold as I have been playing, starting with the initial discovery that things just aren't right, all the way to the ultimate discovery of what's actually going on. I'm not going to spoil anything here, but I'll just say that the discovery process is interesting, as the unique style of the game lends to an untraditional discovery process. Even beyond the discovery of the story is the discovery of Raz's character and past. As Raz learns new abilities and unlocks new levels, we learn about what led Raz to come to the summer camp, as well as his fear of water. Overall, this game is simply addicting to play. I know I was supposed to play 45 minutes of the game for this log, but it turns out I got so engrossed in the gameplay that I ended up playing for much longer than that. I was just so interested in the plot and seeing what level or skill lied ahead that I just wanted to keep going. DESIGN ------------------- The most important part of this game is innovative design. The concept of entering the minds of a variety of characters opens the typical limits of the level designer to create these inner worlds that are simply quirky and interesting. Thanks to this, you get to play a variety of levels, from a war-ridden battlefield, to a disco party, to a Monster Movie in the mind of a fish. Yes, reread that. A fish. It’s out-of-the-box thinking like that that makes Psychonauts fun to play. In fact, it’s wondering what creative level is up ahead that is one of the main reasons to keep playing. Even beyond the creativity the levels exhibit, Psychonauts provided a lot of entertainment in its presentation and tone. The game never really takes itself too seriously, providing many quirky moments in its cutscenes, scenarios, and even in the interactivity with objects when roaming around camp. Raz can interact with many objects around camp, and many of these interactions provide humorous quips from Raz. The player is not only encouraged to discover the outer reaches of camp, but receives rewards for doing so in the form of Psi-Cards, which, when enough are collected, allow Raz to learn new abilities. Finally, a lot of credit should be given for the narrative control exhibited in Psychonauts. As you play through the various levels of the game, you don’t take a backseat to the narrative in the story. Instead, you actively discover the story’s twists while adventuring through the various levels. Also, the same goes for Raz’s characterization. The player discovers Raz’s past as he’s forced to confront the thoughts and fears in his mind and around camp. If there’s one thing that the game could have used, it would be a little more polish on some of the gameplay mechanics. Loading takes a ridiculous amount of time, the controls could be a little less sensitive, the lock-on feature is unpredictable, and the graphics engine could use a boost. Yet, it’s important to keep in mind these are minor quips that are greatly outweighed by the great design exhibited in Psychonauts.Tue, 15 Jan 2008 02:20:21 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1744&iddiary=3734