Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=443https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3063[ entry #2 ] GAMEPLAY In my second play session my army grew larger with two new classes of Patapon, archers and axemen. I also acquired the defensive stance order, which allows the Patapon to take less damage from enemy attacks. When the army is in the defensive stance, ranged units attack while the axemen protect the front. Changing equipment seems a little simplistic as the player can manually give them to the individual Patapon or optimize the weapon selection for the army. This game causes the player to experience flow, as all music games usually do. The game attracted me because I am a big fan of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games, and play quite a bit of real-time strategy games although I am not an expert at them. One frustration I had with the game was that if there was some background noise or music, it would throw off my rhythm, making the Patapon stop in their tracks. The game is best played with headphones or in a quiet place. DESIGN The innovative element found in Patapon is the rhythm-based real-time strategy gameplay that is at the core of the game. It allows players that are not familiar with strategy games to ease into the gameplay like a rhythm game. The game creates conflict by setting up the story and releasing the player into a level filled with enemies and trying to advance to the end of the level. After a level is completed, its difficulty increases. The art design of the game is very well done. The simplicity of the black and white Patapon contrasts with the colorful cartoon-like background. Every structure is clearly marked as black and the enemies usually have some color combined with black. The animals found in the world are colored black and white, just like the Patapon which signals to the player that they are not hostile. The game has great value for only being a $20 game. Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:36:54 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3063&iddiary=6030https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3063[ entry #1 ] SUMMARY Patapon is a one player game that combines rhythm and strategy to create a new kind of gameplay. The player takes on the role of the great Patapon who leads the Patapon tribe into battle against the Zitagon army. The basic gameplay consists of pressing four buttons in time with the beat to give orders to your army of Patapon, one-eyed creatures equipped with various tools of destruction. GAMEPLAY The game progressed through a small story and eventually led me to the first level, where I had a small army of Patapon with spears. I was given instructions on how to move my army forward by pressing a four-button combination in time with the music and the pulsing rectangle that surrounds the screen. The next combination I was able to use was the attack order. There were some animals in the level that I could attack and once they were killed, they dropped money or items, such as meat and stone, used to create more Patapon. I felt good while playing the game, as long as I kept pushing the buttons at the right time and nothing distracted me. 10 successful orders in succession get the Patapon in the fever mode, making them perform their orders more effectively, like doing more damage while attacking. The Patapons themselves are fun to watch, moving to the music and repeating orders back to the player as confirmation. They are, dare I say, cute.Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:36:39 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3063&iddiary=6029https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2720[ entry #2 ] GAMEPLAY In my second play session I unlocked the third row of levels, corresponding to the third world. The roadway-themed world was less interesting than the previous dessert-themed world. It didn’t have much color to it, but I noticed a greater change in the level of difficulty. I had a bystander watching me play and at some points he was surprised at how I thought of rotating the board a certain way to advance the ball. I suppose I gained enough experience to get past the learning curve. The game’s story is nonexistent. From the main menu, the game shows the player the controls and it jumps right into the puzzles. Near the end of my game session I realized this game is best played in short sessions, maybe half an hour. If you have time to burn, this is a good game for that purpose, but it doesn’t feel as if you accomplish anything. DESIGN I believe Kororinpa Marble Madness is innovative in its variety of ball types, but I’m not sure, as the only other similar game I’ve played is Super Monkey Ball. The gentle tone of the game is achieved with the light soundtrack of ambient sounds and simple art style. The level design in the game is varied enough to keep it interesting for an hour of play. Each level usually has puzzles that are found in previous levels, plus a new challenge unique to the level. The game is easy to learn, but hard to master, as skill is measured by the completion time. Anyone could probably finish a particular puzzle, but not as fast as an experienced player who never lets the ball fall from the board. For those who can complete the levels quickly, it seems that the pacing of rewards in the beginning is too fast. The first set of rewards consists of balls of the same type, but they just make different noises. It either discourages the player from playing more games or makes them want to play more to get better rewards.Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:14:03 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2720&iddiary=5179https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2720[ entry #1 ] SUMMARY Kororinpa Marble Mania is a 1-2 player puzzle game that uses the wiimote’s motion sensors to tilt a board. The goal is to guide a marble along a path, collecting crystals when it collides with them, and reaching the end. As you complete the levels, more levels and marbles are unlocked. GAMEPLAY At first I tried to collect the required crystals plus the bonus in one run, but I found that I fell off the board many times trying to achieve that goal. When I tilted the wiimote too far I was surprised to see my marble fall off. I didn’t think I could tilt the board completely upside-down. I decided that I’d go through each level without going out of my way to collect risky bonus crystals. I wanted to get good times on each one. It was fun to use a ball with a different shape, such as the rugby ball, because it rolled differently. It provided a greater challenge, but I didn’t use it when I wanted to complete a level as quickly as possible. I was awarded a few of the normal balls that were faster and harder to control, as well as a soccer and basketball that had a bouncing quality. I found it easier to hold the wiimote with both hands for greater control and precision in my movement. After playing for a while, my arms got tired from holding them out. Resting them on my lap allowed me to play some more.Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:13:40 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2720&iddiary=5178https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2385[ entry #2 ] GAMEPLAY In my second game session I discovered the showtime event. It can start on any road and at any time, even during another event. By doing so, the previous event is cancelled. Once it began my car became a careening hulk of metal with the ability to direct it into the path of oncoming cars. The goal of this event is to crash into as many cars as possible to increase the total damage cost. I noticed that one of my friends was playing the game as well, so I invited him to join me. I was surprised at how quickly we were able to connect and race around the city. At first we just raced around the city and took each other down by . For multiplayer there is a set of challenges for 2 players and another for 3, all the way up to 8. The challenges took us around the city, doing stunts like barrel rolls through a plane fuselage and crashing into each other in mid-air. I liked doing the multiplayer challenges because it took me on a tour of the city, discovering areas I wasn’t familiar with. DESIGN The most innovative design feature of Burnout Paradise would be the ability to start a showtime event anywhere in the city. This is the event that makes Burnout different from other racing games. Once I found this feature, I’d always go into showtime if I was losing an event, as it was a good way to relieve stress from retrying a difficult event multiple times. The gameworld is very well designed, as it seamlessly integrates jumps into construction areas and still looks like a realistic city. Also scattered around the city are drive-thrus that repair your car, refill boost, or change your car’s color scheme. Junkyards let you access your car collection to switch cars. The pace of the game is controlled by the player. I could just go and compete in every event I see and progress through the licenses faster, or go exploring for billboards and shortcuts. Completing the exploration challenges unlocks achievements for gamer points, while competing in events unlocks new cars. Another objective that unlocks achievements is setting time and showtime records on each road. The variety of rewards keeps the game interesting. I like the camera because I can view the car from behind or from the front bumper. When looking from behind, you can rotate the camera to the front from either direction or look directly backward. The only thing I don’t like about the camera is when you drive in reverse, the camera rotates so you are looking backwards. Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:36:59 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2385&iddiary=4803https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2385[ entry #1 ] SUMMARY Burnout Paradise brings the car-crashing mayhem of the previous games into a city waiting to be explored. Paradise City is filled with plenty of cars, jumps, and secret areas. The primary goal of the game is to win racing, road rage, or stunt events to unlock better cars. Winning a certain number of events also upgrades the player’s license, an indication of his or her progress in the game. GAMEPLAY At the start of the game I received a starter car at the junkyard to roam the city. The radio turned on with a DJ who explained what I could do in the city and how to find an event. I was eager to find a road rage event, as I find those to be the most fun. The goal is to take down other cars by bumping into them and making them crash, all while driving around the entire city filled with traffic. The game was fun to play because of how exhilarating it was to drive through oncoming traffic at high speeds, then watching my car get compacted by head-on collision with a bus. Sometimes my car would collide and flip through the air, end over end or horizontally. Bystanders enjoyed watching me play, probably curious to see how long I could last without crashing, or just waiting to watch another incredible crash animation in slow-motion. As far as the story goes, there isn’t much to it. The player is basically one of the many reckless drivers in Paradise City. The DJ on the radio comments on the player, but never in much detail. He usually gives tips like suggesting places to go or explaining how to access the game’s features. There is an option to turn off the tips, but I’d rather find out more about the game by listening to the DJ. (This entry has been edited4 times. It was last edited on Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:10:21.)Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:21:13 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2385&iddiary=4643https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2116[ entry #2 ] GAMEPLAY In my second game session, I invited a friend to play. I wasn’t really sure what the second player would be able to do. To my surprise he was able to make me jump, which was exploited for a short moment, as I fell to my death. He was also able to stun enemies, making it easier for me to defeat them, as well as collecting star bits and launching them at enemies. It allowed me to focus on getting through the level without worrying about collecting helpful but unnecessary items. I found that I played much faster with help from a friend and I think it would be nice to trade off playing if one player gets tired of it. We had bystanders watching us play and they gave suggestions on what to do when it seemed that we were stuck. If I didn’t have homework to do that day I probably would have played non-stop because of the addictive gameplay. DESIGN Super Mario Galaxy definitely improves upon past Mario games with updated graphics that make the world seem more alive. The objects in the game world have sharper textures and a shiny glow at the edges. Although the player experiences a more vivid world, the core gameplay is pretty much unchanged with the new control scheme. A push of a button combined with a shake of the wiimote causes Mario to jump and spin, allowing him to reach higher places. The spin attack is also an easy way to defeat most weak enemies, but others require ground-pounding. When walking around a spherical land mass, the camera caused some frustration. One moment I’m walking straight and after the camera turns I’m walking another way, possibly into an enemy or hazardous area. While it may seem annoying, I believe that it is just a small challenge that can be overcome with time. The level design is very innovative in the way that Mario can move around a land mass, always attracted to the gravitational center. Sometimes the player is able to jump away from the land and float in space. There is a limit to how far he can go, and it is never too far away from a source of gravity to move toward. Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:10:40 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2116&iddiary=4212https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2116[ entry #1 ] SUMMARY Super Mario Galaxy builds on the classic platformer gameplay with Mario’s debut on the Wii. Once again Mario must save Princess Peach from Bowser’s grasp. To do this, he must restore power to the comet observatory by collecting power stars from galaxies. This will allow Mario to travel to the center of the universe to confront Bowser. GAMEPLAY When I started playing the game I was wondering why I wasn’t in space. I had seen screenshots of the game, but they were all in a space setting. As the introductory sequence progressed, it revealed how Mario got there. Princess Peach’s castle was lifted into space by cables connected to flying pirate ships. This story element was fresh and unexpected. The characters were familiar to me because I have played some Mario games. There are two new characters that are central to the story. The Lumas are star-like creatures led by Rosalina, who all live on the spaceship called the comet observatory. From the observatory I was able to visit galaxies, the main stages of the game. The game was fun to play because of how the game world affected my movement. When I fell off an edge, I found myself floating to the underside of the ground I was on earlier. Although the early levels were simple, the way I moved around them is what made the game fun. The background music gave me a feeling of nostalgia because it was a pleasant mix of updated Mario tracks. The ease of getting used to the controls and moving around the game world contributed to the flow of the game. I didn’t have replay many areas in each galaxy, as I did my best to avoid falling into the black holes and running into enemies. (This entry has been edited2 times. It was last edited on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 22:37:56.)Fri, 25 Jan 2008 22:36:42 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2116&iddiary=4153https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1699GAMEPLAY My next game session began with customizing my car for the Grip mode. Each car I own can only be used in one out of four race types. I started with the body design to improve my car’s aerodynamics, such as adding a spoiler. The paint and vinyl decals don’t have any effect on the car’s performance, but it’s fun to personalize the cars because of the vast selection of paints and decals. When I was satisfied with my creation I decided to enter the next race day. It was another assortment of Grip races, with some variations. A Grip race is basically a circuit race and is usually 2 or 3 laps depending on the length of the track. During the second half of my play time, I invited a friend to play in split-screen mode. It was fun seeing my opponent’s reaction to crashing into me and the many times we passed each other up. I was disappointed that there weren’t any AI cars on the track because it would have made the race more enjoyable. The mode that I liked the most was Speed Challenge because it is simply a sprint from one point to another, with little turning required. DESIGN Need for Speed ProStreet may lack some of the features that made the previous games lots of fun, but it adds enough to keep the player engaged. The new physics engine displays incredible car physics such as flipping over on a turn or hitting a bump at high speeds. Everything the player hits affects the control of the car, and all of the damage is shown. Every piece of the car that is torn off lies strewn on the road throughout the race. It encourages the player to drive carefully so that he does not have to pay for the damage. The particle effects such as the smoke have greatly improved. It looks picture-perfect when a plume of smoke jets out from the burning tires. The tracks vary from clusters of hairpin turns to the large sprawling roadways of international speedways. This helps to keep the player interested because it would not be fun to go around the same tracks over and over again. The reward system in the game is based on winning races. The player receives a sum of money depending on how safely he or she drove, the place, and the time achieved. The money is used to buy car upgrades or new cars. This system encourages the player to save up his or her money to choose the magnitude of his or her reward. Buying a really expensive car will help the player win races, and of course, win over that video crowd. Tue, 15 Jan 2008 01:10:09 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1699&iddiary=3687https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1699[ entry #1 ] SUMMARY Need for Speed ProStreet is the latest iteration of the Need for Speed series of racing games. It deviates from its three predecessors with the absence of the open-world city and police chases, but shows off an improved physics engine with real-time damage that affects the control of the car. It includes four primary modes of play called Drag, Drift, Grip, and Speed Challenge. The goal of the single-player mode is to dominate race days consisting of several events. In the end, the player must compete against the best racers in each event to become the street king. GAMEPLAY My career started during a race day, where I met my rival, Ryo, in the opening cinematic. He came off as pompous and antagonistic as he made a show of himself and talked down to me. I was winning one race after another with encouragement from the race day announcer. I was forced to race with cars provided by the event organizer, so I was not responsible for the damage accrued from bumping other cars and hitting walls. The story encourages me to keep progressing through the race days to face my rival. After the race day I was given a choice of two cars to begin my career, and of course, they were nothing special. I knew that I would be able to buy better parts for them, or just sell them to buy new cars. The game was interesting to play because it was fun to use other cars as turning buffers by slamming into them at high speeds on a turn. This technique allowed me to get ahead of them and push them off of the track. The level of difficulty felt just right for the start of the game. The music is what kept the flow of the game going with a variety of rock, rap, and techno tracks. I was able to customize the playlist to my preferred genre of songs so that I would not be interrupted with a song I didn't like during a race. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 01:13:25.)Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:33:00 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1699&iddiary=3424