Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=652https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3083[Gameplay] For the second gaming session I played multiplayer both on and off-line. I first played co-op multiplayer with my friend who already knew how to play. We decided to tackle the impressively difficult co-op episodes that required even more time and effort to figure out and finally complete. The game called for each of us to perform different tasks in order to make it through the level door. I would have to speed to the door switch without wasting time, while he would kite enemy missiles to keep me safe. It was fun and the tasks varied level-to-level keeping things fresh. I switched over to on-line multiplayer which offered two modes of play, race and survival. The race mode was challenging as some of the competition had worked out quick routes ahead of time to reach the exit door. The survival mode was essentially who could collect more gold coins to extend their life/time bar to stay alive longer than the competition. It proved to be less fun than race, but still a nice competitive multiplayer mode. [Design] There was innovation in terms of gameplay mechanics with the physics-based controls that awarded players an easier experience once mastered. The minimalist graphics and level design were pleasing to the eye and never distracted from the core of the game, the aforementioned unique controls. The level progression in single-player and multiplayer required an immense level of challenge that offered an equally pleasing reward of simply overcoming said challenges. The levels themselves were diverse and quirky making the opening up of new episodes enticing. The simplicity of the game’s concept is what kept things both light and highly intense at times, like the best classic arcade games (Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, ect.). The beauty of the co-op mode though is what makes this game tick. It involved plenty of challenge and truly rewarded proper cooperation to even discover a route to the exit door. The level editor was a nice addition to extend the replay value of this title as well. Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:25:36 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3083&iddiary=5774https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3083[Summary] Developed by Slick Entertainment for Xbox Live Arcade, N+ is an action-puzzle platformer that uses unique physics-based controls as players traverse through robot infested levels with their acrobatic ninja. Modes include single-player (with over 300 levels), on-line and off-line multiplayer (competitive and co-op), and a level editor. [Gameplay] I started my first session with the single-player mode. The tutorial levels gave me a feel for the game quickly as the controls were very intuitive (running and jumping). Each N+ episode consisted of 5 levels that needed to be cleared together in order for progression to be saved. This added a bit a strategy for collecting gold (health/time bonus) as the health/time bar was shared between the 5 levels. The progression of difficulty mounted and I soon had to raise my concentration level to meet the oncoming challenges. The varied enemy types being thrown at my little ninja were devastating. Each level brought a new challenging foe, from floor-patrolling to missile launching robots. As the enemies increased in difficulty so did the puzzles for completing each level. It took me around 10 minutes at times just to figure out where I needed to go and how I had to get there (though any number of possible paths exist to complete all levels). Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:56:22 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3083&iddiary=5763https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2812[Gameplay] For the second gaming session I played multiplayer with a friend who had never played on a Wii. The creation of a my friend’s Mii (I had a Mii before playing this title) factored into his enjoyment of the game as the customizable avatars are the same avatars used in game. We decided to play tennis against each other which turned out better than expected. While the tennis couldn’t be on par with actual simulation tennis titles like Vitua Tennis or Top Spin it instead offered, much like the bowling game, a simple and fun play mechanic. Messing around with the player fitness age test, which utilized three randomly chosen training tests, was also a neat feature to include. The visual feel of the game became a slight annoyance as the bright shiny colors gave me a migraine headache. We finished up by playing both baseball and golf which left much to be desired. The baseball ended up being a pitch and bat home run derby full of monotony while the golf’s controls were too difficult to learn. [Design] There was definite innovation in terms of gameplay mechanics with the use of the Wii Remote. That however did not make up for the lack of any true depth or aesthetic prowess. The game offered very little in terms of reward aside from winning or losing a contest while the visuals felt flat and uninspired. The backgrounds chosen for each sports locale were also bland (though the growing crowd size at tennis and boxing matches was a cool sight to behold). There existed too many holes in the gameplay mechanics that allowed for the sports to be both exploited in the case of easy strikes in bowling or simply too difficult in the case of golf. The developers should have honed the motion sensor more on the Wii Remote as controls were erratic at times detracting from the overall gameplay. In the end the games were overly simplified with very little replay value. Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:55:01 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2812&iddiary=5367https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2812[Summary] Developed by Nintendo as a launch title and packaged with the first manufactured Wii consoles, Wii Sports is a compilation of five sports (baseball, bowling, boxing, golf, and tennis) that demonstrates the motion-sensor capabilities of the Wii remote for the first time. [Gameplay] For the first session I decided to play through some single player game modes including training and the standard mode of play. I picked boxing (3 rounds each bout) and bowling (ten-frame game) as my sports to progress through by earning or losing skill points after each contest. The controls took awhile getting used to as slight movements were registered pretty quickly. The training mode was cool to mess around with offering up simple tests for measuring different skill attributes. Boxing made me nauseous as the camera movement was jarring. The fun factor of swinging my virtual gloves was ultimately very low. It was repetitious and required less skill than I had hoped. The bowling was fun and reminded me of the Super Monkey Ball mini-game. It was simple and rewarding as it proved to be a better simulation than the boxing. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:15:58.)Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:47:23 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2812&iddiary=5289https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2472[Gameplay] For the second gaming session I played online co-op with three of my buddies. While the game was still the same old tired formula it was a much more enjoyable experience. When we all combined our attacks to unleash nifty special effects on enemy’s faces; I can honestly say those moments made up for some of the previous disappointment I had felt for the game. We switched over from regular co-op to competitive multiplayer for the remainder of the session. The prospect of beating my friends served as a good motivational tool to continue playing this mediocre title. On a positive note, the unlockable alternative costumes for each hero/villain turned out to be really cool. [Design] There was very little innovation in terms of gameplay mechanics. The combat system was a rehash of old hack-n-slash games with a few alterations. The story was nothing new for the comic book world with a generic villainous attempt to conquer the universe. The only interesting element was the ability to combine special attacks to create even bigger and highly stylized attacks for dealing with a multitude of enemies on screen, but even that has been done before in variations. The graphics were very subjective as Raven Software did away with the cell-shaded look of previous installations (X-Men Legends I and II). The collection of heroes and villains amassed for this title was impressive even if some of the roster slots felt wasteful (Elektra?). The constant collection of orbs and coins was more of a nuisance than a reward. Lastly, the RPG element of the game was also nothing new (allocating points to various skills/attacks), but it served the game well adding some replayability to the title. Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:27:35 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2472&iddiary=4720https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2472[Summary] Developed by Raven Software, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action-RPG of the hack-n-slash variety whose main story revolves around the formation of an emergency hero squad assigned to prevent Dr. Doom from destroying the universe. Players can choose from a large collection of Marvel comic’s heroes and villains in the formation of their four man squads (whose members can be human/computer controlled). These squads will be used to battle through spawns of enemies and “epic” boss encounters with familiar faces from the Marvel universe. There is also the option for competitive multiplayer in addition to co-op. [Gameplay] I decided to play through the main story mode solo, and after forming my own superhero team (named Blue Velvet) I got underway. The novelty of cutting though hoards of enemies with superheroes lasted a good thirty minutes before it became tedious. As with most button-mashers this game required very little skill, instead opting for mindless violent entertainment. My AI controlled teammates served as little more than decoration as they just ended up getting in my way. The boredom of button-mashing was then intensified by the mundane level and mission designs. Don’t superheroes have more urgent matters to attend to? Do they need to be flipping switches and pushing blocks to solve lame puzzles? Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:53:10 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2472&iddiary=4696https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2179[Gameplay] I spent the second session playing multiplayer deathmatch with 3 of my friends. The setup for multiplayer included five modes of play (we started with normal), a large character and map selection, and a weapon and map tweaking system in place (which we took full advantage of). The majority of the time was spent arguing over who would play as Oddjob (he had a considerable height advantage) and deciding what weapon scheme to use on each map (rocket launcher and slap fights ensued). When we finally grew bored of blowing each other up in normal deathmatch, we switched over to “The Living Daylights” (a glorified version of tag). This mode offered a different challenge than normal and served as a nice change of pace. The variety of different multiplayer modes helped keep things fresh for the rest of my gaming session. [Design] The success of Goldeneye 007 came down to its simple yet finely tuned combat system and control scheme (a difficult thing to pull off with an N64 controller) and it’s addicting multiplayer modes. The graphics for the time were superb, adding a much needed level of realistic depth to a game trying to emulate a live action film. The ability to zoom-in on the sniper rifle was also an innovative and novel skill to possess in a console shooter. The attention that the game makers had for little details of the Bond world ultimately made this game a must have for any fan of the Bond franchise. The game has remarkable replay value as even now, over a decade later, I found it hard to put down my controller. It did come as a surprise that a dated shooter on an obsolete system could manage to compete, in terms of enjoyment, with any modern fps on any console today. Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:19:14 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2179&iddiary=4218https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2179[Summary] Goldeneye 007 was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1997 as a continuation of the Bond movie franchises’ success. As one of the highest acclaimed console shooters ever, Goldeneye 007 offered a deep single-player mode keeping in-line with the movie’s plot (each mission played similarly to the scenes from on-screen). While the multiplayer deathmatch mode proved to be the reason to come back for more; as players received an extensive collection of Bond character’s to choose from. [Gameplay] I played through a few missions on single-player to once again familiarize myself with the game after so many years of it collecting dust on my shelf. The missions were easy enough to progress through with the time limit being the only obstacle of real substance. The weapons and gadgets were fun to mess around with; offering different opportunities during a level to be showcased. The enemies were varied in appearance and reacted to taking damage differently depending on their wound’s location (something very novel to console shooters at the time). Playing as Bond I had to figure out ways to avoid groups of enemies by maneuvering around the maps unseen. There was an element of stealth involved in each mission that contrasted many games of the era. At times the game even seemed puzzle-like, requiring the use of gadgets to maintain my avatar’s secrecy. Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:18:48 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2179&iddiary=4180https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1825[Gameplay] My second go-around with Xbox Live proved to be a lot quicker. Finding a game had become easier as had the menu navigation. I was even able to finish two more games online (one win and one loss). I noticed more intricate details in the gameplay mechanics of each player. Certain star players recognizable traits were on display as Adriano (the cover athlete on the box) blasted home a few thunder strikes. I began to find a rhythm in my game and developed a sense of team style. I found myself growing attached to the simulated sport team of my choosing. Winning Eleven’s realistic nature combined with its steep learning curve kept me motivated to learn the nuances of the game to gain a competitive edge online. It became apparent how addicting this game truly was when I struggled to put down the controller even after suffering defeat. The online portion’s use of leaderboards strengthened that motivation to learn the game and the goal to keep rising up the rankings. [Design] The innovation of the gameplay mechanics stems from the logic of never altering a successful formula. All the controls feel the same every year with only slight manipulations or AI improvements that luckily never detract from the final product. The series maintains a certain aesthetic and feel and this iteration was no exception. The lack of any major graphical improvements from year-to-year keeps this game from achieving any higher recognition with more casual gamers. As with most sports games the fun factor applies to both the witnessing of realism in its simulation and the joy of playing and competing in a “sport”. The simplistic design of the sport of soccer (football) lends itself nicely to videogames as its simple conceptual design houses an unbelievable amount of depth and strategy. The depth of the game and it replayability make it a very cost efficient title. The fact that the animations of the athletes are so varied and particular means that you will never score an identical goal or pull off the same dribbles more than once. This keeps the gamer on their toes as a desire emerges to create and witness something special every time they pick up a controller to play. Tue, 15 Jan 2008 01:52:46 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1825&iddiary=3716https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1825[Summary] Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007; is the first Konami soccer game in the series of Winning Eleven titles developed for the Xbox 360 in North America. The videogame replicates and simulates the sport of soccer (football) using licensed teams and players from International representations to European club team likenesses. The player(s) can choose to play multiplayer (includes co-op and Xbox Live) or single player (includes league and the more advanced master league) with the option to play training also available. [Gameplay] My gaming experience with this title was limited solely to the underbelly of online gaming known as Xbox Live. I started by getting on Xbox Live and waiting in the lobby for a game. I spent minutes looking for someone also new to this online community to accept a challenge from. After finally picking a challenger and a team to play with (Juventus); I sorted through various formations and substitutions until I had what I wanted. The game’s load time was decent as the pixel version of my team popped up on screen rather quickly. Everything played smoothly for an online sports game and only random moments of slow-down occurred. The controls for this game as with previous installations were familiar and reliable. The graphics showed no big improvement, but were an adequate fit to the game. Things played out like an actual simulation with the final score being 2-1 in my favor. I felt a great sense of achievement after I was able to use my knowledge of the game mechanics to win against another person. (This entry has been edited3 times. It was last edited on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 01:56:50.)Mon, 14 Jan 2008 23:54:21 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1825&iddiary=3663