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Oct 19th, 2009 at 00:48:46 - Street Fighter 2 (SNES) |
Brittany Strachan
October 18, 2009
CSC 295
SUMMARY
In Street Fighter II on Nintendo, players can either go on a quest to become the best martial arts fighter in the world (single player) or fight against each other in a best-two-out-of-three match (multiplayer). This game builds from its predecessor, Street Fighter, by adding more characters from various locations across the world.
GAMEPLAY 1
Street Fighter II is extreme fun because it creates a competitive environment between me and my friends. We all have our favorite characters and are constantly battling each other to prove who’s better with the game controller. Street Fighter II also brings memories from our childhoods and we are constantly talking about how good we use to be. The fact that Street Fighter II brings back memories is a big reason why I still play this game to this day. I remember I only beat this game one time and when I did, I was so excited. When I was a child, my cousins were always way better than me in fighting games and I remember being excited from beating Street Fighters II because I finally felt just as good as my cousins.
Each character in Street Fighter II not only is from a different country, but each character also has a different set of moves that a player can master. Therefore, players are faced with a challenge within the game to learn how to execute all of a certain characters moves. I remember when I played as a child, I would just press buttons in a random order just to see if I could make the person I was playing with do something different. This kept me playing because I always thought, eventually, I’ll be able to see something exciting and new happen.
GAMEPLAY 2
The aspect of Street Fighter II that I was intrigued by was the fact that the different fighting locations were in different countries. I enjoyed the different settings because each fighting environment displayed some of the culture of various countries. For example, the characters in Street Fighter II are from the United States of America, China, Japan, Thailand, United Kingdom, Brazil, Spain, Jamaica, and other countries. During game play, I imagined I was on a free trip around the world.
Although I enjoy playing Street Fighters II with other players, I wish the video game had a deeper, more developed plot to it in single player mode. A stronger plot would add to the game in that players would be more engaged. A more developed story line could also present bigger challenges and attract more players.
DESIGN
I was impressed with how much of society’s culture is incorporated in Street Fighters II. Not only are the characters from different countries, but they also have different fighting styles. These fighting styles include boxing, wrestling, and several martial arts. Fighting in our society is a form of entertainment and the Street Fighter series appeals to people’s thirst for combat. Street Fighters II also influenced society because movies and comic books were created based off the video game. Since the characters are brought to life, players of the video game can form stronger connections to the characters.
The aspect of Street Fighter II that frustrates me, however, is the limited number of challenges the game presents. In other words, I have seen people who lose interest in the game simply because they have mastered all the character moves and have beat the game. I wish the game had more challenges so that no matter if you are an expert player, there is always something about the game that puzzles you.
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Oct 4th, 2009 at 21:48:04 - Super Mario World (SNES) |
SUMMARY
In Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo console, you play as Mario (single player) and Luigi (multiplayer) and try to save the princess from the clutches of Bowser. Using Mario’s ability to jump, fly, and run, you travel through various lands and encounter enemies of all types.
GAMEPLAY
Playing Super Mario World brings back so many memories from my childhood. I’m an only child so video games growing up were my source of entertainment when I got bored at home. I can remember when I had a Super Nintendo and Super Mario World was my favorite game to play. It was always a challenge to me because I never beat the game. However, when I use to watch my uncle play, I can remember being amazed at all the levels that I had never seen simply because I couldn’t progress but so far in the game. I can also remember sitting in front of the television and playing for hours. I would stay up all night playing my Super Nintendo. I love playing Super Mario World now simply because whenever I play, I always revisit some fun times in my childhood.
I also love Super Mario World because there’s not much complication to the game, but the game is challenging. For example, games now-a-days are so complex as far as the storyline, the navigation of the levels, and the controls. Super Mario World, however, is very basic fundamentally, but the levels and actually game play still challenge the user.
GAMEPLAY 2
When I play Super Mario World with a group of friends, we always challenge each other to see who can play the longest without losing a life. It’s fun because we create a game within a game. It’s also funny how other people get involved in your game play. For instance, when I’m watching my friends play, I find myself trying to give pointers as they play. Other players also tend to get extremely nervous as someone else is playing. For example, if I have to make a big jump in the game, I notice that my friends are usually nervous that I won’t make it across and they make noises as I’m about to jump. When playing Super Mario World, it doesn’t matter if you are playing or a spectator, everyone in the room is usually involved in the game.
I love the characters in Super Mario World. I even find myself laughing at the turtle enemies in the game. My favorite character is Yoshi because he is this happy baby dinosaur that can eat anything. I also remember Luigi being one of my favorite characters as a kid because everyone loved Mario and I wanted to be different.
DESIGN
The elements of Super Mario World that I enjoy are the different worlds, the various levels, and the different characters. These elements of the game keep the game interesting and exciting. One level you may be on land and the next you may be underwater. The challenges of each level are different and I’m always anticipating what new strategy I’ll have to create to pass the next level. I also love how playing Super Mario World is an experience that many people across the world can share. Many people can relate to playing Super Mario World as kids and it is an element of our generation’s culture. I laugh at how some people even remember the tunes from the game.
The tone of the Super Mario World game world also helps create the atmosphere that surrounds game play. The use of bright colors makes for a fun experience when you play the game. The graphics is also cartoon-like which helps bring out the inner child of each person that interacts with the game. Super Mario World is a game that can be enjoyed by people of all age groups and anyone can play (i.e. someone with lots of gaming experience to someone who has no gaming experience).
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Sep 27th, 2009 at 21:53:06 - Grand Theft Auto : San Andreas (XBX) |
Brittany Strachan
September 27, 2009
CSC 295
SUMMARY
In Grand Theft Auto 3: San Andreas, players control a single character by the name of C.J. and try to earn money by completing various missions and/or tasks. As a player earns more money, they have the ability to buy better weapons and armor. Players can choose to complete missions in a story mode type game play or complete various challenges that are throughout the game. The main story behind the game is CJ, a local gang member, has returned back home to San Andreas to uncover the mystery of his mother’s death.
GAMEPLAY1
I love playing Grand Theft Auto games because I get this sense of power when I play. I have an alter ego that allows me to escape reality when I play this game. I usually play in story mode rather than just walking around and shooting people because I like to see how the plot develops. Completing missions in story mode also open up new locations on the map for me to explore and I like to see the different characters you meet throughout the game. Each character has a different personality that keeps the game entertaining and when you meet new characters, you open up different challenges that give the game variety.
In Grand Theft Auto 3: San Andreas, a user has more creativity than in any other Grand Theft Auto game that I’ve played that made me enjoy this game even more. You can lift weights to change the physique of the main character, buy a variety of clothes to change your character’s appearance, buy tattoos, and build certain attributes that help your character complete challenges easier. The ability to personalize the main character more in Grand Theft Auto 3: San Andreas made me feel more connected to the game play.
GAMEPLAY2
I love the music in the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas game. As I play the game, I find myself being more engulfed into the game play because I’m always wondering what the next song that I can identify with is. For instance, whenever you are driving in a vehicle that has a radio, the user has the ability to change radio stations. Therefore, no matter what type of music you like, you can set the game to play that genre of music. Music is an important element of a game because it culturally connects players and the game. Personally, I was more drawn to play this game than any other game because of the idea that I can listen to music that I like while playing.
Although I love to play the missions along the story line, there are plenty of smaller challenges to participate in. For example, if you steal a police car, you can play as if you were a cop and you have to chase down these different criminals. There are also challenges in between missions. For example, throughout the game CJ has to maintain a crew and protect the gang’s territory. Rival gangs will constantly shoot at you and try to take over your property. Therefore, you have to be careful where you roam in the map because you can easily be shot to death. These challenges outside of the storyline missions keep the game exciting. There is never a dull moment in the game and you have to constantly keep track of what you’re doing because one careless mistake can cause you to lose your life.
DESIGN
The overall design of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was effective. The main story of the game was interesting and made me want to play more to discover the plot. I also like how the challenges are organized by difficulty. In other words, as you meet new characters, they present several challenges and each “boss” has a level of difficulty associated with them. Of course, as you progress through the game, the missions as a whole get more challenging, however, when you play missions associated with a certain “boss”, you have an idea of what level of difficulty the challenge will be. In this way, players know what to expect when they are playing the game, which can prevent confusion or sometimes complete frustration.
The only improvements that I would suggest to make to this game are add more customization options for users and maybe expand the storyline more. For example, players should be able to add their own flavor to the cars they steal and to the main character. Although there are some customization options in GTA: SA, players could still have the ability, for instance, to create a main character of their own (face, body, body type, clothes, etc.). For the game, players should be able to add more style to the cars they steal by adding body kits, buying rims, changing the headlights, tints, etc. Another element I would add to this game is to make it multiplayer. Multiplayer game modes create competition and help foster social atmospheres.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Sep 27th, 2009 at 21:54:04.
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Sep 8th, 2009 at 22:56:11 - Wii Sports (Wii) |
Brittany Strachan
September 08, 2009
CCSC 295
SUMMARY
In Wii Sports, players have to opportunity to play a variety of sports such as boxing, bowling, tennis, baseball, and golf. Players also have the option of creating characters called Miis that they can use to keep track of their game play. Players can either play single player challenges to increase their status (beginner, pro, expert, etc) or players can enjoy great multiplayer competition. The objective of game play is to basic win challenges and competition so that you can increase your rank.
GAMEPLAY1
While playing the Wii Sports, I am usually playing with a group of friends. When we are all bored, the Wii easily becomes the source of entertainment. It’s funny because we are always taunting one another. The boring night usually becomes quite the social gathering once we start playing Wii. I personally like to play bowling and tennis the most. I find myself using techniques I learned in my bowling class to get the best score I can possibly get on the video game. I’m usually the point of jokes by my friends because I really get involved mentally when I’m playing Wii. For example, when I’m playing tennis, I usually move side-to-side like the character on the screen to hit the ball.
I don’t usual play boxing, but when I do, I find boxing to be the most tiring game. I played with a friend of mine and easily broke a sweat. Its fun to play boxing because, just as in tennis, I find myself intensely involved in my game play. It’s not uncommon to see me ducking punches from my opponent as if I were in a real boxing match.
GAMEPLAY2
For the second session of game play, I played golf and easily became frustrated. The game is a good simulator of how you have to have skill when swinging at the golf ball. I found myself hitting plenty of balls into bodies of water on the simulated golf course. If I had to take a vote, golf would be my least favorite Wii Sport, but the game grows on me the more I play it. When my friends and I play, we are usually laughing at how it takes us more hits than we expected to get the ball in the hole.
Baseball is not top on my list of Wii Sports to play, but it can be entertaining at times. I’m usually on the losing end of a baseball match with my friends, so I try to avoid playing baseball as much as possible. On the other hand, I find that a lot of people that play Wii love the baseball Wii Sport. I wish players had more control of the characters in the baseball game. I would find the baseball game more intriguing if we could field the ball and play a complete baseball game. Since the game is concentrated solely on pitching and hitting, I quickly tend to lose interest after a short amount of game play.
DESIGN
Wii Sports is a great way to amuse yourself or a group of people. The fact that the game requires the player to be more involved physically makes Wii Sports different from playing just any other sports game. Players have five sports that provide competitive fun. Players also have the option of creating their own character to compete with. These characters, which are referred to as Miis, also provide entertainment in that you can make them look like whoever you please. Associated with each Wii Sport are individual challenges that can be used to improve skills and rank as a player. As a player increases his/her rank, the player can obtain some exciting rewards. For example, in the bowling Wii Sport, pro bowlers get to bowl with a shiner bowling ball. Therefore, you don’t always have to play with a crowd to have fun. I am a competitor by nature, so I also love the competitive atmosphere playing Wii Sports creates around me.
Although I find Wii Sports pleasurable, I wish there were more sports you could play. More games would create more options for fun. I love, however, how Wii Sports promotes interactions between friends. Whether you are encouraging each other or competing against each other, Wii Sports fosters a strong social setting between you and other users. Overall, Wii Sports is for people of all ages to enjoy and I would recommend everybody to play it.
This entry has been edited 2 times. It was last edited on Sep 8th, 2009 at 22:57:50.
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