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Mar 4th, 2014 at 23:50:47 - Donkey Kong Country 2 (SNES) |
Limitations
Players can only get hit once per Kong
Players have lives (balloons) that will eventually run out (Game Over)
Access to earlier areas and save points are only available after unlocking in each new area.
Affordances
Can switch between the two Kongs at any point
Check Points can be reached that will remain active until a Game Over is reached.
Cranky Kong can be visited for tips on how to beat levels
Funky Kong gives the player access to earlier areas to replay
For my 2nd session I continued playing through the different areas and picking out my favorite levels from each area.
Tree Top Town!
‘Tree Top Town!’, is the 2nd level of the 3rd world, and is a very good example of the classic Barrel Blasting levels that make Donkey Kong Country so popular. The level is set in a town high in the tree tops of a forest. Players make their way through the level by jumping into barrels that blast you out in various directions. Some barrels blast you out automatically, while others allow the player to choose when to blast. Timing is key in this level as the barrels move and rotate in various patterns and can often blast you into the abyss. I enjoy this level because it is very satisfying to string together a chain of successful blasts very quickly, although it’s much more efficient to take your time and watch the barrels movement closely. The artwork in this level fits well into the areas theme of a forest and the huts and rope bridges that make up the town are all nicely drawn. While I enjoy the music in this level I don’t feel like it fits the theme as well as some of the other levels.
Torchlight Trouble
Torchlight trouble is one of the few levels in the game that alters the levels lightning to add a challenge to navigation. It takes place in cave and the player gains an animal friend, a parrot that holds a lantern, to help navigate through the level. While the lighting effects are necessarily impressive I still thought this was a creative gameplay mechanic and one I wished had been used more. This is a very Donkey Kong friendly level as almost all of the enemies cannot be killed by Diddy. I enjoy this as I normally prefer playing as Donkey Kong. This is an unusually short level for this stage in the game, but this might be due to the levels high difficulty. The artwork in this level isn’t very noticeable as the lights are mostly out, but it goes along with the standard cave theme that several levels have. The music fits the level very well, as it has a very ominous feeling to it and feels like ‘cave’ music. While I enjoy this level a lot, some of these levels late into the game are not as fun to play as the earlier levels as they are meant to be very challenging.
Poison Pond!
This was the last level I decided to play through and is located in the 5th area of the game. The theme of this area is that of a factory, so this level is supposed to represent a polluted pond. Most of the underwater levels are very frustrating and universally hated, but I found this one to be quite fun. The water levels play completely different since you are swimming and have to tap the jump button to swim upward and when not swimming you sink so you are constantly doing something. I normally like to race through levels as fast as possible but patience is very important in this level as jellyfish and piranhas often enter the screen very quickly and if you are moving to quickly you won’t have time to dodge them. I really enjoy the artwork to the underwater levels, as it features coral and different kinds of fish. However, this level has green water to simulate the pollution, which I found to be somewhat lazy. While I understand the limitations of earlier systems, I think a slight change to the artwork would have made a nice tough to the level. The underwater themed music is also very relaxing, which sometimes doesn’t fit the level as they can be very stressful.
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Mar 4th, 2014 at 11:37:03 - Donkey Kong Country 2 (SNES) |
Donkey Kong Country is a game developed by Rare originally released for the Super NES in 1994. It is a 2D side scrolling platformer that is known for its high difficulty and creative level design. Player’s control an anthropomorphic gorilla named “Donkey Kong” and his chimpanzee sidekick “Diddy Kong”. Player’s can control only one Kong at a time, but may switch control at any point during the game. Both Kongs play differently; Donkey Kong being heavier allows him to defeat tougher enemies while Diddy Kong can jump slightly higher. The objective of the game is to retrieve the Kong’s stolen banana hoard, from King K. Rool and his army of kremlings. In order to retrieve your banana hoard, players must traverse through 6 areas each containing several levels. Levels are made up of different platforms and obstacles that primarily require jumping to maneuver. Some levels have different play styles, such as underwater and mine cart levels that help keep the game from getting stale. Ultimately it is the design and challenge of several individual levels that keep me playing this game 20 years after its release. My first play session I played several of my favorite levels and decided to discuss my favorites from the first two worlds: Jungle Hijinks and Mine Cart Carnage. I am playing the game on the Nintendo Wii using a Wii Mote Classic Controller.
Jungle Hijinks
Jungle Hijinks is the first level in the game and serves as somewhat of a tutorial for the game. The level is jungle themed, as this is supposed to serve as Donkey and Diddy’s home. If the player enters the Kong’s empty cave, where the bananas are stored, they are presented with a note that serves as the narrative of the game. Having not played the game in some time I was quickly reminded at how difficult this series is as gophers and rock throwing vultures attacked me. But this is one of the easy levels, so once I familiarized myself with the controls again I was running through it very quickly. One of the great things about this level is all the hidden bonuses, and how easy they are to obtain. Running through this level a few times is a very quick way to obtain extra lives, which are needed in the games more difficult stages. The level also features a fun soundtrack known as ‘DK Island Swing”, that flows very well with the pace of the level. My favorite thing about this level is the introduction of your animal friend Rambi. DK can ride Rambi through the level destroying enemies and obstacles by simply running into them. While he is featured in more levels, he is easiest to appreciate in Jungle Hijinks due to the low difficulty level.
Mine Cart Carnage
This level is widely known as being one of the more difficult ones, and is the first ever mine cart level of the game. I really love this level as I enjoy the mine cart levels and the challenge they present. The level begins with the Kong’s entering a cave and finding an abandoned mine cart. After jumping into the cart, the cart then speeds away giving you no control over how fast you are going. At this point the objective is to simply jump to dodge obstacles and enemies, and to gather collectibles. The timing of your jumps is very important in this level, as enemies roll towards you at high speeds and often times the track is broken at almost the exact distance of your max jump. The music featured in this level is called, “Mine Cart Madness” and has a much faster pace than previous levels. This helps to increase the tension of the level as everything about it is fast paced.
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Feb 10th, 2014 at 12:07:39 - Takenoko (Other) |
Takenoko: Game 2
My second playthrough of Takenoko went by much faster and felt more competitive than the previous. I played with only 3 people this time, so there wasn't as many turns to process. Due to some lucky weather rolls I was able to obtain an early lead, which I maintained throughout the whole game. Going into the game knowing the rules I was able to pick up on the strategy elements of the game as I played. Most mission cards are similar so it's very easy to determine when your opponents are trying to complete certain cards. This allows you to come up with strategies to stop your opponent from completing cards while still pursuing your own cards. You also have the strategy have allowing other players to complete cards for you, since any player can score a card as long as the requirements are on the board. This is a popular strategy towards the end of games, as players will choose new tile cards since most of the patterns already exist. This technique is how I ended the game and won with a score of '36'.
Theme:
The theme of Takenoko seems very silly at first glance, but after playing a few games I quickly discovered how relaxing and strategic this game could be. The cartoony look of the game may be a turn off to some, but I found it a very nice change of pace and nice to look at it. Most strategy games can be very hectic and stressful, but this game never feels that way.
Limitations:
Players can only choose two options per turn (unless sun is rolled). Players must choose two different options each turn (unless wind is rolled). Tokens can only be moved in straight lines (If thunder is rolled the panda may move anywhere). Tiles must be irrigated to grow bamboo. Irrigation sticks must connect to the main watersource. Tiles are only irrigated if touching a watersource horizontally. Tiles of a certain color will only grow bamboo of that color. A player may only have 5 mission cards in their hand at a time. A powerup can be added to a tile to prevent the panda from eating off that tile.
Affordances:
Players are given the options of adding new tiles, irrigation sticks, and mission cards or moving the tokens each turn. Players are given three mission cards to start out with. Players may roll a weather die to determine their weather forecast that turn. Players can grow bamboo for the panda to eat. Powerups can be added to tiles to allow for faster bamboo grow or immediate irrigation.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Feb 10th, 2014 at 14:16:50.
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Feb 10th, 2014 at 00:56:42 - Takenoko (Other) |
Takenoko: Game 1
This was my first time playing Takenoko so the first game went by slowly as I picked up the rules. I played with 3 other people who were experienced with the game. For my first entry I will also explain the basic rules and objectives of the game.
In Takenoko you are tasked with taking care of a Panda and growing food for it to eat. The game starts with one hexagon shaped tile, for the board, that represents a water source. During a player's turn they have the option to add more tiles to the board, move the bamboo farmer, move the panda, buy irrigation sticks, or draw another mission card. The player may choose two different choices each turn (unless affected by weather, explained later)
Tiles:
The hexagon shaped tiles are what make up 'the board'. As previously stated the board starts with one center piece that represents a water source. If a player chooses to add new tiles on their turn, they are given three and choose one to add to the board. All tiles exist so that a player may grow bamboo on them, and move the panda and farmer tokens. Tiles come in 3 colors (green, yellow, red) and grows bamboo of the same color. Adding tiles to the game is almost always one of a player's choices in the early rounds of the game.
Irrigation:
Tiles must first be irrigated in order to grow bamboo. Any tile directly touching the water source tile is automatically irrigated. To irrigate tiles far away from the water source, the player must choose to obtain an irrigation stick and make a path from the water source to the tile. Some tiles do come pre irrigated and do not need a link to the water source to grow bamboo. Whenever a tile first becomes irrigated it grows one piece of bamboo on it
Moving Farmer & Panda Tokens
When a player moves the farmer to a tile, that tile and all adjacent tiles grow a piece of bamboo. Tiles may grow up to a maximum of 4 pieces of bamboo. When moving the panda onto a tile, the player collects one piece of bamboo off the tile as the panda "eats it". Both the panda and the farmer may only move in straight lines.
Mission Cards:
Mission cards are what represent the objectives of the game. Each card contains an objective for the player to meet and a point value that is won once the player meets the objective.Each player starts off with one of each kind; a farmer card, a tile card, and a panda card. Farmer cards task the player with growing large amounts of bamboo on tiles, or maybe large amounts of one color. Panda cards ask the player to have the panda eat certain colors of bamboo. And tiles cards are won by simply having the requested pattern of tiles on the board (must also be irrigated). The game is over once a player has completed the requested amount of objective cards and another full round of play as finished. Then all players add up their scores to determine the winner. In addition, the player that first reaches the set amount also gains the "emperors favor' card which adds +2 to their score. Its rare that the player that wins this loses the game but it can happen.
Weather:
After the first turn each player rolls the weather di which determines their turns weather forecast.
Sun: Allows the player three choices a turn
Rain: Player may grow bamboo on any irrigated tile he/she wishes
Wind: The player may choose the same choice twice in their turn
Cloud: Player may choose one of 3 powerup tokens (discussed later) to place on a tile
?: Player may choose any weather forecast they would like
Powerups:
Tiles may contain 3 different powerups; The irrigation powerup, the fertilizier powerup, and the no eating powerup. The irrigation powerup allows a tile to grow bamboo without a link to the watersource, although new irrigation sticks cannot start from this tile. The fertilizer causes the tile to grow two stalks of bamboo each time it grows. And the no eating powerup keeps the panda from eating bamboo on that tile. (useful when trying to grow large amounts to satisfy farmer cards) Some tiles already have powerups on them, and the rest can be added by the player. Only one powerup may exist on a tile.
My first run through of the game was played with 4 people. In a 4 person game, 7 is the number of mission cards required to end gameplay. The game moved somewhat slowly as I was learning as I played, and made several mistakes that had to be corrected by my friends. While I didn't immediately pick up on the game I wouldn't say the rules were complicated. I believe that small children could play this game successfully. I immediately noticed the colorful theme and relaxing feel to the game. As I'm normally playing games centered around death or destruction this was a very nice change of pace. I felt very relaxed while playing the game, and while I was competing against other players I didn't feel very competitive playing Takenoko. During the first game I mainly focused on placing more tiles on the board to complete tile cards, as I had fun watching the board grow. My friends all focused on the high point farmer cards that require very specific requirements to complete. This paid off for two of them, but not so much for the third. Ultimately I came in 3rd with a score of '22' behind a score of '26' and '29'. (last place had '19'). This game worked well for us as it wasn't too serious nor too long. The game took about 45 minutes from start to finish.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Feb 10th, 2014 at 09:11:03.
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