 |
|
Jan 30th, 2007 at 15:17:18 - Gradius (NES) |
Another hour and an entire Queens of the Stone Age CD and I have discovered that I have gotten better at Gradius. In fact, I almost made it to the third level twice!
It seems that though this game has a steep learning curve, once you get used to it and understand the various naunces of the game, it becomes more manageable.
What did I discover during my second session? Well, it seems that one of the main reasons that I was having problems was because I was getting too many speed upgrades at the very beginning of the game. I thought these upgrades just made your ship move faster but in fact, the entire game world moves faster with these upgrades. So after I got less of these upgrades, the game didn't necessarily become easier, it was just more at a human level. I also found that the second level is quite nice and since I believe I got to the boss on my first try, it definitely seems more manageable then the first. The level consists of little dots that are throughout the stage and they need to be shot to get past. Also, there are a lot of mounted turrets and barracks that they can't shoot through. I was surprised at how unique this level is in comparison to the first and I hope that the rest of the levels are as unique and fun as these two.
I noticed that in my first entry, I didn't mention the sound of th game in any way. I found that not listening to the music which consists of mostly bleeps and bloops and a kind of generic space shooter music didn't give much to the game. It's truly the gameplay and level design that really shines here.
Confused?? On my second entry to the second level and after beating the first I was all of a sudden warped into this weird world where I had to dodge the statue from Easter Island. It was very confusing and after getting hit by one I was transported into the second level. Maybe this is some kind of equalizer to make sure that the player does not get too many upgrades. Regardless, it was really weird but still an awesome game!
add a comment  - read this GameLog  |
|
Jan 30th, 2007 at 13:53:38 - Gradius (NES) |
Wow, I suck at this game. After about an hour of play, I have yet to make it past the first level. After playing Gradius, I realize why I love and hate schmups so much.
So I recently acquired Gradius and it was very exciting. I had never played the game before and I was looking forward to playing a horizontal shooter which is something that I have less experience with then vertical shooters. I personally like vertical shooters more but this could be because the main horizontal shooter that I played was R-type which was just so insanely hard that I pretty much gave up on it. Gradius is a horizontal shooter that implements the use of power-ups very well and gives the player a sense of great control and intricate level design.
I have seen the entire first level of Gradius (unfortunately the one time I did make it to the boss, I died :( <== thats a sad face). But I still came away from the game impressed and also yearning to continue the game experience. I found that the primary aspect of Gradius are the power-ups. At the very beginning of the game, power-ups are thrown at you in the form of four blue "wave" enemies that need to all be destroyed to get a power-up/upgrade. These upgrades can be used on speed, missiles, double, laser, and option. As you get an upgrade, the pointer moves one over to the right so if you get two upgrades you can get missiles, or three gets you a double laser and so on. I found that it is near impossible to finish the first level without these upgrades and in truth, it is probably impossible to finish the game without upgrades because your ship just moves so incredibly so. However, it is impressive how fast the game moves when you have many upgrades as well as how the graphics of all of the upgrades work. I particularly like options (little orange balls that mimic your movement and attacks and are also invisible and good to use as shields). These upgrades complement the game very nicely.
The controls and level design of Gradius also seem top notch. All of the controls are responsive and though I got killed a lot it seems like the less angry I get and the more calm and focused I become, the game is a lot more manageable. Schmups are hard after all and theres no reason to throw my controller into the T.V. The level design as well as the enemies are wide and impressive. Enemies include flying blobs, walking lasers, secret bases that spew enemies at you evil volcanoes of doom that explode a ton of lava into your face. All in all I came away impressed as well as a little frustrated by Gradius and look forward to spending more time with this classic game.
add a comment - read this GameLog |
|
Jan 18th, 2007 at 21:56:11 - Super Mario 64 (N64) |
My second session of Super Mario 64 was extremely enjoyable and it included memorable moments such as throwing Bowser into a mine and punching a "bully bob-bomb" into lava. In my first log, I attempted to explain the overall reasons that the game is so good and with this added time, I believe that I can go into more detail as to why this game is so good.
One of my favorite aspects of this game is how well the game translated into 3-d. However, this is not the only thing going for this game as there is so much more beneath the surface including the graphics. Now I know that almost all gamers of our current age of high def graphics and super high resolution will be particularly unimpressed with the graphics in Super Mario 64, I have found that the graphics not only fit the game extremely well, they also have a charm and novelty that is unique and enjoyable. I enjoy how Mario's hands and feet look and the goofy way he runs around. Super Mario 64 is a game that relies more on its artistic style, and talent then just its resolution or pixels.
There are so many great things about this game and there is very little that is wrong with it. The controls are definitely spot on and some of my favorite parts of it include the fact that you can control how high you jump by the pressure on the "a" button (a la the 2-d super marios), how easy it is to maneuver around enemies as well as the jumping. Oh, the jumping. This might be my favorite aspect of the game. It is clear that the developers made sure to perfect Mario's jump and it is clear that they had a rousing success. Mario always jumps effortlessly and though there is little control while he is in the air, it is so easy to begin a jump like you want that that is where all of the control lies. It is clear that control is one of the great aspects of Super Mario 64.
The level design in Super Mario 64 is so great that it even rivals many of today's greatest 3-d platformers. After getting 8 stars, beating Bowser, and heading to the basement, I encountered one of my favorite levels. This was the one with all of the lava and moving platformers you know the one I'm talking about ;) Anyways, I believe that this is one of the coolest stages in Mario history with so many different obstacles and enemies to maneuver about. Similarly, the Bowser stage is excellent with many similarities with the lava stage while still being unique due to the fact that the player has to climb very high with Mario to get to the pipe to take him to Bowser.
In conclusion, this is an amazing game. I plan to continue my logs to document my journey to the end of the game and I look forward to it immensely.
add a comment - read this GameLog |
|
Jan 18th, 2007 at 14:31:37 - Super Mario 64 (N64) |
There is no denying that Super Mario 64 is a great game. In fact, the game is so great that Nintendo has included it in some form for three of its system's launches including the Nintendo 64, the Nintendo DS (Super Mario 64 DS), and the Nintendo Wii (virtual console version of Super Mario 64). So the real question is: Why is this game so great and revered by so many gamers?
The answer is not a simple one and after spending an hour re-playing the first few levels in the game, I feel that I can attempt an explanation of the excellence of this game. I personally own all three Super Mario 64 games, but I have not actually finished one yet which is quite shameful. This may partly be because the first time I played was on the DS version and it is quite different then the console versions both in terms of content and control. However, I have found the console version to be particularly enjoyable and have spent more time with it. Super Mario 64 follows the example of its 2-d predecessors and from the very beginning of the game, it is clear that this is a Mario game. The first level consists of a mountain that is inhabitated by bob-bombs and the journey to the top of the mountain to defeat the bob-bomb king. Instantly, the creative level design and tight controls are evident. The game plays amazingly well and it is clear that the developers utilized the greatest aspects of the 2-d games and translanted them into 3-d seamlessly. One of the best features of Super Mario 64's jump to 3-d is the feeling of freedom that the player always feels. Unlike in the previous titles where the player can only move Mario to the right while jumping over and stomping on various enemies, Super Mario 64 allows you to move in any direction you want which opens op an entire world of possibilities.
The level design as well as the core gameplay of Super Mario 64 completely utilizes the best aspects of 3-d. Unlike the original games where the goal is simply to get to the end of the level, Super Mario 64 revolves around the getting of Stars or ShineSprites. These stars can be gained through various means and the player is given the option to revisit levels to get stars that require different actions. These actions are enjoyable, creative, and humorous. In the first hour of play, I found myself sliding down red carpet and ice slides, racing a Koopa to the top of a mountain, swimming to the bottom of a lake to find hidden treasure in a sunken pirate ship, and climbing to the top of a fortress. These stages just scratch the surface of how deep this game is and later on, the palyer will race giant Penguins, capture Boos, and do so many other fun tasks. This is one of the greatest aspects of the game, the fun and anticipation in guessing and seeing what is coming next and how the amazing controls and level design allow the player to gain the shinesprites they desire without the excess frustration caused by games with inferior control.
I have enjoyed this game for a long time and I plan on playing it and recording my time with it.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jan 18th, 2007 at 14:32:00.
add a comment - read this GameLog |
|
|
 |
| Ginkeifighter4's GameLogs |
|
Ginkeifighter4 has been with GameLog for 17 years, 10 months, and 11 days |
view feed xml
|
| Entries written to date: 13 |
|
