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Mar 6th, 2008 at 02:29:10 - Audiosurf (PC) |
Design
There are different modes that a player can choose from, each with their own difficulty setting. In mono, you simply collect the colored blocks, and avoid the greys. In pointman, there are no grey blocks, and you try and line up three colors in a row. You can also pick up the colored blocks for later use. Double Vision has four lanes instead of the standard three, and two cars for multiplayer. In Vegas, you collect all the colored blocks on the road, and then shuffle the colors in hopes to get a good row of colors. Having these different modes is the way Audiosurf controls the challenge of the game. Though the difficulty of the song depends on the player, the way the game is played is controlled in this way. Furthermore, the game has the standard easy, medium, hard levels of each of these modes.
One aspect of the game that I feel is the key challenge to this game is that the player decides how challenging of a level they want to play. The player can choose either a slow ambient song, and enjoy the computer generated road, or thrash out to the heaviest of music. This is one way the game keeps the player interested. As described before, the player becomes curious to see how other songs play out. This has been my experience through watching other players play the game. Furthermore, the game provides a competitive score board, as one of the points of the game is to beat other players scores. Having this in the game provides conflict, which makes these challenges more personal and interesting to play.
Since I have never seen a game like this before, it has been fun to play even slow songs, just to check everything out. Even though the game is very single lined (you only do one thing, and that one thing only) it has been extremely entertaining to play.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Mar 6th, 2008 at 02:32:19.
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Mar 6th, 2008 at 02:28:56 - Audiosurf (PC) |
Audiosurf is a relatively new game that allows you to ‘ride your music.’ The point of the game is to collect colored blocks, and avoid the grey ones. To determine the difficulty of the track, the game analyzes a song that the player chooses and places colored and grey blocks accordingly. The game will also bend the track either slightly or do a complete twist depending on the pace of the song. Once you beat the track, your score is calculated and you are given a few bonuses depending on how well you did. Then, your score is uploaded to a global record board, and you can see how well you placed compared to people world wide.
Gameplay
Audiosurf provides a new innovative video game with great gameplay for only a mere 10 dollars. I found myself scrolling through songs in my music library, and trying to find the next challenging song. I even have started to pay attention to the songs that I listen to when away from my computer and imagine how the song would be like to play. So clearly I really enjoy playing this game. The simplicity of the game is, I believe, what makes it so great. There is no tacky storyline or anything like that, you simply pick a song and play. One of the most fun aspects is the fact that the game keeps a global score. If you hold a world record, and someone beats it, the game will send you a daunting email saying someone defeated your score. As of right now I have a continuing battle for the top score of Caramba’s song Hubba Hubba Zoot Zoot with another player from somewhere in the world. Furthermore, holding the top score for a song makes you feel rather awesome. But getting that email just makes you stop what you are doing and try and beat that other person’s score.
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Feb 20th, 2008 at 23:45:09 - Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) |
Gameplay
There is just something about being a plumber adventuring in a drug inspired world that I do not like. From writing it out, it sounds like a great idea. But I cannot really get into these games. While playing the game I found myself frustrated, bored, and annoyed that I had to play so many more levels to beat the game. Now I find these ideas rather lame, as a game should have many levels to provide entertainment and I was only frustrated due to my own lack of skill. But at the same time this is how I felt while playing Mario Bros. 3, and for the most part I wanted to play something else.
The storyline progression is rather weak, as its simply beat this level and rescue someone. This is standard storylines though, so it was not something that disappointed me. The levels however, I just did not like. The level progression was just the same thing over and over, and I got bored. True each new world has a different look, and I expected myself to like these aspects. Super Mario Bros. 3 has great elements of gameplay and design, its just a game I did not really have a good time playing.
Design
Again, the design of this game is great. There are plenty of secrets hidden in the world, which in itself acts like a reward system. A player feels good when he has discovered a secret, and this game is chock-full of them. Furthermore, at the end of each level you are rewarded with a card, which leads to items that will help you along with the game. Once you progress, you will stumble upon various levels and have the chance to gain even more items to help you later on. To create challenges, the game has a variety of enemies that do various things. But the level design itself is a challenge, which is key to a platform game. Once you progress farther and farther into the game, the levels get harder to beat. The jumps are farther apart, or there are various obstacles in your way while being chased by enemies. Furthermore, the way the world is designed creates a challenge to the player as well. You usually have the choice to go to either level A or B, but along the way you may run into the Hammer Bros, and get set back and have to start all over again. If you win however, the game provides you with items to help you, which is key in keeping the player interested in the game.
It is odd because I do not really enjoy the game, but there is not much I would change. The game has a standard storyline one would expect from a game such as this, and the level designs are good. When you get to a new world, each level has a new design to it, which keeps them varied and interesting. What I do not like is the tone. It just seems to me the quirkyness of the first game is lost in this continuation. Either the hills with eyes that dance, or the odd look of the goombas overdoes the acid trip look of the first two games.
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Feb 20th, 2008 at 23:44:26 - Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) |
I have never played Super Mario Bros 3, so I thought I would try it out for the first time. In this game, Mario journey’s to other worlds to defeat the evil koopas and rescue various Kings and the princess. Pretty much a standard Mario Bros game with a small twist. Unfortunately my first reaction was not very good. I personally do not like the graphics at all. The level design to me just seems lacking in some way. Just so far, I simply enjoy the original layout of Super Mario Bros rather than this. The gameplay this first time around has been fun. Though the game gets a little frustrating around the second world. But I am sure this frustration is simply due to the lack of skill I have towards this game. I like the minigames that are available to play, as it provides a break from all the same gameplay that goes on.
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jrex has been with GameLog for 16 years, 10 months, and 10 days |
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