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Mar 6th, 2008 at 02:39:28 - Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven (PS2) |
.GAMELOG ENTRY 2.
.Gameplay.
For the second half of my gameplay, I decided to try Tenchu in two player mode. There were two options of play: co-op and versus mode. I played versus mode with a friend, but it was basically like other PVP game (only with a few different weapons). It was fun trying out all of the different characters Tenchu had to offer. They all had their own signature attacks and styles, and not all button presses resulted in a simple kick or punch. There would be small cut scenes to showcase a signature move. Versus mode didn’t last very long.
After that, we decided to give co-op mode a try. This was one of my favorite parts of the game. Playing story mode was fun, but playing co-op was a totally new experience. Instead of working by yourself to kill all enemies in an area, you worked with someone next to you and could speak to them. It added a whole new dynamic to the game. For example, one player could spy on enemies from one side of the field and let the other player know what’s going on, and the other player could use that to sneak up on the enemy or move around without getting caught. The levels were difficult without being impossible, and kept my friend and I motivated enough to continue playing to beat each and every level.
.Design.
The reward system for Tenchu was very well designed. At the end of each mission, players are awarded new skills and items. Playing the game, one of my main goals was to learn new moves with which to destroy my adversaries. This was also partly because of the stealth kill cut scenes; a reward all their own. If you are able to get sneak up on an enemy, your character is shown performing a deadly one hit kill. This was motivation enough for me to continue with biding my time in the shadows instead of rushing out and just killing enemies.
Tenchu’s design fit very well with the style and story. The levels were designed with secret crawlspaces and beams that a ninja could very well utilize to surprise enemies. Lit areas always had shadows in which a ninja could hide. To give the player more reason to be stealthy, the designers threw in a few bystanders who would alert guards if they sensed someone sneaking around. Adding a bit of comedy to the game, enemies’ and guards’ mutterings could be heard when close by. Often, players can hear a man say, “I wish my wife was here”, but if caught, they get a loud, “NEEN-JA!” letting them know it’s time to run.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Mar 6th, 2008 at 02:59:44.
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Mar 6th, 2008 at 01:59:56 - Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven (PS2) |
.GAMELOG ENTRY 1.
.Summary.
In Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven, players take the role of one of three ninjas: Rikimaru, Tesshu, or Ayame. It can be played solo, in which the player embarks on a journey through different levels, or in co-op mode where to players must work together to achieve their mission objective. Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven is a unique game in that the goal of each level is not to burst upon the scene and kill every enemy in sight; it is to enter unnoticed and depart unnoticed, leaving enemies dead within your wake.
.Gameplay.
I fell in love with Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven as soon as I popped it into my PS2. Its intro was absolutely amazing. The scene opened with a ninja finding an abandoned sword in a field and smoothly transitioned into an epic battle scene between two ninja, a mob, and a demon. The music in the background was both haunting and provoking, which matched the game perfectly.
As expected, Tenchu was extremely engaging. It’s stealth based, meaning all of your missions are rated according to how sneaky you were. This made it different from the mold - something I really appreciated. Tenchu REALLY drew me into the magic circle. A few minutes into the game, I started thinking like a ninja, hugging walls and hiding in the shadows. The reward system from the missions were incredibly useful and included new items and moves, allowing for even more stealthy goodness. The more I played, the more I got involved in the story and the character that I played, the sign of a perfect game.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Mar 6th, 2008 at 02:00:29.
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Feb 21st, 2008 at 01:29:10 - Super Smash Brothers (N64) |
.GAMELOG ENTRY 2.
.Gameplay.
Super Smash Brothers is definitely fun to play, but can get repetitive after an hour or two. I suppose the weapons and items added a bit of variety to the game, but it’s nothing special when you have to use them over and over. My opponents and I eventually just played the game while talking about other things. Like other fighting games, Super Smash Brothers can not hold a person’s interest forever.
After a while, my opponents decided to take a break, and I was left to finish my game log assignment in single-player mode. Tired of simply battling other players and NPCs, I decided to try the “Break the Targets” and “Board the Platforms”, which were a great challenge in themselves. My interest in Super Smash Brothers was renewed, as were my friends’. We took turns trying to beat the various stages and each others’ record times. It’s great that these stages were included. They alleviated the monotony of simply knocking your opponents off screen, and gave me another challenge to try and beat.
.Design.
I loved the fact that the characters, stages, and music were true to the original games. When battling in Kirby‘s Dreamland, Kirby’s theme plays, and when fighting on Hyrule castle, one can hear the familiar sounds of The Legend of Zelda theme in the background.
There were two things that bothered me about Super Smash Brothers. One thing was the camera. It is fine when you play in single-player mode, but when playing three different players, it tries to accommodate all four players, often zooming out a little too far, making me squint a little to keep track of my character. Another thing was the simplicity of its design. As I said in the previous “Gameplay” section, my friends and I got bored after playing the game for a while. Using the same moves and items over and over got repetitive, and we were eventually able to guess each other’s attacks. Adding more moves and combos would have made the game much more interesting. I plan on playing later Smash Brothers games to see what improvements the creators have made.
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Feb 21st, 2008 at 01:08:18 - Super Smash Brothers (N64) |
.GAMELOG ENTRY 1.
.Summary.
When one thinks of a fighting game, usually, what comes to mind is a player versus player system in which two people duke it out until one knocks the other out. Super Smash Brothers, however, uses a completely unique battle system. Instead of simply trying to take your opponent’s health down to zero, you must also try to knock them off of the stage. In addition, up to four players can play against each other, making it a great free for all. Another feature that differentiates Super Smash Brothers from other fighting games is that you can play as characters from previous Nintendo games, giving it a sense of familiarity.
.Gameplay.
I started out playing Super Smash Brothers on single-player mode for the first half of this game log assignment. It has been a while since I’ve picked up a Nintendo 64 controller, and as I played, I was brought back to my younger years. This was partly a result of the characters in the game. My childhood consisted of playing games starring Mario, Link, and Pikachu, and having them all together in one game brought memories flooding back. Super Smash Brothers brought a sense of nostalgia, and I’m sure that many others feel it.
Not long after I started playing, I was joined by a hallmate. It seems that games such as Mario Party and Super Smash Brothers have some kind of allure to them. It is impossible to play them alone without attracting an opponent. We were later joined by a third player, and found ourselves discussing the good old days of Pokemon Trading and original Zelda games. Super Smash Brothers is a great throwback to previous Nintendo games. It was a great decision on the creators’ part because it allows both older and newer Nintendo fans to connect with the game.
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nekoshii has been with GameLog for 16 years, 10 months, and 7 days |
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