(Note, of course, that the second word of the title begins its pronunciation with a ‘hard c’ sound, making it more of a ‘k’ than an ’s’. Pun + board game = double nerd score. I was also going to reference a cult sub-B-movie and make it the coveted triple, but I wasn’t quite comfortable with the delivery. ANYWAY.)
It figures, of course, that after I go and finish one of the few XBox Live Arcade games I care about (SOTN, and even then it was sort of cheating– I sought out the Cressaegrim sword), the long-awaited release of Settlers of Catan would happen to be this week. You’d think that would be a good sign, given that I usually keep a few bucks’ worth of points handy in the event of a release. Well, Uno was my last ‘big’ purchase, and at $5, that leaves me just a scant $5 short of the required amount for Catan (800 MS Points, or $10). Naturally, of course, the points are only sold in blocks of 800.
That’s probably my primary complaint with XBLA, and the Virtual Console, and the Playstation Store (to a lesser extent). Granted, it’s not terribly taxing– I’m certainly not obligated to buy anything from them, and if I so chose I could fund my purchases entirely with gift cards from retail sources, thus preventing the need for the online store to have my precious bodily fluids account information. It’s largely a non-issue anyway, because I’m flat broke and if someone were to get their hands on my identity, they’d report themselves for the theft out of sheer embarrassment. No, the scrip system, while inconvenient, is only a minor annoyance compared to my real complaint.
There’s no freaking release schedule. We all know that certain games will be out at certain point during the near future, but we have no idea when. Boom Boom Rocket was purchased because, at the time, I had no knowledge of the release date for Settlers. If I had known, even for a second, that it would be this Wednesday, I would have skipped BBR (and comforted myself with the demo) and stuck with Uno and SOTN. As it stands, I’m not out too much on the Settlers boat– the demo will have to suffice until I can scrape together the cash– but it is irritating, especially that I likely won’t be able to do Live play.
The Virtual Console is, to a point, even worse because of the very nature of the games involved. Take today’s offering of Castlevania; while I didn’t play it as a kid, I know many people who did and are jumping at the chance to pick it up again. The big thing is, though, most folks’ budget for new games is very limited. Spending the $5 or $8 on Simon Belmont now seems like a good idea, but what if next week’s offerings are Mario RPG and Zelda II? What about Mischief Makers?
There’s a release list for boxed games, and that’s fine. There’s no reason to not have a date list for the distributed titles. In fact, not having it is counterproductive to the concept of using scrip for payment; if players know ahead of time that two good games are coming, they’ll purchase all of the points for those games in advance and either ‘pre-order’ them or let them sit. The companies win by a) having the money sitting in their accounts already, earning interest, and b) not having to pay as many credit-card transaction fees.
Yeah, the majority of this is just whining that I’m broke. Still, there’s a few valid points in there, not the least of which that Settlers is a good game. It would be oddly appropriate if I could barter a sheep for the remaining 400 points, but real life sadly does not work like that, huh?
I spoke briefly on Monday about my pokeymans, and to be totally honest having a new quest to commit to has taken sort of a back seat to the fact that I actually have a reason to go through this whole deal again. I blitzed through Blue, shot through Silver, and ripped up FireRed. I then kind of went “bleh” on Crystal, Sapphire, and Emerald. The reason for the disparity has quite a bit to do with how much exposure I had to other folks playing the game. Blue and Silver were during the extreme craze period, and it was something new and interesting (not to mention I had a bit of a rivalry going with my sister). FireRed’s time came during a point where I was in contact with a couple other folks playing, as well as being able to utilize Pokemon Box (sadly, I can’t even do that now– I lost all of them during the Unemploying).
Crystal and Sapphire came at times where I was largely isolated from other gamers; Crystal came in 2001 and I was hard-pressed to find other Pokeplayers during my senior year of college, and Sapphire hit in 2003 when I was trapped in Coudersport. Emerald then came during a time when a) I was uber-depressed and b) I was in transition from Cleveland to Pittsburgh and thus occupied with other games. I think I could be forgiven for being slightly apathetic about going through the game three more times; say what you will about the minor changes, it really is the same damn game over and over again.
That said, I’m seriously compelled with Diamond for the key reason that it’s no longer a localized phenomenon. The WFC features– particularly the GTS, which I’ll complain about get to in a moment– make the whole deal much easier, in that now you no longer need to know someone else locally to catch what you need (or, more likely, no longer need to buy 2 sets of gear to do it all yourself). Competition and cooperation will always get me involved in a game. (That said, once upon a time I did play Counter-Strike competitively. For about ten minutes. Whether or not the game’s good, or I have any aptitude for the game, is what decides whether or not I’ll stick with it.)
I will say this, though. The Global Trade System (GTS) is the best and worst part of the online experience. It works similarly to the Auction House in several major MMOs. Players put up one of their critters for trade; they then specify the species, gender, and minimum level of the creature they’d like in return. There’s the downside. Now, since it’s all automated, it works out very well; Friend Codes aren’t necessary, but neither are they exchanged on a successful trade (you can, however, see where in the world your partner is). The core problem is that the player who completes the trade is in control. I traded away a level 13 something or another and received a level 90 Pikachu in exchange after specifying “Over Lv. 10″. Sounds good, huh? Well, it does until you realize that up until you’ve acquired a certain number of badges, traded creatures over certain levels will refuse to obey you. If the GTS allowed you to declare level ranges, or at the very least a maximum level, I’d be more eager to trade away, as I know that what I got in return would be usable. Oh, and you can only trade for critters that you’ve previously seen on your own; so as much as I would want a Ditto right now (and I really do), I can’t get one until much, much later.
A lot of the complaints do seem like sour grapes, and to be honest, they are to a certain extent. One should not buy a Pokemon game looking for groundbreaking gameplay. Fifteen hours in, though, and looking at grinding out five to seven levels on each of six critters to be able to survive the next two gyms, I’m still happy with it. Overall, the whole package is much slicker, even if I have some complaints about the patchwork control scheme and the lack of content (I miss the Silver days when after completing the main quest, you could go explore the original region as well– seriously, being able to go to the rest of the world makes more sense than having those creatures randomly show up in the new regions). I dig it greatly and I’m looking forward to putting together my old team again, with plenty of new tricks this time.
Incidentally. Last night I saw that Apple had pushed out a Battery Update for my MacBook. In all the years I’ve been a computer geek, I’ve never heard of, or needed to apply, a patch to a battery. Unprecedented? Yes. Unappreciated? Hey, if it stops the battery from exploding, overheating, losing charge, or failing to charge at all, I’m all for it.
I’ll catch you folks tomorrow (get it?), possibly with some Bailout.
Not really a whole lot to say today. Getting the all-complete in SOTN was a pretty big ego-booster. Oh yeah, off to the right there’s a new page that’s got a list of links to my Netjak reviews. In case, y’know, you ever want to see me write about video games, ’cause that never happens here.
At 3:14pm, I received the Seeker achievement (explored 200.6%) for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night on Xbox 360 Live Arcade. This is the ninth game cleared in 2007. The next game that is closest to completion is Super Robot Taisen (GBA), followed by Pokemon Diamond (DS) and Trauma Center: Second Opinion (Wii).
Continuing the cavalcade of horror, I again had an interesting crossover dream. Well, more of a nightmare, actually. The oddest thing was that it was filmed in 16:9….
EDIT: The post below is kind of graphic. Here, have a bunny if you’re squeamish.
Establishing shot: the sky above 5th Avenue. Cut to a playground; small children of varying ages, ethnicities, and activity levels are frolicking and playing. Mixed in with the children are the familiar sights of Grover, Prarie Dawn, and the other small-sized non-human inhabitants of Sesame Street. Music: Something lighthearted.
One child is running towards a sandbox. She sees something oddly shiny sticking up in the box and slows down to investigate it; Telly Monster comes up beside her and freezes in horror as the music fades to the familiar orchestral sting. He grabs the girl and pulls her away from the item in the sandbox– it’s a bloody knife.
Cut to police activity in the park. Several officers are comforting the now wailing children and monsters. A man in his late forties or early fifties, wearing a trim blue suit, American flag pin, and latex gloves, is kneeling in front of the sandbox. A younger woman in her early thirties kneels beside him, peering at the knife; she is wearing dark pants, a flower-print blouse, and latex gloves.
DET. MAC TAYLOR (the man): Kids were out on their field trip to Central Park; their chaperone called 911 when one of them found it.
LINDSEY MONROE (the woman): No blood drops around it… could be a weapon dump.
A tall man in a darker suit than Taylor’s comes up behind the two and peers at the weapon.
DET. DON FLACK (the tall man): We’ve got guys canvassing the area, but so far we got nothing close by. Couple of the usual hiding out a little ways away, but nobody with a knife wound.
TAYLOR: There’s a print on the handle. Camera zooms in on a bloody fingerprint on the dark handle of the knife. Monroe is swabbing the blade of the knife. I’m sure we can get someone off of that.
FLACK: So we got a weapon, and possibly a suspect, but no crime.
MONROE: holding up the cotton swab; the tip is pink, indicating the presence of blood. No crime yet.
FLACK: I guess that leaves us with a question… Camera pans over the assorted children and monsters comforting each other, with chaperones and police hugging and supporting them.
TAYLOR: Can you tell me how to get… to the body? Orchestral sting. Cut to “Baba O’Riley” and the opening credits.
The extremely vivid and well-written dream went on with the victims being Bert and Ernie, for obvious reasons. Elmo had a solid alibi (he was with Oscar the Grouch at the time), and I woke up before the third act– but after the autopsy scene. Ick.
The really sad part is that I didn’t come up with this on my own, and even then someone beat me to it. Though I certainly don’t think Grover would have done it.
Right, let me just finish this by saying yes I know it’s creepy, but it’s just a dream. Also, characters belong to their respective owners blah blah blah. I really don’t think constantly about death and destruction. Really.
There are a couple I don’t get, of course, but yeah. The overall message I’m sending today is “stereotyping is fun!”*
I have also been watching quite a bit of Ouran Host Club, after having caught a little bit at Tekkoshocon. Granted, I should be doing more work on various projects, but I can be indulged once in a while.
I honestly don’t know who to blame for this, but all morning I’ve been mulling the possibilities for a crossover where someone from Dethklok gets his hands on the Death Note. If anything the rapid-metal chanting “DETHNOTE!DETHNOTE!” to the show’s opening theme is at least worth a giggle.
So, Pokemon Diamond. On the one hand, the enhancements to the user interface are pretty nice– touch-based battles are pretty much going to spoil me for any other RPGs for a while. The creatures… well, it’s not always obvious what they are or what they can do– as opposed to the first and second-generation creatures, which were pretty simplistic and easy to “get”– but they’re not bad. And either the difficulty ramping is really shallow, or they finally figured out that in a game like this the RPG quest is actually kind of periphery and should be short and easy enough to get through with a minimum of hassle (I don’t know why, but I always have the hardest time slogging through after about three or four badges in).
On the other hand, combat still runs at its usual glacial tempo, I’m a little disappointed in the lack of stylus things to do (the dreaded phrase “tacked-on” comes to mind) and there’s very little variety in the monsters that can be caught right now (I’m at the wind valley and my list is 8 long, counting the non-wifi trade I did). Oh, and all of my critters from Emerald– some 21 (sue me, I didn’t have it long)– can’t be accessed until I’ve finished the main quest here.
Overall I still think it was a good pick, especially given that the games I traded in were collecting dust; time will tell if I elect to keep going with it. It’s not really a priority right now anyway, but no big deal. In the meantime, I’m heading back to Super Robot Taisen to try to finish that one up.
There was good news and bad news yesterday. The rest of the week is going to be hyper-busy but hopefully it’ll all work itself out.
Hey, all. Turning in a couple of DS games for the new Pokemon title later this afternoon; this news is not earth-shattering, of course, but since it is spring I figure I ought to start doing some of my typical spring activities. Specifically, the catching of them all. I’d mentioned this at Netjak a few weeks ago, when the weather started to get nicer (and before it turned nasty again), but certain seasons trigger the desire for me to play certain games. Usually I play a significant amount of handheld games in the spring and early summer, on a cheapo chaise on either my balcony (in Coudersport or Erie) or in my back yard (in Cuba or Pittsburgh). I didn’t do so in Cleveland because I a) didn’t have a personal outdoor area, having given it up in favor of a ground-floor apartment, and b) was too busy Aerobic Brooding to play games anyway. Hell, it was a good day in Cleveland when I opened the blinds.
ANYWAY. What have I been occupying myself with? Mostly Super Robot Taisen. After I made the site I found I had an interest in the games, and having played through just under half of the first one in the Original Generations line (or 1/4 of my payment for completing the site, heh heh) I can honestly say that that interest was well-founded. They’re solid tactical games, and the storyline is deep but strays a bit too far into Gundam SeeD-level pacing for my tastes. I mean, come on, I’ve been on the approach to the DC’s base for seven missions now! I am commanding a spaceship capable of faster-than-light travel and it’s taken me three days to get from the southern point of Japan to the Equator! I hate to ask this, but are we freakin’ there yet?!
I made a post about this on Saturday night, when I saw it (coming home from Sharon), but it bears mention here, too. DSI Games, who have brought us such gaming classics as… well, they produce mostly garbage, and their latest offering is no exception. It’s Wiffle Ball Advance. For the DS. That in and of itself should tell you a little about the quality of the title we’re dealing with here but it gets better. Aside from the game being almost unplayable, which being a licensed game is practically a given, the game actually is a licensed game. DSI paid good money to Wiffle, Inc. to make a travesty that shall forever shame the name “Wiffle” game based on it. Brilliant move on the part of Wiffle, Inc.; kind of dubious thinking on the part of DSI. Hey, at least they’re thinking. Sorta.
But wait; that’s not all! The game does not feature single-card wireless play. That’s right, if you want to play Wiffle Ball with your friends, both of you have to shell out $20 each for the game. Alternately, you can just go ahead and split the $4 cost of an actual Wiffle ball and bat set. Heck, if you really wanted to save money you could just buy a cheap knockoff set from the dollar store; fifty cents each! Now all you need is a friend and a park to play in. Both being in relatively radiant abundance, and the need for this game is almost completely obviated.
I am sure that just one of you is looking up at my 360 gamercard there and saying, “John, you big fat lazy hypocrite who smells funny and has a nasty haircut! You play Uno on Xbox Live! It’s the same thing! You are just as much a tool of the machine as the poor saps who buy into Wiffle Ball Advance!” There is a difference, and I admit the fact that I spent a significant amount of Sunday playing Uno with people who were not there caused me a bit of consternation whilst composing this essay. The difference is subtle, of course, but it is an important one. The difference is the multiplayer aspect of it. Uno Live allows and encourages online play. Wiffle Ball Advance does not. Moreover, I do own an Uno deck of my own, and there are occasions that I break it out and play with friends. (Which reminds me, Pez, I need to ask you about setting up a Risk night with Markiw and possibly the PxF folks too.)
I think the real issue is that, fundamentally, Wiffle Ball and the DS have two wildly divergent target age groups, and that attempting to cross them in the manner that has been done is nothing short of unabashed, bald-faced greed. I would probably be a little less offended if this were in fact 1987 and the game was being produced by some back-alley Hong Kong pirate code-house in one of those seven-hojillion-in-one knockoff NES cartridges. At least then it would have an amusing name like “Super Prastic Happy Fun Ball Yard EX”. Here in the age where video games are coming into the mainstream, some twenty years beyond those dark times, it’s insulting; it basically sends the message that “we know that gamers are fat and lazy, and by God we’re going to make the quick and immoral buck off them”.
I’m not even going to go into how shoddy the cover for the game is or how, by the accounts of the few brave reviewers, the copy on the back cover bears almost no resemblance to the actual gameplay. I think this already sends a pretty clear message of my own: “DSI, in the fight to legitimize video gaming, you’re not helping.”
My trip yesterday was quite nice. Saw some family that I hadn’t seen in a while, and went to a couple places I hadn’t been in a while, either. Not much else to say, really; just waiting.
Tomorrow, for sure, I should hear something; hopefully it’ll be good news.
