Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows that I've struggled with my weight in the past. In fact, looking at the obesity figures globally, I'm not the only one. I'm not saying that I'm morbidly obese, but like every girl, I've been unhappy with the way I look.
But this isn't a story about my self-esteem issues. This is about the release of Pokemon SoulSilver and HeartGold on Thursday.
From the outside, the game is identical to the predecessors on the GameBoy Colour. In fact, I dug out my old copy and had a look at it. Thus far, it is very comparable to the old favourite, Pokemon Crystal. Most of the story has been carbon-lifted, including the physical manifestation and encounters with Suicune and his devotee Eusine. The graphics have more in common with the recent edition Diamond/Pearl. Musically, it's almost identical to the original version with the same city and cycling tracks used.
Funnily enough, most of my party is exactly the same as my old game - and with good reason. I have Pakka (Cyndaquil), Woopidoo (Wooper -> Quagsire), Clocky (Hoothoot -> Noctowl replacing my usual Pidgey - Kevie - for a reason), Rocky (the Onix I traded a Bellsprout for and who has become a lynchpin in many battles), Miracle (Togepi -> Togetic following the low-level evolution from my first game, when he evolved at level 18) and Ratty (Rattata -> Raticate... not sure why he hasn't been replaced yet but I think I'm waiting for Raikou).
I think I'm missing an Arcanine from my old game... I was a huge fan of the move Extremespeed. In any case, the game has aged well and the introduction of the Pokeathlon and the shift of the Safari Zone (very useful if you're a fan of just raising your six favourites) has benefitted the newer version (I know I won't be able to get my Lugia back until after the Elite Four).
The interesting part about all this and my fangirlism is the new device called the Pokewalker. Simply load a Pokemon that's stored in one of your deposit boxes, chose a route, clip it to yourself and start strolling. The Pokemon earns XP as you walk and there are opportunities to catch wild Pokemon and find useful items.
The funniest thing is that people are now trying to find every which way to defeat the purpose of the installed pedometer. Admittedly, I tried. I found myself stuck and bored at around a thousand steps. However, yesterday I wore it to work under my uniform. In one shift, I clocked over six thousand steps and another four thousand this morning.
The moral of this story?
Ten thousand steps is not really a lot. Really. Wearing a Pokemon on your belt all day might be daggy, but it's Nintendo's genius idea to keep everyone thinking about healthy ways of integrating gaming into a healthy lifestyle and let's face it - they could have done a lot worse than incorporate it into a favourite like Pokemon.
Super Mario Aerobics DVD, anyone?
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
All The World Is A Stage - Theatre and Games
So I was talking to an online friend about games and how they compare to the average theatrical production recently (and by recently, I mean about twenty minutes ago). He asked me what the difference was. I countered with the idea that not all games have that barrier that dramatisations have - there is a clean break between you and what happens onstage, despite audience interaction (and yes, I've played Return of the Phantom).
I went on to say that the average RPG is like a theatre production - while the player has a small amount of input, the game determines pretty much everything that happens. You just have to fulfil a number of conditions; buy the game/ticket, sit down, press buttons/watch quietly...
On the other hand the average FPS seems to have more invested from the player's perspective. Look at something like Borderlands. You have objectives to complete and there are milestones, but you choose your own pathway there. There aren't requirements that you take a certain route (generally). I'd say the same for something like Lock's Quest (while not strictly a FPS, it's not really a RPG, either. I'd say it was more like a simulator). You have objectives, but how you complete them is up to you.
There's a little-known episode of Doctor Who that I believe was called Attack of the Grask, or something similar. During it's airing in Britain, viewers were offered a chance to really be the Tenth Doctor's companion and help him discover information about the Grask. I can't remember it really well - I watched it on Youtube - but what stuck in my mind was the potential for this form of entertainment. It was almost game-like, yet it wasn't.
I also postulated that perhaps the FPS isn't really a genre, but an extension of the RPG... or at least some of the games on offer are. If the player is not themselves and cannot customise their avatar in their own way, then by default it is, in fact, a role-playing game in which they take over the persona of someone else. The same holds true for acting. If it is not you as yourself treading the boards/strutting for the camera, you are role-playing. It's not rocket science.
In unrelated news, I'm finishing Tree of Tranquility soon, so will be back with a review in the next week or so. Also, SoulSilver, the rerelease of Pokemon Silver is out this week, so I plan on heading out to my EB Games where I preordered it and playing it ASAP. Also, I really want to try out that PokeWalker.
I went on to say that the average RPG is like a theatre production - while the player has a small amount of input, the game determines pretty much everything that happens. You just have to fulfil a number of conditions; buy the game/ticket, sit down, press buttons/watch quietly...
On the other hand the average FPS seems to have more invested from the player's perspective. Look at something like Borderlands. You have objectives to complete and there are milestones, but you choose your own pathway there. There aren't requirements that you take a certain route (generally). I'd say the same for something like Lock's Quest (while not strictly a FPS, it's not really a RPG, either. I'd say it was more like a simulator). You have objectives, but how you complete them is up to you.
There's a little-known episode of Doctor Who that I believe was called Attack of the Grask, or something similar. During it's airing in Britain, viewers were offered a chance to really be the Tenth Doctor's companion and help him discover information about the Grask. I can't remember it really well - I watched it on Youtube - but what stuck in my mind was the potential for this form of entertainment. It was almost game-like, yet it wasn't.
I also postulated that perhaps the FPS isn't really a genre, but an extension of the RPG... or at least some of the games on offer are. If the player is not themselves and cannot customise their avatar in their own way, then by default it is, in fact, a role-playing game in which they take over the persona of someone else. The same holds true for acting. If it is not you as yourself treading the boards/strutting for the camera, you are role-playing. It's not rocket science.
In unrelated news, I'm finishing Tree of Tranquility soon, so will be back with a review in the next week or so. Also, SoulSilver, the rerelease of Pokemon Silver is out this week, so I plan on heading out to my EB Games where I preordered it and playing it ASAP. Also, I really want to try out that PokeWalker.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Lock's Quest Review and other musings.
Well, I'm back!
I haven't started at the studio, so I'm still applying for work. Hey, if it keeps me paid, that's what I have to do. I've also got my birthday coming up in the middle of this month, so I'll be purchasing Pokemon: SoulSilver with the proceeds of said celebrations. I'm really looking forward to the port-over; I'm old enough to have bought the original Pokemon Silver when it was released as well as Pokemon Crystal which followed it. Needless to say, that will probably be the next review on my list.
Anyway, to the matters at hand - your timely review for Lock's Quest (DS).
So, the general idea is this - you're Lock, an amateur Archineer (a cross between an architect and an engineer) and your village is attacked by clockword droids (who may or may not be related to those in The Girl in the Fireplace - Doctor Who). In any case, you're given basic training in how to throw up a wall, put a turret next to it and defend both with your life.
Because Gods forbid you lose your objective.
Herein lies the funny part. Most of the time, you'll be asked to guard the ever-important Source Wells. Occasionally, you'll be asked to guard a gate. Or a blue-thing whose presence is never really explained. The funniest thing is that when you are asked to guard soldiers, not all of them have to survive to meet your objective.
Take this for example:
I was tasked with escorting the remaining force back to Antonia for the final showdown. Out of about six or so, only two made it to the end. I still completed the mission according to the game. While this made me very pleased that I could now shoot off to take down Lord Agony (one boss fight I was happy to be done with!), I was a little put out that these people seemed to think less of their "Kingdom Force" (see: fighting flunkies) than their Archineers (see: building AND fighting flunkies).
All in all, though, it was a fun little game, but not something that I will probably continue playing. The mechanics of wall and turret building get old very quickly and the length of the campaigns got a bit boring after a while. But as a cute little game with a vaguely interesting storyline, it's worth playing just to build your own fortress (and you really can't discount the traps you can set!).
I haven't started at the studio, so I'm still applying for work. Hey, if it keeps me paid, that's what I have to do. I've also got my birthday coming up in the middle of this month, so I'll be purchasing Pokemon: SoulSilver with the proceeds of said celebrations. I'm really looking forward to the port-over; I'm old enough to have bought the original Pokemon Silver when it was released as well as Pokemon Crystal which followed it. Needless to say, that will probably be the next review on my list.
Anyway, to the matters at hand - your timely review for Lock's Quest (DS).
So, the general idea is this - you're Lock, an amateur Archineer (a cross between an architect and an engineer) and your village is attacked by clockword droids (who may or may not be related to those in The Girl in the Fireplace - Doctor Who). In any case, you're given basic training in how to throw up a wall, put a turret next to it and defend both with your life.
Because Gods forbid you lose your objective.
Herein lies the funny part. Most of the time, you'll be asked to guard the ever-important Source Wells. Occasionally, you'll be asked to guard a gate. Or a blue-thing whose presence is never really explained. The funniest thing is that when you are asked to guard soldiers, not all of them have to survive to meet your objective.
Take this for example:
I was tasked with escorting the remaining force back to Antonia for the final showdown. Out of about six or so, only two made it to the end. I still completed the mission according to the game. While this made me very pleased that I could now shoot off to take down Lord Agony (one boss fight I was happy to be done with!), I was a little put out that these people seemed to think less of their "Kingdom Force" (see: fighting flunkies) than their Archineers (see: building AND fighting flunkies).
All in all, though, it was a fun little game, but not something that I will probably continue playing. The mechanics of wall and turret building get old very quickly and the length of the campaigns got a bit boring after a while. But as a cute little game with a vaguely interesting storyline, it's worth playing just to build your own fortress (and you really can't discount the traps you can set!).
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