I positively squealed when I saw this on http://www.dosgames.com/. What ho! A game I actually played as a small child (well, I was ten, actually and in England, but that's just the details). So with the nostalgia pumping in my veins, I downloaded it quick-smart and opened it on my wonderful dosbox.
Waaaahooooooeeeeeey!
Just as fabulous as I remembered! But in the great tradition of this blog, I will go through it carefully and under wonderful sub-headings-
Title- Jazz Jackrabbit
Style- Side-scrolling RPG. You play as the titular character, Jazz.
Details - This game was released in May 1994 for the PC by EpicMegagames and was designed by Cliff Bleszinski.
Platform - MSDOS (or Dosbox for those of us who have moved beyond that).
Aim - Jazz must rescue the lovely Princess Eva Earlong from the nefarious Devan Shell and his army of nutters (like usual).
Personal Opinion - Totally in love with it. Really. It's like Sonic for the PC. Of course, the players reactions need to be acclimated to the fast-paced levels and movements of Jazz as he rockets around the levels, shooting things and collecting other... things. But the music is hilarious, the occasional 'yum!' when you grab a carrot is great and the final boss is the most rip-roaring adventure since Sonic sped past us in the nineties.
For a nineties PC game, the graphics are fairly advanced and enjoy the added bonus of the nostalgic comic-book character feel made famous in games like Sly Raccoon. However, it is a classic side-scroller and some more advanced game-players may find it a little boring.
Rating - This is worth at least a 9.5/10. Minimum. I've spoken to a few classmates who all remember the speedy green rabbit with misty eyes and trembling smiles, saying 'I remember playing that. The music was awesome! The gameplay was hilarious good fun and... can I have a copy?'
No need to ask me, guys. Check out the link above and download your own copy. Words of warning though; one, you'll need a dosbox to run it and two... try not to get readdicted. :)
(For those who aren't acquainted with the game, check out wiki's fairly coherent compliation at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_Jackrabbit_(game). It's a place to start if you're looking at the game's history and characters. As Penny would say, don't use it as a reference. It's a starting point.)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The Length and Breadth of it: Game Completion Requirements
I now have a new-found respect for those poor designers who sit at their computer with their design documents open, saying 'Right, so what do those poor suckers have to do to finish my game?'
The reason I bring this up is that I'm currently completing a checklist of 'must-do's' to get from city to city in my Interactive Writing assignment for my game, Bloodlust - Curse of the Knight-King Sword.
Oh. My. God. WHAT A MARATHON!
Five pages! Five! That's not INCLUDING the eight pages I started with, or the pretty pictures I photoshopped together. Gah! I've somehow got to work in five sacrifices, seven cities (with librarians and barkeeps), a nutty prince (cue Hamlet), twins and an evil sword. What a nightmare! As much as I love this game and would probably play it forever myself, lordy it's a juggernaut!
Then there's the side missions, the bane of every gaming perfectionist. Those of you who have played the Chocobo racing side-mission in Final Fantasy X know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Thankfully, I haven't made mine too easy or too difficult, though the rewards are pretty good (gold and potions? Thank YOU Mr. Walter P. Smythe!<- a Deal or no Deal joke).
That's the real issue with RPGs, especially when you use real-time strategy elements. There's just so much you need to think about, need to incorporate. In the midst of all this, I also need to write some more of my *counts quickly* three books (one I'm co-authoring), study for an exam, write some more journal entries and complete my design history journal. Oy.
So to all those RPG designers, I take my pretty purple hisbiscus hairclip off to you, you wonderful people you. You're absolutely crazy.
The reason I bring this up is that I'm currently completing a checklist of 'must-do's' to get from city to city in my Interactive Writing assignment for my game, Bloodlust - Curse of the Knight-King Sword.
Oh. My. God. WHAT A MARATHON!
Five pages! Five! That's not INCLUDING the eight pages I started with, or the pretty pictures I photoshopped together. Gah! I've somehow got to work in five sacrifices, seven cities (with librarians and barkeeps), a nutty prince (cue Hamlet), twins and an evil sword. What a nightmare! As much as I love this game and would probably play it forever myself, lordy it's a juggernaut!
Then there's the side missions, the bane of every gaming perfectionist. Those of you who have played the Chocobo racing side-mission in Final Fantasy X know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Thankfully, I haven't made mine too easy or too difficult, though the rewards are pretty good (gold and potions? Thank YOU Mr. Walter P. Smythe!<- a Deal or no Deal joke).
That's the real issue with RPGs, especially when you use real-time strategy elements. There's just so much you need to think about, need to incorporate. In the midst of all this, I also need to write some more of my *counts quickly* three books (one I'm co-authoring), study for an exam, write some more journal entries and complete my design history journal. Oy.
So to all those RPG designers, I take my pretty purple hisbiscus hairclip off to you, you wonderful people you. You're absolutely crazy.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Nintendogs: Tamagotchi for the DS Generation
Alright, hands up everyone who had a Tamagotchi as a child? I think I'd need about five hands. I was obsessed with the little bleeping things. They were adorable! They went everywhere you did, were utterly dependent on your input and rewarded the exceptional player with longevity and games. My personal favourite was a cat-like one I named 'Tiger'; it lived for just over a month and then died in my mother's care.
Just when us nineties kids thought it was all over and we were sad-acts with our little bleeping ovacular techonology, Nintendo comes along (remember Nintendo? They gave us Super Mario Bros., the game we all fought over the controller for as eight-year-olds) and gives us a new reason to play their new-fangled console, the DS. Here, have a tamagotchi! Only it's not actually a tamagotchi, it's a more real-looking dog that you can really feed, really clean up after, really play with! You can take it for real walks and enter real competition with it!
The tamagotchi generation kicked it's heels in the air and raced off to get a copy of these cute puppies/kitties/other domesticated animals as the Nintendogs-craze began. Me? I liked them, but Nintendogs required a daily committment that I wasn't willing to give, so my puppies are now very hungry and very dirty. It reminds me of high school, when I had a friend who had a Pikachu tamagotchi. You shook it to earn points, which could be traded for items and prizes. She'd carry it everywhere with her. Nowadays I don't think she even knows where it is. Funny how games go in and out of vogue, isn't it?
I think that game designers need to keep this in mind when creating games. Classic games like Super Mario Bros, Final Fantasy VII and VIII, Sonic the Hedgehog, etc. are all classics for a reason. Their content resonates to the core values of a generation. Perhaps the Tamagotchi generation has a core value of instability and disposeability. Who knows?
Just when us nineties kids thought it was all over and we were sad-acts with our little bleeping ovacular techonology, Nintendo comes along (remember Nintendo? They gave us Super Mario Bros., the game we all fought over the controller for as eight-year-olds) and gives us a new reason to play their new-fangled console, the DS. Here, have a tamagotchi! Only it's not actually a tamagotchi, it's a more real-looking dog that you can really feed, really clean up after, really play with! You can take it for real walks and enter real competition with it!
The tamagotchi generation kicked it's heels in the air and raced off to get a copy of these cute puppies/kitties/other domesticated animals as the Nintendogs-craze began. Me? I liked them, but Nintendogs required a daily committment that I wasn't willing to give, so my puppies are now very hungry and very dirty. It reminds me of high school, when I had a friend who had a Pikachu tamagotchi. You shook it to earn points, which could be traded for items and prizes. She'd carry it everywhere with her. Nowadays I don't think she even knows where it is. Funny how games go in and out of vogue, isn't it?
I think that game designers need to keep this in mind when creating games. Classic games like Super Mario Bros, Final Fantasy VII and VIII, Sonic the Hedgehog, etc. are all classics for a reason. Their content resonates to the core values of a generation. Perhaps the Tamagotchi generation has a core value of instability and disposeability. Who knows?
Backlash: From the PSP to the PS2 - Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters
I always find it amusing when games attempt a launch on just one console, particularly when the console is very new and often very expensive. Such was the case when the relatively new Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters game was released a few years ago on the PSP. It made me desperately covet one of those little hand-held thingamabobs just so I could play the new game in my favourite series.
A few years later, I still don't own a PSP, yet in a week or so I will own Size Matters. Why? Because the game didn't sell so well. Insomniac's overall return on the game was vastly less than what the rest of the series had drawn in. Thus, since the game was brilliant but releasing it soley on the PSP was a massive faux pas, the nice guys at Insomniac decided to re-release, this time on the PS2 (sorry to all those kiddies who traded in their PS2s for a PS3 which is not backwards compatible).
This is not the first time that releasing games on one console only has proved unpopular. More and more game developers are creating games that can be played on different consoles (the front-runners being the Wii, DS and the XBOX360) in order to maximise profits. One that it particularly relevent to my interests is the release of not one but three versions of Kingdom Hearts III. They will be released on three different consoles (and I believe that there is talk of an online component) with different scenarios in each. The player, to gain the entire story, must play all of the games. In reality, this is going to take some time. The upside to that is that Square Enix has time to find a new director once Tetsuya Nomura leaves the helm of the Kingdom Hearts juggernaut.
That's about it. I just wanted to expound my thoughts about Size Matters, really.
A few years later, I still don't own a PSP, yet in a week or so I will own Size Matters. Why? Because the game didn't sell so well. Insomniac's overall return on the game was vastly less than what the rest of the series had drawn in. Thus, since the game was brilliant but releasing it soley on the PSP was a massive faux pas, the nice guys at Insomniac decided to re-release, this time on the PS2 (sorry to all those kiddies who traded in their PS2s for a PS3 which is not backwards compatible).
This is not the first time that releasing games on one console only has proved unpopular. More and more game developers are creating games that can be played on different consoles (the front-runners being the Wii, DS and the XBOX360) in order to maximise profits. One that it particularly relevent to my interests is the release of not one but three versions of Kingdom Hearts III. They will be released on three different consoles (and I believe that there is talk of an online component) with different scenarios in each. The player, to gain the entire story, must play all of the games. In reality, this is going to take some time. The upside to that is that Square Enix has time to find a new director once Tetsuya Nomura leaves the helm of the Kingdom Hearts juggernaut.
That's about it. I just wanted to expound my thoughts about Size Matters, really.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Review: Final Fantasy XII - Revenant Wings
This is one of Square Enix's more brilliant excursions into RTS (Real-Time Strategy) games, since it's original debut as Final Fantasy XII. One year has passed and the land of Ivalice is pretty much at peace. Or so everyone thought. Because now there's an odd airship (that I renamed The Phantom) in port at Rabanastre, a lost sky continent has reappeared and things are about to go from bad to worse for air pirate Vaan and his trusted navigator and poor cook, Penelo...
Game Play:
Like all the best Final Fantasy games, you play in a party. You can have full control over each member or set different members to use certain tactics. I prefer to have full control over my characters, but that doesn't automatically mean that your characters will do everything you direct them to, which can work in your favour but often doesn't.
The espers (renamed as Yarhi) return, as do the quickenings. Like the original, you gain them steadily throughout the game. This can get particularly annoying when a) You don't have enough auracite to form a pact with a more powerful new one or b) You have too much auracite and not enough new espers/yarhi to form pacts with. The second one is particularly accurate once you reach the end of the game and the only yarhi left to form pacts with only become available after you whup them in seriously difficult side missions.
The upside to party-fighting is that you can split the group up and send each half to mow down enemies on each side of the fighting map. Also, thanks to the inclusion of summoning gates, if you lose a Yarhi, even the most powerful ones from Rank III, you can re-summon them at full strength. There is a limit to how many you can summon, but they are useful when entering battles that are dangerous to central party members.
Interface - The Nintendo DS:
In truth, there's probably nothing gained from using the dual screen. A similar style of RTS play was demonstrated in Tactics and the GBA (Game Boy Advance) version worked just as well. But it is handy to have the map in the top screen to show you mission objectives and enemy locations. The touch screen also makes it slightly easier to control larger parties (once summoning yarhi has become second-nature).
Graphics/Music/Sound:
Harking back to the days when Nintendo made excellent use of the angular sprites, most of the game is enacted through little representations of the characters so beautifully represented in the original FFXII. The only time the player is shown the resplendant original portrayals is during dramatic cut scenes.
The music is quite beautiful and changes with each mission. My personal favourite is the music played during the adventure on the Isle of the Yarhi, the place from which all Yarhi are summoned. In retrospect, it casts the Final Fantasy regular back in time to the tenth official installment in the series during Yuna and Tidus' fateful excursion to Macalania Woods.
The sound effects are enjoyable and not really repetitive. Still, like will all games, you wouldn't want to be listening to them constantly. There's good breaks and even usage of them.
Overall Impression:
It's really quite an enjoyable game with good plot structure for the game narrative and excellent pick-up if the player can't understand it by the end. While it does have its faults, it is perfectly playable during long trips and excellent escapism with the nostalgic element for those who played its predecessor on the playstation 2. I'd give it an 8/10.
Game Play:
Like all the best Final Fantasy games, you play in a party. You can have full control over each member or set different members to use certain tactics. I prefer to have full control over my characters, but that doesn't automatically mean that your characters will do everything you direct them to, which can work in your favour but often doesn't.
The espers (renamed as Yarhi) return, as do the quickenings. Like the original, you gain them steadily throughout the game. This can get particularly annoying when a) You don't have enough auracite to form a pact with a more powerful new one or b) You have too much auracite and not enough new espers/yarhi to form pacts with. The second one is particularly accurate once you reach the end of the game and the only yarhi left to form pacts with only become available after you whup them in seriously difficult side missions.
The upside to party-fighting is that you can split the group up and send each half to mow down enemies on each side of the fighting map. Also, thanks to the inclusion of summoning gates, if you lose a Yarhi, even the most powerful ones from Rank III, you can re-summon them at full strength. There is a limit to how many you can summon, but they are useful when entering battles that are dangerous to central party members.
Interface - The Nintendo DS:
In truth, there's probably nothing gained from using the dual screen. A similar style of RTS play was demonstrated in Tactics and the GBA (Game Boy Advance) version worked just as well. But it is handy to have the map in the top screen to show you mission objectives and enemy locations. The touch screen also makes it slightly easier to control larger parties (once summoning yarhi has become second-nature).
Graphics/Music/Sound:
Harking back to the days when Nintendo made excellent use of the angular sprites, most of the game is enacted through little representations of the characters so beautifully represented in the original FFXII. The only time the player is shown the resplendant original portrayals is during dramatic cut scenes.
The music is quite beautiful and changes with each mission. My personal favourite is the music played during the adventure on the Isle of the Yarhi, the place from which all Yarhi are summoned. In retrospect, it casts the Final Fantasy regular back in time to the tenth official installment in the series during Yuna and Tidus' fateful excursion to Macalania Woods.
The sound effects are enjoyable and not really repetitive. Still, like will all games, you wouldn't want to be listening to them constantly. There's good breaks and even usage of them.
Overall Impression:
It's really quite an enjoyable game with good plot structure for the game narrative and excellent pick-up if the player can't understand it by the end. While it does have its faults, it is perfectly playable during long trips and excellent escapism with the nostalgic element for those who played its predecessor on the playstation 2. I'd give it an 8/10.
Exercise and Games: The release of the Wii-Fit
Gone are the days where games were only played by either fat geeks or skinny pimple faced sixteen year olds with as much experience with girls as the Dalai Lama. Seems that the new demographic for game companies is women, more importantly middle-aged ones.
This morning, as I perused my emails that had arrived overnight, I came across this article:
http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=563982
It goes into the Australian release of the Wii-Fit. For those not in the know, the Wii-fit is an exercise game that is designed to help the player lose weight and keep fit. The immediate benefits are obvious; at $150, it's cheaper than a year the gym and far more convenient. It's also a lot more fun and while you sit and nurse your well-earned sore muscles afterwards, you can indulge in a quick run in Twilight Princess, should the need arise.
But it got me thinking. Last year in ITB750, we were told that women over thirty(?) comprise a larger percentage of game players than teenage males. If that's the case, why is it that game companies still release title that are specifically aimed at a male demographic? Hang on, I covered this in my ITB750 essay... anyway.
To the case in point about male-orientated released, no-one could miss the hoopla that has surrounded the release of Grand Theft Auto IV. Possibly one of this decade's more successful game series, the Grand Theft Auto games display all those traits that make educators, government and parents recoil in horror; violence, sexual themes, criminal activity and swearing. Yet the series remains a best-seller for the consoles involved.
So why is it that these types of games often sell better? Perhaps it's a case of disposable income. As teenagers, most of us have very little financial burdens (save, perhaps, if you have a car). The type of women that the Wii-fit is aimed at have families and homes to support and with prices and whatnot going through the roof, the amount of money left over for a woman to spend on herself is drastically decreased. I have a feeling that this will impact on the sales of the Wii-fit. But perhaps it will sell well with the teenage female. I plan to get one to test it out. It looks like fun, at the very least.
This morning, as I perused my emails that had arrived overnight, I came across this article:
http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=563982
It goes into the Australian release of the Wii-Fit. For those not in the know, the Wii-fit is an exercise game that is designed to help the player lose weight and keep fit. The immediate benefits are obvious; at $150, it's cheaper than a year the gym and far more convenient. It's also a lot more fun and while you sit and nurse your well-earned sore muscles afterwards, you can indulge in a quick run in Twilight Princess, should the need arise.
But it got me thinking. Last year in ITB750, we were told that women over thirty(?) comprise a larger percentage of game players than teenage males. If that's the case, why is it that game companies still release title that are specifically aimed at a male demographic? Hang on, I covered this in my ITB750 essay... anyway.
To the case in point about male-orientated released, no-one could miss the hoopla that has surrounded the release of Grand Theft Auto IV. Possibly one of this decade's more successful game series, the Grand Theft Auto games display all those traits that make educators, government and parents recoil in horror; violence, sexual themes, criminal activity and swearing. Yet the series remains a best-seller for the consoles involved.
So why is it that these types of games often sell better? Perhaps it's a case of disposable income. As teenagers, most of us have very little financial burdens (save, perhaps, if you have a car). The type of women that the Wii-fit is aimed at have families and homes to support and with prices and whatnot going through the roof, the amount of money left over for a woman to spend on herself is drastically decreased. I have a feeling that this will impact on the sales of the Wii-fit. But perhaps it will sell well with the teenage female. I plan to get one to test it out. It looks like fun, at the very least.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Classic Games: Return of the Phantom
Okay, I know I'm a bit obsessed with my Phantom of the Opera. But this game is one of the best known game versions of my favourite story and I thought I'd give it a try.
What a laugh!
The game, made by Micropose in 1993, is the pinnacle of all that is cheesy in the early computer game days. What it lacks in gameplay it makes up in graphical and historical accuracy. The tinny organ music is looped and repetitive, but for those who adore the story behind Phantom, following the storyline through the game is a great source of amusement.
Unfortunately for the Phantom purists, we're forced into the role of Raoul (the Vicomte de Chagny) after being thrown from a fly loft by Erik, the titular Phantom. You then spend the rest of the game hunting him down, only to have him live and come back to try to kill you again!
How this game could have been improved:
PLAY AS THE PHANTOM! I really hate Raoul. He was never a favourite character. He was smarmy and uppity and a lot of other nasty adjectives that I can't add to this assignment. Ugh. Playing as the Phantom would have added much more class and intrigue to the game. After the recent insurgence in interest into the famous book and play, I'd be surprised if this game concept did not come up with some of the bigger game companies.
What this game did well:
The representation of the Opera Populaire. Loved it. The chandelier scene was faithfully represented and the events were quite faithfully followed.
So, what's it worth?
For phans and fans of classic games alike, it rates about a 6.5/10. A lot of the score is for just being Phantom of the Opera. Oh well.
What a laugh!
The game, made by Micropose in 1993, is the pinnacle of all that is cheesy in the early computer game days. What it lacks in gameplay it makes up in graphical and historical accuracy. The tinny organ music is looped and repetitive, but for those who adore the story behind Phantom, following the storyline through the game is a great source of amusement.
Unfortunately for the Phantom purists, we're forced into the role of Raoul (the Vicomte de Chagny) after being thrown from a fly loft by Erik, the titular Phantom. You then spend the rest of the game hunting him down, only to have him live and come back to try to kill you again!
How this game could have been improved:
PLAY AS THE PHANTOM! I really hate Raoul. He was never a favourite character. He was smarmy and uppity and a lot of other nasty adjectives that I can't add to this assignment. Ugh. Playing as the Phantom would have added much more class and intrigue to the game. After the recent insurgence in interest into the famous book and play, I'd be surprised if this game concept did not come up with some of the bigger game companies.
What this game did well:
The representation of the Opera Populaire. Loved it. The chandelier scene was faithfully represented and the events were quite faithfully followed.
So, what's it worth?
For phans and fans of classic games alike, it rates about a 6.5/10. A lot of the score is for just being Phantom of the Opera. Oh well.
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