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Mar 1st, 2008 at 17:20:55 - Pokemon Snap (N64) |
Gameplay #2
I only had two areas left to complete in the game, this time around, but it was still fun. The areas got a little bit harder, but not much. One complaint is that the controls felt slow to respond, a lot of the time. Maybe that was the game’s way of making things a little bit more difficult, but the slowness really made things feel artificial. There wasn’t much of a story, but there could have been more. The basics were that you played as a young Pokemon trainer, and went to take pictures of Pokemon for Prof. Oak. The last level was to get a picture of the elusive Mew, a rare cat Pokemon. This last challenge came as a bit of a surprise for me. It seemed like it was supposed to be extremely exciting to see this rare thing, but since the game didn’t have much build-up to it, I was a little confused.
My friend asked me to include this Haiku she wrote about Pokemon Snap:
Oh, Pokemon Snap
Taking photos of wildlife
A new adventure
Design:
I think that this game is pretty well designed. It has fun, engaging gameplay and replay-ability in the form of getting high scores and getting rare Pokemon. Along with the items, the reward system (getting praise and points- or not) from Professor Oak make this game fun. The game stays interesting because of the conflicts created by the reward system—trying to get points from Prof. Oak for taking the best pictures.
However, because of the un-varied level design, it can start to feel repetitive, especially when you have to go through single levels multiple times to get the Pokemon you missed. The game becomes slightly more complex with the addition of items to your inventory, but for the most part remains at the same difficulty level throughout.
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Mar 1st, 2008 at 17:19:17 - Pokemon Snap (N64) |
Last Gamelog!
Pokémon Snap on N64
Summary:
Pokemon Snap is a one-player photography game. The player moves on a set track through different worlds, using various items to lure Pokemon and take the best pictures of them. The goal is to take at least one photograph of every Pokemon in the game (60 in total.)
Gameplay #1
I feel kind of silly for liking this game so much, since I hear that over in Japan (and now in America too, I guess) Pokemon is supposed to be for really little kids. But it’s still fun! The core game mechanic is point-and-shoot, except instead of killing your target, you take their picture. The game was easy to get in to because it’s so simple.
The gameplay starts to feel a bit stale after completing the first area, but new areas open up pretty quickly, and new items become available as well. I think the items were one of my favorite parts of the game. It turns out that Pokemon are easily distracted by apples, so all you have to do is throw one over to get the Pokemon to come closer. Other items are Pester Balls—hit Pokemon with them and maybe something cool will happen! And also the PokeFlute, which can you can play and make Pokemon dance. My other favorite part of the game was the photograph grading system, implemented by a character called Professor Oak. Even if you get a picture of a Pokemon, that doesn’t mean it’s a good picture! Prof. Oak grades you on the pose, proximity and centered-ness of your picture and gives extra points for things like having multiple Pokemon in the picture.
The game only has seven areas in total, and an experienced player can probably beat it in about an hour. However, I think the length is fine. If it were longer, most casual players would probably get bored; only the die-hard fans would stick it out to the end.
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Feb 19th, 2008 at 21:06:52 - Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) |
Gameplay 2. The second time playing Ocarina of Time introduced me to the more unforgiving side of the game. Certain unhelpful blue fairies contributed to my frustration at times. Other than that, though, my emotional state for most of the game was excitement or intrigue. The game really requires the player to be involved in the game at a deeper level than a lot of other games. This includes not only solving the puzzles, but also mastering the controls.
About the story of the game—I’m sure I’m not the first to point out that it’s not very original. But I do want to say that I think it’s simplicity serves this game very well. In Ocarina of Time, instead of having to make sure the players could follow an intricate, twisty plot, it seems that they focused on gameplay, and went with a story that had some originality, but was still somewhat familiar to longtime players. That being said, I’m not crazy about it. ‘Rescue the Princess, Save the World’… As a girl, I’d at least like to rescue the prince once in a while.
Design. Challenges, as mentioned before, are puzzles built into gameworld. Another part of this is how to use the objects you have to make things happen. For example, Link may use his Fairy Slingshot in order to press certain buttons and open doors. One complaint is the limitations made by the gameworld rules. Even though it seems like the player should be able to do something in the game- something that would be possible in real life- that action may not be available in the game. While this is frustrating at times, I don’t think it can be changed without altering the puzzle element of the game.
I really like the game’s reward structure. Every time I do something significant, such as push a boulder into place, a short, rather spooky tune is played, and I feel a sense of accomplishment, even if I haven’t finished the area yet. Additionally, when I defeat a monster, it poofs away in a cloud of colored smoke. It’s kind of silly, but it definitely gives the player the feeling of finality. Also, it is still satisfying to chop at grass and make money appear.
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Feb 19th, 2008 at 20:28:03 - Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) |
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on N64
Gamelog Entry #1:
Summary. Ocarina of Time is an action RPG. The player assumes the role of Link, using a sword as well as other objects and weapons to fight through dungeons and other areas. Aside from fighting, there are also numerous puzzles the player must solve to advance the game. The overall goal is to stop the antagonist Ganondorf.
Gameplay 1. The first thing I have to say about this game is that the gameplay is addictive. It combines a good amount of fighting action with puzzles that require cleverness and ingenuity. As I am playing, I feel like there is some pressure from enemies, but also some from the area that I’m in. Instead of the puzzles being separate from regular gameplay, they are built in to the gameworld. To get through certain areas, I not only have to fight spiders, I also have to figure out how to get from one side of a room to the other. So far (I’m still in the first dungeon) the gameplay doesn’t feel repetitive, except when I screw up and have to start all over again.
Another thing about this game is that it starts really fast. I think if I started over on a new file, I could be back at the first dungeon within ten minutes or less. The game flows well from one point to the next, but that’s not to say that it’s all the same. For example, when starting out in the town, the game is slower and less ominous. Then, in the Deku Tree, the first dungeon, young Link has to watch out for a lot more than just mean bullies—the sword and shield come in handy.
The only aspect of this game that hasn’t impressed me so far is the main character, or rather, the main character’s lack of personality. I know the same criticism can be made of a lot of games, but Link hasn’t said anything yet, and I’m wondering if he ever will. It’s hard to get attached to someone so taciturn.
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