Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=1084https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3984Game Play: I am a little on edge since I have last played Contra III because the levels have gotten increasingly longer and harder! Rather than scrolling from side-to-side like normally, The levels have switched from time to time to scrolling up and down; this can be a challenge for a 5 year old, who is still developing his hand/eye coordination. Design: One of the most important things that I must commend Contra III on, is creativity. From level design, to weapons, and enemies every aspect of the game is very unique. The levels in the game do not seem repetitive at all, and this is very important when it comes to “run and gun” games. It is very easy to get bored when the only objective seems to breeze through a level and shoot everything in sight, but Contra III provides many environmental obstacles, such as flames, and platforms that make timing and precision very important. There are also a few levels, where the camera angle of the game changes, making the movement and angles change considerably for the player, which makes the player have to adjust their style of playing for these specific levels; because of the sudden change in camera angle ( from side view to over head), the levels appear to be much different; no longer can the player simply jump over enemies, they must become skilled in the art of strafing from side to side to avoid enemy contact. The conflict aspect of the game, makes Contra very intriguing and addictive to the player; It was very easy for my nephew and I to play the game for 3 hours straight ( any game that can keep a 5 year old interested for 3 hours is quite a game!). With many games, a player can be hit multiple times before it costs them a life, however in Contra one hit and the player is dead! With such little room for error, each move the player makes is important, and because the game is a port from SNES, the ability to save and start from the save point is non-existent to the game. The stress of having to spread 3 lives with 3 continues (9 total lives in all) over the game is quite a rush for the player! The reward structure in the game is very strict, which has its pros and cons; I am always very appreciative of the rewards I get (extra lives, new rocket launchers), but the limited availability of these rewards, makes me very hungry for their presence. With each life lost (remember one hit and your dead!), the rewards that the player achieved will be lost as well. There is a remarkable weapon, a flame thrower, that makes it very easy for a player without precision to take out numerous enemies along their path, however it seems like once in a blue moon that the flame-thrower is present; there have been many times where there has been an off-screen battle between my nephew and I of who was worthy of getting the flame-thrower this time around. Sometimes the scarcity of the rewards, left me feeling bitter and frustrated towards the game, but somehow I couldn't walk away.Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:01:15 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3984&iddiary=7441https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3984Summary: Contra III:Alien Wars is a fast-paced, side-scroller where players run and gun through levels. The game is set in the year 2636, where Earth has suffered an alien invasion and must fight back! Originally for Super Nintendo, Contra III was ported to Wii's virtual machine to be downloaded and played. Game Play: Although Contra III is 17 years old and there are games on the Wii with far better graphics, Contra is perhaps one of the most fun games I have played in a long time. I remember playing the earlier version of Contra on NES and I must say that the series has improved based on the SNES port that I am currently playing; The game runs a lot smoother, a lot more fast paced, and the weapons are a lot more interesting (I love the homing missile launcher!). Perhaps one of the greatest aspects of the game that I like so far, is the ability to play with a partner. The Contra series, is known for being very fast-paced and difficult, almost to the point of being overbearing for the player. With my little nephew, the game is still a challenge, but I feel a lot more confident because I have someone to watch my back for aggressive aliens that are trying to make me their next victim. Within 45minutes, we have already fought two bosses, and I must say that they are Gargantuous and quite intimidating! Again, I am gracious for the opportunity to have a partner because fighting a boss that takes up half the screen is quite a challenge for just one person.Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:00:38 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3984&iddiary=7440https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3969Caleb Bell Game Log I have taken a break from the multiplayer version of Wii Sports and have started to play Wii boxing. I loved the idea of creating my own avatar (it looks a lot like me!), and I have gotten the hang of dodging and evading attacks. With each round it gets harder and harder to defend against and defeat each boss. I love a challenge and Wii sports definitely provides a good one. In my generation, a lot of games have centralized on graphics, cutscenes, and story line but Wii Sports is truly unique because it centralizes on player interaction, and emersion. The characters are simply comprised of blocks, yet the idea of being in control of a character through one's own movements, make the game seem less passive like most video games and more active. I find it quite impressive that games such as boxing, are capable of detecting a 3 dimensional range of motion and through moving the controller towards the player, the character is able to duck and dodge. Although the controls of Wii Sports are very innovative and give the game a great amount of its luster, they are not exactly perfect; there is often a lag present when the player moves and the character reacts, which as imagined can cause a lot of problems. There were many times when I would deliver a punch and my character responded too late and instead of dealing damage, I received it, which can be very costly after awhile. There were many times when I tried to deliver accurate punches during the game and the system was simply irresponsive and in the end rather than landing carefully calculated punches, I was forced to succumb to simply flailing around.Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:06:12 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3969&iddiary=7416https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3969Caleb Bell Game Log: Wii Sports Wii sports is a compilation of sports games such as boxing,golf,tennis, bowling and baseball that uses the wii-mote in innovative ways to simulate these actual sports. Through customized avatars, players can compete head-to-head with each other ( up to 4) or against the computer. Wii Sports is one of the first games to demonstrate the new innovative ways that the wii allows players to interact with each other and their environment. What makes Wii Sports stand out from previous games that I have played is that it is easy to look past the usual shallow elements used to critique games such as graphics, and focus on the game play experience. Bowling was one of the most interesting games to play because my nephews enjoyed it, and they were actually able to give me some competition in the game! The controls used to play bowling were very fluid and responsive, and it was quite an experience to see my 8 year old nephew bowl strike after strike.Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:05:44 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3969&iddiary=7415https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3943GamePlay I am very excited about playing Ultimate Alliance 2 because the game seems a lot more interactive than the first—weapons range from powers, to cars and mailboxes around the user. The graphics are also aesthetically pleasing, and I have only been playing for 1.5hrs and cannot wait until the true story line of the Marvel Civil War begins to unravel. Design: One of the most important parts of game design starts with the controls of the game and I must say that the controls for Ultimate Alliance 2 have changed quite a bit. Ultimate Alliance 2 is based off of the same hack/slash game play as Ultimate Alliance 1 however the controls seem more awkward than the previous installment; the player can no longer wave the Wii-mote to attach but is restricted to a series of button mashing which can be somewhat daunting. Ultimate Alliance 2 has incorporated a new special attack system called “Fusion” where two superheros can combine their powers into one powerful attack—the introduction of this new attack is a great addition from its predecessor however the controls take a way from the experience. To activate a fusion attack a player must hold the Z button the nunchaku add-on of the wiimote and then shake the nunchaku, then there is a targeting system where a dot must be lined up exactly on another superhero and once the superhero is chosen 'A'is pressed for the fusion attack to be performed. Altogether the fusion attack is a 5-step process, and since the wiimote is wireless connected to the console precision is not used in the game UNTIL the fusion process which makes finding the on-screen pointer very difficult at times. Another important factor in the game design is camera controls/angle and unfortunately camera angle suffers quite a bit in Ultimate Alliance 2. One minute the camera is in front, and all of a sudden it is in the back, at a 90 degree angle – even when the player is at a steady pace and in a uniform direction the camera can still be a hassle. When fighting a boss, it can be a very frustrating task to have to adjust the camera angle throughout the battle, because of the horrible angle calculations. Perhaps one of the greatest new additions to the game is the greater emphasis on teamwork that the game seems to have over its predecessors; in all of the other Marvel Co-op games, teamwork was just an idea and there was no reward for cooperation, now in Ultimate Alliance 2 there is a distinct reward system. Certain medals are earned throughout the game based on teamwork, and the more teamwork medals earned the greater the damage fusion attacks have on enemies. Also, players level up a lot faster when teamwork is used. The new reward system promotes teamwork in a more absolute way rather than suggestive.Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:20:11 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3943&iddiary=7377https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3943Game Title: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Summary: The game Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is a RPG where 1-4 players can assume the role of a superhero from the Marvel Universe. The government has the goal of making all superheros reveal their secret identity and there are some heros that agree with the government and some that are strongly against it. The player must choose a side and the story line unravels based on that decision. GamePlay: I had always been a fan of Marvel and was thrilled by the previous release in the Ultimate Alliance series. The story line was based off of two individual comic book series within Marvel, the Civil War, and the Secret War where due to the destruction of a foreign land, all superheros must register with the government and become secret agents. It is the idea of choosing a side and having fellow superheros that were once allies, as your enemies that makes the game so appealing. When I first started playing the game I was impressed because the interface had been severely polished since the last installment. The colors were vivid, and of a warmer variety compared to the menu's of Ultimate Alliance 1. Once I set eyes on the new menu interface, I knew I was in for a new experience. The Graphics had improved a lot since the first installment, each character looking more realistic this time around. In Ultimate Alliance, the characters appeared as though they came straight out of a comic book, but in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, each character was more detailed, and the graphics were a lot smoother. I felt as though I was truly fighting alongside Captain America, while I played. Overall, I am very impressed with the game so far, and am excited to continue playing.Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:19:49 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3943&iddiary=7376https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3852 Game Log 2 Game Play: I am very thrilled by the introduction of grenades into the game play, and have been using my new weapons a lot! For the most part things have remained the same and unlike the first session, where I was taught various moves and lessons with my sword and guns, I have only come across a few brief tutorials. The farther I progress I am starting to realize that completing a mission without dying is becoming quite a challenge, and that I cannot be as careless as I was in the beginning of the game. I am very impressed because in so many games, it is too easy to become repetitive in tactics and still progress. Design: When I first heard read the description of Red Steel, I was very interested in the sword aspect of the game, due to the Wii's innovative control system. With most games, the Wii controller feels very natural and I expected Red Steel to be among one of those games, however I was somewhat dissapointed; Red Steel's controls take some time to get used to and still the Wii's detection of sword swings, can be unresponsive, which can hurt game play in fierce battles. Where the sword lacks precision, the use of guns is precise-- a little too precise! While playing the game, I found it quite a challenge to aim efficiently because the “aiming point” was so small and left room for little error, which made the game very frustrating at first. Overall, the controls for Red Steel can be awkward, but with dedication it is an issue that can be overlooked. Another interesting part about Red Steel is the Japanese culture that is involved throughout the game play. All of the menus are in katakana (a Japanese writing system), and the translation is very accurate – entertaining for those who know Japanese. Along with the Japanese culture comes the idea of honor in the game, where the tactics that the player uses to defeat enemies and complete levels effects the outcome of the game. When you come across a major boss in a sword fight, if successful you have the option of sparing their life or delivering a coup de grâce. If you spare a life, perhaps you will gain a new friend or informant that will help you along the way. I find this a very nice feature because it changes my mindset of kill everything that moves across the screen. AI is an aspect that is very important in a game, and in Red Steel the enemies are not geniuses, but they are also not the typical drones found in other games. In the previous first-person shooters that I have played, the enemies were very slow to finding me when I hid and were awkward in movement when it came to pursuit. In Red Steel, the enemies are able to gracefully climb over tables and run smoothly making them more of a challenge. There were many times when I thought I was safe until I saw that the enemy I had in my scope, had snuck over the table that I was hiding behind to kill me; this feature was very interesting to me. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:22:36 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3852&iddiary=7211https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3852Caleb Bell Game Log 1 Game: Red Steel Summary: Red Steel is a first person shooter made for the Nintendo Wii. In the game Red Steel, the player takes the role of Scott Monroe, who must infiltrate the Yakuza and dispose of them with various weapons, to rescue his fiancé who was kidnapped by the Yakuza. GamePlay: While first playing the game Red Steel, I found the storyline very intriguing, even though it followed the damsel-in-distress cliché. I was very entertained with the incorporation of having a sword and also various firearms available to use, however I did favor the blade because it was more interactive than point and shoot. I have already progressed through many areas of the game such as a car warehouse where the Yakuza hide stolen cars, and a massage parlor but I have only completed 8% of the game,which means I have a lot more to look forward to! My favorite games are those that unfold over a long period of time rather than just a few hours.Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:22:13 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3852&iddiary=7210