Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=165https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1363Second Session: So I've made it to the second bought with bowser and I must say this is much more difficult than expected. I can understand why this is praised as a classic but I still can't help to have utter discontent of the game. I really don't find it that much fun. I mean the level design is great for a pure 3D platformer, however, the controls, camera, and gameplay leave something to be lacking. I've played other contemporary games that are much better than this one (the foremost that comes to mind is Crash Bandicoot for the Playstation). This came out around the same time (not the exact same time but in the general ballpark) with a similar graphical engine. Sure it is completely linear and doesn't have as much of a freedom of movement as Super Mario 64, but I still have memories of having much more fun playing it instead. Sure there isn't as much satisfaction in it as getting all 115 power stars in Super Mario 64 (though i do remember something about getting crystals) The obstacles that they throw at you are much more intricate but still more than possible to carry out which gives me an overall satisfaction with the game.Sat, 24 Feb 2007 05:35:23 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1363&iddiary=3138https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1363First session: This is my first time playing Mario 64 on the N64. I played it on the DS and I have the N64 version is much harder. It is a good game for it's time with excellent 3D level design. However the controls are hard to get used to and don't run nearly as smooth (this goes for the camera as well) as 3D games now that are 3 or 4 years old. Then again, 3D games have made major leaps and bounds from their predecessors on the N64. However the levels have enough of a learning curve so that you can get used to the controls over time before they start throwing complicated things at you. This is part of the excellent level design inherent in this game. I myself have completed the first course and have gotten enough stars to fight bowser for the first time (which I have done. Mind you it was an exceedingly easy boss battle, then again if it had been any more complicated I might have had some trouble)Thu, 22 Feb 2007 21:52:34 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1363&iddiary=2897https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1169Second entry: So I "beat" the game. I use these terms loosely because there is still more to do in the game. This is one of the reasons why I love the series. You can beat it but you get the option of playing again. The game actually rewards you for playing it again by opening upgrades for weapons you already have. Also the skill points and golden bolts you can also attempt to get and these open up extra content. As for the game play itself I still like it but miss some of the features they added into later games like strafing and lock on. The final boss was difficult since I didn't get the last health upgrade and the final weapon (which is ironically called R.Y.N.O. which stands for Rip Ya a New One). One of the things that made it easier which i though was some pretty ingenious level design was that you on the outer ring of the boss arena they put some grind rails which allow you to grind continuously around the ring making it easy to avoid any attack that the boss threw at you though making it slightly difficult to actually hit him. This was a short game (mainly since I've played it many times before and thus know exactly what to do) however it is still superbly crafted.Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:05:41 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1169&iddiary=2643https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1169So this is my first session of playing the game. I've gotten quite a few planets in (each planet is sort of like a level except you can go back to them at anytime and sometimes you have to go back to them in order to progress the storyline). I played until I hit around the half way point of the game (or so I think it is the halfway point). Each planet still has linear gameplay however it usually has at least two objectives each with their own path to follow. Each planet usually opens up a new weapon which you can buy there. Also sometimes you have to buy something in order to progress the storyline. However, the paths are set up so you will make enough money along the way to get that item. It has some platformer aspects to the game however the action and shooter aspects are more apparent in the game.Thu, 08 Feb 2007 18:29:48 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1169&iddiary=2502https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=975For the first session, I played the game single player. I'm not that good at fighting games so I didn't have as much fun. I was able to play a couple of characters find out their strengths and weaknesses. I thought that it was interesting how each character has their own story. And within each story you are given choices which affect the battles that you fight. And some of the in game sequences affect the battles as well. So it was kinda fun but I actually had more fun in the other mode of the game. This is the Chronicles of the Sword. You are able to create your own character. You choose your class which seems to have the only affect on your actually game play. This mode creates strategy with fighting games. You have various units that you use to try and capture strongholds. And you can fight actual units either by just let them fight automatically or actually fighting a battle yourself. I thought that this was an interesting aspect. Another aspect that I found interesting was the Shop. You can buy new weapons for main characters or armor and weapons for the characters in the Chronicles mode. (However I'm not sure if this actually affects the game play.) You can also buy items that open up tutorials or other modes.Tue, 30 Jan 2007 23:04:39 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=975&iddiary=2122https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=683So I've gotten through two of the dungeons in the game after you have the ability to travel through time. I have to say that this gives an interesting aspect to the game. Things that you do in the past have some loose effect on the future, such as a planting a magic bean makes a magic leaf appear or other things that could have a small effects. However, if this system was used now there could be a greater application. I remembered on one of the Gameboy Zelda games. I think the title was Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, where you can go between the past, present... and I think future? I'm not sure about that part though. But the past and present use has sort of the same idea. The dungeons themselves seem relatively small in retrospect but the way they are mapped out it makes them feel all the bigger. Also, a lot of backtracking helps too. The boss battles aren't too difficult and you can occasionlly do some rather strange things. For example, one of the bosses shots balls of energy at you. You can either use your sword to reflect them back or swing around around an empty bottle. The puzzles are still very simplistic however they are still working out the idea of 3D games so the puzzles can't be too complicated. Then again the puzzles in Zelda are never too difficult there are just somtimes take a little bit of ingenuity but when you figure them out there is usually an accompanied moment of "AH HA!" The sidequests are also rather interesting and not too difficult either (not including trying to get all the pieces of heart and golden skull tokens) and occiasionally give you something useful (like the Biggoron sword) or something really strange (like your own personal cow). Another nice aspect that they added to aid in travel is Epona, which is your horse. This part is entirely optional however helps lessen the travel time between areas since you do most of your travel to different areas at first by crossing through Hyrule Field which acts as a hub to all the other areas. However this is probably the biggest area in the game.Thu, 18 Jan 2007 23:25:47 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=683&iddiary=1660https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=683This game brought back so many memories of the N64 as soon as I popped it in. Not just of this game but of all the games I played on my friend's N64 when I was growing up. (I never actually had one of my own... I had a PlayStation instead). I remember the graphics being amazing just like most of the other great contemporary games that came out during this time. Well... for its time the graphics were amazing and I guess my mind has filled in the details of how it should have looked if it came out now. After playing PS2 and XBox for the past couple of years I quickly realized, how my expectation for graphics has changed. Then again you can't compare a game like Halo to Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The graphics have nothing to do with the actual game. Ocarina of Time was a wonderfully executed game for its time. It was the begining of the age of 3D gaming consoles. The publishers were still exploring the concept so the puzzles and action were not as sophisticated or difficult as some of the games are now a days. Sure the camera is clunky and difficult to get used to but then again it doesn't really detract from the actual gaming experience. So the starting is kinda of annoying to try and get a sword and a shield to get to the very first dungeon. (At least the dungeon is very easy to find compared to having to get out a map for the first Legend of Zelda). Through getting these items the game teaches you the basics of controlling Link. It was interesting approach to a tutorial for the game that still follows loosely with the plot line of the game. (I still think it is interesting how all the zelda games feature the same character in completely different hyrules and are only very loosley connected... except for minnish cap which essentially the story of how Link gets his Hat) The first dungeon is very easy with only a few rooms and very easy to find your way around and get the map, compass, and weapon for the dungeon. The boss itself is also very simple forcing you to use your new found item in the dungeon against the boss (which in this case is the slingshot however this applies to most of the dungeon bosses). There is more story line progression untill you actually get out side of the forest and the day/night progression comes in to play which adds an interesting dynamic to the game where there are certain things that you can only do during the day or that you can only do during the night. However, sometimes this comes as a great annoyance till you actually get the song for the ocarina that turns day into night and vice versa. However they use this same dynamic in the game with time when you are young link or adult link (however, I haven't gotten this far). The second dungeon is also very easy and follows sort of the same structure as the first dungeon and the boss is argueable even easier. It's not until the third dungeon in Lord Jubu Jubu (sp?) belly that the dungeon design digresses, the puzzles are a little harder, and the boss actually posses a bit of a challenge. This gives a long enough learning curve for you to get used to the 3D dynamics before they start throwing challenging things at you. This can mean that the game can only get more difficult. So for right now I'm somewhere between having gotten the 3 spiritual stones and being adult Link. I'll right more about the dynamics as Older Link in my next entry.Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:39:45 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=683&iddiary=1564https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=371Second installment: So as I said before this game is extremely addicting. If I hadn't physically torn myself away from the console I'd probably still be playing it right now. However, this is all the more reason that I want to get a copy of it for home. The amount of things that you can roll up is redicioulous. You have goals for each level about the size and you have to get it that big with in a certain time limit. If you are somewhat skilled at rolling stuff up however, this isn't too difficult. However, the fact that if you have time left and you've already reached your size goal, you can still keep rolling stuff was a good addition. I got to a level where the size level was 3 meter (I also forgot to mention that it is in the metric system which is also interesing) diameter and by the time that time was called I had found a town and gotten it as big as 5 meters! Another intersting thing is that if you pause the game a little text and a picture comes up that says "Your katamari is as a big as (some number) of these." (By the way, katamari is your big ball of stuff that you're rolling.) And not only do you make stars but you are also make entire constellations as well. However the intersting part about this is that you don't roll up random things. You have to roll up specific things like crabs, swan eggs, or crowns. Some times this is paired with building up the size of your katamari to get more crowns or other times it has to do with just finding them. The music is very interesting. By itself, it seems almost creepy and surreal at ther same time but when paired with the gameplay it just works. Some of the lyrics seem to match up with little things in the story line. Speaking of the storyline, the storyline still continues to be extremely wonky but still entrigueing. Until next time, Fuzzylombax Out!Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:22:09 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=371&iddiary=1078https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=371I had heard about this game for a really long time but have never had a chance to play it. It's basiclally a game where the entire point is to roll a big ball of stuff. The bigger it gets the more stuff you can pick up untill you can pick up cats and dogs, signs and people, and apparently even buildings and the ground. It is an amazing concept of a game that I think pushes some of the boundries of what we percieve to be games. A mindless activity of rolling a ball of stuff turns into something completely and utterly addicting. The more I play it the more I want to play it. The story is weird. The king of cosmos destoried all the stars in a drunken euphoria and now you have to remake them by pick up lots and lots of stuff. There is a back story with cutscenes as well that follows two kids and their mom that doesn't listen to them. It isn't need for the game but it just adds to the weirdness.Mon, 08 Jan 2007 22:18:49 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=371&iddiary=1056