cs_california's GameLogBlogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=191Super Smash Brothers (N64) - Fri, 23 Feb 2007 02:10:40https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1381After playing an hour of SSB I realized it is not as easy as it seems. It was easy for me to pick up how to play. But playing against harder opponents seems to be a challenge. The specific moves of particular characters can give them an advantage. For example for fox you can use a gun and shoot people from a range then go and attack them afterwards and for kirby you can swallow a character and gain his abilities. So far I think the replay value of the game is good because of the diverse characters. If I were to improve the game I would suggest to add co-op moves for 2 player teams to attack the opposing teams. The items are also advantageous to the player because they can improve a players status, giving him the advantage over the other ones. For example the mushroom can make you large and deal more damage to opposing players.Fri, 23 Feb 2007 02:10:40 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1381&iddiary=2929Super Smash Brothers (N64) - Fri, 23 Feb 2007 01:43:47https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1381Today I played Super Smash brother for the N64. The game is basically a 3D fighter which consist of characters from the Nintendo Franchise. I am playing against the coputer AI and it is kind of challenging. Unlike other fighting games, SSB does not base dying on a health bar but a percent bar. You can get as much damage as you want as long as you dont fly off the screen. The percents depends on how much hits you take in and determins how far you are poped away. There are also items from various Nintendo games that have different functions. So far this game is pretty much a 3D fighter and a beat em up because there is no clear story line of why the Nintendo characters are fighting each other. The characters also have diverse sets of moves, speeds, and attacks. But each character has the basic block and duck moves. In another part of the game there are mazes for the player to play on. What interest me about this game is it is a 3D game with a 2D world where you can role pass other characters and the game is not based on health either. To kill a player he must be knocked off the platform. Overall I think the game play is good but they need to work on a storyline.Fri, 23 Feb 2007 01:43:47 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1381&iddiary=2925Unreal Tournament (PC) - Fri, 09 Feb 2007 02:03:37https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1200After playing UT for a hour I put in the Chaos UT mod that came with the Game of The Year Edition. This mod provides more weapons to the ones available in UT. Theothe features added by the GOTY Edition is that there is a last man standing match available for playing where you kill everyone an be the last person left on the map. There are also some exciting features added such as kicking a player, useing kamikazi with rocklauncher amunition, and the grappling hook. The grappling hook makes the game very fun because you get to swing upwards which gives you new positions to ambush player. I like playing the Capture the flag matches because you don't finish fast and you can keep the game at a stalemate while killing the enemy for sport. One of the problems with unreal tournament is if Many people get killed at once some of them might get killed again while re appearing because they spawn over each other.Fri, 09 Feb 2007 02:03:37 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1200&iddiary=2557Unreal Tournament (PC) - Fri, 09 Feb 2007 01:56:52https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1200Unreal Tournament GOTY (UT) is the first game in the unreal tournament series which follows the game unreal. UT does not really have a storyline but the intro explains that you are fighting to win the tournament. This game is the first game I played which has two different firing mode for weaponary in a first person shooter. The gameplay good because new player will not die as quick because your health does not significantly drop if you are fired at by most of the weapons. There are 13 weapons in total each with unique capabilities. Also there are four modes of play. The game also has jumping, dodging, flying (cheat or mod) and ducking capabilities which allow the player to maneuver through various areas. The thing I like about the game is the weapons damage distribution is pretty much even. Every weapon has a specific use in my opinion which makes you think of how to use it to your advantage. Many people online say the bio rifle and ripper are weak weapons, but if you play with them a while you can use them to your advantage. The bio rifle can be used as a minefield weapon. So to use it stragetically you should aim at the players head and side so they will walk into the sludge or use the secondary shots. The ripper is a weapon which shoots disc that bounces all over the place. To use this weapon significantly you can aim the line on the crosshiar that separates quadrant one and four on the neck of your opponent to get an instant kill trough head shot. The graphics are good for the time it was created because it can run smoothly on a windows 98 computer without lag unlike Halo:Combat evolved (lags on my windows 98 or has graphical problems). In the practice mode you can also set the types of skill the bots have such as camping, accuracy, and evasiveness which you can modify to challenge yourself. The modes of play are Deathmatch where you get the most kills first, Domination where you capture and maintain checkpoints for the longest time, assult where you complete a mission, and Capture the flag where you steal a flag from the enemy's base. These modes of play makes the game challenging and attract different types of FPS players. The computer AI is also not that much of an idiot. They are assigned specific task and follow waypoints set on the map which makes them pretty predictable but you don't know which waypoint they will use.Fri, 09 Feb 2007 01:56:52 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1200&iddiary=2555mario 64 (N64) - Sat, 27 Jan 2007 22:31:27https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=915After playing mario for a while I got use to the controller. The storyline is still very broad. There is not a complex storyline. There are boss battles with bowser who you just grab by the tail and toss him. Mario is also able to fly and swim, which takes advantage of the whole 3D environment. The in game text is similar to all other games where you see it and click. But the text box is transparent so you can actually see what is going on and read at the same time. The thing that is interesting about this game is you can also shoot mario out of a cannon. Unlike other mario games he is able to climb crotch and swim expanding his movement zone. The challenges of the game is mainly to avoid objects or jump on them and complete a series of mazes to gain stars and unlock doors. In the old mario games the star use to make you invincible. They should have came up with a new item to collect at the end. Overtime the gameplay got a little repetative because mario does not gain any new abilities (except to fly). Overall the game was fun because of the freedom to move in a 3D plane, in water, and given the abilities to jump, double jump and crotch. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Sat, 27 Jan 2007 22:32:54.)Sat, 27 Jan 2007 22:31:27 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=915&iddiary=2035mario 64 (N64) - Sat, 27 Jan 2007 01:58:38https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=915This is the second Mario game I played (The first being Donkey Kong vs. Mario on the game & watch). This game is different from the game and watch game because for one there are multiple rooms and it is in 3D. Also mario does not die in one hit or when he touches an enemy. At first I had problems with the controller because I do not play console games. But later I got use to it. This game is similar to the game Croc 2 but with better camera angles. Mario travels in a three Dymentional world and is able to jump and double jump. He also has to jump into pictures to go through a maze and collect stars. The storyline in this game is under developed, it is very similar to the other mario games where he has to save peach from bowser. The enemies in the game vary, which makes it entertaining. Also there are many puzzles such as moving platforms which is annoying to me because I have troubles with the controller. There are also different rooms which have different themes. This makes me want to explore the world created by the developers. You also get to shoot mario out of a cannon which was an intersting idea.Sat, 27 Jan 2007 01:58:38 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=915&iddiary=2021Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PC) - Thu, 18 Jan 2007 23:23:29https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=698After playing GTASA for a while I realized that the game can fall in to many different catagories even though it is widely considered an third person action game. There are missions and side quest where you race and modify cars which makes it fit in the racing game catagories. It has similar features to racing games like Need For Speed. For example, in both games you get the option of putting nos (nitrous oxide) on you car, the racing track is very open and you have to make sharp turns, and the police also start chasing you on some races. The game also works as an casino game because in Los Venturas you get to play in the blackjack and roulette tables. Furthermore you also get to bet money on horse racing tracks. The game can be classified as an simulation because you get to have relationships with girlfriends in the game and you are able to make decisions to improve the relationship with your girlfriend. The game can also be catagorized as an 3d fighter because you get a variety of melee weapons and hand to hand combat moves you can use on your opponent. GTASA can also be an stealth action game similar to splinter cell because you can do side quest to rob houses and steal from a military base. Similar to splinter cell you must stay in the shadow to not be seen. The vehicular combat genre is also applicable because when you are inside an car and you have an TMP you can shoot out the window and destroy other cars or kill people. The game can also be an flight simulator like Top gun for the NES because you are able to fly various aircraft and also use them to combat ground vehicles and other airplanes. Since the game has so many different genre an diverse group of players are able to play and enjoy the game. For example players who don't like racing games have the option of going around and shooting gansters. After playing for a while you realized that there are strategic ways to make missions easier by going around the city and looking for equipment, improving your skills, or completing side missions. For example on one of the missions there is an burning building and you get an fire extinguisher to put out the fire, but the fire can also hurt you. But if you finished the fire truck missions you are fire proof. You also can use clever tactics to make hard missions easier and save time. For example in one of the missions you have to kill your former friend Ryder, But he jumps into the sea and starts swimming to an boat. Rockstar games expects you to swim after him and then chase him on the boat, but if you take out an sniper rifle you can kill him in 3 shots without entering the water. Thus, saving you the trouble of chasing him for several minutes. These tactical planning for strategies keeps the player motivated to play the game. As the story goes on you meet characters with different personalities which satirizes specific group of individuals or race. For example the character The Truth is an Hippie who owns an marajuana farm, has an rainbow van, and believes the government is out to get him. This character is potraying an typical hippie from the 1970's in which the majorities of hippies experimented with drugs and didn't trust the government.Thu, 18 Jan 2007 23:23:29 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=698&iddiary=1659Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PC) - Thu, 18 Jan 2007 02:58:56https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=698Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (GTASA) is an Third-person action game where you are able to drive around, kill people and play an series of mini games. This game is an huge improvement to its predecessor Vice City in gameplay as well as graphics. For one the space to play is larger. You get to travel around in three different cities as opposed to one. The whole map is about seven times larger than Vice city. GTASA kept the classical aspects of the series since grand theft auto 3 (aspects such as stealing cars, having sex for health, side missions for police, fire and ambulance) and also the aspects developed in Vice City. The new features added in GTASA which made it more enjoyable was that the player can build up particular skills to develop his character. For example Carl Jhoson (CJ) can develop loose heath if he gets hungry. These developed skill also determines CJ's attitude towards other characters and how they view him. For example when CJ is fat and you get into an fight with people he says "I got weight on you bitch!" and when you didn't change your clothes for along time people will say you stink. These aspects gives the player a goal in which he work to achieve an certain desireable characteristics. GTASA also added in various styles of fighting and new features on some of the old combat styles. For example the guns have an level aspects to rate of fire and how many of that type of gun you can hold. Also you can now change your fighting style by going to the gym and you can also silently kill people by choking them with the knife. The variety of fighting styles keeps the player entertained and gives the game an replay value. The game is also an satire off of areas of Western US mainly LA, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. The developers inserted parodies of familiar buildings and locations which were very funny. Things such as 24/7 store parodied 7/11, the big pointy building parodied the Transamerica Pyramid, and queens for the castro district. Furthermore there are signs of satire in the radio talks such as encouraging people to be homesless. There are also satires of themes such as monopolistic competition, fast food, weight loss, and homosexuality. There are also may aspects of the game which show thing that have an sexual theme such as an gas station that says 69 and the 69er is the football team in San Fierro, and the ice cream truck looks like male genitals. In addition the game has an compilation of various mini-games such as gambling, racing, shooting (sport not killing random people), billards, and basketball. These mini games gives the game more replay value because usually these the idea for these mini games can be made into an whole game. The game also has an well develop storyline and characters. For the storyline there is one primary goal but various small objectives that come up which creates an variety of missions. The missions can vary by being as simple as to just tag an logo on the wall or to raid an building and kill everyone. This keeps the player interested to see what will happen next in the storyline. The characters are based off of types of people in the california area which makes them all act different. For example the police in the Los santos would chase you and say "I am going to beat the crap out of you" and the police in San Fierro would say " we can talk this out I am an social worker behind this uniform." Your character CJ also can interact with the people on the street and he makes hilarious comments while being chased by the police such as "Cant you go chase some other fool." The other characters are based off of types of people such as gansters, drug dealers, and rappers. Each character has an different way of interacting with CJ.Thu, 18 Jan 2007 02:58:56 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=698&iddiary=1586Command & Conquer: Generals Zero Hour (PC) - Wed, 17 Jan 2007 16:21:31https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=403Compared to other Command & Conquer games this has a different type of gameplay compaired to the earlier Command & Conquer games made by Westwood Studios. It seems like Electronics Arts copied Blizzard Entertainment's Starcraft or Warcraft III. But unlike Starcraft, there are no limits to units, the upgrades build faster, and the Superweapons are much stronger. There is also the concept of an self sufficient economy after a certain point of the game the player has the technology to support his economy with his own buildings instead of collecting minerals, like in the past rts games. Unlike previous games of C&C, EA has removed the construction yard and the famous FMV's before the missions. Electronic arts has eliminated the damage probability aspects of the game causing the use of indiviual units strategically almost useless. Furthermore, the storyline is very simple and there is a poor conflict. Some of the games concepts are also fictious to real life such as China does not use red guards but use PLA soldiers. The infantry is also not as diverse since every team has rocket soldiers and gunners. The game should have more better FMVs and cutscenes. You should also be able to skip them. The cutscenes can't be skiped and you must sit through them every time you restart. The game exhibits complexity in the sense that you have to defend your base and keep up an stable economy while eliminating the opposing force. The storyline is short and easily explainable and not that entertaining. EALA also eliminated the role of characters in the game making the story very vague and simple. Over the gameplay is Fun. The missions pretty much write the story.Wed, 17 Jan 2007 16:21:31 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=403&iddiary=1558Command & Conquer: Generals Zero Hour (PC) - Wed, 10 Jan 2007 20:26:33https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=403So far I have played this game for about five hours. I figured out that the infantry are almost completely useless in the later parts of the game. Furthermore while testing on the online play many consider the factions to be unbalanced. The gameplay starts to get dull when you notice that one of the simplest strategy to use is rush with a mass of units and overwhelm the enemy forces. But in previous command & conquer games this strategy is reder almost useless by gurilla warfare tactics, but, that is not the case in Command & Conquer Generals. Also the units also exhibit an strange way of guarding. When unattended, the units do not guard against enemies near by and do not retaliate to attacking units. This causes me to check around the map more often which gets annoying when I am commanding an certian taskforce to complete a particular goal.Wed, 10 Jan 2007 20:26:33 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=403&iddiary=1139