Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=494https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3185GAMEPLAY - Since I was already interested in skateboarding going into the game, it was a blast to play. The option to select your skateboarder, skateboard, and wheels made it even more interesting to play. Each skateboarder also has a unique set of tricks that are worth more points than regular tricks and are only available to that particular skater. By completing the objectives of the selected level allows the player to unlock further levels and additional challenges. The objectives in every level challenge the player and reward them for completing certain tasks. For example, by collecting the secret tape in each level, you unlock clips from actual skate videos. Only after completing all the challenges of the level is the player able to progress onto the next level. DESIGN - I think the ability for designers to effectively program 3D environments led to the creation of all kinds of simulation type games such as THPS. It was great to be able to skate and do tricks you could never usually do in real life. The game manages to keep the player interested through the aesthetics of the level design and the constant challenge of trying to progress to the next level. The game also has a fun 2 player mode where you can skate against a friend in a series of different challenges. This fosters competition and social interaction between 2 players and is fun to watch by a third party. Over all I though it was a great game and lots of fun to play.Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:07:54 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3185&iddiary=5969https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3185SUMMARY - Tony Hawks Pro Skater is a 3rd person skateboarding simulation. The player plays as either Tony Hawk or another professional skateboarder and completes a number of set objectives, such as reaching a certain score in a set amount of time, collecting the letters s-k-a-t-e, finding a hidden tape, and a number of other objectives. DESIGN - The level design of THPS defies the conventional video game level in that almost every part of the environment is skatable. This expands the gameplay possibilities greatly from what was at one point thought possible for the ps1. The levels represent actual places, whichs adds to the realism of the game. The absence of some of the basic laws of physics allow the player to perform tricks that are not usually possible in real life. This allows you to do all kinds of cool stuff on a skateboard that one would not usually be able to do, such as launching oneself onto the roof of a nearby building while simultaneously pulling off all kinds of gravity defying antics.Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:07:36 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3185&iddiary=5967https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2849GAMEPLAY - Each game has 3 play options: standard play, training mode, and multi-player. Standard play emulates the standard rules of the selected game, training mode lets the player practice certain actions, and multi-player allows you to compete against a 2nd player. The social interactions that emerge in multi-player enhance the experience of the game.Thu, 21 Feb 2008 03:05:15 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2849&iddiary=5456https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2849SUMMARY - Wii Sports actually contains five separate sports games: tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, and boxing. Wii Sports utilizes a revolutionary new input system which uses motion sensors to track the movement of the players arm. This creates a realistic playing experience. GAMEPLAY - My first time playing Wii Sports was very exciting. My senses were almost overwhelmed by the the lights, sounds, and the visual feedback from the motions of my wiimote. I will describe my experience of each particular game. Each game has a standard play mode, training mode, and multiple player options. Tennis - In Wii Tennis, the player uses the wiimote to control a miniature tennis player and virtual tennis racquet against their opponent. The standard tennis rules apply, with different arm motions representing different swings. Baseball - In Wii Baseball, the player is either on offense - where he swings the wiimote like a bat to hit the ball, or defense - where he attempts to catch the opposite teams ball. Bowling - In Wii Bowling the player imitates the motion of rolling a bowling ball. Standard rules of bowling apply. Golf - In Wii Golf the player swings the wiimote like a golf club to control the virtual golf club on screen. Boxing - Probably the most kick ass and fun to play games on here. The player and his opponent even have the option of customizing their avatars faces to be as realistic as possible when their knocking each other senseless. The wiimote and joystick attackment-thingey are held in each hand while the player swings furiously at the screen. Awesome...Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:41:29 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2849&iddiary=5434https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2451GAMEPLAY - A couple really innovative aspects of the game are the built in map editor and the campaign mode. The campaign mode puts the player in the shoes of a famous leader and takes them of expeditions with surprising historical accuracy. But in actuality, campaign mode is pretty boring compared to single player mode, which offers a much more emergent style of gameplay. Another cool aspect of the game is the map editor, which lets the player build terrain, buildings, resources, and units. You can then play the map you have created against other empires. But for the casual player, single player would probably be the most enjoyable. Single player offers literally thousands of different game play combinations and a completely emergent style of gameplay which makes the game fun to play over and over again. DESIGN - I was very impressed by the design and emergent techniques in AOE II. One large factor of the game design is resources. There are limited number of resources on the map, and the player must balance which resources he chooses to gather, what technologies he wants to invest his resources in, and what units to build with the resources he has. It may sound complicated but it is really just a simplification of a typical economy.Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:18:38 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2451&iddiary=4642https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2451SUMMARY - Age of Empires III is a real time strategy game in which the player builds an empire and competes against existing empires. The player wins by either military conquest, or building a wonder. GAMEPLAY - The player starts off with 4 primary resources - food, stone, gold, and wood, a town center, which is used to upgrade your empire once you have satisfied certain requirements, and 3 villagers, who can either build or gather resources. The player's primary objective is to balance gathering resources, upgrading technology, and building a military in order to win. The game can be a bit overwhelming to the first time player, especially when they are being attacked by an opposing empire a mere 10 minutes into the game. The game has a relatively gradual learning curve which makes it simple for beginners to ease into the game. It took me a few hours to really start enjoying the game, but after that the game was very fun to play. One thing I really liked about the game is that the players style of play is constantly changing and evolving, so the gameplay never really gets dull.Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:18:19 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2451&iddiary=4641https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1618GAMELOG ENTRY #2 GAMEPLAY - One great thing about Guitar Hero II is people can just pick up the guitar and learn to play in a matter of seconds. The beginner levels aren't too difficult and provide instant gratification for hitting the correct notes. The game keeps the player hooked by constantly challenging them and rewarding them with new songs. While this may sound repetitive, it is effective in keeping the player interested. DESIGN - Level design was not a top priority for the makers of Guitar Hero II. Each level consists of a never ending fretboard with various notes that when hit correctly play out the given song. Not much emphasis is put into story-line either. You are merely put into the shoes of a rising rock and role superstar with your only objective being to shred. Progressing through the different levels of difficulty proves difficult. Hours of time must be devoted to building the muscle memory necessary to beat songs on Hard or Expert. While the levels don't change, the speed of the notes coming at you speeds up immensely, requiring the player to constantly up his or her game.Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:39:15 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1618&iddiary=3923https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1618GAMELOG ENTRY #1: SUMMARY - In Guitar Hero II, you play lead guitar in a rising rock and roll band. The player progresses in the game by completing songs and thus attaining new gigs. Rather than using the standard controller, the player controls the actions of the game, i.e. hitting the right notes, with a physical guitar. GAMEPLAY - I think the most appealing aspect of guitar hero is the social interactions that take place during gameplay. You have the option to go head-to-head with a second player for guitar hero supremacy. The game is especially entertaining for bystanders who have never played before. The image of someone playing Guitar Hero is actually quite silly, yet somehow oddly attractive. The foolishness of the miniature guitars and neck straps just adds to the over-all allure of the game. Rock star antics while playing the guitar are encouraged throughout the game. My favorite part of Guitar Hero, besides the being a rockstar part, was all the positive reinforcement throughout the game. When you do good people clap and cheer, sometimes even demanding an encore. Unleashing your star power not only boosts your score but increases your approval of the audience as well. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:39:00.)Mon, 14 Jan 2008 01:08:54 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1618&iddiary=3481