Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=498https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3027GAMEPLAY It's very easy for me to get wrapped up into the mythical world of Lunatea, but it's also very easy to loose interest in the game after you've played it a couple times. I'm afraid that the game--for the most part--is a time time thing. However, completing the game isn't all there is to do in the game. There are plenty of worlds to explore over and over again. Furthermore, there is an overarching side quest, where for each level--or vision in the game--you can collect 150 dream stones to unlock a picture in the scrapbook or every time you collect all 6 stars you get a Mommet Doll. By collecting these items you can unlock hidden features like the two time-attack stages. There is a stage that can be unlocked where a second player can take on the form of Klonoa's side-kick, Popka, and occasionally give Klonoa boosts when he needs it. It's handy for helping out a newer player, but other than that there isn't a real multi-player mode. But that does not mean you don't have time to interact with the people around you. It's a single player game, but easy to transfer the control between players. Furthermore, I find it to be very pleasing to simply watch another person play. I was also very pleased when the board-riding levels were added. They were my absolute favorite levels to play, hard to control, but very fast paced. DESIGN I thought that this game wasn't very much different than other platformer games. Other than the fact that you're on a 2D path when the rest of the world is in 3D. However, I thought the way you defeat enemies was quite innovative. Klonoa uses a magical ring that shoots out things called "wind bullets" they are short range, but they blow up an enemy like a balloon, and then you can carry them over your head to through into another enemy. Also Klonoa uses the blown up enemies as a means of "double jumping". I also like how certain enemies give off certain abilities. An enemy with wings might help carry Klonoa, and there is an electric based enemy that gives an electrical boost to Klonoa's double jump--helping him go even higher. The overall story of the game is fairly simple. The same out hero comes to save the world kind of thing. But the game's creators do a good job of keeping the player in the dark, allowing the player to find out the history of the world as he or she continues playing. I think this is a great way to keep the player interested, assuming he or she wishes to find out what has happened to the peaceful world of Lunatea, and why all the kingdoms have sealed themselves off. I was surprised, there were quite a few cut scenes in this game, but move along the story very much. The language used is gibberish, and can get annoying at times. New conflicts arise when there are bosses at the end of every kingdom, but also when Leoria, the sky pirate, comes along to stir up trouble. She wants to obtain Klonoa's ring for her own purposes. But the entire setting of the game is a conflict between reality and dreams.Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:09:15 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3027&iddiary=5699https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3027SUMMARY Although the game is called Klonoa 2, there is little to do with the first game. The story follows the hero Klonoa, who is known as the Dream Traveler, as he is called to the world of Lunatea to help save it. By doing so he also unveils the mysteries of this strange and enchanted world. As Klonoa travels through the world he unlocks the different kingdoms, reuniting them once again. The last of the kingdoms, which has been completely separated from the rest of Lunatea is the Kingdom of Sorrow, because people started to forget about sorrow--thus casting the kingdom into another realm. Throughout the game Klonoa, as the Dream Traveler, learns more about the world of Lunatea and attempts to reunite all five kingdoms to make Lunatea whole again. GAMEPLAY Despite Klonoa 2 being a simple platform game, I really enjoyed it. First of all the animation and all the characters are incredibly cute. If that is not your thing, you might not fancy this game. The game itself is visually pleasing, but also very fun to play. First of all, the kingdoms in this game give the game world a very mystical feel, taking on names like the Kingdom of Tranquility, the Kingdom of Joy, Discord, Indecision, and Sorrow. I love the levels because each kingdom is vastly different from the next. Furthermore all the different levels within the kingdom range from indoor to outdoor settings, and even has board-riding stages. Now those stages are my favorite because as a little something extra the creators allow you to perform tricks and flips with L1 and L2 buttons. Just something to spice up the experience. There is definitely a very fairytale feel to the game, and the feeling is very hard to explain. There is nothing like playing a game with no knowledge of the world and it's history, and slowly being able to find out its secrets through cut scenes and through the level designs. This made finishing the game very satisfying, and kept me wanting to play more just so I can figure out more about the mysterious history of Lunatea. The title in itself is very ambiguous, making Lunatea sound like a person. But instead, the game is about removing the veil of mystery from a world that people are starting to forget. The direct translation of the Japanese title is "Klonoa of the Wind 2: Thing That The World Wants to Forget". I think both titles do a great job for creating the proper mood of mystery and wonderment that is needed to play the game effectively to get the full experience. The cast of characters and even the enemies are absolutely adorable. And the best thing about this game is that none of the characters are actually "Evil". There is an antagonist, sky pirate Leoria, but as you continue through the game and continue to encounter her, you learn that she is not actually bad at heart. She just has different goals. Also there is the King of Sorrow, who is trying very hard to revive the Ishras Ark, but only so he can reconnect his Kingdom to the rest of Lunatea, because as time went on people wanted to forget about Sorrow and thus cast the kingdom into another realm all together.Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:02:19 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3027&iddiary=5676https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2750GAMEPLAY Again, getting back into the game is hard, because I forgot how hard it is to control the camera angles sometimes. It's actually really tricky, and I get frustrated with it easily because the little camera guy doesn't go where I want him to. Aside from that the game is pretty good. I'll admit that I tend to get motion sickness--not good, I know--and Mario 64 doesn't really help because the camera angle changes so often, but it's easy to deal with. That is probably the worst part of the game, in my opinion, because the rest of the game isn't hindered by the revolving camera angles. One thing about Super Mario 64 is the amount of different rooms that can be unlocked. Also, there are dozens of secrets that I have yet to unlock. For once, a level that I have mentioned before, where you can control the different water levels in order to get to where you need to go, I have no idea how to get to the other half of the map. I have seen it done before, but still don't comprehend how to get over the caged exit and into the under ground tunnel that leads to a separate map. Thank goodness that the stars in that map are not mandatory, and can be made up for in different worlds, but it still frustrates me that I can't get to it. However, I am very impressed in the amount of thinking I need to do in the game. Some of the worlds really are brain teasers. The story itself, as lovable as Mario is, is fairly simple. The same old damsel in distress. However, the way the game goes about it is interesting. The camera guy is--more or less--broadcasting his adventure. It's an interesting idea. Regardless, even with an overused story line I believe Mario 64 makes up for it's freedom of movement, interesting level and worlds, and the classic characters you are reintroduced too. Furthermore, because the story doesn't progress if you don't want it to, the game gives you ample times to goof off. Which is what I look forward to every game. Shell riding, flying around with the winged cap, getting shot out of canons. It's endless amount of fun. DESIGN In this game, I believe that I am most impressed with the level design. There are loads of puzzles mixed into a 3D world, and dozens of places to explore. The best thing is, the clever idea to use paintings a portals into the worlds, and making sure that every world is a little different from the rest. There is only one over-arching conflict in the game, and that is to unlock as many doors and paintings as you can in order to get enough stars to reach the final Bowser battle and save Peach. I say: "It gets a little repetitive." But the up-side to all of this is the fact that the worlds are interesting to explore, so it balances out the lack of conflicts. I have noted before that the control over the camera angles frustrates me to the point of pain. But I deal with it. It's an interesting idea, because usually it's an auto-cam that changes angles on it's own, but sometimes it's hard to control when you want to look in one direction and it goes flying off in another. In this case, I keep forgetting that I have to hold down the directional button to keep the camera where I want it. Other than that, the idea of a small camera man following the character around is interesting and cute at the same time. I can't say that the enemies get harder and harder as you go through the levels, because you either jump on them or punch them in order to kill them. It is amusing that Mario actually recoils when he's hit by an enemy, but annoying when all the enemy has to do is touch him. They need to put armor on him or something. Of course, there is a metal cap, that gives him a chrome suit to where in certain levels, but that's only sometimes. Furthermore, I find it interesting that Mario can put on different caps in order to perform different actions. He has a winged cap to help him fly, an invisible cap to make him invisible and help him walk through walls, and a metal cap to keep the air in so you can walk through water and poison gas and make you momentarily invincible to attacks. But I think these caps spoil you, because I'm always looking for one to use now. I also think that the design of the Bowser battles are somewhat repetitive. All you have to so it toss him onto one of the bombs that line his battle arena, but the motion of swinging the large Koopa King by the tail has become a universal motion. I was surprised, however, that in the final Bowser battle the arena starts to fall apart. It certainly presented a new challenge to me and I remember re-doing the battle over and over again before I finally beat it. However, just because you beat the final Bowser doesn't mean you've finished the game. The great design of Mario is that you can go back and redo whatever level you want, even if you've already gotten that star. In a time continuum the games exists in a flat plane, not a line. There is a beginning and an end, but no past present and future. Go back to your favorite level as much as you want. Fight Bowser as many times as you want. Now that's freedom.Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:17:08 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2750&iddiary=5309https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2750SUMMARY The notorious Koopa King, Bowser, had kidnapped Princess Peach once again, and has sealed her at the top of her own castle. Mario had been summoned to have tea with the princess, but upon coming to the castle he learns of Peach's absence and immediately goes off to try and save her. It's a classic game with a 3-D twist, and Mario is forced to collect stars as a means of unlocking the doors that would eventually lead him to the top of the castle. But Bowser has one-uped him in the sense that he has sealed all the stars away in the various paintings, secret walls, and chambers within the castle. Now Mario has to go into the various painting worlds, collecting stars, and eventually gathering enough to unlock the doors that would lead him to the Princess and ultimately defeat the Koopa King. GAMEPLAY Playing Super Mario 64 takes me way back, and fills me with a nostalgic feeling. I will not compare it to the platformer of Super Mario World, or Super Mario Brothers, because Mario 64 is a vast improvement from the days of flame flowers and size-enhancing mushrooms. In fact, Super Mario 64 has very little of the elements seen in its SNES brothers. The game is still cute though, Mario looks as adorable in 3D as he does in 2D, and because there are so many installments in the Mario series, picking up Mario 64 is like meeting an old friend who's been improved beyond his years. I must say, I miss playing this game, even though it was hard for me to remember how to play. I was disappointed to find out that after not touching the game for a couple years, I have lost my edge. However, I believe that it is probably because I was comparing it to the other 3D games on the current market. Or Mario 64 could just be a hard game to get back into, once you've put it down. Narrative wise, there is none. There is Toad, who pops up every once in a while, to help move the story along, but I liked the game because it puts a lot of emphasis on personal exploration. Also, the idea for painting worlds was vastly interesting to me. Even though levels of the castle was opened by the number of stars that you collect, most of the paintings on that level are open game. There really is no order. You can go to the Whomp Whomp Castle before Frappy's Snowland, or vice versa. The point of it all is to get stars, and since a star is a star, it doesn't really matter where you get it from. I like this aspect of the game. The worlds themselves offer up many interesting geographical locations. There are snow worlds, deserts and pyramids, floating castles and pirate ships. I'm always able to keep myself entertained, if not frustrated with some of the puzzles that I am forced to complete, but it's always satisfying to obtain a new star. I was actually surprised, when I revisited one of the water worlds, at the sheer complexity of the puzzles you have to figure out. What with playing with the water levels in sequence to help you get to where you need to be. The countless worlds are amazing. I remember having a lot of time talking with the people around me, even when it's a single player game. It's easy to take turns too. After the completion of one level you can hand the controller over to a friend, and wait for them to complete a level. I used to do this all the time, and it gave me time to take a break, and I yet I wasn't missing out on the action. Mario is a lovable character and everyone wants to cheer him on, naturally. I even remember, cringing for him when he falls off high places or suffocate from staying under water for too long.Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:41:33 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2750&iddiary=5165https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2453GAMEPLAY As expected, the game in fairly addicting. I find that hours of play does end to get monotonous for me, because of several high level characters, but there's always another self-proclaimed quest to take on to get away from the action of no-nonsense leveling and training. That can always wear a person out. If you do nothing but train, the game can easily loose it's interest, which is why I recommend getting a group or party together and go off on an adventure. Look for insanely hard monsters to fight, even if you know you'll die multiple times in the process. Or, go hunting for items that will increase your wealth or life or agility or anything. The point behind this game and other MMORPGs is interaction with other players, outside of the NPCs in a regular game. I for one, really enjoy talking to some people, who have a high leveled character and don't mind helping out in training or item seeking. Meeting people is always fun, and in RO it's not hard to find those who spent a lot of time on the game and reached level 99. They glow. Sometimes the game tends to get a little boring, especially when the levels don't come as fast as they use to or if you are just wandering around by yourself. Some people enjoy the solitude, but I don't. Again, this game is interesting on its own with PLENTY of lands and dungeons to explore, the map is literally HUGE, but it's always funner in a group. War of Emperium, or the guild wars, is something I've never taken art in, but have heard many interesting things. I like the part in RO where Player vs. Player (PVP) is not allowed, meaning you can't go around killing other people. That is just rude, but there is a separate world, that can be reached through talking with the PVP sprite at every major city, that does allow PVP interaction. This world has a complete ranking system for who is in the lead and who has most kills. I personally haven't done a lot of PVP-in, but I know a good number of people who make character builds for the sole purpose of fighting other people. Playing this game allows people to become experts at their own class. I know people who have written their own builds to get the traits they most want. Perfect dodge, or fast attack speeds. It takes a lot more work then you would believe to create a successful character. Also, it's important not to mess up on where you choose to put your stats points, because there is a stats wizard that allows you to redo all your stats, but the higher your level the more it costs to redo stats. My friend fell into this trap multiple times, it really does take good judgement and planning ahead. DESIGN RO is not much different from other massive multi-player online role-playing games. You have one character, who's class you can choose, and go around killing monsters. But the similarities stop there. Graphic-wise, it is not as advanced as say Oblivion or Lineage, but it is cute to look at with a wonderful soundtrack. The game gives off an over all good feel, that seems to suit all ages of players. It is cute..maybe too cute. RO does not only carry the usual job classes like Knight, Mage, Archer, etc. It also has classes like Gunner, Ninja, Alchemist, Dancer, Assassin, and so many more. I think this is why this game is so interesting. It offers multiple character options. Not only that, but each job is exceedingly different from another. To start off you are a Novice, the beginning is very important because you get immediately start off with a number of stat points to put into your Novice. Each class that I previously mentioned has a specific characters build. I am most comfortable with an Assassin's build so I will use that as an example. To become a successful assassin the focus is on Dexterity, Agility, and Strength, but agility is he focus of all your stat points. To become an Assassin you must first become a thief, then you get to become an Assassin, were you'll stay till level 99. You'd think that's where it stops, but no! Recently Gravity Co. Ltd. has launched a completely different set of classes, called Transcendent classes. After reaching level 99 the first time your character is reborn, and you become a Super Novice, then Super Thief, then an Assassin Cross. And there's a transcendent job for nearly every class. Sure, this might sound monotonous, and will be while you are leveling up, but the pay off is better skills and a cooler look. Isn't that most important. Outside of such, Ragnarok really has no other purpose. There is no storyline that has to be completed, and I will that once you have all the money you need, all the items you want, and the job class you want there really isn't much else you can do. But you can always start over with a whole different class, or help other people, newbies especially because this is an online game and you meet a wide range of people from every corner of the globe. The original game is Korean, but has spread steadily into China, Japan, the UK, the Philippines, Brazil, and many other locales. Image the amount of friends you can make. I'll say that RO is not a hard game to play. You point, click, and your character attacks. Simple as that. However, to make a powerful character there is a lot of other things to consider. I can not stress how important the distribution of stat and skill points are. You'd think it would be good to even out all the stats, that way your character would be good at everything. WRONG. A knight NEEDS a lot of vitality because they are slow and can not escape, but can take a beating. A wizard NEEDS a lot of Intelligence because their attacks are solely magic based and require a lot of SP or spell points to perform. Little things like these challenge the player to really think about their character, and I think it also helps bond the player to the character, because your character is truly of your creation, not a pre-made being like in most video games. Level-wise, RO has a wide variety of dungeons and monsters. Settings include places a multitude of places like deserts and forests, and the games revolves around obvious Norse mytho themes. The city of Peyon, being the key starting point for all characters. Although the games has an open-ended plot, there are quest that keep the countless amount of players busy, by looking for limited or rare items, with an annual Christmas quest for the fun of things. I am surprised every time I get back into this game, it comes into phases, but there has to be something in the design that keeps me coming back for more.Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:49:04 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2453&iddiary=4734https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2453SUMMARY Ragnarok Online, better known as RO, is an open-ended massive multi-player online role-playing game. Meaning you get to create a character, however you wish, and unleash him or her upon the rest of the community. Like all other MMORPG's like World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Lineage the game is simply you against a fantasy world of magic and mayhem. RO has dozens of character classes to pursue, plenty of side-quests and an on-going storyline called the War of Emperium, classically known as the guild wars, where player created guilds fight against one another for supremacy. Though there is no real story or plot line, the freedom allows players to try and make a name for themselves in the massive online community as they try to become the greatest warrior/archer/wizard/priest the world has ever known. GAMEPLAY I have tried a lot of MMORPGs, some I liked and other's I didn't. Final Fantasy 11 was among the ones that I did not like, but Ragnarok was one that I continued to return to, no matter how many times I told myself to stop. I find that it is truly a very addicting game. For one thing, I adore having freedom in my gaming experiences, and in RO I get to choose what is to become of my little Novice character, heck, I can even choose to play a male sprite if I so wished. Popular routes that a lot of new people take is pursuing the thief or archer classes. They are the easiest to level up, and might I add, leveling up in this game is just as time consuming as other leveling games. But like other leveling up games, RO rewards you with skill and status points that you can put into your character's skill tree to master a particular attack, or increase Agility or Strength, etc. Also what makes this game so great for me is the amount of friends I know who also play it. We coordinate times on when we should all sign in, and even created a guild that grew exponentially in number. It is very easy to get sucked into the game, especially in the beginning because the levels come so easily. I'm given ample time to interact with the people around me as I play, considering if they are also playing the game with me. Some people might call this a LAN Party, and that means things can get a little rowdy, but always exciting. Personally, there are three VERY important things that make a game good for me. Story/Plot, Graphics, and gameplay atmosphere. RO may not have an established story or plot line, but it allows the player to create his or her own plot (with friends). Furthermore, with the lack of plot, other than trying to obtain the highest level you can possible be, or have the rarest and most powerful items you can possible have, there is AMPLE time for classic dorking around. Graphic wise...I LOVE how cute everything looks. Some people don't like the anime-sque style, but I find it adorable. It's definitely not Warcraft elves or orcs, but the sprites in RO can change hair color, clothing color, and can equip a wide variety of other accessories like cowboy hats, or antlers. It gives it a personal feel to your character. And finally, atmosphere wise, the world Gravity Co. Ltd. has created is amazing, and sucks you right into the game. I love the detail and music and the interactions with other players who can be from a different continent for all I know. After all, who sleeps when you're hung up on a MMORPG, that's a waste of time you can spend leveling your character!Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:55:31 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2453&iddiary=4652https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2159GAMEPLAY The more I play this game, the more I think that it has seriously become a world on its own. Although it is just a video game that you can save, turn off, and then come back to pick up where you left off, it is not any different than a good book like Lord of the Rings, where you can put down and pick up with the characters just as you left them. I really do feel like I'm part of all the conflict that is going on, especially when there are times where the player is allowed to choose one of two or more answers to a question. Kind of like a choose your own adventure type of thing that gives more freedom to the player. Furthermore, the idea of side quests are appealing to me, because it lessens the seriousness of the game. It makes me feel like Link, or whatever you wish the hero's name to be, has a life outside of this mess that he's be prophesied to take care of. It adds character depth to the two-dimensional being. And I am someone who is always amazed with detail, which is why this game is in such high standings with me. It is, unlike a lot of the other Legend of Zelda games, because they are made simple for the hand-held Game Boy, but I like how this was the turning point for all the other Zelda games that were released for the Game Cube and the Wii. Though I have not played the new released like Wind Waker, Majora's Mask, and Twilght Princess, I am glad to know that Ocarina of Time was the jumping point for the Legend of Zelda games into larger consoles. Meaning, all the games after this one derived their design and gameplay from the original. I am absolutely in LOVE with the storyline, because it goes beyond just a simple hero's journey. In fact the situation was birthed because of the Hero's mistake, and now he must go about setting things right. The creaters put a new twist on an age old story, and threw in characters that would never be forgotten. Most impressive. I forget to mention, that although the game is single player there are a lot of opportunities for bystander interaction. I know that before I said there would be zero to none due to the concentration this game required, but I forgot how good it would be to have some added support in the background. Traveling time between areas in Hyrule give ample amount of time to discuss the game. The world of Zelda is actually quite large, and can take a long time when without a horse. DESIGN I speak highly of Ocarina of Time because it has a fairly developed plot and people that immerse you in this other world. The game revolves around legends and magic, everything that interest humans, and different races of people that seem to parallel our own world. There is a lack of levels, per say, but there are dungeons that the player is expected to beat in a certain order. Also the game does a great job at interlocking the dungeons by placing important weapons and items needing in one dungeon in another. I think this was a very innovative idea, because games before this placed items accessible as their need came along with the journey. The entire act of LOOKING for the item made this game a new experience. The basic style of this game was made into a single-player adventure game. However, the dungeons themselves offer a load of puzzles that need to be solved and doors that need to be unlocked. Ocarina of Time even uses real world physics to more from one dungeon level(basement) to the next. For example, jumping off a higher point in order to use Link's weight and momentum to break through a spider web on the floor, which covered the hole that lead to the second basement. Also the amount of different NPC that you encounter and their importance is also unlike a lot of other games, simply because this game is placed within a span of a 7 years gap. The dynamics you see as young Link and the relationships he has with people and the world changes when he grows older. The worlds become scarier, and the puzzles become harder. Almost like a metaphorical way of depicting the process of aging. It was also an interesting idea to allow Link to return to his child form whenever he wanted to. By replacing the Master Sword back into the Pedestal of Time Link is able to transform into a child again, and vice versa. In fact, so beat some of the dungeons changing back and forth is required, like in the Spirit Temple where half of the temple needs to be completed as a child before beating it as an adult. There are very few cut scenes, or cinamatics in this game, although a lot more compared to even older games. It as enough scenes to move the plot around, not like the later Final Fantasy games of Square Nix that had enough cut scenes and cinamatics to make a full length DVD. I don't find it's lack of cut scenes alarming, it has a lot of characters that move the plot along and help answer the player's questions. Including a fairy, Navi, who follows Link around and explains to him the best way to defeat a monster or where to go next. This system does get annoying when you simply want to goof off, but was placed there to help players when they are confused with what to do next. And I admit, I'm grateful for having Navi around when I get stuck on some parts. Space wise the creators seemed to have based the game off of how one would see the real world as you journey through the land on foot or on horseback. There is a passage between night and day as you move across the land from Lake Hylia to the Kokiri Forest. Also the design of all the different dungeons vary greatly. From inside a large tree, to a volcano, to the belly of a whale, to a grave yard or under a lake. There is no two dungeons that look the same, but have similar puzzles that need to be completed and bosses to defeat. In exploration of a dungeons the space around the hero is very important. You can look in every direction and see monsters approaching. When you get hurt you loose hearts, and there is even a way to increase the number of hearts you have in order to increase the number of hits you can take. As you move through the story you learn how to use magic, and obtain a magic meter that limits the amount of magic you can perform before running out. However, there are always healing potions to restore life and magic like any good games does. There are even revival fairies, so if you cature one it will come out and revive you when you die. All of these implements make his game player friendly. There is always someone there to help, always a new grotto to discover, and new surprised under ever corner. It is obvious that the creators put a lot of time and thought into the creation of this game, and it's true when people say not to leave any rock unturned, because in this game you might be missing out on a great reward. Like a new weapon or more bombs, or increase in life.Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:28:27 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2159&iddiary=4224https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2159SUMMARY Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time follows the game's protagonist, Link, through his quest to save the Land of Hyrule from the evil Gerudo King, Ganondorf. In order to do so Link must journey across Hyrule, for the sake of Princess Zelda, collecting spiritual stones that are needed to open the Door or Time. Upon gathering the three stones Ganondorf strikes, and Princess Zelda is forced to flee. Link is put into a deep sleep for seven years and reemerges as the Hero of Time. In his absence, Link learns that the peaceful land of Hyrule he knew in his childhood had been taken over by Ganondorf and his minion. He sets of, as the Hero of Time, collecting Elemental Medallions in order to add strength to his body and would ultimately prepare him for the final battle with Ganon. With the help of friends, old and new, Link learns that he holds a piece of the mythical Triforce, the foundation of Hyrule, as does Ganondorf and Princess Zelda. Ganondorf plans on stealing all three pieces of the Triforce for himself. GAMEPLAY This is one of my favorite games of all time, and it is a game that I highly recommend for anyone who has not had the chance to play it. Throughout the game I have actually grown attached to the main character of the game, Link, and fell in love with the Land of Hyrule due to its realistic atmosphere. The game grabbed me from day one, though it took a while for me to get into the character , but the creature creation was what surprised me. I actually felt chills when I came up against monsters in the Shadow Temple, or any of the undead monsters. The musical aspect of the game also played a very big part in setting the atmosphere, because I'm a big fan of good music, and this game let me play my own songs that had magical properties--turning day to night, making it rain, etc. Character wise, I feel like the protagonist, Link, was actually ridiculous, simply because this game was so realistic I couldn't help but think how stupid it is to do half the things that he does. That is how attached I became to the character, which was an amazing feeling. Looking at the story alone, I will call it a novel, because the game spans across 7 years, where you actually get to see Link grow up and night pass into day. Also, the people around Link also grow up, and one victory leads smoothly into another battle until the very end. However, one of the games bad points is that it is very much a single player game. Although you can have people watching there really isn' much interaction between you and the bystanders, unless the sole purpose of their presence is to watch you play. The Ocarina of Time is one of those games that suck you into the world, and you forget about time and the people around you because it deals with a lot of concentration. Especially when it's your first time playing. Furthermore, I don't really think this is a game for all ages, because there are some graphical aspects of violence and dark worlds that still scare me. Places that I still refuse to go because it scares me, but that's what makes this game incredible. I like it because it is not something cute like most of Nintendo's games, with the exception of games like Resident Evil. The realism of the game, and the in depth story is gripping, but I agree that it is a game that you will need to get used. There are a lot of details and side quests that really have no purpose in the main plot, but are placed there to enrich the game and deserves some attention.Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:55:40 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2159&iddiary=4132https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1669GAMEPLAY For the amount of time spent playing the game over, it is not a game that I have found to easily tire of. Of course, the physical activity does become burdensome, but the fun is always there because you can play one song after another in the game's Training Mode. I mostly play in Game Mode, which is like the arcade version. Meaning you play a total of three songs, assuming that you don't fail on any song, and are graded on each song with an averaged grade at the end of the three songs. This gives a more realistic feel, because in arcades you will have to pay money in order to play, so it's best not to fail for that would be a waste of money. Like playing any other game, the player has to get into a certain zone of play, where nothing is distracting them from the arrows, because as the songs get harder he arrows come up faster or in strange sequencing. Depending on how fast the song is, and arrow can show up every four beats or two beats. That makes a slow song. Songs in Heavy or Difficult, usually have sixth or eighth notes. And it only gets harder from there. It is mildly disconcerting if you fail to finish a song, because a song automatically stop when the Beat Bar is empty. The Beat Bar is a bar that cuts across the top of the screen and shows how well you are doing. If you do not miss a beat/arrow, then the bar would accumulate until it is full. But every time you do miss an arrow the bar goes down, until there is nothing left. That is when you fail the song There are a lot of modes that I have explored in the game. Training Mode, Story Mode, Game Mode, and even Workout Mode. Workout Mode is a handy way of estimating how many calories you have lost while playing the game. In this mode you can set it to a target time, or even a target amount of pounds you want to loss. Of course, the calculations are not perfect, but I still find myself using it because DDR does prove to be a good amount of work out. Furthermore, it's fun for all ages. My parents and a lot of older people play it, and some get really good. It is a good cardio exercise, and works a on hand feet coordination. DESIGN I think that this is a very new innovation in game design, because the player is able to do more than press a couple buttons on a controller or D-pad. It combines music and media with gaming, and is a good source of exercise. The game has many design elements that are new, I really enjoy the amount of participation a play gets. However, I do not like the fact that they added the Steller Story Mode, it makes unlocking songs tedious and tiring, because the only way to pass a certain song in that mode is getting a perfect score, which could take days, because something could always go wrong. This game also allows the player to challenge themselves. You can do so by picking a particularly hard song, and play it over and over again to master it. The more songs you play and master the more songs you unlock. And the key of the game is to unlock all the songs, but there really isn't an official end. You can play as long as you like. I have also noticed that the game fosters a lot of social interaction between the players and the audience. It is a game that people can sit around and watch, because there is a lot of action that revolves around the screen and the players. It is a game that even the audience can get in on, coaching the players and giving their two cents to technique and everything. The game does not get too complex as long as the player does not want it to be. I think it's a great design because the player can physically choose how they wish to play, easy, hard, medium. There are even options that allow the play to change the speed of a song x2 or even x8 beats. Also, a player can mess with the arrow presentation, making them vanish before they hit the top or remove them entirely and play based on memory. It is just ways of developing one's skills in the game, but is not required to play the game. I believe this is one of the greatest traits, because a player is able to find his or her own individual preferences and styles when it comes to playing. There is never just one way of doing things, which makes this game interesting. You can always find a way to challenge yourself. Finally, this game's reward system is taken after ranking and grades, even in the console editions. Depending on the song you play and how well you play it you obtain points, and in the end, if the points are high enough, you are able to enter your name on a list of high scores. The grading of a song is between E and AAA, depending on how many arrows you've missed and how many you've hit on time. Also, depending on how many points you obtain you are able to buy characters and settings. Now, characters work a little differently in this game than most, because a character is just a sprite that dances along on screen while the song is playing. Usually as a player the character serves no purpose what so ever, but it does become a target of interest for on lookers. As a player I've rarely noticed the characters or music videos playing in the background during a song, because all my attention is devoted to the arrow sequence, but when I step away and watch some one else play I find it fun to watch the characters and videos that I normally miss out on.Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:20:49 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1669&iddiary=3410https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1669SUMMARY Dance Dance Revolution is a game where the player is expected to press down a sequence of arrows with his or her feet, on a dance pad that can be connected to the system, as the arrows show up on the screen. The object of the game is to try and not miss a single arrow in order to get the highest grade. Grade can range from E to AAA, and the songs all have three levels of difficulty, ranging from Beginner to Heavy, and some even have a Challenge mode, which is the most difficult. This game, created by Konami, has many versions with the most recent version dubbed Supernova, which features English and Japanese songs to dance to. GAMEPLAY Dance Dance Revolution(DDR) Supernova is what I have been playing. I am familiar with most of the other DDR versions, starting from 4, which makes Supernova version 9 or 10 I'm supposing. Thus, I expected the gameplay to be about the same, with the exception of newer songs. This game is not like other video games, because DDR and similar games like Guitar Hero and Drum Mania put the player in even more participation that other games. You are actually expected to dance according to the arrows that scroll along the screen, or else fail the course. It is common misconception to belittle these kinds of games, because it seems easy enough to execute. However, when I play I feel an overwhelming amount of pride and a constant need to get better and better. Like any other video game, I feel like DDR is about progress, and the object of the game itself is to unlock songs as you go along. You unlock songs by performing well on another one. This is a game that combines physical activity and video gaming, you don't have to know how to dance to be able to play this game, because it trains you from the beginning. When you shuffle through song titles, it usually allows you to choose difficulty and shows how fast the song is in beats per minuet, and has a chart that displays how much "voltage, freeze, stream, air, etc." there is in a song. That just means how much the arrows flow, if there are a lot of freeze arrows, or a lot of jumping. So there is little surprise. Also, the more you play, the more you have an understanding of when is the best time to press down on the arrows. Like I said, it's a game about progress, and you can play with two people, Versus Mode, or one person can even play with two pads, which is called Double Mode. You would assume that there would be little player interaction because you would need to concentrate, but I find myself always talking to my partner, whether it be complaining about how easy the song is, or how hard it is. On the console edition of the game DDR Supernova has a Story Mode called Stellar Master. This is one way to unlock more songs, and must be played in order to obtain all 200 something songs. This mode starts off easy, but gets increasingly harder in order to hone a player's skill. It is a nice device for assisting the player, but I find that it jumps too much in difficulty, or expects progress to quickly, which is why I don't like playing this mode. I enjoy this game because it gives the player the freedom to choose whatever song he or she would like to play.Sun, 13 Jan 2008 17:24:53 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1669&iddiary=3393