BlackIvory32's GameLogBlogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=621New Super Mario Brothers (DS) - Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:49:13https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2987Gamelog Entry #2 Gameplay Alright, so I have spent about an hour playing MvL mode and the Mini-games with my girlfriend via the DS's wireless gameplay. I know I was kind of hard on the mini-games in my first gamelog entry, but I still stand with my first assessment of them. The music wasn't that great, and the games are derivatives of one another (with some exceptions). Even when playing them in 2 player mode, the mini-games weren't as fun as they could be. I found that some of the games (blackjack, speed, etc) made me wonder why I didn't just get a real deck of cards and play with my friends. Bottom line, mini-games work for something like Mario Party where it makes sense to have them: not as a tacked on feature on NSMB. On the other hand, MvL mode makes sense and is a lot of fun. The mode itself has the look and feel of the main game and is loads of fun to play. I found myself getting really involved in trying to win each round. MvL mode is a lot like the mode featured in Super Mario Bros. 3 mixed with Mario 64. I would argue that NSMB only needs its the main game and MvL mode. Ether way I guess it doesn't matter if the mini-games are included or not. Overall, NSMB is a decent game. Design Like I wrote before, the level design of the game allows for the player to rush through the game effortlessly. The incentive to make the player replay or slowdown is to collect gold coins or find alternate routes which lead to secret alternate worlds. Another thing that makes the game fun to play are the power-ups. The Mega Mushroom, Blue Koopa Shell, and Mini-Mushroom, change the gameplay. With the Mega mushroom, the player can essentially power their way though 3/4's of a level in a few seconds. With the Blue Shell, they player can turn themselves into a spinning shell and make themselves invincible. Lastly the Mini-Mushroom makes the player the size and weight (yes weight) of a flea. This makes the player extremely vulnerable yet virtually weightless. Apart from those deign elements, the game shares many of the same characteristics as many of the other Mario games.Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:49:13 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2987&iddiary=5622New Super Mario Brothers (DS) - Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:30:32https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2987Gamelog Entry #1 Summary: New Super Mario Bros. (NSMB) is a continuation of the Mario franchise on the DS. The plot, like most mario games, revolves around rescuing the princess who has been captured. The game itself spans across 8 worlds and has a variety of bonus features that take advantage of the DS's wifi, touch screen, and mic. Other elements that have been added to this game are the use of the the Mega Mushroom, Blue Koopa Shell, and Mini Mushroom. Gameplay: When I bought my DS Lite, it came with Brain Age 2 and not NSMB. That said, I am writing this gamelog entry from the perspective of someone who hasn't played NSMB. Playing the game has the feel of classic Mario Bros. with an updated 64 twist. Subtle things I noticed are double jump, triple jump, wall jump, duck, and ground pounding. Not to mention that the game graphics have a pseudo-3D feel to them, while maintaining 2D side scrolling gameplay. Anyways, I found that the controls, levels, and worlds design allow for the game to be played in a fast paced way, while having lots or replay value. Many extra features in the game are unlocked in the player goes back and tries playing the level in different ways. One method in particular is the beating of the castles while the player is in Tiny Mario mode. Overall I found the single player mode or gameplay both classic and refreshing. Other options in the game include Mario vs Luigi (MvL) Mode and Mini Game mode. For the this gamelog entry I am going to skip MvL Mode as it is 2 player and I usually review 2 player modes in my second gamelog entry. NSMB comes with an variety of mini games which can be played both in single mode and 2 player mode. Overall the mini-games feel a bit tacked-on and banal. Even though they are mini-games, the only reason I could see myself playing them is if I was bored on the bus and didn't have much else to do. I suppose the mini-games aren't that bad. This portion of the game is the only part that really takes advantage of the DS touch and mic features as the main game doesn't really use these features. Overall, NSMB is pretty fun if you play the main game. For my next gamelog entry I will review playing MvL mode and Mini-Games in 2 player mode. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:30:32 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2987&iddiary=5612Katamari Damacy (PS2) - Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:22:04https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2645Gamelog Entry# 2: Classics list: Katamari Damacy Gameplay: Ok, 2 player mode was a bit of a let down. Don't get me wrong, it is still fun however it feels like it is lacking something. Considering how much potential the game has, I am disappointed in the 2 player mode didn't take advantage of it. Perhaps a bigger level, or team play (instead of just versus) would have helped. I guess the biggest problem is that the level is just too small. Anyways, that said, there were also many good things about 2 player mode. The gameplay was still electric, and having someone else on the screen (split screen) gave a different feel to the game. Also the fact that we could roll up each other if one person was bigger than the other, was a nice tough. Regardless that 2 player mode wasn't too exciting, it was strangely interesting playing with someone else and just switching off controllers in single player mode. So back to single player mode. The game is so addictive. Its weird, I can't put my finger on exactly I find it so fun. Like I said before. The music is really catchy. So catchy in fact that I would consider the sound track "buy worthy". The music is very diverse with an underlying quirky japanese feel to it. Second the controls are really innovative. Traditionally the second analogue stick on the DualShock is used to control a camera (while the other control is for movement). In Katamari, both sticks are used to move the katamari forward, and in other directions depending on which stick is forward or back. The last thing I would note (I posted in the pervious entry) is that the game truly feels limitless. Given that you can roll up virtually anything that isn't nailed down (and even then I am sure you could roll it up if you wanted), the game has lots and lots of potential. Game Design: Each level seems really well designed with usually and usually has underlying theme. Even though some of the levels are reused, with different objects in their place, there is still a different feel to the level. This is usually due to the time limit or Katamari size which limits how big you get. If there is really long time limit, then you katamari can get so HUGE that it seems like a completely different level. Also the theme of each level makes each level feel "fresh". The graphical style of the game is also something really unique. Rather than try to go for realistic graphics, the game uses blocky vectored lego-esque graphics. This provides a whimsical fun atmosphere as the graphics are consistent throughout the game, even in the cut scenes. I believe that because the graphics are so basic looking, it allows for more objects are more fun gameplay. My final thoughts on the overall game design are that obviously a lot of time went into this game. It is hard to imagine what would make this game better. My only suggestion would be to incorporate a more involved 2 player mode. If you have never played Katamari Damacy and find yourself in the presence of the game, don't pass up the chance to play it. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:22:04 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2645&iddiary=5022Katamari Damacy (PS2) - Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:53:54https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2645Gamelog Entry# 1: Classics list: Katamari Damacy Summary: Katamari Damacy is a puzzle/action/ball/chaos simulator. To say this game is anything short of madness is a gross understatement. In the game, you play "the prince", who is the son of the "King of all Cosmos". Because the King of the Cosmos destroy the universe (drunken rage?) it is your job to recreate the create the planets and stars in the sky. To do this you role around a little ball that can pick up small objects. Once the ball gets bigger, ball has more gravitational pull and then can pick up bigger objects. These balls get thrown into the sky and become new planets and stars. Gameplay: When I first turned on the game, I sorta knew what to expect, but after playing for a few minutes I knew I have never played a game like Katamari Damacy. This game is sheer brilliance. The spherical world menu, innovative controls, crazy music, random characters, insane objects, and brilliant dialogue differentiate this game from all other games. So how did I feel when playing this game? Immersed. When reflecting on the gameplay, the game sounds like a dull. I mean, what is fun about rolling around a ball collecting things? Regardless of how boring it sounds, I found myself 'energized' by the gameplay. With catchy japanese-esque music, and random objects, I found myself saying WTF? or No F*ing Way. I guess what makes this game so fun to play is that the player is constantly trying to make a bigger katamari by collecting the most bazaar objects. Crabs, people, food, erasers, cats, tacks, pencils, ANYTHING you can think of. Also the fact that size is relative makes this game so interesting. I mean, you start off no bigger than a flea (with a slightly bigger ball) and you can roll that ball to pick up, something as big as a building (though it's a gradual progression to get that big). Anyways, I guess the appeal is that the game give the illusion of having infinite potential. I plan, for my next post entry, to try the game in 2 player mode. Hopefully it will be just as addictive is not more (usually more players = more fun). Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:53:54 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2645&iddiary=5017Mario Party DS (DS) - Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:10:04https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2381Game Entry #2 Gameplay: Alright, since my previous gamelog entry, I have gotten my roommate, my girlfriend, and my friend to play Mario Party Multiplayer. Since we only have 3 DS's however, we were stuck alternating a DS (person in last place gives up their DS). Anyways, to describe the overall experience, in one word, would be say it was Incredible. What about it was incredible? Well to begin, the atmosphere. When playing Mario Party alone, I was not really into it. Granted it was entertaining, but compared to playing the game with actual people, Multiplayer rules, single player sucks. The atmosphere in the room was electric. We were yelling, groaning, and cursing each-other with excitement. Perhaps this sounds a bit exaggerated, but anyone who has gotten themselves involved in a serious game of monopoly (or any other board-game) knows that the spirit of competition can make even the most banal game riveting. Apart from a change in competition, there was also a change in the game elements. Among the things that I didn't notice before are the use of items, traps, and "awards" given at the end of the game. The way those things tie into the multiplay aspect is that they allow the players to get ahead or sabotage one another. Also the inclusion of the "awards" makes the game unpredictable because even after the game is over, the person in second or third place can rise to first place if they get enough "awards" at the totaling up of points. Needless to say, the awards are somewhat arbitrary which gives the worst players a sense of hope and the best players a sense of doubt. Game Design: Overall I would say the game design was pretty good. The inclusion of lots of mini-games, game extras, and unlock-able content definitely brought value to the game. I would like to make of note of the mini-games in particular. Though the mini-games got redundant, the variety, including the options for the amount of players, made it fun. Also the mini-games made great use of the DS mic and touch screen. Some games required a lot of blowing (candles, wobbling bricks, etc...) as well lots of touching (leaves, pencil, roping, etc...). The level designs (board designs?) were also well thought out. Each one was themed and had their own twist. The Library Board in particular had a neat concept of teleporting through books. The reason this was necessary is because parts of the puzzle were only accessible through teleporting. Also there is a race to find Stars, and in order to get to a place faster one might try teleporting (though it doesn't always work in your favor). Another thing I found neat about the levels was that a lot of the scenery was functional. That is to say, that almost everything you saw played some role in the progression of the game. Currently I am still discovering new mini-games and strategies to getting better at this game. Overall I would say that this game as High replay value and is recommended to anyone with a DS who likes party games. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:12:37.)Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:10:04 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2381&iddiary=4780Mario Party DS (DS) - Fri, 08 Feb 2008 01:16:28https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2381Game Entry #1 Summary: Essentially, Mario Party is a turn based board game with a Nintendoesque twist. The player roles dice, moves an avitar across a board, and tries to score points. In the DS version, the player has the option to choose from playing "Story Mode, Party Mode, Minigame Mode, Puzzle Mode, and Multiplayer". "Story Mode" has a very weak narrative revolving around characters from the mario franchise. "Party Mode" skips the narrative and allows the player to play on any of the unlocked "boards" or stages. "Minigame Mode" allows the player to play unlocked mini-games without playing on the board. "Puzzle Mode" allows the player to play puzzlesque games that are similar to bejeweled and SPF2. Lastly. "Multiplayer Mode" allows the player to play any of the above game modes in multiplayer (up to 4 players) via local wi-fi (and only one game card is necessary). Gameplay So last weekend I had a few bucks to kick around, and with no PS3 games interesting me, I though I'd get a new DS game. Needless to say the game I got was Mario Party for the DS. First off let me say I love how many options this game has. Its like buying a 100 games in one cartridge (but not really since there all mini-games) That said, this game is All mini-games with a board game concept connecting them. Sure there is a story mode, but all thats good for is unlocking more boards. When playing the "Story Mode" I felt the narrative was pretty cheap. Sort of an excuse to make the player play across all the boards and succeed. The reason it feels cheap is because it feels like it was tacked on to give the game purpose. Essential this is a board game. I feel that board games don't really have narrative. That said, the other game modes are really fun. The boards themselves are also really fun. Instead of being stuck on a single track moving across the board, there are short cuts, special items, and traps that allow the player to move anywhere across the board (and sometimes to new a location thats not accessible via the normal path) Each board is themed, which I also really like. Jungle, Library, Castle, Garden, etc... Needless to say, each board theme has its own music which adds to the whimsicality of the game. I found the music to get annoying at times, but overall is something that fades into the background so you don't really notice it. Another game element that keeps the game "upbeat" is the mini-games. The mini-games make great use of the touch screen and are overall fun to play. When I was playing the game earlier to day, I noticed that the games do get monotonous simply because you play them so much. Because this is a turn based game, you also have to watch all the other players (which are the computer) play out their turns. This can get boring and cause anxiety because your just waiting for your turn to come up. Im sure that the game is a lot more fun when you play Multiplayer, but I will leave that for my next Game Entry. Hopefully I can get some of my friends to come over with the DS and play (the single card option is a nice touch considering that no one else I know has this game). (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Fri, 08 Feb 2008 01:17:26.)Fri, 08 Feb 2008 01:16:28 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2381&iddiary=4530Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) - Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:05:42https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2008Gamelog Entry #2: Classics List: Shadow of the Colossus Gameplay Its been about 12 hours since my first post and I have gotten quite a bit father in the game since then. The gameplay itself hasn't changed much except a few things have been added/come to my attention. First off, in my pervious post, I wrote that there was no music when roaming the countryside. Since then, I have found certain parts of the map that play subtle music for ambiance. These areas are often dark or moody. That said, other things I have found since my pervious post are the ability to swim, do tricks on my horse, and climb parts of temples. Swimming was a bit interesting because few games allow you the ability to dive, swim, and do any water related. Other, not so interesting things I noticed, were no real noticeable load times and checkpoints. By this I mean, I spent hours wander around and the game never had a "now loading" type of message or pause. Also there are checkpoints, but are activated only after you find a colossi. As for the new colossi I have encountered, each seems more epic than the one before it. Also what I found really interesting about the colossi was that they weren't all land creatures. I found one colossus that was airborne and one that was underwater. Also the colossi don't share each others weaknesses. This makes each colossus its own challenge. There was one colossi in particular that was difficult because it was covered in armor, was small (just a little bit bigger than my horse) and ran really fast. This required me to interact with the environment to figure out its weakness. Overall I found the gameplay really fun. The only downsides were that it takes forever to get places and that the game gets monotonous if you don't take a break in between colossi. Other than that the gameplay was awesome. Design So what makes this a good game? I feel that the story's simplicity, great music, and innovative colossi are the cause of this. To start, this is game is VERY simple. No long drawn out plot. Straight up kill 16 colossi to bring your girlfriend back to life. Second, great music. Music equals atmosphere, and this game as tons of it. Third, innovative colossi. The interesting this about this is that each colossi is a puzzle. You can't just run up a colossi and kill it, you have to figure out how to climb it and where to stab it. The design of each colossi is also really neat. They remind my of aztec monsters or something from a culture that has been long gone. In terms of the mechanics of the game the controls, load times, menus, and map were all really good. The controls were really easy to learn and get used to. During the first mission, even before you see the colossus, you are given a quick tutorial to help you get oriented. The load times, as I said before, are virtually undetectable. The only time the game stops play is when you beat a colossus and are give the option to save your progress. The next thing is the menu/map. When you hit the pause button during play, the screen zooms out really fast showing a cool effect. Think google earth, but like a drawn map instead. From here, you have standard, OPTIONS, LOAD, QUIT. The option menu has pretty basic options which I don't need to get into. Overall everything is well thought out in the game. My only annoyance/pet peeve is the camera. In the game, you have total control of the camera, but it also tends to move on its own. This can be annoying if you are trying to aim with your bow, or swimming underwater. Its something that is easy to get used to but always annoying. Overall, amazing game.Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:05:42 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2008&iddiary=3944Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) - Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:19:22https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2008Gamelog Entry #1: Classics List: Shadow of the Colossus Summary: I would describe Shadow of the Colossus (SotC) as an adventure/puzzle game of epic proportions. The game revolves around a young man and his horse who are trying to bring a beautiful young woman back to life. In order to do so, they must destroy 16 colossi which are hidden throughout the land. However, destroying the colossi is no simple matter. Each colossi is a puzzle of its own, and the main character must figure out each ones weakness. To give you a mental image of the game, imagine David and Goliath. Then imagine that Goliath is an enormous stone creature the size of the statue of liberty, and David is a regular guy with a horse. Gameplay: Though this isn't the first time I have seen SotC, it is the first time I actually have sat down and played it. My initial reaction was, "yeah... alright this is kinda cool I guess..." but after spending a few hours playing it, I can say that this game is defiantly something special. The first things I noticed, before getting to the colossi, is the attention to detail. This game has by far the most realistic horse and scenery I have ever seen on the PS2. The landscape especially is both visually and emotionally moving. I found myself wandering around on my horse just exploring the landscape. The developers of the game did an amazing job making the game seem vast and almost endless. I say almost endless because the game obviously as to end somewhere, but it feels like your really wandering around a real countryside. In fact, the landscape is so vast that even with the horse it takes a while to get from one part of the map to the next. Another important thing to note is that there are no houses or people. There is a temple that you start out in, but other than that your alone. Ok, now for the colossi. I only have beaten the first two colossi so far, however, based on that I can definitely say the game is worth buying (The copy I am playing is borrowed, but I definitely intend on buying it). The first colossus I encountered was enormous, was bi-pedal, and could stop the hell out of my character. Using some skills I learned in the very beginning of the game, it was pretty intuitive how to scale the colossus. After the first colossus fell, I felt a sense of accomplishment and amazement. Seeing a gigantic creature fall is very moving. The second colossus was a lot more difficult because there is no explicitly told way to bring down the colossi. The second colossi is even bigger than the first and resembles a bull. Upon killing the creature I felt accomplishment and amazement with a strangely guilty. I believe that a lot of this emotion stems from the amazing music during the battles. During normal gameplay, when your wandering around the countryside, there is no music. When encountering the colossi, orchestrated epic music kicks in. More specifically, the music gets more intense when you finally figure out how to mount and kill the colossi. When the colossi finally fall, the music gets epic-ly mournful and you have a sense of guilt for killing such a majestic creature. Anyways, this concludes my first gamelog. Hopefully by my second game log I will have beaten a few more colossi. (This entry has been edited2 times. It was last edited on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:21:35.)Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:19:22 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2008&iddiary=3896Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (PS3) - Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:52:08https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1772Second Gamelog Entry Gameplay So its been at least 12 hours since I played the game yesterday and needless to day today's gameplay experience was similar. Today I didn't have my roommate or girlfriend to play with, so I decided to explore some of the other aspects of the game. To begin, let me reiterate that the game isn't as fun when playing by one's self. Because of this I decided to play online. In SPF2 there are 4 game modes. X*, X, Y, and Z. X* is what I played last night. The only difference between X* and X seems to be the inclusion of the diamond wild card. Without it, you need skill to win and cannot rely on luck. So to recap X* = with diamond, X = no diamond. Modes X and Y are similar to what I played last night, except the way the game is played is slightly different. Y mode doesn't seem to use diamond and instead asks that gems of the same color have to be touching. This touching can in include diagonally, horizontally, and vertically. Z mode is like X mode, except it it is played in reverse. Instead of gems falling from the top, they push up from the bottom. So what do I think of this game's overall gameplay? Well like I said before, I am not a big fan of the puzzle genre, however this game was addictive. I say "was" because after playing it a second time around, it seems to have lost its original appeal. Playing the different modes made it a little bit more interesting, but the gameplay gets old fast. I guess the original appeal came from playing the game with friends. If you play the game against the computer, or strangers online, the game seems a bit hollow. Granted, there is an option to play with friends online, but I'd much rather have them come over and play face to face. That said, there is also no reward or major motivation to keep a person playing for long periods of time. No reward, no unlock-able content that I could find. Perhaps I just haven't played long enough. Design To begin, the game reminds me a lot of tetris. Falling gems, classic music, high scores, what is there not to love? Well the truth is the music in SPF2 does get annoying but is actually necessary to keep the excitement and adrenaline going in the game. It seems to be composed of upbeat japanese video game music that makes you feel strangely upbeat and annoyed. Another design characteristic is the use of Capcom's 2D sprites. The game itself looks like its structured like a classic Capcom 2D fighting game fused with tetris. In the starting menu, you start by selecting which mode you would like to play. X*, X, Y, or Z. Then the screen takes you to character selection. In the character selection, Capcom has included many of its well known characters from Street Fighter to Night Stalkers. In this section there is some strategy to picking characters, but in the end it doesn't really matter if your skilled enough. After picking characters, the game begins. This is what Iv been writing about of the majority of this game log. The actual game play has the two characters in the center of the screen fighting. On the left and right side, are the playing areas for the players. Every time a player explodes gems, uses an orb, or diamond, the sprites on screen attack each other. There are also indicators on the screen to help the players with upcoming damage and gems. I believe that this basically covers the design and feel of SPF2. There are, however, a few other things to note. The game itself was originally an arcade game that recently became available on the PS3 and Xbox360. When playing this game, its important to remember how this game was originally meant to be played. Side by side in a dark noisy arcade. Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:52:08 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1772&iddiary=3614Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (PS3) - Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:37:51https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1772First Gamelog Entry Summary Essentially, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (SPF2) is a two player puzzle fighting game. This goal of the game is to beat your opponent, whether its a friend or the computer, by filing their screen to the top with an array of colorful gems. This is achieved by getting rid of gems on your side of the screen by grouping them by color and then exploding them with a matching energy orb. It is also important to note that the gems and energy orbs fall from the top of the screen anyways, so if your not careful they can pile up to high. Another important element is the diamond. The diamond acts as a "wild card" that explodes all the gems of the color it lands on. Other elements, such as the 2D Capcom sprites, different game modes, Online-Play, and World-Ranking also part in the game experience, however, what SPF2 essentially boils down to is how fast you can get rid of your gems. Gameplay Being that this was the first time I played the game, and that am not a big fan of the puzzle genre, I found this game surprisingly addictive. During the first 20 minutes I tried to get oriented with the controls and rules. The game itself is a lot like Tetris in terms of controls and style, however, the rules and graphics are completely different. So after about 20 minutes of fooling around I got good enough to beat the computer repeatedly. There seems to be no major reward for winning other maybe ranking online. The next thing I tried was playing online, which needless to say was a completely different experience. Playing this game online was incredibly fun. Im not exactly sure why, but it was probably because of the idea that I was playing against an actual person. I played about 12 rounds, each lasting 3-4 minutes. Some of the best and exciting rounds where when the game completely changed in the last second. A lot of this has to do with the diamond "Wild Card". Regardless if your losing, you can come back and win if you get that diamond. I played online until my girlfriend and my roommate came over. Needless to say, I tried to teach them how to play, and even more fun ensued. Playing with my girlfriend and roommate was even more fun that playing online. Because the game is a two player game, we took turns trading off the losing player. The reason the game became more fun was because we could actually hear each other shouting and getting aggressive as we played. Also the diamond allowed for everyone to at least win once. It was also around this time that we discovered that there are strategies to winning. Some of the strategies were stacking the gems so that they could explode in a chain reaction, as well as patterns in the falling gems and orbs. Another thing that i didn't really get into earlier was that there are 2D Capcom sprites on the screen that represent the players. When the game starts, you can choose which character/sprite you want to be. When I was playing with my roommate and girlfriend, we began to have loyalty towards the characters that we selected. My character was Ryu from the Capcom series Street Fighter. My girlfriend was Morgan from Night Stalkers. Lastly my roommate was Chung-Lee from Street Fighters. As we played more and more we would identify as the characters being extensions of ourselves. If one of us won the round, the winning player's character would display a victory messages. On a funny/random note, some of these messages seemed random or poorly translated. Overall our gameplay experience was awesome. On a more personal individual level, the game was fun online and so-so playing against the computer. The truth about this game is that its best played against a person sitting next to you. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:49:15.)Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:37:51 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1772&iddiary=3543