Written on: Jun 24 2008
Featured on: Write The Game Video Game Blog
In the last few years being creative in a video game has become more common. Of course with that came quite a few games that had the player creating their own character to go through the story. Customizable characters have been around for quite some time, however with today’s technology, it is a completely new ballgame.
With lesser-known titles such as Magic Pengel and Graffiti Kingdom sparking the trend way back in 2003/2004 things have come a long way. Having now established that home consoles had enough power to do some major character creations, games like the Soulcalibur series began including Character Creation Modes that are more sophisticated. After that, it was a while before something truly new came along. Read the rest of this entry »
Categorized in Casual, Creativity, Industry News and Innovation
Written on: Jun 19 2008
Featured on: Write The Game Video Game Blog
Lara Croft, Kirby, Pac-Man, Master Chief, Ryu, and Crash Bandicoot; these are just some of the many video game mascots out there. Used as “figureheads” to advertise for the company or put into a game to save a company from falling profits, being a mascot is not an easy job, even for someone or something that does not really exist.
Charged with being the faces of gaming for their time, mascots have an enormous responsibility on top of having to save the world. As mentioned, if the sales of a company start to fall they rely on their mascot to bring back fans with a new installment to the series. If that fails however, who knows what may happen to the mascot, it may be given another shot, take a back seat to a new face, or simply be replaced without so much as a spin-off game.
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Categorized in History and Industry News
Written on: Jun 17 2008
Featured on: Write The Game Video Game Blog
After addressing some rumors and questions most fans of Nintendo’s Wii had, I thought it was time I asked them directly to see what they had to say about the rumors. The next day I had word back from Jennifer Han, a PR for Nintendo of America. So what does Nintendo have to say about all the rumors? Read the rest of this entry »
Categorized in Industry News and Nintendo
Written on: Jun 14 2008
Featured on: Write The Game Video Game Blog
Yesterday Keira talked about puzzle games, today we will look at the newest installment of the Dr. Mario series, Dr. Mario Online Rx! The original Dr. Mario was hailed as one of the best puzzle games of it is time. While it looked and played slightly like Tetris the difference was that in Dr. Mario you actually having a clear goal; clearing out those nasty viruses.
So what improvements have been made since Dr. Mario 64? Online Rx also includes the Virus Buster mini-game introduced in Brain Age 2, which prolongs the life of this simple puzzler ever so slightly. The most obvious change to the series and what inevitably saves this game the inclusion of online functionality. If you loved the old Dr. Mario games there is no reason you should not get this one. It provides the same gameplay you know and love for a meager 1000 Wii points. Read the rest of this entry »
Categorized in Casual, Puzzle and Review
Written on: Jun 12 2008
Featured on: Write The Game Video Game Blog
Pokemon has been a hit with kids, parents, and gamers everywhere because of its cute characters and fun gameplay. With that said, the Wii’s WiiWare channel has gotten its first Pokemon game. Is it a hit or is it a Pokemon game to forget?
Featuring linking capabilities between the Wii and DS is a valuable function to have, especially for a Pokemon game. However, aside from seeing your Pokemon from Diamond and Pearl in a cute smaller 3D style there is not much to the game. While it looks like it would be more akin to a Harvest Moon or Viva Piñata game then Pokemon, you will soon come to realize it is nothing like any of them. After the initial “Aww that’s so cute” factor wears off you see the true nature of the game, Pokemon storage.
If you’re a big Pokemon fan and are still playing and catching as many as you can in Diamond and Pearl then there is no reason you shouldn’t pay the $10 for this game. If the cuteness does not hook, you the fact that you can eventually store 1000 extra Pokemon in your ranch will. Realistically though, this is nothing more then an attempt at prolonging the life of the most recent hand held Pokemon release. Although it does do a good job in that respect as a stand-alone game there is nothing to it and for the average gamer, it is not very appealing. In short, huge Poke-fans will go crazy and have endless amounts of fun watching their cute little critters run around and interact with their Mii. On the other hand, normal gamers will pass it up without hesitation.
Categorized in Casual and Review
A follow up conversation held on Jun 18th between myself and another video game blogger about the PS3 and my Console Issues articles. This proves that deep down, all gamers are the same. Fanboyism is unacceptable! There is no best console, just which is doing better at the time. Enjoy the read! Read the rest of this entry »
Categorized in Follow Up and Reader Contributions
Written on: Jun 10 2008
Featured on: Write The Game Video Game Blog
Beautiful, a powerhouse, and amazing; these are a few ways to describe Sony’s PS3. Unfortunately, most of the time when people are explaining their feelings about the system the terms lackluster, confusing, and problem filled. While its full potential has yet to be tapped, being a late bloomer in the race to become king of the current generation has only hurt the electronics giant.
Back when the PS3 was released at the amazingly high price, a term was created for those who did not have the funds to purchase it; that term was Wii60. Baffled by the incredible price many people, Nintendo and Microsoft included, endorsed the notion of buying both the Wii and Xbox 360 instead of a PS3 because “you would get an arguably better gaming experience for a certainly lower price.” What is truly unfortunate for Sony is that the term is still in full effect even with the constant price drops.
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Categorized in Complaining and Sony
Written on: Jun 7 2008
Featured on: Write The Game Video Game Blog
The original Xbox was a beast. A giant system, controller, and of course success. However, with time also comes change. When Microsoft revealed the Xbox 360 for the first time fans of the system were beyond excited. The systems eventual release was greeted with a big shock; problems plagued the system and still do to this day.
Problems with the Xbox 360 are not so much with the system as it is with Microsoft’s customer relations. A great game selection and a minimized size (with both the console and controllers) do not make up for the lack of support Microsoft has been offering its consumers. They have been more lenient recently. Now offering an extended three-year warranty for those who experience the dreaded red rings. The support however, has not improved much.
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Categorized in Complaining and Microsoft
Written on: Jun 5 2008
Featured on: Write The Game Video Game Blog
Innovative gamplay, family friendly, and still being able to appeal to the hardcore gaming market. The Wii is the number one contender in the current console war. Now I won’t lie, I’ve been a big Nintendo fan since Mario started his epic quest to find the castle his princess was in, but it’s time to address some big issues with their latest endeavors. What could possibly bother anyone about the eccentric little white powerhouse? A lot apparently.
Not too long ago I talked about a few releases for Nintendo’s new WiiWare channel. While this was a welcome addition to the Wii’s digital game library with it comes a mess of problems they don’t seem to be prepared for. Microsoft’s 360 and Sony’s PS3 both have big hard drives for easy storage of save files, downloaded content, and other little tidbits. Unfortunately, the Wii only has a small storage device and the ability to use SD cards as a means enhancing storage capabilities.
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Categorized in Complaining and Nintendo
As more news has been announced and more videos have been shown it has become apparent that Sonic Team and Dimps (developing the Wii and PS2 versions) have decided to take the blue hedgehog back to his roots. Not only is the gameplay taking a hint from the past but so is almost everything else. Dr. Eggman/Robotnik returns as the main antagonist for the game and he can only be stopped by collecting the Chaos Emeralds. From the sound, and look of things, we will be getting a next-gen old-fashioned Sonic game! 
