April 30th, 2008 Duster72
Welcome, welcome to the 5th installment of Blog Banter, the monthly blogging extravaganza headed by bs angel! Blog Banter involves our cozy community of enthusiastic gaming bloggers, a common topic, and a week to post articles pertaining to said topic. The results are quite entertaining and can range from deep insight to ROFLMAO. Any questions about Blog Banter should be directed here. Check out other Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!
This month’s topic:
Discuss one game you quit before completion because of a particular perceived flaw it had. What was that flaw and how could it have been fixed where you would have finished the game?
Wow, what a question: what one game did I quit because of a flaw? The better question is what games did I not quit because of what I felt was a perceived flaw.
To a large extent, the idea that any packaged entertainment event could hold a person’s attention span for more than 8 hours is rather incredible. We live in a time when we are rarely asked to devote our attention to anything for more than a few minutes.
That said, rather than focus on the games I did not finish, it might be more interesting to try to recall the ones I did finish. Keeping to just this generation:
Oblivion: I really didn’t like Oblivion all that much, but I found it to be addicting. I finished all the main quest and most of the side quests. I had over 30 hours in that game. Considering that I found it sac religious to some extent, it’s pretty impressive that they could get me sucked into that game.
Halo 3: This is the first Halo game I ever played the single player campaign. To be honest, I found the story, dialog, and acting to all be B-movie level at best. The music was good. The cutscenes were not impressive. The story is complete garbage. I would have never played it without online co-op or midnight launch event excitement.
Bioshock: I meant to finish Bioshock. I really thought it was awesome. After about 8 hours, however, I got tired of the scary bits and quit. Sorry, Ken Levine. I did like it, but the intensity was a little too much.
Gears of War: See Halo 3 description J Bad story, bad acting, depressing – generally not very likable. But man, is the co-op fun!
Fight Night Round 3: You weren’t expecting to see this title on the list, were you? Nope. But it’s here. Because that game was awesome and the single player career was a total blast. I loved every minute of it. It’s probably only a 6-8 hour game, but it’s a fun 6-8 hours.
Crackdown: I didn’t get all the achievements, but I played the story mode on this game and loved it. Another co-op friendly title. See a trend here? I spent tons of hours looking for orbs, jumping cars, and raising hell. The most underrated game on the 360.
Viva Pinata: I am still not sure how Rare pulled this one off. It’s the only good game they’ve made in the past 10+ years, and it’s great. Like an oasis in a desert of terrible titles. But VP is great. The single player is addictive and fun. And it never got old. I could play through it again. How often can you say that?
Gun: I think this game has had its reputation tarnished because the graphics weren’t quite up to snuff at launch and it quickly went to the bargain bins. But what a bargain bin game this is! Gun is great. It’s the only western-themed FPS to really pull it off. It’s got a good story, fun characters, and fun gameplay. I would love to see a sequel…maybe with co-op play 
So there you go: a list of games that I actually enjoyed – quite the break from the norm. I love picking out games’ flaws and ripping them to shreds. But today, let’s celebrate some games that actually made me happy to play them. They are too few and far between in the endless ocean of internet game hype.
Check out these other Blog Banter articles! Silvercublogger, Unfettered Blather, Triage Effect, Gamer Unit, Delayed Responsibility, Man Bytes Blog, CrazyKinux’s Musing, Zath!, Draining Souls.net, Game Couch, Hawty McBloggy
Posted in Blog Banter | 37 views
February 12th, 2008 Canis Firebrand
Blog Banter is a group of bloggers passionate about anything and everything video games. We enjoy getting together once a month to write about the same subject. You will be amazed at the different viewpoints so many people can have on the exact same topic! Links to all the participant’s articles can be found here. If you are interested in participating, contact bs angel for more information. Enjoy our stories!
This month’s post comes from another 8-Bit Brigade clan member, Canis Firebrand. Duster, who normally participates in the Blog Banter discussions, had quite a busy week and asked for a volunteer to write up a post. So, on short notice, this is my take on this months question.
Chu Chu Rocket is one of those quirky, yet oddly satisfying gaming titles that make an impression on you. It is a game that fits one aspect of my personality. I’ve always had a bit of a silliness about me. Most times I come across as quite stoic and serious. However, there are those times when even the seriousness drops away and you can find me laughing, quite loudly, at things that many people might let slip a brief chuckle. And while the game itself is quite simplistic in its puzzles and manner of play. The cutesy, cartoonish cat and mouse graphics bring out the silliness in me.
While Zork may not be a video game, it is one of those that was my first exposure to gaming. It is a game that relies on your ability to pay attention to detail and to think through any situation that you encounter. It also forces you to use patience and often logic or reasoning to complete. As it is a text based game, it is suited to those that have a wide sense of imagination and allows your mind to create the world you are in, much in the same way that reading can often times be a more enjoyable experience over seeing a movie adapted from a novel.
Ah, Master Chief. Where would my video game obsession be without my exposure to you. Prior to the first Halo game, I was not much of a gamer. Sure, I dabbled with the original PlayStation. I owned a Dreamcast system as well as a Nintendo. But games were always something that I played in short periods when I was bored. However, with the Halo series, my gaming turned into obsession and brought out a competitive streak in me. While Halo was a fun game and I enjoyed it, it was not until the release of Halo 2 and its spectacular online system that I became hooked. At any given time, you could jump on and find friends or just meet up with random strangers in a game for hours upon hours. With the release of Halo 3, my obsession with video games only became stronger. It helps that, through Halo, I am part of a great group of friends. Not only do we play games together, but we have the occasional get together where we can be social.
Well, there you have it. A few different examples of games that represent my personality traits. I’m sure that this post was not mind blowing or as in depth as it could have been. But then again, it was a interesting and challenging topic that I could have rambled on for pages about various games. I tried to keep it brief and as close to focused as I could get. I hope you enjoyed reading a bit about me and look forward to reading the other participating blogs responses.
Posted in Blog Banter | 37 views
January 5th, 2008 Duster72
Blog Banter is a group of bloggers passionate about anything and everything video games. We enjoy getting together once a month to write about the same subject. You will be amazed at the different viewpoints so many people can have on the exact same topic! Links to all the participant’s articles can be found here. If you are interested in participating, contact bs angel for more information. Enjoy our stories!
This is an interesting topic for the time of year, and I struggled to come up with a satisfying list. My original list would have upped my gamerscore, but at what cost? So, here it is: my life-game balance friendly list of gaming resolutions.
1) Do more appointment gaming
I have been frustrated with gaming lately. Seems like I always end up playing something I’m not in the mood for. Slogging through Halo 3 has me in a rut. Of course, it’s my own fault. Why not pick a couple nights a week and arrange a game? Pick something different, like Shadowrun and have some fun with something else. I am sick of getting on and not seeing any friends online. I need to set games up with clanmates – appointment gaming.
2) Play fewer games that make baby Jesus cry
I played more bad games in 2007 than I have in a long time. Fusion Frenzy 2, The Simpsons Movie, and Carnival Games are all bad enough to bring tears to baby Jesus’ eyes. What a colossal waste of time! 2008 – the year of no bad games!
I’ve got to stop buying into the hype and cutting out the BS. Too many websites are making it tough on hard core gamers by over hyping mediocre games. I’ve had enough, and I’m not doing it anymore. No more crap games!
3) Gaming is for fun!
Somewhere in between achievements and clan matches gaming has gotten away from being fun and gotten to be a chore. No more! I am going to let easy achievements go and try to stop being super competitive. Remember, the games are for fun!
4) Play those analog games!
Bohnanza, Ticket to Ride, Munchkin, whatever – they’re all tons of fun! No, you can’t play them with the ease of XBL, but that’s part of the experience. It’s time to get the Chex Mix going and break out the margarita machine. I need to call some friends and have more game nights.
So there you have it - my ideas for having more fun gaming while maintaining some balance with family. What changes would you like to make for 2008? Discuss in our forum!
Posted in Blog Banter | 4 views
December 2nd, 2007 Duster72
Blog Banter is a series of topics tackled by several video game bloggers, with Hawty McBloggy as the ringleader. This is my take on this month’s topic.
My earliest video game memory is the Christmas that I received an Atari 2600 from my grandparents. It had to have been 1983 or 1984, but I am not sure which year. I would have been 4 or 5. It is one of my earliest Christmas memories, and I remember begging my parents to hook it up that night, on Christmas Eve. No dice.
Later I spent countless early mornings pounding away at Pac-Man, Combat, Atari Football, and Ghostbusters on that 2600. I loved to get up early before my parents so they wouldn’t kick me off my Atari – and in retrospect, I am sure they loved it when I didn’t wake them up at an ungodly hour.
It was just a few years later that my grandfather introduced me to the NES. It was the fall of 1985 when he told me about this new video game machine he was going to buy. I begged him to get a 2600 – we could share games, I told him. He laughed and told me that the NES would be better.
Later that year he took me to Toys R Us and we bought a NES Deluxe Pack with the Zapper, ROB, Duck Hunt and Gyromite. We also picked up the original Donkey Kong – my grandfather’s favorite.
I will never forget taking that NES back to my grandparents and being completely blown away by the NES. My father and uncles came over to play Duck Hunt for hours on end. I just couldn’t believe how awesome the NES was – and I hadn’t even played SMB yet! My grandfather later bought Pro Wrestling and some other classic games for that system. I had to wait until Christmas 1986 before I got my own system. The best part: he bought me The Legend of Zelda when it first came out. What a great guy.
The funny part of the story in retrospect is that my grandfather wasn’t a huge gamer. I would guess he had never been to an arcade. He just liked toys, I suppose. Anything for fun was his attitude, whether it was RC airplanes, billiards, poker, or video games. My father and uncle both generally hate video games - that one night of Duck Hunt excluded. I am not sure why my grandfather got so excited about the NES, but I am glad he did. I will always remember my grandfather as the person who got me into video games.
My favorite recent gaming memories are all based around my great clan, now known as 8-Bit Brigade. I will admit to being a little apprehensive about playing with strangers I found over at DVDTalk. It seemed like a stupid idea. Nevertheless, I got in my first game with Canis Firebrand the morning after Halo 2’s launch. It was a tie on Burial Grounds. Probably an omen of what was to come. Lots and lots of ties in BTB!
My other favorite recent gaming memory was our first clan meet. I didn’t take a rape whistle, although I definitely considered it. It was so incredibly strange to meet these people I had been gaming with every night for well over a year. Clan meets are now one of my favorite activities of the year, and I get pretty bummed out when I miss one (like this weekend).
There you have it – my favorite gaming memories. Make sure to check out these other bloggers for their takes on the topic!
Boffman22’s Memorable Gaming Moments (Boom Stick Brigade)
I love you Intellivision! (Boom Stick Brigade)
Just how much fun LAN can be! (Cat’s Blog)
Memoirs of a Young Gamer (Gaming with Baby)
To Memory Lane and Back (Play Your Station)
Hit the Reset Button (Thoughts and Rants)
Memorable Gaming Moments (Zath Games Tech)
Becoming an Ace and Dealing With Minsc (Delayed Responsibility)
Old School, Middle School, New School (lukeshep.com)
Hawty’s Memorable Gaming Moments
Feel free to discuss here.
Posted in Blog Banter | 10 views