All posts by cary

Console, Food For Thought, General Commentary

My “Deserted Island” Games – Gamecube edition

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Image by Flickr user Beto sound!
Image by Flickr user Beto sound!

I had a poignant relationship with our Gamecube. We had some absolutely wonderful times together, filled with sailing, slaying, and sleuthing. But it also rendered one of my biggest gaming disappointments in the form of Super Mario Sunshine.  (I tried, I really did, but it turned out to be one of the few Mario titles that just didn’t resonate with me. And that made me very sad. However, spoilers, I try to rectify things as you’ll see below.) I had very few titles for the system, which made making choices both easy and hard. Some were shoe-ins, while other required a good bit of mental debate.  Among some of our stored electronics, our Gamecube still sits. Waiting for its chance at resurrection! (Or, morbidly so, the death of the Wii.)

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Console, Food For Thought, General Commentary

My “Deserted Island” Games – N64 edition

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Image by Flickr user cinder6
Image by Flickr user cinder6

Of all the systems I plan to cover during this series, the N64 is probably the system I loved the most. I received the system as a gift in the late 90s. With nothing but an ailing SNES at the time, it was the greatest gift I could have received. Through the N64 I experienced a gaming renaissance; and with a Blockbuster nearby that offered game rentals, well…let’s just say I was a very happy camper. As satiated with games as I was back then, on this here island, I can only have up to five games. That was a dumb rule make. Dumb rules!

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Console, Food For Thought, General Commentary

Community Post: On Co-op Play and My Lack of It

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Image by Flicker user katherine lynn
Image by Flickr user katherine lynn

As a solitary, curmudgeonly gamer with control issues who doesn’t get out much, I don’t have a million and one stories involving co-op play in games. In the early days, my siblings and I used to hand off SNES controllers to play rounds with Mario, which is one form of co-op play, but not the kind I’m thinking of here. In terms of actually having to cooperate with other players to help everyone make it through a game, I can really only remember two such experiences. Yep, two instances of cooperative play in which I took part. And one was probably my worst experience ever with a game, and the other was near the top of my favorite experiences.  Let’s start with the bad news first.

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Console, Food For Thought, Retro

My “Deserted Island” Games – NES/SNES edition

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Image by Flickr user Fujoshi.
Image by Flickr user Fujoshi

After completing a lot of day dreaming and soul searching, I decided to combine the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) into one post for this installment of my “deserted games” series. Why? It’s certainly not because I didn’t love the SNES to death, because I did. But as fun as the NES was, we didn’t have many games for it. Could I spend the rest of my days playing Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, and 3? Maybe. But only maybe. So with a list of choices in hand, I had to make some tough decisions. Some were obvious, and others less so. I’m sure at least a couple of my game choices would still drive me bananas in the heat and quiet. And man, does it get quiet on this here island…except for those dang birds that keep squawking! This is supposed to be a deserted island! Just quit with all the noise and help me get this coconut!! Sheesh.

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Console, Food For Thought, Retro

My “Deserted Island” Games – Atari 7800 edition

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Image by Flickr user Easterbilby
Image by Flickr user Easterbilby

With news of new consoles, Sony vs. Microsoft, policy changes, and MOAR GAMES! hanging heavy in the air, my desire to drive my DeLorean back to a simpler time feels stronger than ever. With that in mind, I’m going to be playing the “deserted island” game over my next several posts. You know the typical ice breaker question: “If you were stranded on a deserted island, which five movies/games/tv shows/people, etc., would you want to have with you?” Well, with each post I plan to highlight a single console and at least five games for that console that I’d want to have. Though the island and its infinite supply of electricity aren’t real, the games and consoles are; and I’ll only be writing about consoles that I’ve owned or used and games that I’ve actually played. (Sorry Sega fans, no Sonic and Knuckles here.) And while I’ll be covering my favorite games, I wouldn’t call these my “top 5 favorite games” lists – simply liking a game doesn’t imply that I want to spend my life with it. Also, the lists are not in any order because on a deserted island, there is no order. There is only time.

So as with all things, we shall begin at the beginning with my first console, the Atari 7800.

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Food For Thought, General Commentary, PC, Retro, Widely Read Posts

With All These New Consoles Coming Out, Why Not Just Get a PC?

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Image by Flickr user Handles
Image by Flickr user Handles

With the bulk of the big E3 announcements behind us, and as the excitement wanes just a tad, what are we left with? A slew of great looking games for either a new $500 console or a new $400 console. The Wii U is still hovering around the $300-$350. Maybe its price will drop by the time those other new consoles hit the market. Or maybe not. Either way, if someone was looking to buy all-new this holiday season, s/he could easily drop $1200. And that’s not even counting all the games, accessories, online access fees, etc.

Food For Thought, General Commentary, Widely Read Posts

Going to the Backlog

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https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6202/6033366195_7d7bd332f9_b.jpg
Image by Flicker user paige_eliz

Even though I don’t have tons of time to game, I like to keep at least two games in regular rotation at all times. That way, when I have only an hour to play, I don’t spend thirty minutes of it deciding on the game. I also prefer to only play one game per system to prevent overuse/overheating. Right now the 360 is on lockdown with Dragon Age 2, which means that the other game I choose has to be on another system. Since I don’t feel like spending money on games right now (despite all the goodness of offer, I know, I know), I guess it’s time to head to the backlog…

Oh, the backlog. That notorious shelf (or shelves or rooms or data storage devices) containing a selection of games that one intends to play. These games were purchased new or on sale, stolen borrowed from friends, retrieved from yard sales, or rescued for other terrible fates. We hold onto these games because we want to play them but just don’t have the appropriate time. We’re too busy with life and/or the latest games. Or we’ve moved onto other systems entirely. Or we’re collectors. However you want to look at it, most gamers have backlogs of various sizes. I know mine is pretty small compared to some, and it consists of games I’ve never played or started but never finished:

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