Tag Archives: hal laboratory

Listmas, Top #'s

Listmas: Favorite Items and Weapons

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Image from Flickr User: The Conmunity - Pop Culture Geek
Image from Flickr User: The Conmunity – Pop Culture Geek

Video games are home to much more than just delightful characters to control and interesting locations to explore.  No, most games just wouldn’t be complete if it weren’t for creative and useful items and weapons that make the game that much more fun.  So now, a list of some of my favorite items.  Those I can think of, that is.  And I will admit that this list is a bit biased.  By a lot.

  1. Double Hookshots, The Legend of Zelda, for grabbing items and getting to new locations, now with twice the awesome as one
  2. Hoverboots, Ratchet and Clank, for getting around in style
  3. Mr. Zurkon, Ratchet and Clank, because who doesn’t love a little robot that shoots your enemies and taunts them at the same time
  4. Groovitron, Ratchet and Clank, an item that makes enemies boogie (perhaps that’s what Captain Falcon meant when he said, “Show me your moves.”)
  5. Tanooki Suit, Super Mario Bros, because apparently raccoons can fly, and so can plumbers
  6. Phoenix Down, Final Fantasy, ‘nough said
  7. Extra lives, too. And those invincibility stars, while we’re at it.  And anything that increases your health, of course.
  8. The hammer in Super Smash Bros.
  9. Lens of Truth, The Legend of Zelda, even if it sometimes shows you scary things you didn’t want to see
  10. Din’s Fire, The Legend of Zelda, for keeping ReDeads at bay
  11. Mirror Shield, The Legend of Zelda, for also keeping ReDeads at bay

An Itemized Duck

Food For Thought, Uncategorized

Crime in Video Games and Why Even Kirby Commits It

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Why is crime okay in video games?  And no, I’m not talking about “Grand Theft Auto”.  I’m talking about games like “The Legend of Zelda” and “Kirby”.  Yep, even in games like those, things that would be considered wrong in real life are deemed perfectly acceptable.  What am I talking about?  Well, have you ever thought twice about walking into a stranger’s house in “Zelda”?  And if there is an item, do you not take it?  The answer to these questions is a no and a yes, respectively.  In the video game universe, any item in a treasure chest is up for grabs, whether it be in some deep, dark woods or someone’s home.  Stealing is okay.  Because that’s exactly what it is.  Stealing.  If someone walks into my house, even if I leave the door unlocked, and takes items out of my treasure chest (okay, I don’t own a treasure chest, nor would it be wise to put items in it, as it would suggest they are, well, treasure), I would come after you.  Don’t you rob me, you scoundrel!  But, Link does it all the time, and it’s fine.  Walking into people’s houses is an even more common practice, but you certainly wouldn’t like it if I did it to you, now would you?  (“Rayman 3” even involves our hero trespassing into someone’s house, then proceeding to assault the owner, and somehow the owner is portrayed as a villain because he fights back.)

And then, have you ever played a “Kirby” game and decided to attack those poor, little Waddle Dees just for the sake of it?  Of course, you have.  But, most of the time, are they really doing anything but taking a stroll or gently drifting down from the heavens with an umbrella to slow their descent?  Why do we not only feel the need to maul these poor creatures, but feel justified in doing so?  Again, if you attacked me while I was simply minding my own business, taking a walk (while trying to find a place to hide my treasure chest so people stop helping themselves to its contents) or participating in my own drift down from the heavens with a bumbershoot of my own, I would be quite peeved, to say the least.  It would be uncalled for, sir!  But, in a video game, it’s perfectly fine to attack those who are doing nothing or wild animals simply defending themselves. Continue reading Crime in Video Games and Why Even Kirby Commits It →

Food For Thought, General Commentary

The Return of Side-Scrollers and a Quick Discussion of Other Trends in Gaming

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Not long ago, I was playing a game on the Wii called “Muramasa: The Demon Blade”.  This game is a side-scrolling action game, and it got me thinking about something likely much more than a normal person should have.  But, since I’m already thinking about it, I may as well drag you into my thoughts, as well.

We’re all familiar with side-scrollers, right?  Lots of old games were this format.  “Mario” and “Metroid” and “Sonic” and “Donkey Kong”.  And I can keep going to take up space, but I shan’t.  These games were often like this on the old consoles, such as the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, but then that began to change.  I remember when the Nintendo 64 came out, we started to get these fancy, new 3D games, like “Super Mario 64”, “Donkey Kong 64”, and a new series I found superbly delightful, “Banjo-Kazooie”.  You didn’t really see side-scrollers so much anymore, except on handhelds and the “Kirby” series, which has remained in that format to this day.  And as you’d expect, side-scrollers that became 3D continued to be 3D down through the years because, well, what’s new and fancy usually becomes commonplace.  We haven’t seen a decline in graphics over the years, and a series that gains the addition of voice acting usually doesn’t lose it.  Nevertheless, I’ve been noticing a trend lately. Continue reading The Return of Side-Scrollers and a Quick Discussion of Other Trends in Gaming →

General Commentary

The Duck’s Personal Trials and Joys of Multiplayer Gaming

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I am a solitary gamer.  I hardly ever do any multiplayer, and I have never done any online multiplayer gaming (except PC gaming once playing “Runescape” on an old computer that froze every two seconds).  Just never wanted to, plus no way am I paying to use XBox Live.  You raise the price of each game by $10, then, expect me to pay for multiplayer?  I think not!  Good day, sir!  I said good day!  But, I have done the old-fashioned multiplayer on occasion, and I did enjoy it the times I wasn’t humiliated by my opponent.  And there are times when I prefer playing against people over playing against the computer.  And so this post shall compare the duck’s positive and negative experiences with playing alone and with others. Continue reading The Duck’s Personal Trials and Joys of Multiplayer Gaming →