It is now time for the Duck’s second Listmas list. This one is kind of like my gaming Christmas list, listing all the gaming-related things I would like to see someday, whether they be things that can actually happen someday or are merely silly and impractical. Continue reading Merry Listmas: My Gaming Wish List
Tag Archives: insomniac
Glitches Involving Capricious Audio
A little while ago, Cary wrote a post about some glitches in a damaged copy of “The Last of Us” that ruined the game for her, which got me thinking about how much fun I have talking about glitches, no matter how bothersome they can be. Because not all glitches are purely upsetting. Some can be rather funny, too. And so I decided to start a little mini-series talking about the glitches found in various games I’ve played. Today’s topic, unpredictable sound.
Skipping is fun, but not when it comes to gaming: I first had skipping issues when I moved and two consoles didn’t fare quite as well as they had in the past. These two unlucky consoles were my poor dear GameCube and my not as dear, but still poor, XBox (who was just a year old at the time, too). That’s when issues began that I had never had before. Months later, I plugged the Cube in for some joy, and I was confronted with some skipping music in that pirate’s cave place in “Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door”. Very odd, as it was the only area that decided to do that. I suppose pirates like to skip? They certainly like to sing (on TV, at least, which is very accurate). Then, finding this great fun, the XBox decided to join in (I guess it was just emulating its big brother Cube, who was being a very bad influence) with “Star Wars: Battlefront II”, where I was subjected to more skipping and erratic music, especially in the Hoth level. It really didn’t like that place at all. (Considering the freezing experienced in “Tak 2” not long earlier, though, I really didn’t mind at that point.) Continue reading Glitches Involving Capricious Audio
Games That Inspire Adult Tantrums
Several posts ago, I wrote about how many video games seem to be getting easier now than in the past. This made me think of games on the other side of the spectrum. Not really difficult games, though, as you’d expect. Difficult games can be good for those who like a challenge. But, what I had in mind was games that were difficult in a bad way. Some of us like a challenge, while others prefer games that are simpler and more relaxing. But, I would have trouble believing anyone enjoys games that are just, well, ridiculous and unfair. That make you toss your controller across the room and tug out all your silky locks. And scream completely new profanities at the images on the scream that made you behave this way. You know those kinds of games, don’t you? Don’t feel ashamed if a game has reduced you to insanity one time or another. It happens. But, boy, do I despise those kinds of games.
“Donkey Kong Country Returns” is one game that automatically springs to mind. While the old Super Nintendo “Donkey Kong Country” games could be pretty hard, they never inspired such absolute loathing as this game. This game has moments of fun. It looks beautiful. But, I hate it. I just hate it so much. It is ridiculously hard sometimes. You know that Super Guide I mentioned in an earlier post, that completes the level for you if it’s too hard? While it’s silly to have a game that plays itself, I do understand why they added it. Because some levels can’t be completed using the skills readily available to us carbon-based life forms. But, I have a tip for you, game developers. DON’T make the levels so hard that they can’t be completed using the skills readily available to us carbon-based life forms in the first place! What a radical notion! Continue reading Games That Inspire Adult Tantrums
Are Games Getting Too Easy?
Seriously, are they? Over the years, I’ve been noticing that an increasing number of new games take less and less effort to beat nowadays. I never have to wonder if I’ll be able to beat a new game or not. In the past, I had many games sitting around that I needed to return to and finish. Now, it is quite uncommon for me to start a game without being able to finish it. When the rare game comes along that I can’t beat on my first playthrough, I’m rather surprised. Such things never happen anymore.
I remember games definitely used to be much harder. Back when I was playing a bunch of Super Nintendo games for the first time, I couldn’t beat any of them. Finally, I got through “Donkey Kong Country 3”, but the second game stopped me near the end, at the stressful Castle Crush level, while the first game of the series stopped me earlier still at world number three. It took quite some time before I was good enough to beat those games. And to this day, I can’t beat any old “Mario” games except for “Super Mario World”, with help. I have not beaten one game on the “Super Mario All-Stars” collection. Not one. Even “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” was hard, and it wasn’t even part of the platformer genre that used to cause me so much grief. You remember that big worm centipede boss thing where you have to hit the tail, and it keeps pushing you off the platform, forcing you to start the battle over again? Yeah. Continue reading Are Games Getting Too Easy?
Comparing “Jak and Daxter” and “Ratchet and Clank”: Two Series Everyone Must Play
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about two of my favorite series, both of which are often compared to each other, the PlayStation exclusive series “Jak and Daxter” and “Ratchet and Clank”. From what I can tell, these series always seem to be related to each other, likely because their developers, Naughty Dog and Insomniac respectively, have worked with each other throughout the years. (Ever heard of the games combining “Crash Bandicoot” and “Spyro the Dragon”?) I absolutely adore both of these series, as they are a lot of fun, while also combining great characters and interesting stories, along with absolutely fantastic voice acting, and I thought I’d discuss how these two series compare to each other in several different categories. But first, a quick summary of each series.
The “Jak and Daxter” series started off as a fantasy platformer in “The Precursor Legacy”. Here we meet our heroes, Jak and Daxter. The game shows how Daxter, originally a bucktoothed human, fell into Dark Eco and got turned into an ottsel (half otter, half weasel). Then, it follows their adventures to try to get Dax turned back to normal. It was a great game, consisting of exploring interesting locations, meeting funny characters, and collecting a bunch of Precursor Orbs and Power Cells to progress through the huge, open world of the game. The game emphasized the use of Eco, a substance Jak can channel, that could do different things depending on the color. Then, the series drastically changed in “Jak II”, with our heroes going a couple hundred years into the future. Ever since, the series has become more serious and dark, while still retaining a great sense of humor. There is more emphasis on guns and less on Eco, though Light and Dark Eco now play greater roles in the story. Continue reading Comparing “Jak and Daxter” and “Ratchet and Clank”: Two Series Everyone Must Play
