Archives for Video Games category
Posted on Feb 20, 2009 under Games Review, Video Games |
Grand Theft Auto is a video game available for purchase at the local video game store or electronic store as well as on the internet. It has become incredibly popular since its original release in 1997 and there have been a handful of sequels released since then. The Grand Theft Auto games that have been released by DMA Design are Grand Theft Auto, GTA 2, GTA III, GTA: Vice City, GTA: San Andreas, GTA: Liberty City Stories, GTA: Vice City Stories and GTA IV. GTA: Chinatown Wars is slated to be released in March of 2009 for the Nintendo DS handheld system and will include a couple of touch screen mini games. The GTA series has also been released on PlayStation Portable and Game Boy Advance.
The Grand Theft Auto video game series is controversial to say the least. The premise of the video games is to walk around the city and steal vehicles while pulling in as much money as possible off of the streets. The main character can pull in money by robbing other citizens in the video game. This is done in some very unorthodox ways by beating up the citizens and even killing them. The video game is extremely violent. The main character can get into fights with gangs, get chased by the police, and get run over by all kinds of vehicles. The main premise of the vehicle is to steal cars, trucks, vans, taxis, buses, ambulances and police cruisers. The title of the video game explains its premise.
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Posted on Feb 20, 2009 under Games Review, Video Games |
Movie-based games are often produced to promote their silver screen counterparts in order to produce buzz about the film and sell more to the gaming audience. But this time, it’s the other way around for the Clueless game, since the movie started way back in 1995 through Paramount and hopefully, following its past success, will expose the game to the movie fans. Still, what’s important is how the game fares in the fun factor, which will be our topic in this review.
Clueless follows the adventures of Cher, an upper class teenager fashionista in Beverly Hills. In this game, your task is to make the world a better place by helping your friends dress up according to the latest fashion styles. With the primary objective to wow their boyfriends, you’ll have to scour through every nook and cranny of the local mall to spot the latest trends and put them to good use for your friends’ benefit.
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Posted on Jan 16, 2009 under Games Review, PC Games, Video Games |
With 2008 coming to a close, what blog would be complete without a post talking about 2009? Therefore, I’ve created this list half-jokingly to hopefully spark a little interest in really stepping up your game in 2009. Getting good at Street Fighter 4 in 2009 should benefit you for years because as we all know, Capcom is bound to at least make SF4: Champion Edition and SF4: Hyper Fighting and you know you’re going to be playing all of them!
So here we go:
1. Quit whiffing throws
This is probably the number one thing most players can do to improve in Street Fighter 4. Even though whiffing throws doesn’t usually lead to death as it does in 3rd Strike, characters like Balrog can still do a huge chunk of damage for whiffing throws if you’re not careful. Instead, learn to Option Select Throw, which means to input LK + LP while blocking. If they throw, you’ll tech, if they don’t throw, you get a jab. Either way, you’re not going to get whiff, so you’ll save yourself a lot of life over the course of 2009.
2. Learn an alternate character
Simply put, learning an alternate character will not only help you understand the matchup between your main and your alternate better, it will give you a semi-secret weapon to use in a tournament to catch someone by surprise and steal a win or two. Or you can use your alternate character to counter-pick someone else, such as using Vega against Sagat or Dhalsim against Balrog.
3. Do your part to strengthen your local community
What good is being the best at Street Fighter 4 if you’re sitting at home by yourself in training mode? Get out there and help run tournaments, make friends with more people, become better friends with the guys you already play with. By strengthening the community, more people will be playing more frequently which will make everyone level up.
4. Start double-tapping
This might be a new one for most people. For those not familiar, double-tapping is where you hit buttons twice very quickly instead of once. This doubles your chances of the game accepting the input, as well as makes timing links and chains easier. The most common way of doing this is to do a scraping motion with your index and middle finger, then scrape so that your middle finger is a split second ahead of your index finger.
5. Start taking notes
I’m pretty positive that doing this has been one of the best improvements I’ve made to my game in a long time. I feel like I was able to learn the game a lot easier because I wrote down moves I had trouble with, outcomes of situations I hadn’t seen before and what worked/didn’t work against difficult opponents. I started off using a small $.99 pocket-sized notepad, but now I use my iPod Touch because it’s easier to find stuff. Whatever works for you, just try it out!
6. Break bad habits
This ties into the whole “not whiffing throws” thing. You should recognize your bad habits by analyzing why you are losing. Are you doing wakeup uppercuts too much? Whiffing throws? Jumping in and getting anti-aired? Make it a point to go a whole round without doing one of your bad habits and see how your game changes, even if you lose.
7. Improve your weaknesses
Analyze your game and see what your tendencies are. Maybe you primarily play rushdown style or you’re content to turtle out most matches. Make a real effort to learn how to play the opposite style. You never know when you’ll benefit in an important match by being a more versatile player.
8. Stop taking it so seriously/Start taking it more seriously
Remember, it’s just Street Fighter! Or, consider that it’s NOT just Street Fighter. Many players could benefit from taking it less seriously (myself included) because after all, it’s just Street Fighter and it’s supposed to be fun. No sense getting all worked up over nothing.
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Posted on Nov 11, 2008 under General Gaming Tips, Video Games |
To play car racing games has always been one of the favorites around the world and has millions of fans either emulating it or idolizing the same sport that it has originated from. Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen, David Coulthard and others have gained super-human status because of this sport. Speed and motor vehicles are two objects that excite and initiate an adrenaline rush in every kid’s as well as adult’s mind. And a combination of these make for a route into their hearts.. And as tradition goes, every popular thing has been shaped into a video game, and car racing cannot miss the key.
As car racing games have evolved from the usual hand-held block shaped games that had fixed obstacles and other block-shaped cars as rivals to the real-life spark-spitting, horn-blaring automobile-gods that race in virtual collosseums today. Kids today prefer to play car race games much more than the usual shooting or strategy games available in the games arena.
The energy and the thrills that is evident from playing driving games online is a major plus to the kids of this age who seek thrill beyond any horizon. From the simple simulation driving games available to the more sexed up sleek car races with gyrating cheerleaders and even better tune-up strategies, to play car race games today is experiencing heaven.
Even though parents have yielded to this habit of the Y-Generation, to play driving games is to indulge the evil, say a few parents. According to them these games are nothing more than mere tools for the gaming companies to train the little docile minds for more adult-oriented and heavily priced games in the future.
To get them addicted to these racing games is the easiest possible move to help them succumb to the gaming habit and thus increase their business prospects. These companies even offer kids and game addicts to play free driving games as a trial but actually use these as bait to the innocuous gamers. But all said and done, do these kids play driving games online just for the sake of thrill and trivial racy feelings? Not really.
Surveys have termed that to play free driving games or rather driving games is a great boost to people who suffer from nervous problems during actual driving or are devoid of sharper driving genius. Playing car racing games lends maturity and subtlety to the teenagers who are overtly eager to start driving and yet do not have the required skill to do the same.
Car racing games often increases concentration levels and the spirit of healthy competition and rivalry among the gamers. Addiction to games, as experts say, is a better option for teenagers and the young to indulge in than to have a penchant for drugs.
While the debate rages on, we find game cafes and gaming competitions on the rise and hundreds practice and play car racing games and grab the pole position, a la Michael Schumacher, the hero for all - real life as well as gaming racers!
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Posted on Nov 04, 2008 under General Gaming Tips, Video Games |
Video games are part of American culture and they do not seem to be going away any time soon. We cannot get enough of them. Highly popular titles such as Halo 3, Fable 2, Guitar Hero, and Fallout 3 have kept gamers gaming away. Gone are the days when games come out and no one even knows. Now, you see huge lines outside gaming stores on release day. It reminds of us the huge lines that Star Wars movies, Harry Potter books, and IPhones can only bring. As popularity of gaming increases, so do the prices for these games. With the economy the way it is now, gamers are looking for a better way to play their games. Presently, there exists three options to play video games: buy them, video game rental from brick and mortar stores, or video game rental via mail. What are the pros and cons of each method?
Buying video games
Pros: it’s yours to keep, play as often as you like, no late charges
Cons: very expensive, variety as much as finances allow
Video game rental from a local store
Pros: cheaper than owning, return games you don’t like get new ones, variety
Cons: late charges, not yours to own, limited selection
Video game rental from a mail service
Pros: comes to the door, no late charges, variety, send back anytime and get new ones, inexpensive, great selection, try before you buy
Cons: delivery time longer, not able to own
The method you decide to choose depends on your specific situation. One method or a combination of methods may be best.
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Posted on Oct 26, 2008 under Online Games, Video Games |
In the world of video game, there are many different categories of games you can buy, and finding out which one is suitable for you is definitely keys to not waste money on games you don’t enjoy.
- Arcade- Arcade games are what most people think of when it comes to video game, the classic coin-operated system and with it comes many different types of games such as street fighter, mortal kombat, Pacman, frogger.
- Role playing- Role playing games are typically games that have element of fantasy, which means a lot of wizards, dragons, elfs, drawfs. These games usually have long play time because you’ll often have to find clues by talking to different characters in game. These games tends to be very addictive due to the fantasy themes. Games like Final Fantasy, Secret of Mana, Zelda all falls into this category.
-Strategy- These games usually involves tactical movement of troops and construction of buildings, they are sort of like chess except in a much faster pace and in real-time. A lot of them are difficult to play for beginners due to the fact that you have to mult-task a lot but it does allow you to use your brain for more strategic thinking. Some example of these games are Age of Empire, Heroes of Might and Magic, Sim City.
-Action- Action games, as its name have suggested, involves alot of fast movement actions. They usually involves obstacle or killing certain types of creatures. An example of these games are Halo, Gears of War, Grand thief Auto.
-Driving- Driving games mostly involves driving in a racecar, or some types of car. You earn faster and nicer cars as you progress through the stages. Sometimes in some driving games, your mission will be destroying cars, these games are often a major target for car-lovers. Example of this category- Mario Kart, GT.
- Puzzle- These games involves thinking and logic skills, they are usually very mild in general but sometimes incorporate role playing element into it as well. Tetris is certainly a great example of puzzle game as well as Puzzle bobble. An example of a puzzle game that incorporate role playing element is Puzzle quest-challenge of the warlord.
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Posted on Oct 24, 2008 under General Gaming Tips, Video Games |
For years, video games have invaded toy store shelves. Producing a variety of games that cover everything from racing to action to movies, game console manufacturers have tapped into a very lucrative industry. Although the popular phrase “too much of a good thing” does apply when it comes to video games, studies have shown that a considerable portion of games can be beneficial to the brain.
Video games help to develop and fine-tune a long list of cognitive milestones. Playing these games assists in the growth of thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as reasoning and memory capabilities. Video games can also spark a child’s interest in a particular subject, causing them to not only pick up information throughout the game, but to seek further details at a later date, such as games based on animals, nature, or real-life events.
Language remains one of the most important components of video games. During almost any particular game, the player must understand the instructions given and decide how to proceed; this is even true for young children’s games. Video games have the ability to teach kids various words in other languages, as well as encouraging them to recognize the alphabet and numbers, or begin to take the first steps towards reading. Of course, playing video games often helps to build the vocabulary of a child, regardless of age.
All too often, kids are left to play video games on their own, with parents, caregivers and other family members failing to realize the entertainment they provide. Renting a few video games makes for a great family night, as a way to get every member involved in a fun, crowd-pleasing event.
Although the cost of consoles may seem high, they will last a long time if taken care of properly. Most children treasure their game systems and keep them out of harm’s way, unlike many other toys and electronics they may own. Surprisingly, most kids are also eager to share their systems and games with others, realizing that many games are better suited to more than one player.
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Posted on Oct 23, 2008 under Game History, Video Games |
Mario is easily one of the most recognizable faces to come out of Nintendo, but did you know his original name was Jumpman? That’s right, in 1981 Mario first appeared in Donkey Kong, but then, he went by the name of Jumpman, but Mario was used as his name in some promotional material.
This game surprised Nintendo by its extreme success. To test the popularity of Mario, Nintendo released an arcade game called Marion Bros., which included Mario and his brother Luigi. This game was an immense success for Nintendo. Because of the success of both Donkey Kong and Mario Bros., in 1983, when Nintendo release the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), they also release Super Mario Bros.
References to his original name appear in a couple of Mario games, such as in Paper Mario: the Thousand-Year Door, when an audience member refers to Mario as Jumpman before a battle, and in Mario Hoops 3-on-3, where his nickname is “The Jumpman.”
Mario’s look, even to this current day, can be blamed on the limitations that were placed on the programmers and artists back in the early 80s by their current technology.
The programmers couldn’t animate Mario’s arms when he moved without making them disappear, so they gave him overalls and a solid shirt color.
They also didn’t have room for a face or ears, and couldn’t animate his hair, so they gave him his mustache, sideburns, and a baseball cap. Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario’s creator, has stated in interviews that Mario wears a baseball cap because he finds it difficult to draw hair.
Mario’s surname or last name is also Mario, which explains the use of Mario Bros. as game titles, because Luigi is Mario’s brother, so they have the same last name. was first used in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, and then again in 1993 in a movie called Super Mario Bros.. Nintendo as a whole has never officially confirmed it, but it was put up on Nintendo of Europe’s official Mario Megasite.
Ever since Mario has been popular he has been the unofficial mascot of Nintendo. He has been extremely and possibly over-merchandised along with his one time rival Sonic the Hedgehog, who came to be Sega’s mascot in the early 1990s.
They competed fiercely until 2001, when Sonic Adventure 2: Battle came out for a Nintendo console due to Sega’s new third-party status. Even though Sonic and Mario were now on Nintendo consoles, they still competed with each other, though not as much as before.
It hasn’t been until recently, that they’ve been seen working together in the newly released Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for the Wii. They will also appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl together as well.
Mario is a 5 foot tall, portly plumber from Brooklyn, New York who lives in Mushroom Kingdom. He is considered to be the most famous video game character in history, and his series of games has sold over 193 million copies.
Mario has not only appeared in plat formers, but in other genres as well. The other genres include reaching, with Mario Kart, sports games such as Mario Tennis, and RPGs such as Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars.
Although Mario’s said occupation is being a plumber, he is almost never seen doing any actual plumbing. With the exceptions being in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and in the original Mario Bros.. Pipes have still remained a mode of transportation, however, although the reason as to why might not be clear. However, in the original Donkey Kong games, Mario, who was still called Jumpman, was actually a carpenter.
Mario has also appeared as a doctor in Dr. Mario. He has even been shown as an archaeologist in the Game Boy game, Mario’s Picross.
Mario’s favorite pastime seems to be saving Princess Peach, and Mushroom Kingdom. Other ways he spends his time is battling villains, namely Bowser. In the role-playing games, Mario is given a heroic status for saving the Mushroom Kingdom so many times. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, he and Luigi are called “superstars”, which basically means huge celebrities.
Ever since his first appearance in a video game, Mario has been given the role of the hero, destined to save the damsel in distress. In the original Donkey Kong, he had to rescue his girlfriend, Pauline from Donkey Kong. Pauline obviously didn’t stay in the series, as she was replaced by Princess Peach, who was originally referred to as “Princess Toadstool” or just “the Princess” in the English releases, in Super Mario Bros.
In 1993, with the release of Yoshi’s Safari, Princess Peach was finally used in an English release of a Mario game, but it still wasn’t used as widely until the release of Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64, three years later. Pauline has only been seen twice since the original Donkey Kong, once in the remake for the Game Boy, and once in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, in 2006.
She has since been described as Mario’s friend, not girlfriend, as that appears to be Peach’s position. Mario has received a kiss from her countless times, after each time he’s rescued her, but the true status of their relationship has never been officially revealed, most likely to avoid the problems experienced with Pauline, but there is obviously affection shared between Mario and Peach.
Most of Mario’s abilities come from the items that he collects and uses. In the platform games, there is the Super Mushroom, which makes Mario double in size. He is called “Super Mario”, when he is in this state, and he also gets an extra hit point.
Other examples of items include the Fire Flower, which turns Mario into Fiery Mario, or just Fire Mario. This allows him to throw fireballs at his enemies. Another item is the star, which makes Mario completely invincible, and allows him to defeat all enemies with a single touch.
In other versions of Mario plat formers, there are other unique items, such as the Raccoon Leaf, and the Cape Feather. The Raccoon Leaf turns Mario into Raccoon Mario, and allows him to fly short distances by whipping his tail around in the air, sort of like Tails from the Sonic the Hedgehog games.
The Cape Feather obviously turns Mario into Cape Mario, which allows him to whip his cape at enemies to attack ,and also allows him to fly. In Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Mario can pick up the Power Carrot, which transforms Mario into Bunny Mario and makes his falling speed reduced.
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Posted on Oct 20, 2008 under Games Cheat, Video Games |
Not long ago, gamers had to look to the likes of Nintendo Power and GamePro to find codes to help them beat games that would otherwise be impossible. Who can forget the ubiquitous Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, B, A, start to dominate with 30 extra lives in Konami’s classic Contra. Then there were other cheats that took a little more skill and talent such as the 100 extra lives on the Original Super Mario Brothers on level 8-3 where clanking the two turtles on the final stairway into each other multiple times would result in up to 100 free lives.
Then came the next wave of cheats that were facilitated by additional hardware such as the Game Genie. These unique hardware adapters would change the code base of games on systems including NES, Genesis, GameBoy, SNES, Game Gear and could do far more than the simple manual codes gamers previously relied on. Whether it was facilitating gamer’s god complexes by giving them invincibility or make them invisible to enemies, Game Genie allowed gamers to fall back in love with their old favorites.
As a second coming of the hardware based approach to game cheats we were introduced to the Game Shark. This second coming is designed to not only help you find cheats within your games but also to back-up your games. Best of all there is a Game Shark fro virtually every system old and new.
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