30 Days of Gaming, #1 – Your first videogame

 

This meme starts off with a doozy, and it’s a rather tricky doozy for me. See, while I’m going to talk about Super Mario World here as my first videogame, it most likely isn’t able to claim that title truthfully. Unfortunately, my gaming history from the early days is fairly foggy, and I know I played a lot of NES games over at the neighbors’, as well as bowling alley arcade machines and those weird solar-powered handheld things. I have very strong memories of a baseball one that traveled with me during long car rides. And I can’t quite place in the timeline when I got my GameBoy.

That said, Super Mario World–and the SNES is launched on–were truly my first, the very first console I ever opened on a Christmas morning, hugged, and called my own. It was the first videogame I could play, turn off, and turn back on an hour later, or the next morning, or whenever–because it was mine, and I was at home, not a friend’s place, and I could play it as much as I wanted. What we should also consider is that, having gotten no other games to play with the console for Christmas, I was extremely thankful the system came packaged with Super Mario World, which kept me busy for many snowy vacation days. And this trend of giving gamers a freebie is still somewhat followed by Nintendo (Wii Sports for the Nintendo Wii; those AR games for the Nintendo 3DS). It was a move that would ensure many would play it, burn it into their upbringing, never forget about it.

Two paragraphs in, and I’ve yet to really dig into Super Mario World. It’s that same ol’ story from previous Mario games, wherein the princess gets herself kidnapped by Bowser and it’s up to Mario Mario and Luigi Mario to save her. They’ll travel across themed lands to get her, too. However, a new savior joins the party, and it’s my personal fav…Yoshi the dinosaur. When ridden, Yoshi can eat enemies, spit fire, and allow Mario to reach new heights thanks to a higher jump. The saddest thing anyone can witness is when an enemy hits a ridden Yoshi; the dinosaur cries out in horror, tosses its rider off, and makes a bee-line run for the nearest deathpit. It’s sickening, I say.

As a youngling, getting to the next section was all that mattered. And this game taught me how to jump, to run, to move effectively from left to right more so than any other game. I remember barely squeezing by on extra lives when beating World 4: Forest of Illusion and skipping over to the dreaded World 5: Chocolate Island. As I got older and revisited the game, I discovered that it harbored a great number of secrets. Things like Warp Whistles and holding down for X number of seconds to hide in the level’s backgrounds, but these were mostly about alternate exits and unlocking colored blocks throughout the worlds. Such things as alternate exits blew my mind back then; stumbling upon one where I accidentally had Caped Mario fly too far over the end goal on to discover a second end goal was like–I can only assume here as I don’t eat such dredge–finding two toys in a box of cereal purporting only one plastic army guy.

Awesomely, the game still stands up on its own today. Sure, some of the levels feel very short, and large chunks can be skipped if you are able to fly high enough, but the challenge still sits around medium. Those chargin’ football players always give me trouble. The graphics are just as colorful, and the music invades your head in ways you’d never expect. Hearing the bwwwwoooo-oop at the end of the level as the screen circles in on Mario and then goes black is pure cocaine.

And if older games had Achievements, I’d have ’em all for Super Mario World. Yes, even the one for opening up the EXTRA mode, which changed the colors of the levels, as well as messed with in-game sprites. This was accomplished by completing Star Road, which is not the easiest of tasks. But I had much more free time then to devote to a game, and no secret sat unturned. It’s most definitely a legendary title, and the fact that I’m considering it my first makes it all the more special.

Anyways, here’s a moment in time. Me with my wife’s copy of Super Mario World, a game now 20 years old. Enjoy the nostalgia, dear readers:

Next up on 30 Days of Gaming…is my favorite character? Hmm. Spoiler: it’s not that jerkbag, Milich.

No 3D for my Nintendo 3DS

Come March 27, 2011, I’m getting a Nintendo 3DS. Probably that turquoise blue one. And I think it’s safe to say that I’m going to be turning off the 3D on every game I play. For me, it’s not about the 3D-ness of the new console; instead, what I’m more concerned with is seeing stronger tech beneath the hood, a focus on socializing and walking, and a console that is more than just that. Yet strangely this also equals a weaker battery life, which is not terrible news to me as I constantly charge my portable devices out of habit.

A lot of early online previews of the system mention that the 3D is often tricky to get right, and that some games, some games specifically created to be played on the Nintendo 3DS, are better suited with the novelty turned off. Yowza. For example, Super Monkey Ball 3D, a game that allows you to tilt the DS to move the ball around; that’s cool and all, but if you’re playing in 3D, this tilting basically throws off your perspective every time, tossing the 3D to the left, to the right, to the off switch. That’s just…mind-boggling.

Like I said, I’m more interested in the Mii Plaza stuff, the music editor, the notepad, the Street Pass functions. Everything but the kitchen sink. Rarely will a game be played in full on 3D. Sure, sure, I’m gonna flick it on to try out the packed-in AR games, as well as when I wanna show off the system to friends, but other than that…it’s 2D for me. Unless, of course, Animal Crossing 3DS does something amazing with it, but I have my doubts.

What about you?

That 30 Days of Gaming meme coming to Grinding Down soon

It might come as a surprise to my many silent readers here that I don’t plan a lot of the content that goes up on Grinding Down. I don’t write drafts or notes as I’m playing games for later posting…I just think and then type up what I’m thinking about. Off-the-cuff is a perfect way to describe how this blog lives, and the only thing I do try to do is remain constant in my updating at least once a day, Monday through Friday. Not too hard, but there are occasional days where I do struggle with a topic to post about. We all feel, at some point or another, that we’re just rambling at a wall and stealing someone else’s oxygen/brain cells with our pointlessness.

Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of fellow videogame bloggers doing a meme, a meme all about generating topics to talk about. Sounds good to me! So I’m gonna start this crazy meme next Monday and try my hardest to get through the 30 days as strong as possible. I will still, more than likely, take weekends off. But at least now, for the next 30 days, if there is ever a day where I’m drawing a blank, I know where to turn to: um, this blog post.

Anyways, here’s the 30 topic trains I’m going to be, just like Link in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, steering your way soon enough:

Day 1 – Your first videogame
Day 2 – Your favorite character
Day 3 – A game that is underrated
Day 4 – Your guilty pleasure game
Day 5 – Game character you feel you are most like (or wish you were)
Day 6 – Most annoying character
Day 7 – Favorite game couple
Day 8 – Best soundtrack
Day 9 – Saddest game scene
Day 10 – Best gameplay
Day 11 – Gaming system of choice
Day 12 – A game everyone should play
Day 13 – A game you’ve played more than five times
Day 14 – Current (or most recent) gaming wallpaper
Day 15 – Post a screenshot from the game you’re playing right now
Day 16 – Game with the best cut scenes
Day 17 – Favorite antagonist
Day 18 – Favorite protagonist
Day 19 – Picture of a game setting you wish you lived in
Day 20 – Favorite genre
Day 21 – Game with the best story
Day 22 – A game sequel which disappointed you
Day 23 – Game you think had the best graphics or art style
Day 24 – Favorite classic game
Day 25 – A game you plan on playing
Day 26 – Best voice acting
Day 27 – Most epic scene ever
Day 28 – Favorite game developer
Day 29 – A game you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving
Day 30 – Your favorite game of all time

That’s a lot of musing. Are you stoked?

Let’s spend today drinking these crazy videogame drinks

It’s St. Patty’s Day, and I’m terribly sad. There’s one less wonderful Irish lass celebrating in full on green today. In fact, I’m so terribly sad that I think I might need a drink after work is done. In honor of that statement, here’s some of my favorite videogame drinks. Chug away, my dear bros and brozettes!

Moonshine ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND

To be honest, moonshine has never touched these innocent, hobbit lips of mine in real life. However, in Fallout 3, I pretty much do whatever I want, and sometimes I just want to get crazy drunk and go to town on some mutated natives with a shovel. Moonshine is the strongest alcohol the Lone Wanderer can guzzle in Fallout 3, and it raises charisma and strength by 2 points each while reducing intelligence by 2. Just like in true life. There’s also a good chance you’ll get addicted to it–but it’s worth it.

I’M SUCH A Caffeine

Basically, every single drink you can buy at the Delicious Cup is up my alley. Especially direct coffee. I’ve had four cups already today, with the possibility of three still to go. Sometimes, I even visit that depressingly empty bar (except on Saturday nights) in Animal Crossing just to have some java despite knowing it has absolutely zero effect on gameplay. Such is the life of an addict, I guess.

HOGWARTS IS FULL OF JUICEHEADS

This was so much fun in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4. Players had to gather a number of items and throw them into a cauldron bubbling with a disgusting green mess. Only after all items were gathered could they then transform into other people, and it wasn’t just for show and tell–sometimes it took a special someone to get past locked doors. Wish I could turn into someone else right about now. Spoiler: it’s Hagrid. I wish I was Hagrid.

STRIKING TWICE

Looks like lightning can strike twice, or at least it does in Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One (whew!). With this bottle of zip and zap, your character’s speed is enhanced by 50%. Krrwhack!

MORE LIKE A BLOODY HARRY

Blood…featured strongly in every vampire game ever created. A vamp’s gonna do what a vamp’s gotta do. Personally, I dislike the taste. Too irony.

WATER IS SIMPLY WATERFUL

Hey, it’s water. Most of us drink this in true life, and it’s equally delicious in the Capital Wasteland/Mojave Wasteland. Especially if you can find purified water because, no doubt, it tastes much better when free of radiation. Also helps wash those crunchy squirrel bits down. Otherwise, dirty water it is, and yes, I’ve drank from broken seats to stay alive. Wouldn’t you? Lots of other games feature water as a main way of healing: Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, Pokemon White/Black, Harvest Moon, and Dark Cloud, to name a few.

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Yeah, this has been a weird post, I know. Like I mentioned earlier, I need a drink. Ugh…

All my greatest critics in the Mojave Wasteland think I’m a hack

Still working my way through Fallout: New Vegas – Dead Money. I’ve realized one reason why this DLC is so dang slow, and that is because, if you’re playing anything like I am, you are sneaking all over the Villa, careful to scan every square of ground for traps, careful to hear that terrible beeping, careful to not end up taking on two or more Ghost People at once by yourself. I can’t ever really imagine moving fast through this one, and I even know what to expect (at least for the first half of things), but I will forever err to the side of caution.

Anyways, thanks to some locked doors and unfriendly turret systems, I was able to get this little pinger:

Hack the Mojave (15G): Hacked 25 terminals.

Woo, science! Actually, nah to that. I never tag science as a skill, and only did it because, just like in Fallout 3, knew there would be an Achievement tied to it. And thank goodness this one wasn’t just a carbon copy of the Achievement in the former game. That was called Data Miner and required the player to hack 50 terminals. Fifty…I swear I don’t even think that many exist in the Mojave Wasteland (and Sierra Madre section). It really felt like slim pickings in terms of hacking computers. At least the science skill came in handy a few more times during my playthrough, but otherwise…it’s not very exciting. And I kind of wished Obsidian had updated the minigame for hacking a terminal; it’s too easy to just save before you hack in case you mess up, and obviously they don’t love it immensely otherwise there would’ve been a whole ton more throughout our travels.

Well, in the end, that’s another Achievement done for Fallout: New Vegas. Now to, uh, simultaneously confront and trap a certain someone in a certain something. Maybe the science skill will help me again? Maybe, baby.

Games Completed in 2011, #9 – Torchlight

Back in the day, ranging somewhere between my senior year of high school and my sophomore year of college, I played a lot of Diablo and Diablo II. However, I never beat either game, and constantly restarted new characters. My absolute favorite aspect of these now legendary dungeon-crawlers was organizing my inventory. See, Diablo and Diablo II strived for a more realistic inventory system, meaning if you couldn’t fit it in your bag with your dozen of other goodies, well…you’re not taking it with you. Simple as that. Here, let me show you:

Oh man. That image is beyond delicious. It’s like a puzzle minigame!

Anyways, I mention this because Torchlight, despite being heavily influenced by its Diablo big brothers, does not support this kind of inventory. At least not in the XBLA version. PC players get to enjoy this deliciousness:

Instead, us Xbox 360 doods get lists. Lists after lists after lists. Many of which are unreadable. And that makes it difficult to even determine if your character is fully armed. Oh boy.

What’s the story? Well, it all revolves around a mysterious ore called Ember, which is the essence of magic, as well as the keystone in alchemy. Deep below the small excuse for a town called Torchlight, miners dig, searching for the coveted ore. However, these miners quickly discover that there’s more below Torchlight than shiny, special rocks: a dangerous labyrinth of caverns and ruined civilizations, brimming with monstrous creatures. Evil begins to surface, and a champion is needed. Players can pick between three classes–Destroyer, Alchemist, or Vanquisher–and then begin slaughtering evil enemies, collecting loot, defeating bosses, and progressing further below the town. It’s a pretty typical storyline, with 100% shallow characters; in fact, the most creative character exists only to hand out sidequests, and yes, I’m talking about Trill-Bot 4000, that one-man band/aspiring bard/robot. Why can’t I have him as a pet?!

Like its Diablo brothers, Torchlight‘s greatest appeal is its loot. Killing special enemies drops a ton of gear, most of which will need identifying scrolls to truly get, and it’s an addicting thing. Grabbing loot, selling loot, grabbing loot, harboring unwearable loot for later–it’s truly what drove me forward, the promise of an even better staff for my Alchemist. What’s also nice is that, much like Dragon Quest IX, you can see everything your character is wearing or wielding, which gives reason for trying out a lot of odd gear. The graphics are colorful and cartoony, taking a page from World of Warcraft, and they seem right at place in Torchlight‘s less than serious world.

And now let’s discuss what I passionately disliked about Torchlight. We’ll start small. Whenever your pet loses all its health, it will flee from battle until it heals itself. You know this is happening because the voiceover dude goes, “Your pet is fleeing.” He says it even flatter than I’ve typed it. The problem is, sometimes your party is surrounded by enemies, meaning your pet is fleeing from one group to another, and the voiceover guy will just not shut up. “Your pet is fleeing,” he says, and then nine seconds later he says it again. Oh, is it? WELL, FLEE ALREADY THEN! GO AWAY! Sheesh.

I also discovered a sharp increase in difficulty from the Black Palace (levels 31-34) to when you have to fight the final boss in the Lair of Ordak (level 35). Playing on Normal difficulty, I have never died until then, and rarely had to use health potions as my Alchemist knew a Heal All spell which did the job just fine. However, towards the end, I found myself guzzling bottles of red faster than probably possible.

Lastly, my biggest gripe about Torchlight is its love for tiny text. Most of the dialogue between characters is readable, but when a weapon or special piece of gear comes jam-packed with abilities, the text drops to really tiny, making it hard to figure out what is what. Does that armor require my defense skill to be 27 or 29? It gets even worse if you try to compare it with another piece of armor in your inventory. I ended up selling most of my gear because I couldn’t read what it did. At the top left corner of all items is either a green dot, a red dot, or both. Green means it is greatly better than what you’re currently using; red is worse; and green plus red means it’s a mix of both. I used this as my guideline on what to wear, what to sell. A shame really, as I know I missed out on a lot of strong purple-colored loot.

Hate tiny text, too? Good news for you then! I’m working on an article about it for The First Hour. Stay tuned, fellow blind people.

So, is Torchlight worth getting on consoles? I’d say no. It’s a good game, but better suited for a mouse and keyboard, as well as a screen mere centimeters from your face.

March 2011’s flotsam and jetsam

It seems like, at least a few times every year, I am a little overwhelmed with multiple games at once and little time to play ’em to their fullest. Such is March 2011 then, a month where I’m playing three to four new titles, as well as working on older games or miscellaneous purchases. Throw into the fight the fact that I’m also scrambling to get Supertown minicomics drawn and printed for MoCCA 2011, and well, yeah, there’s a lot to juggle. Here’s kind of a short rundown on what I’m currently playing:

Torchlight (XBLA)

Right. Diablo II on a console, but much more cartoony and fast. I’m digging it, and normally by now I’d have written up some early impressions of the title, but the truth is that I’m almost at the end, meaning all my big boy thoughts will have to wait for the final review. Still, I like a lot of it except for one big caveat–the tiny font size. And when a game stands on a mechanic such as loot, being able to read and compare magical spears is vital. I’m pretty sure I’ve sold a lot of excellent gear simply because I couldn’t read what it did or its requirements for wielding.

Pokémon White (Nintendo DS)

Only have two gym badges so far, but that’s okay. It’s not a race, no matter what my rivals say. I like finding a good team of ‘mon and then training them to be, roughly, around the same levels. Right now I’m rocking Victini, Snivy, Timburr, and Audino, and the other two spots haven’t been truly filled yet. I’m giving that trash bag Pokémon a chance though since many others probably won’t. Its Sludge move is pretty good. But man, oh man…it’s a trash bag?

Radiant Historia (Nintendo DS)

I was stuck for awhile in this one, unsure of which timeline node to jump back to, but Greg Noe steered me in the right direction. Now I’m working my way through the Closed Mine in hopes of learning a sword dancing move from somebody to help Stocke progress with a circus act in the alternate timeline. Yeah, it can be a bit confusing. Still, the combat is fantastic. Really do need to schedule more time with this one.

Fallout: New Vegas – Dead Money (Xbox 360)

Having now beaten this game twice, my second character, an evil woman named Zelda that loved hitting enemies with s-weapons only–sticks and shovels and sledges–was perfect for attempting the DLC add-on again. My first fly with Dead Money didn’t go very well. But it’s going much smoother now that I can handle the Ghost People more effectively, as well as heal better from radiated food. Just finished gathering Dog, Dean, and the mute. Now to get each of them where they need to be…

Penumbra Overture (Mac)

Started this on a whim, and have only played a wee bit of it, but I dig its mood and atmosphere and the way opening a drawer feels. Seriously. It feels good, true, like I’m actually doing it myself and not with a mouse. I would have loved to see this technique used more in games like Fallout, as it makes searching a room actually feel like searching. There’s a special kind of warmth that comes from opening countless empty drawers and then opening one to find batteries there, yours for the taking.

FlingSmash (Nintendo Wii)

Every week, usually Friday, sometimes Saturday night, Tara and I go visit her brother to play some videogames. We call it “games night,” and we focus mainly on all things Wii (but I swear to teach him Munchkin before too long). Wii Sports Resorts is so much fun with a good group, but two players had to share one remote, and I got tired of this after several weeks. So I purchased FlingSmash, which is basically a Wii MotionPlus controller ($40) with a game thrown in for good measure ($10). The game is just an excuse to shake the remote around, but I hope to examine it more closely soon.

::deep exhale::

Whew. Too many games. There’s the possibility that I’m not even writing about more.

Also, a friendly reminder that by the end of this month I’ll also be picking up Monster Tale and a Nintendo 3DS…so yeah, more to come. Woe is me? Naaaaaaaaaah.

How to catch Victini

Victini is a legendary Psychic/Fire rodent-like Pokémon in Pokémon White/Black. It’s also a pain in the 8-bit butt to catch. Here’s a little step-by-step guide to getting victory on your side.

STEP ONE – DOWNLOADING the Liberty Pass

Select MYSTERY GIFT from the main menu screen. Then select RECEIVE GIFT and tap YES. Select GET VIA NINTENDO WFC and tap YES. If your settings are in order, a connection will be made, and a new screen should declare that you can pick up the Liberty Pass at your local Pokémart.

STEP TWO – RECEIVING THE LIBERTY PASS

Head to the closet Pokémart and speak to the deliveryman in blue. He’ll hand over the Liberty Pass to you, and now would be an excellent time to save your progress.

STEP THREE – GO TO THE LIBERTY GARDEN

After earning two gym badges, you’ll be able to cross a huge bridge and reach Castelia City. Once in the city, head all the way to the left without going down any streets or alleys, and you’ll hit Liberty Pier. Take the boat here to the very not-garden-like-at-all garden and get ready to fight some Team Plasma grunts; they have Victini cornered in tower’s basement. Once you’ve defeated all three grunts, you can challenge Victini to a battle.

STEP FOUR – CATCH VICTINI

Not as easy as it sounds. Speak to Victini to begin a battle with it. The legendary Pokémon is level 15, knows some good fire moves, and can be a little tough to wear down to a teeny, tiny fraction of health. Once you have it there, be prepared to throw a lot of Pokéballs. A lot. I went through at least twenty-plus: Heal Balls, normal Pokéballs, Great Balls, and several Nest Balls. Just keep throwing them and it’ll eventually happen, I promise. Or you can try to put Victini to sleep or paralyze it, which my Pokémon team could not do.

If Victini faints, exit the room and re-enter to try again. And don’t forget that the officer at the top of the steps can heal your Pokémon for you.

Best of luck, Trainers!

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The adorable artwork headlining this post comes from DeviantArt user Aonik.

Pokémon White/Black strategy for earning easy EXP

I know I’m not the first to stumble upon this easy EXP-earning strategy for Pokémon White/Black, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to share it with y’all nonetheless. I’ve been falling back on it each time I reach a new location, as the Pokémon there are most often several levels higher than my team.

Right, well, in all Pokémon games, grass is where the wild pocket monsters are most often at. The Generation V games have added a new addition though: shaking grass. Occasionally, a small patch of grass will shake, and if you run into it you’ll encounter a rarer Pokémon, specifically Audino, a hearing Pokémon with high HP and a lot of pink to it; you can catch one if you want, but I suggest making them faint more because they yield a ton of EXP, ranging from 200 to 700 depending on their levels. Seeking these out by running back and forth in front–not in–of a grass section will help you raise your Pokémon extremely fast. They aren’t tricky to defeat as two of Audino’s moves will, 9 times out of 10, fail because he/she is using them incorrectly (Helping Hand and Refresh). What a n00b!

I did catch a female Audino and nicknamed her Audrey; surprisingly, she’s a powerhouse, with a high amount of hit points and DoubleSlap (more like QuadrupleSlap, am I right?!), but I don’t know how much longer I’ll use her. Normal Pokémon can only get a trainer so far after all. Audino certainly helps make grinding more bearable, as well as faster, and I do know that other rarer Pokémon can be found in a similar fashion in dust clouds and water ripples.

Hope this helps! I’m gonna be taking down plenty more Audinos before I try to make it through the Pinwheel Forest unscathed.

Munchkin Zombies wants brains, and I want to help them eat brains

Munchkin Zombies is debuting at PAX East this weekend, which is very exciting for two reasons: 1) the sooner it debuts there, the closer we zomb-crawl towards a retail release and 2) it’s the first core set in many moons since Munchkin Booty back in 2008 and early musings of it seem to indicate that it is above and beyond a traditional core set. This is great because, while traditional Munchkin gameplay is fine and fun, I was worried that we’d just get that with a zombie skin (ewww gross). That does not seem to be the case. For instance, instead of players playing as Munchkins, we’re actually in control of the zombies and can acquire different mojo that will tell us how we ultimately became part of undead society. Here, take a look at some sample preview cards:

Either way, I’m excited about this despite my wishy-washy feelings towards the zombie epidemic spreading across all media as of late. Guess I can credit that to John Kovalic‘s adorable and hilarious take on the undead. And there’s already an expansion set to drop this fall, along with more themed booster packs for Halloween and Christmas. That’s cool, that’s cool, but first things first: braaaaaaains…