11.16.04 - DS Hunting

On my mission to see if I would cave at the opportunity to purchase the next iteration of Metroid Prime I was confronted by the shiny new demo of the Nintendo DS as it was being installed by the Nintendo technician. I impatiently waited for a few minutes while the task was finished and maintained my place of "right in the guy's face" in line. When the DS was finally yielded to my hands it was playing the Metroid Hunters Demo. Clearly this was the experience I needed to push me to either purchase Prime 2 or flee for my life from the store.

Metroid Hunters is yet another 3D version of Metroid done for the…er…really small screen. I opted for a training mode in the hopes of learning the controls from the computer. No such luck in this case, I was on my own. I quickly learned that the D-Pad on the left and the buttons on the right performed the same tasks of up, down, left, right movement. The ability to "look" around was handled entirely by the touch screen. Shooting was handled by the left and right shoulder buttons. I found it very awkward because nothing I did seemed very comfortable. After a bit I found that using my thumb to control with the D-pad and my right index finger on the touch pad to "look" was the best as far as comfort and playability.

While looking around the levels there were simple floating targets to shoot at as well as geemers (little spiked creatures crawling on the floor). I easily blew past everything that was in my way until, I was confronted by my first Metroid. Having no knowledge of the controller and only a power beam and my quick reflexes to ward off this enemy, I quickly succumbed to it's energy draining powers. In a clear fit of confusion I mashed on most every button and screen available to me and was magically let loose of having to look at the underside of a Metroid. After fleeing the room I prodded the DS to tell me how to defeat such a creature. I picked up the Stylus and poked at the touch screen so sleekly showing me the map of my area. There were some buttons located on the screen that allows Samus to turn into a morph ball, switch between power beam and missiles, and jump. Also tapping the touch screen twice would make Samus jump as well. All went better for the remainder of my trials but after wasting much time acclimating myself to the controls my time for the training level ran out.

As I walked away with a copy of Metroid Prime 2 in my hands I couldn't help but think that the controls for Hunters were really bizarre. I think people that like playing FPS games with a mouse will also like the DS. The touch screen as it was used in Hunters left a lot to be desired. Also the dark and mysterious environment in Hunters didn't cater well to the brightness of the screen on the DS. (It was difficult to see.) I can honestly say I was easily deterred of any desire to own a DS for the simple reason that game creators aren't exactly sure what to do with the touch screen. It's definitely a wonderful advancement in the hand held market but it didn't make me feel like playing games in its foreign surface.

10.18.04 - MMmmm words

Any readers that have read my RPG Madness article will know of my huge dislike for side quests. I hearby update that article by saying that I have a huge dislike for lame sidquests that are either really difficult or so vague that the player could be slapped in the face with them and still not understand. RPGs are plagued with horrible side quests, but over at the Nintendo camp someone is still creating games that actually make me want explore again. My recent foray into Zelda the Wind Waker has me side questing again.

10.13.04 - Methodology

As much as I love my review format, I'm getting a little frustrated that it isn't quite as versatile as I hoped. At first I was completing some thoughts for every day I played the game until I completed it. This was a good idea when games only took me 10 hours to finish. But with a few colossal RPGs under my belt it became very problematic to keep coming up with new things to say about a game every day, not to mention tedious. I still like the idea of writing first impressions but have decided to meet halfway with my existing review method.

Here's how my reviews will work in the future:

I'm going to start out with Initial Reactions. These aren't even thoughts on the game after I've played it but rather reactions to what the media is saying about this game.

First Impressions are what I think about the game after my first play session.

Second Thoughts will contain information about the game after some time with it.

Finally the overall Final Review will follow with the rating score in place.

Luckily for me if this doesn't work out I can just change my mind again.

09.22.04 - Metroid Prime 2, FF:CC, and some stress.

As much as I totally hate moving, the benefits of this month's increased stress are getting closer to fruition. I just have to make it through the impending "Checkout of Doom" and life will be happy and relaxed again. As much as I would love to comment further on the pains of moving, I'm sure nobody cares and I would much rather talk about video games anyway.

I recently got a hold of the demo for Metroid Prime 2: Echos (Thanks Ed) and noticed something interesting. My mind was sent racing back to the initial reactions I had playing the original Metroid Prime: "I really don't like the control setup." And with that in mind I spent the rest of the time thinking about everything I didn't like about the demo. Before I knew it I had convinced myself that it was just more of the same tediousness of the first game with nothing new in the arena of control, graphics, sound, and environment. A direct continuation of the same game engine with a few gimmicks in place of actual creativity. Holy crap! Is this really what I think about Prime 2 so far?!? As a self proclaimed game reviewer have I finally crossed the line into being a critical journalist rather than simply being able to sit and enjoy a game?

This is less of a comment about MP2 and more about my emotions. While it's definitely my personality to be critical of things, where is the line between objective criticism and simple complaining? While I wrestle with this concept I may have to run off and play some Super Metroid, the game I believe to be the pinnacle of the series and one of my all time favorite games. Hopefully that will renew my love for the series and for simply enjoying games again.

Also getting the brunt of my attack today is Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles because I tried that out right after playing the MP2 Demo. I just slogged through the opening instructions and into the game. It felt like I was trying to eat a 96oz steak before it got cold. After I learned the controls I was ready to start playing, but found that it was still cumbersome and a little confusing to navigate to new areas. The map is simple enough but it just felt cumbersome. When I finally got to a place where I could battle in the overhead, Zeldaesque format I was still not having much fun. Perhaps the game IS geared toward multiplayer and I could then see where things would get much more interesting. However, since I don't have any friends, I must endure the single player game with it's cheapo enemies, poor battle mechanics, and slow pacing. It's not likely I'll continue to play this anymore, there is nothing really driving me to continue. If anyone is interested I'll be putting it up on eBay soon. :|

I'll let everyone know either when I finally find a game that wills me to continue playing, get past the slew of mediocre games I have on my shelf, or have some revelation about my recent attitude toward games in general. It's probably just stress.

08.04.04 - Site updates

It sure has been a long time since I've updated anything on this site. It's also been a long time since I've managed to spend time playing games. But here in the beginning of August I catch up with some of my backlogged information and post some new links.

I completed Golden Sun for GBA this week.

I've added some games in progress that will take me another 4 months to finish :P

I've also added a link to a selling section, including a link to my eBay member page, in the navigation section, in case anyone is interested in the games I sell periodically. I have access to lots of used game stores in my area so if there is something special you're looking for let me know and I'll see if I can find it for you.

Most notably I removed the individual game sections from my navigation, instead opting for a single reviews section where you can peruse all the games I've reviewed in a nice format.

Finally I managed to acquire a guest review spot at Gamershell.com. Here is my first published review for MTV: Music Generator 3, This is the remix. I also sent them a review for Strike Force Bowling but it hasn't been published yet. Apparently the review is too good to publish right away so it may take a while for it to make it around the literary community before you can see it. Sorry :)

06.22.04 - Surgery

Whoa, Ha ha, I'm pissing myself, Nugacity is SO funny. Sure I had the air intake in my shnoz increased by a factor of five last week but I didn't expect such a cold hearted comment from my dear friend. You know the last thing a 7'1", 165 lb guy should mock is corrective surgery. Yeah, he's built for playing basketball but his best trick is showing everyone that he can literally jump through the hoop. There goes Nugacity! Nothing but net!

05.24.04 - Nugacity's RTS rebuttle

Poor Nugacity can find anything to complain about. (even E3). Well, since I'm in a complainy mood I'll just quote him:

"Advance Wars fails to stand up to its superior, under-sized, sprite-ly forebears, but even that may be an understatement. Taking the turn-based element out of a tactical game for just about any console seems downright foolish to me now,..."

I guess this means that Starcraft:Ghost will suck. Everyone needs to stay away from that game, it's totally going to blow.

04.19.04 - Video game garden

I don't think I've managed to play any video games this month. I did however finish a little article about my video game habit. Enjoy.

03.26.04 - April Fools

You know, I like Bacon even breakfast bacon. He is usually one of the most observant, scrutinizing and cynical people I know. In a recent post on nugacity's site he mentioned the "...sign of the end times for videogames." Refering to the Lord of the Rings Cart Racing game. An unwitting victim of the annual April Fools Joke in EGM. Obviously he wasn't playing video games during the famous Sheng Long era. You shouldn't believe everything you read, n00b.

03.18.04 - MZM Maps

I guess it's just been a busy beginning of the year. Nothing new published since Feb. I spent some time with my mapping cohort Ed creating some screenshot maps for Metroid Zero Mission. Check them out here.

In other news I managed to make enough money selling games eBay to purchase a Gamecube and a number of games. Yay!

01.16.04

There were a bunch of games that I played only to realize that I wasn't interested. So I created a "games roundup" that contains some thoughts and impressions of the offending titles.

January PS1 Roundup

12.12.03

I know this is just speculation but I believe that an uproar about the content of Manhunt from parent's groups and the popular media is imminent. In the past, games have shown up and become popular before they are ever targeted by groups. As a new parent my question is: What are people in parent's groups doing in preparation for these games? Do they know about games before they are released? Do they just sit around and wait for the next big thing to impact their kids lives be fore reacting? Overall, I would say that anti-videogame groups are very reactive. Something comes out and suddenly they're appalled and want it banned. There is plenty of coverage in magazines and on the web about what's new in the gaming world. My words to other parents are "Get out there and get involved in your kids lives. Read their magazines, visit web sites that interest them. You'll be more able to deal with situations if you are proactive in talking about them with your children." Is it more effective to talk about drugs with your kids before or after they've tried them? Why should video games be any different?

For the record I'm not against video games, I don't want them banned, I love playing them. I just want my children to be aware of what's out there, that video games are fantasy, and be there to talk when they have questions. Since it's impossible to shield them from everything, I choose to experience things with them. Good and bad.

10.14.03

Something I've always wanted to do is create my own video game. I actually created a little mock up of a fictitious game for a graphic design assignment in college. But that along with some simple scribbling on a note pad have been all that I've managed to bring forth from the bowels of my imagination. So, here I am, no longer the little boy with a simple thought about what I would like in a video game. (It would probably have been easier to make a game when I was little considering the technology) I have managed to play enough video games over my lifetime to know what works and what doesn't work in the arena of games. So I take with me my knowledge and 20+ years of experience in the industry and document the creation of the RPG game that I've always wanted to make but never did. It would be a sad completion to my life if I had never tried…

To begin I added a new section to my site to categorize my thoughts, ideas and everything regarding "MC", the name I've given to my project.

08.29.03

wileee.com is officially 1 year old today. What better way to celebrate than with a story about pissing?

As if bars and other drinking establishments didn't have enough problems someone had to come up with this. People just don't need this type of excuse to drink more beer in order to rack up a higher score in a literal pissing contest. Drunk guys have enough trouble hitting the urinal in the first place to say nothing of trying to play "whack-a-mole". You heard me. I'm even more sure I don't want to walk into the bathroom for a little privacy and be confronted by a circle jerk-a-thon of epic proportions. Waiting in line for a free urinal isn't so bad but waiting for a guy to finish a videogame is eternal. I'll take my hemorrhaging urethra to another establishment, thank you very much. Hopefully the bar owners don't put the advertisements with scantally clad women next to this game. If you're already playing with it…

08.14.03

My loyal reader:

Due to a certain large event in my life I'm not sure how much/many video games I'll be able to play, much less review, for the next 18 years. At the very least my review of one game per month may slow down. Since this is the first time I've been a father I'm not sure what to expect so I won't promise anything to the reader(s) of Wileeereviews out there. However if you are interested in knowing what it's like to try and maintain a video game habit and be a parent at the same time, stay tuned, you might find some of my experiences here in the future.

I've added a "Backlogged" section of all the games on my shelf that I haven't had a chance to play, much less review.

06.02.03

With the advent of the new PSX system (variant of the PS2) I now have to rename the links on my website from PSX to PS1 so there is no confusion. I think Sony should have thought of that before they decided against naming it the PS2.5.

05.20.03

With all of the new games being previewed at E3 this year there is much on the minds of gamers. There are new games, new stories to unfold, new action, new this, new that, and better more realistic graphics. What's on my mind this year after E3? Graphics! They have been the defining characteristic in past years of video games. From the pixilated Atari 2600, to the better sprites of the 16 Bit era, and now the superbly realistic renditions of the next generation consoles. Over the past few years of reading reviews and especially when writing some myself I have found that I don't focus on graphics (or music) too much. When was the last time you caught yourself saying "Eww, those graphics on that PS2 game absolutely suck! Putrid! Horrible! I can't even play the game because the graphics are simply an overabundance of Cheeze Whiz induced vomit ball on my TV screen"? I can tell you it's been a long time since I've uttered anything even resembling that phrase. Gameplay can suck, Control can suck, Story can suck, Voice Acting can suck, but once you get into the current consoles (PS2, Xbox, Gamecube) the graphics are either on par with other games or exceptional.

However even the exceptional games still look like a video game. No matter how much the people at EGM tell me how rain hits the ground perfectly, slight shadows on grass are visible, lighting is better than a sunset from atop a mountain, or even character nostril flaring is evident when he's annoyed those are things that I just never seem to notice no matter how hard I look. At any rate graphics have come a long way and I don't see them getting any worse over the next few years. I do however see more stylized type games like Zelda, The Wind Waker appearing as a new medium for art.

Unless there is something invariably outstanding on a game you can count on me not to comment on it because the graphics will be more than acceptable for you. If you want me to comment on graphics just start a conversation involving some of the cartoons kids watch today. Ok, maybe that's not so much graphics as it is animation but it still sucks.

As for my stance on music, now that it has graduated from the constant blips and repeating rhythms of Super Mario Brothers to full scores and songs it would have to really suck to get my tone deaf attention.

05.05.03

I must say that being able to make it through the entirety of a video game can be quite an accomplishment. But to make it through a game in its entirety 50+ times must be downright amazing. After finishing Final Fantasy II (SNES) for about the 50th time I find it surprising that I'm still interested in playing it. However this being my first time through Final Fantasy Chronicles version it was almost a new experience. Dialog has been changed to something a little more adult that actually reflects the characters feelings better. Also there is a need for more leveling up than the SNES version because the enemies are much more difficult. I was also presented with a nice cinematic for finishing the game in the Chronicles version. I really enjoy these re-makes of classic games and I hope that companies keep making them. Except Atari and Namco. $50 to play Pole Position, Pitfall, or Joust again just to get bored with it is a complete waste.

For some reason, probably because I watched Resident Evil this weekend, I thought it would be a good idea to fill the summer game drought with some movie reviews. I'm going to stick to movies related to video games in particular. Perhaps I'll dig out my copy of The Super Mario Brothers, The Wizard, Tomb Raider, Double Dragon, and Mortal Kombat? Oh Wait! That's right, I don't have any of them because they sucked. Maybe I'll rent them this summer so that you don't have to. Another of the great lengths I go to for my loyal readers. Head on over to my shiny new movies section to read the latest.

04.07.03

I finally finished Onimusha 2 last week but despite it being a really cool game I found myself wanting to play something else. A curious feeling when finishing a game, especially one with sooo many extras, when you really don't want to continue with it, get all the endings, or play through on the harder difficulties. Perhaps it was the method for achieving the extras or the thought of tediously powering up all my weapons again? Whatever the reason it wasn't like when I finished Metal Gear Solid and wound up playing through the game another 12 times on all difficulty levels.

Game companies should really take some hints from the message boards on the Internet. Look at some of the message boards for older games that are more popular and see why people are still playing them. Super Metoid, anything Zelda, Secret of Mana, anything Final Fantasy, Fantasy Star, Sonic Adventure, Capcom Fighters, and others. Most of these games, especially NES and SNES games don't have many if any extras. Yet there they are, tops on the lists of most popular games. Could it be that gameplay, story, and overall experience mean more in the replay category than a new costume, alternate endings, and bonus games? While you're thinking about that, I'll be playing through Final Fantasy II/IV for the 53rd time.

2.19.2002

Finally I get around to writing in my journal again. I've been plugging away at writing reviews and I'm even tackling my first RPG review. It will be interesting to see how it works out with my Daily Reviews method. I've also placed all of my updated works on the home page so if you're a regular visitor to the site you can easily see what's new.

The next thing I'm questioning is all the links in the navigation area. I have some systems listed that either I don't own or don't play anymore, namely Game Cube, Xbox, and NES. Maybe some day I'll own them, maybe not. I'll keep thinking but maybe there is a better way to organize all the games short of learning CGI scripting and SQL Server to maintain all of them.

On a side note, Nugacity finally got his site up and running this week. Check it out here at www.nugacity0.com.

11.11.2002

I published my first guest review for Super Mario Sunshine today. it will be finished in a different style from my own because, well, it's a different person. "nugacity" will be credited for his reviews that will be in the format of a first impression of the game followed by the review upon completion of said game. Hope you enjoy.

10.15.2002:

Well, I went and did it. I changed my site design yet again. I saved a previous version of the site, here, so that I could remember what it used to look like.

9.06.2002:

I'm working on the site layout and trying to finalize the way I want the reviews to look. I can't believe how much a "simple" website can constantly evolve and change on a daily basis. I replaced the drop down box to select games with an alphabetical list. I'll see if I like that better than the drop down box.

I finalized my review scale and am really happy with the way that it turned out.

Game reviews are very difficult to do for games I've played in the past. I'm going to have to dig out my SNES and other systems and replay some of the games to get a good feeling for what I like and dislike abou them. Maybe be a good project for me later.

I like reviewing games on a daily basis of play it keeps things fresh in my mind when I do a final review. I don't want to force everyone to look at my daily entries so I moved them to seperate pages.

For some reason I didn't give daily 1-10 ratings on Mark of Kri. I'll have to think about if I like doing that or not or if the reader can tell from the actual context if I liked it or not?

8.14.2002:

I finally got the site layout the way I want it. I started doing a new type of review process where I write a detailed review as I play the game. This is working well with Blood Omen 2 but I think I'll have to scale it down a bit if I do it for an RPG. Next project is to refine my ratings page.

5.13.2002:

Playstation 2 Console drops in price to $199 from $299. PS1 Drops to $49 from $99

5.06.2002:

I've been away from gaming for a while since other parts of my life were taking much more of my time. I'm going to start working on the individual pages for my game reviews. as well as finalizing my rating system. (I think I'll have to rate a few games first to see how it goes.)

4.19.2002:

I'm starting a video game review page for the simple reason that I want to keep track of my impressions of video games and what I thought about them when I first played them. I will be doing some reviews of games I have played in the past but only for my top 10 list.

When considering how to review games, in a way that is different from any other type of review, I decided to make my final score on the basis of how much I would pay for each game. Thus my grading scale will be anywhere from $5 (the price of a 5 day rental) to $60 (the cost of most top end new games). This rating scale posed a problem with the first game I'm reviewing, Red Faction, because the replay value was really low for me. Reason being that I don't get together with friends often enough to justify having many two player games. So I decided to have two scores for each game with some additional considerations or thoughts I have that would help make decisions easier.

Now that I think about it I will show how much I spent on a game and then I will let you know if I think it was worth it or not.

In order for people to get to know me better as a reviewer I have posted my top 10 games of all time and my favorite genres.