Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time - Updated (Android OS)

A while back, I'm not 100% sure when, but I want to say late last November (and it easily might have been early December, 2013), Plants vs Zombies 2: It's About Time updated on my phone.  My phone probably let me know that there was an update for the game and I thought, "Sure, go ahead, that's cool."  I'm not even 100% sure it did that as I recall, I opened my phone and noticed that the icon for the game had changed.  Maybe I just picked "Update All" and didn't pay attention.  Okay, let's assume that's what I did, as that makes the most sense.

so PvZ2 was updated.  And it wasn't just a simple update either.  This update was a complete overhaul of the game and the way it was played.  If you remember from my original look at the game, the world looked, I thought, like something out of Super Mario Bros. 3, which isn't a criticism, just an observation.

As you can see, there are multiple paths within the first world, Ancient Egypt.  You will also notice a few locked doors (you can tell they're doors because they have keyholes) along with Pyramid-Keys next to them.  These could be opened with said Pyramid-Keys which you earned randomly throughout the game, depending on which world you were in.  Ancient Egypt = Pyramid-Key, Old West = Some-Other-Key-I-Never-Got; you get the idea.

Now that the update has taken place, things not only look a bit different, but the fundamentals of how one plays the game have changed.  The gaming world, and we'll stay in Ancient Egypt, looks like this:

You will first off notice that the game is now very linear, not that that is a problem as the first PvZ was linear without a world map.  The world specific keys were turned into gold coins (10,000 I think for each).  A mini-boss level was introduced into each world stage where you have to fight the standard horde of zombies, but now Gargantuars have been thrown in for good measure.  You may have also noticed that a strange blue-orbal key has replaced the world keys.  These keys are supposed to unlock an as-of-yet released world and these keys, supposedly, can only be obtained in the Gargantuar levels, but are only dropped at random.

A minor addition to the game is that it's played a lot faster.  Suns now give 50 points instead of the usual 25.  Zombies enter the level a lot faster and they move faster, but your plants also attack faster, basically, everything is faster. And, if that's not enough fast for you, you also have the option to speed the game up further by pressing a "Fast-forward-type-button" in the upper right portion of the screen that doubles the game speed.  Not a bad idea until you realize that your reaction time is the same as before, but now the zombies are coming at you and twice their normal speed.  It would be like taking Ben and Barbaras experience from Night of the Living Dead and putting them into the Dawn of the Dead remake.  I've clicked it once and said, "Yup, they're faster," and promptly went back to standard (albeit faster than original) speed.

One other major overhaul to the game that I am not at all happy with, are the conditions to how a level is beaten/completed/finished.  In the first iteration of the game, you were given specific conditions in order to earn a Star.  Earning Stars just acted as additional challenges that increased in difficulty for a specific level.  Such conditions would be something like, "Spend No More Than 1500 Sun & Don't Lose Any Lawnmowers."  If you were to fail in any one of the conditions, you were still allowed to finish the level and often continued to earn coins, but no star was earned.  Now, if you fail to meet all of the conditions, the level ends the moment you fail.  Accidentally spend 1525 sun when you could only spend 1500, the level ends immediately.  It's kind of annoying and frustrating, especially with the lawnmowers.  Why bother even having them as an option if losing even one means you lose the level?

I actually feel sad that since this update has taken place, that I've lost a bit of interest in PvZ2.  A lot of the levels feel like they're trying to force the player to use up gold coins to buy power boosts.  There have been levels where I used any one of the boosts at least four times because I knew my defense that I had planted (sort of the whole point of the game) would not hold against what I was going up against.  Nowadays, all I look forward to are the Piñata parties, even though I wish I could turn off the costumes.

Initially, I would have given the game a "Must Play" rating, you know, if we did official ratings here.  Now, I would probably give an "You Could Live Without Playing."  Maybe I'm just becoming cynical in my old age.


~JWfW/JDub/Jaconian
Because You Don't Do Like They Think You Should

The Smartphone As A Portable Gaming Device

A lot of what I would want and could say about this topic has already been gloriously covered by Extra Credits from season 6 episode 18 titled, "Designing for a Touch Screen."  Now, if you haven't seen it, the episode looks at touch screens in the development of games for all touch screen devices.  Right now, I'm going to take one step more and look at specifically smartphones and since I've had a smartphone now for less than a month, I am an obvious expert on this topic.  What else is the Internet for?

I don't have a whole lot of experience in this arena, only what I've played on one of Conklederp's iPhones and her iPad.  Oh, and I've played a bit of Tetris and Snake on an old Nokia, but those weren't "smart"phones, so moving on.  Game-wise, there's been Fruit Ninja, some ice cream balancing game, Tiny Wings, Angry Birds, Bejeweled Blitz, you know, games that came out a number of years ago.

When thinking about smartphones, you have to take into account the size of the screen as most are anywhere between 4 - 5.5 inches, any larger than that and you're delving into tablet sized platforms.  Granted the smartphone I have is titled a "Mini" although it has roughly the same size screen as an iPhone 4, so it's not really miniature.  I didn't acquire a smartphone because I wanted a new gaming platform, but because I would be paying nearly the same as for my previous phone.

Taking into account the size of my hands which measure 6.5" x 7.5" and the area each thumb takes up (.77312 sq in).  Let alone just the size of my thumbs when pressed up against a screen, that's 13% of the screen covered if I'm just using my thumbs on touch buttons in the corners of the screen.  With this in mind, imagine that you're playing a console game, and two football keep moving in front of the screen at the corners.  The standard response would be some variation on "Move!"  This is all taken for granted with touch screen games that there will be something obscuring the screen for at least a portion of the gameplay.

Taking all this into context, I was considering purchasing the Dead Space mobile game, at first on Conklederp's iPad then on my phone when I saw it was available through the Google store.  I was excited at first, then I watched the trailer to see how the game would look on my phone.  That's when it dawned on me that I would most likely not want to buy the game on my phone but on Conklederp's iPad (with her permission of course).  Dead Space is a game that deserves to not only be played, but to be explored and looked at.  I mean there were elevator service checklists in the first game.  I want to look at those and be immersed in the world.  I don't see that happening with my fingers/thumbs covering 13% of the screen; depending on the control set up for touchscreens. 

Presently I have 10 games installed, six of which are from Humble's recent Mobile Bundle 2 and of those six games, only two really take advantage of touch screen controls, and just barely at that.  Are the games themselves any good?  I'll get to that later.  Three of the games I got for free (Bejeweled Blitz, Angry Birds and Angry Birds: Star Wars) make perfect use of not only touch screen controls, but also the fact that the screen is only 4.8 by 2.5 inches and not 32 inches.  My finger (not my thumb!) is on the screen for only a portion of the time spent playing the game.  Another perfect usage of a touch screen device.  The last game Words with Friends I got because I plan to piss off flight attendants, but not really.

So in answer to my title, which really was not a question: no, my smartphone will not replace my 3DS as my portable gaming device of choice.  And developers could take a lot from the people at Extra Credits.

~JWfW/JDub/Jaconian

I Could Bare This Burden With You

First Impressions: Plants vs. Zombies 2 - It's About Time (iOS)

What!?  I know right?  When did PopCap come out with Plants vs. Zombies 2?  I hadn't even heard anything about this game until the PvZ game on Conklederps Kindlefire downloaded an update to PvZ and the color of the icon changed, which prompted me to open the game and that's when I saw it, an add for Plants vs Zombies 2: It's About Time.  I heard a fair amount of parent company EA Games' mockup of their Modern Warfare series, Garden Warfare, which is a 3rd person shooter from the most recent E3, but nothing about this.  The game was mentioned on PopCap's Twitter back on June 26th of this year.

As it turn(s/ed) out, PvZ2 was released worldwide yesterday.  Yes, yesterday as in August 15th, 2013.  I didn't know that until a minute ago when I double checked the wikipedia page.  So now that that's established, lets get down to the game.

PvZ2 still feels like the original, which is a very good thing, because that's the game that I fell in love with.  My first concern when seeing that this game was coming out (saw as in four days ago), I was afraid that the new plants (you know they had to add new plants) would be less plant like, as in you couldn't tell what plant they were supposed to be, like most of the new Pokémon after the first generation.  That unfamiliar plant above is called the "Bloomerang," and while not too obvious as to what type of flower it is, I can forgive that because the Bloomerang is pretty cool.  It fires up a boomerang petal down the row hitting up to three enemies and then flies back, hitting them again.

Now, there are a lot of things that PopCap did right with this new iteration in the PvZ franchise.  First off, as you can tell from the above, they kept the game the same.  You still plant plants as zombies come towards you.  The level above is one of the conveyer belt levels while in most you still want your row of sunflowers in the back. A recent addition to the game play is Plant Food (that green leaf icon at the bottom of the screen).  Plant Food is earned from green glowing zombies (like the cone wearing zombie in the upper right).  Plant Food will give individual plants a bonus/upgrade, depending on which plant they are used on.  Sunflowers give you extra suns, Wall-nuts gain an extra level of protection (metal armor), Pea Shooters will fire a barrage of peas taking out nearly an entire row of zombies.

As in the first game, plants are unlocked during the course of gameplay, although in PvZ2, there's a world map that's somewhat reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. 3.

So, Ancient Egypt you ask?  If you go back to the title of the game "It's About Time," is a nice pun, admitting to the fact that it's been 4 years since the first game came out, and because the game involves time travel.  True, a lot of the zombies are the same in Egypt as they are in present day, but there are some minor variations, such as the Ra Zombie who tries to absorb suns when the appear on the screen.  Presently I am only on the 4th level in Egypt, but there are a total of 24 levels, just in Egypt.  The other times you are able to travel to are the Old West and the Pirate Seas, each with 22 levels.  I won't spoil the reason why you're time travelling and while the context is rather silly, so is the game.

Now, with all the good things that I've come across in the game so far, there are some elements that I am not too fond of.  The least/most being that the game is currently only available for iOS devices (iPhones & iPads).  Android devices seem to have been forgotten.  At least for the time being, although there is no word as to when Android users will have access to this game.  So when you visit the Apple store, you'll quickly find out that the game is free to download.  That in itself, in todays market is a warning sign.  Not much in this world is free, especially if it's currently an Apple exclusive.  With just a little bit of scrolling, you'll notice this:

That's right, In-App Purchases.  In order to use the Snow Pea, easily one of my go-tos in the first game, I would have to spend $3.99.  Yeah, that's probably not going to be happening.  Maybe that makes me cheap.  I don't plan on making any in-game purchases and presently, I haven't been inundated with "Buy This!" pop ups as all purchases are made through the store, located on the map screen.  I would rather spend $10-20 to buy a full version of the game and you can tell from the first two comments on the page there that others feel the same way.  And, I'm not really the kind of person who would give the game a one star rating just because there are so many purchasable plants and upgrades.  I'll be vocal about not liking it, but so far the game is still a lot of fun.

I feel like this is about all I'm capable to comment on about the game, again because I've played less than 10 levels of the possible 73.  The wikipedia page does say that the game can be completed without using any of the in game purchases, which is very nice to know.

I would say that if you have an iOS device and you liked/loved the first Plants vs. Zombies, you'll lose absolutely nothing by downloading and trying out part 2. 

~JWfW/JDub/Jaconian

Don't Give Up So Soon

One week and 65% left to go.  There's still hope, even if it is a fools hope.

[Edit:  After playing two more levels in Ancient Egypt, I've had two popup ads, one letting me know that I can buy more coins/in-game money which can be used on the special moves I unlocked one level after posting, and another add letting me know about buying "bundles," which consist of buying a purchasable plant (Snow Pea, Squash, et cetera) along with some coins for a special price.  I might also add that I've come across three doors that can be unlocked with special pyramid keys that I've found "randomly" during levels, but I'm one short from being able to unlock one door and two keys short from two separate doors; keys also disappear after you use them so for the three doors I'll need 11 more keys, or I can buy a key for $1.99.  Sneaky.  Just wanted to throw that out there as well.]

Follow up: Sword and Sworcery EP

I recently completed this game, and decided to do a follow-up to my First Impressions.  I felt that the ending of this game was strongly affecting in a way that warranted further attention here.  

Sword and Sworcery EP is weird.  Weird and unique; truly this game is very much itself.  It doesn't really resemble anything else in my library or memory. Weird and beautiful: the sounds and graphics are finely crafted, original creations, custom to this game.  There's something so great about the impact of the sword swings during combat.  The sound has a real punch to it.

The themes are strange and perplexing.  The willingness to mix fantasy with random bits of modern imagery make it really hard to pin down.  However, playing through, from start to finish, this game has a sense of coherence.  This is actually aided somewhat by the habit of breaking of the fourth wall.  The characters speak directly to the player, and even the Scythian, the character controlled by the player, uses the royal 'we' whenever speaking.  It seemed clear to me that the Scythian did this to acknowledge the dual nature of the player and herself. The other characters will refer to the Scythian, but speak directly to you.  It feels as though they live in this game and acknowledge that there is a player outside the game.  

There is a theme of the inevitability of death, which is mentioned directly within the dialogue, and also through animated behavior.  This theme coupled with the breaking of the fourth wall, drew my attention to the fact that I was in no danger, however, I was taking part in putting the Scythian in danger.  And while the game never blamed me for it (as the player), I shared in a sense of dread and inevitability, as the Scythian carried out her 'woeful errand' with my assistance.  But more than that, I had an awareness that I was 'sharing' these feelings with the characters, who are merely pieces of fiction after all. 

As the game drew to a close, I felt my own connection to the characters drifting away.  I was left with a feeling of watching fish in a glass bowl.  The events of the story ultimately have a greater impact on the characters within, and I have  only second-hand involvement.  I will go on with my life, go to work, the grocery store, play another game.  But these events will have lasting effects on the characters within.  

I guess, in a sense, immersion is never really broken, but more put in its place.  The player is outside, and must remain there. We can only watch, and have a small influence on what happens within.  Which makes for a weird and beautiful experience.

So yeah, rad game.  I highly recommend it. Click the >Read More> link below for more info.

Creativity of Indie Games: Big list of Games

1. Owlboy - http://www.owlboygame.com/  - unfinished - pc - free demo
2. Fez - http://fezgame.com/ - is xbox live exclusive
3. Botanicula - http://botanicula.net/ - windows, mac, linux - 10$ - free online demo - adorable*
4. Gunpoint - http://www.gunpointgame.com/  - windows, maybe more later.  unfinished
5. Proteus - http://www.visitproteus.com/  - atari looking game - $10 - steam, mac and windows
6. Coin - http://www.create-games.com/newspage.asp?id=3624 windows, free
7. Scrumbleship - http://www.scrumbleship.com/ unfinished, kickstarter - demo - windows, mac, linux
8. Spelunky - http://spelunkyworld.com/  free on Windows, version 2.0 on xbox live
9. Limbo - http://limbogame.org/  windows, steam, xbox, mac - reviewed
10. Bastion - http://supergiantgames.com/?page_id=242 - xbox, windows, steam, chrome, mac, linux, ipad
11. Castle Crashers - http://www.castlecrashers.com/ - xbox, psn, steam.  Brawler, 4 players, fun.
12. Journey - http://thatgamecompany.com/games/journey/ ps3 exclusive.  Great game.  
13. The Iconoclasts - http://www.konjak.org/index.php?folder=4&file=30 - unfinished. free alpha download. windows. 
14. Don't Blow It! http://dinomage.com/dontblowit/  unfinished.  dinomage is a great name.
15. Amelia vs. The Marathon - http://www.troubleimpact.com/ - unfinished - intended for iOS, Android, Nook, Kindle Fire
16. Lost Marbles - http://binarytakeover.com/lostmarblesredux.html - unreleased, can vote for steam release with steam greenlight
17. Terraria - http://www.terraria.org/ - steam - 2d minecraft
18. Negative Nimbus - http://www.negativenimbus.com - android, iOS
19. Zombox - http://www.zombox.net/ - unreleased - ios and hopefully steam and android
20. Braid - http://braid-game.com/ - xbox360, windows, steam, [impulse, gamers gate]
21. Superbrothers: Sword and Sorcery EP - http://www.swordandsworcery.com/ - android, iOS, windows, steam - reviewed
22. Mark of the Ninja - http://www.markoftheninja.com/ - xbox, steam
23. Super Meat Boy - http://supermeatboy.com/ - xbox, steam, windows, mac, linux
24. Rawbots - http://www.rawbots.net/page/rawbots - windows, mac os, looks interesting
25. The Splatters - http://spikysnail.com/ - xbox, coming soon to Mac, Windows, Linux
26. Legend of Grimlock - http://www.grimrock.net/ - Windows, steam
27. Bit Trip Runner - http://bittripgame.com/bittrip-runner.html - Mac, Windows, steam, Wii
28. SpellTower - http://www.spelltower.com/ - Mac, iOS
29. Bit Pilot - http://www.bitpilotgame.com/ - iOS, coming soon for Mac
30. Pid - http://www.pidgame.com/ - xbox, playstation, steam, Mac, Windows [gog, rain dg, gamer sgate]
31. Reset - http://reset-game.net/ - unfinished, Windows
32. Minecraft - https://minecraft.net/ - Android, iOS, Xbox, Java
33. The Binding of Isaac - http://store.steampowered.com/app/113200/ - Steam, Windows, Mac, Linux, Playstation
34. World of Goo - http://www.worldofgoo.com/ - Steam, Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, Wii
35. Osmos - http://www.hemispheregames.com/osmos/ - Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS
36. Tiny Wings - http://www.andreasilliger.com/ - iOS
37. God of Blades - http://whitewhalegames.com/godofblades.html - iOS
38. Prison Architect - http://www.introversion.co.uk/prisonarchitect/ - Windows, Mac OS, Linux
39. Dear Esther - http://dear-esther.com/ - Steam, Windows, Mac
40. Corpse Garden - http://www.freeindiegam.es/2012/06/corpse-garden-fei/ - Windows, Mac
41. Amnesia: The Dark Descent - http://www.amnesiagame.com/#main - Steam, Windows, Mac, Linux
42. The Moonlighters - http://raddragongames.wordpress.com/the-moonlighters/ - Unfinished
43. Dungeons of Dredmor - http://www.gaslampgames.com/ - Steam, Windows, Mac, Linux
44. Faster Than Light - http://www.ftlgame.com/ - Windows, Mac, Linux
45. Today I Die - http://www.ludomancy.com/games/today.php?lang=en - flash game, played in browser - poetic
46. The Snowfield - http://gambit.mit.edu/loadgame/snowfield.php - Windows, Mac
47. Symon - http://gambit.mit.edu/loadgame/summer2010/symon_play.php - Windows
48. I Wish I Were The Moon - http://www.ludomancy.com/blog/2008/09/03/i-wish-i-were-the-moon/ - flash game, played in browser
49. Passage - http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/passage/ - Windows, Mac, iOS
50. The Dream Machine - http://www.thedreammachine.se/ - Steam, Windows, Mac
51. Ico - http://www.icothegame.com/ - Playstation 2

I took this list from the information section on this youtube video: The Creativity of Indie Games from the pbs youtube channel.  I hope they don't get mad at my for lifting the list, and I hope I'm citing it appropriately.  

I've made notes on each game, mostly the operating system(s) the game is available for, and occasionally price and miscellaneous comments.  I've marked when a game is available on steam, though technically that is not an operating system.  There has been talk of a steam console: Piston.  

I write a little bit about the accompanying video in my previous post.