The Classic Episodes (TV Review)

Any good show has a shortlist of classic episodes.  The ones that stand up above the rest.  In some cases, these might be the ones that you would show to an uninitiated person, who would like to know what this show is all about.  And because I love lists as much as the next guy, I'm going to pick one episode from a few TV series I've watched.

While it's generally best to watch a show in chronological order, so you can see the characters develop, there are usually episodes in the run of a series that are self-contained, and little to no background is required to enjoy them.  These are the ones I'd like to focus on.  In each case, there are others that might do just as good a job, but these are my picks.  

http://www.redbubble.com/people/dangerousdays/works/9026099-darmok-and-jalad-at-tanagra

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Darmok

Star Trek: The Next Generation has the advantage of having many self-contained episodes and few multi-episode spanning story arcs.  This makes the show easy to pick up and enjoy.  But when I think of the series, Darmok is usually the first episode I think of.

The execution of the theme is original, and totally what Star Trek is all about.  This story is fully diplomatic, it's just a matter of learning to communicate.  On one side is hand-to-hand combat with a shiny beast, and also stories around the campfire.  On the other side is... well, research.  Half this episode is just characters researching language, stories, and discussing their findings.

All you need know is the barest information about what the Federation is, and how they operate.  And not necessarily even that.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Restless

Now, I haven' gotten through the whole series, so maybe this will change, but I just saw the Dream episode of Buffy, and it was a really well done episode.  About 80% of the action in the episode takes place within four different dreams.  I loved the strangeness of it; I felt like it was not just a Hollywood version of what dreams are, but a much more realistic one.  One key detail is the way that the dreamers take the strangeness in stride, the way I've found I tend to do in my own dreams.

Information about the characters might help this episode, but it's true value is in the direction and cinematography, which can be appreciated on their own merits.

Doctor Who

Blink

This is one of those episodes.  It's self contained, well designed, really a fantastic episode.  Frankly, it's such a good episode that it might even spoil the series a little.  This is definitely the first episode I show anyone who is curious about Dr. Who.  Even if they don't end up liking the series, they will more than likely enjoy this episode.  It is well-executed, original and completely self contained.  The lead roles are one-off characters.  Outsiders, like the first time viewers, unfamiliar with the series they inhabit. 

2013 Year in Review

When reading over our mission statements, I do wonder if I have lost sight of anything.  Actually, I wonder that whenever I post, and I just used the mission statements to reinforce that belief.  Or something.  Anyhow, it is true that I originally spent more time reminiscing about my life and video games, and the influence games on my life.  However, posting at this blog has guided me to become more involved in the video game 'scene' as it were.  Really, the scene is made up of many different 'scenes' and I'm mostly interested in Art Games, Retro Games, free indie games, and higher production indie games available on Steam.  

This was a big year for non-game, games.  2012 might get a little mixed in here, since I don't really distinguish the two years very well, but I've played a few games that bend the rules about what video games are.  So far there's:  Proteus, Dear Esther and To the Moon.  And I'm also set to play Gone Home and The Stanley Parable.  Pretty excited about those two.  And about these high profile games that are so non-traditional.  

Because, let me tell you, when I returned to the gaming scene, I was appalled at how completely saturated it was with First Person Shooters.  I was never a huge fan of the genre, but to my understanding, there are so many generic shooters out there that even big fans of the genre are getting over-saturated.  I guess the good news is that the over-saturation of fps market has created a greater interest in non-traditional games like the ones I listed above, four out of five of which are from the first person perspective.

And then there's Portal.  Technically a shooter, but you don't shoot bullets, you don't shoot people, you shoot walls, and you create portals.  Beautiful and awesome, I still love this game, and had a great time playing through it again.  I also played Portal 2, which suffered a little by being, in my opinion, too long.  I also wasn't that into the whole 'gels' thing.  But I did just the other day get to play co-op mode with Jaconian for the very first time.  I had a great time and I can't wait to do it again.  

There is so much more depth in games than I am experiencing, and co-op mode reminded me of that.  We were just hanging out, playing video games (before we were rudely interrupted by a broken internet connection on my end).  It was nice.  I thought of my non-gaming friends who might not have such an easy time getting into hang-out mode with someone who lives hundreds of miles away.  

Okay, resolution time:   I resolve to play more online co-op (not hard, since my total games last year were 0).  I resolve to work harder on my more complex posts, rather than rushing them out at my self-imposed deadline.  As an amendment to that resolution, I'd like to actually finish the posts about the Console Wars and Graphics in games that I began over a year ago.  Also, to finish knitting the scarf I started, and one more too.  I also learned to knit this year - it's a excellent thing to do while watching TV or movies.  

Alright, acheivement unlocked:  New Years Ramble.

Happy New Year,

-Dr. Potts


P.S.  Here's some lists for the new year:

My Favorite gaming podcasts:  Experience Points, Brainy Gamer, A Life Well Wasted

My Favorite games I played this year:  Proteus, FEZ, SuperBrothers:  Sword and Sworcery EP

Top games I desperately want to play again, but don't have access to:  Journey, Barabari Ball, Nidhogg

Games I desperately want to play for the first time, but don't have access to:  Mario Galaxy 2, Zelda: Windwaker HD, Monster Hunter 3

My favorite posts I can't seem to finish:  Console Wars, What I mean when I talk about Graphics, Tecmo Bowl

My favorite Online video Programs relating to video games:  Extra Credits, PBS Ideas Channel, Hey Ash, Watcha Playin?

The consoles I am most nostalgiac for:  NES, SNES, Playstation 1

Consoles I would buy if, y'know, I had a TV and some extra spending cash:  Wii, Playstation 4 (it's backwards compatible, right?), Steam Box (just 'cause steam is awesome)

P.P.S.  Oh yeah, I lost my job in August, and proceeded to couch-surf for the next four months.  I guess that was a pretty big developement, huh?  Right.  Well, I discovered that even with a bunch of extra time to game, I don't play any more video games than before.  I guess I feel like I earn the time to play more when I'm paying rent.  But I'm going to pay rent at a house with a PS3 come January, so we'll see what develops!

Game Scores: Final Fantasy USA - Mystic Quest (SNES)

If you're like me, then you might have been one of the many people who initially scoffed at Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.  I mean the cover of the game touted that it was an "Entry-Level Role Playing Adventure."  Entry-Level?  I'd been playing RPGs since Dragon Warrior.  I didn't need to have my hand held while fighting off monsters on my way to save the world.  I only played it because the game belonged to The Kid, although I can't remember if I bought it for her or she bought it herself.  Well, as it turned out, it was a pretty decent game and what surprised me the most was the music, which is why we are all here today.

I acquired this soundtrack over 10 years ago while buying something on eBay and this came as a "bonus gift."  It was one of five video game CDs to choose from and the only one that I had played, so I figured why not?  After listening through the whole CD, I discovered that I recalled the music more than I thought I would and that I actually enjoyed the music as well.

The music composed for Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was not written by then Squaresoft mainstay Nobuo Uematsu, but instead by Ryuji Sasai and Yasuhiro Kawakami.  To give you an idea of where this soundtrack is coming from, previous works from these two composers include Final Fantasy Legend III (Gameboy 1993) and Tetris (Arcade 1988).

So what makes this soundtrack surprisingly good?  We'll get there later, but first, let's start off with the main theme for the game which is played during the opening titles and is used for the overworld theme.

It's poppy.  It's bouncy.  It's upbeat.  Not really what you would expect from not only a Final Fantasy game, but from a game in a series where the threat of global destruction or evil overlordship is just on the horizon.  In almost any other J-Pop RPG, this theme might work, but upon first listen, Final Fantasy doesn't come to mind.  Is the song bad then?  Not really, just not something you would at first expect.

Now onto another theme heard throughout a large portion of the game.  This track is titled "Beautiful Forest."  Upon listening, I tend to find all the elements in the song needed to drum up the idea of a serene forest.  There might be enemies here, there might not.  Not too much to worry about.  There's probably also beams of light streaming through breaks in the trees.  Most likely a fair amount of moss.  You get the picture.

Ready for an adventure that sounds a lot cheesier than it actually is (kind of like that sentence)?  The track "Fossil Labyrinth" exemplifies this sense of adventuring in a questionable place then picks up the pace a bit as you get to the magnificence and awe portion of your exploration and finally, like any good RPG loop, you're dropped off again at the beginning of the track.  All of this occurs within 41 seconds.  You can't even microwave a Hot Pocket in that time without it catching on fire.

By now I hope that you're able to see where I'm coming from when I say that the music in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is actually quite good, considering it's self label as an introductory RPG for beginners.  The final track is an arranged track that is found on the OST (Original SoundTrack), although the song itself is final dungeon music (Last Castle), this specific arrangement is not.  And, while I usually don't go for remixes of music from video games (not including orchestral arrangements), as this song is officially sanctioned and because of the song's quality, I am perfectly secure in my liking of this next song:

So, if any of today's tracks have intrigued you, I highly encourage you to give the whole soundtrack a listen to and if you feel additionally inclined, give the game a play.

~JWfW/JDub/Jaconian
Instrumental

To Zelda too.

1980s Link is frustrated that his Franchise has become stale

I started this post on a day I called in sick-- paid sick days were a perk to my previous place of employment.  And, wouldn't you know it, after a crashing into a nap, post sick-call, I woke up with the earnest desire to play Zelda II:  The Adventure of Link.  Then it occurred to me: there is a very good chance that I stayed home sick from school at some point in my childhood and played Zelda II.  That's neither here, nor there, but I have been thinking about the game since getting up.  

Zelda II is often seen as an aberration in the series, the experimentation with side scrolling and RPG elements being too much for some people.  But I loved this game.  It was a family game and I've played it a bunch of times throughout the years, but I've only beaten it a couple of times.  I made similar claims of favoritism regarding Zelda I and those claims are true; but Zelda II occupies a different and very special place in my memory.

I think it's important to note that the clay had not hardened on this game series when Zelda II came out. Hell, it was only the second game in a series that by now spans over a dozen.  There was no reason to think that each sequel would be the same as the last.  As a matter of fact, it occurs to me that Mario 2 (Mario USA) was also radically different from Mario 1.  However, unlike Mario, we had to wait until a new console system came out to get a third installment of the Zelda theme.  

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed in Zelda III choosing to be another top-down game.  Even though that game is probably my favorite game ever. And in retrospect, it was certainly an impactful decision for the whole franchise, as the next in the series, Link's Awakening, was also top down, and every subsequent Zelda game for a portable system has been a top-down design.  

But back when Zelda II was still relatively new, it was a great game.  I loved the side scrolling, I loved that you got to use Magic and I loved the RPG elements.  Raising levels and an overworld map, two important RPG innovations.  Basically, Zelda II is a completely different game than Zelda I was, and there is no need to compare them.  I think this variation between sequels is great, I wish more game series were like this.  Zelda II was also a true sequel  - the story picks up chronologically after the events of the first game, and Ganon is dead.  

The side-scrolling, overworld map and RPG elements were abandoned after Zelda II, and frankly, I think to the detriment of the series as a whole.  I wish Nintendo had been more willing to branch out and experiment with this series.  I don't mean to sound bitter, but in my humble opinion, the Zelda franchise has grown stale and over-marketed.  I think this can be shown by the release schedule of Zelda games.  In the 1980s, two games were released.  The decade of the 90s saw four games. The 2000s saw seven Zelda games released.  I believe it was during the decade of 2000-2010 when Nintendo missed its opportunity to branch the series in a new direction. But, you know, maybe it's never too late.   

----------------------

Zelda RPG anyone?

Esuna and Kamil - How about Zelda and Link?

And since I'm in love with my own ideas, I want to talk about my old idea for a Zelda RPG.  This was inspired by playing 'The 7th Saga' by Enix on SNES,  something I did a lot of as a teenager.  This was sometime after Zelda III came out, but long before Ocarina of Time.  While playing as Esuna, whom I always played as, I had a moment when I imagined Princess Zelda casting the ice spell.  When playing as Kamil,It wasn't too hard to imagine Link there, sword and shield in hand,  and suddenly I want a Zelda RPG with battle style identical to 7th Saga.  

Now take these two characters above and re-imagine them as Zelda and Link.  Not hard to do eh? Just put a green hat on Kamil and pretty much leave Esuna the same.  At least it wasn't hard for me to imagine in 1996. I thought it would be so cool to play as Zelda and Link fighting side by side.  Mario RPG came out at around this time, and I thought it was a fantastic and innovative game.  In that game, I enjoyed being able to play as Princess Toadstool or Bowser, and I longed for a chance for the Zelda Universe to expand in a similarly clever way. 

It's too bad that we've made it this far without a proper Zelda RPG.  I really think Nintendo dropped the ball on that one.  By Zelda III, the world was lush and full, ripe for development in an RPG style.  The series featured two top-down games and a side scroller with RPG elements.  Further expansion of the series into a multi-genre franchise seemed possible then.  By now, I worry that it may be too late.  Or, is it never too late?  How about it, Nintendo?  

-D

Zelda-- I mean Esuna casting an ice spell.  

Many thanks to:

http://serenesforest.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=38230

for exactly the image I was looking for.

Creating An Origin Story

Doc Torpots' last post got me thinking.  I too, in my youth, sometime in jr. high, began the process of writing video game fan fiction.  Not in the traditional sense of fanfiction, but I took the existing storyline from Final Fantasy and intended to flesh out characters and places that already existed within the game.  I think the characters I used were my go-to group for whenever I created a party: Fighter, Black Belt, White Mage & Black Mage.  I think I even went so far with artistic licensing to make the Black Belt blind from some event that happened before the events of the game and that the Fighter had been his companion, probably since the incident that took the Black Belt's sight.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is interesting in how many different storylines exist within the game.  There are any number of plots that will take you in one of two directions, such as the Stormcloak/Imperial civil war quests, the Dawnguard Vampire quests, each having you choose one of two sides.  That alone, if you want to complete requires at least two characters.  With my initial character, I couldn't see them joining either side in the civil war and while I did start the Dawnguard quests (and even the Black Brotherhood quests), I can't don't think I will finish them.

With that in mind, I decided to create a new character for the sole purpose of joining the Stormcloak side of the civil war against the Imperials.  At the same time, I also wanted to create a tank.  Then I started thinking, what's a tanks general weakness?  Magic.  So how would I create a tank that wasn't as susceptible to magic?  I would make them a Breton.  That was when story mode kicked in for me.  I needed to have a reason as to why a Breton tank was captured and taken to Helgen to be executed with the leader of the Stormcloaks, which is how Skyrim begins.  I then created my Breton tank but upon looking him over, all bearded and scraggly, I felt that I didn't know the character.  I had this image of what I wanted him to be, but I wanted to know where this guy came from.  Who was he before he became all bearded?  Over the course of the next day at work, I managed to come up with the following story:

In the 4E 184, a noble from the city of Farrun in the High Rock province of Tamriel is sent to the city of Whiterun in Skryim  as a dignitary for a now unknown event, possibly a wedding.  This male noble is sent because he is not well liked by the reigning king of Farrun but it is expected that a noble be sent to Whiterun nonetheless.  The unnamed male noble, while he doesn't like the cold of the Skyrim province, is eager to gain favor with the King, accepts the "honor" of representing Farrun.

While travelling through Skyrim, the noble's caravan made stops in Rorikstead on the initial trip before arriving in Whiterun and Dragon Bridge on the return trip before arriving back in Farrun.  At some point, the noble slept with an unnamed woman who worked in one of the taverns of Rorikstead or Dragon Bridge.  Some months later when the woman realized she was pregnant and fearing being outcast by her parents, the woman leaves to work/live on a farm owned by her aunt and uncle some miles away.  Her aunt and uncle have not issue with their pregnant niece.  

In 4E 185, the woman has her child, but dies during childbirth.  The uncle swears to the woman before she dies that he will take the child to Farrun (since the mother knew of the father's originating location) so that the child could live with and be taken care of by the father.  The following morning, the uncle leaves for Farrun.

The evening that the uncle crosses the border into High Rock, the farm is attacked by Forsworn and the aunt is killed while the crops are looted.  Upon reaching Farrun, the uncle and child request an audience with any of the nobles.  Word gets around to the unnamed male noble that a man from Skyrim is looking for a Farrun noble who had visited Skyrim the following year; there is no word of a child.  The noble sends out a hitman to kill the uncle.  The assassin is sent to the inn to kill the uncle and in the process finds a baby.  The assassin follows through with his contract, but takes the baby to an orphanage, leaving it on the doorstep and disappearing into the night.

The child, a boy, is raised in the orphanage.  Unlike his fellow Breton children, the child has red hair and is frequently made fun of, most likely because of a negative stereotype that Bretons of Farrun hold toward the Nords of Skyrim.  The child, taking the name of Gherard after a ferrier/blacksmith in Farrun whom the boy begins an apprenticeship with in 4E 193.  While growing up, Gherard embraces his rumoured Nord heritage as a way of hardening himself against the taunts of the children of the orphanage and the citizens of Farrun.

In 4E 198, Gherard vows to leave Farrun for Skyrim to search for his heritage.  He has an ornamental beard tattooed to each side of his face, still being too young to actually grow a beard.  Gherard also begins having his hair fashioned in a very un-Brenton fashion which only brings about more ridicule from other Bretons, but strengthens his resolve to leave.

In 4E 201, when Gherard is 17, he has saved enough money from his work and buys his way out of the orphanage.  Upon crossing the border into Skyrim, Gherard is caught up in an ambush between Imperial Legion soldiers and members of the Stormcloak rebellion.  Gherard is captured by the Imperial Legion and is taken to Helgen, in the south of Skyrim to await his execution.

Yes, I felt I needed all of that to justify creating a Breton tank who would join with the Stormcloaks for that one, single, quest line.  And now, I present to you young Gherard of Farrun:

At the moment, I do not have a picture of Gherard in his developed state as I have yet to make it to Riften to  see the Face Sculptor, but after I feel that he's actually grown enough, I will make him all bearded and rugged like.  His future is written, just not played out yet.

~JWfW/JDub/Jaconian

Instrumental


[P.S. I just found (6/28/2013) some pictures that I took while composing Gherard's story while at work:

I thought I was finished after coming up with this.  During the remainder of the day, I kept having more ideas for Gherard's story.  As you can see, originally I had the father originating from Hammerfell due to it's proximity to the western edge of Skyrim, but I later decided that High Rock would work better for the strong vs. magic tank.  You can also see that early on, Gherard's mother would be alive for part of his life rather than dying during child birth.  I ended up further developing it on the back of my work schedule-sheet until it looked like this by the end of the day:

This is probably an accurate depiction of what it looks like inside my brain.]

Family Fun Time

got this image right off the Nintendo website

Growing up with my Family, I was the undisputed #1 fan of video games.  I'm not sure when this was clear, but I do recall working hard to prove this point, even if no one particularly wanted to compete with me for the title.  I just knew that video games were for me.  When my family bought a new TV, I insisted that the old TG&Y piece of crap TV go into my room.  And even though I had to use a pair of pliers to turn it off and on, I was a rich child- I had what I wanted.  

I moved one game system, and eventually all game systems into my room, whereupon I held dominion over them.  I don't remember asking permission, I simply remember exercising Manifest Destiny over our family's NES and SNES.  After all, hadn't it been *I* who had badgered my parents, non-stop, for what seemed like years-- to buy a Super Nintendo?  And wasn't it me who saved up his own money to buy a Nintendo 64 the day it came out?  I deserved those systems, and that was all there was to it.  My younger sister Samz may have protested. After all, she played the most video games after me, and was a stalwart co-op game ally.  But I was insistent in my role as #1 game player of the household. 

It wasn't always this way.  There was a period when video games were for the whole family.  I can't quite place it, but it was a time before the Super Nintendo, but after the Original Nintendo.  My parents tended to drag their feet about buying me new toys, they didn't seem to understand that Nintendo was the greatest thing there was, and really, the best use of their money, as far as I was concerned.  Our Atari 2600 carried us through the first couple of years after NES was released, and we finally got a Nintendo with the Super Mario/Duck Hunt cart.   I can barely remember when this happened, but I know my age was still in single digits.

Anyhow, during the time before I  took over all matters of video gaming in our house, there was a golden period of the original Nintendo Entertainment System, where we all would play games, sometimes together, as a family.   Except my Mom - my Mom never got into any games at all, and I have a fuzzy memory of her holding a controller with a dumbfounded and annoyed look, like it was something the cat dragged in:  "What am I supposed to do with this thing?"    

My Dad would definitely do the funny move-the-controller-to-make-the-car-turn action that everyone does at some point when they're new to video games.  Action games weren't really his thing.  He and my older sister Emz both showed a preference for RPG and Adventure games.   Dad and Emz didn't play many games but they did play a few pretty seriously.  And when they got involved, then it was on!   

I have to tell you, having my Dad play video games with us was probably the coolest thing in all of gaming.  I had all the enthusiasm for gaming, I wanted to play NES more than anyone, and I dedicated the most time.  But I think fondly of the group effort that resulted whenever my Dad got involved.   I experienced that wonderful balance that many of us know- between playing the game, and watching others play it, and feeling involved all the time.  I miss that.

My Dad brought in other elements of his own.  The one that stands out most in my mind was mapping.  He broke out graph paper and a ruler, and proceeded to map every dungeon in Zelda II,  and also every dungeon in Ultima Exodus.  This allowed those of us who weren't playing to participate in a significant way.  And since I was pretty young at the time, it helped me to work on the new skill of cartography (after a fashion). 


Below, I'm going to say a little bit about the games that stand out to me as Family Games.  
>>Read More

Emulator Hour: Faxanadu (NES)

Why do I love Faxanadu so much?  It's one of my favorite games for the NES that I never owned.  I've spent some time thinking about this game, and I think that the graphics are one of my favorite parts of Faxanadu.  They may not seem like much at first glance, but I think they contribute strongly to my reason for carrying a torch for this game.  In addition, the soundtrack is one of the most interesting from the NES era.  

Below I show a progression of some of the different pallets and musical themes from Faxanadu.  The game's action starts at the base of the World Tree, travels up the tree a bit, goes inside the tree, comes back out, then ends up in the branches.  I love the idea of fighting through a giant tree.  This is a game that warrants a good remake.  Emphasis on good.

Muddy brown brick and a sky with a greenish hue characterize the town Eolis, cut off from their source of water and life.  
Eolis theme.  

The contrast is kicked up at the trunk; bright orange and green dominate, with a deep blue sky. The music picks up a bit.  

Overworld Theme. 

Purple foggy good times.  This was the furthest I ever made it on a rental. Delightfully spooky musical accompaniment.  
Mist Theme

Here we are in a branch of the great world tree. The music gets a bit more serious in tone. 
World of Branch Theme

Somehow there's a stone dungeon in the branches of this tree.  Another new pallet.  The music is a variation on the previous dungeon theme.  
Labrynth Theme

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. 

First Impressions: Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP

Another Humble Bundle game!  The Humble Bundles are the best thing ever.  By the way, there's one going on right now.  11 more days. Upon reviewing my files, I recently discovered that I've bought five Humble Bundles.  Which probably accounts for about 35 of the 50 or so games in my steam account.  I'll probably never play them all, but I'm glad I gave Sword and Sorcery EP a look.  So far, at 2 hours in, I am having a great time.

The game is beautiful in a neat 'retro' way that captures my heart.  I can't explain it, but the graphics and design really mesmerize me.  The visuals are great, the sounds and the animation are also great.  Everything seems to fit in the world, and no element clashes to pull me out of my absorption in the game.  I've enjoyed the sound so much that I decided to download the soundtrack (another perk of the humble bundles).

The story follows a character known as the Scythian.  She is wandering around looking for something called the Trigon, which appears to simply be a triangle.  Except using the 'gon' suffix like a pentagon or septagon.  She encounters some people along the way to help her and some others who are trying to hinder her.  And the whole time the graphics and sound are just great.  

The controls took a little getting used to.  My only real problem was that I didn't realize that I could double-click to direct  the Scythian to walk or interact with items.  I thougth I had to hold the button down, which does work, but it also is the same action that I use to look around the screen.  Mixing the two of these up was frustrating, but since I figured it out, the controls have given me no trouble at all. 

The name is kind of stupid, and so far the writing is pretty stupid as well.   For example, the lumberjack that the Scythian meets early on is named "logfella."  And then the dog she encounters is named "dogfella."  The thing about the dialogue is that it seems to be speaking directly to the player, and not to the Scythian.  The other characters in the story will speak of the Scythian and not to her, and the Scythian herself uses the royal 'we' whenever expressing herself verbally.  After playing the game for a couple of hours, the dialogue has started to become charming, instead of annoying.  I think this comes from the consistency of the silliness.  The game seems to break the fourth wall as a rule, instead of an exception, and this somehow works.  

There are some themes that I don't really understand.  One is the 'EP' theme.  I am guessing that the inclusion of EP in the title is to indicate that the game won't be very long (I have been playing 2 hours and have 47% completion) and that maybe it indicates that the soundtrack won't be very long, as an vinyl record EP runs a standard of about 25 minutes.  The menu screen for the game prominently features an image of an EP vinyl record.  The record reacts to the players menu choices.  Another theme is the triangle, or 'trigon' theme.  Triangles feature in all of the menus, and also as the main source of conflict for the Scythian.    

I want to throw in that the lead character, the Scythian,  appears to be female, based on the sound of her grunts as she swings her sword. However, she is not portrayed as 'super-feminine' - a nice departure from so many of our video game heroines.

The game is available for eight bucks on steam, but I got it for much less, given it was a Humble Bundle.  I probably dropped $20 bucks on Humble Bundle V, and still the games were about $3 apiece.  hells yeah.

-D

I want to also make a quick mention that there was a reference to Al Jaffee in this game.  Yes, that Al Jaffee.  I think that was the precise moment that the silly dialogue began to win me over.  

Also, I want to mention again that the Humble Bundle 7 is out right now and has 11 days to go.  Pay what you want, can't beat that price!

Winnitron 1000: Impressions from Gaming Co-op #5

Alright folks, it's time for the overdue, final posting about the Cooperative Gaming Co-op Arcade Installation that I attended in October in San Jose.  Hosted by my friend John Bruneau and James Morgan, the Arcade was a free event, and a chance to play a bunch of different independently released games in Arcade cabinets built and curated by the hosts and a variety of guest curators.  I had a great time at this event, and if I were a bit closer to San Jose, I would have returned over and again to try the games I didn't have time for.  While many of the games are available to play, download and purchase online, the chance to play them in an Arcade cabinet was truly special, and not something I'll likely have a chance to repeat.   With the exception of the Winnitron 1000.

The Winnitron 1000 was designed specifically to be a sort of Franchise Arcade Cabinet.  The idea for the Winnitron, and the games are available through their website.  Winnitron 1000 was designed in Winnipeg, Canada, where-from it gets the name, and it has been duplicated at several different locations.  The one I played was designed for the Cooperative Gaming Co-op and is called the Winnitron SJ.  

There can be a Winnitron in your town,   all it takes is people with the gumption to contact the Winnitron people, then build a cabinet and put the Winnitron software in it.  And presto!  You can have your town's own Winnitron, which will live there to be enjoyed by all.  

Look at all these games available for the Winnitron!  I only got the chance to play four of them with the time I had.  I'd love a chance to play some of these again, and many for the first time.  

• Nidhogg by MESSHOF/Mark Essen

Nidhogg is simultaneously an ideal indie game and an ideal arcade game.  Just overall a fantastic game.  It's awesome and indie because of its relatively low production value but high overall effect.  And it's awesome as an arcade game because it is two player, and it is just instantly tons of fun.

Within seconds, like, under 60 seconds, my opponent and I were laughing with glee.  This game was that much fun.  I feel very privleged to have gotten to play it on an arcade machine.  That's the way it should be played.  It plays like the long lost cousin of a game like Joust.  A game that should have been a classic for 30 years, but instead wasn't invented until 2009. It plays like a game from that era has been allowed to age in a barrel and is now a fine vintage. 

I really want to play it again;  I feel about this game the way I do about Crossed Swords.   Highly recommend.  

• Shoot Bastard by Matt Thorston, Chevy Ray Johnson, Beau Blyth

Shoot Bastard is ridiculous and silly.  And fun.  It plays like the original game idea went horribly wrong - or did it go horribly right?  You have to play to be able to tell.  It's a vs battle game with missile launchers and great hand-drawn graphics.  Good for a lark.

• Super Crate Box Versus by Vlambeer

Have you played Super Crate Box?  Well, Versus is an adaptation of that game that crams a second player into the mix, and creates a competition to see who can get the most boxes.  It never lasts long though, because the crazy mad-capped action is even crazier and more mad-capped.  Fun, but frustratingly hard.  Play the original.  It's harder than that.   

• Verge By Kyle Pulmer

Verge is a cool puzzle-platformer.  The graphics are nice, cartoony and soft.  The puzzles involve traveling back and forth between an underworld in order to move forward. Visually, it reminds me of Cave Story+.  Game play-wise it reminds me of several games:  Braid, Cave Story, Limbo, Eversion.  I recommend checking any and all of them out when you get a chance.  Two of which were featured in a previous post.



Winnitron 1000 may very well be the way of the future, or so I'd like to think.  The arcade is a great forum for gaming, and perhaps also for independent gaming.  Now that PC gaming competes heavily with console gaming, and with applications like Steam, it isn't necessary to have a physical product.  Perhaps arcade cabinets can re-enter vogue, like vinyl records.  

The Winnitron is something you can have in your town, and I advocate for them getting one.


-D

Previous Gaming Co-op postings:
First
Second
Third
Fourth

Skyrim = Sinkhole of Time

My experience with The Elder Scrolls games has been very limited, so much so that I've only witnessed a former roommate playing The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.  All I could say about the game was that the guy's character jumped everywhere, occasionally killed a city guard and that it was an FPS-type game.  I wasn't overly impressed.  My own personal experience with first person (POV) hack-and-slash swording fantasy games was limited to an old arcade game that I thought was in a Neo-Geo cabinate, but I can't find anything about it anywhere.  So there's that.

During Steam's most recent Fall/Autumn/Thanksgiving sale, I purchased The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.  I did this for a couple of reasons.  First and foremost, the game was 50% off, which still meant that it was $30.  The second reason comes in three parts, but is part of the larger whole, which is that I'm lacking in fantasy realms to be in.  I'm not a subscriber to HBO so I don't/can't watch Game of Thrones until it's released on DVD and Amazon just gave a release date for season 2 as February 13th, 2013 (assuming the world doesn't end in a few weeks).  I'm also reading Shadow Moon, which to pretty much everyone, is the first book in a trilogy that takes place in the same world as the film Willow.  The third part of the second reason is that I'm eagerly awaiting the release of The Hobbit.  So as you can see, I needed a medieval high-fantasy world to play in.

So yes, Skyrim was purchased.  But that is not the point.  The point is, is that I've only played the game for two days, which were my two days off this week, and I managed to clock in about 13 1/2 hours.  Jump ahead two more days and I've now clocked in just over 19 hours.  Granted probably about 30 minutes of that was just creating my character.  I can also figure out how/why I've been playing for this long.  

I don't know if it's something in current large world RPG's and I know I've seen it in a few other games, but Skyrim allows you to in a sense, warp between locations you've already been to.  The required amount of time will pass during your split second journey as if you actually walked it, but you'll be as fast as it takes for the loading screen to finish loading.  I'm not a fan of this "fast travelling" nonsense, something that I felt plagued Final Fantasy XII, but I'm not getting into FFXII right now.  If I'm going from one village to a cave on the other side of the mountains, by golly, I'm going to have my character run the whole god damn way!

A big (as in fucking huge) part of this game for me, is looking at the environment (pun sort of intended).  Anytime I'm travelling, I'll back the camera out to a 3rd person view so that I can rotate the camera and just watch the gorgeous scenery:

Keep in mind that I'm running this game at about mid-level so there aren't all the textures and layers that could be there if I were running on Alienware or something equivalent.  There are mods available designed to make the game look even better, but I'm not going to touch those, again because I don't have the set up for it.  There is this guy though who apparently has 100+ mods running at any given time for some amazing visuals.

The gist is that I like walking.  I like exploring.  So what if I get sidetracked from the main story line and want to find out what's on the other side of that mountain and end up swimming in a lake.  I love being able to look at a mountain range way off in the distance, run towards it and seeing it get larger and larger until there I am, running up the side of it.  I will admit thought that I have on a couple of occasions "Fast Traveled" to a location, but that was because I was strapped for time and knew I wouldn't be able to make the trek to the city to disenchant my non-usable gear before I had to leave for work.  Because in this world, work comes first.

At the moment, I don't see this game taking as much time as say, Goldeneye 007 took, as that was the only game I played on the N64 for just over six months after I bought it.  Some people will scoff at that satement, but I do plan on playing other games, both on my computer and either on the 3DS or PSP if I'm not playing Skyrim.  And besides, I've still got to get through Penumbra Overture.  You hear that Skyrim, you're  not the only game in the box!

~JWfW/JDub/Jaconian

Now If Only They Would Listen

P.S.  And in case you're wondering, I created a female Wood Elf named Allinesea.  She's based off a character I created for a D&D campaign that I have never run.  I also thought it would be more interesting having the lead character as a woman rather than the stereotypical male fighter character.  Although I've also thought about doing a male character and having him be a mage...... I'm sure I'll come up with something later.

And just because, here's a picture of Barbas the wolf hound photo bombing one of my pictures: