It's not just what games you play, but when you play them.
Take a look at anyone's list of favorite games. Hell, take a look at mine. It's bound to have glaring omissions and staggering inclusions, picks to make you scratch your head and suspiciously eye what the list-maker puts in their coffee. It's these choices that make up our taste and inform us as gamers; not just the games we choose, but when we chose them and how we let them affect us.
Let's take a gander at my list again. Here, you'll find a few discrepancies from standard convention. For example: I think that Donkey Kong Country 2 is a more satisfying platforming game than Super Mario World. I also think the glitchy, limited, Wild West-feeling of Pokémon Blue is a more adventurous game than any of its polished future entries. Such is my gooey nostalgic core.
More importantly, given the topic of today's entry, I think that Ocarina of Time is a better Zelda game than A Link to the Past. Not super controversial, considering that many game critics vie between these two for the spot of Best Zelda Game. Thing is, I'm not ever sure if I can grasp what makes A Link to the Past a good Zelda game. A good Super Nintendo game, maybe, but no one ever goes into A Link to the Past without knowing its heritage.
It all comes does to when I started playing Zelda games. Ocarina of Time came out in November of 1998, when I was the tender age of 11. I had fun exploring the Kokiri Forest, chatting up Saria and showing the town bully, Mido, who was boss. I routed the Ghoma Queen from inside the Deku Tree and felt pretty good about myself, and everything was going according to plan.
Then, I left the woods.
Leaving the Forest brings you to Hyrule Field, the gigantic connecting area between Ocarina of Time's many areas. Not a particularly noteworthy place; mostly trees and bushes, and vaguely hilly. Except that it was so big. Expanding in every direction, past what the draw distance could render, Hyrule Field blew away my expectations for how big a video game environment could be—so big, that day shifted to night in the game before I could reach Hyrule Castle. I could explore wherever I wanted, visit whatever towns I chose, all while my small-child imagination brewed up what kinds of adventures I could be having when I wasn't playing the game.
This is what gives me trouble with playing A Link to the Past. There was never a moment of awe, a gob-smacking sense of wonder, I never "got" it. Most of the elements are in place: puzzles, dungeons, bosses, exploration. None of it clicks in 2D, though. I never find myself "in" the game the way I did when I first stepped into Hyrule Field. I find that going from screen to screen breaks the immersion for me, reminding me that I'm controlling a dude onscreen instead of going on adventures myself.
Funny. I say that I can't find 2D Hyrule adventurous, but I feel like the biggest explorer who ever lived on the 8-bit plains of Kanto Region in Pokémon Blue (so adventurous it didn't even have a name until much later). This, despite a weekly cartoon that had every opportunity to dwarf my portable onscreen quests. Actually, I think the cartoon had the opposite effect; showing me what I was "really" doing when I was taking a short stroll from Palette Town to Viridian City. The young imagination is a tenacious one, and 8-bit gaming is the best at harnessing it; how else do you explain the popularity of Minecraft among today's youth?
It's certainly not for the combat, either. And, no, it's not like saying "I like 3D Zelda but not 2D Zelda" is on the same level as "I like 3D Mario but not 2D Mario." Even if I did start playing Mario games with Super Mario 64 (which is almost true), the simple act of controlling Mario in 2D is great fun, enhanced by terrific level design. The simple act of telling Link to swing his sword at something is not inherently fun, in spite of how well-designed some dungeons can be. Combat in Zelda games, for me, is all about Z-Targeting, tense one-on-one duals, and brilliant victories, despite how rarely it is actually any of those things.
I even find the original Legend of Zelda on the NES more accessible than Link to the Past. Perhaps it's that sluggish pace, the minimally detailed environments, the raw, unrefined gameplay. I can get behind that, I can fill in the gaps myself. I've been trained, through so many hours of Gameboy-playing, to grasp 8-bit gaming. There's much less onscreen, so my imagination needs to pick up the slack, and Link's quest to rebuild the Triforce feels much bigger. This is what narrative ownership used to mean; before I channeled my first decisions through Commander Shepard, I charted my first course in The Legend of Zelda, and I did it my way.
There's very little in the way of self-filled gaps with 16-bit gaming. There's expanded awe, like during Final Fantasy VI's opening credits, during which a troupe of soldiers trek across a blizzard toward a snow-bound town, but nothing in the way of the "I imagined it like this" free association involved in 8-bit. If I can't make my own adventure like on the NES, and if I can't be dwarfed with amazement like on the N64, then why am I even playing A Link to the Past?
Perhaps I need to wade in and try A Link to the Past's dungeons again. After all, most Zelda games use the same formula; good dungeon design ought to transcend dimensions. If I can be receptive enough to what the game is trying to do, maybe I can see the baked-in Nintendo goodness that has imbued the Zelda series since the NES. If works for Ocarina, it ought to work for Link.
Perhaps.
At any rate, my backlog is extensive enough at this point, and there's no use starting Twitter arguments over Zelda preferences until I can find time to finish the thing; as of writing, I got four or so dungeons into A Link to the Past and quit out of frustration a few years ago. I never got hooked, so I didn't stay around. Maybe when I try again, I can see the game everyone has been clamoring over since 1991.
Maybe.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Re-post: My ten favorite games of all time
I make reference to this list more often than I like, and so I'm bringing it to a more standalone page, free of the commentary. The more wordy, explanatory version of this list can be found here.
1. Chrono Trigger (Super NES)
2. Pokémon Blue (Gameboy)
3. SSX 3 (PlayStation 2)
4. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (Super NES)
5. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (Super NES)
6. Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando/Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PlayStation 2)
7. Need for Speed: Underground (PlayStation 2)
8. Tetris Attack / Planet Puzzle League (Super NES, Nintendo DS)
9. Burnout Paradise (Xbox 360)
10. Battlefield: Bad Company (Xbox 360)
Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order):
GoldenEye 007 (Nintendo 64)
Lunar: The Silver Star Story Complete (PlayStation)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PlayStation 2)
Rock Band 2 (Xbox 360)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (PlayStation)
1. Chrono Trigger (Super NES)
2. Pokémon Blue (Gameboy)
3. SSX 3 (PlayStation 2)
4. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (Super NES)
5. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (Super NES)
6. Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando/Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PlayStation 2)
7. Need for Speed: Underground (PlayStation 2)
8. Tetris Attack / Planet Puzzle League (Super NES, Nintendo DS)
9. Burnout Paradise (Xbox 360)
10. Battlefield: Bad Company (Xbox 360)
Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order):
GoldenEye 007 (Nintendo 64)
Lunar: The Silver Star Story Complete (PlayStation)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PlayStation 2)
Rock Band 2 (Xbox 360)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (PlayStation)
Here, now, he says he's not dead
Whee, I'm alive! I would make an obligatory Portal reference, except I already made one on my Twitter feed, so making another one would be redundant at this point.
For those fortunate enough to miss out, I am on the upswing from one of the most debilitating bouts of illness in my life, a struggle with some freak strain of flu that lasted from Tuesday clean up through tomorrow. I've been in bed all day yesterday and parts of today, ruining what should have been a relaxing four-day weekend, and I'm downing pills left and right, but only when I can support them with food (I learned that the hard way).
Here's the lesson from all of this, kids: GET YOUR FLU SHOTS OR YOU WILL DIE.
At any rate, I should be back on the writing track any day now; having spent so much time in bed, I'm bound to have lots of ideas in the tank, right? Er, right?
Stay tuned for more content.
For those fortunate enough to miss out, I am on the upswing from one of the most debilitating bouts of illness in my life, a struggle with some freak strain of flu that lasted from Tuesday clean up through tomorrow. I've been in bed all day yesterday and parts of today, ruining what should have been a relaxing four-day weekend, and I'm downing pills left and right, but only when I can support them with food (I learned that the hard way).
Here's the lesson from all of this, kids: GET YOUR FLU SHOTS OR YOU WILL DIE.
At any rate, I should be back on the writing track any day now; having spent so much time in bed, I'm bound to have lots of ideas in the tank, right? Er, right?
Stay tuned for more content.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Three hours in: Call of Duty: Black Ops II multiplayer
Call of Duty: Black Ops II exploded onto the gaming scene on Tuesday, with first-day sales estimated between 6.5 million and 7.2 million, according to Game Informer's Andrew Reiner. I am all but out of money for games right now, what with buying Assassin's Creed III, Halo 4, and the entire Wii U console already, so I am refraining from picking up Black Ops II until I can ascertain if it's something I'll play often. That means one thing: renting it and playing it non-stop for a week!
I haven't had the chance to dive into Black Ops II's single-player campaign yet--I like to play through Call of Duty campaigns in one long sitting, and I got home too late last night to start--but I was able to cut my teeth on multiplayer for a few hours. Treyarch has been upfront about making big changes to the Call of Duty formula that Infinity Ward first perfected five years ago with Modern Warfare, and the effort shows. There's an increased emphasis on organized play, with entire sections dedicated to so-called League Play and livestreaming content. For-fun modes like Gun Game and One in the Chamber are segregated to their own playlists, and Treyarch has drastically overhauled the options for class creations. It's a brave new world, or at least an unfamiliar one compared to last year's Modern Warfare 3, which was customary Call of Duty to a fault, and there's plenty of opportunities for thrills unique to Black Ops II.
I'm not sure if I'm having fun yet.
Let's back up and talk about what I played, first. I spent most of my time in Team Deathmatch and Kill Confirmed, my two staple modes from Modern Warfare 3. In retrospect, I should have hopped around to different modes, the better to sample the different flavors of Black Ops II, but I intended to play "a few quick matches" and ended up going until 1:30am. Take from that what you will.
Matches retain the usual Call of Duty feel: twitchy, fast combat where guns are deadly and split-second reactions triumph over raw fire power. Usually. Small tweaks exist, like a bump in player health or the return of the dive mechanic, but shooting guns, throwing grenades, and swearing at campers feels the same as it ever was. As it should be; when you have a franchise as financially successful as Call of Duty, you meddle with the formula at your own risk.
Black Ops II's biggest changes to multiplayer occur outside of the battlefield, in the Custom Class builder. Rather than choosing a loadout of predefined weapons, grenades, etc., Black Ops II implements a new "Pick 10" system, where each new gun, perk, and piece of equipment occupies one of ten slots that can be mixed and matched. Want two scopes on your rifle at the expense of one special grenade? Do it. Feel like you could own face if you had an extra Perk 2? Get it done. Black Ops II's Pick 10 system allows for an even greater level of flexibility than any Call of Duty before it, and the wide suite of options allows for making a personal touch of hot, lead-filled death. In fact, at times I felt buried under sheer volume of choices; I'll need to take time out after work tonight to tweak my class to my liking.
The downside of the Pick 10 system, which feels accentuated beyond past Call of Duty games, is how it puts newer players at a disadvantage. Dudes further along in their attempt to Prestige have access to more and better killstreaks/weapons/all of that than newbies with a fresh box copy. At least Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops had several powerful weapons and perks accessible right out of the gate; Black Ops II gates many of the better--like, clear-cut better--weapons behind later levels, and useful killstreaks, like the microwave-emitting Guardian, are locked down until, I dunno, later.
A few smaller gripes. Perks are diminished from usefulness compared to past Call of Duty games, replaced instead by attachments for individual weapons. For a dedicated Sleight of Hand-user like myself, that means grinding experience with guns I have only tertiary interest in using so that I can gain the privilege of faster reloads. Also, Scorestreaks, which predictably swap kills for points gained, are a welcome addition for objective-based modes, but most of the Streak benefits are more expensive than their corresponding rewards in previous Call of Dutys, leaving my four-kill-and-done self gazing longingly at rewards I can't earn against the uber-competitive crowd.
Actually, let's talk about that for a second. Call of Duty multiplayer can be the trickiest, most twitchy experience available online since Quake. Everything is fast, fast, fast, and split-second decisions about whom to shoot and from which direction a missed shot came from can and will wreck your win-lose record if you let them. Your wits and sharpened combat skills won't help one iota, though, if your internet connection is too slow. I currently pay for a low-price internet package, and I regularly see Kill Cams of dudes firing at me while I stand chump-like against a hail of bullets. I have no too-slow reactions in Halo 4, at least from what I've seen, and I can only point to Black Ops II's hyper-speed combat for my connection-related woes. Buyer beware.
I still want to dive back in and improve my character, if only to see if the experience gets better (something I used to justify watching four whole seasons of Heroes). The gunplay is fun, the action is fast, and progression still feels satisfying--that's enough to win over a few more hours. I'll also try out a few different game types; Hardpoint sounds like a fun take on King of the Hill, and I want to see if Demolition feels less, er, icky than in past games. If I can get behind Black Ops II's initial learning curve and small quirks, I could have another great multiplayer game on my hands, but at this point it's going to have to do a hell of a lot to wrest the crown away from Halo 4.
I haven't had the chance to dive into Black Ops II's single-player campaign yet--I like to play through Call of Duty campaigns in one long sitting, and I got home too late last night to start--but I was able to cut my teeth on multiplayer for a few hours. Treyarch has been upfront about making big changes to the Call of Duty formula that Infinity Ward first perfected five years ago with Modern Warfare, and the effort shows. There's an increased emphasis on organized play, with entire sections dedicated to so-called League Play and livestreaming content. For-fun modes like Gun Game and One in the Chamber are segregated to their own playlists, and Treyarch has drastically overhauled the options for class creations. It's a brave new world, or at least an unfamiliar one compared to last year's Modern Warfare 3, which was customary Call of Duty to a fault, and there's plenty of opportunities for thrills unique to Black Ops II.
I'm not sure if I'm having fun yet.
Let's back up and talk about what I played, first. I spent most of my time in Team Deathmatch and Kill Confirmed, my two staple modes from Modern Warfare 3. In retrospect, I should have hopped around to different modes, the better to sample the different flavors of Black Ops II, but I intended to play "a few quick matches" and ended up going until 1:30am. Take from that what you will.
Matches retain the usual Call of Duty feel: twitchy, fast combat where guns are deadly and split-second reactions triumph over raw fire power. Usually. Small tweaks exist, like a bump in player health or the return of the dive mechanic, but shooting guns, throwing grenades, and swearing at campers feels the same as it ever was. As it should be; when you have a franchise as financially successful as Call of Duty, you meddle with the formula at your own risk.
Black Ops II's biggest changes to multiplayer occur outside of the battlefield, in the Custom Class builder. Rather than choosing a loadout of predefined weapons, grenades, etc., Black Ops II implements a new "Pick 10" system, where each new gun, perk, and piece of equipment occupies one of ten slots that can be mixed and matched. Want two scopes on your rifle at the expense of one special grenade? Do it. Feel like you could own face if you had an extra Perk 2? Get it done. Black Ops II's Pick 10 system allows for an even greater level of flexibility than any Call of Duty before it, and the wide suite of options allows for making a personal touch of hot, lead-filled death. In fact, at times I felt buried under sheer volume of choices; I'll need to take time out after work tonight to tweak my class to my liking.
The downside of the Pick 10 system, which feels accentuated beyond past Call of Duty games, is how it puts newer players at a disadvantage. Dudes further along in their attempt to Prestige have access to more and better killstreaks/weapons/all of that than newbies with a fresh box copy. At least Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops had several powerful weapons and perks accessible right out of the gate; Black Ops II gates many of the better--like, clear-cut better--weapons behind later levels, and useful killstreaks, like the microwave-emitting Guardian, are locked down until, I dunno, later.
A few smaller gripes. Perks are diminished from usefulness compared to past Call of Duty games, replaced instead by attachments for individual weapons. For a dedicated Sleight of Hand-user like myself, that means grinding experience with guns I have only tertiary interest in using so that I can gain the privilege of faster reloads. Also, Scorestreaks, which predictably swap kills for points gained, are a welcome addition for objective-based modes, but most of the Streak benefits are more expensive than their corresponding rewards in previous Call of Dutys, leaving my four-kill-and-done self gazing longingly at rewards I can't earn against the uber-competitive crowd.
Actually, let's talk about that for a second. Call of Duty multiplayer can be the trickiest, most twitchy experience available online since Quake. Everything is fast, fast, fast, and split-second decisions about whom to shoot and from which direction a missed shot came from can and will wreck your win-lose record if you let them. Your wits and sharpened combat skills won't help one iota, though, if your internet connection is too slow. I currently pay for a low-price internet package, and I regularly see Kill Cams of dudes firing at me while I stand chump-like against a hail of bullets. I have no too-slow reactions in Halo 4, at least from what I've seen, and I can only point to Black Ops II's hyper-speed combat for my connection-related woes. Buyer beware.
I still want to dive back in and improve my character, if only to see if the experience gets better (something I used to justify watching four whole seasons of Heroes). The gunplay is fun, the action is fast, and progression still feels satisfying--that's enough to win over a few more hours. I'll also try out a few different game types; Hardpoint sounds like a fun take on King of the Hill, and I want to see if Demolition feels less, er, icky than in past games. If I can get behind Black Ops II's initial learning curve and small quirks, I could have another great multiplayer game on my hands, but at this point it's going to have to do a hell of a lot to wrest the crown away from Halo 4.
Friday, November 2, 2012
This is what I'm talking about
Russ Pitts put out an update on Twitter this afternoon about his new project to help geeks with depression, and I tweeted him a link to the post I wrote on Wednesday, the one about the response to his initial call and how awesome it made me feel. I hoped he would read it and take comfort in knowing that his initiatives were already doing good--hell, I wouldn't have minded a tweet back saying, "Thanks for sharing this," or something. What I did not expect was for him to retweet my silly ol' personal blog out to all of his followers, and I certainly didn't expect to receive kind, encouraging words from other members of the gaming press. But that's exactly what happened, and it made my afternoon on a level you likely wouldn't believe.
This is what I was talking about when I talked about how games writers band together.
For the record, I've been feeling better about myself for a little while, now. Sure, I get a little freaked out when I think about the myriad choices I "could" be making to help me advance into the games-writing field, but I've learned to turn on the blinders when that feeling comes up and follow my heart. I've made progress, slowly but surely, and I don't want to belittle the real forward momentum I've gained since I decided to start this journey last year by fruitlessly suggesting that I "could" be doing better. It doesn't help, and I've been happier trying to tune it out.
I wrote what I wrote to remind myself, if I get back to that unhappy place, that there's a way out. It's funny; whenever I try to sit down and talk out my real "issues," I end up downplaying them for my friends or counselor or what have you. It's like I don't want to get them down, so I assure them that it's not that bad. What I wrote the other night wasn't necessarily representative of my mental state all of the time, but I wanted to have written proof, a reference of how low I can get--it makes it easier to identify with myself when I'm ready to climb out. True healing comes from confronting your own demons, and I wanted to lay it out for myself on the page so I can face it down when the time comes.
I want to thank everyone who wrote to me and offered me the opportunity to talk. You don't know how much it means to know that, small as I am with only voulunteer sites and no paid articles to my name, you all made yourselves known and offered your hand in support. You are all incredible. You are the reason I do this. Well, apart from writing, but anyone with a Wordpress account can write--you make it possible for me to keep striving when I'm feeling bleak, and you're damn certain that you can count on me if ever you are in need. No bullshit--I will be there for you when you call, because that's how we do around here.
Ever since my first experience at a gaming event as a member of the press, I was blown away by how inviting and accepting everyone I met was. PR persons, game journos, everyone was too excited to see me poke my head into the ring, and I the camaraderie I experienced spending time with other cool dudes and dudettes who love writing and love video games is irreplaceable. In the spirit of thanks that I'm feeling right now, please let me extend my gratitude to everyone whom I've spent time with in the games-writing circle. Know that you have a Randy Newman-esque friend in me, and I will go to bat for you any time, anywhere. You're all awesome, every one of you, and it's a privilege to look forward to the next time we'll share a drink or exchange nostalgia-fueled debates over Sonic vs. Mario.
My sincerest thanks to the following persons:
Phil Kollar
Susan Arendt
Russ Pitts
A.J. Glasser
Justin McElroy
Justin Amirkhani
Andrew Hayward
Andrea Rene
Jessica Villareal
Cortney Zamm
Nick Chester
Annette Gonzalez
Eric Pope
Aaron Trites
Fish McGill
Jandreau
Jason Schreier
Steve Haske
Rob Rath
Steve Watts
Britton Peele
Scott Nichols
Tim Turi
Jim Reilly
Robin Kunimune
Alex Rubens
Tina Amini
Seán O'Sullivan
Ryan Morgan
Andrew Groen
Marc Lynch
Nate Hales
Andrew Whipple III
Linford Butler
If I missed anyone, I apologize; I just came back from a screening of Wreck-It Ralph, and my head's in all sorts of giddy places. You all inspire me, and just knowing that awesome folks like you are waiting for me when I finally make it--hell, on the way there!--gives me drive and focus.
PAX showed me how warm and inviting the games-writing industry is; you all confirmed it for me. Please let me know if I can do anything for you, and thank you again.
This is what I was talking about when I talked about how games writers band together.
For the record, I've been feeling better about myself for a little while, now. Sure, I get a little freaked out when I think about the myriad choices I "could" be making to help me advance into the games-writing field, but I've learned to turn on the blinders when that feeling comes up and follow my heart. I've made progress, slowly but surely, and I don't want to belittle the real forward momentum I've gained since I decided to start this journey last year by fruitlessly suggesting that I "could" be doing better. It doesn't help, and I've been happier trying to tune it out.
I wrote what I wrote to remind myself, if I get back to that unhappy place, that there's a way out. It's funny; whenever I try to sit down and talk out my real "issues," I end up downplaying them for my friends or counselor or what have you. It's like I don't want to get them down, so I assure them that it's not that bad. What I wrote the other night wasn't necessarily representative of my mental state all of the time, but I wanted to have written proof, a reference of how low I can get--it makes it easier to identify with myself when I'm ready to climb out. True healing comes from confronting your own demons, and I wanted to lay it out for myself on the page so I can face it down when the time comes.
I want to thank everyone who wrote to me and offered me the opportunity to talk. You don't know how much it means to know that, small as I am with only voulunteer sites and no paid articles to my name, you all made yourselves known and offered your hand in support. You are all incredible. You are the reason I do this. Well, apart from writing, but anyone with a Wordpress account can write--you make it possible for me to keep striving when I'm feeling bleak, and you're damn certain that you can count on me if ever you are in need. No bullshit--I will be there for you when you call, because that's how we do around here.
Ever since my first experience at a gaming event as a member of the press, I was blown away by how inviting and accepting everyone I met was. PR persons, game journos, everyone was too excited to see me poke my head into the ring, and I the camaraderie I experienced spending time with other cool dudes and dudettes who love writing and love video games is irreplaceable. In the spirit of thanks that I'm feeling right now, please let me extend my gratitude to everyone whom I've spent time with in the games-writing circle. Know that you have a Randy Newman-esque friend in me, and I will go to bat for you any time, anywhere. You're all awesome, every one of you, and it's a privilege to look forward to the next time we'll share a drink or exchange nostalgia-fueled debates over Sonic vs. Mario.
My sincerest thanks to the following persons:
Phil Kollar
Susan Arendt
Russ Pitts
A.J. Glasser
Justin McElroy
Justin Amirkhani
Andrew Hayward
Andrea Rene
Jessica Villareal
Cortney Zamm
Nick Chester
Annette Gonzalez
Eric Pope
Aaron Trites
Fish McGill
Jandreau
Jason Schreier
Steve Haske
Rob Rath
Steve Watts
Britton Peele
Scott Nichols
Tim Turi
Jim Reilly
Robin Kunimune
Alex Rubens
Tina Amini
Seán O'Sullivan
Ryan Morgan
Andrew Groen
Marc Lynch
Nate Hales
Andrew Whipple III
Linford Butler
If I missed anyone, I apologize; I just came back from a screening of Wreck-It Ralph, and my head's in all sorts of giddy places. You all inspire me, and just knowing that awesome folks like you are waiting for me when I finally make it--hell, on the way there!--gives me drive and focus.
PAX showed me how warm and inviting the games-writing industry is; you all confirmed it for me. Please let me know if I can do anything for you, and thank you again.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)