Masters Of Unlocking?

Earlier this week, Jonnie Whoa Oh and I had another Umbrella Chronicles session. To be honest, I am not sure exactly what we accomplished. This game has a lot of unlockable content, but there is no real way to discern how much there is or what you still have to do or how to unlock anything or how far along you are. It's a bit frustrating.

The main thing we did was play through all the levels we'd already beaten on the Normal difficulty mode, this time on the Easy mode. We were hoping that by making it easier, we'd perform better and thus unlock new stuff. This didn't really happen, and I'm not sure if the game or our performance was to blame.

We did take turns switching off on the one-player scenario modes, which were really fun. The game is way harder without a partner by your side! We unlocked a couple of new ones, so I guess we'll continue having these little get-togethers, which rules!

I suggested that the next game we tackle together should be Ubisoft's Lost game, which comes out next month (I think). As fun as this 2-player co-op gameplay is, it's not as fun as playing a long one-player adventure game together, switching off. As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, one of my favorite all-time video game memories is playing Earthbound together with Jonnie, and a game like Lost will be more likely to emulate that experience than a two-player game, and we're both big Lost fans. Of course, for me, the fact that Jonnie has a 360 and I don't totally sweetens the deal. He seemed receptive to the idea. But, of course, we have a lot more zombie-shooting to do first.

On the solo front, I unlocked a whole new level in Picross that I didn't know existed! I thought I'd completely finished the game, and was replaying some of the puzzles... but I guess I'd timed out on a puzzle during my first run-through because I somehow unlocked a bonus level in Normal mode. And it's fucking awesomely Nintendo-themed. That should make the next few days worth of subway rides slightly more bearable!!

Galaxy

Wow, I realized I haven't posted a new blog entry since I got Super Mario Galaxy. And now I'm nearly done with it!

Okay, here's the deal: This is possibly the best Mario game ever made. I am a member of the minority that actually really loved Super Mario Sunshine. My time with it ranks amongst the best video-game-related experiences I've ever had, and to tell you the truth, I thought it was a huge improvement over Super Mario 64. But Galaxy motherfucking blows it out of the god damned water.

It's actually pretty astonishing how amazing Galaxy is, since it's a subtle kind of amazement. There are points when playing it where the realization suddenly strikes you that you're doing things that you've never, ever done in a video game before - crazy, fresh, brilliant new actions - and you didn't even realize it, because those actions are so intuitive and natural. Once you get over the initial bout of motion sickness (and this WILL happen when you're first running around on spherical planets), the game's input and output feels as instinctual as any other Mario game, even though the corresponding in-game actions are completely off the wall.

I'm not going to go into any more detail than that, because I've played through way too much of the game already to properly cover here. But also because these are discoveries you should make yourself. Buy this immediately, and make sure you're able to devote at least two afternoons worth of free time to it right off the bat.

So, what about Metroid? Well, I've broken my biggest Wii rule. Before I bought the Wii, looking at my library of unfinished Gamecube games, I promised myself that on the new console, I'd only start on new games when I'd beaten the previous game. I was REALLY hoping to have Metroid beat before Mario came out, but it just didn't work out that way. And, for the few days prior to Galaxy's release, I was actually considering buying it, but not even unwrapping it until Metroid was done. Of course, once I got home with the game in my hand, that was completely impossible and I dove right in. I am pretty sure I was very close to beating Metroid though (I had just finished the Pirate Homeworld), so here's the plan: "Beat" Mario Galaxy (as in defeat Bowser, which I am 7 stars away from being able to do), go back and beat Metroid, and then go back to find more stars in Mario. Oh yeah, and I gotta fit some Zack & Wiki in there too! Hah, rules were meant to be broken I suppose.

On the DS front, I've been completely ignoring Zelda. In the last update, I said that the annoying repetition of the hourglass temple hadn't gotten to me yet. Well, it's fucking gotten to me now. I really dislike that portion of the game, and at the moment, I'm right in the middle of it. I'm sure once I finish with that and get back to normal Zelda shit, I'll be giddy again, but for now it's just plain annoying. It's a clever idea, and I like that they're tweaking with the same-old-same-old Zelda formula, but I don't much care for the end result.

In lieu of Zelda, I've continued to play a lot of Picross. In fact, I "beat" the game, insomuch as one can claim to beat a game like this. It's sort of like saying you beat an issue of Games magazine. But it was a long, wonderful journey, so I'm counting this as a win and giving it an "I BEAT A GAME" tag. The last "level" of the game was a total blast, with the theme being all of Nintendo's past consoles (even including the ill-fated Virtual Boy)! Hopefully Nintendo keeps the downloadable puzzles coming, because I just can't get enough fucking Picross!

See you next time.

Zeldametrossiki

It's been a while! I've been pretty busy, but rest assured that I've been playing plenty of video games!

I'm just gonna do a quick, not-too-detailed update here, letting y'all know where I'm at in the various games I'm playing.

I've been making a lot of headway in Metroid Prime 3. I just (as in, literally five minutes ago) got to the Pirate Homeworld, which is pretty intimidating. If I come away from this game having learned only one thing about myself, it's that I fucking hate Space Pirates. I don't care if it's racist; I fucking hate all of them. They shouldn't be allowed to vote. Anyway, those of you who have played the game should realize that I just finished the Sky Town portion of the game. So in addition to being scared of the ominous Pirate Homeworld, I'm also very sad to be leaving one of the most beautiful levels of any game I've ever played. I was shocked how much I enjoyed Sky Town, because it's pretty much the antithesis of what a Metroid environment should be. It's not cavernous, claustrophoic, dark or scary. But whatever, it fucking ruled. I am guessing that I don't have very far to go in this game. My total out-my-ass guess is that I'm maybe 2/3 of the way done...? I am hoping against hope to finish this game before Super Mario Galaxy comes out in one week, because I know if I don't, I'll callously toss it aside in favor of Mario, and then god knows if I'll ever get back to it. We shall see.

In other Wii news, I purchased Zack and Wiki yesterday. I played through about 4 of the levels, and then put it aside, because I want to save it to play with my girlfriend. It's definitely the type of game that requires heads being put together. I had to force myself away from it, because it's god damn addicting, but after I finished the fourth level (out of a total sixteen), I turned it off until I can play with my gal by my side. The game is absolutely fucking brilliant. I guess I'd describe it as an amalgam of a point-and-click adventure game and an Adventures of Lolo type game. For fans of puzzles, this game is like winning the lottery. I am sort of in awe of the cleverness of it all, and I'm sure it's only gonna get better. I'm not spoiling shit, though, so make sure you get this game and check it out for yourself.

I am also currently playing a borrowed copy of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for the DS. I'm enjoying the fuck out of it. Before I played, I was pretty intimidated by the notion of a stylus-only control scheme in a Zelda game. I totally ignored that option in Animal Crossing in favor of traditional d-pad controls, and I wasn't too keen on the idea of being forced to use them in my favorite video game franchise. But check this out: The controls are GREAT! For me, there wasn't even a "getting used to it" period. I just jumped right in and found them instantly intuitive and satisfying! The game itself is great too, incorporating all the best elements of Wind Waker without the really annoying ones. I have not yet formed an opinion on one of this game's main gimmicks - the Temple of the Ocean King, a temple you return to repeatedly, advancing further each time. This part of the game incorporates two of my most-hated video game mechanics: stealth, and timed levels, so I was all prepared to totally hate it. However, my first run through the temple pleasantly surprised me - I actually found myself really enjoying it. However, I am currently in my second run-through, and I'm enjoying it far, far less. Having to backtrack through the same environments a second time (solving every puzzle again, finding every switch and key and item again, etc) is really frustrating and annoying. Still, this hasn't really fucked with my enjoyment of the game (yet), so I'll reserve judgment for now.

Finally, I am still sneaking in games of Picross, mostly on the subway to and from work. I am up to the very last level of the Free Mode, and holy jesus has it gotten hard. I'm not gonna lie - I'm pretty much using the Hints on every single puzzle now, and I still usually have to do them over two or three times before I complete them. Perhaps my subconscious realizes that I am almost done with the game, and it's trying to delay the process... because at this point, the thought of a train ride without a game of Picross is kind of really depressing. Hopefully Nintendo keeps the downloadable puzzles coming!

So that's about it for now. Hopefully by the next time I check in, I will have beaten Metroid, and will be waist-deep in the pure bliss that is Super Mario Galaxy.

Metravoid

So I've pretty much been actively avoiding Metroid Prime 3. Last time I played, I defeated the boss I was bitching about in my last post (which was really awesome by the way, even though my arm really hurt afterwards), and then immediately saved and quit, and I haven't been back since. I'm not sure why, because I was really, really enjoying the game. I think I just needed a break from epic video games for a little while. I'm hoping to get back into it soon.

Yesterday I took the opportunity to unlock the last character in Mario Party 8, the Hammer Bro. This took an annoyingly long ammount of time (I listened to four CDs while doing so), and was fairly boring. But, now he's fucking unlocked. Hooray!

Another thing I did yesterday was blow the dust off my copy of Super Smash Bros. Melee and play it for the first time in a couple years. I've been obsessively following the progress of Super Smash Bros. Brawl - when I wake up in the morning, the very first thing I do is check the Smash Dojo to see what the daily update is (today it was motherfucking SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!!). So I figured maybe it was time I actually, yknow, PLAYED some Smash. And oh boy am I rusty. Not only at the game itself, but also at the Gamecube controller. Shit is mad old-school, yo. But it was fun to play it again, and it reminded me why I love the Smash games - not just for the Nintendo fanboy who loves seeing all the references, but also because it's such a fun game! Can't wait for Brawl!

I'm also still playing Picross on the DS. It still owns me. I'm on the Free Mode now, which is hard as a bitch. Plus I still have to do most of the classic puzzles I downloaded. I want to get The Legend of Zelda - Phantom Hourglass but I can't really afford it right now.

Anyway, hopefully my next post will be about Metroid again. See you then!

I See Grids When I Close My Eyes

I got Picross DS, and it's amazing. I've been attached to my DS for the past few days. I got in the car with my friends to go to the bar, and sat in the backseat silently playing Picross until we got there. I sat with my girlfriend and played Picross until she yelled at me. I sit and play Picross in my bed. I play Picross on the subway. I play Picross while I take shits. Picross is amazing. That is all.