Wayne Phinney

So, what’s the big deal exactly?

February 10, 2006

News / by Wayne Phinney Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Perhaps I’m missing something, but it seems that the British Red Cross is complaining about the use of its emblem in games.

[quote]It is important for videogame manufacturers not to use the emblem in their games, including for matters related to its humanitarian purpose, such as first aid or general medical care,[/quote]

Why is it a problem if a medic in a warzone has the emblem on their helmet? How is this a bad thing? I suppose I’m just having trouble seeing it from the other side. I just fail to see where the problem is here.

Source: [url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=14552]GamesIndustry.biz[/url]

A small part of me wants World of Warcraft

February 7, 2006

News / by Wayne Phinney Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Yet I have difficulty bringing myself to pay $15 a month for one game. Of course, it would likely be the only game I would play for some time, but given how many unplayed games I have sitting on my shelf, it just doesn’t seem like the best idea.

I suppose part of it is that I find online gaming to not be as fun as it should be due to there being so many immature gamers out there. Online gamer ruins things for me and is why I play single player almost exclusively.

For those World of Warcraft players out there, why should I consider picking up this game? As I said, a part of me wants to, but a part of me doesn’t. Is it really worth it? Would I make the transition from being a former die-hard Diablo II player to this pretty easily? Should I just wait until October for the expansion?

Fellow Snackbarians… what should this gamer divided amongst himself do?

Sonic Adventure DX

February 5, 2006

GameCube / Reviews / by Wayne Phinney Make a comment! / Tweet it!

1999 just called. They want their game back. Yes Sega… you heard me. Give them their damn game back!

That’s right. [i]Sonic Aventure DX[/i] is the exact same game that was released on the Dreamcast back in ’99. Sure, it was a great game then, but for a game with the subtitle of “Director’s Cut,” it seemed like there was very little cutting or directing of this game. As I was playing it, I could not imagine how bad it really was. I was sitting there thinking to myself “When I played this in ’99, was this game REALLY this bad? Apparently it really was. I could not believe it.

Now… I’m not trying to say [i]Sonic Adventure[/i] for the Dreamcast was a horrible game. For it’s time, it was a good solid game, and certainly not bad for Sega’s first REAL 3D Sonic attempt(I don’t count Sonic 3D Blast any more than I count Super Mario RPG as being a 3D title). My gripe is not with the original game, but with the lack of updating, additions, and streamlining in this game. I should not die from an in game glitch that is well known and in the original Dreamcast version of the game. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’ll explain.

The most major glitch that I am referring to had a habit of killing me frequently. It was in the first zone and you, as Sonic, would be running down a long narrow curve. There are some rings that I would tend to grab on the way down, but if you hit the wall at a certain point that the rings happened to direct you to, you would fall through the platform, end up in the water, and die. This happened to me 3 times during the same gaming session. I was QUITE annoyed. I tried to ignore this though and just assumed that the Director didn’t realize this flaw and forgot to Cut it.

Still, another flaw in the game was with speech. The voice acting was the same horrible garbage from before, but I was at least able to tolerate that. The problem was, and still is, that the music played louder than the voices at the time, so it made it difficult to understand what was being said without subtitles. For me this wasn’t a huge issue since I played the original Sonic Adventure and already knew the storyline, but for those who never owned a Dreamcast, this must have been a pain in the ass for them to have to deal with.

I don’t want to say nothing but bad things about this game, but all the good stuff is the same stuff that was good the last time around. Playing a 3D Sonic game is the biggest pro. The problem is, for an out of date game, this just doesn’t feel as special as it used to.

In conlusion, this is one of the worst games I have played on the Gamecube. It is just a straight port where no Director did any Cuts whatsoever. There were no upgrades, no improvements… nothing. Due to all the still existent game glitches and the fact that I originally beat the first [i]Sonic Adventure[/i] with all the characters, I couldn’t even bring myself to finish the game as Sonic. I got halfway through and just had to put it down for the sake of my sanity. Nothing has improved in this game whatsoever. There are no additional levels, mini-games, or add-ons of any kind as far as I could tell. I will never be able to get back the hours I wasted on this horrendous piece of trash, which saddens me immensely. I could have been playing a far better game with my time, but alas, I did not…

I’m sorry Sega. I love you like a sister, but this time around, you left me greatly disappointed.

Super Mario Bros 3: Super Mario Advance 4

February 5, 2006

Game Boy Advance / Reviews / by Wayne Phinney Make a comment! / Tweet it!

[i]Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[/i] on the GBA is the way the game was meant to be played. This game is perfect for a handheld, and with the new ability to save the game as you play, it’s quite a good find. Unfortunately, since this is a review of a remake of an old game, it may be short, but I hope there’s at least enough to interest you guys.

Naturally, this game is graphically superior to the original [i]Super Mario Bros. 3[/i], and very well it should be. The sound though is probably about the same unless you are using headphones(since GBA sound is better with headphones). Still, this game doesn’t sell on graphics and sound. This game sells because of how fun it is the play.

This game is good with the fact that after you beat it, you can go back to any world of your choice and finish the levels you missed before, or simply tackle to world again for the fun of it. This is great for those people who love the game, but play on the go. Once you beat it you can simply hop to whichever world you like, and there you are, having fun at the bus stop or what have you.

The problem with [i]SMA4:SMB3[/i] is quite simply that they changed too much in the game in my view. While I didn’t mind them changing what the kings got transformed into, or even making minor alterations to the Spade squares on the game board(they turn to heart squares occasionally which gives you the chance for more lives), I did find that some things got changed that shouldn’t. Most of the changes however the casual [i]SMB3[/i] player will not notice. Only people like myself who have been playing the game regularly since it was released oh so long ago will notice most of these changes. Occasionally extra blocks are added to some platforms to make it easier to land. In other areas, blocks are taken out. Where I was most disappointed with the removal of minor things was in World 8. In the first ship level you practically have to run a gauntlet backwards to get a power up, which you will more than likely use upon trying to exit this gauntlet. I always loved the challenge behind that power up, but it seems they shortened the gauntlet. For a seasoned player like myself, this is somewhat of a disappointment.

Other things they changed are what people say. Specifically the kings when they thank you or Peach when you get her letters. In the letter that normally refers to Kuribu’s shoe, she calls it Goomba’s shoe. What’s wrong with Kuribu??? Also, she blatantly tells you in one of her letters about the whistle at the end of level 1-3. Like anyone needs to be blatantly told that. If they can’t figure it out, there’s always the internet.

Quite simply, this game is really what [i]SMB3[/i] was meant to be in the first place. It’s one of the greatest platformers of all time, and having an updated remake of it on the GBA is more that awesome.

Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2

February 5, 2006

Game Boy Advance / Reviews / by Wayne Phinney Make a comment! / Tweet it!

One of the video game world’s most recognizable heroes is back on the GBA and this time he’s battling Koopa over 96 levels. Everthing is here from the orginal [i]Super Mario World[/i]: Yoshi, The Cape, Star Road and all the hidden extra’s scattered throughout the game. This direct port of the SNES classic is perfect down to every detail. The Gameboy Advance re-captures Mario in all his glory, the levels are just as colorful and detailed as it was on the SNES.

The sound quality is also fairly good with the creepy ghost house level music to the showdowns with Koopa’s children. It also plays the same, with the A button jumping, B to run and grab, and the L and R shoulder buttons doing the spin jump. The controls are simple and easy to use, although I did find that the shoulder buttons were uncomfortable to hold onto for long periods of time, which is thankfully offset by the fact that you rarely need to use them. If you’ve played the original game then there are no new suprises as far as levels go. It’s all classic Mario.

My one biggest complaint with this game was Mario’s slightly less famous brother Luigi. Although it’s nice that Luigi is getting some more spotlight, I found his jumping difficult to control since he seems to float more than jump, and when he’s in the air he skids around like he’s walking on ice.

All in all, if you liked the original [i]Super Mario World[/i] and you want to revisit a familiar land or if you’re not familiar with the Mario franchise and interested in seeing what its all about, its a great game and I recommend you pick it up.

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