Pangster007 - Telling It As It Is

• 24Jul 09

  Gaming Blog 24-07-09_Wii Sports Resort!

  It's arrived! I initially preordered it from Amazon at around £37. I then saw the Argos preorder deal of 20% off and soI bought it from them instead, £30. EXCELLENT! I usually don't preorder because the games are usually really expensive but i don't think Resort will drop in value due to high demand - if there's a good timeto buy it, it's now!

  
  Includes condom and gyroscope toy for ultimate pleasure.

  
  Large plasma screen is a must for visual orgasms.

  Archery, beginners.
  
  second attempt score.

  Frisbee Dog, manual mode.
  
  1st attempt, not so good but fair...

  I also played Wakeboarding and got my first score of 1341 pts.
  I got PRO status in swordfighting duel mode.

  Well, i only managed to play it for an hour and a bit and have unlocked some other modes and recieved a few stamps. I've enjoyed it and i can't wait to go back to play after finishing work.

  • Posted Jul 24, 2009 7:35 am PT
  • Category: Games
  • 8 Comments
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• 18Jul 09

  Gaming Blog 18-07-09_Professor Layton and the Curious Village Review (NDS)

  

  
  I admit that i had overlooked Professor Layton on the DS. I saw gameplay footage of it before and thought it was boring. It was only when i heard people were saying it was good that i decided to try it out. Well, you see the game is just built up of puzzles with cartoon cut-scenes holding it all together - the enjoyment is to be found in solving puzzles yourself rather than watching the game unfold.

  

  A pair of puzzle-solvers, Professor Hershel Layton and his young apprentice Luke, have been requested by Lady Dahlia of the town of St. Mystere. Dahlia is a widow of Baron Augustus Reinhold who left, in his will, his fortune to whoever solves the mystery of the Golden Apple. Upon arrival, it becomes clear to the duo that things aren't quite what they first seemed. And a sinister visitor from the shadows will only dampen your efforts in search of the Golden Apple.

  

  Props must be given to 'Level 5' for what they've created. The presentation of the game is excellent and maintains a mature nature throughout despite its cartoonish visuals. There is a modest amount of full motion video with high-quality voice-acting; some people may mistake you for watching an episode on your DS. The music exhumes a character that fits the nature of the game, be it while exploring the village or while puzzle-solving. One downside however is that the puzzle-solving music never changes and if you were to spend a long time thinking through, that may annoy you. Every character in the game is drawn well with good imagination and their dialogues are well thought-out; even though many are nameless, it is easy to remember the many characters that populate the village.

  

  An important aspect of the game are the controls and Professor Layton nails it. The game takes full-advantage of the touchscreen and the variety of puzzles do not impose a variety of difficult inputs because of how coherent the passive design is. Some puzzles require dragging and rotating objects, drawing lines or paths and the game even allows you to use the touchscreen as a small notepad if you need it. The game leaves little to thought on controls which is perfect for the puzzles because many of them would stretch your imagination. The amount and variety of puzzles is not disappointing and many are very satisfying to solve. If you get this sense of satisfaction, then there's probably some addiction as you anticipate the next fiendishly difficult puzzle. The game is not all about difficulty and progress-blocking though as you can always leave a puzzle to solve for later. The hint system, in which you spend hint coins (found by searching around), works well for for younger gamers and will help pacing for many players. Solving puzzles in your first attempt will yield you more picarats and the more difficult puzzles are worth more picarats. Picarats can be seen as a score system for those you like to compare with other players, but it's also something which unlocks more bonus content. There isn't that much scope for replayability but it is fun when you share puzzles or replay some puzzles with others. There is some unlockables to be attained when connecting to Nintendo Wi-Fi but all in all, this is mostly a single playthough game.

  To conclude the review: the game has excellent characters and the interesting story is presented in quality visuals, audio and interactivity. It's mature, accessible and yet appealing to both young and old gamers. The variety and number of puzzles are excellent but ultimately it's a one-time affair unless you can forget things very easily. There is good entertainment value, particularly if you're the type to share with others around - even to those who don't normally play games. This can easily be recommended as a rental but a purchase is more deserving for such a quality game. This first outing has definitely got me looking forward to the next in the series.

  • Posted Jul 18, 2009 2:18 pm PT
  • Category: Games
  • 11 Comments
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• 10Jul 09

  Gaming Blog 10-07-09_G25 Racing Wheel Awesomeness

  It's been a while since i've blogged something but i guess now's the best time as any to give an update.

  I bought the Logitech G25 Racing wheel. It's compatible with the PS3 and PC but i've only been using it on the PS3 so far with Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.

  
  

  It cost me £100 which is quite a lot, but it is a lot of equipment here -I'm talking about the 3 stainless steel pedals, the leather gear stick with 6 gears in H-configuration, leather force feedback wheel with 900 degrees of rotation.

  It's very good so far. It didn't feel like real life though, but it's the best approximation i've experienced to date. The clutch is quite flimsy in execution within GT5 prologue and the gear stick doesn't have nearly enough resistance when upshifting/downshifting. However, the whole package is excellent value for money when you consider that the gaming/driving experience changes completely. You can feel the bumps in the road, the lighter steering as you draft behind another car and the incredible strength of the motors as it recreates the steering wheels movements. Turn off power steering and you're literally fighting to keep control of the wheels feedback. Having been using it for a few nights now i find it hard to imagine going back to a joypad especially when i imagine trying to achieve some delicate steering control.

  I've tried drifting a bit and have failed. I'll try it more seriously after i've completed all the events but it looks like i'll be practicing my techniques for a long time.

  In other gaming-related news, I've expanded my gaming collection- some of it from last generation;

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Best deal was Silmeria for £3 factory-sealed. Paper Mario was £28, that was quite expensive though...
  I was thinking of getting the Metroid Prime Trilogy but then saw MP 1 + 2 (GC) price plummet. I'll make do with the originals for now.

  

  And...i preordered Anno: Create a New World. Completed it and sold it off again~ i made £7 profit on it. :O

  • Posted Jul 10, 2009 1:43 pm PT
  • Category: Games
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