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• 18Oct 09

  A Chronicling of My History With Fake Video Games

  When I turned six my mother gave me a Gameboy Color and a copy of Pokemon Silver. Or Gold. Or Silver-Gold.

  The cartridge of the game was black, while the art on it (on the silver sticker) included the sexy, beastly lugia--wings spread and all. However, the Pokemon seal near the left corner of the sticker said "silver/gold" instead of just..."silver."

  That cursed thing wouldn't even save. Basically, it was a fake version of Silver, and the cartridge wasn't even colored gray. The Pokemon seal didn't specify the version name, either. OK, that's alright...it's just one game. I had to appreciate what my mother had bought for me. Sure, it was from the little video games shop in the San Gabriel Valley Superstore, and it didn't quite work properly--but there were many birthdays ahead and even more presents I could look forward to.

  And soon as I was able to blink I was nine, and everyone around me had a PS2. My uncle had one. My best friend Daniel had one. As expected, I asked for a video game console--not just another portable gaming device. My father came home one day with a big box; on the font was a picture of a PS.

  And the words "PikaGame" were engraved on the flip-up cover (dunno the technical term for it, but it 's flipped open to reveal game cartridge slots). At that point I had one thought and one thought only: Why the hell do all of the fake games I get have something to do with Pokemon?

  It turned out that the game cartridge slots were too big for PlayStation games, and the machine already had "ten million" games "in one." The scumbag makers of the machine failed in that department as well, since those "ten million" games on the list of games were re-worded copies of the games that were built in.

  My dad said he got the thing for $30 bucks, and that there was no need to fret over buying somethin as expensive as a PS2.

  Finally, when I was eleven, I received from my parents a real console. I came home one day to ask my parents about getting a 360 at launch, to which they frowned upon and never replied. A week later, in the car, my dad told me he had a surprise. From the trunk of his car he hauled out a box containing--

  A PlayStation (PS, not even a PS2) bundled with a Lil' Romeo game. The hell? There are video games for lame mainstream rap artists too?? I know, I know...this has nothing to do with fake consoles and my hate for them...

  But anyway, when my bewilderment was evident he said: "What's the matter, isn't it the same as an XBOX? See? There's no need for one now, the seller told me he'd give it to me for fifteen dollars!"

  Yes, folks, this is a true story. We were not poor.

  • Posted Oct 18, 2009 9:51 pm PT
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• 10Sep 09

  No more games and graphics lectures, please.

  Face it: we're living with a generation of gamers who value graphics as much as game play. These gamers include PC gamers who will *try* to settle for the best graphical settings in a game. This generation also includes console players who also expect the most from their own gaming consoles. I mean, both these groups of gamers have a right to be obsessive about good graphics. They bought their damn machines, for crying out loud.

  But don't DONT DONT ever tell them "game play > graphics".

  Why? It's a given. I firmly believe that any modern human being can understand that. Without game play you have no game; isn't that ridiculously obvious? lol, isn't it???

  I know, I know....this blog really doesn't hold much importance. It's a blog that stems from annoyances from within in me. I personally value graphics a lot because this is pretty much THE generation of gaming, where good graphics are a requirement to me. Some people say "well why is it a requirement?" And I say: "Why not?" We have HD, water cooling, and Core i7s, people!! Is all of tis not enough reason to expect the best graphics?

  I was perusing through the several topics that have been made on the Modern Warfare 2 PC board. A user asked if his PC could possibly run the game at the highest settings. Scrolling down a bit, I saw a post that read similarly to: "OMG y canT y0u jUsT PL4Y th3 DaM GaM3. WHatS wR0NG w/ THiS generAt1on??!!"

  Basically, another (who evidently had more experience in playing older games than the TC) user had complained about the TC's bigger focus on graphics rather than gameplay. First of all, he probably does care about playing the game (WHO SAID HE DOESN'T? WHY IS HE ASKING ABOUT GRAPHICS IN THE FIRST PLACE?), so don't tell it to everyone like he has no interest in the game play and mechanics. That comment was also an example of elitism, which we all know does no good. People may not be like you and me, who enjoyed Pokemon Yellow and Galaga.

  Anyway, I scrolled down even further and saw people posting and reminding the TC of how important game play was as opposed to graphics. My second point: How does the simple question of "can I run it" become an invitation for lectures?? I mean, no one stopped the wave of lecturing comments.

  This brings me to my last point. Gamers who may value the tech. aspects of games still want fun games. Let me say that again: they want fungames. Have you ever met anyone who wouldn't buy a good game because of its sheer ugliness on-screen?? Sure, you might meet the occasional gamer who is ignorant and never researches games and generally dislikes any games that don't look like his favorite games (which may be the few games that he has ever played), though this does not make this unknowing person a "graphics whore." He/she is just ignorant and is by no means an experienced gamer. Most of these people don't even post on forums, so who cares anyway?

  I'm telling you guys, you're making the label "graphics whore" worse than it is (I'm not pointing at anyone, but you know who you are.). No, no...I'm not mad at you. Just answer a person's questions about graphics or point it out that they don't have to have the absolute best. Just don't mention how game play is important; the question was about graphics in the first place.

  • Posted Sep 10, 2009 8:01 pm PT
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• 13Aug 09

  I Inquire: What games have you played this summer?

  School for me starts in 13 days, a day short of two weeks. Every time I walk down that aisle in a store and see back-to-school savings signs, I feel like murdering something. So here goes MY list of games I have finally gotten a hold of this summer:

  Mirror's Edge

  Trine

  Overlord 2

  Diablo 2

  STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl

  STALKER: Clear Sky

  Saint's Row 2

  FEAR

  FEAR 2: Project Origin

  Prototype

  Sims 3

  Runes of Magic (free mmo)

  Dream of Mirror Online (free mmo)

  Anarchy Online

  ...all for mah PC. I haven't touched my 360 since the last day of May, and even on that day I couldn't get much done on XBOX Live. Then again, I also haven't finished a single game on that list except for FEAR 2...

  With the summer heat dying down I have been left to finish up my summer English assignments. They have been quite interesting so far, to say the least...it's not every summer holiday that a teacher gives you three well-known books consisting of less than 300 pages to read. It's so tough that I'm enjoying it.

  Sometimes, when I'm not reading I'm playing FEAR (MY CURRENT OBSESSION). I don't know why I didn't get it earlier; I'm so absorbed into it I hear voices and gunfire when I slip into bed (TRUE).

  So far everything's playing out like a typical end-of-summer routine. The pressure of normal life hasn't settled in yet, but I already want to avoid talking about school. I'm not in a hurry to finish unfinished business before school starts (besides my summer assignments), and I'm still trying out new games.

  • Posted Aug 13, 2009 9:11 pm PT
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