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Little Bits and Pieces

First, I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who has read, commented on, or shared what I’ve written here on Nice Guy Gamer over the past year. I don’t post here too often, but when I do I always receive the kindest and smartest comments and feedback I could ever ask for. For that, and for sticking around despite my iffy blogging schedule, I can never thank you, my friends and readers (though you’re more than likely both) enough.

Well, actually, there is one way I can show my gratitude: by blogging more! (Yep, you’re only reward is more of me, ha ha.)

It’s not easy trying to come up with things to write on a daily or even weekly basis (well, that could just be me being lazy), and once you’re out of the game long enough it can be a pain to jump back in. That’s one reason why I only post about once a month — I fall off the writing wagon and can’t get back on.

However, I’d like to change that by trying something a little different.

I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to writing, and although the final result is always far from perfect, that perfectionist in me lets half-written blogs sit and wither away because I just don’t think they’re good enough, detailed enough, or worth anyone’s time.

The solution? I’ve decided to stop worrying and just write. Write, write, write. Any sort of big, feature-like stuff or reviews I’ll be saving for other sites (like Bitmob or 1UP), but here? I’ll post whatever thoughts are swirling around in my head each day. These could be short takes on games I’m playing; a quote from a cool Gamasutra interview; a plug for a friend; my opinion on today’s biggest news; cool game culture stuff from Tiny Cartridge; etc. Whatever they end up being, I want them to be concise, clear, and of course, nice; this way you can stop by, read for a minute or two, and get on with the rest of your day (because I know you have better things to do than read my verbose thoughts on videogames… like eating!).

We’ll see if I actually pull this off, but I’m feeling pretty good about it. I mean, heck, look up! I just wrote all those hundreds of words already. Not too bad.

So, stay tuned. Refresh your RSS feeds. Subscribe via email. Follow my extremely cluttered Twitter feed, if you dare. Regardless of how you do it, it’s very, very easy to keep up with the goings on here, so hopefully you won’t miss a thing, and I’ll do my best to make sure you have a no-hassle experience. I hope you enjoy whatever I come up with, and once again, thanks for stopping by and reading my silly thoughts. It means more than you know, and I truly appreciate it.

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The Legend of Forgiveness

My older brother and I have always had a rocky relationship.

We’re the youngest siblings in a rather large family, and though we spent a lot of time together because of that (the runts of the litter gotta stick together), a fair bit of that time was filled with fear, anger, and moments that were much worse than your average tease-fest most brothers put you through. Being afraid of your own brother? Not fun.

However, there was one thing that brought us together and helped negate those bad moments: videogames. Especially when it came to our best bonding tool, Ocarina of Time. We spent every waking moment together as we trekked through Link’s first 3D adventure (and our first venture into the Zelda series), spending hours trying to find all the Gold Skulltulas and taking turns reading the player’s guide as we made our way through the notorious Water Temple.

Though times weren’t always perfect, and my brother was a constant form of strife for myself and my parents, I will treasure these few good moments — moments that made the bad stuff seem like a distant dream — for the rest of my life.

Our relationship is non-existent these days — the big reason being something I’d rather not speak about now — but every time I see a new game trailer I subconsciously measure what he’d think of it, or wonder if he’d enjoy whatever game I’m currently playing.

With Ocarina of Time 3D coming out in two short days, I imagine my brother and our ups and downs will be on my mind quite a bit. Though I hold a great deal of anger and resentment toward him, there’s still a part of me that wants to forgive — to forget the various things he’s done that made me finally give up and walk away.

I know my brother regrets how things eventually turned out, and he’d like to make things right, but after being disappointed so many times, being lied to so many times, I just can’t do it.

And that, my friends, is the flawed, human me. Even with all the kindness and hugs and whatever else I try to exude, there’s a very bitter part of me that simply cannot forgive him. And to be honest, that I’m capable of disowning another human being scares me — a lot — regardless of the painful experiences that were brought about because of him.

Sunday will be a very bittersweet day for me. I hope to reflect on all of this as I play through the game that brought a very important person in my life closer to me — one who all these years later might as well be a stranger. One who, maybe, might one day be my brother again. I don’t know how things will turn out, but just like Link, I hope to move through life’s obstacles and eventually find a way.

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That Pre-E3 Blog You Should Totally Read

Guess What? E3 is less than a week away. Yes, it’s that time of year again when we collectively lean on the edge of our seats, stare intently at our monitors, and watch as hundreds of new games and info regarding the games industry washes over us. It’s also the time when my Twitter followers’ feeds die because I’m posting too much. No need to be afraid, though: I’ll be regulating my E3 thoughts to blog posts and a few “post-conference round up” tweets this year, so you’re safe.

Now, this year is especially exciting because we’ll be getting more info on at least two unreleased consoles: Sony’s NGP, and Nintendo’s mysterious Project Cafe/Stream/Wii 2. Console-based E3s are always pretty exciting, and we’ve also got the 3DS, which has only been on the market for a month or so. Truly an exciting time to be a lover of videogames.

Below, I’ve split some quick thoughts into two lists: one with disappointing stuff that is, sadly, very likely to happen, and a second list that’s a bunch of personal wishes that I hope come true, but probably won’t. Enjoy, and feel free to leave some of your own.

Likely E3 Happenings:

1) The NGP will be way too expensive. As much as I’d like it to land at $300, we’re more than likely paying $350 and maybe $400 or more. Let’s hope for the best, and that regardless of what the final price is, the games make it easier to let Sony destroy our wallets.
2) Nintendo will promise 3rd party support, but won’t deliver. We’ve been promised this before, but it never seems to work out, at least for Nintendo consoles. Of course, Nintendo has a big chance with the Wii’s successor to let other companies join in and help build their console into a truly inclusive development, and consumer, heaven. Let’s hope they do it right this time.
3) Half-Life 3 will be a no-show. I’ve been hoping and hoping for years now that Gordan Freeman will make an appearance, but no luck yet. Come on guys — I want to kill more headcrabs already!
4) Peter Molyneux will make more promises that never come to fruition. Or at least non-glitchy fruition.
5) There will be a lot of awkward moments courtesy of Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft during their media briefings. But who am I kidding — it’s actually really fun to watch people flailing around or BAMing it up.

Unlikely E3 Wishlist:

1) Half-Life 3 will not only be shown, but feature a brilliant co-op mode. Please Valve? Pretty please? Pretty please with Boomer Bile on top?
2) A 3DS port of Majora’s Mask. I love Ocarina of Time, but my Zelda Fanboy Heart will always lie with its less popular, darker, and more important sequel. It’s easily my favorite game, and if Nintendo gave it some polish and let me put it in my pocket, I’d give them my soul (if Tom Nook ever gives it back, that is).
3) Nintendo ditches friend codes, announces Mario Party DLC titles and loads of Animal Crossing (3DS or Wii 2) online modes. Wouldn’t that be great? Nintendo learning from its past mistakes, giving us awesome online titles and reinventing old franchises like Mario Party with tech that makes other games these days so brilliant. New mini-games every month? Make it happen.
4) Pikmin 3. Enough said.
5) US release dates for The Last Guardian, The Last Story, and Tales of Xillia. I want these games. I want them badly. I know many of my friends want them badly, and though I understand the fear of porting games to America that might not sell too well (poor Tales of Vesperia), I will personally go to the streets and rep these games with every power of my being if they’re sent to my shores.

And that’s that! How about you? What do you think will happen? Anything that won’t happen that you’d like to? Any games you’ll be keeping your eyes on every second? Speak up in the comments.

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Dreaming of Dragons

I have a love/hate relationship with RPGs. Okay, that’s lie — I have a love/love/love/hate relationship with RPGs. It’s my favorite genre and most of the games I enjoy fall into its category in some way (even if it’s just little things, like character creation or stat-porn), but there’s always something that irks me. Grinding, horribly cliched characters, 20-form boss battles, terribly-placed save points, etc.

However, when a game like Dragon Quest VI has enough good aspects — charming visuals, a funny script, even an axe-wielding dragon — I tend to forget about all those troublesome little things that normally make my gaming life a lot less fun. I mean, that axe-wielding dragon, for example. Who really cares about a slightly archaic save system when you have an axe-wielding dragon. Hopefully that’s the last time I need to write “axe-wielding dragon” before you realize you need to play this game.

But seriously… all joking aside, the Dragon Quest games do tend to feel a little aged at times. Of course, that’s not always a bad thing — wine tastes better the older it gets, and I’ve always thought gray hair is a sign of gained experience and wisdom, not a loss of youth. The same goes with game mechanics: just because it originated 20+ years ago doesn’t mean it won’t make you smile. Your own age is a factor in the equation as well: not being used to how tough games used to be will definitely hurt your fun factor (though like most RPGs, its only as difficult as you make it).

So, yes, Dragon Quest VI feels straight out of the golden age of gaming, at least in terms of how the game controls. Fittingly so, as its a remake of a game from the golden age of gaming. Of course, remakes usually get a fresh coat of paint, and DQVI’s is about as classy and charming as they come. It’s like revisiting your childhood, but with rose-colored glasses and in some sort of spaceship with flame decals and you’ve got a cool robot partner who has a British accent. It’s that damn good looking: only crazy metaphors can let me relate it to you completely.

The enemy animations are what really impressed me. As a fan of Pokemon, I’ve only seen little hints at this kind of quality, even with the new Black and White games where they animate the entire time. But this… this is just on a completely different level. Oftentimes it’s so well-done that I didn’t even feel like I was looking at a 2D image anymore. Or at least one that has any right being on a system with the DS’ power. Either Square Enix dipped into the magic pot to make this game or their artists are some of the most talented people out there.

Plus, the world itself is colorful and grand and makes you feel like you’re on a real adventure. It’s that rare excitement you feel when you first see the world map, all of its hidden, untouched areas just begging to be explored. That is such a brilliant feeling, you know? And very few games get it right. Or maybe, as adults, it’s a bit harder to tug on our imagination strings and make us feel it. Regardless, it’s here, and I love it.

So, you’ve got your fancy visuals, and your sense of wonder. What about the most important part: how the game plays? Well, like I mentioned above, age isn’t necessarily a sign of weakness, nor tiring ideas, but a test to weed out the good from the bad; a way to throw away failing mechanics and hold high the ones that are so perfectly crafted that they’ll be with us for ages (like the weight of Mario’s jump, for example). Turn-based, random-battle-filled, lose-half-your-gold-if-you-die goodness. Frustrating at times, but rewarding as well, like catching a fly after missing it too many times to count.

This is a spear-wielding pickle. Definitely not as cool as an axe-wielding dragon.

Of course, you need great characters to make a great RPG, and though the ones found here are cliched — the silent hero, the dumb-but-strong sidekick, the magical girl with amnesia — they are the best of the best of the cliched, the ones whom all other cliches seem to be built upon. The progenitors of the cliched. Hmm. I’m not quite sure if that’s a compliment or not, so here: I liked the whole lot of them. There, that’s much more clear. No need to get all wordy. And, once again, I’ll bring up the axe-wielding dragon, just for good measure.

It does tend to get a little loose about halfway through the game though. You’re given a little too much freedom at that point, or at least not enough direction in terms of what to do next. You’ll eventually figure it out, and there’s always in-game fortune tellers to help you along, but it is a little sad to see everything else work so well, or at least decently, and then hit a wall and become lost or confused. Nobody likes that feeling, even once you eventually recover from it. It’s sort of like the fly-catching thing I mentioned above, but your hand gets all sticky with fly guts afterward.

Er… to sum it all up in a final fancy paragraph: Dragon Quest is a wonderful example of warm familiarity mixed with freshness. Classic and time-tested mechanics, stunning visuals that do  a whole lot of screen-popping and jaw-dropping, and a set of decent characters with a decent story to go with them (even if it does open up a bit too much later on). Give it a shot, especially if you’re a fan of… well… good games. Or, you know, certain kind of dragons that may or may not wield sharp objects (that is really, seriously a huge deal to me; I love it).

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It Doesn’t Matter If You’re Black or White

I stopped caring about Pokemon a long time ago. Sure, I kept purchasing each new entry, but mainly out of nostalgia and the hope that I’d get the same feeling I got from Pokemon Red and Blue oh so many years ago. But with each new game the sense of surprise was gone, the feeling of adventure dulled, and the world of Pokemon far less magical then it had been when I took my Squirtle from Pallet Town to the top of the Pokemon League. The wonder and excitement of exploring the Pokemon world and making friends with these amazing creatures was lost… until now.

Upon first glance, Pokemon that resemble ice cream cones, garbage bags, and… whatever the hell Sigilyph is (no, seriously, what the hell is it?) might make it seem like Pokemon Black and White’s roster is, as with the last few games, a disappointment (and for some people with very good arguments, it is). However, though the design of some of the new Pokemon is a bit out there, most of them are visually creative, cool, cute, and appealing. In fact, though I usually stick to six Pokemon in most of these games, I had a very difficult time choosing which Pokemon to keep with me (I have about 20 level 50+ Pokemon at the moment because of this). There are only a few Pokemon I don’t like, compared to the majority of them I disliked in the last two generations.

The Pokemon themselves aren’t the only thing I like. In fact, if you asked me to come up with some criticisms of Nintendo’s latest in their gargantuan franchise, I’d scratch my head for hours trying to come up with something. I’ve always wanted the series to have a different approach with the story, for example, and that’s what we get here — a downplaying of badges and gym leaders (don’t worry, they’re still there) and more focus on the game’s evil crime syndicate, Team Plasma. Well, I say evil, but they’re not, not really anyway; more misunderstood and misguided than evil. Think PETA — a good goal, respecting and promoting the rights of animals, but the message and purpose get lost in their crazy antics and hypocritical advocates. But the goal is good, and at times you’ll find yourself questioning whether or not it’s a good idea to work against Team Plasma at all. The characters stand out more too, having a greater impact on the story as a whole instead of being their for an item’s or plot’s sake. Even the gym leaders take part in the larger picture, though I won’t say any more for fear of spoiling it for you.

Pokemon Black and White play just like you’d expect a Pokemon game to play, but with subtle refinements here and there — quicker use of important items, far less of a need to use HMs, reusable TMs, and much easier ways to make money and keep your Pokemon healthy while away from the nearest Pokemon Center. The visuals are a bit spruced up, though still keeping the feel of Pokemon intact, so don’t expect anything too flashy outside of a few cut-scenes and shifting camera angles. In-battle is a very different beast, however: each Pokemon now has an animated sprite, and the battlefield, though not in 3D, does pan and zoom and gives a nice, fresh feel to the battles (which now include three-on-three battles and rotation battles, both of which are a little too hectic to enjoy). It’s also far easier to level up, as lower-level Pokemon receive extra experience. And you ‘ll need it — post-game battles can go as high as the mid-70s in levels. Not exactly easy.

Though you can catch older Pokemon after a certain point, the main game’s story and most of the Unova region are inhabited by new Pokemon only. This is definitely a good thing as it helps capture the sense of newness that the first Pokemon games had. Plus, it’s nice to not constantly run into any damn Zubats for once (which might be this game’s strongest selling point). Speaking of Unova, it’s quite an amazing place. It’s also, from what I understand, based off of the New York area; you’ll see a lot of similarities between the two, such as Route 4 and the Desort Resort outside of Castelia City representing the aftermath of 9/11 and the rebuilding of life there. Of course, not being from New York myself I can’t comment on it too much, so I’d love to hear what some of you around the area have to say about it. There were no sightings of the Jersey Shore cast on my playthrough, though I was disappointed that the only black people in the game are breakdancers or dress like Aunt Jemima. Awkward.

When not exploring Unova or experiencing the main story, there’s a ton of different things to occupy your time. My favorite is finding ores or wild mushrooms and selling them to “maniacs” for a huge profit, or diving in some ocean ruins to sell old artifacts. There’s also different trainer areas like the Battle Subway, though it’s rather frustrating and the lack of decent rewards for so many battles is disappointing (3BP for defeating 21 Pokemon, Nintendo? Really? When I need at least 48bp to buy some of the better items?). There’s also your Pokedex to fill and extra challenges awaiting you post-game, both plenty reason to stick around. I’m over 100 hours into the game myself and still spend several hours a day with it. It definitely has staying power, especially when the Dream World launches later this month through Nintendo’s wi-fi service (though having to wait for it has been a bummer).

With all the improvements made to the new games and enough familiarity to still remain, well, Pokemon games, Pokemon Black and White are, and I’m surprised to say this, one of my favorite experiences in the entire series. I haven’t really felt attached to Pokemon since the Gold and Silver days, and whether that’s because I grew up, or Pokemon didn’t, or something else entirely, who knows. But I love the new Pokemon, I love the new world, and I love how Nintendo has advanced the story and visuals just enough to feel fresh but still remain true to what makes this franchise work. It’s everything I ever loved about Pokemon, as well as a lot of changes I’ve always wanted to see. I couldn’t be happier about catching ‘em all… again.

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Taking Pokemon Too Seriously

When the Pokemon games first launched in the states oh so many years ago, I was immediately hooked. I became a bit of a Pokemaniac, actually, collecting Pokemon cards, Pokemon toys, Pokemon coloring books, Pokemon movies, you name it. I couldn’t get enough. In fact, I became so enamored that I, for whatever reason, saw the Harry Potter books as a rival — one reason why I didn’t start reading them until 2005, when my love for Pokemon started to wane a bit.

And though I loved the games, I never took them completely seriously. At least, not the kind of seriousness you see when you start digging into the series’ more complicated aspects. I don’t advise doing so, either, as it’s one helluva deep rabbit hole that you’ll probably never climb out of. No, I tried to live as a Pokemon trainer who cared about one thing and one thing only: loving his Pokemon.

Though I always managed to form at least somewhat decent teams, I never bothered using the “best” Pokemon, or the most deadly move sets. Instead, I selected Pokemon that I thought were visually appealing, or who just seemed “cool.” It’s why I love, and always will love, certain Pokemon that will never be considered contenders in high-level battles. Example: Farfetch’d, possibly one of the worst Pokemon in the game. Well, you can certainly do worse, like Magikarp, but if you try to use Farfetch’d in a battle with people who know what they’re doing and who build perfect, nigh unstoppable teams? He’ll meet a terrible fate rather quickly.

But you know what? He’s a really fucking cool Pokemon. To me, anyway.  The first time I managed to beat the Elite Four in the original games? It was with my one last remaining Pokemon against a Dragonite. My one last remaining Pokemon — Farfetch’d. Outclassed and out-leveled, I was sure I was going to lose, but somehow, out of sheer luck — or what I believe to be the bond between myself and my Pokemon — we one. This weak, forgotten Pokemon got me through. Not because he’s a powerhouse — because he was my friend, and he knew we had to win.

A lot of people might ask how we create connections like this. After all, they’re just small pieces of data, right? They’re not real — they’re just numbers coursing through computer chips and sprites displayed on an LCD screen. They’re not real. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create a bond with them.

As an atheist, I don’t believe in Jesus, Buddah, Shiva, The Flying Spaghetti Monster, or any other religious deities. Besides, even if they did exist, it’s highly likely they were just normal humans like you and me with some very revolutionary ideas to share. Still, regardless of their existence, look at how each has affected this world. Look at how many kids made it through rough times because they had a comic book hero or heroine to pull them through. Look at how many outcasts of society find themselves through “fake” people in literature and art. None of these places or people or things might exist, but they still connect with us in a very real way.

My little Farfetch’d might be just a few lines of code, but when we celebrated our victory at becoming Pokemon champions, he felt pretty real to me.

I don’t take Pokemon too seriously, because doing so takes these sorts of connections out of it. I recently went through a week-long egg hatching and EV training regimen, and I can tell you that it took every ounce of fun out of the game. I wasn’t raising loving companions, friends who’d accompany me on a grand adventure — I was raising numbers. Worst of all, I was reminded that I was playing a videogame, stat counting, releasing Pokemon who weren’t “good enough,” and going out of my way to do things that were, in the end, boring and rather pointless. Sure, I might have an uber team of Pokemon now that can take down a lot of other good trainers, but I don’t feel the heart anymore.

I didn’t travel around the world, growing alongside these wonderful creatures and learning about myself — I just created a team of strong, talented, yet heartless Pokemon where only numbers matter. There’s no connection there; I went too far down the rabbit hole and lost sight of what really matters.

I can only hope I dig myself out of here and find my way back to Farfetch’d, a Pokemon that embodies the true spirit of the Pokemon experience perfectly: not using soulless training methods, not creating the “perfect” Pokemon, not looking at the numbers and losing site of the creatures themselves,  but fighting with your heart — their hearts — and discovering yourself along the way. I may not have the best Pokemon in the end because of it, but they’ll be my Pokemon, unique to me and how I battle and who I am. And above all else… they’ll be my friends.

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Playing with Anxiety

Mario has made me physically ill, and sonic has induced nausea (and not just the crappy Sonic games, which probably do that for everyone). These are not side-effects of too much gaming or motion sickness — they’re caused by an anxiety disorder, one that’s been a part of my life since late 2003.

Anxiety comes in a million different forms, with a million different symptoms, and there’s a million different cures. That’s one reason why it’s so hard to overcome — the exact causes for it are hard to pin down due to how much of it relies on each individual’s experiences; some people spend years with psychiatrists trying to figure out why it affects them. It’s a terrible thing to experience, and I sympathize with anyone who’s ever had to face it, regardless of its intensity.

I still don’t know the origins or continued existence of my own disorder, other then when it started and that I was always kind of shy as a kid. Other than that, I’m clueless as to what keeps its gears running. Might be social, might be peoples’ reliance on me, perhaps societal pressure — could be anything. Regardless of its cause, I know a lot of mainstream press and interest groups would like to blame it on one thing: videogames (and hey, if you’re playing games for more than 20 hours a week, you might want to slow down and go outside, regardless of the real effects of videogames on people). But in my case, games didn’t cause my anxiety — they helped rid me of it.

When I first played Halo 3 in 2007, I had a lot of fun — until I tried to go online and play with friends. Sure, I was in the safety of my own home (one of my anxiety “safe places/security blankets”), but I still felt sick to my stomach as I logged into Xbox Live; I could barely breathe by the time I got my friends into my lobby. “I’m not feeling too well guys, so I might not talk much,” was about all I could muster before feeling like I was going to pass out or throw up. It was a terrible feeling. However, as the night went on, and my mind was more occupied with plasma grenades and flag carrying than my anxiety problems, I managed to calm down, if ever so slowly. The next few log-ins over the weekend were tough, but it kept getting easier every time. Eventually, it became second nature, and not only did playing games online become easier, but my communication skills in general improved as well; even offline, I began to talk with people more often and there were far less instances of awkward silence when I did so.

 

BLARGHI imagine if my anxiety disorder could take physical form, it’d look something like this.

I’ve been asked by several smaller sites, as well as larger ones like 1UP (or its then print publication, EGM), to write for them, and every single time I’ve had to turn them down. Why? Well, though I was in the comfort of my own home, just like with playing games online, every time I was about to say yes and start “writing about games for a living,” I start to feel sick. Really sick. Concerns and worries swirled around in my head as I tried to make up my mind, and as soon as the feelings of nausea and my radically-increased heart rate started to become too much to handle, I had tell these wonderfully generous people who wanted to give me amazing opportunities: “no.” I can’t tell you how much that hurt. I was not only letting myself down, but others as well. Luckily, most of them understood the situation I was in, and have been kind enough to keep doors open for me (specific thanks go out to Hsu of Bitmob and Sam from 1UP).

Of course, my anxiety is under control now, thanks to medication (I was lucky enough to find the right kind right off the bat, despite not knowing the exact cause for my disorder) so hopefully I’m not too far off from living that dream I’ve had to pass on so many times. And even though I haven’t done so professionally, writing about games has helped me work through my disorder; it’s given me a goal to strive for, helped me meet people who’ve gone through the same struggles I have (anyone with anxiety will tell you how lonely it feels at first), and even very special people who, thanks to their kind hearts and inspiring words, helped me take huge steps toward healing.

Videogames, and the wonderful people attached to them, saved my life; I still might not be able to leave my house if it weren’t for the combined influences of everything and everyone I’ve mentioned in this blog. We — the geeks, the gamers, the social outcasts, etc. — are  often labeled as shut-ins with no social lives,  no friends, no aspirations, and nothing to contribute to society. But let it be known that at least one person, who was beaten down by the society who labeled him those things, found comfort in videogames, friends in the gaming world, and opportunities in an industry that he owes far too much to.

It’s a little strange, actually: videogames, seen as a form of escapism, gave me less reason to escape from the real world than the real world ever did.

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Introducing: The Kindly Thursday Debates That Need A Name

I’ve been thinking of ways to spice up this site a bit (including the new layout and URL you might have noticed), and a way to let my readers interact with each other more, so I’ll now be posting a weekly blog every Thursday (alongside the usual Monday one) where you (yes, you!) guys and gals debate a specific topic in the comments section.

What with the name “Nice Guy Gamer” and all, everyone should try and keep things clean and civil — no bashing each other personally or insulting other folks’ opinions.

This Week’s Topic: Roms and Emulation.

I have a very clear set of rules when it comes to this sort of thing: if the developers aren’t going to get my money when I buy a game — say, if I buy something used at GameStop — and are a couple generations old (NES or PSX purchases aren’t putting money in developers pockets), then emulation is okay. So is keeping roms of games I already own, to be used as backups, just-for-fun cheat/hack experiences, or what have you.

I’m also okay with playing games not available in my country, or at least not in a language I understand. For example, I’m currently playing a fan-translation of Pokemon Black. I’d never import the game from Japan, as I don’t understand the language (outside of a few sentences anyway), and I plan on buying Pokemon White (and probably Black, too) when they hit the states anyway, so I don’t feel too guilty about emulating it; as long as I’m not taking any money from the hard-working people who built these games, then I’ll use emulation.

Outright piracy of new titles, though? No thanks. I want devs to make money so they can keep making the games that I love.

So, fellow gamers, I ask you this: what are your stances on roms and emulation? Do you only download games you already have physical copies of? If you download roms for newer games, do you buy them full-priced afterward? Let your voice be heard in the comments section, and please, feel free to debate each other and have a good, healthy discussion on the issue (or fill any gaps on the topic I more than likely missed).

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Making Contact

First, let me apologize for that title. I imagine it was used for 50% of the reviews and blogs that were written about this game, so I should definitely have come up with something more original. However, after 3AM hits and you’re ridiculously tired, it’s much easier to just throw a generic title up and move on to the actual blog. I beg your forgiveness for my lack of a good title!

Now then, about Contact. To call this game quirky or weird would be putting it lightly; it is easily one of the most bizarre games I have ever played in my life (and I’ve played some strange ones). It’s considered an RPG, and with the stats, leveling, and grinding it could definitely be put into that category, but oh my goodness is this game ever hard to put a label on.

For example, in order to heal, you have Terry (the game’s main character… other than you, of course) take warm baths, which your sidekick/helper/advice-giver/ship pilot Professor prepares for you now and then (unless you’ve found said baths in a cave somewhere). When not having an old man draw you a relaxing bath, you’ll be busy running through Akihabara-esque stores where you fight angry fridges and vacuums (that drop classic videogames when you kill them), wearing a bikini girl’s old clothes so you can cast unique spells, and watching little blue gobs of goo go around killing sheep. Or grown men running around pretending to be airplanes. Or helping a chef who likes to be naked. Or…

Oh, never mind. You get the point: the game is odd.

It’s not all about being ridiculously odd, though. There’s also a good bit of commentary here regarding fate, as well as the level of control we have in videogames — and what sort of repercussions videogame characters face because of our actions. Like when you carelessly let your characters come to harm because, hey, it’s just a game, right? Maybe not, according to Contact. Maybe these little pieces of data are more than that. Maybe they live on when we shut our systems off, and maybe they’re a bit more real than we give them credit for. Hell, I know Terry, the Professor, and everyone else in this game have had more influence on the world than I have, most likely. Maybe that makes them real enough. Or at least important.

The fate part, well, it’s about you and Terry. You play as you in this game. Yes, literally, you, the one sitting there reading this. You speak with the Professor and help Terry along… maybe even forcing him to do things he wouldn’t otherwise do (you jerk). You have a lot of control in this game, while Terry has pretty much none. It’s a little creepy and disturbing at times, actually, and makes you care a bit more about what happens to the little guy. Or, it might make you think about how many people have control over you, the types of people who push you around or walk all over you. In real life, you just might be Terry. And if not your friends or other people in your life, maybe there’s some invisible hand guiding us all. Maybe we’re all just, in the eyes of that person/thing attached to that invisible hand, just pointless bits of data. Or maybe not. Kinda neat to think about though.

So, yeah, this game breaks the 4th wall. Actually, it’s more like it takes a bulldozer to it, then gives you acid. Or something.

Also, like BioShock, it brings to mind the little power gamers actually have in choosing their path in games. Even if we’re given several of them to walk down, we’re still given them; choices they may be, but they’re choices that we’ve been allowed to make by programmers, artists, and development teams. There’s no real choices in videogames, no real control — just the illusion of it. Unless you have a Game Shark. Then you’re pretty much the next Neo.

If you’ve ever seen screenshots of this game (like the one above, conveniently sneaking into this post to show you what the game looks like, the helpful little bugger), you’ll notice the top screen looks far different than the bottom. The Professor, seen on the top screen with his loyal (and butt-kicking) animal friend Mochi, looks like an old PC or NES game. The bottom screen is much more lush, colorful, and, if I can even use the term with the game’s art style, realistic. It not only looks cool, but it’s a nice little representation of the game’s 4th wall breaking weirdness, given that you, the professor, and Terry are all from different places. Highly unlikely you’d all look alike, eh? Though I’d love to visit the Professor sometime; I love pirate ships.

Contact plays like an active-battle RPG, where you’re running around and fighting enemies without screen swirls and turn-based stuff to slow you down, but it’s also like Diablo and Torchlight in that you control Terry with the stylus, guiding him by tapping objects, people, or enemies on the screen. Point and click, kill and loot. You can also pause the game and eat some food you’ve cooked or fish you’ve caught. Careful not to let Terry’s stomach get too full though, or you won’t be able to eat (and thus won’t be able to heal). Yes, you have limited stomach room. Can’t go eating all you want without a stomach ache, now.

So, yeah, this game is strange. Really strange. I can’t really think of anything it does that’d be called standard RPG stuff. Even the familiar aspects here have some sort of new spin, like how you eat, or change your class (which is done by dressing in costumes). Oh, and the story is a bit odd. It doesn’t make much sense most of the time, but eventually, after letting it stir around in your brain for a little, a few things will sink in and make you think a bit. Or maybe just make you want to take a nice, warm bath. Regardless, it’s fun and quirky and interesting, so play it if that floats your boat and/or pirate ship from another world.

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My Favorite Games of 2010

It’s hard to pick your favorite game of the year, especially if the year is full of wonderful titles like 2010 was. And some games, like Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Red Dead Redemption, and Super Meat Boy aren’t even eligible for this list because I won’t be able to get my hands on them until next year. I can just imagine how much harder the choice would be if I had even more games to choose from.

Below are six of my favorites, including my favorite game of 2010. I’m not one for standard awards, so let’s spice things up a bit and give each one of these games the silly awards they deserve.

The “Luck and Anti-Glitch Magic Was On My Side Apparently” Award — Fable III
I kept hearing horror stories from my friends about all the bugs they were encountering in Fable III, some of which were game-breaking: one of my friends was stripped of her clothes, turned into a man, and lost all of her progress. How in the world I managed to come across just one major glitch — Jasper losing his voice — while my other friends suffered such terrible fates, I’ve no idea, but I do know this: whoever tested this game at Lionhead won’t get a raise anytime soon. Still, non-bug-ridden Fable III, my Fable III, is  not only a hilarious game, but a charming one, full of amazing characters and game mechanics that, while simplified, are unique and definitely worthy of praise.

The “It’s The Last Remnant All Over Again” Award — Final Fantasy XIII
Throughout my life I’ve had a tendency to hype myself up for games a little too much and expect things that I knew deep down wouldn’t happen. These days, though, I try to go in without expectations. Because of that I was able to take in all of the changes that other people hated about FFXIII and accept them, even love some of them (like the lack of full control during battles). Plus, it gave me something  I was curious to see: a JRPG without the filler. I mean, I spent 450+ hours with Tales of Vesperia, but how much of that was the actual story and how much was just me goofing off? (As fun as goofing off in that game is.) FFXIII was a breath of fresh air, and though it was a little iffy at times (Hope), it was a really great, different take on Final Fantasy — and that’s exactly what I expected.

The “Oh God So Much Child-like Wonder and Nostalgia Head Explode” Award — Super Mario Galaxy 2
There’s something very timeless and magical about Mario. No matter how many games in the series I play, and no matter how similar aspects of each game might be, the little plumber never fails to put a smile on my face. SMG2 even surpassed the quality of the original game, especially with the smaller — and smarter — hub world. For those who never played the first game, it was hugely entertaining with some of the most exceptional platforming I’ve ever seen, and a perfect camera to go along with that to boot. The second game made everything about the first game better and added Yoshi into the mix, so what’s not to love?

The “Holy Crap I’ve Been Playing For 200 Hours I Need a Shower” Award — Dragon Quest IX
I’d never played a Dragon Quest game before DQIX, unless you count the demo for DQVIII, which I only played for about 10 minutes before I got killed and played something else (what can I say, I was feeling impatient that day).  So, though the series is known for never really breaking the mold, it was all fresh and new to me, impressing me with its charm, innocence, and simplicity. And as the award says, I’ve spent around 200 hours with it, so it’s given me plenty of bang for my buck. I’ll probably spend even more hours with it once I dig into all of the DLC I’ve missed, too, so thanks for stealing all of my spare time, Square Enix.

The “Stunning Achievement Not Counting the Awkward Sex Scenes” Award — Mass Effect 2
Man, they really were awkward, weren’t they? One of the few steps down from the original game, though everything else holds up immensely well, from the darker take on the world and characters to the trimmed down combat and equipment systems. It also took the morality system one step further, allowing you to interrupt conversations to do some pretty nice — and utterly baddass – things. I completed ME2 on the “Insanity” difficulty, which should show you how much it sucked me in (even if I did want to break my controller half the time). Oh, and who knew mining minerals could be so fun? Yes, I enjoyed it.

The “Overall Best Game of 2010″ and “Oooh Pretty” Awards — Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light
Though I loved a whole lot of games this year, nothing comes close to Four Heroes. It’s basically a love letter to fans of old-school Final Fantasy games (me), taking the simple story of kids out to save the world (and yes, crystals are involved) and combining it with charming visuals and tougher-than-you-remember game mechanics (which I’ve started to love a lot recently). I adore the job system, the characters, the beautiful look, the feel of the game that matches it, and the post-game grind that I’m still swimming happily in. Now, I’m sure you’re saying, “why this game over the others?” Well, all of the other games mentioned above certainly have a special place in my heart, but Four Heroes reminded me why I love RPGs, why I love handheld gaming, why I love unique visuals, and why I love videogames in general. Oh, and you get to fight alongside a magic-casting mouse. That’s probably the real reason.