I’ve had a lot more time to play video games as of late (compared to when I was still in school and working the same job I have now). I’ve been enjoying it because, ever since I was a little kid, gaming is something I’ve loved doing.
Here’s some of the games I’ve been playing or have beaten lately and what I think about them
Henry Hatsworth
The main thing I can say about thtis game is holy crap! It’s a sidescrolling, platforming action game on the DS with a very unique twist: The game has two “realms” and each one takes place on one of the DS’s two screens. The first realm is where all the crazy hardcore action platforming occurs and the lower screen holds the puzzle realm where you have to constantly solve a moving block puzzle that I constantly refer to as Bejeweled on steroids. It’s one of the hardest games I’ve played in a while but also one of the most enjoyable.
The game is loaded with non-stop action, great humor, awesome music, tea time, moustaches, gentlemanly affairs, and giant robots.
Uncharted 2
Uncharted 2 was amazingly awesome. I was a little slow to play the first one but after getting increasingly more excited about the second games release, I finally played the first one and got hooked.
I’m amazed at the production value of this game. Awesome score, really good voice acting, good action, great story and plot twists… it’s got it all.
My main gripe with the game was the puzzles. They promised more difficult puzzles than the first for the sequel and, while they were more intricate, they weren’t at all harder because while you’re doing them, Nathan is constantly giving you verbal clues like “this looks familiar” or “I bet if I put this block over there…” Crap like that. I don’t know which one was better as far as puzzles go: The first game’s way of laying out the solution to every puzzle in the notebook or the second game’s hold your hand through every step of the puzzle. They both kind of kill the puzzles if you ask me. But that still isn’t even close enough to make me not like this game. I just wish Naughty Dog would have faith in their demographic’s abilities to solve slightly difficult puzzles.
Dead Space
Another game that I was slow to jump on but not for lack of trying. See, I have a history of certain games causing me motion sickness and this game does it to me hardcore. I think it’s the over the shoulder view with the super slow tracking and the semi-elastic camera. I’m muscling through it because I enjoy the game and Tiffany and I want to finish Dead Space Extraction without having anything potentially ruined for me.
Anyways, this game is pretty cool. Not really scary but genuinely creepy. The sound is one of the most amazing things in the game and the atmosphere is really great, too.
Machinarium
a.k.a. – “everybody knows how much I love robots!”
Brought to you by the same team that did the wonderfully creative Samarost and Samarost 2, this point and click puzzle adventure game is a great follow-up to such unique games.
It has everything you’d want from a point and click, including the genre’s trademark humor though, this game has no dialogue.
The art style is amazing (it’s nuts what you can do with flash these days), the puzzles are rock solid, the soundtrack is fantastic, and it’s $20. If you like point and click games, do yourself a service and play this one!
Lucidity
I’ll admit, I bought this game strictly for the art style. I’d been eyeballing it since I saw the trailer and because of Steam’s recent sale, I was able to snatch it for the disgustingly awesome price of $2.50
This game is put out there by LucasArts and, while I was hoping for a more old-school experience, this game is pretty cool. It’s like a super-simplified version of Lemmings. I don’t have too much to say about it because I only played for about an hour so far but it’s charming, to say the least!
Donkey Kong Country
Yeah, you read that right. I recently popped in my old cartridge and had myself a good time doing what I like to do with that game the best: beat it in one sitting.
This game is super classic and if you don’t know that much about it, I’d suggest you really give it a try. It paved the way for some awesome platforming titles that followed it and, while it was nothing revolutionary at the time of it’s release (aside from the art style), it was still an amazingly solid game that deserves copious amounts of praise to this day. It still has one of my favorite soundtracks.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Oh man, this was the game I was waiting for for so long! I LOVE old school platforming action (if you couldn’t tell from this post alone) and this game delivers in full force.
Following up to it’s 2006 DS predecessor, this game takes what was good about the first and expands on it in most ways. The new power-up items are cool and unique (even if they look kind of stupid) and the level design is as awesome and difficult as it should be. I have a rule about Mario games: If I’m not pissed off while playing it, something is wrong. (and by that I mean that it’s challenging, of course. I’m not actually pissed at the game. I’m enjoying the ever-loving crap out of it).
I can’t say much for the multi-player as I haven’t experienced it yet but the game feels super solid and it’s loads of fun.
I wish more old franchises would get this kind of treatments instead of every single one trying to get a reboot or a remake. Keep trying to do something new with the series, that’s cool with me, but at the same time, give us something that feels simultaneously fresh and nostalgically old-school.
