Jetpack Joyride - Review Thursday

Welcome back to Review Thursday, where I talk about a game I have recently finished.  This week I am a little late (it is technically Friday when I am typing this) in posting.  But regardless, I did finish a game this week.  And that game is...

This game is so fun!  I spent hours upon hours playing it.  The concept of the game is simple: don't touch anything as you run through a seemingly never-ending laboratory with a stolen jetpack.  Along the way, you can ride vehicles like a robotic dragon, a teleporter, and a motorcycle, just to name a few.  Then at the end of your run, you can either risk your spin tokens earned throughout the run in a slot machine or cash them in for coins.  Coins are also earned throughout the run, and are used to purchase clothing options, different jetpacks, gadgets to help you run through the lab, and other items.  And you can even purchase more coins using real money.  And then there are little missions you can complete to level up and earn coins; like going a set distance in a vehicle, or dodging a set amount of obstacles, or giving High-Fives to the scientists.

I don't really care for all of the extra things, but I did end up collecting them all.  There is a PSN trophy called "All the Things" which is awarded for when you have purchased every item available.  Other than that, I mainly stuck with the Insta-ball, and the Freezing gadgets to get some extra length to the run.  Toward the end, I played just so I could finally get that last trophy.  I will probably play it once in a while, but not for the length of time when I was trying to collect the trophies.

My favorite vehicle in the game was the Profit Bird.  It looked nice, and I was able to control it the best among all of the vehicles.  My least favorite was the Gravity Suit.  I just could not get the hang of it.  Overall, I give Jetpack Joyride...

Five Stars.  It is very addictive and fun to play.  The concept is simple and it is playable by people of all ages.  Only one button is used throughout the actual play (the X button), so there are no tricky button combos to memorize.  I really like this game, and I would recommend it to everyone.

Well, that's the end of this Review Thursday.  Make sure to stop by on Saturday for the next SaturPLAY entry.  And until then, may no Game Over screens be seen by your eyes!

Michael, aka me3lingual

DLC - 3³ Gaming NEWSday

Welcome to 3³ Gaming NEWSday, where I  talk about what's happening in the gaming world.  And sometimes I talk about something about gaming in general.  This week I want to write my thoughts on downloadable content, also known as DLC.  So, let's begin.

I am of the mind that if a company is going to make a game, it should be made available to every person at the time they purchase it.  The whole point of DLC is for the companies to get more money, right?  They withhold levels or weapons or characters so people can get the full game experience at an extra price.  I don't think this is fair, and yet I have succumbed to the temptation of DLC several times in my gaming life.

The first time I paid for DLC that was separate from the game itself (the Game of the Year editions of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion or Fallout 3 don't count) was for Ubisoft's Prince of Persia.  I purchased the Epilogue several years after finishing the game.  You see, when I first bought the game, I didn't have PSN; so I had no clue that there was extra content.  The trophy list was full of trophies I could get without any extra content.  When I played the game after getting a PSN account, I noticed that there were more trophies that I hadn't seen or earned before.  That was when I paid for the Epilogue.

Since then, I have spent time and money at the PSN store; either looking at DLC I want for my games, or buying DLC for my games.  Recently, I went and bought all of the DLC for Final Fantasy XIII-2.  Why?  Because I wanted the full game experience, with all of the characters that I can use and all of the outfits and all of the weapons (except the Xbox exclusive one).  Well here, take a look at what I have bought on PSN.

• Eufloria (it's a really nice game, so no complaints)
• Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC
• Prince of Persia Epilogue
• Jetpack Joyride (the game was free, the coins were not - because I didn't want to spend any more time playing it)
• Back to the Future - Episode 1 (I think it was free)
• BUZZ! Quiz Player (another free one, I think)
• And all of the free DLC for...
• Need for Speed Most Wanted
• The Sims 3
• Portal 2
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
• And one avatar from Mugen Souls

The point is, I have spent money on something I truly feel should have already been given to me for free when I purchased the game.  Games already cost so much as it is, that we now have to pay more to get everything that was made for a game; and if this was 10-15 years ago, would be included in the game.

Don't get me wrong, there are some games whose DLC are so expansive that it seems like a completely new game in terms of content.  I would gladly give more money to Bethesda for DLC for Fallout: New Vegas and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; and I fully plan on it one day.  But I can't see myself paying for more cars in Need for Speed Most Wanted or more design choices in The Sims 3.  I think that the cars or extra chair types should be included.

As I have probably said before here, I am getting Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.  I am worried that I will be tempted to purchase an outfit on PSN because it will seem really neat or be of a job class I like.  I will have six extra outfits at startup because of

1. Pre-Ordering
2. Purchasing the Collector's Edition
3. Downloading the free demo
4. Posting battle score to outerworld, and
5. having save files of both Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2

Now, that should be enough to get me by, but I don't know how many of the 80 outfits will actually be available without purchasing them.  For all I know, the six that were featured in the demo are the only six available for free with the game.  The point of this rant is, if you are going to sell a game, it should have 100% of the game in the data on the disc.  I shouldn't have to pay ninety-nine cents for something that should have been there from the beginning.

Well, that's the end of this week's 3³ Gaming NEWSday.  make sure to check back in on Thursday for the weekly review.  I haven't finished anything recently, so I may have to dig deep for a Review topic.  Oh well.  Until next time, I hope you see no Game Over screens!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Too sleepy to italicize.

This week's SaturPLAY will relatively shorter than normal.  Basically, I didn't play much of anything, despite playing a bunch of a lot of things.  I played and deleted files of The Sims 3: Pets and Fallout: New Vegas.  And today, I started files of both Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XIII-2 in order to have them there when my copy of Lightning Returns arrives.  And I am still working on Pokémon Black 2.  I have gotten to the third Gym and saved the game right before I take on Burgh.  I did face him once before, but I lost so I reset the game.  I went back on my promise to train only Water-types.  I have been training my Pidove to combat the Bug-types that Burgh carries.  I also have an Eevee in my party that I fully intend to evolve into a Vaporeon when I get a Water Stone.

And finally, I have made some progress in Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories.  I have completed  the Destiny Islands floor and now I am at the next fight against Riku.  I was having trouble, so I stopped playing to take a break from it.  Which is why I have been playing other games lately.

Well, that's all for this week's SaturPLAY.  Until next time, I hope no Game Over screens cross you gaze.

Michael, aka me3lingual.

Lightning Returns Demo - Review Thursday #3

In this week's Review Thursday, I will talk about my experience playing the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo that was released on Tuesday.  Let me first just say that I may possibly spoil what happens in the demo.  However, as it's available for free, and people have been posting videos of the gameplay of it, it's a bit difficult to be spoiled at this point.

Well, because of my super slow Internet that day, the download took more than twelve hours.  So while my friends were playing the heck out of Lightning, I was sitting on 7% downloaded.  I began the download at 3pm, and at midnight it was only at 50%.  When I woke up at 4am to stoke the fire, I saw that the download had completed.  I installed it, and went back to sleep.

The next morning, it was the first thing I played.  I think it may have been the only thing I played.  No, no it wasn't.  The demo was short, so I went and played other things as well.  Anyway, I loved the demo!

First, the graphics are great.  People look like people, objects look like objects, attacking looks like attacking.  It was nice to be able to move in battle, and not stuck in one spot during battle.  The music was fantastic, and I think it played well in the demo's gameplay.

The battles themselves were amazing.  I think it is really nice to have the abilities be set as buttons on the controller.  Especially in Active Time Battle games, if you have a lot of abilities in a menu, you lose a lot of time searching for a spell or ability which gives the enemy an advantage.  And with job changing has been taken a step up from Final Fantasy X-2's job system, it is now only one button press away; whereas that of X-2 was more than one.

As I reported in this week's 3³ Gaming NEWSday, you play as Lightning as she looks for Snow, who is now the "leader" of the city.  The opening scene is Lightning and Snow fighting the beings of Chaos, as well as each other.  Then, Snow exits the same way the monsters entered, by some kind of space/time thing.  Hope Estheim is there as well; but only as a voice, guiding Lightning through the building and analyzing the situation.  From where, I don't know; the demo didn't offer that information.

After Snow leaves, Lightning has to fight her way passed monsters in order to locate Snow and "set him free".  The boss of the demo is Zaltys.  He looks like some kind of demon/dog/giraffe creature.  I defeated him in 2 minutes and 16 seconds; making full use of the game's time-altering function.  It slows time down for everyone except Lightning, giving her lightning speed (yeah, ha ha, I know).  It isn't the best result out there, but I have only played through the demo once so far.  I know someone was able to do it in less than twenty seconds.

The demo ends after you reach the end of the corridor that Zaltys is guarding.  You can however also end the demo by continuing to explore the area until 6 o'clock.  Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is a time-based game, so spend your time wisely.  You don't want to be left on the planet when the world ends.

Anyway, a plus to downloading the demo on PSN as I did is that you receive the Utsusemi Samurai garb for free.  And if you post your battle score against Zaltys on the Outerworld, you will receive the Siegfried garb on release day.

Overall, I give the demo...

It is a great demo, and it accomplished what it was made to do.  And that was to build up hype and make those that play it want the game.  I certainly do want it.  Now I just have to wait until my copy arrives.  Which won't be until after Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster comes out.  You've got to love saving money by bundling purchases in order to get free shipping.

Make sure to stop back in on Saturday for the next edition of SaturPLAY!  Until then, I hope that no Game Over Screens cross your gaze!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Demo - 3³ Gaming NEWSday #3

Welcome to 3³ Gaming NEWSday!  I have a couple articles that I have written recently to share.  First, is the article I wrote about Final fantasy VI coming to Android.  And the second is what I wrote on the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo that was released today.  So, let's begin!

Final Fantasy VI now available for Android

Smartphone users, the wait has ended! Final Fantasy VI is no longer solely for iOS devices. Square Enix has uploaded two videos (one each in English and Japanese) today on its Japanese language YouTube channel announcing the Android availablility of this classic Final Fantasy title. To watch the video and for more information, continue reading.

After nearly one month since the release of Final Fantasy VI for iOS, the 1994 game is finally available for the Android market. Now you can play as Locke, Edgar, and Terra on the go and without an iOS device or portable gaming unit. This comes to relief of a huge group of gamers who have been asking "When does it come out for Android?" and "Why not Android?" since the iOS release. The game will be playable in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXUKWzcy33M[/youtube]

Lightning Returns Demo Released Today

As the days continue to count down on the release date for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, the demo of the game featured at E3 was released through PSN and Xbox Live today. And there is also a free outfit for Lightning if you choose to download the demo. For more information, continue reading.
As posted by PlayStation Blog earlier today, the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo that had been featured in places like E3 and PAX is now available for download through PSN. The demo's content features Lightning as she looks for Snow Villiers, her former traveling companion during their quest to save Cocoon. He is somewhere in Yusnaan, one of the cities in the game, and it's up to you as Lightning to find out why and what's happening there.

One of the perks of downloading Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, beside getting a piece of the story before the game comes out, is that you get one of the costumes that Lightning can wear during the main game. For PlayStation 3 users, you obtain the Utsusemi Samurai costume (shown below). And for both Xbox 360 and PS3 users, if you activate the Outerworld functions and post your score after defeating Zaltys, you will receive the Siegfried costume. Outerworld is where you and thousands of other players communicate with things like posting battle scores, buying items, and selling items.



The download itself is 2.04 GB for the PS3 version, and it's 1.14 GB for the Xbox 360 version. From what I have heard from those who have played it, it is a nice demo. Here are what some EnixOrigin members have to say about the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo.


Well to me, it feels a lot different than the first two games. I know game sites kept saying the system is just a revamp of the first two, but doesnt feel like that to me. This is how the first two should have been. - Tev

The battle is more in the players hands this time around. Whereas before it felt like a scripted battle at times, because the game held your hand. -Vox

Needless to say, it sounds like the full game will be highly entertaining if the opinions on this demo are like this. So, don't forget to download the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII demo on either PSN or Xbox Live if you get the chance.

Well, that's all for this week's NEWSday.  Make sure to stop back on Thursday for the next Gaming Review.  And I hope no Game Over Screens are what you see!

Michael, aka me3lingual

A big key, but unlocks nothing! - SaturPLAY #3

Welcome to this week's SaturPLAY post!  I hope your gaming this week went well.  My start off okay, but I hit a wall a few days ago.  Or rather, a gate.  I am stuck in the same place I was the last time I played Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories.  I can't defeat Vexen as he guards the gate to the mansion in Twilight Town.  I have looked up strategies online, and asked friends who have played the game.  Nothing is working.  It sucks, because I really thought I was doing well. It is probably a good thing that I am playing the version on Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMIX.  I sometimes toss controllers when I get frustrated, and so it's a good thing the PS3 controller is wireless.

I became too frustrated with that game, so I started a game of Fallout: New Vegas yesterday.  I am already at Level 5.  Everything is going okay so far.  I reached Primm today and cleared out the Bison Steve hotel.  Now, I am back at Goodsprings at the Doc's house.  I had three crippled limbs when I got there.  It took what seemed like hours to get back there.  I really need to learn how to not pick up every weapon ever, just because I may use it.  I would get places faster if I would just use the weapons I have and not worry so much about keeping them maintained.  It won't break just because it is fired once.

I am still making movies in Pokémon Black 2.  I only have one choice at the moment, and that's the third installment of the Red Fog series.  I still really like filming the movies, but I am ready to move on.  I want to catch more Pokémon, especially Water-types.

When my DS needed recharged one night, and I was still not sleepy, I went and got my PSP out and started a file of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.  I am playing as Ventus as the moment.  I like his story so far.  It is really different from Terra's from what I can tell.

I was hoping to have Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories finished, but that didn't happen.  I will work on it for next time. And with that, we've come to the end of this week's SaturPLAY.  I hope you enjoyed it, and that no Game Over Screens cross you path!

Michael, aka me3lingual

Rugrats: Search for Reptar (1998) - Review Thursday #2

I am going back in time to when most of us were kids watching cartoons. I am still shocked that my copy of Rugrats: Search for Reptar still works after having it for most of life.

Basically, this game is a mix of races, puzzles, and mini-games that incorporate episodes from the series into a visually stimulating video game. The point of this game is to complete the episodes and earning the puzzle pieces to Tommy's Reptar puzzle. You can also earn puzzle pieces by finding Reptar bars (15 Candy bars = 1 puzzle piece).

Some of my favorite levels/episodes are Chuckie's Glasses, Ice Cream Mountain, 7 Voyages of Cynthia, and Mirrorland. These were my favorite episodes on the show, and I really enjoyed them playing the characters. My overall favorite is Ice Cream Mountain. This level is a 9-Hole Mini-Golf Course. You get to play as Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, and Angelica in order to get the golf balls in the holes.

This game also features a Mini-Game/Extra menu where you can even play Ice Cream Mountain with friends. In this Mode, you can also play as Suzy. The other extra games are Cookie Race, Egg Hunt, and Gold Rush.

The manual also features several Rugrats-themed jokes. Some are funny still, even though I have read the manual cover to cover hundreds of times.

The game is not hard at all. It is rated "E", but really it could be rated "KA" for how easy it is. Although, after having played it for almost 14 years, I would be surprised if there is any actual difficulty to it anymore.

It is really just more of a novelty game. I recommend it for anyone who wants to go back in time to when video games were based on TV cartoons, and had simple objectives. Find Easter Eggs, drink all of the chocolate milk before Angelica gets it. Play hide and seek with the babies.

Ah, the simplicity of childhood.

My apologies to those of you that have no idea what the Rugrats are. If you are one of those people, you were probably one of Spongebob-era people. I am sure that there are websites that allow you to watch the show and enjoy being a kid again.

Overall, I give this game

Make sure you stop back on Saturday for the next edition of SaturPLAY.  Until then, I hope you don't come across any Game Over screens.

Michael, aka me3lingual