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Monday, July 16, 2012

Classics are still my favorite games



The allure of classic games still continues to grow stronger with every passing generation to the next. And no I'm not talking about a new copy of the game. Each generation likes the ORIGINAL version of the classic game in question. Such as Zelda, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Mario Brothers, and more. 


No the graphics are not amazing for all you that question that before you buy a game. However, they are harder then a lot of current games, and there is NO LAG. They don't have to put a million things going on at one time to pull you in. It happens on its own. There are no cheat codes, though you can get a whistle in level 3 of Mario if you know the trick and in the castle. 


Captivating is what Zelda has done from day one. The Legend of Zelda has grown over the years coming out with multiple games for the multiple Nintendo systems. However I find that everyone still enjoys the Original Zelda. There was no map to find that you could look and see where you was going. There was no sign or clue to what castle was what until you were in it. You had to find special things on your own and had to explore all the rooms in order to get to the next level. And IT WAS HARD!!! Simple yet you can play for hours. 



Enjoy as the age of Video Games advance and alter their designs but don't forget what started it all and just how amazing it was to sit for hours in front of the tv and play them. Because to some of us that tend to spend most of our lives with a controller in our hands.... these classics continue to have the same amazing and alluring fascination from the day they hit the shelves.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Video Game Review: Assassin's Creed 2



  • Part of the Assassin's Creed Series

  • Available on: 

  • PS3, XBOX 360, Mac, Windows


  • Ratings: 

  •     BBFC: 15
        ESRB: M
        OFLC: MA15+
        PEGI: 18
        USK: 16


    Plot/Synopsis:


    Assassin's Creed II begins immediately after the events of the first game in 2012; Desmond Miles is still trapped by Abstergo Industries (the modern-day face of the Knights Templar) after being forced to use the Animus device to revisit genetic memories of the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, and has discovered prophetic warnings from Subject 16 (a previous captive) describing the end of the world. He is soon rescued by Lucy Stillman, a mole for the Assassins within Abstergo, who takes him to meet two other Assassins, historian Shaun Hastings and computer expert Rebecca Crane. They request that Desmond use their version of the Animus, dubbed the Animus 2.0, to relive memories of another Assassin, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, to train Desmond in the ways of the Assassins through the "Bleeding Effect" of the Animus. During his exposure, Desmond finds himself briefly struck by a puzzling memory of Altaïr and his lover, a former Templar named Maria Thorpe, who became pregnant with his child. It is also revealed that apart from training Desmond as an Assassin, the Assassins also wish to find out more information about the foretold "Vault". Desmond also finds various glyphs left by Subject 16 in the Animus, which, when decoded and assembled, form a brief video of a man and woman, "Adam" and "Eve", running through a futuristic setting called "Eden". The video ends with the binary for "EDEN" (00100101 00100100 00100101 00101110).

    Assassin's Creed II's plot includes the fictional depictions of historical characters including Niccolò Machiavelli and Rodrigo Borgia, later known as Pope Alexander VI.

    Ezio's memories begin during the Renaissance in the 15th century, where his family is ensnared in a political plot, and his father and brothers are hanged. Ezio, following his father Giovanni's last advice, finds his father's Assassin tools, and flees the city with his mother and sister to the safety of his uncle Mario's villa in the countryside. Mario assists Ezio in discovering the people behind the conspiracy, the search leading Ezio from Florence, to San Gimignano, Forlì, Venice and eventually to Rome. As he identifies and assassinates more and more political figures, Ezio also gains several allies, including Niccolò Machiavelli and Leonardo da Vinci, the latter of whom helps Ezio improve his equipment using schematics found in Altaïr's Codex pages. Eventually, Ezio identifies the mastermind of the plot: the Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia, who ultimately sought to bring down the Medici family in Florence with the help of the Pazzi family and the Doge of Venice. Ezio finds Borgia in possession of the Apple—a similar Piece of Eden that Altaïr had recovered centuries ago—and learns that Borgia believes himself to be "the Prophet" that will lead the Templars to a fabled "Vault". Ezio is able to confront Borgia with the help of his allies and recover the Apple, but Borgia flees before he can be killed. Ezio's allies reveal they are all Assassins, and see Ezio as their Prophet, allowing him to join their ranks.
    After this memory, the modern Assassins discover that several years of Ezio's memories are inaccessible from the Animus. Desmond can only revisit those starting in 1499, where Ezio and the Assassins plan to attack Borgia (now Pope Alexander VI) at Vatican City. Ezio corners Borgia and strikes him down, but refuses to kill him, as he knows that it will not bring back his family.  Ezio uses the Apple and the Papal cross (which is also a Piece of Eden called the Staff), and discovers the entrance to the Vault. Inside, he is astounded when a holographic figure, calling herself Minerva, appears. Speaking directly to Desmond and those monitoring him in 2012, she explains that she was part of a far more advanced society that initially co-existed along with the early humans on Earth before they faced each other in war. A global catastrophe occurred that nearly wiped out both sides, and the survivors joined together to construct "temples" across the Earth to allow humans to prevent a similar catastrophe in the future. Before the hologram disappears, she warns Desmond—by name—that "the rest is up to you".

    Shortly after recovering this memory, Desmond and the others are forced to flee with the Animus 2.0 from their location as Abstergo troops surround it. There, they encounter Warren Vidic, who flees when Desmond and Lucy deal with the troops. As the team heads towards a new safehouse, Lucy explains that there are newly-discovered weaknesses in the Earth's magnetic field; a solar flare striking this weakness would cause a similar level of global destruction as described by Minerva. Desmond resolves to help the Assassins find these temples, and prepares to re-enter the Animus, knowing that Ezio may hold the answers they seek.



My Review: 
I personally LOVE this game. However, it didn't hit the 5 star rating because personally I wish it would have let me do more. Like upgrade or open shops to a higher level or in other cities. Or maybe I would have liked if I didn't have to go back to the villa after every mission to empty the chest. It really should have been bigger. I mean come on. Who only holds 43 or whatever thousand coins in a chest? Surely there could have been more lol. 
Anyway, the game is great. You follow the mission from start to finish. Learning about being an assassin and growing your skills up till taking down the people that killed your family. Along the way you have 'side missions' you collect glyphs that show you the truth behind what you've been told and seen. You collect feathers in honor of your brother who was hung for no other reason then to get your family out of the way. You collect statues to place around the villa. You collect Assassin medallions to unlock the Assassin armor.  You do Assassin mission and deliver messages for money. Collect treasures scattered around the city and protected by guards. And you collect Kodex pages that will unlock a mystery. 
There truly is hours of things to do on this game. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop and exploring the city and its crocked leaders. Helping the people that need it and bringing honor back to your family line. 
This isn't a very 'graphical' game in the way of blood and gross stuff. But depending on your actions it can become a very fighting game. You fight enemies on your missions, if you are bad in public you will fight guards coming to punish you for being bad, and on side missions you fight. Also if the little singing people get on your nerves to much you can kill them. However that does bring up the wanted rating on your head but sometimes you just can't take it anymore. 
I myself tend to be a Trophy Hoarder. Yes I admit it. I love trophies. 
In Assassin's Creed 2 you can get a total of 51 Trophies for PS3 and 50 Trophies for Xbox 360 (The Master Assassin platinum trophy is only for PS3). 

Order Your Copy Today!!!

Assassin's Creed 2 @ Amazon

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Starting a Year ahead of Schedule!!!!



Okay so I found this picture on the internet and I immediately thought about the A-Z Challenge I just recently finished in April. Next year I already have my topic and will probably go ahead and schedule the post. That gives me over a year to have time to edit rewrite or add content to each post. Anyway I am going to do Games in Real Life. 
Just so you can more understand what I am talking about here is some examples you will be seeing next April. 





Can't wait for April!!!!!


Wednesday, May 9, 2012

MineCraft Xbox 360 Style







Today was the release of MineCraft for Xbox 360. It is a download game and it cost 1600 credits. So about $20. 


As much as the game is like the PC version it is also very different. Number one difference would be the controls. Instead of using a,s,d,w you use your joysticks. 


Minecraft can be played with up to 4 people on the same Xbox and up to 8 people when you go to Xbox live. For the same Xbox you only have to have one person with the download. 

Explain: I have the game downloaded on my name. I get on my name and open the game. My husband does not have the game downloaded to his name but its the same xbox. He can pick up his controller and hit start. He is in my game. And he can and does receive achievements for things he does in the game.  


If you can dream it....you can build it. The possibilities are endless. Hours can and probably will be spent on this game. 

Let me know if you have an Xbox 360 and want to be friends also let me know if you get the game and your thoughts on it. 



Monday, May 7, 2012

A-Z challenge Reflection




Well this was my first A to Z challenge but will not be my last. I did learn a lot of good lessons that many of those who've done this challenge before warned about. The first thing is I should have had all or a large sum of my post pre-scheduled. I didn't and it became very hard on me to keep up daily because for some reason suddenly April I got wrapped up in multiple things on multiple days and my blog post didn't get out there till late in the afternoon. Sometimes dare I admit it, it didn't get posted till the next day. Yeah if doing a daily blog post wasn't hard enough doing a catch up blog post and a daily blog post is even harder.  

I did however pick a topic and stuck with it. I found some great friends to connect with through my topic. (In case you didn't read my blog it was about video games.) The topic made coming up with a post each day so much easier then if I would have just randomly decided to find something in the day to write about. I think I am going to go ahead and start working now for next years topics lol. 

I must say I felt accomplished and proud of myself when I could say yes I completed the challenge. And I wear my badge proudly. I'm glad I joined the challenge and I'm happy to have met such wonderful people and read their blogs.

Friday, May 4, 2012

My Current Obsession....video games will rule the world at this rate....

First let me tell you that Xbox made me fall in love for one reason lately. I can talk to it and don't have to mess with the controller. It is awesome.

  +   
  +


Equals AWESOMENESS IN GAME CONSOLE FORM!!!!!!


So while playing my PC game that I'm about to talk about... I turn my xbox on and tell it to go to my iheartradio app and so I am jamming to my radio station while playing games on my pc. Yes I could use my pc but why when I can TALK to my xbox?? It is just a cool awesome feature that I am in love with using!! BE JEALOUS!!! 

Anyway onward to the obsession!!!! Its really simple only cost about $27 US Dollars. And you can play forever.  I bring you.......



 My Person :)

Chicken lot/Back Yard 

 Back of the house


Front of the House. The one there next to mine is a friend that is playing with me on my server :)

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Games I've played....

Here are some honorable games that didn't make it into the A-Z challenge because a lot of them have the same letter as other games and so fourth. So here are some games I have played and still are playing. There is more but this is all you get at the moment I've got a headache impairing my ability to think.


    • Animal Crossing
    • Attack of the killer tomatoes
    • Barbie
    • Dig Dug
    • Disney Universe
    • Donkey Kong Country
    • Duck Hunt
    • Fable 3
    • Golf
    • Home Alone
    • Ice Hockey
    • JumpStart 4th Grade
    • JumpStart 5th Grade
    • Kirby
    • Lone Ranger
    • MineCraft
    • Mini Ninjas
    • Monopoly
    • Nascar
    • Pacman
    • Prison Break 3
    • Rock Band
    • Roller Coaster Tycoon 1
    • RugRats
    • Sesame Street
    • Sims Urbz
    • Snake
    • Sonic the Hedge Hog 
    • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    • The Little Mermaid
    • The Sims 1 Complete Collection
    • The Sims 2 Complete Collection (minus the holiday stuff)
    • The Sims 3 Complete Collection thus far
    • Titanic
    • Twisted Metal
    • Wheel of Fortune
    • Win, Lose or Draw
    • Xena
    • Zoo Tycoon 1

      Monday, April 30, 2012

      A-Z Challenge Letter Z







      Z is for ZELDA!!!



      The Legend of Zelda (ゼルダの伝説 Zeruda no Densetsu?), occasionally called Legend of Zelda or simply Zelda, is a high fantasy action-adventure video game series created by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is developed and published by Nintendo, with some portable installments outsourced to Flagship/Capcom, Vanpool, and Grezzo. Considered one of Nintendo's most important franchises, its gameplay consists of a mixture of action, adventure, and puzzle solving. The series centres primarily on Link, a playable character and the protagonist. Link is often given the task of rescuing Princess Zelda in the most common setting of the series, Hyrule, from Ganon (also known as Ganondorf), a Gerudo chief who is the primary antagonist of the series. However, other settings and antagonists have appeared throughout the games, with Vaati being a strong secondary antagonist during the lifespan of the Game Boy Advance. The story commonly involves a relic known as the Triforce, which is a set of three omnipotent golden triangles. The protagonist in each game is usually not the same incarnation of Link, but a few exceptions do exist.

      As of December 2011, The Legend of Zelda franchise has sold 67.93 million copies since the release of the first game, with the original Legend of Zelda being the fourth best selling NES game of all time. And The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time holds the record for highest reviewed video game of all time. The series consists of 16 official games on all of Nintendo's major consoles, as well as several spin-offs. An American animated series based on the games aired in 1989, and individual manga adaptations which are officially endorsed and commissioned by Nintendo have been produced in Japan since 1997.

      The Legend of Zelda franchise is the inaugural recipient of Spike TV's first ever Video Game Hall of Fame award. The franchise was inducted on December 10, 2011 during the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards.



      ~~~End Wiki Research~~~



      As some may know (and some don't) Zelda is not the person you play in these games. You play Link. So when people play the games called Link its the same game. Zelda is the princess. Yes it can be considered confusing to some. Anyway each game has improved graphics as time goes on but I still enjoy Zelda for NES just as much as I enjoy Zelda for Gamecube. I still haven't gotten use to the Wii enough to enjoy it on there. Zelda is an all time favorite of mine. I could spend hours upon days upon months playing these games. I actually beat the GameCube wind waker game. Zelda will always be one of my favorites and live in my heart forever!!!

      Also one of my followers and I follow her ResidentGamer has an AWESOME Link tattoo!!!
      Check it out and follow her blog (Here)




      Did you know that Link is the character you play and not Zelda? Which is your favorite Zelda game?

      Saturday, April 28, 2012

      A-Z Challenge Letter Y




      Y is for Yoshi!!!!!






      Yoshi, known as Yoshi's Egg (ヨッシーのたまご Yosshī no Tamago?) in Japan and Mario & Yoshi in Europe and Australia, is a puzzle video game developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. The game was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy consoles. Both versions were first released simultaneously in Japan on December 14, 1991, and then released in all other regions the following year.

      In Yoshi, the player is tasked with clearing monsters from the on-screen playing field. The monsters fall in from the top of the screen to build vertical stacks; the player must prevent a stack from growing too high such that it exits the play field. In order to so, the player swaps and moves the stacks about such that falling monsters collide with identical monsters stationed atop the stacks, causing them to be removed from play. Yoshi offers both a scoring-focused single-player mode and a competitive two-player mode.

      The NES version of Yoshi was made available for purchase on the Wii Virtual Console in 2007. The game was then re-released on September 1, 2011 as a downloadable title on the Nintendo 3DS, available only to members of the Nintendo Ambassador program. Yoshi is currently planned to be made available for purchase in the Nintendo eShop at a later date.


      Yoshi is a falling block game in which the player is given a playing field that is divided into four columns. Monsters, which consist of various Mario enemies, appear at the top of the screen and fall into each the columns, turning into blocks as they land and creating stacks that incrementally grow in height. The main objective is to prevent the four stacks from growing too high by eliminating blocks from the field; a game over occurs when any of the stacks crosses the black line drawn across the top of the play field.

      To eliminate a block from the top of a stack, it must come in contact with a falling monster that matches it. For example, if a Goomba falls directly onto a Goomba block, both will be removed. The player controls Mario, who resides below the playing field and has the ability to swap the positions of any two adjacent stacks at a time. Thus, the player is required to switch around the stacks to ensure that the monsters fall into the correct places. Points are awarded for each set of monsters that are eliminated.

      In addition to the four different types of monsters, two halves of a Yoshi eggshell will also fall. The bottom eggshell half behaves like a monster: it disappears when it comes into contact with another bottom half. However, if a falling top half comes into contact with a bottom half, the two will join and hatch a Yoshi, earning the player bonus points. Furthermore, if a stack of monsters grows atop a bottom half and a top half is then added, all monsters between the halves will be encased and eliminated. Larger Yoshi characters will hatch depending on the number of monsters encased, which also increases the number of bonus points awarded. If a falling top half does not have any bottom half to join to in the stack it touches, it is automatically removed and no points are awarded.

      ~~~End Wiki Research~~


      Okay this may "show my age" but I'm only 24 and I played this game to death!!! I would spend tons of time on this game. It is addictive and so much fun! Like all tetris type games as you increase in levels the speed increases and it becomes more difficult to keep the stacks low. However with this game you have the shells. If you have a bottom shell on the bottom row and you have four other things on top of it and then you get the top egg to fall on your stack the egg with eat through the four other blocks to make the Yoshi egg. It is really helpful if you get in a bind. 



      What was your favorite Yoshi game?