Yes! And we have made it through the worst month of the of year! Good riddance January.
It’s been an interesting month on the gaming front with the Nintendo 3DS going up against the SONY’s NGP in the battle of the ‘dedicated videogame’ handhelds.
Personally, I found the announcement of the Playstation Suite for Android to be the most exciting development – SONY has realised that the next generation of videogames is platform antagonistic and about services and content. This is a big step for an electronics and hardware company.
For me this was the biggest news of January...
On the blogging front I was a little frustrated, a generally manic January schedule cut into my blogging time and meant I could not get out the What Makes a Musou? part 3 which is floating around in my head. If I had managed to launch that article I would have comfortably beaten my December ’10 traffic – in failing to do so I have to be content with stability -_-.
On the Beer front January was definately a Leffe month as I caught up on all my Xmas drinking:
Leffe's all round this month. 'Promise to switch it up for Feb.
The thing I am most happy with in Januray blog-wise is the start of two new categories: Star Wars & the mighty Arsenal. Both sections only have one post right now but I will try and develop those over the coming months.
I hope to bring you more of this stuff soon...
On the videogames side I continued my coverage of Warriors: Legends of Troy with a look at the item & upgrade system. This game is starting to take shape now – hopefully we will have some more information released in February. For now you can check out the official site here. Which brings us too…
My favourite two posts of the month which were my gamer interviews: I managed to trap Gischie on the train to Avignon for her thoughts on Angry Birds HD and Insp. Chin in Subway for his thoughts on Plants vs Zombies.
Let's do lots of this in Feb ^^
That’s it for January. The shittest month of the year is over and in Feb I’ll be moving in with my beloved ^^. It’s all downhill from here people ^^
There are few games that I consider perfect – completely successful expressions and explorations of their play mechanics and artistic values. NiGHTS and Super Mario Kart (SNES) are a couple on my list – I’m sure you have your own.
When I got my ipad one of the first games I downloaded was PopCap Game’sPlants vs Zombies – it had recieved many favourable write-ups in EDGE and being a big tower-defence game fan I was sure I was gonna’ love it.
3 or 4 hours of play later I had pegged PvZ up on the ‘potentially perfect’ list. Having now spent tens of hours on the game completing the various achievements and launching massive campaigns into the Survival mode I can certainly declare it perfect in my book.
Plants vs Zombies is a tower-defence game that plays on every human’s hard-wired instinct to defend their homes – in this case from a selection of zombies shambling across your lawn, swimming through your pool and climbing on your roof!
The linear nature of PvZs battlefields (zombies progress straight down one of 6 pathways), and ‘everything-on-one-screen’, birds-eye viewpoint means Popcap can furnish the player with a massive variety of plants with which to lay-out their defences. Peashooters, Cob Cannons, Wallnuts, Winter Melon Catapults and atomic Boomshrooms are just a slice of your arsenal – all powered by the smiling, bopping sun-flowers that look so pleasant you’ll defend them like dear friends.
Here's a screenshot I took from my iPad version of PvZ, you can see the great selection of plants available.
The zombies are beautifully designed and in-keeping with the homely, low-fi setting of the rest of the game. A normal zombie is weak, so how does he toughen himself up? He puts a traffic cone on his head. Still not tough enough? He puts a metal bucket on his head. Tougher Still? He puts on a suit of American football armour… We’ve got zombies on pogo sticks, bungee zombies, zombies on ice-resurfacing machines and tons more. The zombie army is bursting with character compared with your average tower-defence game.
It’s no surprise that a PopCap game has gorgeous, life-affirming artistic design – well, in PvZ the music is just as good, with loverly relaxing yet spooky tracks created by Japanes artist Laura Shigahara . The most famous of which is the classic ending theme:
A word on the gameplay: Plants vs Zombies has one of the most moreish learning-curves ever conceived: completion of each stage rewards the player with a new Plant or item which players just have to try out. New obstacles are added to the mix just when the player thinks they have things under control and mini-games are sprinkled in when repetition starts to fatigue the players. The whole thing is just a master-class.
The act of actually building out your lawn with plants is super addictive, with plenty of combos to find and exploit. The search for that perfect set-up just never ends and this hits its ultimate expression in the never ending survival mode.
Buying the best items from Crazy Dave's car-boot sale will soon become and obsession! Still don't know what the bacon is for though!
The game has a massive level of complexity but it’s introduced to the player in such a way that before you even realise it your fingers (or mouse pointer) are dancing at light-speed over the level, brain whiring with a thousand considerations as the zombie genocide continues.
As you can see from the official website PvZ is available on XboX Live Arcade, iPad, iPhone, DS, PC and Mac so you if you haven’t tried it, you really have no excuse (well unless you only have SONY consoles and no PC or Mac I suppose!).
This Friday I was lucky enough to catch up with my good friend (and as it turned out huge PopCap fan) Insp. Chin, let’ see what he has to say for himself:
Here's Insp. Chin in Subway with his iPhone version of Plants vs Zombies ^^
Hi Chin, so how did you discover Plants vs Zombies?
It’s from my friend, she recommend me to play it. Also, I’m a fan of PopCap games.
Which PopCap games?
Zuma & Bookworm Adventures!
Did you try playing Zuma Blitz on Facebook?
No
So was your first experience of Plants vs Zombies on PC?
Yes
Did you buy it straight off or was it a trial version?
A free, trial version.
Insp. Chin supplied me with this exclusive screenshot of his PvZ welcome screen. WELCOME BACK! Chin
How did that work?
Basically you can play 90 mins of the game for free… it’s good, ‘depends how long you want to play really…I mean whether you actually need to pay for the game.
What did you think of the game when you first played it?
Pretty fun, it’s a strategy game – you have to plant flowers and put eveything in right the slot.
Did you find it hard to understand the game at first?
When I started it’s very simple, with good tutorials and easy to understand. You can get one new plant after each stage so there is more and more to learn.
So you were enjoying it straight away?
Yes, I also liked the mini-games, like bowling the Wallnuts at the zombies.
Insp. Chin in action! He can't look up once he has started playing!
So did you buy PvZ after the 90-minute trial ended?
No, I ended up getting the full version from a friend (laughs, embarrassed)
Once you had the full version – however you got it – how often did you play it?
I only played when I was bored as my PC is slow and I’m always busy – so only on weekend if I’m bored. It’s relaxing, not stresful to play at all.
What do you think is good about this game?
The visuals, and the design is perfect. Also the music - Laura I think her name is, is the composer, she is Japanese and she made the tracks with the designer of the game. I think the designer is actually the zombie’s voice as well….actually…errmm…
…In the Japanese version the voice of the zombie in the final song is the composer’s father.
Could you get addicted to Plants vs Zombies?
Ahaha…not before, since I don’t have a lot of chance to play. Now I have it on iPhone I’ll play it all the time on the train.
So do you think it’s a game that fits better on the iPhone?
Yes, because it’s best to play in little bits.
Do you have favourite type of Plant?
haha..yes the…Jalapeno, errmmm the Chili Pepper
This is Insp. Chin's favourite Plant ^^
Do you have anything you think could be added to the game to make it even better?
I dunno, hmmm, but I have seen trailer for the XboX version and you can customise your house etc. that’s cool.
It’s perfect really…perfect..uhahaha….
…But I’d like to play as zombie….
I heard on the XboX version and the DS version you can play as the Zombies and invade your friends house!
Yes, I think on XboX you can do that, but I have tried it yet.
So given you somehow got the PC full version for free did you pay for the iPhone version?
uhahaha…YES!
So you did give PopCap some money in the end, after all the enjoyment they gave to you?
Yes, for £1.89 it’s really worth it.
Of all the PopCap games you’ve played in your life, how much money have you actually spent on them?
Less than 10 quid…uhaha (laughs uncomfortably)
PopCap Games - will they be around much longer if all of their customers are like Insp. Chin ?
And how many hours of those games have you played?
Alot of hours, I used to play Bookworm Adventures, Dynamite, Zuma, you can find those games free-to-play on the plane to Malayasia!
So hours and hours of play and you have only given £1.89?
Yes, they are free on the plane, Zuma for 13 hours, I got it for free
Would you say you’re a cheap gamer?
I’d say I’m a Malaysian gamer!
Do you have any messages you would like to give to PopCap?
haha…I’ve told them PvZ is awesome and they replied to me straight away on facebook. I’ve known them for about a year. They don release a lot of games but they put maximum effort into each. I really love that about them.
But Plants vs Zombies is a very good game…. oh my god, I feel so bad now, oh my god!!
That’s enough before you dig your own grave here Chin!
That’s it for this week’s interview. If you would like to be interviewed by Leady247 just let me know in the comments box ^^
I’ll back soon with another interview with Gischie on Sengoku Basara 3.
Leady247 ^^
Update: Thank’s to Splatterhouse in the comments box for confirming that PvZ will also be coming to PSN Soon. So now you have no excuse at all not to play this !
Angry Birds, created by Finnish mobile gaming experts Rovio and published by EA owned Chilllingo, was the true breakout gaming success of last year. Selling more than 12million units via App Store alone it makes you shudder to think what the sales figures must be now the game has rolled out onto new platforms such as Android and even PSN Minis – the Angry Birds are conquering the world!
In case you’ve been really been out of it recently and don’t know what the game is all about here is a gameplay trailer:
With the benefit of hindsight it’s easy to see that Angry Birds had a magic recipe for success. Simple touch-screens controls coupled with easy-to-grasp and immensely satisfying physics-based gameplay combine to form a game that anyone can enjoy. If you know how a catapult works and have some basic understanding of the phyiscal properties of various materials you are well on your way to destroying some Piggy fortifications ^^
This easily-accessible core was bolstered by fantastic art design that brought an anger-fuelled spin to the cutesy, pastel puzzlers of the mobile gaming landscape. Players are given an arsenal of personality-stuffed, pissed-off looking birds – these birds mirror the frustrations of rat-race commuters everywhere and allow us to take cathartic revenge on the brood-raiding, over-fed pigs in ivory towers.
Music is also fantastically well-done with several of the jingles and squawks becoming part of British pop-culture.
If you want an understanding of the tone of Angry Birds check out this ‘Peace Treaty’ video (say whaaaat??, fuck off!!)
The game is also Crystalized – backing up the solid gameplay with online support that includes all the achievements, leader-boards and friends lists modern gamers demand.
My first experience with the Angry Birds came with Angry Birds HD an upgraded version of the orginal game for the iPad.
After a brief introduction to the controls my girlfriend Gischie quickly got addicted to the game and completed the five initial ‘worlds’ in around a month and a half.
To get an interview with Gischie on Angry Birds I had to beg and force her and it wasn’t until I managed to corner her on the train from Paris to Avignon that I managed to extract her thoughts:
How long have you been playing Angry Birds?
Your questions are always the same. I can’t remember how long….let’s say around one month so far….
Were you aware that Angry Brids had been a massive hit before you started playing it?
No.
How were you introduced to Angry Birds?
By WC.
Who’s WC?
The annoying creator of this blog.
So he bought it for you?
Yes, for his iPad. He only buys games to make me try them. Not to play himself.
Angry Birds HD gives players a great view of the stages using the iPad's expansive screen ^^
What did you think of the game the first time you played it?
To begin with I tried to understand the rules of the game and how to control each of the birds….for example there are ones that you can explode or ones that can be split into three.
Did you think the game was fun at first?
It wasn’t that fun while I was trying to learn about the gameplay. Later it was good. The story was interesting at first.
So was it the storyline or the gameplay that made you want to keep playing the game?
More the gameplay. The storyline isn’t that good – after a while I started to wonder….I mean, would some pigs steal the eggs of birds?
Pigs observing other Pigs in tiny UFOs. Only top conspiracy theorists would see this as cutting realism ^^
What did you find compelling about the gameplay?
Its very simple, just throwing the bird. The complicated and interesting part is working out the tactic to pass each level.
Did your interest in Angry Birds start to grow over time?
Yes, because I was discovering new and different types of birds. The missions get more complicated, so you start having to get more dedicated and try and try again .
During the month since you started have you been playing a lot?
Yes, Angry Birds is the main game that I have been playing.
The yellow birds are the Theo Walcotts of Angry Birds.
How often do you play and how long per session?
I played every time I was at my boyfriend’s flat or when I was at his parents house and he had his iPad with him. Sometimes I only had time to play for 5 minutes but if there was nothing else to do I could play between 30mins or 1hour per session.
What did you try to accomplish during each Angry Birds session?
Trying to complete the stages in order – but if I got stuck on one stage I went on to another category for a bit so I didn’t get too frustrated.
Did you get addicted to the game?
Of course. I want to complete each stage and see the next one. When I see a new stage I have to pass it as I am a stubborn person!
The Pigs like to erect more and more complex fortifications to defend themselves ^^
Did you try to get the 3-star rating on each stage?
Sometimes I tried, but mainly I just wanted to pass the stage quick as I could and see the next one.
Did you develop any feelings about the Birds themselves?
My favourite is the big red one because he can destroy a lot and he is so fat.
Gischie prefers the big-fat-red bird ^^
So did the birds have much personality to you?
Actually the pigs have more! Such as when you finish a level – they smile at you like you are a loser!
So did defeating the pigs give you extra motivation to try to complete the game?
Yes.
Do you think Angry Birds has enough stages/levels?
There is a lot. But I am looking forward to other stages being released. We got the Mighty Eagle pack at Xmas, that was something new.
So you haven’t had enough of Angry Birds yet?
No.
What is it that keeps up coming back?
I enjoy finding more solutions. Solving the puzzle of each stage.
What did you think about the Mighty Eagle upgrade?
It’s just a way to skip a stage if you are really stuck. I dont think it should be allowed.
Gischie wants the Mighty Eagle BANNED! ^^
Do you have any ideas for how to make Angry Birds even better?
I’d introduce a new type of bird or maybe some new types of pig.
Do you have a message you’d like to deliver to the developers?
Can you the make pigs less mean?
In what way?
Make them more smile-y and cute looking.
Why would you want the enemy to be cuter?
It would make it less frustrating when I can’t kill them!
Gischie - She likes Angry Birds and she's a Wenger fan - #bestgirlintheworld
That’s it for this week’s interview. If you would like to be interviewed by Leady247 just let me know in the comments box ^^
I have decided to start up a new sub-section of my blog where I will interview people about their favourite games. First up is my girlfriend who goes by the nick of Gischie.
She is a great fan of the iPhone/iPad puzzle game Tumbledrop by the wonderful Hayden Scott-Baron of StarfruitGames
The aim of the game is to get the pink star to safety. Is there a hidden message there somewhere? ^^
Tumbledrop is a physics enabled puzzle game with some deliciously cute graphics and just-one-more-go gameplay. No need to describe it more as you can try the browser version right here here or watch the trailer below:
Anyway on with the interview:
Leady247: So how long have you been playing Tumbledrop?
Gischie: I don’t know. A couple of months?
Leady247: How often do you play this game per week?
Gischie: Everytime I am at my boyfriends. 3 or 4 times maybe?
Leady247: Why do you play Tumbledrop?
Gischie: Because it un-stresses me and I have nothing else to do sometimes.
Leady247: Do you mean you play it when you are bored?
Gischie: yes, I play it when I am bored but then I am stubborn as well so when I start playing I want to finish it!
Tumbledrop almost 'out Peggles' Peggle in the positive feedback department.
Leady247: How long do you do you play for per session?
Gischie: I don’t know I lose track of time when I’m playing.
Leady247: What makes you stop playing?
Gischie: When I have something else to do.
Leady247: Have you played and enjoyed other puzzle games in the past?
Gischie: Yes, Tetris, Lumines and others.
As well as Tumbledrop Gischie is a fan of Lumines on PSP
Leady247: And did you play those games for the same reason?
Gischie: Yes.
Leady247: Tetris and Lumines were on portable formats – did you ever play those while you were travelling?
Gischie: Well, Lumines was on PSP so I played it when I went to work on the train.
Leady247: What is it about Tumbledrop that you like so much?
Gischie: It makes me think about something else and it occupies my brain.
Leady247: What is it you don’t want to think about?
Gischie: Work and things like this.
Leady247: What do you think is good about the gameplay of Tumbledrop?
Gischie: I like the friendly design of the characters. I do my best not to let them drown.
Leady247: Anything else?
Gischie: Every stage is different and it’s difficult so it stimulates my mind. Also you have different challenges on each stage such as getting the star and the heart medal for each one – it makes you think of different combinations.
Leady247: Would you like to see more content released for this game?
Gischie: Oh yes sure. Maybe a new character other than the star – maybe a ball?
Leady247: Do you have anything you would like to say to the developer of the game if you could?
Gischie: I am trying my best to have all the star and the heart medal, I wonder what will be unlocked. Don’t break my heart and tell me there is nothing.
Leady247: Thanks for the interview.
This was the best picture I could get of Gischie and her Tumbledrop achievements
If you have a favourite game and would like to tell me why you play it. Then let me know ^^
?
leady247
