OneSingleLife review

What comes after death? For OneSingleLife, it's a credits screen followed by the realisation that you cannot play the game again. Much like real life, this game only gives you one chance to succeed, and once you fail – it's game over. You only have One Single Life.

The premise is very simple – jump from one building to another through tapping the screen once to initiate a run up and once more to make him jump. No points, no leader boards, only one life. The straightforward gameplay adds to the experience – all you have to do is make a successful jump. Each level greets you with a sign saying that x percentage of players will die in this level. Will you be part of that percentage, or will you break away from the pack and succeed? The game plays (hur) on the player's need to succeed and fear of failure. In fact, it's enjoyment is derived from the trepidation felt before each jump, and the knowledge that failure will mean death – forever.

Which brings me to my major concern – OneSingleLife is an entirely subjective experience. How willing are you to completely absorb yourself in the experience of life and death? For me I was highly immersed on my first run through, where my heart rate grew and my palms grew sweaty as I completed each level. But will someone else be as engrossed as I was? After all the game is just about getting the tiny avatar from one building to another, a concept that was created almost two decades ago. It really is a game that relies on the player's emotions, more so than the mechanics of the game itself.

Which makes OneSingleLife a hard game to score. On repeated play throughs the experience is diminished, where after a failed jump comes the grumble of having to wait for your iPhone to uninstall and reinstall it again – it's like a loading screen just a lot more convoluted. However as a first experience, the game placed me in a position so many other games fail to do today – to make me realise that the little man jumping from building, who fist pumps every time he succeeds and screams every time he falls, wasn't no longer a creation of FreshTone Games, but rather me. Whether you become him – is an entirely different question.

L.A. Noire Review

L.A. Noire has more in common with Capcom's Ace Attorney Series than it does with it's Rockstar Brethren. It's got the investigation process, the shifty witnesses, and protagonist Cole Phelps shouting out OBJECTION every time he accuses the witness of lying. Okay maybe not that last point, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did shout it out halfway through the game. More importantly, both L.A. Noire and the Ace Attorney games share the talent to tell an extremely engaging story.

This is the heart and soul of L.A. Noire, where the post World War 2 period has given rise to drugs, violence and corruption in the streets of Los Angeles. As Cole Phelps, you'll go through five different ranks in the police force, from patrolman all the way to arson investigator, where all ranks have their own main arc stories, meaning that each case are not entirely separate of each other, but linked even though you may not think so at first. The fact that they are all connected to create a larger picture is great because it creates a 'one more case' mentality, where you won't stop investigating crime scenes, questioning witnesses and even chase bad guys until you've solved everything there is to solve. Simply put, it's quite addictive!

Even if L.A Noire was just a story, it would still be good, but the fact that it's a game makes it a huge success. Unlike other games where story and gameplay are entirely separate of each other, L.A. Noire succeeds because the plot and the gameplay itself work in tandem with each other, encapsulating the player in the world of Cole and his colleagues.

Gameplay is generally centred around investigating crime scenes, areas linked to the crime and questioning individuals who are some how linked to the crime, as well as the shootout and chase scene. Investigating has Cole searching for clues, where the game alerts you with a chime and a rumble of the controller if a clue is found. It can also trick you into investigating mini red herrings (such as a beer bottle that somehow turns up in almost every case) that have no bearing on the case. The process is highly rewarding because each clue discovered unveils another piece of the case itself and ultimately unveils another piece of the story: for example a ledger that directs you to a person of interest, which then leads you to track that person's address which then leads you to questioning that individual for further clues and perhaps even your main suspect!

Which leads to the other hook of L.A. Noire: the questioning of individuals who have some association with the crime itself. Like Phoenix in the Ace Attorney games, Cole must question individuals to either gain more clues, ascertain whether the individual had a major involvement in the crime, and in some instances, charge the suspect with the crime itself. Ascertaining as to whether or not the individual is telling the truth or not is decided on whether they are telling the truth, holding back some information or flat out lying, in which case truth, doubt and lie are assigned to three of the face buttons. In the case that you decide the individual is lying, evidence must be presented to back up your accusation , ala Ace Attorney.

Bondi Team's use of motion scan technology, which is a highly developed and more detailed version of the usual motion capture technology used to capture a more realistic facial expression, is what makes and to some extent breaks this section of the game. While the facial expressions are indeed very real and highly interesting to watch, the fact that there is little subtlety to the actual facial expressions, makes discerning truth from lie easier than it should be. Case in point, if the individual is telling the truth, they will look maintain full eye contact with you, if they are lying or holding back info, they'll look away, move their lips and a whole host of other facial expressions that scream out “I'm lying!”. However the feeling of making a successful judgment is still one to behold, as what usually follows is more clues, allowing the story to progress or just proving your belief that the individual was a lying sack in the first place, and that's always a whole lot of fun! Failing either this or failing to find potential clues can lead to some parts of the story being entirely missed, and in some rare cases – the innocent being wrongly accused of crime because of a lack of evidence. The game lets you know this with the continued references to the 'gas chamber' – making the impact of failure a whole lot more heavy, as a fatal error could result in the death of an innocent (remember capital punishment was alright during the late forties). However in most instances, the game does it's best to make sure you catch the right guy even if you're the most incompetent detective, which is somewhat disappointing as the few instances where you are forced to choose between two suspects who are both equally guilty and not guilty are some of the best moments of L.A. Noire.

Presentation wise L.A. Noire treats the eponymous (if oddly spelt) crime genre with the respect and care it deserves. From the blurring of the lines between good and evil to the melancholy soundtrack, the underbelly of Los Angeles and the rain which creates a depressing atmosphere, it certainly is representative of one of the key genres of crime fiction. The voice acting is some of the best heard in a video game, with Aaron Staton as Cole Phelps delivering his lines like any top grade actor. The motion scan is brilliant too, with some moments of 'hey I know that guy from [insert movie/tv here]!' indicative of how effective the technology is. The fact that I managed to recognise an actor who played a brief role in Supernatural is further evidence that the technology should set a benchmark for future games.

However what makes L.A. Noire extremely memorable is the fact that Team Bondi has managed to create a game that presents a fantastic story and fantastic gameplay that work wonderfully with each other. Never does either feel like it overpowers the other, creating a seamless experience that is utterly encapsulating, utterly magnificent, and utterly deserving of one of the games of the year thus far.

The mental wear and tear of NBA2K11

38 matches is a long time in the Premier League. Add F.A. Cup and Carling Cup matches (depending how far you go) and you've got an even longer and arduous season of football. How long can a player keep up the mental toughness required to be at the top of their game? What happens when they drop the ball and lose focus?

Now take 38 games, add another 44 and you've got yourself just the regular season of NBA without consideration of playoff matches. That's 82 matches, some games played back to back, sometimes three matches played in the same week. It's long, and it's tough, and by the mid point of the season it's extremely hard to maintain the intensity you had at the beginning of the season. By the way I'm talking about NBA 2K11 not real life basketball.

But answer me this - how different is it to the real thing? Of course strip away the physical aspect of the game (because we all know that gamers are unfit and undesirable, thanks to the media) and instead focus the mental side of the sport.

I still remember how pumped I was when I played my first game as the Cavaliers against the Boston Celtics. I was itching to get onto the court with a Lebron-less team, and Kevin Harlan, Clark Kellogg and Doris Burke did a fantastic job of reminding me that it was the opening of the season. The crowd in Quicken Loans Arena were loud and raucous, and everytime I scored they cheered. Now fast forward to 54 games in, and while I'm at the top of the Eastern Conference (sans Lebron HAH), it's fair to say that mental fatigue has set into my play. I'm a lot more eager to go for fast basket, go for a steal and be called for a reach in foul, or just have mental lapses in the third and fourth quarter. The fierceness and determination to win has now been replaced with notions of each match being a chore, and sooner or later I'm going to stumble and fall, while Paul Pierce, Dwayne Wade and Dwight Howard are waiting in the wings to snap at first position on the ladder.

Through 2K giving the player the option to play every single game, they have recreated the most realistic aspect of sports games in general, where 54 games into the season and counting – the feeling of mental fatigue has crept into the mind of the player. Now let's compare real life - is there any doubt that the performance of Derrick Rose dipped some way throughout the season due to mental wear and tear? Lebron's exodus from the Cavaliers was somewhat due to the relief that he would no longer have to carry the offense 'night after night' and instead become more of a distributor for the Miami Heat – inevitably being a one man team took a lot out of him. At some point or another basketball stopped being a passion and became a job for them. And I think I'm starting to feel the same way about 2K11. And it kinda sucks.

It's no doubt that there are parallels between 2K11 and real life basketball. Beyond the realism of Jordan sticking out his tongue whenever he drives to the basket – it's hard not to feel worn out by mid season. Is that any fun though in terms of game design? At what point does a player stop playing and start simulating, leaving the fate of his team to a bunch of unseen numbers that determine win or loss because they can't be bothered playing anymore? In the end I play games like 2K11 to relax and have fun, but the mental fatigue I'm feeling at the moment is starting to take its toll on me. I'll play the 82 games and every post season game (mmm trophies) but whether I'll be playing another season...I'll have to decide after my ticker-tape parade.

Top 3 games of 2010

2010 was a pretty glorious year in gaming! Mass Effect 2, Red Dead Redemption, Halo Reach, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Heavy Rain not to mention the release of the Kinect and Move to combat the Wii's motion revolution; there probably wasn't a dull month for games whether it was a big title release or big announcement or a combination of the two!

Yes all well and good but what about me on the other hand? 2010 was a year where I looked from the sidelines watching all the big releases come by without partaking in any of the fun – bar a few games here and there I would get my grubby hands on.

That's not going to stop me from doing a best games of 2010 list (though it'll only be top 3, rest assured I played more than just three games released in 2010, these are just the best ones). Without further ado here is my top THREE games of 2010

3. Red Dead Redemption

John Marston's tale through the dying wild west on a quest for redemption is one of the most memorable experiences not just in 2010 but in gaming general. The hustle and bustle of the urban landscape of so many GTA iterations was thrown away and in favour a beautiful western landscape that's a reinvigorating design of the open world. Nothing beats riding my trusty steed from town to town, encountering wild life and individuals in need – except I didn't know whether they were clamouring for help or waiting for me to let down my guard and throw me off my horse. Marston's quest for redemption made me feel for his cause despite his bloody past – he makes no secrets about the fact that he regrets what he's done, but everyone deserves a second chance don't they? However the most involving character of the game is the environment – and this is what made Red Dead Redemption one of the best games of 2010, it's ability to encapsulate me in a world that is so lively and so real – that getting on my steed and galloping to an unknown destination – is pure unadulterated fun.

RDR MOMENT: While the final moments of the game gave me goosebumps, my RDR moment came when I had planned to head back to the nearest town by eight but the need to search for a desert sage (a certain flower) had carried long into the night. Galloping around on my trusty steed, I started to grow restless and tired. Then I stopped, and looked up – the sight of stars glistening across the night sky - providing a brief moment of respite from an otherwise fruitless quest. The sound of a gunshot in the distance snapped me back into action, and off on my steed, did I ride once more.

2. Super Street Fighter IV

If my game of the year was awarded on game spent most time on, Super Street Fighter IV would be the runaway success. Super Street Fighter IV pulled me back into the franchise which had become firmly entrenched in my gaming life, and the advent of a better online mode allowed me to test my skills from the comfort of my own blue living room couch – sometimes with good results and sometimes with some controller throwing inducing moments (DAMN YOU LAG!). Super Street Fighter IV didn't also affect me just in my living room – it exposed me to the competitive scene, where the videos of Daigo, Justin and Filipino Champ amongst others where they combine tactical play and mind games combined with lightning fast reactions, is simply amazing to watch. Maybe just one day I'll be half as good as them, but until then – SONIC BOOM!


SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV MOMENT: When I managed to win 10 in a row – as I kept getting closer to the elusive 10 (and a trophy) the feeling of being invincible started to grow and grow. This was evident in a high ranking match against a Makoto, where she had me down a round and almost out in the second. Her rapid fire tactics kept my Guile unbalanced and unsettled, but something in the back of my head told me I wouldn't lose this match. With a sliver of health to spare in the second round, I pulled off a Sonic Hurricane which somehow managed to connect. I knew my match was for the taking, and I had composure to pull off my sonic boom – air throw tactics, to throw him off and win the match! YEAH!!

1. 999: 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors

Is it strange that one of my most favourite games of all time appeared not on the PS3, but on the DS? Is it even stranger that almost a year later another game has come along, encapsulated me and yet it is also on the DS? Whatever it is, 999: 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors is for me – the best game of 2010, and even more so, one of the best games I've played. In a story reminiscent of something between Battle Royale and Saw, 9 people wake up on a ship, and are told by the ominous 'Zero' that they have 9 hours to live, and that if they fail to abide by certain rules that a bomb within their stomach will detonate. The game is primarily composed of text, and while I was afraid that most of the game would involve me pressing A repeatedly, I found myself drawn into the story, where tension and atmosphere was created to present a truly scary game – yes this game frightened me, simply because of the fact that rather than present full blown cutscenes, it instead uses text, so descriptive that it pervades your mind and screws with your imagination.

I have only finished the game once, and there are 6 possible endings – where the possibility of Junpei (protagonist) and the other characters who are all very well written, can die. Imagine the situation when a character suddenly goes missing, only to confront the rest of the group later and having to hear the shocking news that he/she is dead. It is one of the most confronting moments I've ever played in video games, and on one occasion, I had to close my DS because it was too immense.

That is the power of 999, and is why it is the best game I've played of 2010.

So those are my top three games of 2010 - feel free to comment and discuss my choices, and what were YOUR top games of 2010?

In space, no one can hear Jared rant

I first heard of and saw Dead Space when my friend was showing us a video in class that involved the protagonist of the game, Isaac Clarke being chased by what seemed to be humans who had been simultaneously mutated and made crazy. As Isaac ran down the hall the sound of rapid footsteps and screams could be heard chasing from behind, until he had reached the elevator where all seemed to be safe – that is until the mutated human had managed to pry open the door. Isaac was trapped with no where to go, and for a moment I felt his fear and acceptance of the fact he was going to die – until the door shut and decapitated the monster in the process.

Yes quite scary, and quite an overwhelming experience from just watching footage of the game – although it was helped on by some 'woahs' and 'oohs' from my fellow classmates who had also been watching on too. In that instant my friends and I were convinced that this was going to be the best horror game in recent times. In the ensuing weeks, my friends were getting in on some Dead Space action, commenting that it was living up to the hype that we had created. I gave into hype and pressure to buy the game, and readied myself for a few sleepless nights and constant changing of underpants.

Playing through the first hour or so I had to admit I was pretty scared – necromorphs (the mutated humans) were menacing, jumping out at me from air vents or pretending to play dead till I closed in on them, and it stimulated some jumps and screams. The first hour didn't disappoint, but for the rest of the game, I started to feel underwhelmed.

You see, Dead Space isn't a game of subtly, from the opening scene I was presented with my space crew discussing the fact it wasn't normal for a spaceship to have a 'total communications blackout'. Upon entry, the hallways of the Ishimura are barely lit, and that the place is left in shambles. In fact the end of the first chapter spoiler alert has the space shuttle the crew entering in exploding – indicating that Isaac and the player are stuck in this hell hole with hellish creatures and there's no way out from it.

And attempts to scare the player start to get tired half way through, case in point: the fifth time I run in a room which is quite large but seemingly empty, I know some quarantine is going to off, locking all the doors with an ensemble cast of monsters in the room with me. It's just not that scary once it's done to death (I'd say done to dead to make a funny pun but that would be grammatically incorrect). If Dead Space was a person, it would be the equivalent of him popping out of the same cupboard every five minutes trying to scare me – yes I get it, you are trying to be freaky, just stop it and try something new.

I know it sounds like I'm hammering the game, but I actually thought the gameplay was pretty solid – the dismembering of necromorphs (who lacked variety) to kill them was pretty cool, it was a way of 'unlearning the headshot' that all gamers with an itchy trigger finger have mastered, going into zero gravity was pretty awesome and made for some pretty awesome action scenes, the story was pretty cool (if a bit tiresome at times) interweaving some crazy religious cult with some deep problems with Issac himself, and the design of the Ishimura was fantastic.

But for a game that advertised itself as being really scary (*cough floating arm in space for box art cough*) – Dead Space came off as a solid shooter with some horror tacked on, and that for me was the ultimate letdown. I like shooting monsters yes, but for majority of the game that feeling of fear and dread was not there. Did I let my expectations soar too high? From that first video I watched I thought the hype was justified, and most of everyone else from the gaming contingent thought so too. But the end game was that they were satisfied and I was left feeling deflated. Dead Space = solid shooter? Sure. Dead Space = survival horror? Not a chance.

Girls just wanna have fun - a rant on the sexualism that exists within the video game industry.

Just a small rant of mine: every time I see that foxtel-xbox 360 ad I die inside a little. Actually I die inside for every girl who has picked up a controller and enjoyed video games.

The basic premise of the ad is four girls – one of who has foxtel on xbox 360. While excited at the prospect of having cable on an Xbox 360, one girl asks “why do you have an Xbox?” The camera cuts to a tanned surfie with washboard abs, as they all exclaim “ooooooh”.

Apart from having foxtel on the 360 (which does sound pretty interesting) the advertisement makes a possibly unintended comment about women in video games. Namely that women can’t have a console, without a man, and probably a man who is a tanned surfie with washboard abs. I’m only 17, but I’ve played enough games in my time, and seen the rise of the industry, to know that gaming is indeed for the masses, and that gaming isn’t only limited to Wii Fit Plus with Helen Mirren. And I know that the industry is getting past the ideal that gaming is only for men.

Apart from having statistics to back that women make up a significant percentage of the gaming population, the rise of video game journalists, designers and competitive players to name a few, debunks the theory that gaming is only for men. Why not look at some of the more recent video game success stories, Jade Raymond’s rise to the head of Ubisoft Toronto and her work on the first two Assassin’s Creed games, the fact that one of the executive producers on Sony’s flagship title – Little Big Planet, was a woman: Siobhan Reddy. On a more personal level, my girlfriend is an avid gamer much like myself, my sister had gaming sessions up till the early hours of the morning playing Final Fantasy VIII.

On RedKingsDream, Evan Stubbs writes about the sexualism that exists within the industry. Out of three factors that he believes contributes to the division of sex in the industry, one struck me the most: the fact that rather than focus on the message being sent, we are ultimately drawn into a ‘pointless discussion about their genitalia and whether they’re qualified to be talking in the first place’. It is depressing to realise that ‘boobs’ take precedent and is an obstacle for women to overcome.

I know this is a discussion that has grown, old, weary and tiresome. The truth is there for everyone to see, yet ads like this foxtel one continually set the idea that women aren’t meant to play video games Attitudes need to change, and until they do, this debate will rage on – for any girl who has picked up a controller and enjoyed video games – they will rage on too.

The blog, without it's boy.

This is the third day I've spent on my mac doing entirely nothing, except for scouring facebook. Normally I would hop on my PS3 and start playing a game I've been loving, but not this time.

I said a few posts ago that I had a tonne of games that were certainly worth my time, only that I questioned as to why I had lacked the drive to play it. I can't remember if I answered the question, maybe the games weren't just that interesting. Maybe they didn't interest me. What not even Super Street Fighter IV?

Maybe now I realise that it isn't the games that aren't interesting. As humans we are always quick to blame other things bar ourselves, it's just human nature, it's just who we are. Maybe I tried to pin the blame on the games, that 2010 just wasn't a very interesting year for games. But logical thinking took over, and I realised that we had Red Dead Redemption, God of War 3, Mass Effect 2, Heavy Rain and so and so forth. Yes very interesting games, and certainly one of the most interesting years of gaming in recent memory,

"Rita's inside. It was me"

Like Dexter at the beginning of the fifth season, I'm blaming myself, not the games, for not being interesting. I once had a drive to play games, a passion to see games on a deeper level and talk about them with vigour. I can't explain what happened, and contrary to the rest of this post, I won't speculate on the cause. I have faith that my passion will reemerge once more, but for now, it's all gone.

For now that is...

Now for some bragging...

So I broke my longest win streak in ranked matches in Super Street Fighter IV today with none other than Guile! The previous record was 7, which has been beaten by 11, and in the process earning me the Tenpeat trophy (for 10 ranked match wins in a row)!

There were some matches I came close to losing, such as the Makoto match where I was down a round and pretty had a sliver of health left in the second. Luckily for me my sonic hurricane managed to connect and got me back in the match which was taken to a third and final round. Starting off the round bad, I somehow managed to get back in it with some lucky trips and finished my opponent off with some sonic boom - air throw baiting tactics. WOO yeah!

If I can I will upload a video of it. But for now, let's enjoy this picture...

What's it to you?

I've got a copy of FIFA 11 next to me, and Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition , Super Street Fighter IV and a whole lot of other games sitting underneath my 40gb PS3. To the right of the aforementioned games, I've got a Wii (unplugged) and a couple of PS3 controllers next to it. I may not have the best entertainment system (hello 1994 Panasonic model tv) but it gets the job done. My rockband drums and guitar are upstairs in my messy room, along with an arcade stick that I've always wanted. I've got games that will last me a good year, or even more. So why can't I bring myself to play these games? Am I slowly being consumed by casual gameritis?

I don't fear I've become a casual gamer, despite the fact that I spend less amounts on games than I used to, because what's there to fear about being casual gamer? Aren't I still a gamer at heart?

Looking over my blog that has collected the metaphorical dust, I know I've spent less and less amounts of my time on my most beloved hobby, compared to even the beginning of the year. I refrain from saying that I've lost interest in gaming, or even that my interest is waning, because I know at heart I'm still a gamer.

Yeah I'm still a gamer. I might not spend 40+ hours 'shooting noobs in da face' in Black Ops, or rushing out to midnight launches for the signature edition of Gran Turismo 5, but I'm not any different to those who would anyway. I'm as much a gamer as those Korean Starcraft Superstars, or the old granny who decided to spend $250 + on Wii Fit instead of taking a walk outside.

What's a gamer nowadays? To me a gamer is someone who has ever actively participated in playing video games, and it's as simple as that. Why shun the casuals when we can welcome them with open arms, hand them a controller and let them have a go? Why give disgusted looks to those who toil away in front of their computers, engaging in dungeon raids with their guilds?

Yeah I'm still a gamer at heart. What's it to you? What's a gamer to you?

It's been a long time...

Hello people who like games! I haven't updated in a while, but that doesn't mean I've stopped playing games full stop. In fact, I think the reason why I've stopped updating is because I have been preoccupied with too much games. Ok well not too much games, more like three games, but three of probably the best games I've played in a long time. So here's a review of the three games I've been playing.

Red Dead Redemption:

You know playing Red Dead Redemption is akin to travelling to the countryside after living a long time in the city. It's a breath of fresh air, an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life and the stars at night are a lot more prominent. Not just in a literal sense, but it's wholly refreshing to see the tried and true formula set in an entirely different setting, so points for Rockstar for trying something new. And it's through this that Red Dead Redemption feels a lot more involving than Grand Theft Auto. Where long trips to missions in GTA sometimes felt like a bit of a grind, Red Dead Redemption invites the player to hop on their horse and explore a western, and indeed, entirely new setting. The sun is bright and often the land is often barren, save for random events such as an escaped convict or a fire fight between the authority and bandits. But through this, it allows the player to take in the world around them, making it, in my eyes, a true 'open world game', where you whistle for your horse, hop on and ride off into the sunset. Brilliant stuff.

Valkyria Chronicles

I have nothing but praise for this game. Thanks to my co-op partner Selina for letting me borrow the game, for letting me experience this game because it is awesome. Set in a sort of steampunk setting, gameplay is a hybrid between third person shooter and turn based strategy which results in a load of fun. Depth is evident as well, with different classes of soldiers in order to combat different types of situations. Throw in some awesome cel shaded-water painting graphics and it's the formula for awesomesauce! LOVE IT!!

Super Street Fighter IV

Just a bit of a story before I start. When my family came to Australia in the summer of 1993, they had to live with my cousins for a while until they found their own home. My cousins were addicted to Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, and my dad was always exposed to the soundbites of Hadouken, Shoryuken, Yoga fires and the points noise whenever you won a battle. He always recounts this memory, and adds that 'You (myself Jared) were still in your mother's stomach'. With that in mind, here's Super Street Fighter IV

Super Street Fighter IV, the game which has ignited a passion in me that will never ever be rivalled again. So let's start with the game itself. Online has been fixed somewhat to add new modes, and lag is less present, so playing with Americans halfway across the world isn't something problematic. The addition of ten new characters looked to fix the problem of the usual ryu/ken/sagat matchup but it seems people have been sticking with their guns. Never gets old focus attack dash cancelling through their fireball spams to get in their face and unload a bread and butter crouching medium punch into flash kick. Sweetness!

It may be the same game, but Super Street Fighter IV has grabbed me like no other game has grabbed me before. The day I decided to do a search on guile strategy guides is the day my street fighter experience changed forever. A whole competitive street fighter scene, where an alien like language has now managed to infuse itself into my everyday talk. Let this be a reminder, flash kick has no priority, but linking it from a crouching medium punch makes it all the more safer.

And the scene itself. Names like Daigo Umehara, Justin Wong, Gamerbee and John Choi, players with awesome skills, who for me, are the gaming parallels of sporting legends such as Roger Federer and Michael Jordan. All this would've never been possible, if I didn't decide to pick up Super Street Fighter IV on that day, and expose myself to something that has changed my gaming world perhaps forever. It is for this reason, that Super Street Fighter IV is one of the best games of the year.

Before I end this post however, I'd like to say that my once partner in crime Selina has now become my co-op partner. With this, I hope that our escapades such as fighting mass armies during the three kingdoms era, hopping around the Mushroom Kingdom trying to save Princess Peach, or simply just rocking out to some tunes in Rock Band brings many many joyous times. Thanks a bunch Selina for being my co-op partner!

Jared

Sometimes I wished...

that the world ended with me. And that I still had my copy of The World Ends With You. What a great game.

Germany Vs Australia

After a performance that sent shockwaves throughout the Footballing World, Australia come up against much stronger opponents in the form of Germany. A top of the table clash that will be a telling tale in where both sides are in terms of form and more importantly, their chances in winning the World Cup. Stay tuned...

KICK OFF

4th minute - GOAL for Mario Gomez. Disastrous start for Australia, after Gomez slots in a rebounded shot from Schwarzer. 1-0 Germany

13th minute GOAL for Tim Cahill. Equalizer! Tim Cahill has four for the tournament after he volleys a cross from Bresciano into the goal. 1-1.

24th minute - Header by a German forward fizzes past the post. Still 1-1.

38th minute - A chance for Kennedy to add to his goals for the tournament after a breakaway. Shoots straight at the keeper which results in a corner...1-1

HALF TIME

Australia starting to take control towards the end of the half. Both sides with chances to take the lead but a combination of good defending and poor finishing leaves the scores deadlocked. Stay tuned...

SECOND HALF

47th minute - Early in the second half and Kennedy rises high for a header. Past the keeper but past the post too.

57th minute - GOAL for Scott Chipperfield. Contentious penalty after Kewell breaks into the box and is brought down as he attempts to score. Chipperfield sends the keeper the wrong way. 2-1 Australia.

65th minute - Australian defense almost made to pay for laziness. Gomez' shot bounces off the crossbar, oh so close.

76th minute - GOAL for Harry Kewell. Quick counterattack by Australia and there is no one defending for Germany. One on One with the keeper and Kewell has his first goal for the tournament. 3-1.

89th Minute - Germany still desperate to salvage a goal. Gomez comes up with another shot but once again it bounces off the post.

FULL TIME Australia 3 - 1 Germany

Both sides in it until the penalty was given. From that point it looked like the Germans were playing catch up. Another goal to Australia and it looked clear from that point. Germany also guilty of not taking their chances when it counted. The Australians clear at the top of Group D and guaranteed a spot in the round of 16! Celebrations ahead!

Australia Vs Scotland

Jared Araniego here providing updates on Australia's first match in the 2010 FIFA (Virtual) World Cup. Can Australia build some confidence with a good performance against Scotland? They're gonna need it in their next games against Germany and Croatia. Stay here to find out...

THE MATCH STARTS!

9th minute - GOAL to Tim Cahill after a quick breakaway. 1-0

19th minute - GOAL to Tim Cahill. Exchange of passes, Cahill takes a shot just outside the box, keeper can get a finger to it but not enough and it goes in. 2-0

23rd min - yellow for C.Moore

27th min - GOAL for Mark Bresciano after a combination of good passing and lacklustre defence allows him to calmly a slot a goal into the bottom left corner. 3-0

35th min - GOAL for Josh Kennedy. Bad marking and defending allows Kennedy to get into some space, shoots pass the keeper into the goal. 4-0

40th min - GOAL for Josh Kennedy. Counterattack catches Scotland off guard, no reply to quick passing and Kennedy scores. 5-0

44th min - Australian defence caught napping with McFadden latching onto a cross from Miller, providing the first real test for Schwarzer. Rebounds off the post and tipped away by the Australian Goal keeper. Corner.

45th min - A red card for Naysmith caps off a horror first half for Scotland. Australia with a chance to score another goal going into halftime.

45th min - GOAL for Mark Bresciano. A free kick for Bresciano pays dividends with the aussie scoring a spectacular goal. 6-0

45th min - Own Goal for Scotland. Can it get any worse? A mix up at the back ends with Caldwell kicking it into his goal. Oh dear..7-0

HALF TIME 7-0 to Australia.

Well the scoreline tells the story. 7-0 to Australia. One side completely dominating while the other side is playing the worst football imaginable. No way back for Scotland from here...

SECOND HALF STARTS

46th min - GOAL for Josh Kennedy. HAT-TRICK! Again bad defending from Scotland and quick passing from Australia results in yet another goal. 8-0

57th min - GOAL for Josh Kennedy. Four!! It's Arshavin all over again. Martin Tyler thinks the game is over after that goal. I thought it was over in the first half. Each to their own I guess. 9-0

68th minute - Rare chance for Scotland as Schwarzer tips away a header from one of the forwards. Corner…

74th minute - GOAL for Fletcher. FINALLY Scotland gets on the board after a mix up between goalie and defender. Thrown straight to one of the forwards, passed to Fletcher and he takes the chance. Any hope of a comeback though? 9-1

75th minute - GOAL for Josh Kennedy. Right from the kick off, Australia catch Scotland napping and a few passes later, Kennedy's in for his fifth. 10-1.

89th minute - GOAL for Tim Cahill. Him and Josh Kennedy will be fighting for the match ball, because they've both got Hat-Tricks. 11-1

FULL TIME AUSTRALIA 11 - 1 SCOTLAND

I don't think anyone expected such a smashing performance from Australia. Dominating a lackluster Scottish side that didn't have any answers.

Can Paul the Octopus predict this result?

So what do you do when you don't have the official FIFA 2010 World Cup game? You attempt to make the World Cup in the next best thing, which in my case is FIFA 10.

Yes I know Japan isn't there along with some other teams, so I'm gonna have to make do with what I have. Of course I'll be playing as Australia, cause there isn't a Filipino team. C'mon guys! Make yourself a powerhouse of Football!!

Wish me luck!

First Impressions: Portal

Whenever I get a new game, I'll post up my initial thoughts of it, and will reflect on it by the time I finish the game. Will my opinion of the game change? Who knows.

You know what they say, better late than never! Almost three years after it captivated gamers across the world, I have finally jumped onto the Portal bandwagon. And it's not hard to see why it was one of the games of 2007; Portal is awesome in the face.

Most games force you to sit down for extended hours without breaks, punishing you for taking a minute time out. But not Portal, here is a nifty mod of Half Life 2 which is full of physics puzzles that gradually stretches the brain with each passing level. It doesn't punish you for taking a break, and I already get the feeling that I'll return to the game to try a new solution. And it's really smart and fun! The gradual progression eases you into the idea of shooting portals to move cubes onto pedestals to open doors and manipulating the path of rays to hit the intended target. IT'S GENIUS!

glaDos, the computer who directs you throughout the game, is quite eerie! While attempting to be comforting, she comes off as a robot's attempt at being a mother, not being able to comprehend the fine line between loving and creepiness

"Well done. Remember, the Aperture Science 'Bring your daughter to work' day is the perfect time to have her tested"

So yeah, Portal so far = awesome awesome awesome!

Music, emotion and Final Fantasy VII

Part of the appeal of Final Fantasy VII is the way it manages to tug onto those emotional chords deep within the gamer. Mind you this was in 1997, when the Playstation was beginning to hit its stride, 3D graphics were all the rage and the Virtual Boy had bitten the dust. Most games nowadays still fail to achieve the same powerful effect it's bigger brothers film and TV achieve, while 13 years ago FFVII made gamers across the world reach for their supply of tissues, gushing over the SPOILER ALERT death of Aerith.

But how? How did then Squaresoft manage to achieve what was almost the impossible in video games, that is, evoke feelings of joy, sadness and anger in a player from a game? Was it the graphics? Sure it was cutting edge for the time, but look at the game now; one could make the argument that Cloud and co. are the long lost brothers of lego men.

It was the music. Here I am, at 12:14 in the morning listening to the OST and remembering all the great moments from the game. Show me a cutscene of the game sans the soundtrack and it'll fail to have the same impact.

I've never been good at describing music. If I were to attempt to talk about time signature, pitch and tone, it probably wouldn't make much sense. The music of Final Fantasy VII doesn't require me to describe it though. It sings a melody, striking deep emotional chords in me that most gaming soundtracks nowadays fail to achieve.

Remember the meeting with Aerith in the church? It's a sentimental scene not because of the graphics, but because of the music. Every other element; story, graphics is conducted by 'Flowers blooming in the church'. It evokes a sense of tenderness between Cloud and Aerith, and the rest of the game design elements follow.

What Squaresoft (now Square Enix) do really well however, is manage to manipulate the choice of music and its intended meaning in FFVII. It's one thing to go and make a beautiful song for a touching scene, but to use that beautiful song and place it in a scene of absolute despair and sadness. Let's take the obvious example of Aerith again. As I said before, I'm no good at describing music, but 'Aerith's theme' is perfect for the character; going in tandem with the sweet, serene nature of the flower lady.

And then the infamous death scene. Sephiroth rains down from above and stabs her. In the moments before, a dark, foreboding song is in the background. Silence ensues, then 'Aerith's theme' plays. This theme, evoking emotions of calmness and serenity, clashes with what the gamer sees: death, sadness and loss of hope. To further iterate my point, there's a clash of the ears and eyes, with a song that's so beautiful, so touching, used in a scene that's of utter shock and sadness. Through this clever, and almost sinister manipulation of song meaning, Squaresoft had created one of the most powerful moments in video game history.

Do games nowadays fail to use their soundtracks effectively? No, game soundtracks have progressed far beyond the midi file, with large scale orchestras being the norm for triple A games. It's just the use of music in games is far too conventional, often getting left behind in favour of other aspects of game design. Music in Final Fantasy VII is different though; while managing to create an already perfect soundtrack, it didn't just use it as music for the game, but something that is integral to the game itself. The end result? A 13 year old game that still manages to make gamers across the world cry, cry and cry again.

Gaming discussions with Jared and Selina #1

This gaming discussion will kick off a series of discussions between Selina and Jared on gaming issues that are prevalent within the industry. This discussion was in response to an excellent digital gaming essay by Bajo of Good Game.

Selina: (Talking about how she can't go back to playing FF12 despite near completion) but im so far ahead in the story that im not bothered starting and using up so much time to level agains to reach where i am.

Jared: yeah. i guess it boils down to a question of whether the game failed to keep your attention or something came up which took you away from it? but even in that case if the game in question was good, it should've lured you back despite the interruption

S: yeahs erm...no i think all games are good. its just that life calls then theres no time and then you're willing to put time aside for the game but when you start playing agains it might just be past its 'play phrase'

J: hmm...fair point

S: cause all games are good, when they're released which brings along the hype and sensation of a new game

J: yeah but then you get those games which don't have a play phrase. i was still playing fifa 09 a year on from when it was released. fifa 10 is what stopped me playing fifa 09. So again we're taken back to the whole argument as to whether the game was good enough in the first place to keep your attention.

S: well it would have been great to have caught your attention to buy it in the first place

J: and it should keep that going despite any interruptions. i dunno maybe it works on different levels for different games. rpgs it's a bit more understandable because they require so much investment but it's not one of those games you can just pick up again after 3 years of not playing it...i think the fact that we're discussing this shows the quality of that gaming essay!

S: hahas yeahs that it allows gamers to to think behind the reason why they play games and what makes em alluring

HAPPY 51st POST, A BOY AND HIS BLOG!!

In the haste of my Daigo Umehara fanboy-loving I completely missed the fact that it was my fiftieth post. Partner in crime Selina then told me it was, so not to miss out on the fanfare, I shall celebrate 51 posts in A Boy and His Blog: Adventures into Blogolonia.

So why make a blog? Well blogs are cheap and efficient. As a wise man said:

"Talk is cheap, and everyone wants to be heard."

Actually they cost nothing, and it's a good area to post up opinions about issues and stuff, like gaming. I like gaming, and I like voicing my opinion, and blogs are cheap, and I like things for free, so it was the perfect match.

What was the first post in A boy and his blog? Well the very first post was just me introducing myself to the internet, it wasn't very interesting. But my 2nd post detailed my gaming life up until December 26th 2009, which I guess was a lot more interesting.

So what has happened in 51 posts in this blog? Well there's been numerous opinion posts on issues that have plagued the gaming industry, some reviews, some previews with Colin Firth (he's alright) and even the inclusion of a second member: Selina, who provides a second opinion to gaming in general. She also made me jealous when she got the Phoenix Wright Artbook.

And has anything changed in 51 posts in mine or Selina's gaming life?

Well since the inception of this blog, I've realised that the industry is full of surprises, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. I hyped God of War 3 like a motherfunker but failed to really grab me the way I thought it would (still a good game though). On the other hand, I played through The World Ends With You for the first time, and heard it was really good, but didn't think it would be THAT good! How good you ask? One of the best games I've ever played-good. I've also realised that I'm missing out on computer gaming, because my internets/computer sucks. Well that's not really a change more

And what about Selina? Well here's what she has to say:

Well yeahs i guess you could say that i sorta inched myself into arcade gaming, now that a lot of moolahs into it...got the ps3 which is like a new gen console addition for us. I've also had to give up my online gaming because of school commitments. And just the level of gaming design has changed i guess...like its 2010 nows...compare it back to 2000 and our era then yeahs a LOT!

So where to now? Well we continue of course! If we can do 51 blog posts, who says we can't do another 51? Or 101? A Boy and His Blog isn't going anywhere, we're loving it too much.

If Street Fighter was a Religion, Daigo Umehara would be God

Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to direct your attention to Daigo Umehara.

Daigo Umehara plays Street Fighter as a profession. And he's really good at it.

Check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7cW2nMf1gk&feature=related

This is devotion and this is skill. Watch it. Be amazed.

Gaming addiction discussion

A few days ago, my school held a Pastoral Day for Year 11. They sat us down and talked to us about some issues involving adolescents. One of these issues was Gaming Addiction, and with a hall which was nearly full of students calling themselves gamers, it was probably the most involving topic of the day.

It was clear from the outset that the teacher's knowledge of gaming was quite limited, with her only sources of information probably coming from a 7pm Project report about addiction a few days earlier and numerous COD groups on facebook.

She showed us two reports about gaming addiction. The first one was horribly narrow minded in it's documentation, only showing the stereotyped gamer of today, that is a person who is 'fat, wears glasses and spends their time infront of a computer in a dark room'. The second report was one recently shown on the 7 pm project, which was better in its research; interviewing gamers and professionals in the field of addiction.

She then opened up the discussion to the students; asking us some signs of addiction. Here are two telltale signs of addiction to video games courtesy of some students:

1. When you can't live without it.
2. When you start talking in real life like you would in the internet.

Really? When I can't live without it? Now I can't live without food, am I addicted to food? I can't live without breathing, am I addicted to breathing?

It made me angry, because some of the apparent signs of addiction were just absurd generalisations. At the end of the discussion she said put up your hand if you answered yes to any of these signs mentioned. At this point I had to object, saying that some of the signs mentioned in the discussion were not indicative of what addiction is.

Is addiction a bad thing? My computer defines addiction as 'great interest in a particular thing, to which a lot of time is devoted'.

So by this definition, Roger Federer is addicted to tennis. He has a great interest in it and has devoted a lot of time to the sport. Look where it's got him, it hasn't ruined his life in any way, but he is now the greatest tennis player of all time. Because he was 'addicted' to tennis.

The biggest mistake the teacher made was that she failed to define 'addiction', and through this, everyone automatically got the perception that 'addiction' is a bad thing. The excerpts she showed us only depicted the bad side of 'addiction', when in fact, the term probably belongs in a gray area.

What's my view of the whole thing? Addiction takes a turn for the worse when it leads to negative things.

Addicted to gaming? Fine. Addicted to gaming and it's destroying your social life? That's when it gets bad. I think I am addicted to gaming, but as with anything else, it's obviously detrimental to other aspects in your life when in excess.