20131228:
Today Michael came over and while waiting to get Project M working, we tried playing Sin & Punishment.
Regarding Two-Player Mode:
For some strange reason, upon booting up the game, the player two controller would cease to be recognized. Various experiments were done to try to get it recognized and eventually the solution was simply to start the two-player mode.
Gameplay:
For the two-player mode, player one chooses one of two characters to play, Isa Jo or Kachi. In short, the player moves the character around the screen using the analog stick (Nunchuk) and attacks with the Wiimote, pointing the attack cursor (independent of character position) for long ranged attacks (I later learned the classic/GameCube controllers are also valid inputs, but I have yet to try them). Player two only has to worry about firing a basic attack. While this may seem boring, there's so much going on (at least in the two-player mode) that player two is often the one dealing consistent damage to the boss, while player one deals with dodging attacks.
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (Wii) (2010)
Relevant Links:
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (Wikipedia.org)
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (IGN.com)
Sin & Punishment (Wikipedia.org)
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Thursday, December 26, 2013
The Cave (PC) (2013)
 |
| Character selection. The Knight (offscreen), The Hillbilly (offscreen), The Time Traveler, The Scientist, The Adventure, The Twins, and The Monk. |
20131226:
After breaking the bridge inside the cave, it became apparent that I, the player, would be using exactly three characters inside the cave. It was also at that point that I remembered the game had local co-op. Fundamentally, the main game mechanic involves switching between the three characters to solve puzzles, much like the game mechanic in The Lost Vikings.
 |
| The Knight, The Twins, and The Adventurer plummet after exceeding the weight of the bridge and breaking it. |
Today, I only got as far as navigating to the soda and hot dog machines, which is to say, not that far at all.
General Comments:
It turns out you only bring three of the seven characters (the twins are a single character) into the cave.
 |
| A terrible monster blocks our way. |
[20140104]
20140103:
Today, Josh, Michael, and I got together and played a bit of The Cave. As they haven't played before, I restarted the game from the beginning. Picking first, I chose the Time Traveler. Next, Michael chose the Scientist and Josh chose the Adventurer. While picking characters was a confusing process due to an unfamiliarity with the controls, we eventually got the characters we wanted and entered the cave.
 |
| Claiming a trinket. |
Today, we managed to recover two of the miner's three mine carts. Before saving the game, we were working on figuring out what needs to go into the last mine cart.
The great thing about playing with three people is that three minds are better than one. In particular, each of us had an equal share of solutions to the puzzles we encountered. While we could have certainly solved the puzzles on our own, it would have undoubtedly taken more time. Hooray for teamwork!
 |
| The Adventurer pulls the mine cart as The Scientist lazily stands inside it. |
General Comments:
Spread throughout the cave are details about the different characters you brought into the game. Note, however, that any of the three characters can recover the piece of information.
One complaint we had was the amount of backtracking we had to do to find the mine carts. Spoiler Alert. In hindsight, I think we could have each held a stick of dynamite to avoid the backtracking.
You cannot die in The Cave.
[20140104]
The Cave (PC) (2013)
 |
| I like the game introduction. |
Relevant Links:
The Cave Website
The Cave (PC) (IGN.com)
The Cave (PS3) (IGN.com)
The Cave (video game) (Wikipedia.org)
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Bastion (PC) (2011)
20120718 Comments:
I must have played the first level to this game at least 4 times by now. The first time I simply played the demo on Steam. The second time, I helped my friend play the demo on someone's Xbox (Xbox Live Arcade). I next played through the first level when I purchased the game. And finally, for the Steam Winter Sale, I had to play the first level again in order to complete an achievement.
On multiple occasions, when trying to move my Steam install, I lost my progress. Thankfully I had played no more than the first level. This happened most recently when I wanted to move my Steam files from my laptop to my PC in Maryland (20120207).
On the bright side, the loss of progress isn't a big deal. I love the narration of the game a lot. Moving about the world was a little difficult with a keyboard, because the game uses an isometric camera. One should have much better luck with a gamepad.
The art is also good, but I am going to repeat myself and emphasize how much I love the narration. It brings so much life to the concept of games and story telling.
I look forward to playing more.
Steam Game Time: 54 minutes
[20190113 Edit]
20130203:
Unknown progress.
20131225:
Due to moving the steam folder around, I've had to play the first level of the game several times now and only once before today did I play one level beyond the first. I've tried reading about the save file location before, but had no luck finding a helpful answer. As of 20131228, I both found a solution and started usingGameSave Manager. See the Save File Locations section below for more information.
In any case, today (20131225) I started the game and, as many times before, played the first level of the game again. Unlike my previous playthroughs, today I played multiple levels. According to Steam, I played for about 3.9 hours, over three times the cumulative time spent with the game before today (1.2 hours).
Overall, losing a save file is a huge discouragement to continuing a game. Now that I think about it, that's the main reason I haven't been playing Orcs Must Die. However, I absolutely love the narration of Bastion and I never minded playing this particular game from the beginning, because it feels like I'm just watching a movie.
The narration in this game is awesome and I believe that's already a good enough reason to play this action RPG. Of course, the game mechanics and upgrade system are solid as well.
I do, however, have two minor dislikes which come to mind. The first minor dislike is the ability to fall off the level by walking off. I personally find this an unnecessary element of realism and/or difficulty. The second minor dislike is how the Kid (player character) keeps landing flat on his face at the entry of every level. Come on now, doesn't he learn how to gracefully land after a couple of tries?
Personal Preferences:
I tried using the Bolt Burst on the repeater but didn't like it compared to the Whirl Wind or Dancing Shot.
General Tips/Comments:
Charge your Breaker Bow and let go immediately as you flash for a Power Shot.
: If you can manage, let go the moment you hear a whoosh sound. No hesitation here. The slightest start to the whoosh and you release the bow for a guaranteed Power Shot.
Press Q to use your special attack. Don't be afraid to use it often, because vials to replenish it are often readily available.
Press R to reload the repeater manually.
Press Shift for shield at the right moment for a counter attack.
Press Space often for extra mobility.
Don't be afraid to just move on, don't need to backtrack to get health, at least in any situation I've encountered thus far.
You can conveniently restart a challenge level by going to the restart level button. Any lower level prizes you have claimed will be recorded.
Gameplay Log:
Breaker Barracks
: The level only lets you use the bow provided to you in the center of the level.
: For first prize, you have to land five Power Shots.
Windbag Ranch
: The key as the tool tip says is to stand where the green ones spawn and kill them right away. Otherwise they run away from you and you'll have to probably waste time throwing the machete at them.
: I made use of the Werewolf
[20131225 Assumed Post Date][20190113 Edit]
20131228:
I played the level Trapper Shingle today.
Gameplay Log:
Trapper Shingle
: I made use of the first repeater upgrade: Double Clip.
: Also crucial is to press shift to have the player character automatically lock onto the targets.
Bastion (PC) (2011)
Relevant Links:
Bastion (Supergiant Games Website)
Bastion (video game) (Wikipedia.org)
Bastion Wiki (bastion.wikia.com)
Save File Locations:
The game's save file location is different depending on whether you run the game executable from inside or outside of Steam. However, I would recommend using GameSave Manager instead of backing up save files manually (see the next section, Personal Experience on Saving the Game).
See [1], [2], [3], and [4] below.
[1]
...\steamapps\common\bastion\Content\Saves
: Automatic saved games made on a per level basis.
: Example Contents:
: Save File Location = either [2] or [3].
: Caution! Make sure you store a backup in a different location, there may be a chance that Steam Cloud may not behave the way you want.
: When copying to [3], restart Steam to let it synchronize with Steam Cloud. See also "Personal Experience on Saving the Game" below.
[2]
...Users\[COMPUTERUSERNAME]\Saved Games\Bastion\
: This should be the game's save file location when running the game executable from outside Steam.
[3]
...\Program Files\Steam\userdata\[STEAMUSERID]\107100\remote\
: This folder should contain the save files as Steam Cloud sees them.
: Example Contents:
...\Program Files\Steam\userdata\[STEAMUSERID]\107100\local\
: I suspect the contents of this folder are just local configuration settings like Screen Resolution and Control Configuration.
: Example Contents:
Personal Experience on Saving the Game:
On 20131228, I avoided the issue of backing up my save files altogether by running GameSave Manager. This is something I should have done a long time ago, because manually backing up save files was both risky and time consuming. This was especially true due to number of times I moved my Steam Game installations around (whether between multiple computers or just from one hard drive to the next).
I also realized that creating a new profile in the Bastion menu isn't just for the settings. It's actually the method for creating a new game save. Checking both Profile 1 and Profile 2 (dated 20120209 and 20130203, respectively), I found that they both only went up to the completion of the introductory level ("Now the Kid sees something stranger still. His mind races. Did anyone else survive? Sure enough he finds another. He finds me.")
Simply deleting them isn't an option. Upon starting the game, Steam Cloud replaces them with existing copies in the Cloud.
Solution:
20240127 Snapshot:
Steam Game Time: 8.3 hours (cumulative game time) / 8h 17m (Playnite)
Last Played: 20231229
I must have played the first level to this game at least 4 times by now. The first time I simply played the demo on Steam. The second time, I helped my friend play the demo on someone's Xbox (Xbox Live Arcade). I next played through the first level when I purchased the game. And finally, for the Steam Winter Sale, I had to play the first level again in order to complete an achievement.
 |
| The Kid charges the Breaker's Bow. |
On multiple occasions, when trying to move my Steam install, I lost my progress. Thankfully I had played no more than the first level. This happened most recently when I wanted to move my Steam files from my laptop to my PC in Maryland (20120207).
On the bright side, the loss of progress isn't a big deal. I love the narration of the game a lot. Moving about the world was a little difficult with a keyboard, because the game uses an isometric camera. One should have much better luck with a gamepad.
The art is also good, but I am going to repeat myself and emphasize how much I love the narration. It brings so much life to the concept of games and story telling.
I look forward to playing more.
Steam Game Time: 54 minutes
 |
| The Arsenal |
[20190113 Edit]
20130203:
Unknown progress.
20131225:
Due to moving the steam folder around, I've had to play the first level of the game several times now and only once before today did I play one level beyond the first. I've tried reading about the save file location before, but had no luck finding a helpful answer. As of 20131228, I both found a solution and started usingGameSave Manager. See the Save File Locations section below for more information.
In any case, today (20131225) I started the game and, as many times before, played the first level of the game again. Unlike my previous playthroughs, today I played multiple levels. According to Steam, I played for about 3.9 hours, over three times the cumulative time spent with the game before today (1.2 hours).
Overall, losing a save file is a huge discouragement to continuing a game. Now that I think about it, that's the main reason I haven't been playing Orcs Must Die. However, I absolutely love the narration of Bastion and I never minded playing this particular game from the beginning, because it feels like I'm just watching a movie.
 |
| The Kid (player character) swings the Cael Hammer. |
The narration in this game is awesome and I believe that's already a good enough reason to play this action RPG. Of course, the game mechanics and upgrade system are solid as well.
I do, however, have two minor dislikes which come to mind. The first minor dislike is the ability to fall off the level by walking off. I personally find this an unnecessary element of realism and/or difficulty. The second minor dislike is how the Kid (player character) keeps landing flat on his face at the entry of every level. Come on now, doesn't he learn how to gracefully land after a couple of tries?
Personal Preferences:
I tried using the Bolt Burst on the repeater but didn't like it compared to the Whirl Wind or Dancing Shot.
General Tips/Comments:
Charge your Breaker Bow and let go immediately as you flash for a Power Shot.
: If you can manage, let go the moment you hear a whoosh sound. No hesitation here. The slightest start to the whoosh and you release the bow for a guaranteed Power Shot.
Press Q to use your special attack. Don't be afraid to use it often, because vials to replenish it are often readily available.
Press R to reload the repeater manually.
 |
| The Kid with the War Machete. |
Press Shift for shield at the right moment for a counter attack.
Press Space often for extra mobility.
Don't be afraid to just move on, don't need to backtrack to get health, at least in any situation I've encountered thus far.
You can conveniently restart a challenge level by going to the restart level button. Any lower level prizes you have claimed will be recorded.
Gameplay Log:
Breaker Barracks
: The level only lets you use the bow provided to you in the center of the level.
: For first prize, you have to land five Power Shots.
Windbag Ranch
: The key as the tool tip says is to stand where the green ones spawn and kill them right away. Otherwise they run away from you and you'll have to probably waste time throwing the machete at them.
: I made use of the Werewolf
[20131225 Assumed Post Date][20190113 Edit]
20131228:
I played the level Trapper Shingle today.
 |
| The Distillery. |
Gameplay Log:
Trapper Shingle
: I made use of the first repeater upgrade: Double Clip.
: Also crucial is to press shift to have the player character automatically lock onto the targets.
Bastion (PC) (2011)
Relevant Links:
Bastion (Supergiant Games Website)
Bastion (video game) (Wikipedia.org)
Bastion Wiki (bastion.wikia.com)
Save File Locations:
The game's save file location is different depending on whether you run the game executable from inside or outside of Steam. However, I would recommend using GameSave Manager instead of backing up save files manually (see the next section, Personal Experience on Saving the Game).
See [1], [2], [3], and [4] below.
 |
| Proving Grounds: Trapper Shingle |
[1]
...\steamapps\common\bastion\Content\Saves
: Automatic saved games made on a per level basis.
: Example Contents:
[HOSTNAME1]-PC_ProtoIntro01a: "To use any of them, rename the file to 'Profile1.sav' and copy it to your save game location." (source)
[HOSTNAME1]-PC_ProtoIntro01b
[HOSTNAME1]-PC_ProtoTown03
[HOSTNAME2]-PC_Challenge01
[HOSTNAME2]-PC_Challenge03
[HOSTNAME2]-PC_Crossroads01
[HOSTNAME2]-PC_Falling01
[HOSTNAME2]-PC_Holdout01
[HOSTNAME2]-PC_ProtoIntro01a
[HOSTNAME2]-PC_ProtoIntro01b
[HOSTNAME2]-PC_ProtoTown03
: Save File Location = either [2] or [3].
: Caution! Make sure you store a backup in a different location, there may be a chance that Steam Cloud may not behave the way you want.
: When copying to [3], restart Steam to let it synchronize with Steam Cloud. See also "Personal Experience on Saving the Game" below.
 |
| The Forge |
[2]
...Users\[COMPUTERUSERNAME]\Saved Games\Bastion\
: This should be the game's save file location when running the game executable from outside Steam.
[3]
...\Program Files\Steam\userdata\[STEAMUSERID]\107100\remote\
: This folder should contain the save files as Steam Cloud sees them.
: Example Contents:
profile1.sav (20120209 12:18AM)[4]
profile2.keyctrls (20130203 11:59PM)
profile2.mousectrls (20130203 11:59PM)
profile2.sav (20130203 11:59PM)
profile3.keyctrls (20131225 6:43PM)
profile3.mousectrls (20131225 6:43PM)
profile3.sav (20131225 8:25PM)
...\Program Files\Steam\userdata\[STEAMUSERID]\107100\local\
: I suspect the contents of this folder are just local configuration settings like Screen Resolution and Control Configuration.
: Example Contents:
activeProfile (20131225 6:42PM): I opened the "activeProfile" file with Notepad and it simply says "*Profile3," where * is some unknown character. Indeed I am currently using Profile 3 among the possible configuration settings. The timestamps also match the moment I switched from using Profile 2 to Profile 3.
Profile1.profile (20111231 8:55PM)
Profile2.profile (20131225 6:41PM)
Profile3.profile (20131225 8:25PM)
 |
| Level Select |
Personal Experience on Saving the Game:
On 20131228, I avoided the issue of backing up my save files altogether by running GameSave Manager. This is something I should have done a long time ago, because manually backing up save files was both risky and time consuming. This was especially true due to number of times I moved my Steam Game installations around (whether between multiple computers or just from one hard drive to the next).
I also realized that creating a new profile in the Bastion menu isn't just for the settings. It's actually the method for creating a new game save. Checking both Profile 1 and Profile 2 (dated 20120209 and 20130203, respectively), I found that they both only went up to the completion of the introductory level ("Now the Kid sees something stranger still. His mind races. Did anyone else survive? Sure enough he finds another. He finds me.")
Simply deleting them isn't an option. Upon starting the game, Steam Cloud replaces them with existing copies in the Cloud.
Solution:
1) Exit Steam.
2) Copy out the files I wanted to keep. In this case "profile3.keyctrls", "profile3.mousectrls", and "profile3.sav".
3) Corrupt the files in "Steam\userdata\[STEAMUSERID]\107100\remote":
: Proceed with caution.4) Delete remotecashe.vdf in "Steam\userdata\[STEAMUSERID]\107100\"
: Run command prompt.
: Type "powershell", enter.
: Type "clc C:\Program` Files` `(x86`)\Steam\userdata\[STEAMUSERID]\107100\remote\*", enter.
5) Start Steam. Start Bastion. The sync conflict dialog appears.
6) Delete all the corrupted files and then put the files I wanted to keep back.
7) Return to the sync conflict dialog and click "Upload to the Steam Cloud".
(source)
 |
| The Kid, Zulf, Zia, and Rucks. |
20240127 Snapshot:
Steam Game Time: 8.3 hours (cumulative game time) / 8h 17m (Playnite)
Last Played: 20231229
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
The Ball (PC) (2010)
The Ball (PC) (2010)
Relevant Links:
The Ball Website
The Ball (video game) (Wikipedia.org)
20131224:
Today I played through the first level (Pehua) and it was a decent introduction to the game. In the level I learned that I can pull the ball from any distance, but the ball will only attempt to take a straight path towards me. I also learned that (at least with the first level) I could never ever lose the ball. Thus, if it looks trap, then its really not.
Time Taken 33:21
Monsters Killed 0
Monkeys Killed 0
Secrets Found 2 of 4
Times Killed 0
Overall, I enjoyed the game's visuals. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy interacting with the ball. In particular, I found it strange that the ball can only be pulled, but not pushed, only hammered. It was, however, good that the developers added the ability to make the ball transparent (default key: Q; automatically happens when pulling the ball and it is touching the character).
There were also these small blocks in the game that couldn't be picked up, only hit. Hitting them to where I wanted them to go was a bigger dissatisfaction than the inability to push the ball.
Gameplay Log:
The voice acting and narration sounded good.
I walked towards the monkey and it screeched, giving me quite a scare.
So far the game is fun due to the unique game mechanic. However, as far as first impressions go, it isn't nearly as fun as Portal (2007).
 |
| Oh no! The ball's been caught by a magnet! |
Relevant Links:
The Ball Website
The Ball (video game) (Wikipedia.org)
20131224:
Today I played through the first level (Pehua) and it was a decent introduction to the game. In the level I learned that I can pull the ball from any distance, but the ball will only attempt to take a straight path towards me. I also learned that (at least with the first level) I could never ever lose the ball. Thus, if it looks trap, then its really not.
 |
| Press Q to see temporarily see through the ball. |
Time Taken 33:21
Monsters Killed 0
Monkeys Killed 0
Secrets Found 2 of 4
Times Killed 0
Overall, I enjoyed the game's visuals. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy interacting with the ball. In particular, I found it strange that the ball can only be pulled, but not pushed, only hammered. It was, however, good that the developers added the ability to make the ball transparent (default key: Q; automatically happens when pulling the ball and it is touching the character).
There were also these small blocks in the game that couldn't be picked up, only hit. Hitting them to where I wanted them to go was a bigger dissatisfaction than the inability to push the ball.
Gameplay Log:
The voice acting and narration sounded good.
I walked towards the monkey and it screeched, giving me quite a scare.
So far the game is fun due to the unique game mechanic. However, as far as first impressions go, it isn't nearly as fun as Portal (2007).
 |
| Achievements (20131224). |
Monday, November 18, 2013
Scribblenauts Unlimited (PC) (2012)
 |
| Capital City Firehouse |
20131118:
Today I gave myself a small break and the game I decided to sit down and play was Scribblenauts Unlimited. While this was my first time playing any game in the Scribblenauts series, I have seen my friends play the original Scribblenauts (NDS) (2009) on the Nintendo DS.
 |
| Capital City |
Having looked forward to playing Scribblenauts for quite some time, I may have set my expectations too high and felt slightly disappointed by the game's simplicity. Though to be fair, I only played about an hour of the game and I would have to admit that the game was still fun.
20140102:
The majority of tasks I encountered can be accomplished with straightforward answers.
 |
| St. Asterisk |
However, what makes the game fun is the animation and endless opportunities the player has at his/her disposal for interacting with the Scribblenaut world.
Overall, Scribblenauts Unlimited is a fun puzzle game and its difficulty is perfect for a casual gaming experience.
Instant Comments:
What!?! I gave him a tuxedo but he put on something else.
 |
| The Under Line |
20140106:
Today I played for an additional half hour for a total of over two hours of game time.
When I had stopped playing, I had almost completed the entirety of the first two areas. I was unable to figure out the toxic waste in Capital City Runoff and the Minotaur in Full Stop Diner. [Edit: I also neglected to notice the stork in St. Asterisk.]
 |
| Hyphen Heights |
20140118:
Today I played a little bit more. First, by luck and experimentation, I managed to take care of the toxic waste in Capital City Runoff. While a solution is a solution, the one I stumbled upon wouldn't have been practical in real life.
Second, upon realizing I had misread the problem, I was able to solve the Minotaur in Full Stop Diner.
 |
| World Map |
20190812 Snapshot:
Steam Game Time: 3.6 hours (cumulative game time) / 3h 38m (Playnite)
Last Played: 20140118
20240501:
Today I revisited Scribblenauts Unlimited and it was easy to pick up from where I started. In short, the flow of the game consists of the following:
1) Click on characters to see what they need
2) Create new objects or modify objects with adjectives or give an item to Maxwell to use on an object
As I played, I learned some useful actions:
1) Click on the Maxwell icon in the upper left to recenter on Maxwell
2) Click on the star icon in the upper left to see all persons that still need help
3) Sometimes helping one person will block another person. In order to help the other person, go the menu (Esc), and push on "Reset"
While the game was charming, the game is generally too easy with the occasional difficult puzzle. On top of this imbalance of difficulty, the game moves by slowly due to the frequency of transitions between parts of the game. For a puzzle game that is easy, I feel I would fly through it faster than the pace which Scribblenauts Unlimited allows. With that being said, I feel like I'm playing the game more to complete it, but the fun of the game lies in the open-ended nature of the game (there are solutions that work outside of the obvious ones). Overall, it's a solid game, but for me hindered by the pace. I'd give it a 4.0 out of 5.
Rating: 4.0/5
Steam Game Time: 6.5 hours (cumulative game time) / 2.9 hours (session game time)
20241102:
After playing Divekick, I tried playing this game with Ben. I always controlled the player character but I was constantly taking Ben's suggestions and occasionally having him spell out simple words. We cleared three levels together.
Steam Game Time: 7.8 hours (cumulative game time) / 75 minutes (session game time)
20250518:
Today I played a significant amount. The game at times is too easy for me (and I would imagine too easy for most adults). There are a few here and there which are puzzling. However, I feel like the imbalance leans towards being too easy.
Steam Game Time: 11.7 hours (cumulative game time) / 3.9 hours (session game time)
20250519:
Today I managed to complete all the level tasks. There were some difficult ones for which I realized I could go into the menu to help figure them out. In any case, I then proceeded to clearing out the object shards, opting to test my memory. However, tomorrow I think I'll do them in bulk by writing down possible answers.
Steam Game Time: 14.8 hours (cumulative game time) / 3.1 hours (session game time)
20250520:
Waking up in the middle of the night, I played some more and knocked out a bulk of object shards. After which I went to sleep and then in the morning I got one or two difficult ones. After which I'm left with the following unsolved object shards:
All Dried Up! - Use a kitchen appliance to dehydrate some fruit!
Going Up! - Use a vehicle that sounds like it is made for picking cherries, to get up high!
Your Biggest Fan! - Drive a boat that is propelled by a giant fan!
Firey Furnace! - Put something made of clay in a special oven that fires the clay into a ceramic!
What Did I Do? - Use an adjective to give something a phobia of Scribblenauts!
Some random guesses resulted in an answer to All Dried Up!: "food dehydrator"
And finally I got one more with What Did I Do?: Scribblenautophobic
Looking up answers to the remaining three:
Going Up!: What!?! It's a "cherry picker".
Your Biggest Fan!: Darn. It's an "airboat".
Fiery Furnace!: Okay. Actually not tricky but I don't think I would have gotten it. "kiln".
I actually had one more starite in a level to beat. It had a mission which depended on a previous mission I already did. Unfortunately, I didn't remember what that previous mission was so I looked it up. This allowed me to solve the second part of it. And with that, I was done with the game.
Steam Game Time: 17.7 hours (cumulative game time) / 2.9 hours (session game time)
Scribblenauts Unlimited (PC) (2012)
 |
| Maxwell and his sister Lily |
Relevant Links:
Scribblenauts Unlimited (Scribblenauts Website)
Scribblenauts Unlimited (Wikipedia.org)
Scribblenauts Unlimited - PC (IGN.com) Scribblenauts (Wikipedia.org)
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Organ Trail: Director's Cut (Android) (2012)
20130818:
As far as the screenshot record shows, it looks like I played the game for the first time today (20130818). By the way, this is the Android version of Organ Trail: Director's Cut.*
Using a feature that comes with the game, I tweeted the following in-game events:
1307 Chris drops some money into the seat cushions. It's gone forever.
1620 Steph was holding the map upside down. You go an hour out of the way.
1659 You wait an hour while Josh vomits in the bushes.
1734 Tim saved Michael.
1738 Here lies Tim - One pixel away. - -
1837 Kevin gets bored and starts making a really annoying noise.
*On 20140201 I played the PC version and the two versions were similar. Check out that post for some of the minor differences.
20130819:
Today I continued playing more Organ Trail and managed to beat the campaign. I tweeted the following in-game events:
0829 Kevin is dicking with 1 tire and accidentally ruins it.
0856 Tim missed the shot.
0858 Arash walks off to take a piss and comes back with a bite wound.
_2850 Distance Traveled: 5700
__500 Healthy party members: 1
__800 Incapped party members: 2
__300 Infected party members: 1
__345 Station wagon condition: 69%
____6 Fuel: 1.5
____9 Scrap: 18
___34 Medkits: 17
____2 Bullets: 123
___46 Food: 1158 oz
___14 Money: $69
__250 Baby
__618 Time Taken: 319 hours
___x2 Difficulty rating: Normal
11674 Total Score
20130920:
Today I play for just a little bit. I only tweeted the following:
1647 Harry has a fever #OrganTrail
Organ Trail: Director's Cut (Android) (2012)
Relevant Links:
Organ Trail (The Men Who Wear Many Hats Website)
Organ Trail (Wikipedia.org)
Organ Trail: Director's Cut (iOS) (Metacritic.com)
My post on Organ Trail: Director's Cut (PC) (2012).
As far as the screenshot record shows, it looks like I played the game for the first time today (20130818). By the way, this is the Android version of Organ Trail: Director's Cut.*
Using a feature that comes with the game, I tweeted the following in-game events:
1307 Chris drops some money into the seat cushions. It's gone forever.
1620 Steph was holding the map upside down. You go an hour out of the way.
1659 You wait an hour while Josh vomits in the bushes.
1734 Tim saved Michael.
1738 Here lies Tim - One pixel away. - -
1837 Kevin gets bored and starts making a really annoying noise.
*On 20140201 I played the PC version and the two versions were similar. Check out that post for some of the minor differences.
20130819:
Today I continued playing more Organ Trail and managed to beat the campaign. I tweeted the following in-game events:
0829 Kevin is dicking with 1 tire and accidentally ruins it.
0856 Tim missed the shot.
0858 Arash walks off to take a piss and comes back with a bite wound.
_2850 Distance Traveled: 5700
__500 Healthy party members: 1
__800 Incapped party members: 2
__300 Infected party members: 1
__345 Station wagon condition: 69%
____6 Fuel: 1.5
____9 Scrap: 18
___34 Medkits: 17
____2 Bullets: 123
___46 Food: 1158 oz
___14 Money: $69
__250 Baby
__618 Time Taken: 319 hours
___x2 Difficulty rating: Normal
11674 Total Score
20130920:
Today I play for just a little bit. I only tweeted the following:
1647 Harry has a fever #OrganTrail
Organ Trail: Director's Cut (Android) (2012)
Relevant Links:
Organ Trail (The Men Who Wear Many Hats Website)
Organ Trail (Wikipedia.org)
Organ Trail: Director's Cut (iOS) (Metacritic.com)
My post on Organ Trail: Director's Cut (PC) (2012).
Monday, July 29, 2013
Tomb Raider (PC) (1996)
20130728:
Wow. This game is so old. I can understand why it was all the rage back when it was released, but I can't say that I enjoy the gaming experience.
In defense of the game itself, I am using a game controller and the emulator which Steam uses to run the game crashes whenever I switch windows. This bug wouldn't be a problem if I simply avoid switching windows, but it becomes an inconvenience.
[20130729]
20130729:
Despite having to start over, today I decided to give the game another go.
Every animal attacked me. Bats, wolves, etc. Perhaps a player can make a no-kill run, but I'd suggest to anybody who hasn't played before to just kill everything in sight. Perhaps the introduction suggests this as the natural course of action because Lara is seen shooting some animals in self-defense during the cut scene.
When I finished the first level, the game reported the number of kills made, pickups found, secrets discovered, and level completion time.
I don't remember, but I suspect this was the reason the game crashed the second time yesterday: accidentally hitting the Windows key. My suspicion is built upon the fact that I purposely did not alt+tab after encountering the crash the first time.
After completing the second level of the game, City of Vilcabamba, I went to Lara's Home to go through part of the tutorial. I would have gone through more, but the game sped up and became unplayable. In any case, I got far enough in the tutorial to learn some tidbits: First, when walking (hold down the shift key), Lara will not fall off the edge. This can be used to get right onto the edge of a platform for a more comfortable running start. Second, when running towards the edge of the platform, and then pressing the alt key, Lara will automatically jump when she gets to the edge of the platform.
Steam Game Time: 107 minutes (total game time)
Thoughts:
Pro:
+ Great gameplay
Neutral:
~ Classic; experience where it all started
Con:
- Might be too old for modern play; consider instead the remake Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Tomb Raider (PC) (1996)
Relevant Links:
Tomb Raider (1996 video game) (Wikipedia.org)
Tomb Raider I (Steam Store Page)
Wow. This game is so old. I can understand why it was all the rage back when it was released, but I can't say that I enjoy the gaming experience.
In defense of the game itself, I am using a game controller and the emulator which Steam uses to run the game crashes whenever I switch windows. This bug wouldn't be a problem if I simply avoid switching windows, but it becomes an inconvenience.
[20130729]
20130729:
Despite having to start over, today I decided to give the game another go.
Every animal attacked me. Bats, wolves, etc. Perhaps a player can make a no-kill run, but I'd suggest to anybody who hasn't played before to just kill everything in sight. Perhaps the introduction suggests this as the natural course of action because Lara is seen shooting some animals in self-defense during the cut scene.
When I finished the first level, the game reported the number of kills made, pickups found, secrets discovered, and level completion time.
I don't remember, but I suspect this was the reason the game crashed the second time yesterday: accidentally hitting the Windows key. My suspicion is built upon the fact that I purposely did not alt+tab after encountering the crash the first time.
After completing the second level of the game, City of Vilcabamba, I went to Lara's Home to go through part of the tutorial. I would have gone through more, but the game sped up and became unplayable. In any case, I got far enough in the tutorial to learn some tidbits: First, when walking (hold down the shift key), Lara will not fall off the edge. This can be used to get right onto the edge of a platform for a more comfortable running start. Second, when running towards the edge of the platform, and then pressing the alt key, Lara will automatically jump when she gets to the edge of the platform.
Steam Game Time: 107 minutes (total game time)
Thoughts:
Pro:
+ Great gameplay
Neutral:
~ Classic; experience where it all started
Con:
- Might be too old for modern play; consider instead the remake Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Tomb Raider (PC) (1996)
Relevant Links:
Tomb Raider (1996 video game) (Wikipedia.org)
Tomb Raider I (Steam Store Page)
Friday, July 12, 2013
Hector: Badge of Carnage (PC) (2011)
Overview: In this point-and-click adventure, you are Hector, a police detective.
Episode 1: We Negotiate with Terrorists Initially, you are stuck in your cell and have to figure out how to get out. The story which follows primarily deals with satisfying the demands of a terrorist: fix the clock tower, shut down the porn shop, and supply the man running the information booth with whatever he desires.
Episode 2: Senseless Acts of Justice ~Yet to play.~
Episode 3: Beyond Reasonable Doom ~Yet to play.~
20130712:
Ha. This game was quite humorous.
Tip: Double-click for most things. In particular, sometimes to evolve an item, you double-click it.
The game took under 3.3 hrs to play, and that was with trying to hear as much dialogue as I could manage to hear. I estimate a speed run would take about forty-five minutes, give or take fifteen minutes.
To test this, I decided to do an impromptu speed run. Note that this speed run required clicking through dialogue and cut scenes whenever possible. Even with several mistakes, the game took me thirty-three minutes to complete. A planned speed run with knowledge of perfect dialogue trees would probably take under twenty minutes.
Faux Speed Run Mistakes:
Clicking to another area when I should have directly used the map. Imagine 5 or so seconds times 10 is one or two minutes.
You don't need to get the ticket stub and you don't need to get the brochure. While I didn't get the brochure, I did get the ticket stub.
Note that I also lost time trying to click on the heroin addict too early in the story. Though maybe I wasn't clicking correctly, I believe it is an event-activated click. I also went into the bathroom stall two or three times instead of one, because of accidentally clicking the stall instead of the exit.
I lost a lot of time on the meeting to get the 25K.
Directly asking for the pants from the guy in the station.
Faux Speed Run Successes:
Asking for the clock person's war stories.
Not ever really talking to the guy in the porn store.
Getting the jar of money before leaving the hostage area.
[20130713][20181108 Edit]
Thoughts:
As of 20181108, I don't remember enough about this game to fill out this section.
Summary:
As of 20181108, I don't remember enough about this game to fill out this section. However, I vaguely remember that I enjoyed the game to the point of desiring to play Episode 2 (and Episode 3), but I never got around to it and now there is little-to-no desire to play the second part of the story.
Hector: Badge of Carnage (PC) (2011)
Relevant Links:
Hector: Badge of Carnage (Wikipedia.org)
Hector: Badge of Carnage - Episode 1: We Negotiate With Terrorists (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Hector: Badge of Carnage (Steam Store Page)
Episode 1: We Negotiate with Terrorists Initially, you are stuck in your cell and have to figure out how to get out. The story which follows primarily deals with satisfying the demands of a terrorist: fix the clock tower, shut down the porn shop, and supply the man running the information booth with whatever he desires.
 |
| Hector starts off in a jail cell. He's also missing pants. |
Episode 2: Senseless Acts of Justice ~Yet to play.~
Episode 3: Beyond Reasonable Doom ~Yet to play.~
20130712:
Ha. This game was quite humorous.
Tip: Double-click for most things. In particular, sometimes to evolve an item, you double-click it.
The game took under 3.3 hrs to play, and that was with trying to hear as much dialogue as I could manage to hear. I estimate a speed run would take about forty-five minutes, give or take fifteen minutes.
 |
| You'll need to visit the porn shop. |
To test this, I decided to do an impromptu speed run. Note that this speed run required clicking through dialogue and cut scenes whenever possible. Even with several mistakes, the game took me thirty-three minutes to complete. A planned speed run with knowledge of perfect dialogue trees would probably take under twenty minutes.
Faux Speed Run Mistakes:
Clicking to another area when I should have directly used the map. Imagine 5 or so seconds times 10 is one or two minutes.
You don't need to get the ticket stub and you don't need to get the brochure. While I didn't get the brochure, I did get the ticket stub.
Note that I also lost time trying to click on the heroin addict too early in the story. Though maybe I wasn't clicking correctly, I believe it is an event-activated click. I also went into the bathroom stall two or three times instead of one, because of accidentally clicking the stall instead of the exit.
I lost a lot of time on the meeting to get the 25K.
Directly asking for the pants from the guy in the station.
 |
| The game pokes fun at Microsoft: the computer is slow because it's running Windows 95. |
Faux Speed Run Successes:
Asking for the clock person's war stories.
Not ever really talking to the guy in the porn store.
Getting the jar of money before leaving the hostage area.
[20130713][20181108 Edit]
Thoughts:
As of 20181108, I don't remember enough about this game to fill out this section.
Summary:
As of 20181108, I don't remember enough about this game to fill out this section. However, I vaguely remember that I enjoyed the game to the point of desiring to play Episode 2 (and Episode 3), but I never got around to it and now there is little-to-no desire to play the second part of the story.
Hector: Badge of Carnage (PC) (2011)
Relevant Links:
Hector: Badge of Carnage (Wikipedia.org)
Hector: Badge of Carnage - Episode 1: We Negotiate With Terrorists (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Hector: Badge of Carnage (Steam Store Page)
Monday, July 8, 2013
Beyond Good & Evil (PC) (2003)
Beyond Good & Evil (PC) (2003)
Relevant Links:
Beyond Good and Evil (video game) (Wikipedia.org)
20130708:
So I actually own this game for the Nintendo GameCube, but I never got around to playing more than just the introduction (probably twenty minutes of gameplay). I later acquired this version during the Steam Summer Sale 2012, but I didn't touch it until today.
Settings:
Booting up the game, I set my screen to be smaller (24" 16:9) than its full size (27" 16:9). This made the game look sharper. However, I was still having problems with the video flickering and the audio lagging behind the video. After changing some options, I was able to go back to using the full size of my screen and have it look better than when I first loaded the game at full size.
I'm not sure which changes solved the problems, but I loaded the SettingsApplication.exe file located in "...\steamapps\common\Beyond Good and Evil\," changed the sound card from primary sound driver to speakers (ASUS xonar DGX audio device), kept the water detail high, and moved the shadow quality back down to low (the original setting).
I should also note that I made the mistake of increasing the refresh rate from 60 Hz to 120 Hz. After playing for a while, I felt dizzy and had a headache. When I realized the increased refresh rate was the cause of the problem, I reduced it back to 60 Hz.
Some Thoughts:
While the graphics aren't as stunning as the latest adventure games on the market, the game's visuals are enjoyable. Moreover, with overall game structure similar to The Legend of Zelda series (Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Wind Waker), I find myself focusing more on the game's story and fun over its visuals.
With the premise that you need to make money, one game mechanic I enjoy is using the picture camera to take photos of different species for the Science Center. On the other hand, if i recall correctly, navigation of the world map in Beyond Good & Evil (by hovercraft) was difficult compared to navigation of the world map in Wind Waker (by boat).
Length of Gameplay:
According to the screenshots I took, I played the game for a total of 72 minutes (9:31 PM to 10:43 PM).
Steam: You've Played 84 minutes; Last Played 20130708.
[20131222]
 |
| Jade (protagonist) swings her jō at an enemy. |
Relevant Links:
Beyond Good and Evil (video game) (Wikipedia.org)
20130708:
So I actually own this game for the Nintendo GameCube, but I never got around to playing more than just the introduction (probably twenty minutes of gameplay). I later acquired this version during the Steam Summer Sale 2012, but I didn't touch it until today.
 |
| The aliens have captured Jade. |
Settings:
Booting up the game, I set my screen to be smaller (24" 16:9) than its full size (27" 16:9). This made the game look sharper. However, I was still having problems with the video flickering and the audio lagging behind the video. After changing some options, I was able to go back to using the full size of my screen and have it look better than when I first loaded the game at full size.
I'm not sure which changes solved the problems, but I loaded the SettingsApplication.exe file located in "...\steamapps\common\Beyond Good and Evil\," changed the sound card from primary sound driver to speakers (ASUS xonar DGX audio device), kept the water detail high, and moved the shadow quality back down to low (the original setting).
 |
| Chasing an enemy via hovercraft. |
I should also note that I made the mistake of increasing the refresh rate from 60 Hz to 120 Hz. After playing for a while, I felt dizzy and had a headache. When I realized the increased refresh rate was the cause of the problem, I reduced it back to 60 Hz.
Some Thoughts:
While the graphics aren't as stunning as the latest adventure games on the market, the game's visuals are enjoyable. Moreover, with overall game structure similar to The Legend of Zelda series (Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Wind Waker), I find myself focusing more on the game's story and fun over its visuals.
 |
| Taking pictures to earn a living. |
With the premise that you need to make money, one game mechanic I enjoy is using the picture camera to take photos of different species for the Science Center. On the other hand, if i recall correctly, navigation of the world map in Beyond Good & Evil (by hovercraft) was difficult compared to navigation of the world map in Wind Waker (by boat).
Length of Gameplay:
According to the screenshots I took, I played the game for a total of 72 minutes (9:31 PM to 10:43 PM).
Steam: You've Played 84 minutes; Last Played 20130708.
 |
| Jade and Pey'j. |
[20131222]
Friday, February 8, 2013
DOOM (PC) (1993)
Overview: A 1993 first-person shooter.
20130208:*
I played DOOM for the first time today. Joining me was my friend Chris.
Gameplay Log:
We played the first episode, "Knee-Deep in the Dead," E1M1 to E1M8.
After we completed E1M8, the server sent us back to E1M1. I then switched the level to E1M9. [20191218: Apparently E1M9 is a secret level which is accessed from another level: E1M3. Furthermore, completing the level will take the player to E1M4]
We continued with the second episode, "The Shores of Hell." However, we only played E2M1 to E2M3.
A more detailed server log can be found near the bottom of this post with some minor edits.
*I have a set of screenshots which match up with the server log ("you go into a portal and fight the monsters but then it cuts out") but the server log is dated 20130108 and the screenshots are dated 20130208. Between the two, I decided to trust the date of the screenshots. [20191218: In my blog post for Doom II, I mention that it is the first time I ever played a game in the Doom series. It must be the case that the log date of 20130108 is incorrect.]
[20191218]
20130811:
It's been a while since Chris and I played DOOM. We decided to play from the beginning at a harder difficulty.
Setup: Setup port forwarding. Create a custom server (difficulty set to Ultra-Violence). Join the server.
Gameplay Log:
We played "Knee-Deep in the Dead," E1M1 to E1M8.
A more detailed server log can be found near the bottom of this post with some minor edits.
20130907:
Today Chris and I continued playing more DOOM.
Gameplay Log:
We played "The Shores of Hell," E2M1 to E2M8.
After we completed E2M8, the server sent us back to E2M1. I then switched the level to E2M9. [20191218: Apparently E2M9 is a secret level which is accessed from another level: E2M5.]
After we completed E2M9, the server sent us to E2M6 and we were surprised. [20191218: This is suppose to happen.]
We played the first half of the third episode, "Inferno," E3M1 to E3M4. I was feeling tired during E3M4, but played until we completed it.
A more detailed player log can be found near the bottom of this post with some minor edits. Note that a player log also records item pick ups. However, I have scrubbed that information from the log.
20131012:
Chris and I played DOOM. We wanted to pick up from where we left off last time, but we were disadvantaged by not having any ammo. As such, we tried to enable cheats in order to get some ammo. Unfortunately, we could not get it to work. The following was repeated under various conditions:
Gameplay Log:
We started playing E3M4 and then eventually we switched to E3M5.
We tried to get the cheat working and eventually just kept playing.
We played E3M5 to E3M8. [20191218: The player log doesn't indicate if we beat E3M8]
A more detailed player log can be found near the bottom of this post with some minor edits. Note that a player log also records item pick ups. However, I have scrubbed that information from the log.
DOOM (PC) (1993)
Relevant Links:
Doom Wiki
Doom (1993 video game) (Wikipedia.org)
Ultimate DOOM (Steam Store Page)
Server Log:
Server Log:
Player Log:
Player Log:
20130208:*
I played DOOM for the first time today. Joining me was my friend Chris.
 |
| Baron of Hell (E1M8) |
Gameplay Log:
We played the first episode, "Knee-Deep in the Dead," E1M1 to E1M8.
After we completed E1M8, the server sent us back to E1M1. I then switched the level to E1M9. [20191218: Apparently E1M9 is a secret level which is accessed from another level: E1M3. Furthermore, completing the level will take the player to E1M4]
We continued with the second episode, "The Shores of Hell." However, we only played E2M1 to E2M3.
A more detailed server log can be found near the bottom of this post with some minor edits.
*I have a set of screenshots which match up with the server log ("you go into a portal and fight the monsters but then it cuts out") but the server log is dated 20130108 and the screenshots are dated 20130208. Between the two, I decided to trust the date of the screenshots. [20191218: In my blog post for Doom II, I mention that it is the first time I ever played a game in the Doom series. It must be the case that the log date of 20130108 is incorrect.]
 |
| My friend Chris |
[20191218]
20130811:
It's been a while since Chris and I played DOOM. We decided to play from the beginning at a harder difficulty.
Setup: Setup port forwarding. Create a custom server (difficulty set to Ultra-Violence). Join the server.
Gameplay Log:
We played "Knee-Deep in the Dead," E1M1 to E1M8.
A more detailed server log can be found near the bottom of this post with some minor edits.
20130907:
Today Chris and I continued playing more DOOM.
 |
| Cacodemon. |
Gameplay Log:
We played "The Shores of Hell," E2M1 to E2M8.
After we completed E2M8, the server sent us back to E2M1. I then switched the level to E2M9. [20191218: Apparently E2M9 is a secret level which is accessed from another level: E2M5.]
After we completed E2M9, the server sent us to E2M6 and we were surprised. [20191218: This is suppose to happen.]
We played the first half of the third episode, "Inferno," E3M1 to E3M4. I was feeling tired during E3M4, but played until we completed it.
A more detailed player log can be found near the bottom of this post with some minor edits. Note that a player log also records item pick ups. However, I have scrubbed that information from the log.
 |
| Dead Zombieman. |
20131012:
Chris and I played DOOM. We wanted to pick up from where we left off last time, but we were disadvantaged by not having any ammo. As such, we tried to enable cheats in order to get some ammo. Unfortunately, we could not get it to work. The following was repeated under various conditions:
[00:02:00] ]idfa
[00:02:00] sv_cheats must be true to enable this command.
[00:02:04] ]sv_cheats 1
[00:02:04] sv_cheats will be changed for next game.
Gameplay Log:
We started playing E3M4 and then eventually we switched to E3M5.
We tried to get the cheat working and eventually just kept playing.
We played E3M5 to E3M8. [20191218: The player log doesn't indicate if we beat E3M8]
 |
| Chaingun |
A more detailed player log can be found near the bottom of this post with some minor edits. Note that a player log also records item pick ups. However, I have scrubbed that information from the log.
DOOM (PC) (1993)
Relevant Links:
Doom Wiki
Doom (1993 video game) (Wikipedia.org)
Ultimate DOOM (Steam Store Page)
Server Log:
Server Log:
Player Log:
Player Log: