Video game-inspired dreams

Believe it or not, a dream I had last night prompted this post. Who would have guessed!

Much of my thought lately has been engaged with Pushmo, because the excitement surrounding Crashmo's imminent release is too much to bear without the comfort of playing its predecessor. Dreams are mysterious things, but I find that anything on my mind, big or small, may find its way into mine. Last night, I dreamed that I was playing the level-1 challenges in Pushmo, and somehow I got to the end without having saved all the children! I got this horrible feeling. How could I miss any of the children in the easiest set of puzzles? When I woke and saw my Nintendo 3DS on the desk, I still had the aching feeling that my Pushmo skills really weren't up to par. Not true, of course, and reality soon caught up to me.

A second Nintendo related dream I had involved The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Before the game came out, I gave it plenty of dream-worthy thought. I read in an issue of Nintendo Power that the game began on Skyloft, with Link training to become a knight. That got me all kinds of excited for some reason. I dreamed of Skyward Sword before it ever released, and it was a sweet dream. The game would literally be a dream come true for me when it finally hit store shelves in November last year.

Ever had any video game-inspired dreams of your own? I would love to hear about 'em!

Gaming deals, good and bad

Let's face it: gaming is an expensive habit.

When it comes to the prices of things, I use a comparison method. For example: I got a decent bike for around $160. A Nintendo 3DS XL system will go for a suggested retail price of $199.99 when it hits this Sunday. Which is the better deal? To me, the answer is clear: the bike!

As you may have already guessed, today's topic is gaming gear and the money we spend on it. Maybe you spent $20 on a $50 Wii game. Or perhaps you spent the full $50 for a game, but it entirely worth that and then some. Allow me to share some of my own gaming deals, good and bad:

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword + Gold Wii Remote + Orchestra CD
For a huge Zelda fan like me, the $70 for this package was more than worth it. Normally, Wii remotes go for about $40, so I essentially payed half of that for a special edition Wii remote and a CD of some of the best music I've ever heard. Ka-ching!

Metroid Prime Trilogy
I got this game Used-Like New for $60. Back when it was first released, one could get it brand new for $50. Even with the added $10, this Wii collection turned out to be a great deal.

Rune Factory Frontier
I include this on the list because of the sheer amount of time I've invested in it. I've played Rune Factory Frontier for well over 100 hours, and it was a paltry $20 to buy.

Steel Diver
Now we get to the bad deals. Steel Diver is a first party Nintendo 3DS title for $40. I wouldn't call the game horrendous or anything, but I would say the price should be in the neighborhood of $5 or so. Just sayin'!

Now I would love to hear from you guys! What do you consider to be the best and worst in gaming deals?   

Video game graphics: how important are they really?

Graphics are the most talked about aspect of video games. Modern gaming consoles are praised or put down based on their graphical capacity. HD graphics are the standard. If you ask me, these are unfortunate truths. In gaming days past, video games were praised for being fun, not visually impressive. Graphics are not the point of video games. There is so much more to them.

Before I go on, let's get a thing or two straight. First of all, I'm not against powerful video game graphics. I think the improvements that have been made in the gaming industry are heaven sent, and I appreciate them (in fact, I can't stand 2-D Zelda, so the advent of 3-D gaming means a lot to me). My point of view is that today's gamers put too much weight on graphical capacity. Here's why:

Compare a game that had "good" graphics twenty years ago to a game that has "good" graphics today. I predict that today's graphics, just as yesterday's graphics, will be laughable twenty years from now. It's like the world of fashion: we mock the fashions of twenty years ago. Just try to imagine the gamers of tomorrow, laughing at what we consider to be "good" graphics today. Let go of your narrow perspective and recognize the limitless potential of the future! It's not the most realistic or powerful graphics that will go down in history: it's the ones into which thought was put.

 So let's talk about Nintendo. It's no secret that Nintendo's Wii console is less powerful than other systems of its generation. Here's a good question, though: why has the Wii dominated its competition in this generation of console wars? The answer lies within Nintendo's philosophy that the graphics don't make the game; the way the player interacts with the game is what's important. And isn't that what gives the medium its identity? Movies provide endless amounts of the realism that is so vainly sought after in video games. Nintendo is out to make sure that the video game industry never goes without a fresh way to interact with the action on the screen.

And what of Nintendo's graphics? I'm going to use The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword as my example. Even when the game's graphics are praised, a comment about the Wii console is made. "...despite the limitations of the Wii." So what? The graphics in Skyward Sword are excellent on any scale, compared to anything else, limitations or no limitations. They are creative, artistic, imaginative, and expressive, traits that are severely underrated in gaming culture today. Graphics play a part in shaping a game world, and the world of Skyward Sword is rich with detail, despite the limitations of the Wii. The world of Skyward Sword is vibrant and alive, despite the limitations of the Wii. The world of Skyward Sword is one I gladly return to again and again, despite the limitations of the Wii.

Nintendo's graphics may not be the most powerful or realistic out there, but I think that's because Nintendo has got the right idea about video games: that they are a medium defined by the user's ability to take control. I stick with Nintendo because the company has always striven for innovation, leaving menial pursuits like graphical capacity in the background (and thus saving me literally hundreds of dollars on top of that).

Nintendo Lifeline Top Ten Wii Games

Thanks to everyone who participated in our one-year anniversary celebration! This post is meant to be a gateway to all of the Wii games that made our top ten list, so let's dive right in:

10. Excite Truck
One of the first examples of how motion control could be used in racing games, which seemed a logical fit. Excite Truck still holds up today, even though it was released back in 2006. Little else can offer the satisfaction that Excite Truck has in store for gamers: catching big air, slamming into other trucks, driving through a forest to rack up the "tree run" stars, etc. The control in Excite Truck may seem a little wonky, but it can turn into one of the highlights of the whole thing, if only the player lets it.

9. Rune Factory Frontier
Remains one of the most addictive games in my collection. Rune Factory Frontier sees the player in control of Raguna, who has the typical memory issues, and so is essentially forced to live in the quaint little village of Trampoli to begin a lovely new life. Raguna can spend his days any way he wants: fighting monsters in the dungeons, seeking friendship with the locals, maintaining a farm for profits, or any combination of those things. Though the load times may be quite severe in this game, the graphics will not disappoint.

8. Rhythm Heaven Fever
It didn't take long for me to know that Rhythm Heaven Fever would end up being one of my all-time favorite games. Indeed, it is, at the very least, my absolute favorite rhythm game of all time. With simple, precise control, intelligent rhythms, and an imaginative style, Rhythm Heaven Fever will never grow old for this gamer.

7. Super Mario Galaxy
Mario goes into outer space with totally epic results. Super Mario Galaxy did what no other Super Mario could do: make the weird, quirky world of Mario feel grand and mighty, thanks to the out-of-this-world setting and an orchestral soundtrack.

6. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
I love a good side-scrolling platformer, and it doesn't get much better than New Super Mario Bros. Wii. In addition to exhibiting pure platforming genius, New Super Mario Bros. Wii flawlessly added multiplayer to the mix, which would inspire games to come to do the same. None have nailed it quite like New Super Mario Bros. Wii, though.

5. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Zelda series finds its dark side. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is one of the best adventures I have ever experienced. The minimalistic approach to motion control adds a lot, the graphics and presentation are stunning. Also, the Twilight Realm in this game has got to be one of the coolest locations in the history of video games.

4. Wii Sports
Anyone who has owned a Wii console from the early days undoubtedly has fond memories towards the game Wii Sports. The game was magical back then, and it's still fun to play today. Nintendo orchestrated the release of their motion-controlled gaming console with perfect finesse by including this game as a pack-in.

3. Super Mario Galaxy 2
What's even better than the excellent Super Mario Galaxy? Why, Super Mario Galaxy 2, of course! That's not what my expectation was, however. I thought that Galaxy 2 couldn't possibly add anything that Galaxy 1 didn't already have. WRONG! Galaxy 2 is one of the best games I've ever played.

2. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
The developers of Super Smash Bros. Brawl must've been insistent that the game be nothing less than perfect. After suffering from two set-backs in release date, the game finally fell into eager gamers' hands. Not only is Brawl a superb gameplay experience, it's also got an impossible amount of sheer content. You could get lost in it!


1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Skyward Sword came along just as I was hoping for a Zelda game that stayed true to the spirit of the series while adding something completely different. Wouldn't you know it, Skyward Sword did just that! A fresh graphical style, controls that fans had only dreamed of, and a revamped format to the game world are just a few examples of how Skyward Sword soared.

Favorite Wii games countdown #1: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

I kid you not, I have now been sitting at my desk for fifteen minutes or more, wondering what I can possibly say about my number 1 favorite Wii game, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Should I talk about the controls? Should I address the complaints that other reviewers may have towards this game? Should I recount the experience it was waiting for this game to be released? There are simply too many possibilities! Perhaps I'll discuss all of the above. Perhaps not. We'll see where the flow takes me.

The Wait
The very first teaser fans were blessed with was this little beauty right here:

Tantalizing, eh?

The web must've exploded! I got little tidbits here and there on the internet, but this occurred so long ago, I wasn't the web nut I am now. I remember searching for the image so I could place it as my desktop background, all the better to admire it.

News about the new Zelda game came very slowly, or so it seemed to me. During this time, it was a lot easier to not think about the game than it was during the months leading up to its release. When the trailers began flowing, I found it increasingly hard to keep my mind off of this game. Some months before the blessed released date, I pre-ordered the limited edition bundle from Amazon. More waiting. Agony! That, however, wasn't nearly as bad as the wait for my copy to come after the game's release. It released on a Sunday: I didn't get my package until the second Monday after.

The Game
I wasted little time in getting started with the game. I had all of my younger siblings around me. We watched the introduction sequences, enraptured. I found myself completely absorbed into the game world from the moment I took control of Link.

That immersion didn't let up through any portion of Skyward Sword. The pacing was great. There was always something to be in awe of. The motion control, in particular, added much welcome change and depth to the whole experience. In short, the game blew my mind.

Honorable Mention: Rayman Origins
I heard a lot of great things about Rayman Origins from a variety of sources, so I knew I would get it eventually. When I saw I could own the game for $30, I jumped at the chance. And I'm glad I did. Rayman Origins has got a lot of things going for it: pretty graphics, tight controls, a sense of humor, and a charming soundtrack to name a few. I recently played this one with a non-gamer friend of mine, and she loved it! If you ask me, that is one of the best forms of praise a game can receive. That said, don't worry all of you challenge-seekers out there! Origins has plenty of that along with accessibility. Just...don't miss out on this one if you have a Wii, okay? That's all I have to say.

A Game I Should Have Played: Metroid Prime Trilogy
Why?! Three well-reviewed games for a mere $50? Why did I think I could miss out on it?! For those of you who don't know, Metroid Prime Trilogy is a Wii game that actually contains three games: Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2, and Metroid Prime 3. All three Metroid Prime games were met with phenomenal praise. All I can do is keep asking myself "WHY?!" If I bought this game now, it would burn a $150 hole in my wallet. That's three times as much as it was when it first came out. I have never played any of the Metroid Prime games. Someday I'll get around to that, but I'm not so confident that it will be in "Trilogy" form. Why, Holly, why?