Why Steel Diver deserves only a brief review: A Brief Review

I'll be brief, because, let's face it, Steel Diver is a brief game. In it, the player takes control of a submarine to complete a variety of side scrolling missions. There are three submarines, each in a different size class, that have strengths and weaknesses in acceleration, maneuverability, and fire power. I'll get right down to it: the controls are clunky and un-fun. The story is non-existent. The content is weak. I might pay ten bucks for this game, but forty? Don't even bother.

Nintendo eShop is cookin'

Starting with the availability of DSiware classics such as Shantae: Risky's Revenge and Cave Story, the Nintendo eShop has grown into a great source of downloadable entertainment. Last week, Netflix hit the eShop. This week, the much-anticipated Nintendo Video application arrived. Both are free to download. New titles have also surfaced: chief among them is a second addition to the 3D Classics library, Xevious, an arcade shooter. The Nintendo eShop is updated every Thursday, so don't forget to check back in often!

The music of Ocarina of Time

Quick personal note: Aaaaah! I feel terrible! I've been shunting Nintendo and my blog to the side because...I'm a huge Harry Potter fan! This is kind of a turning point in my life!

Aren't you so glad you know why I haven't been giving Ocarina of Time 3D the attention it deserves? Okay...ahem, moving on! Music! Starting with Nintendo's presentation at this year's E3, it's been a roller coaster ride to the obtaining of the official Ocarina of Time 3D soundtrack for me. Club Nintendo didn't make it clear how many soundtracks were available or how long they might last. Just to be on the safe side, I changed my shipping speed, paying an extra three bucks.

Ocarina of Time 3D is out for one day, and a message appears: the demand is too great. Those who register the game by tomorrow will definitely receive a soundtrack. NO!!!!!! I've missed it! The deadline passes. A second message appears: We will still be sending out soundtracks to those who register the game, on a first come, first serve basis, while supplies last. YES!!!!!!! I still have a chance! An agonizing two days pass. The game finally comes! I register it and take the survey as fast as humanly possible. Nothing. That's what I get for about a day. Then the blessed e-mail arrives! My reward order has been processed! I will receive another e-mail when it ships! Soon after that, I see a final message on Club Nintendo: the offer has ended.

So there goes 90% of my blog post on telling you how I got an official Ocarina of Time 3D soundtrack. Suffice it to say that the music in Ocarina of Time is and always has been amazing. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go finish making all of those ocarina melodies into ringtones. Have a great week!

How Pokemon Colosseum surprised me: A Review

From Pokemon Stadium to Pokemon Battle Revolution, console Pokemon games always fall short of handheld Pokemon games. Therefore, Pokemon Colosseum, released for the GameCube in 2004, came as a pleasant surprise to me. It still doesn't measure up, but it becomes a great game in its own right through the use of a few twists to the tried-and-true Pokemon formula.

Twist #1: No Wild Pokemon
Okay, so most of the console Pokemon games don't have wild Pokemon. Colosseum, however, isn't like other console Pokemon games, in that it has an extensive single player adventure. So how does the player acquire new Pokemon? By snagging other peoples' Pokemon, that's how! This method is frankly frowned upon in mainstream Pokemon games.

Twist #2: A New Evil Agenda
Fortunately, the plot in Colosseum justifies such dastardly behavior: the bad guys are stealing Pokemon from other trainers (no change there) and shutting the doors to the hearts of these Pokemon (okay, that's different). There is hope for these "Shadow Pokemon": after snagging them, the player can gradually purify them by carrying them around and utilizing other cleansing methods.

Along with these, Pokemon Colosseum contains the single most compelling challenge I've encountered in a Pokemon game: the opportunity to earn a level-70 Ho-oh by snagging and purifying every available Pokemon in the game, then completing Mt. Battle in Colosseum mode with a party composed only of those Pokemon.

So play this game if you're a Pokemon fan! Not a Pokemon fan? It's still a great game.

Violence in video games - Too much?

Look at this video! See no blood!! Is it that hard?

Ever since I was little, around six or seven, I was not allowed to play 'killing games' as they were called by my parents. They were of course referring to violent video games. Well that was back then. Now I am curious as to how my parents would react to the amount of violence, blood, and gore of the new 'killing games'? The violence has easily increased by more than half. My question is why? Why make it even more realistic? Ask yourself, "Could I really kill a person in real life with little remorse as I do in this game?" Well if you are playing those games you might as well say yes. That's how good the graphics have gotten.

"Oh come on! Really? It's just a video game! Just because I kill people in that doesn't mean I will in real life." That's exactly what you're thinking isn't it? No? You were thinking about grapes? Oh dear...this is awkward. Just kidding! I know that that is what you were thinking so DON'T LIE! It's very bad. Anyways the point is that the graphics in the newer video games are really good. It's almost like a movie, a very violent horrible movie. Why would they make the video games this realistic? It really makes no sense to me.

Many articles have been written on the violence of video games. One I find very true is 'Video Games: A Cause of Violence and Aggression'. It states that, along with many other things, the bad guys no longer fall down or disappear when you kill them. Now they act out how they die. Like if they get shot in the stomach they will crouch over holding their stomach. Very horrible. I find that I can't play those games. I always start freaking out whenever I have to kill something head on like that. I do believe that this is the reason that I like Traditional RPG games better than the ones where you walk around and hack at things until they die.

As an example of me freaking out, I was playing Metroid Prime and kept dying. The reason was simple. Whenever I started to get shot at I'd start to scream, (no joke my mom kept asking me what was wrong), and just shoot randomly because I'd be so scared. Eventually I got past the first ending guy, but let me tell you it was no easy task. Sure it's a simple enough and totally rad game, but it just scared me so bad. I think that I will stick with my Traditional RPG games.

Don't get me wrong I still love those kinds of games: just not the new ones. I mean look at The Legend of Zelda! It's one of those games where you just go and attack the thing, but no blood! I mean is it that hard to refrain from adding those types of things into your game? That game itself has kept going for a long time with 18 games and counting. Yet look at the graphics. They are getting better and better, but here's the catch-the violence level isn't really changing. I mean what does the level of violence in the new games have to say about us? About the people who think them up, make them, and then play them? All I have to say is that the world we are living in is somewhat corrupt if we enjoy killing people. Even if it's not 'in real life'.