Saturday, August 21, 2010

Show Your Kindness and Help a Loving Mother get a New DSi XL

Hey, whoever's reading this! *swipes away some cobwebs*

I know I haven't been here in a while. It's mostly because I kinda suck at blogging when working full time and running a whole lot. But enough excuses and nonsense!
While this isn't meant to be a Nintendo-focused blog, there is a fairly popular blog called Gonintendo that I follow religiously and is run by an awesome dude nicknamed Rawmeat Cowboy (RMC for short). You'll find anything and everything Nintendo-related on this blog, as well as a pretty great community of awesome people.
Unfortunately, we recently found out (via the blog) that RMC's mom recently had her DSi XL stolen when her car was broken into. Furthermore, her insurance is not covering items lost from the car. This sucks for two main reasons: first and foremost, she's a huge gamer for real. She plays a ton of games and loves puzzle games. Second, she suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, and playing the DSi XL helped her keep her mind sharp and her motor skills up at a good level (in addition to providing some fun during her downtime). Reading this story really made me feel for her and her family. I know that RMC is too humble a guy to try to solicit anything from his followers and was simply using his public platform to vent some emotion, but I wanted to do something about the situation. He has given so tirelessly to his community for years now, and even though I know he now makes enough to live somewhat comfortably, I wanted to give back in some way.
If you scroll down just a bit you should see a donate button to a PayPal account I have set up. Whether or not you know of RMC or his site, if you're feeling sorry for his mom's situation and want to do your part please donate whatever you can. We're not looking to raise a ton of money here (between $190 and $200), and I think we should have no trouble getting there as long as I can get the word out. So thanks for reading, and thank for donating if you did, and tell a friend!


*****Nintendo swooped in and replaced the DSi XL. All is well*****

Monday, April 5, 2010

Review - Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon

Before playing a game, most people like to have some idea of what they’re getting into. There are gamers who like their shooters, gamers who like their sports simulation games, tournament fighters, platformers, etc. The thing about Tri-Crescendo’s Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon is that, no matter what you’re expecting, nothing will really prepare you for the experience that is this game. That said, you get out of it what you put in.

Fragile Dreams is a third person adventure game that places you in control of a fifteen year old boy named Seto. As the game begins, Seto finds himself alone in an observatory, with only the moonlight to lift his spirits and guide his way. He has just buried his grandfather, who raised him for his entire life, and was the only person Seto had ever known. The player learns this right away, as Seto’s grandfather leaves him with a letter explaining that something has happened in the world to make it an extremely desolate place, and that Seto must venture out into the world in search of those few people left. That’s all I’ll mention about the story for now (not because it isn’t worth conversation, that couldn’t be further from the truth), but I will touch on how the story unfolds because, as with many great games, it is told in several different ways.


Of all the story-telling devices used in “Fragile Dreams,” the most consistently striking, to my eyes, are the numerous environments traversed throughout the game. They are fairly varied and escalate in a way one would expect, but also all share a brilliantly and carefully crafted quality of age. It’s as if the entire world has become a museum of mankind. This museum is very often lonely, at times eerie, sometimes frightening, occasionally boring, but almost always serene. There are even graffiti messages embedded into the environments that are directly expositional to the story, but it’s a shame that not quite all of them have received the localization treatment (minor quibble).

What would a museum be without relics, artifacts, keepsakes, or just general objects? These are some of the other story telling mechanisms in the game. In your travels, you will discover a wide variety of objects that carry with them the memories of those who owned them at one time. More specifically, they contain the last thought that their owners had about the object just before leaving this world. Seto gets his chance to experience these memories whenever he chooses to sit down at a fire pit and take a rest (also used to save and perform other tasks). This makes both for some incredibly emotional stories delivered with outstanding voice work (I can only speak for the Japanese voice acting), and a slowly exposed series of clues that help in explaining what happened to all of the people on the planet. Some of the objects you find will be part of a series of related objects and, in a move that I find both brave and flawed, its easy to miss certain objects in a connected series, and thus miss chapters of a greater story (you will most likely not find all of the objects in game playing through it once). This fact forces you to be hungry for exploration, as hungry as someone who has known no one and wants nothing more than to find others and understand why his world is the way it is. And there are others.

Along his journey Seto encounters his fair share of companions and foes, be they human, A.I., or ghostly. Early on in his journey, a young and innocent silver-haired girl strikes Seto’s eye in a moment that has him amazed and transfixed. She flees in fear, but not before her image of beauty makes such an impact on Seto that she becomes the focal point of Seto’s quest. It’s a quest that is made quite believable, thanks in part to the fantastic character design of Katsuyuki Ujinawa as it applies to the object of Seto’s affection, and every character in the game. Characters’ appearance are uniquely crafted , containing not only their defining traits but also quite a bit of insight into their past. It is thanks to these characters, their appearance, and their dialogue, that we get the major plot advancements and the most emotionally powerful moments in “Fragile” (some of which, I’m not ashamed to say, made me tear up).


Those moments are able to reach to such a high level of genuine emotion because they come packaged with the game’s stellar soundtrack, and I can’t stress that point enough. I am a huge fan of music of all styles, including music/audio in video games. I normally define great game music as easily listenable when looped, or best experienced as the backdrop to the player interaction and the motion on screen. A vast majority of Fragile’s soundtrack, however, does not fall into those categories category at all. Fragile’s soundtrack is actually strikingly sparse, but it’s because there is so much silence that, when the music does show up, the piano-heavy compositions of Riei Saito carry that much more weight. Furthermore, these are songs that I have found myself coming back to regularly since I got the partial soundtrack with my pre-order. They aren’t simply laden with time-tested and clichéd chord progressions engineered for emotional response. Rather, they are especially thought-out, interesting, delicate and matching the aesthetic of the game.

I can’t talk about the music in the game without also briefly going into the fully animated (out of engine) cut scenes in the game. The collective work of art directors, the cinematography team, and the movie animators and director come together to create these strikingly beautiful scenes, which play out during the major transitional points in the narrative (and are married so well with the game’s music). The only musical theme in the game that even resembles game music, in that it comes in regularly and will technically loop if allowed to, is the combat theme. While it is not a bad theme in and of itself, this point leads me in to discussion of the aspects of the game that were not quite at the level of those that I’ve mentioned thus far.

The combat in this game has been one of its most widely panned elements, being called dated, useless, and even broken. I’m here to tell you that while the combat is certainly not an element of the game that I would mention when singing its praises, it is not broken or useless, and I’d go as far as to say that the game wouldn’t quite be what it is without it. It is serviceable, and not much more. Another recent and equally overlooked Wii gem , Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, went the route of bypassing combat and focusing on escape during certain portions. The Fragile team did not want to abandon combat, possibly to allow the player the chance to empower Seto to a degree, and also allow him to level up to become more effective in combat. Despite that, you still almost always have the option to run right past most enemy encounters if your weapons are broken or you are low on health. Not leveling up will put you at a disadvantage at certain portions later on, so combat is encouraged. When it comes down to it, a videogame isn’t much without obstacles to overcome, and even if the enemies in this game (even bosses) never pose a huge challenge, they do still require focus. All this and I haven’t even talked about the mechanics of the combat.


With Seto, the player has the ability to walk forward and backward, strafe left and right while walking forward or backward, and turn/change perspective with the IR pointer. All these moves are employed in combat as they are outside of combat, and serve well enough (speed-wise) to dodge attacks or get behind cover. Actual offensive moves are handled with a press or hold of the A button, with properly repeated taps to execute different combo types. You’ll get weapons based on speed, strength, and even ranged weapons for projectile combat. In the later stages of the game I actually found some of the combat adding strategy and depth, and I particularly enjoyed the way they expanded upon the concept of light weakening the spirit/ghost enemies. All the weapons have different levels of durability, and I mention durability because weapons can and will break. They cannot be fixed, only discarded. I never found this as much of a problem because I always had enough currency to keep a healthy stock of weapons. Beyond that, however, when I reflected upon the breaking of weapons, I realized that it actually plays very well into a major theme of the game: fragility. Yes that may sound cheesy, but this game ties it in beautifully in things ranging from physical objects to mere concepts or emotions. But, since I don't want to digress too much, the issue of broken weapons bleeds into the issue of inventory management.

Fragile takes a page from Resident Evil for all things inventory. Seto has his larger loot bag with enough space to store anything and everything in the game, but what he has access to at any given moment (when pausing the game) is more limited. Weapons, healing items, valuable pick-ups, and memory objects all take up space. You will only be able to grab a limited number of things before getting back to a fire pit, the only place where you are able to go into your giant loot case, check out memory items, or save the game. Hopefully this shouldn’t keep you from grabbing story items but it might. You can always throw away/use items from your limited inventory to create space, and the size of that inventory will increase over the course of the game. Again, like the combat, this is an element that I would not mention as a strength of the game, but it never came close to driving me away, and it occasionally created instances of strategy and challenge that I enjoyed.

That’s sort of the general way I feel about Fragile; its unique and beautiful qualities far outweigh any gripes I can conjure up. Even when the game greets you with very odd and bold design choices, like extremely long and lonely corridors with the occasional enemy and various pieces of graffiti that may take literally 5 minutes to travel through moving forward non-stop, I’m not one to throw down the controller and say “F this game”. Moments like those cement the fact that Seto is truly on a long, lonesome, and arduous journey. Sometimes this journey will be dark, depressing, or even boring. The fact that I’m a very patient gamer, satisfied at times with simply taking in whatever little touches in the environment I can see that the designers made a point to include, also helped in my enjoyment of this game. That last part should possibly be taken as a warning: if you are not a patient gamer, only looking for constant action at a more break-neck pace, this game is not for you; but let me speak to the people who should play this game, if I may.


Bottom line takeaway: if you are a fan of anime and the rich characterization and philosophical/emotional realms that the genre frequently offers, and you’re also a fan of videogames and the unique way in which a (great) game can create a level of attachment to a character that film or literature just can’t quite match, you will love Fragile Dreams. It has left an impression on me that will likely never be forgotten, and I am so glad that there are still people around that had the desire to come together to craft this work of art with such a great deal of passion for it and everything it stands for. In a message on the soundtrack created for North America, Director Tomomi Tagawa said the following: “We hope that they [these songs] give you joy and bring back memories long forgotten.” This is exactly what they did, and not just with the soundtrack, but the entire game.

ps - As a quick note, I would advise anyone who is a wiimote veteran to turn the IR cursor indicator off. The flashlight beam serves just fine as an indicator and you don't have a dot on the screen to get in the way of the game's atmosphere.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Bridging the Gap Vol. 1: Podcasts


Hey there, runners/gamers/whoever! It’s an actual new post on Run Game Live! I figured with the New Year come around and all I should at least give the impression that there will be one annual post. This post will be the first in a group that will serve to bring the worlds of running and gaming closer together, rather than suggesting how one might take the first steps into running or gaming. In other words, this one’s for all you awesome people out there who run AND game, or those who may find themselves enjoying both in the near future. If you are one to enjoy both activities but find that there just isn’t enough time in the day to appreciate them both while maintaining a healthy social life (and that last part’s important), I offer this tip: gaming podcasts.


Listening to podcasts while running is a fantastic way to be entertained/educated in the midst of your rigorous exercise or daily endorphin high. If you want to keep up on the latest gaming news or listen to opinionated gaming discussion, what better way than to throw on your favorite gaming podcast(s) while hitting the pavement? A few of my favorites are the Gonintendo Podcast, 1up’s Retronauts Podcast, and IGN’s Gamescoop. Each new recording provides fresh perspective/debate as well as a conversational atmosphere to keep those engaged in the run who might find themselves easily bored or dwelling on the strain of the run.


Expanding upon that, this post could also be seen as a way to ease gamers into the running world. If you already have a favorite batch of gaming podcasts, why not get up and move around some while you enjoy it instead of just sitting at home or in your car or on some sort of mass transit system? That’s right, there’s no reason! You’re certainly not going to be gaming while listening to gaming podcasts (at least I hope you don’t). Running and podcasts go together. The gaming world and podcasts go together. Consider that when you download that next ‘cast. I’ll catch you guys later!


PS – I’m sorry there was never an official sanctioned giveaway for those Nintendo points, but I was able to handout a large amount of the points on my own and I hope that those who received them are enjoying whatever it is they downloaded!

Friday, October 2, 2009

Debut Post + Nintendo Points Giveaway!


Hello and welcome, one and all, to my blog.  Run.Game.Live. (I think I’ll be referring to it as RGL from here on out unless there’s an anagram that fits in there WAY better). My name is Joe, but throughout the internet tubes I am known as joeshabadoo.  If it isn’t clear from the blog name or banner, I play video games, and I run. These are two great passions of mine.  They bring me much joy and satisfaction, and I take great pride in both equally. To give you a rough idea, I game about 15-20 hours/week (console & handheld) and run about 80 miles/week.

In this virtual space, I aim to achieve the following three key bullet-point line-item objectives/initiatives on my action items list:


·        get gamers into running
·        get runners into gaming
·        connect with those existing running gamers (or gaming runners :p) out there


To these ends, I will be posting my own experiences and suggestions relating to the first steps towards entering either world (and beyond), my personal musings on topics of debate/discussion involving both, commentary on current events relating to both, and explorations of the parallels that can be drawn between the two activities/lifestyles.

I mention parallels because most gamers or runners that I speak to find the two activities drastically opposed. Granted one is active in nature, while the other is passive, but this is only true on the surface. In fact, one could easily argue that the active/passive dichotomy can be reversed (more on that some other time). That said, my two passions are ultimately quite different things on one level, and I’m fine with that.  Once one begins to appreciate things on a variety of levels, nearly everything can compliment everything else nicely, acknowledging and relishing in any and all shared and unique characteristics. One thing you do shouldn’t necessarily shape all the other things you do *points to blog subhead*.
I’d also like to make it clear that RGL is not focused on whipping the more out-of-shape gamers into shape, or getting runners to cease scoffing at videogames as a hobby.  Those could certainly be nice little benefits, like side quests that you happen to complete while going through the main section of a game.  However, when it comes down to it, RGL is about getting people to find enjoyment in both worlds, be it for reasons similar and different.


           
Anywho, without further ado I’d like to briefly introduce my first, but perhaps most interesting, topic (don’t worry I know why most of you are here): Gaming and Running have actually had a Rather Intimate Relationship for Decades: Think about it; since the dawn of gaming, practically every single game that involved controlling a human/humanoid/beast/robot/anthropomorphized object included its own very specific, and equally vital run animation.  It serves as a default for movement, or at least a vastly preferred option. Furthermore, in most cases, it is the hero or protagonist whom we have running, and he is running CONSTANTLY; very often because his enemies are running straight at him. Why then, I ask, have gamers looked past this speedy method of pedestrian travel and not taken it to heart?  Why don’t they desire to emulate this seemingly superhuman trait of their heroes, especially given that it is usually one of the more realistic and beneficial to adopt?  Most gamers will identify with or envy several other traits, but this taken-for-granted ability to run indefinitely just comes off as functional and expected.

Which brings me to the reason why I suspect many of you are here . . . THE GIVEAWAY!  At this point I can simply say that your chance to win Nintendo Points will come during the month of December and will involve trivia competition in some way. There's plenty to be handed out, so stay tuned for more details!


Oh, and before you start asking me: “Joe, wtf? Why the 360/PS3 nods in your banner but only Nintendo Points?!?” allow me to clarify-
- By way of mastermind schemeage, I was only able to get my hands on Nintendo credit.
- Wiiware and DSiware are sweet platforms that don’t see enough love/promotion as it is. Wiiware in particular is seeing a flood of awesome this fall/holiday. So all of you that talk about the dust on your Wii, put a cork in it and download some kickass Wiiware. But I digress . . .



That about wraps it up for this first post. I hope that many of you will at least be intrigued after coming here and reading this, or even compelled to film yourself doing something potentially defacing yet awesome. I invite you to show yourself and fill out the comments section. Why do you run? Why do you game? Why don’t you run/game? Why won’t this Joe idiot stop typing already? Can I still run if I’m a lazy bastard? It’s all welcome, including questions directed my way. I’ll try to be as active on this page as I can, plus you can follow my twitter linked over there on the right. Until next time, keep putting one foot in front of the other, with an open mind and a gamer’s determination. This is joeshabadoo, signing off.

gotta run to the next level


ps – The overall layout is still a work in progress, and should start to look much cooler in due time. Think of this as a beta. I’ll be throwing some official RGL game reviews into the mix as well, so watch out for those. Also, a shout-out to all the GoNintendo faithful in the house. Holla back yo!


Followers

 

Run.Game.Live. Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved Revolution Two Church theme by Brian Gardner Converted into Blogger Template by Bloganol dot com