The Gaming Thread

[RichS]

A couple of days ago, me and my wife went to the jungle known as Wal-Mart, just to seek out some things, when I spotted the rare Wii console. It was a pack of three of them - a pretty rare sight, I've never seen so much as multiples of Wii together!

I went to tell my wife, and she, armed with her credit card and 0% financing coupon, and with help of a local native (salesperson), we nabbed one of them and a Wii Play.

Seriously now, it'll be sitting in the box until Christmas, for the kids' present. Of course, it needed testing...

I can see where the appeal is now. Not graphically, of course, but as the long-dead Electronic Games magazine stated, the play's the thing. The motion control is really unique - it gives a new feeling of immersiveness. Now I can't wait to get new games (both Wii and GameCube) to be ready for Christmas.

Doesn't mean I've ignored my PC - but that's another post.

[Geek King]

Well, I just picked up Soul Calibur IV last night. It definately has good and bad points.

1) They've gutted story mode. It is literally only five stages now. And the last three are all the same for all the characters I've played so far.

2) Yoda Doesn't unbalance the game. In fact, the little guy is pretty fun to play, and the lighting effects from the lightsabre are pretty cool too. Watch the high shots when fighting him though--he's so short that alot of high attacks will miss him altogether.

3) Great Graphics. I mean, really beutiful, and I'm playing on a CRT television. There's a lot of detail there.

4) Lots of new characters. Some are slight rehashes of older characters (Amy plays almost as Raphael's clone, but for good reason it turns out), but it's nice to see new faces.

5) Speaking of faces, I'm not sure who did the facial art, but everyone just looks wrong in a way that is hard to put your finger on. Maybe just my personal taste there, though.

6) Build your own character. The only catch is that you have to base it on an existing character. You start with their body and weapon style, then customize. All the main character's clothing/accessories are available, plus you can unlock more as you go along. Different duds give you different amounts of power points in five skills, which you then use to buy special abilities. The better abilities are only available as you "level up" with that character in the main game types. Interesting twist to the system.

7) Dark gaming. The story in this one is pretty dark for all the characters. People going insane, Soul Edge possessing its wielder, and the like. Amy may have the best ending ever, though. Raphael deserves it like no one since Macross 7's Basara.

NOTE: I haven't tried online yet, but I'm hearing it is pretty smooth. I'll try to remember to say something if I see any real issues there. If anyone wants to play, my Xbox Live handle is Ogredjinn. Say hi.

[gunsage]

Well, I haven't posted here in a while, so now I get to REALLY release. First off...



I can't remember whether or not I have this in my siggie, but I'll put it on if it isn't. I got my 360 back in early May and I've already beaten about 6 games or so. I've also written a few FAQs for achievement hunting and the like. In any case, lately I've been playing Marvel Ultimate Alliance for the 360 (even though I don't know half the characters on it as I'm not much of a comicbook guy) and I just started back up Radiata Stories for the PS2.

That's about it for now. It would take too long to really catch up on what I've been playing, but that's a good wrap up for right now.

[LostMyMind]

I picked up Digimon World Dusk (it was dirt cheap) because I wanted something new to play on my DS. I'm surprised how addictive this game is. Has anyone else play this game?

[RayvenQ]

Well, I got Battle March for Mark of Chaos yesterday and I'm having a hella lot of fun takin da boyz an' stompin' da 'umiez

[Gravekeeper]

I'm slowing working up floors in Etrian Odyssey 2. Just as ebil as the original. ><

[Chanlin]

I will second Rainslick being a great game. Even if you aren't a fan of the Penny Arcade series its an absolutely hilarious game. Very much not safe for children however.

Also in classic gaming news Impossible Mission was apparently ported to the DS. Great old comodore 64 game. My only gripe is that its not a full port and only one set of the puzzle pieces seems to have made it into the game which kills its replay value.

[Broomjockey]

I picked up Penny Arcade: On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness: episode 1 on steam. Fun game. $20, and it took 6 hours. It's a good game. I liked it quite a bit.

[Sarlon]

personally my group is avoiding 4.0, we had finally just gotten comfortable with 3.5...most of us having from from true first edition then not playing for a while...and jumping into 3.5.

Best of luck to those who want to play 4.0...but my group is waiting till 6.5. (no thats not a version, but the way wotc keeps putting out...it'll be out in before I'm 35)

[Rine]

I picked up the 4th ed yesterday of D&D (which is a story onto itself that I'm going to post in sightings.)

I...like it. A bit. There are things I don't like, but what used to get me into trouble with 3.5 is that I could never get the hang of rules (completely. I had wizard down pat and general game. When it came to more complicated things...eh.) These seem simplier, but since I'm not familiar with it yet, it took me hours to make a character. I still don't understand parts of character sheet. "attack workspace; action points; healing surges" and little things like that.

I guess when I really get down and read the book through completely, I'll understand better.

My group is going to stick with 3.5 for most of our campaigns, but we are starting a new one for 4th ed. Huzzah!

[Kaylyn]

Most likely you'll have to do it yourselves. D&D 4ths world is a very different place to previously described worlds. On top of that, they've said they're doing a fantasy world - that means little technology beyond, say, a plow, and no magitech (which I never much liked the idea of myself anyway).

*shrug* Meh, that's ok then. Redoing the encounters in 4th edition format is really helping me get the hang of the new rules anyway. It's like I have to roll a new character, so I have to learn how to convert the old stats to the new. I am working on the premade adventure in the Eberron Campaign Setting book, which is a prelude to other adventures, and I'm still working on the first encounter, a warforged barbarian. Well, there are no warforged player races, and no barbarians, so I'm making her a fighter using barbarian-like exploits and adding rage. I'm actually having fun!

[Dilorenzo]

Does anyone know if they'll be releasing an Eberron campaign setting and adventures for 4th edition, or do us Eberron fans have to do it ourselves?

Most likely you'll have to do it yourselves. D&D 4ths world is a very different place to previously described worlds. On top of that, they've said they're doing a fantasy world - that means little technology beyond, say, a plow, and no magitech (which I never much liked the idea of myself anyway).

[Trayol]

I would like to report a gaming accomplishment. I was finally able to defeat Sephiroth in Kingdom Hearts 2. Yay Me!

[Kaylyn]

I just picked up the D&D 4th edition core books and am working on trying to convert some of the premade 3.5 Eberron adventures into 4th edition rules. Eberron popped my D&D cherry and now that I'm DMing, I want to revisit that world. I've been immersed in Forgotten Realms for so long, and though it's an awesome setting, I really like the dark nature and politics of Eberron.

Does anyone know if they'll be releasing an Eberron campaign setting and adventures for 4th edition, or do us Eberron fans have to do it ourselves?

[Rapscallion]

Raped by orcs. how cliché.

"Pass me another elf. This one's burst."

I think it was a female author I'm quoting there.

Rapscallion