I enjoy checking out demos for new games, even if I'm pretty sure that I won't buy the game. I find that you can always learn something from playing a new game, and you can often learn the most from terrible games. However, I can count on one hand the number of demos that actually made me want to buy a game. Fortunately, I had that exciting experience this weekend. I raced to the computer and bought Mini Ninjas shortly after finishing the demo.

I had heard about Mini Ninjas several months ago and I was charmed by the cute teaser trailer. Yet I remained skeptical, as the cutest games often are often rushed out the door with the assumption that kids won't know the difference between a good game and one that needed more time. Mini Ninjas is being marketed as a family game, but seems strong enough to please more discerning gamers.

Mini Ninjas reminds me of a cross between two of my favorite games, Spyro the Dragon and Okami. It has the same strength and charm as Spyro, from the well-designed 3D levels to the
enemies who require more skill than strength to defeat. It is also like Okami, as it appears to have roots in Zelda-style adventures and it is very centered in nature. In addition, the aesthetic is clearly Japanese, which once again appeals greatly to my love of Japanese art and culture.

Combat feels light and fun. There are many tactics you can use to defeat the enemies, which allows for customization in what would otherwise be a fairly simple game. It's a nice change to see a game with solid combat that doesn't shed a drop of blood. Enemies simply turn into animals (as the animals were enchanted), leaving a frolicking bunch of critters at the end of each fight. If you find an animal that you particularly like, the main ninja, Hiro, can temporarily possess the animal. I couldn't get over the novelty of being able to see an adorable animal (such as a kitty), running up to them, and then POOF! I was suddenly controlling a kitty. While many of the most adorable critters are relatively ineffective in combat, some of the larger animals can be used offensively. Fortunately, the developers accounted for those moments when your prancing kitty gets unexpectedly attacked - the ninja will return to fight seamlessly.

Mini Ninjas is filled with other delightfully charming details that make it irresistible for me. You can free animals trapped in cages along the path, which gives you experience points. This reminded me of feeding animals along the path in Okami, which also gave you experience points. Also, when you enter water, you can ride in a large hat (like a boat). You can steer through rapids or, as I saw in a video, ride down snowy passes. You can even fish from the boat, which gives you health-restoring sushi. Even the animations and movements are adorable without hindering the mechanics. The ninja can deftly jump up a narrow space between two rocks, a feature that feels far more natural than any wall jumps I attempted in Mirror's Edge.

I have been looking for a game like Mini Ninjas for a long time. The most recent 3D platformer/adventure game that truly satisfied me was Okami, and I played that years ago. Despite the short length of the demo, I bought the game, optimistic that it will just keep getting better. I hope that Mini Ninjas will prove to be the adventure game experience that I have been craving. In the meantime, it's great to be excited about a new game again.  

I seem to have missed the boat for Sid Meier's Pirates! My peers at USC would sigh longingly when it was mentioned in class. Many of my friends were obsessed with the game when it was released. Although I'm usually not a fan of strategy games, I decided that Pirates deserved a fair shot. After all, it was somewhat of an RPG, adventure game, and a strategy game all at once.

Perhaps the most striking feature about Pirates is the level of polish. Few games can afford to take the time or simply are not planned diligently enough to implement such well-constructed systems. These systems create a variety of options, including ship gameplay, a sword fighting mini-game, a dancing mini-game, a sneaking into town mini-game, a land combat RTS game, an interface for talking to people at taverns, and more. The sheer number of gameplay options is a wonderful way to give players a lot of freedom in the world. Allies and enemies can be made through every action, and players can seek out gameplay modes best suited to their skills.

Despite some adventure and RPG mechanics (such as achieving ranks and searching for treasure), Pirates is a strategy game at its heart. The alliance system is a central part of the strategy, as it allows players to ally with the Spanish, the French, the British, or the Dutch. There are many advantages and disadvantages to such alliances, and they can often fluctuate. There are also other forces at work, such as native tribes, pirates and missionaries. Talking to these groups can help you sway a town in a desired direction, whether toward prosperity or poverty. There is also a lot of strategy involved in the fighting mechanics based on the weapons you use, and whether or not you fight in your ship or with a sword.

I'm not sure if I skipped the tutorial inadvertently, but, regardless, Pirates seems to have a steep learning curve. Granted, the first hour or so I had a Pirates fanatic looking over my shoulder, giving me hints and explaining the intricacies of his favorite strategies. It seems that the game encourages the player to learn more through experience than through discreet instructions, which can be an advantage (if you know what you're doing). I was easily overwhelmed in the beginning by the many different types of gameplay, as I had stumbled into seven or eight (such as sea combat, dancing, and treasure hunting) before I even understood what, exactly, was the goal of the game.

I was greatly impressed by the time the developers took to create a very polished experience with so many intricate systems and such varied modes of gameplay. However, the appeal of Pirates seems to come from a passion for such systems and an interest in the politics of the imaginary world. I never had much of an interest in war, conquering towns, or politics. I respect the game and I understand why so many players have enjoyed it. However, I don't think I'll return to Pirates anytime soon. It just doesn't pull me in like traditional RPGs or adventure games.  

Last Thursday night, I was too restless to sleep. I usually take some time to relax after my late class, and I found the perfect way to unwind. I cracked open my brand-new copy of Mirror's Edge and played until two in the morning.

It's been a long time since I've loved a game enough from the start to play for hours. I had a feeling that I would like it from the demo, but I didn't know that it would be this much fun.

Perhaps the best part of Mirror's Edge is the sensation of flying. Sometimes this comes from familiarity with a level; after failing a certain part several times I would find the swiftest path. However, good level design can create the feeling of flying without practice runs. For example, when running through a particularly intuitive portion of a level, I found myself suddenly faced with just one option for escape: jumping down the steep side of a building. To my surprise, I slid smoothly down and then used my momentum to complete a particularly long jump. It was a great feeling, and the fantastic sensation of flying felt completely natural in that environment.

Aside from flying, I found many other areas to commend in Mirror's Edge. The first couple of levels that I played through were quite intuitive. When running through small spaces at high speeds, this is a particular accomplishment. I was impressed with the level design, since players need to run through the level as fast as possible, and ordinary platformer and adventure game rules do not apply. I was also glad that the enemies were not an issue, at least at this stage in the game, since I could avoid combat. The combat system seems less refined than other mechanics, and it's nice to have a more peaceful option.

My greatest challenge when playing action-adventure games like Mirror's Edge is jumping. I don't know what it is about me, but I seem to be lacking a key skill in the spatial-relations department. For a game that I enjoyed so much, it may seem surprising that I swore like a sailor half the time I played. I have an odd habit where I almost never curse, except when playing games. Perhaps that was the release I needed to cure my restlessness.

My love-hate relationship with Mirror's Edge became more of a love when I discovered how forgiving the game was regarding death and respawns. Most of the particularly difficult jumps only had to be completed once, which made them much more accessible for people like me. The game had a plethora of triggered spawn points that minimized the time it took for me to reach the points where I got stuck, which also reduced my frustration. No matter how hard a part may have seemed, at least I knew that I only had to complete it once.

I'm excited to play more of Mirror's Edge. The sleek aesthetic, modern music, and HD graphics round it out to create a very enjoyable experience. I hope that it continues to be this fun. If so, Mirror's Edge could easily become my next favorite game.  

I was playing through Okami this weekend when I heard of a special treasure area called “Moley’s Treasure Trove.” My source told me to look for “a large, circular slab of rock at Taka Pass.” Sounds easy enough, right?

Apparently, you had to use the Digging Champ (advanced digging) ability to find this. I looked at the large, circular slab of hard ground by the moles (thinking the name implied that it would be close to Moley, the mole leader). I dug and dug, but the ground yielded nothing but a couple of inkpots and some food. I was disappointed, but I still held out hope that this treasure would prove easy money and be just a few footsteps away.

I ran around Taka pass, gradually exploring a wider and wider radius. I dug around every rock that was remotely circular. After finding no treasure troves, I went back to a side area of Taka Pass (accessible through a cave) where a I had bloomed a guardian sapling. I found a couple of clovers to bloom but, once again, no treasure trove.

In desperation, I looked to the internet for help. While a web search for “Moley’s Treasure Trove” yielded few results, I did find one clue. It appeared that one of the digging champ spots WAS in Taka Pass by someone/something named Bingo. I was very excited, despite the fact that I was not sure who Bingo was. I assumed that it was the little dog I fed and went back to the game.

Once I found the little dog, I ran around and around but to no avail. I was so thoroughly disappointed by what I had hoped would be a simple treasure hunt that I quit for the day. I had spent nearly an hour running around looking for something that definitely wasn’t worth the time.

As I look back, I can see how I was sucked into what was perhaps an unintentional addictive game element. While extras such as this treasure trove are meant to be somewhat elusive (if not time-consuming), I had taken on the typical addict’s view of “it’s just around the next corner” or “just one more try.” I hate that part of myself sometimes, because I lose sight of what’s really important (in terms of the game and my life in general) and become focused sometimes to the point of hindrance. On certain memory mini-games, for example, I could not try more than ten times at once because I would no longer be able to keep track of all the elements. One such games involved remembering the order in which I had to kill the five thieves, and after ten tries, I had been holding the order for fifty separate thieves in my short-term memory.

In the end, I left Moley’s Treasure Trove alone and decided to move on. Even if I had stupidly missed something, it was not worth my time anymore. I shut off the game in my frustration and took a break.  

There are few games that you play and actually think, “Wow, if I could make a game like this, my life would be complete.” After playing Okami for an hour, I’m convinced that it will likely be one of those truly innovative games that everyone will wish they had created.

Okami’s most striking feature is the visual design. The world and characters are all made to look like Japanese brush paintings. The designs are a type of hybrid between 2D and 3D, where the lines are in 2D but the watercolor-style colors and character movement create a sense of 3D perspective. After obtaining a paintbrush, you gain the ability to paint the world and mold this fantastic reality.

The story of Okami was laid out like a storybook in the beginning, with simple 2D animation sequences and gibberish voice-over narration. It is based on traditional Japanese mythology, but it was captivating to watch. When the story switches to cinematics later on, the movements of the wolf are captivatingly realistic in their ability to portray her as a living animal. As a former dog owner, I know what expressions dogs can and can’t make.

The gameplay itself is very smooth. The wolf’s movements are animated to highlight the fluidity of this animal’s movements. Fights are fairly straightforward and don’t require a laborious wait. The paintbrush feature aids in battles and can be used to fill in pieces of the environment. Unlike other games, this feature is not in a separate space; the paintbrush can be applied at any time as an overlay for the current view. While the paintbrush will only react to certain objects, this seamlessness in which it is integrated into the game puts the player in the position of the artist and author of reality.

As you may have noticed from the beginning of my blog, I had been feeling frustrated for a long time with my gameplay. I had started several games without getting attached. I miss that feeling of addiction that I found so often with RPGs. Since Final Fantasy X, I have been searching for the next game that would pull me in. With Final Fantasy XII newly released, I thought it would be that. However, I received it in the mail and didn’t even touch it yet. So why was Okami so much more fascinating to me than the other games?

Okami was fairly simple and straightforward in the beginning. It was friendly in that you couldn’t run off the edge of the level and die. The wolf you control never talks, like a real animal. Your companion, a bug, has silly comments that keep the story from being dragged down by stuffy mystical drama. The bug tells you what to do and has character – he gets jealous yet compliments you on your new abilities. The NPCs say interesting things and seem to have their own lives. The visuals are fresh and beautiful and the paintbrush feature is quite innovative.

Traditionally, I have been a sucker for long games with good visual design. Maybe that’s because I want to escape to a world as beautiful (if not more so) than the world we inhabit. I grew up in Oregon, where I was surrounded by lush green. I love the clear blues of tropical oceans and vibrant sunsets. One of my favorite aspects of Final Fantasy X was the use of color. The sunny beaches and vibrant environments made it feel like a vacation. I love taking a trip to imagined worlds in games when it feels like a relaxing, captivating break from life.

I hope to make a game someday as beautiful as Okami. The visual design is only one part. The innovative paintbrush mechanic, seamless movement, and overall fluidity in the fantastic 2D/3D hybrid realm that really make the game shine. I am excited to be able to play more of Okami and rediscover my passion for gaming again.  

As an aspiring game designer, I knew that I had to play Zelda sooner or later. Embarrassed not to immediately associate the name “Link” with happy childhood memories unlike many of my peers, I decided I could avoid Nintendo no longer. I had always had a PlayStation and never bothered to play Nintendo games (due to the seemingly limited options available for games on their consoles) and had never been a big fan of Mario. Yet the Zelda series kept coming up in class discussions and casual conversations. As an RPG fan as well, I was long overdue to play Zelda.

Fortunately, my professor brought The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker to class today. I jumped at the opportunity and sat down to play. I was engrossed in the game and found the island strikingly similar to that in the original Kingdom Hearts. I played for a good twenty minutes before noticing that a few people had gathered around to watch. I offered to let them play, but was glad when they declined. I was finally getting the hang of the controls and the style of the game.

When a mystical bird flew in with a girl in its talons, I was quickly reminded an article on Shigeru Miyamoto. It talked about his sense of exploration and fun. The colorful world of Zelda held the distinctive, imaginative style that has defined Miyamoto’s games since the original Mario series. I began to see why such a fan base has grown.

An hour later, class was over. Sadly, I could not save my progress or return to play Zelda later. However, I was excited to play again. I even considered buying a GameCube. I would not mind playing that hour again because it was a lot of fun.

When I returned home, another game in the same genre was waiting in my mailbox: Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. I had an opportunity to play it later in the day. After feeling stressed from the week, I was glad to have a fun game to play (after having rented so many games exclusively for my school project).

This game started out with a lengthy cinematic process. Once into the game, however, it was mainly platformer action. I enjoyed the playful style and friendly characters. One particular task, herding creatures resembling water buffalos into a pen for a farmer, reminded me of a very similar task in the third Spyro game. I player for a couple hours.

However, I ran into much more frustration in Jak and Daxter. I was continually dying, but there wasn’t a limit on the number of lives. Toward the end, I believe I spent about ten minutes trying to beat a boss. I kept dying, but about 80% of the time I died was from carelessness during the simple jumps to get to the boss. I was so angry about losing that I lost my focus. I was so stubborn that I kept at it over and over again, and finally beat the boss. I played a little bit longer after that, and got stuck. I was still upset from beating the boss and quit around 1 a.m. to get some sleep.

After playing both platformers, I began to wonder why one had appealed to me so much more than the other. Both games were made into best-selling series. Both had whimsical creatures and bright, playful levels. The characters and stories were rich. It seemed to come down to the puzzles and difficulties. The Zelda game felt more intellectual and charming, such as when you could discover that you can hide under barrels to avoid getting caught unarmed. The Jak game had more meaningless mini-games, such as catching 200 fish (catch only two of the three types and the speed at which they swim increases) or the animal herding. It reminded me of Kingdom Hearts II and getting frustrated with ridiculous tasks.

While both games may be strong, I believe that they do appeal to different types of players. Zelda requires more of a puzzling mind, where you have to ask yourself how you can use what you know to solve the problem. Jak and Daxter gave less initial guidance but left the world so open that you had to discover things for yourself that had less bearing on mental challenge and left more to chance or physical skill. While both games satisfied my need to run around and collect items, I found that Zelda was more fun, simply because it was crafted like a puzzle; all the pieces were there and you just had to figure out how to use them. I felt like I was respected as a player to solve simple challenges that were attainable with a little thought. With Jak, the action was there, but the cleverness and subtlety was not.

I am not sure whether the fluidity of Zelda was due to the countless iterations and since the beginning of the Zelda series or simply more compatible elements (simple puzzles as opposed to mini-games in the same game type). However, I do think that the Jak games would appeal to players who are less inclined to want to think through a puzzle and simply win by pushing through the incidents of ridiculously menial tasks.  

A few days ago, I received a rental in the mail. This week, it was Tomb Raider: Legend. I have never been a huge fan of the Tomb Raider series; I had only played Tomb Raider II briefly. While I enjoyed the earlier game’s Croft Manor training level (and was amused to no end when I discovered how you could shut the butler in the freezer), I had lost interest once the real adventure started. I didn’t like the one-hit death policy as a beginner. However, after hearing rave reviews of this game and its relatively short completion time (10 hours), I was excited to check out this game. After all, it was supposed to be the Lara’s comeback.

I started up the game and saw an interesting option on the menu: Croft Manor. From my previous Tomb Raider experience, I assumed that it was a training level. If not, I thought that it would at least help me to get a feel for the controls. It turns out that Lara can run around a large, open hallway and un up to her friends. However, she cannot talk to them or enter any doors until the first level was completed. So much for a training level. I exited and began a new game on beginner mode (since I rarely play this genre).

The opening cut scene was simple enough: a cute younger Lara gets in a plane crash (part of her history which I knew from other media). The graphics were only as good as the in-game playing graphics, but those are decent. It wasn’t RPG-quality, but it wasn’t meant for that audience.

I first gained control of Lara on a cliff. The path to follow is fairly easy to find – there is really only one way to go (usually up or out, depending on the level). Lara is fairly forgiving (aside from as incident when she died after falling 15 feet) and has excellent agility. She can grab ropes and ledges if you get her within a reasonable vicinity, making the game less stressful. She can also take out enemies easily; you barely have to aim. Both made for an ease of gameplay that allowed me to move fairly quickly and focus on the adventure rather than the details. Also, there is a tutorial, but it is integrated into the first level (another friendly feature). While some of the moves took a couple of tries, there was really no penalty if you did die over and over practicing (it appears as if the lives are not limited).

However, I easily got past my first onslaught of enemies without having to use a single medi-pack. I had to leave two to go to waste on the ground, as I could only carry three. Perhaps the enemies were easier because I was in beginner mode. At any rate, I entered my first temple and died a couple times over some spikes. The 15-second load screen after death is little penalty; it’s just a bit annoying if you die multiple times in a row (but you usually regenerate at certain “checkpoints” that are located conveniently near particularly challenging obstacles).

I was having an okay time running through the game until I got through the first puzzle. It is confusing and complex, especially compared to the rest of the game. This is the part where I usually diligently follow a strategy guide so I can continue on my merry way. I looked up a guide online, but soon realized that I didn’t really care about solving the puzzle. Why?

First of all, the game felt a little too easy. Also, I was running through Bolivia for apparently no reason. The witty comments didn’t catch my interest and there was little character to speak of. The NPCs I shot were so flat that I felt less guilty shooting them than the animals. I naturally avoid games that will stress me out (since I am very jumpy and a little bit neurotic, so my life is stressful enough). While this game was low stress (and thus very playable for its genre to someone like me), I still could not get into it. I had little interest in the affairs of Lara and did not want to take the time to solve the complex puzzles. I decided to send it back.

When I think about the game now, I would still rate it as a good adventure game. I think that the standard or advanced modes would provide a more even challenge in the game (and the puzzles would match those difficulties better). It just didn’t capture my interest, and I believe that that is mainly because of the type of player I am. I really love the Spyro trilogy and RPGs like Final Fantasy. Both have pretty colors. The RPGs I have really enjoyed are not only beautiful but also have complex, engaging stories. I like games that don’t try too hard to seem cool (unlike Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft) and kill creatures that are hurting the world (such as mythical or silly monsters, not beautiful leopards in Bolivia). If a game has puzzles, I want to be able to solve them within a few tries or have a strategy guide for the hard ones. I think it is good for me to play these other genres for inspiration and gain an understanding of mechanics. However, I think I will continue to send them back after a couple hours simply because of my nature.