Super Gaming: April 2015

Dark Messiah: Might and Magic (PC)

Developer:

Arkane, Floodgate and Kuju

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Release Date:

2006

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Systems:

Windows, Xbox 360

Today on Super Adventures, I'm finally taking a look at Dark Messiah of... hang on, where's the 'of'? Everyone knows the game is called 'Dark Messiah of Might and Magic', that's what it's called on Wikipedia, that's what it's called on Steam, that's what is written in the press releases, so why isn't there an 'of' on the title screen? It's not there on the box either, or the manual, or the official website... huh I guess the game really is called Dark Messiah: Might and Magic.

Though 'Might and Magic: Dark Messiah' would've made more sense, seeing as it's part of the Might and Magic franchise. Just saying.

Anyway, this was actually the very first game I ever bought on Steam, way back in July 2012. It's not that I was still holding a grudge after 8 years for all the bullshit I had to go through to install my DVD copy of Half-Life 2... I'd just stopped buying PC games entirely by that point because companies were in an arms race to see who could develop the scariest DRM, and retail discs had become a minefield. Not that I didn't have a Steam library, but at that point it was basically a handful of Half-Lifes, a Humble Bundle or two and Ricochet. And yet it's still taken me until now to play the bloody thing.

Now I'm wondering what was I playing that month that was so much more worthy of my time. Hmm, my site notes say MDK, Superfrog... and Sensible Train-Spotting? I didn't even publish that last one until June the next year, so I don't know what the hurry there was. It's very annoying how my notes don't include explanations for all my bad decisions. Anyway, I'll be playing this for an hour (or more) and yelling out how it plays as I go. In text.

WARNING: EVENTUALLY SPIDERS.

(Click the screenshots to make them bigger).
Read on »

About formal analysis of gameplay

To construct meaning and understand the complex relationships of gameplay and player, it’s necessary to observe the ludic universe with an accurate vision. Gaming research helps us find some answers for this intricate industry, creating better experiences. In this context, it’s fundamental to remember that “(g)ames are seen as data and the research build understanding on games and how they work, provide experiences or information to its players” (LANKOSKI; BJÖRK, 2015, p.6).

One methodological form to observe the binomial relation gameplay-player is formal analysis. Formal analysis of gameplay, specifically in games, takes a basis in studying a game independently of context or platform, that is, without regarding which specific people are playing a specific instance of the game; although a specific group of players (independent of age, gender or social class) can be considered for the analysis, it’s important to highlight these are descriptions of players used for analyzing the gameplay and not descriptions of their gameplay (LANKOSKI; BJÖRK, 2015, p.23).

As an example, we can bring to our discussion the analysis of an analogical game (dice, card, board) and its rulebook to discover nuances about the underlying system. In this case, a formal analysis could be done purely by observing the gaming components and together with the understanding gained by playing; the experience of the players and how gaming dynamics operates processes in this context is another important point of the analysis (LANKOSKI; BJÖRK, 2015, p.23).

There’s a lack of books about methodological principles for games, but recently a very good one was launched for free on the Internet. Its name is “Game research methods: an overview”, a very complete compendium with many good articles that certainly will enlighten your thoughts about gaming research. CLICK HERE to download.

Reference:

LANKOSKI, Petri; BJÖRK, Staffan (Eds.). Game research methods: an overview. Halifax: ETC Press, 2015.

Going On Vacation? Now Is The Time to Book Your Pet Sitter !

BY: Laurie Brzostowski, President, Snaggle Foot Dog Walks and Pet Care-Round Lake, IL

Well, it is that time of year. We, in the pet sitting business, are now starting to get clients scheduling for Summer vacations... Woo Hoo !!!!

But, there are always those new or even current clients who call us 3 days before a vacation starts asking us if we can take care of their pets.

Most of the time we cannot because we are already booked. Because of this, it is important that you schedule your pet sitting needs as far in advance as you can.

I personally hate turning clients away but if I am already booked there is nothing I can do to help you. Even referring to another pet sitter probably won't help as they are in the same situation as I am.

So, here are 10 tips to get you on the pet sitters schedule in time to enjoy your vacation:

If you have pets, and you are planning on going away for vacation, call a pet sitter immediately and make arrangements. Do not wait until the hotel and flight is booked.. that may be too late. If you are a new client, most pet sitters need to meet with you in advance to go over any and all logistics of the visit and get you on the schedule.
Don't forget when planning your vacation budget, you must also plan the pet sitting costs. This should help with "sticker shock" if you already know how much it will cost to have your pets taken care of while you are away.
If your pets require vaccinations, make sure all pets are vaccinated before your pet visits begin. Most pet sitters require pets to be vaccinated and may require proof of vaccination.
Make sure you read your pet sitters cancellation policies. During peak vacation times, pet sitters may require payment up front or a down payment and cancellations too close to the actual visit dates may forfeit some or all of your payment.
When going away on long vacations, make sure you give your pet sitters emergency contact information and give YOUR contact information, whether that be your cell phone number and the hotel or friend you will staying at/with.
If you are going overseas, it is even more important to give your pet sitter contact information in case of an emergency, preferably a friend or family member who is still in the area of where you live.
Make sure you notify your veterinarian that your pet sitter will act as proctor for any pet care should it be needed, this includes medications.
Make sure that if you come home early from your vacation, notify your pet sitter immediately. If you do not contact them they could already be on the way to complete their visit and you may still be charged for that visit. Again, read any and all cancellation policies.
If you are going away for a long period of time, make sure you leave phone numbers for any repairmen including heating/air conditioning, water heaters, etc. Things tend to happen when homeowners are away and pet sitters will need those numbers to get any major issues taken care of.
Best tip yet.. If you schedule in advance, now you can relax, pack and enjoy your vacation with your friends and family !!!!!!

The king of kong : A Fistful of quarters

A documentary about fanatic players, records and games. The king of kong is one of my favorites movies about the gaming industry and I want to share this content in this post. Watch the full video below:

Synopsis: Named "Video Game Player of the Century" in 1999, Billy Mitchell sets a record score in "Donkey Kong" that many felt would never be broken. In 2003 Steve Wiebe, who has recently lost his job, learns about the record, sets out to beat it and does. So both men embark on a cross-country battle for inclusion in the 2007 Guinness Book of World Records as the supreme king of the electronic game.

#GoGamers

Flea and Tick Season Is Here!

BY: Laurie Brzostowski, President, Snaggle Foot Dog Walks and Pet Care-Round Lake, IL

This blog post is just a reminder that Flea and Tick season is now upon us. Fleas and Ticks can cause severe illness to your whole family so make sure you and your pets are protected.

Flea bites can cause skin disorders, infections and allergies, and spread tapeworms. And bacteria spread from infected tick bites can cause Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that can affect humans, dogs and cats.

Lyme disease is characterized by lameness, swollen joints and fever. Ticks carrying Lyme disease don’t discriminate, so it is imperative to take a proactive stance in protecting not only your pet, but your family from this debilitating disease.

The following are some steps to take to help protect your family and your pet from Fleas and Ticks:

Treat Your Pet: The first step is to apply a preventative treatment on your dog and/or cat such as Frontline or Advantix. If you are not sure about the type of treatment to use, please contact your veterinarian immediately. The sooner you protect your pet the better.

Treat Your Home: Washing pet bedding, vacuuming carpets and treating with household insecticide sprays, powders and foggers are good first steps to ridding your home of fleas and preventing infestations. Make sure you use a spray that’s pet friendly and designed to reach the hiding places of fleas -- rugs, carpets, drapes and upholstery.

Treat Your Yard: Your yard should be a safe zone for pets to play, not a place to pick up parasites. Ticks, which are usually dark brown or black, have pincers and can be spotted by the naked eye. Fleas are tiny, brown insects and can be difficult to spot. Spray your yard and around the foundation of your home to kill flea populations. Make sure you spray while your pets and family members are not around as some of these sprays are toxic.

How to Remove a Tick:

Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible.
Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.

Keeping your pets and family healthy is priority number one. Make sure you take proactive steps in keeping everyone safe !

Deluxe Galaga (Amiga) - Part 1

Deluxe Galaga 2.6C title screen

Developer:

Edgar M. Vigdal

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Release Date:

1995

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Systems:

Amiga, Windows, Mac, iOS

I don't play shareware games for Super Adventures as a rule, but I thought I'd make an exception this once, because I'm a sucker for a pretty starfield.

Deluxe Galaga used to be one of my favourite Amiga games back in the day, so I was always going to get around to writing about it eventually. The main thing that was putting me off is that it looks like... well, Galaga. It's not actually a licenced Galaga sequel, it's just inspired by the game, but it still features a lot of tiny alien sprites against black background and that doesn't necessarily make for the most interesting screenshots, or give me much to write about.

But then I learned that the game's creator, Edgar M. Vigdal, had died of cancer a few weeks ago on April 1st, and suddenly I'm feeling that it's been too long since I last gave the game some attention.
Read on »

Deluxe Galaga (Amiga) - Part 2

Click this link for if you'd rather be reading the first half: Part one.
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Bloodborne: a ludic masochism

Last week, I started to play Bloodborne (Playstation 4, 2015). As Dark Souls and Demons Souls, the new From Software game has an extreme level of difficulty and challenge. Every simple wrong move could put you six feet under and, every time you die, you lose all your progress. Add to this equation some monsters with weapons and the stage is ready for the fight.

This is a game where you need patience to learn small details to survive. A friend of mine even questioned me why people like to play this kind of game. It’s a “ludic masochism”, he sad. Check the trailer below:

Well, the gaming industry is plural and we have games for all kinds of players. Bloodborne fits in a category of high-challenging games, and an example of it is the great difficulty of the narrative. Jesper Juul (2013) helps us understand better this ecosystem and how people play this kind of “torture”. The author teaches us that “games are a perspective on failure and learning as enjoyment, or satisfaction” (2013, p.45). To complement this idea, Juul (2013, p.56) also says that “we are emotionally affected by games, and we are aware of this before we start playing”.

This feeling of failure and victory are sides of the same coin. One thing is important: the game must have a plausible solution even for well-skilled players. An impossible game could be only a frustrating experience. Giving hints of progress is fundamental in this scenario. And it’s important to remember that the “problem with fictional tragedy also showed that it is failure that makes us feel responsible for the events in the fictional “JUUL, 2015, p.117).

I think we must play all kinds of games, from casual games to experiments like Bloodborne. In both cases, I try to identify how the experience of victory and failure is created inside the gaming world. This is a fantastic exercise for game designers.

Reference:

JUUL, Jesper. The Art of Failure: an essay on the pain of playing video games. Cambridge/London: MIT Press, 2013.

Would Acupuncture Help My Dog?

BY: Laurie Brzostowski, President, Snaggle Foot Dog Walks and Pet Care-Round Lake, IL

I have been hearing a lot of news lately regarding giving acupuncture to dogs. In fact, a friend of mine actually did do this for her doggie when he was having problems with his back legs.

I find this very interesting so I thought I would do some research on it and pass on the information to any of you who may considering this for your dogs. Here is some information I found. If you are interested, it is always a good idea to contact your veterinarian for more information.

What Can Veterinary Acupuncture Do for My Dog?

Veterinary acupuncture stimulates the release of the body’s own pain relieving and anti-inflammatory substances.
Relaxation of muscles at the site of needle insertion and more distant locations body is achieved with veterinary acupuncture treatment, creating both a local and generalized pain relieving effect. Veterinary acupuncture improves tissue blood flow, oxygenation, and removal of metabolic wastes and toxins.
Unlike prescription and over the counter pain medications, veterinary acupuncture lacks potential adverse side effects for your pet’s internal organs.
Your pet’s medications or supplements will not adversely interact with veterinary acupuncture treatment; therefore it can safely be used to treat a variety of illnesses.

How Does Veterinary Acupuncture Work?
The goal of acupuncture is to promote the body to heal itself. From a Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) perspective, veterinary acupuncture encourages healing by correcting energy imbalances in the body. Acupuncture enhances blood circulation, nervous system stimulation, and the release of anti-inflammatory and pain relieving hormones.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of needles into body tissue where nerve bundles and blood vessels come together. These collections of nervous and vascular tissue are termed acupuncture points, which course over all aspects of the body’s surface on meridians (energy channels). The meridians permit a cycle of energy to occur throughout the entire body over the course of the day’s 24 hours.

Besides needle insertion, other acupuncture treatments are also available. Check with your vet to get information on the other acupuncture options.

What Conditions Can be Managed with Veterinary Acupuncture?

Veterinary acupuncture can be used to treat a variety of conditions, particularly those that involve inflammation and pain.

Arthritis
Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD)
Trauma
Cancer
Metabolic Disease

What Environment is Best for Acupuncture?
House call based veterinary acupuncture alleviates the physical and behavioral stress associated with transportation to and from a veterinary facility. Additionally, as animal hospitals are traditionally places of illness, the potential for exposure to infectious disease is reduced when a pet is treated at home.

How Frequently Does My Pet Need Veterinary Acupuncture Treatment?

Dogs and cats start with more frequent treatments then are tapered off to a less frequent interval for maintenance. Most patients benefit from one to three sessions per week during the initial few weeks. The goal is to achieve the greatest duration of time where a pet’s condition appears improved or has resolved.

The effects of veterinary acupuncture treatment are cumulative, so consistent treatment is more beneficial than intermittent.

If you are thinking about this type of treatment it is always best to talk to your veterinarian. He or she may already have some contacts in your area you can call upon. Either way, anything we can do to help our pets is always worth checking out.

Batman: Return of the Joker (NES)

Developer:

Sunsoft

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Release Date:

1991

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Systems:

NES, Genesis

Today on Super Adventures I'm taking a look at Batman: Return of the Joker, the sort-of sequel to Sunsoft's Batman: The Video Game, which was released for the NES two years earlier.

Batman: The Video Game was a tie-in with Tim Burton's 1989 'Batman' movie (thoughtfully given a subtitle so that people wouldn't get them confused and end up shoving the cartridge into their VCR), and this also shares the movie's shiny golden 'BATMAN' text so I'm presuming they're part of the same continuity. But ~SPOILERS~ The Joker didn't just get locked away in Arkham or go into hiding at the end of the movie, he got dropped off a giant gothic church tower to his very definite pavement-assisted demise. In fact in the end of the NES game Batman punches him off the church roof, which is kind of hardcore for a man that never kills, but the end result is much the same. So if The Joker really has returned here, then he's come back from the dead.

Incidentally this has nothing to do with the 'Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker' animated movie, as that came out about a decade later and has its own set of games. Though it's still about The Joker coming back from the dead.

The guy is like... weeds or something.
Read on »

More about iterative process

Iterative design for games is one of my favorites subjects.

One first view about this methodological process comes from Zimmerman (2003, p.176), who says, “Iterative design is a design methodology based on a cyclic process of prototyping, testing, analyzing, and refining a work in progress”.

Source: http://goo.gl/i1wTfu

Complementing the previous idea, the process of iterative design for games, according to Fullerton, Swain and Hoffman (2008 p. 249) can be divided into few stages: A) conceptual phase: consists of generating ideas, formalizing and testing them; B) pre-production: here the ideas are reviewed to evolve and be tested again; C) the production stage: the game is tested and revised with different groups of play testers to locate errors*; D) phase of quality assurance: where the game is tested to be launched without errors.

*It's essential in this process to revise the game with different groups of play testers to locate problems and searching a free-error product (Holopainen et al., 2010, p.1).

References:

Fullerton, T., Swain., C., Hoffman, S. Game design workshop: a playcentric approach to creating innovative games. Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Burlington, 2008.

Holopainen, J., Nummenmaa, T., & Kuittinen, J. (2010). Modelling experimental game design. Proceedings of DiGRA Nordic 2010: Experiencing Games: Games, Play, and Players (click here for download)

Zimmerman, E. (2003). Play as research: the iterative design process. Design Research: methods and perspectives, 176-184 (click here for download).

Alien: Isolation (PC) - Part 2

Click this link if you want to return to where this all began: Part one.
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Alien: Isolation (PC) - Part 1

Developer:

Creative Assembly

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Release Date:

2014

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Systems:

PS3, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows

Today on Super Adventures, I'm taking a look at scary, stealthy, 'Alien' sequel Alien: Isolation.

Isolation was in development at The Creative Assembly around the same time as Gearbox and friends were working on Aliens: Colonial Marines, but while that project was very public (with expensive consequences for Sega when the finished product failed to live up to the trailers), Isolation remained hidden in the shadows until the year of release. Another big difference between the games is that everyone loved this one! It was a huge success with both critics and players!

I watched both 'Alien' and 'Aliens' in preparation for looking at Colonial Marines the other day, so I'm in a bit of an Alien mood right now. The thing is though, I'm coming from the perspective of someone who's never gotten on with survival horror games, doesn't like pure stealth, hates replaying levels, and doesn't appreciate too much of a challenge, so the game might not be the perfect fit for me. On the other hand it was a Christmas present from someone who reads the site and I kind of know a couple of people employed at Creative Assembly so I can't actually say anything bad about the game. I'm sure you understand.

But It's a first person sci-fi game with amazing visuals and critical acclaim practically across the board, so chances are that I'm going to end up liking it. I'll give it a couple of hours either way, sharing my thoughts as I go.

BEWARE OF SPOILERS FOR THE GAME AND MAYBE THE MOVIES TOO I DUNNO.

(Click screenshots to view them at a very reasonable 1920x1080 resolution with all the graphics on high.)
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Monument Valley – Forgotten Shores

I talked about Monument Valley (UsTwo, 2014) one year ago. This game holds a special place in my smartphone and in my heart.

It’s an immersive experience created with puzzles (based on Escher illustrations) and synchronized with an awesome soundtrack that responds to player actions. It’s a masterpiece.

Now, the game gained its first expansion pack: The Forgotten Shores. With new eight levels of puzzles, the game works with new kinds of interface interaction. Check the improvements on the trailer below:

Forgotten Shores is a lesson on how to maintain an engaging game in its expansion pack. The experience is short but very instigating. It’s an essential game to study and play many times.

Aliens: Colonial Marines (PC) - Part 2

Click the highlighted text to return to the horror of part one.
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Aliens: Colonial Marines (PC) - Part 1

Developer:

Gearbox, TimeGate, Nerve

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Release Date:

2013

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Systems:

Windows, PS3, Xbox 360

Last year on Super Adventures I decided that April 1st would be the perfect day to give a critically mauled Duke Nukem Forever a fighting chance to win me over. Because if I ended up liking it I could always pass my opinions off as being a joke and escape with my reputation intact. So today I’m going to pull the same trick with the hated Aliens: Colonial Marines and see if I can find the good in it too.

Like DNF, this is a first person shooter famous for taking ages to make and impressing absolutely no one by the time it finally came out, though it wasn't in the oven for quite as long before it got rushed out and served undercooked. It started late 2006 and finished early 2013, with folks saying that it spent 4 years at Gearbox, then around 18 months outsourced to TimeGate, and then 9 more months at Gearbox. Apparently huge chunks were reworked each time it swapped over, which left Sega agreeing to pay out $1.25 million to settle a class-action suit when people discovered to their dismay that the demos they'd been shown were demonstrating content and visuals that hadn't survived to the final product.

Anyway I'm playing the PC version here, which I've heard is the least crap of them. I usually only play games for an hour or two to get an impression of what kind of game they are, but this time I’m going to keep playing the single player campaign until either I start liking it or I really can’t take any more. I even watched both 'Alien' and 'Aliens' in preparation so I can nitpick about every tiny thing it gets wrong! I could end up spoiling elements of any of the films in the series though (plus a decent amount of this game, obviously), so if that's an issue you should get out now while you're still safe.

(Click screenshots to view them slightly bigger.)
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