Platform: Sony Playstation
Developer: Squaresoft (Now part of Square Enix)
Release: North America Version, 2000

Summary:
Threads of Fate is played through two heroes which the player can choose, the mysterious Rue and ex-crown princess Mint. Both of them are hunting down a powerful artifact known as the relic which is said to give one the power to do anything in order to fulfill their own agendas. The story will differ depending on the character picked but most of the quests are similar to each other. You're heading for the same goal but how each of the main character takes it is different. However after completing one character you can continue on to play the other main character. Complete both of the protagonist story will unlock the 'true' ending which is based on the two storylines.

Gameplay:
Depending on the character you pick, the gameplay will be different. Rue is the warrior type who takes down enemies with his club/axe weapon. His special skill is to take on the form and ability of the monster he has defeated which will leave a disc behind. Rue can only take up a limited set of monsters so any new ones will replace the older ones. This ability allows you to not only defeat your enemies and also solve puzzles in the game. Mint however is your typical magic user and uses these large hoops for her melee attack. Her set of magic she can uses are elemental base with varying strength and range that can be collected as the story goes along.

(Rue as a red monster lizard)
(Mint's Magic- Can only at set one spell)

One interesting thing to note is that you don't really collect any items(not including in quest items) other than coins which are used to revive you when you die in the game. Yes there is an item shop but the items you buy are immediately used and they're all for you to increase your stats only. That means no special effect like immunity to some elements of speed up, etc. Mana can be regained through time but for health you need to defeat monsters and hope they drop potions; red for mana, blue for health.

There are no level up features in the game nor is there any experience gained when fighting enemies. Only the chance to increase your stats by either going to a shop or doing a special quest. So most of the time you have to make sure that your health and mana are both sufficient before heading into the dungeons.

Graphics:
The 3D graphics can be considered good for during that time. The graphics are colorful though simple. It is not as realistic as some of the games now like Final Fantasy but it is still visually pleasing with the exception of one scene with Fancy Mel's place which is painfully bright and lots of odd colors. But since she is supposedly an oddball(but powerful) character so the developers probably did this on purpose.

What makes the game so compelling:
I guess what really draws me are the characters in the game. You have main characters that have a personality of their own and talk (I know too many games with the heroic mime...). There are some pretty interesting dialog littered in the game which makes the experience more fun.

(Yes, he is really dressed as a star...)

Is it fun?:
Yep. Especially when you're someone who is very new to action RPG games. It's not complicated and the graphics are nice. There are mini games which you can play and you can revisit the dungeons again, without the boss monsters though.

Is it hard:
For seasoned players, no. It will actually be quite a breeze. Unfortunately, this game was one of my first games I played so I actually took a long time to finish both Mint's and Rue's story and get the secret ending. There are rumors of people able to complete this game within a day...

DIVA LIFE - (Facebook game)

Move over Celion Dion because it's time for Sarah Alphonse to dance with the mic.
Ok so basically I've been playing this game for awhile.
Sorry, I'm not into Mafia wars or Vampire Wars or Battleship yada yada yada.
As everyone can see, I'm quite delusional and I like thinking I'm living the life as a rich and famous person.

So basically that's the gist of the game.
It isn't a 3D game where you create any simulative characters or anything.
The whole game is designed to be accomplished through endless clicks of only the right mouse button.
Yes, only a few simple clicks would allow you to stand up in comparison to fierce Divas like Ty-Ty Banks, Janice D and Whitney Houston.

So what is the game about?
This game can be found on Facebook. The game is about climbing the social ladder of fame. If you've always wanted to stroll along with the stars on the red carpet in Hollywood and never want to wake up from that dream, then do join me cause' you are just a click away from being famous(yeah right). You start of with your own personal manager who kick starts your career as either a singer, an actress or just a socialite. Your career will be determined by the short survey that you will do in the beginning, before the game actually begins. This is when you will fill out your potential Diva name, pick out her preferences and etc. You will eventually progress with experience points, through gigs that have been sorted out for you by your manager, showdowns with other Divas and their entourages, or through expensive purchases you make at the plaza. The aim of the game is mainly to have a huge entourage, good rep amongst the stars, and constant upgrade of your wardrobe's style and your poise.

What makes this game so compelling?
Well, I wouldn't exactly say this game is compelling to boys or anything, unless you happen to be fully metrosexual and everything. I would say that this game attracts people who are so delusional, in denial with their current status, and those who just want attention. AH, I TOTALLY FIT THE BILL I KNOW....
But it's true, it's compelling enough to me because I just want to feel like I am famous and I have power and I can out-do another diva through some major tap dancing choreography.

Is it fun?
HELLLLLLLLLL TO THE YEAH? Ok firstly I apologize because it takes so little for me to be happy considering..... ok we shan't go there. Well basically, even though the game mechanics are simplified down to just clicking of the right mouse button, it's enough fun to see the WINNER tab blinking repeatedly and decorated with stars on my side of the screen when I go into battle with a rival diva(who happens to be a facebook player as well). The rival divas are usually unknown and they also have several friends who play the game. That's how your entourage increases. Also, we get to 'buy' clothes from Prada and Juicy Couture and headache pills and gold lining microphones with our well earned moolah... oh-so-satisfying. Thank you Virtual world!

Is it interesting?
I'd say it's interesting because the game has several ways to which you need to gain the experience points in order for you to advance to the next level. You need to do a few gigs, tarnish a few reputations, buy nice clothes and etc etc etc. The game is constantly being upgraded because you can now custom the way your character looks so that her face will appear in the avatar provided. You can choose hair colour, length, face shape, clothing style, and skin colour.

Ok let me break down for you several things the game offers. Ok, here are examples of gigs that you will have to take on in order to earn some celebrity MOOLAHS. Ah yes, we're talking about the big (fake) bucks... When you do a gig, you use up energy which needs to be regenerated and thus there is a timer of about 2mins for 1 unit of either energy/moxie/reputation to increase. Unless of course you have a credit card, you can always replenish yourself ASAP... We're talking REAL money here. Nothing fake about that. So as you get better and better, you will advance to a higher challenge, which mine is challenge 7 for now.

So as you can see from the printscreen below, I'm a Femme Fatale. Watch your back....HEH.

Ok well this is a breakdown of the achievements/accomplishments you have so far. There are several new features added like the Emerald/Ruby/Diamond Episodes. I have yet to find out about that so THAT EXPLAINS the 0 there... Well what you guys should focus on is the Clashes won... HAH! Yes, I won 175 battles to date.

There. That's also a printscreen of rival divas who are around your standards who are up for battle. When you choose a diva to battle with, you have to make sure you have enough reputation and moxie for a cat fight. Moxie is the amount of jazztalk that you have equipped with you...(better known as bullshit maybe??)
You also gotta make sure you have enough or slightly more girls in your entourage when you go for a battle because you don't want to be circled by 15 gangsta momma's... When you win a battle, you get to keep whatever money that they are holding on to, and you will tarnish their reputation as a diva... when you lose, you will suffer the consequences by waiting really long to regain moxie/reputation(unless you use your credit card!) or you could maybe cure yourself by shopping at 'the plaza' for new stuffs... increase your poise and style while you are damaged.

Here you see are examples of things you can purchase with your fake money and all. This items will increase your style and poise points when you go into battle with a rival diva... In any case you go bankrupt, you would be able to sell them back at half the price... So this is my chance to get me hands on a Cavalli without breaking the bank...

Yet another way of earning money would be to put your fake money into investments like having your own celebrity blogs where people would visit and you would earn (i.e Nuffnang). You can upgrade the investments you have at any point of time and collect all the money you earn and deposit the moolah into your bank after every hour...

In a WRAP PLEASE???
Ok so I think I've explained a little too much. So I'll wrap it up in a few more pointers.
1) Clawing out through the virtual world is.cool.enough.
2) To date, I have $2, 089, 376 in my virtual bank. I'm more richer than any of you!!!!
3) According to my manager, he has booked me a slot to perform along the cast of Chicago once they touch down over here.
4) Not a game for the shy and demure.
5) I need to go and powder my nose now so please leave me a text and I MIGHT reply you once I am done practising my script as a guest star for 90210.

TTYL.

Platform : Nintendo 64/Wii Virtual Console/Nintendo DS

Developer : Nintendo

Release : 1996

This is the game changer. Well, as far as 3D platforming games go.  Super Mario 64 is the first game in the series to sport a change of perspective, moving from the flat 2D world to a fantastic 3D polygonal one. It is also the game that set a new standard for the genre, providing a template for the myriad platforming games that follow after it.

Like all other Super Mario games, the cast and story is simple and familiar. Princess Peach wrote a letter to invite Mario over for a cake. When Mario arrived at the castle, he realized that the princess was once again missing and was kidnapped/transformed by none other than Bowser himself.

Since the gameplay is being brought into a new 3D perspective, controls of the game changed. The N64 controller is made to good use and it would even seem like the controller was designed specifically for this game. The controls are perfect. The analog stick is used to make Mario move, with 360 degree freedom, around the world. With the additional buttons on the N64 controller, Mario is also not limited to his usual jump and stomp attack anymore. He is now able to punch, slide, crouch and roll. Mario is also capable of pulling off more advanced moves such as butt stomps, long jumps, wall jumps, back somersaults and triple jumps that allow him to reach areas which aren’t accessible without them. All these may sound extremely complicated, almost to the point of being able to imagine your fingers getting tied into knots while fiddling around the controller. Fortunately this is not the case as the new controls are very intuitive, since the buttons placement is great on the controller, to learn once you started playing. The controls are also so responsive, executing the moves became almost like second nature. Mario’s arsenal of new moves also allowed for new ways of level designing with much more variations compared to past platforming games.

Super Mario 64 is much lengthier, with 15 worlds to explore and 120 stars to collect, than all previous games in the series. But that does not mean that it is draggy and simply consists of repetitive levels found in so many other platforming games. The 15 worlds of Super Mario 64 are so imaginative and different from each other that entering each of the game worlds for the first time was always a breathtaking experience. Many of the worlds are still very memorable even now, over 13 years after the game was released. Worlds, such as the one that took place inside a grandfather clock and the boss levels, are extremely fun to play and were designed so well that they are in my opinion only bested when Super Mario Galaxy was released. The game is also very well balanced when it comes to difficulty. Game worlds will progressively get more challenging but they will only be unlocked as you collect more stars in the game. This acts as a path to guide you through the game, avoiding the risk of throwing an extremely difficult level at the beginning of the game when you are just starting to get the hang of the game. The levels are also designed so that you will be required to learn new moves and make use of the power ups in order to get past them, ensuring that you are comfortable with the controls to finish the game by the time you get past the first couple of worlds. While saving the princess from Bowser will be achievable by most gamers, collecting all the 120 stars in the game is left only to the most hardcore group. Collecting all the stars requires the mastering of the control system of the game and exploring every nook and cranny of each world.

 

Primitive as it may seem by today’s standards, the graphics were simply jaw dropping during the time of its release. It was almost impossible to find a game prior to this game’s release that is so rich in textures, detail and effects. The game made good use of the N64’s power to churn out bright, colourful and smooth graphics. Characters in the game are also nicely detailed and are animated livingly. Music and sounds in the game are fantastic too. The tunes suit the game’s lively environments and atmosphere very well and the sound effects cue the actions of the player and events of the game appropriately. Some of the sounds are so unique to the series that we are able to associate future Mario games with it.

From the way I described it, Super Mario 64 seemed like the perfect game for me. It is a pity one aspect of the game is not as good as the rest. The camera system in the game acts somewhat like a primitive version of the ones found in today’s platformers. Not only does it occasionally get stuck in weird places, you are also expected to rotate the camera manually as it is not unusual for the camera to choose a weird angle to track Mario on screen. There are also times when the camera will automatically flip itself in another direction suddenly, causing you to lose orientation in the game.

Still Super Mario 64 can be considered to be one of the best videogame that was released for the N64 and brought radical changes to the entire series. It stands the test of time and still provides a very enjoyable experience today.

Rating : 9.5/10

Weiwen

Game: Kakato Otoshi
Link: http://www.eddiezone.net/flashgame/ThickShoe.htm

What is it?

The girls are wearing "extremely high" heels and YOU as the player has to knock off the heelssegements to help the girls reach the floor flat safe.It is a game whereby player has to knock down the heel segments of the girls' heelsin order to help the girl's shoe sole reach the floor flat.Player has to aim carefully at the heel segement to knock down that specific segment off from the heel.If the player fails to do so, the heel segement will be in a awkward position which will cause the girl to fall down if the player fails to knock that segment in the correct position then knock it off.
























Knocking off the heel segments Clearing the stage



































Girl being trip off (- 1000 yen from your earnings)




Why is it fun?
- Timer

This game has a timer which challenges the player in knocking off all the heel segments in thatspecific level.The timer poses a element of "stress" for the player which make this game excitingand challenging (which i did enjoy it).

- Degree of difficutly

Yes!!! This game requires a bit of hand and eye coordination( okay,a lot is needed is here!!!).Player has to look carefully before striking the hammer on the heel segments.In the first level, there are only 3 heel segements for the player to knock off. As the game proceeds, the difficulty in each level becomes inceasingly more challenging and tedious.Not only the player has to watch carefully to hit the specific segments but he has to be CAREFUL NOT to hit the girl's leg which will result the girl to fall off (losing 1 chance/life).When it reaches to level 6, the player is posed with a scenario whereby the heel segments of the girl's heel is already in a shaky position and player has to think carefully where to knock to balance the segments and then knock them off one by one.For me,i have not manage to completelevel 6, but im sort of addicted to this game as i REALLY want to solve this level and knock the heel out of that girl's shoe.I guess the difficulty of this game makes the game kind of fun to me though i think some people might get piss off by the difficulty of the game.

ergon / logos

Website: ergon / logos
Developer: Molleindustria
Platform: Flash

"A fast paced interactive storytelling piece that tries to be a meta-platform game based on the stream of consciousness of an egodystonic homosexual hero, but it fails miserably and becomes a piece of non-linear kinetic visual poetry written by a teenager obsessed with post-structuralist French philosophy."

Ergon / logos is a flash game that allows the player to explore their own path in the game narrative. In that aspect, it is similar to games of the interactive fiction genre. These games heavily feature the narrative and the user interacts with the story by typing in text commands. While interactive fiction games are largely static blocks of text, E/L differs in its animated text and by adding the element of time, creating a fast-paced frantic atmosphere.

The game is played entirely with the mouse. The line of text scrolls constantly and when it reaches a branch, the player decides which path to take by moving the cursor over the selected path. That is the extent of the player's participation in the game. There are two levels, the first of which is titled Ergon. It tells the story of a hero whose actions are dictated by an omniscient being (the player). To anyone who has played a Super Mario game, the hero would immediately be familiar; he battles monsters, jumps over bottomless pits to save the beautiful damsel in distress. The videogame cliché takes on a bizarre twist, however, as familiar aspects of a videogame suddenly seem incoherent and frighteningly strange as they are taken out of their context and placed in a real world setting. Along a branch of the narrative, our hero realizes the existence of the player-god. Another branch takes the player to the disturbing plot where our hero is romanced by a monster.

The next level Logos begins as soon as the first one ends. Logos has no clear narrative. Instead, it seems to be a flurry of philosophical thoughts that have little connection with one another, like the ramblings of a mad man. The train of thought transcends to chaos; paths converge, cross one another, go in endless circles, and break apart

There is a duality in E/L that is obvious in the opposite colors of the two levels but not just that. In Ergon, the player controls the hero and his path but in Logos, the scrolling of text is faster and the paths twist and intertwine, making it much harder to control. More often than not, you'll find yourself going in circles. Instead of playing the game, there is a sense that the game is playing you; therefore the roles are reversed. Whereas Ergon gives the player a sense of power and control, Logos instills a sense of chaos and helplessness in the player.

The repetitive and anxious quality of the music suits the game well. The introduction of a time element means that there is a need to display the "feel" of the text effectively and quickly and this can be seen in the play of size and placement of the words as well as the speed at which it scrolls.

The problem of integrating story into game is one of the most challenging aspect of game making. Some games choose to forgo the narrative (most puzzle games, like Tetris) while other games layer the story on top of the gameplay by adding cut scenes and dialogue. It is interesting to see a game that combines a strong narrative aspect with the interactive aspect so seamlessly.


-- Benjamin