So I picked up this little game, just because I like the classic. For only $20, it wasn't bad. But, it is certainly lacking good-to-great quality. First off, the graphics are nice, but nothing great. Plus, many of the elements can be repetitive (i.e. same soldiers helicopters, tanks). Granted, it is still humorous. However, the humor does die down eventually, as repetition sets in. The monster variety cool ... but as far as gameplay goes, they are ALL the same. And although you can upgrade 4 attacks, they are the same for each monster. That is a letdown, and doesn't really give me any incentive to try out other monsters. As for controls, I found them a little irritating at first. After you play for awhile, the controls get easier to use, but they need to be perfected by the developers. I'd find myself trying to grab a person (to eat), and I would be a few pixels too high and miss the person ... so when I moved down, I would move down too much, and miss the person when I went to grab them. It is irritating, but the game is fast enough that these little things can be looked past. As for the game size ... there are a bunch of cities (and several blocks for each city), but there needs to be more. Seemed limited in size and scope. I think the game itself is alright ... for a short game and a few quick laughs. But those laughs go quick and the originality dies even quicker. The one great thing about this game, is that it comes with the original! Overall, this game seemed like it was a side project for a few developers. It holds nothing too exciting, but is still a quick fun game to play. I believe it's retail is $20, but you should pick it up in the bargin bin for $10 when you can (and only if you LOVE the original).

I've always loved classic gaming. Games like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong were so simple and fun, that even with the limited technology, they became ingrained in society. These classic games were the start of gaming, and spawned the billion-dollar industry that gaming is today. Because of this acclaim, we (as gamers) feel the need to keep these classic games alive. Don't get me wrong, playing a game with the most up-to-date technology and graphics will always be sought after ... but we can't forget where these games originated from. Before we had 3d Graphic Cards that provided anti-aliased graphics, and increased frame rates, we played these classics on archaic machines that have long since been abandoned. What is my point, my point is we need to remember. And in order to remember, I just wanted to point out my gaming shrines. I mentioned these in an earlier post, but I wanted to dedicate a complete post to the topic ... For Classic Arcade Games: http://www.classicgaming.cc/classics/ For Classic PC Games: http://www.classicgaming.cc/pc/ All the sites that are part of these main sites were designed by me (I'm a designer). Each game's website has it's own "look-and-feel", based on elements and graphics from the game. I hope you enjoy. Jabbamonkey

Ok, not to harp on this Oblivion topic, but I MUST post an update. If you are not aware, I was locked out of the main quest due to some glitch and couldn't finish the game (and this was after I put MANY MANY hours into the game). So I tried posting on their forums, and even sent several emails to their tech support (to which they replied ONCE asking for my computer specs ... but never responded after that). So, a month after looking for help and getting nowhere, I restarted the game. Now, after starting from scratch, MANY MANY hours later, I am about where I was when the glitch occured ... and get what was FINALLY posted on the forum: The problem can be solved by typing the following into the console. Setstage MQ12 10 [ This solves the glitch where the main storyline quests become unavailable after finishing the AID FOR BRUMA mission and the BLOOD OF THE DIVINES mission ] Well, they say "patience is a virtue" ... I guess patience is something I don't have when it comes to a game. Where was this person 1 month ago? Ug ... oh well, only a few days of my life gone for nothing ...

Well, I have been immersed in the world of Oblivion for the last few weeks and have not posted (plus, work has been busy). At first glance, Oblivion is beautiful compared to most other games out there. You may need a high-end PC to fully experience it, but it's still amazing. I was in awe for the first week, but encountered some things that make me a bit irritated. I've posted a spectacular review about the game, so I'll use this blog to mention some of the things that bother me. But, I'll state again, I think this game is great, regardless of the faults I mention below ... First of all, I will state a major glitch I found in the game. I was following the main storyline, and finished one of the main quests (I gave Martin some armor he needed). Martin told me he had some studying to do and that I should come back ... well, it's been 11 game days since I left Martin and he has yet to give me any quests to finish the game. I have posted countless threads on the elderscrolls forum, and even tried contacting their tech support (who seem to be ignoring me) ... noone seems to be able to help me. So, at this point I have an amazing game that I will never be able to finish. THAT is frustrating. Thankfully there are plenty of faction questions and misc quests to keep me busy. Other things are the interface. It is VERY clunky, as if it was primarily for a console. The menu items are HUGE and you can't sell multiple items at once (making it time consuming to sell goods). Also of note is the "drag" feature, where you can interact with objects by picking them up and moving them around (or throwing them). It is a little "clumsy" to use. And draggin bodies is EXTREMELY difficult to do on the PC. Morrowind, it's prequal, had some great features that I miss. Oblivion doesn't allow you to wear clothing AND armor. It's one or the other ... I found this agravating. For exampe, you cant wear shirts under robes; and some pieces of clothing (such as robes) took up space for pants AND shirts. Ug. At least they kept rings and necklaces in. There are some other problems I have, but these are the first list. I hope this helps in your decision to play/buy the game!

It is now the 13th ... only 7 more days until Oblivion is released. After reading a ton of reviews, viewing all the screen shots, and checking out the developer diary's/articles (visit www.elderscrolls.com), I can't wait to play the game! If it's half of what Morrowind was, it will still be awesome. Anyway, still occupied with Rome: Total War. I contemplated buying the expansion, but I figure I might as well for the next sequal (and Oblivion will keep me occupied til then). On another front, not sure if you are aware of my classic gaming site: www.classicgaming.cc Just a site I put together to priase some old school games (pc and arcade). Enjoy.

In my waiting for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion to be released, I decided I needed to keep myself busy with some other game...

I wanted to get Galactic Civilizations II, but had some trouble getting a copy. Normally, as GameStop is only 3 blocks away (I'm in New York City), I would always go there. But, as I had a large gift card to Electronic Boutique, I went 20 blocks to their store. When I got there, they said the game was pretty old and they were out-of-stock ... it was released 3 weeks ago.

So, since I wanted to use the gift card, I went online to ebgame.com. I ordered the game on March 3rd with 3 days shipping. On March 9th, I got impatient and decided to check on my order. When I visited their site and entered my tracking number, I was informed that the order wasn't even shipped yet. If it's "out of stock", then let me know when I order it! So, I canceled my order, and decided to let me gift card sit for awhile. I might as well save it for the PS3 whenever it comes out.

Now, with my order canceled, and no new games to play, I decided to go back to some older games. I dug out Rome: Total War and reinstalled the game. This game is fantastic. At first, before I could play a full campaign, I had to replay the prologue missions ... which were dull. But, once that was completed, I choose Alexandria as my new nation and went on to conquer the known world. The game has some great elements. As a strategy game, it is highly addiction - I was up til 2 in the morning saying, "Just one more turn" over and over again. As an action game (the battles), they are pretty intense and you never get the same battle. There are some minor flaws, but I wont go into them here. Anyway, I found something to keep me busy til March 20th.

What to say, what to say ... Decided to keep a little log of my exploits. First off, I've been gaming since before I could talk. I had a C-64 back in the day, then an Amiga 500, then off to IBM world. From there I had a ton of consols, and currently have a PS2 and a shiny new PC. On other fronts, I am now getting back into comics ... I havent read a comic in over 10 years, but a friend said I had to check out the House of M series ... and it got me hooked again. It's like being on crack. Since that series spread to all the other comics (like a virus), I had to follow-thru and get a few. Great marketing ploy. Now I'm back to reading the comics I loved, found some new ones, and with the launch of Marvel Ultimates, I find I am reliving some of the original stories of the past. Anyway - back to gaming ... for the last 6 months, I've been dying to get my hands on Oblivion. I fell in love with Morrowind (it's prequal) - the game was so open ended and seemed limitless. You could go anywhere, pickup anything, there was so many quests and such. When I finally heard there was going to be a sequal, I as in AWE! I was hoping Oblivion would release in December, and was all excited. But, the release date was pushed back, and I thought it would come out late February. But, once again, I was wrong. Now they have a set release date of March 20th, and the reviews have been spectacular! I can't wait for it. In the meantime, I have been keeping busy with Space Rangers 2, which is pretty good for a simple turn-based game. They say it's similar to Star Control, but although it has some similar elements, it is far from the great game that Star Control is. Dont get be wrong, Space Rangers 2 is definately worth getting. Also been playing X3. It's a game of patience, as it takes time to get a good ship and build a small trade empire. The game lacks in useability - when I first started the game, I played for 15 minutes and got so frustrated I turned it off and didnt play again for another month. Then, I decided to give the game a second chance, and found out that it is pretty good (although slow). The manual leaves out important information (or the info isnt highlighted for importance) and there is no tutorial or starter missions. The first time I played the game, I wasnt aware of SETA (which speeds up game play 10x). I also wasnt sure how to automatically dock (try docking without autopilot, and you will get EXTREMELY frustrated). I have Galactic Civilizations II on order, as gamespot gave it a great review. They compare it to Civ IV, which was a great game. Cant wait to see and make my own comparison. Well, gotta get back to work.