Imagine a game where you can simply summon almost anything into the game world to help you achieve your goals. Done yet? If so, you've just imagined Scribblenauts, the cutesy game by 5th Cell that allows you to do precisely that.
The basic premise for the game is simple: you are given a scenario and a set of objectives to complete, and then it is up to you to solve the puzzle by typing in any combination of the 22,802 items cataloged in the game's dictionary to help achieve your goals and collect stars to open up more levels.
While this concept sounds endlessly fun, as the player can spawn anything from tornadoes to kittens, the game suffers from some mechanical issues and unclear objectives that unfortunately led me to start looking for the easiest way to complete goals rather than the more creative route.
For example, one puzzle presented me with a traffic jam caused by a cow, followed by a row of houses, a butcher, and a field. The game then simply gave the the objective "get him home." Of course, I had no idea who this "him" guy was, so I had to start guessing my way through the problem. First, I tried killing the cow. This resulted in a game over. So then I thought "Oh, I have to get the cow to the field," but when the cow would get near the butcher, he would kill it; but, if I killed the butcher, I would also lose! In the interest of keeping this a relatively spoiler-free review, the solution I came up with happened on accident, and I'm still not entirely sure who I got home so I could keep progressing.
Unfortunately, this isn't the only problem with the game though. For a lack of a better phrase, Scribblenauts has one of the worst control schemes I've ever encountered on the Nintendo DS. With the d-pad and face buttons both controlling the camera, it is up to the player to move and interact with objects using the stylus. This set of controls has been the reason for many of the times I failed a puzzle as well. The path finding protocols for the player character are simply not up to par for a game where almost any obstacles can be presented before you.
All this being said though, being able to spawn ninjas into a level at the drop of a hat is still a ridiculously cool idea. In fact, that is really the only redeeming quality of the game: the freedom to do whatever you want. So, if you don't give a flip about getting "him" home and just want to see God lay the smackdown on a horde of zombies, you are free to do so. At the title screen, the player is free to simply play around with any of the game's objects to your heart's content. And this, is where the game is at its most fun.
Basically, Scribblenauts is fun when used like a toy and not a game. As long as you are willing to simply enjoy the freedom of experimentation presented by the game, you can have a good time. However, if you are looking for a rewarding gameplay experience, I suggest you look elsewhere.
Protoculture Review: Scribblenauts
Protoculture: Summer of Arcade Wrap-Up
Microsoft has officially decreed that summer ended this week by releasing Shadow Complex, the 5th and final title in Summer of Xbox Live Arcade program. For those not in the know, the Summer of Arcade is in its second iteration and is an initiative designed to help Xbox users deal with the extreme lack of summer retail releases by providing a variety of relatively high-profile, downloadable titles for purchase on the Xbox Live Marketplace.
To help those that are less savvy when it comes to downloadable purchases, or those that just missed the boat completely on this whole Xbox Live Marketplace deal, here's a quick little summary of the games released.
'Splosion Man - 800 Microsoft Points ($10)
'Splosion Man is a quirky little puzzle platformer from indie developer Twisted Pixel. Taking the role of the scientific oddity that is 'Splosion Man, players will run and 'splode their way through 50 single- and multi-player levels. Be warned though, the game may seem easy with its soft look and absurdist sense of humor, but 'Splosion Man quickly ramps up in difficulty by asking players to complete complex puzzles and jumping sequences flawlessly. However, if you're a fan of old-school platforming, this is the game for you.
Plays like: N+ or New Super Mario Bros... except with more 'splosions.
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes - 1200 Microsoft Points ($15)
A re-release of a perennial favorite among fighting game aficionados, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 allows players to pit characters like Ryu from Street Fighter against the ravenous Wolverine from the X-Men comic book license in some of the most intense and chaotic 3-on-3 tag battles ever seen in a video game. Seriously, this game is crazy, even for fighting game standards. The only new features in this game are extremely minor visual updates and an online multi-player, but in all honesty, this game is best enjoyed amongst friends in the same room.
Plays like: Street Fighter on crack
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled - 800 Microsoft Points ($10)
TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled is no-nonsense remake of the arcade classic beat 'em up. With updated visuals that don't look very interesting and no way to experience the original version of the game though, it pales in comparison to last year's breakout brawler epic Castle Crashers. Save your money, you really don't have much of a reason to get this.
Plays like: a lackluster brawler that takes about 30-45 minutes to beat.
Trials HD - 1200 Microsoft Points ($15)
An interesting take on a motorcycle game, Trials HD plays more like a physics-based platformer than a racing game. The object of the game is to drive through obstacle-laden tracks as perfectly as possible in the endless attempt to get the fastest time. Online leaderboards and a quasi-ghost system also serve keep the level of competition at a fierce high.
Plays like: LittleBigPlanet on a motorcycle.
Shadow Complex - 1200 Microsoft Points ($15)
Based off of Orson Scott Card's Empire series, Shadow Complex is a straight rip-off of Castlevania and Metroid games with a cookie cutter storyline concerning some group of terrorists that wish to engulf the United States in civil war. All this makes the game sound bad though, when in fact, it is probably the strongest title in this year's Summer of Arcade. Whilst retaining all of the fun and addictive qualities of Castlevania and Metroid games, Shadow Complex adds more elements to help streamline the experience as well as bring something new to the table.
Plays like: the logical next-step of 'Metroid-vania' type games.
Protoculture Review: Trine
In a nutshell, Trine is a physics-based platformer that plays very much like an updated version of The Lost Vikings with Diablo-like visuals tying the whole package together. Beyond that, there isn't a whole lot to this game, but it provides enough entertainment to make it feel like you got your money's worth.
The game starts by introducing the player to the three main characters in the game: a thief, a wizard, and a knight in a introduction/tutorial level where each character eventually happens upon a mysterious object called the Trine. Once the three touch the object, there is a blinding flash of light that magically fuses all of them together, thus setting the stage for Trine's gimmick: the ability to switch between any of the three characters at any point in the game.
From here on out, the 3-in-1 combo of adventurers set out to try and undo this mysterious spell by adventuring through ghost towns, mines, and forests that have been overrun with hordes of skeletons. Not surprisingly, none these characters seem to have what it takes to navigate a level solo, thus forcing the player to utilize different powers that each character possesses in order to overcome obstacles or kill skeletons. Here's a quick breakdown of skills: the thief can attack from afar with her bow and swing across gaps using her grappling hook; the wizard can conjure boxes, planks, and floating platforms in addition to being able to levitate other objects; and the knight has the ability to lift and throw objects as well as a sword, shield, and hammer.
The really neat thing about all these abilities is that they can be used in a variety of ways due to in-game physics engine. Environments in Trine react fairly realistically in response to each ability, so that puzzles can be solved in an extremely wide variety of ways to the point that there doesn't seem to be a right or wrong way to progress through the game. For a simple example, say you need a box to reach a ledge, but your wizard is out of energy and your knight is dead. Using the thief, you could either go back further in the level to find a box lying around and shoot it till it moves where you want it to go, try to grapple up the ledge, or--if you're feeling frustrated--simply go back to a checkpoint and revive your knight so he can pick up and move the box.
For any confused about that 'checkpoint' option, let me clarify: if a character dies, they can be revived by reaching any of the various checkpoints spread throughout a level. If all the characters die, the player will be sent back to the last activated checkpoint, but the checkpoints operate somewhat like Vita-Chambers in Bioshock, as the progress you made after passing that checkpoint seems to remain intact. Perhaps this kind of thing doesn't happen on some of the higher difficulties (I was playing on Medium), but I would not necessarily say that this mechanic makes the game 'too easy.' Actually, if I had to describe how this checkpoint system impacts the game, I would say that it single-handedly keeps Trine from playing like a frustrating piece of garbage.
Why do I say this? Well, to put it simply, I died a lot in my playthrough of Trine, but the miserable thing was: most of the time, I felt like my death was caused by some weird physics-based thing that was beyond my control. Uncontrollable grapple swings into spikes, boxes randomly toppling over sending me off a cliff, spike balls that suddenly start rolling over me even though I took pain-staking care to stop them before placing them on level ground: these are just three things that annihilated my group of three for what seemed like weird physics glitches that were beyond my control.
So, even as cool and responsive as they are, Trine's physics are a double edged sword. While on the one hand, they make for neat puzzle set-ups that encourage experimentation to find a solution, they also make frustratingly stupid things happen. Thankfully, that forgiving checkpoint system is in place though, because otherwise the game would suffer greatly for it.
Beyond the physics stuff, there are a few other novel aspects thrown into the mix, but none of them seem to add a whole lot to the experience. There's a very elementary character customization element that allows players to upgrade certain each characters' abilities, a few hidden items that can make certain elements of the game easier, and an option to play three player co-op locally, but they all just feel a little tacked-on. The game is just so short (6-8 hours) that most the abilities and items don't seem necessary, and the co-op seems like it would just add to the frustration by tripling the possibility that something could go wrong physics-wise.
However, as a downloadable game priced at $30, you get what you pay for. If a somewhat short, but beautiful physics-based platformer sounds like something that's up your alley, I would feel obligated to recommend it, physics anomalies and other weaknesses notwithstanding.
Trine is already available for PCs and is slated to arrive on the Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade soon.
Protoculture: Rock Band Network Promises Diversity
While I am glad that Joe Schmoe can now some cred for his home recordings, I think what's more exciting about this whole announcement is that band you know and love that hasn't seemed to make the Rock Band cut yet now has an easier means to make their songs available for you to play. In fact, along with this announcement, the head of Sub Pop records has announced that the label plans to release its hits using this service.
Hearing this announcement in particular makes it seem like Harmonix has been reading my mind. One of my few regrets about Rock Band was that the game was seriously lacking in some of my favorite artist, but Sub Pop just so happens to have some bands that are right up my alley. Acts like Band of Horses, Wolf Parade, Flight of the Conchords, and The Go! Team all have tracks that I thought could make for fun Rock Band experiences at one time or another, and now, bands like these and more could (hopefully) be hitting a console near you soon.
Protoculture: Left 4 Dead 2 Racist?
According to Willie Jefferson's recent post for The Houston Chronicle, the upcoming zombie shooter from Valve is, in fact, racist simply because "...players will have to fight their way through hordes of zombies - with several of them who appear to be African-Americans" when the game launches this fall. "When I saw the first trailer for the game, all I could think about was Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath."
Quick to rebut was Destructoid's own Jim Sterling, who finds it completely unreasonable to call a game set in New Orleans featuring a certain percentage of black antagonists racist, responded with a rather incendiary response, calling Jefferson's statements "the most ridiculous and convoluted racism link in history." Here's a link to the full response.
While I wouldn't necessarily go as far as Sterling's response, I would find it hard to believe that Valve's upcoming title is as racially charged as Jefferson suggests. Saying that "Setting the game in a city that was scene of dead, bloated bodies floating by so soon afterward was a bad call, IMHO," seems a little extreme, but responding by writing "When you're saying L4D2 is racist because some black people happen to be IN it... then you've lost your grip on reality."
I'd say that Valve--by picking the Deep South as the locale for Left 4 Dead 2--needs to be careful to ensure that stories like this don't blow up to the extent that they did surrounding Resident Evil 5 (I still think most of that hubub was as over-exposed as most of it was ill-informed and dramatized). And, while I haven't been following the game extremely closely, I'm personally more concerned about a L4D sequel coming so soon than I am about the racial representation in the game.
What do you think? Of course, there's no telling what it will be like until it comes out, but here's some pictures and such to give a basic idea.
Protoculture: Gaming For Free
Every year, there seems to be a weird summer lull where no big video game titles come out. While this trend doesn't really seem to affect me much--as I spend a majority of my money on video games, many of which I don't have time to play (except during these dry release periods)--I'm sure there are more than a few of you out there that are a bit more careful with your game purchases.
So, given the economic times and shortage of traditional, full retail releases, I figured I could help out anyone that still wants to play new games, but can't find or afford the right ones. So, before you make a trip over to the Gamestop bargain bin to try your luck and drop some cash, check out these ways to find free games from the comfort of your own home.
No Downloads
Kongregate.com
While there are many websites that offer free flash games, Kongregate seems to prove time and time again that it has the best collection. Games include anything ranging from simple puzzle games to even complex RPGs. Out of the 16,393 games hosted on the site, my favorites have included the zombie RPG Sonny 2, the short-but-sweet robot adventure known as Little Wheel, the conceptual platformer Hunted Forever, and the adorably violent puzzler Bloody Fun Day. If you enjoy the site and think you’ll be visiting it often, I highly recommend registering with the site so you can take advantage of all of Kongregate’s features, like user reviews and achievements. UPDATE: Kongregate just added Street Fighter II Championship Edition!
Minimal Download (<15mb)
Quake Live
One of the most popular multiplayer first-person shooters ever, Quake, has undergone many iterations throughout the years, but none have been quite as impressive or convenient as Quake Live, a free downloadable version of Quake III Arena that can be run through your internet browser of choice. I wasn't too sure how well a fast-paced game like that would perform through a browser, but it actually seems to run perfectly. So, if you're still into old-school deathmatches and arena shooters, Quake Live is a perfectly free way to scratch that itch.
Soldat
Don't like shooting people in the first-person? Maybe you should try the classic, side-scrolling variety with Soldat. It may not be the prettiest game out there, but it has very solid mechanics and a healthy online community that has made it such an enjoyable game for all the years it has been around. Plus, you get rocket boots!
Konjak.org
Konjak.org is a peculiarly titled website that hosts the art and games of a (surpise!) artist and game designer named Joakim Sandberg. The 22-year-old has posted quite a few games on his site and all are delightful because they each offer unique gameplay experiences while retaining unity with Sandberg's signature art style. Legend of Princess, Chalk, Noitu Love, and Tripline are all fantastic games that I recommend you try at least once. And, if you liked those games, perhaps you may support the artist/game designer and pick up his latest work Noitu Love 2 for $10. It's a really neat game that continues the story of the first Noitu Love game while also incorporating game mechanics from most of the other free ones he hosts on his site.
Download (>15MB)
Battlefield Heroes
EA’s Battlefield Heroes is a cartoony, simplified iteration in the Battlefield series. The good news though is that it’s free, and it doesn’t feel entirely like a stripped down version of a game you may have already played before. With its unlock system and persistent character creation, Battlefield Heroes adds an extra layer of depth not found in other Battlefield games. So, even though the game plays like a simpler, arcade-y version of Battlefield 1942, Heroes manages to successfully bring something fun and unique to the table.
Home of the Underdogs
Looking for an old PC game that seems to be out of print? Instead of scouring eBay or Craigslist, why not check out Home of the Underdogs, the website that hosts tons of PC games considered to be “abandonware” (or rather, a game that has long been taken off retail shelves and is no longer supported by its developers). So, if you find yourself looking to dust off your old copy of Dune or Lode Runner, only to find it lost or unplayable, head on over to the Home of the Underdogs and you can get download another copy, free of charge.
If none of those satisfy you, then I guess you might have to drop some dough for a game you will enjoy. And, if you are looking to keep up with cool places to find free games, I suggest digging around on video game blogs like Kotaku, as they post about free games from time to time. In fact, they posted about this free PC fighting game a couple of days ago, maybe you should check it out. I know I’m going to… right now as a matter of fact.
UPDATE: I just found a cool place where you can play Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne against other people for free too: http://games.asobrain.com/
ANOTHER UPDATE: In the near future, you will also be able to play MechWarrior 4 for free. Make sure to check out MekTek.net to snag yourself a copy of this mech simulation game.
Protoculture: God of War III Footage
Just in case you missed the E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo), here's a full look at one of Sony's biggest exclusive titles, God of War III.
Protoculture: DJ Hero
At E3 (the Electronic Entertainment Expo for you non-nerds), Activision revealed its latest entry in the 'Hero' series of rhythm games. This time, instead of wailing plastic guitars or drums, players will now be able to man a turntable and crossfader to perform a variety of original mashups created by the likes of DJ Shadow, DJ AM, and DJ Z-Trip. Further details regarding the game had been rather sparse, but E3 brought a ton of new information regarding DJ Hero. Here's a video that explains how the game should work followed by the current list of tracks that have been revealed thus far.
Tracklist:
- "Feel Good Inc." (Gorillaz) vs. "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" (Marvin Gaye) - Activision Studio
- "Bustin' Loose" (Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers) vs. "Time of the Season" (The Zombies) - DJ Shadow (sample gameplay)
- "Let's Dance" (David Bowie) vs. "Jack of Spades" (KRS-One) - DJ Shadow (sample gameplay)
- "All Apologies" (Nirvana) vs. "Give it to Me Baby" (Rick James) - DJ Shadow
- "Jayou" (Jurassic 5) vs. "Rockit" (Herbie Hancock) - Activision Studio
- "Shout" (Tears for Fears) vs. "Pjanoo" (Eric Prydz) - Activision Studio (sample gameplay)
- "Hollaback Girl" (Gwen Stefani) vs. "Give it to Me Baby" (Rick James) - Activision Studio
- "Satisfaction" (Benny Benassi) vs. "Boom Boom Pow" (Black Eyed Peas) - Activision Studio (sample gameplay)
- "Sabotage" (Beastie Boys) vs. "Monkey Wrench" (Foo Fighters) - Activision Studio
- "My Name Is" (Eminem) vs. "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" (Jay-Z) - Activision Studio
Protoculture: Chiptunes
But, non-gamers are obviously not really the main demographic for this genre of music. Even though chiptunes don't make any conscious effort to exclude the less nerdy, the sounds produced by the Sega Genesis and Nintendo are inherently off-putting to anyone that doesn't know the Konami Code or how to skip between worlds in Mario Bros. 3. And, quite frankly, this is a tragic state of existence for such a creative and interesting part of the musical universe.
To be honest, I was not particularly thrilled about the idea of chiptunes when I first heard about it despite being an avid video game player ever since I could understand that the object in Tetris was not, as I used to believe, to build a robot. But, after a bit of exploration, I figured out that I was making the critical error of being prejudiced against an all-too-general genre that I incorrectly guessed the conventions of. The problem was that I thought chiptunes were just video game music and/or what is known as nerdcore when, in fact, chiptunes are only partially game music and have little to do with the nerdcore scene.
It took me until winter break of this year to realize that chiptunes were not purely game nostalgia. This epiphany struck me when I attended MAGfest, a four day event dedicated to music and games (that's where the MAG comes from), at which I found myself having one of the most fun nights in recent memory at a late night chiptunes concert. The way it worked was simple: chiptunes artists would come on stage and play a sort of DJ set of their tunes and the crowd would go nuts and dance the night away. While it sounds kind of absurd dancing to something that sounds like it should come out of a Gameboy (and, in some cases, actually is), there didn't seem to be a more unifying experience at the whole event. I believe that this was partially due to the fact that I was at an event full of video game aficionados and we were listening to music that was reminiscent of all of our collective childhoods. But, I also think it was because the music holds up on its own as a unique and fun genre of music.
My friend, who is a current intern over at the KEXP blog out of Seattle sent me a link of some particularly impressive chiptunes for you all to check out too. So, whether or not you already know that Megaman's name in Japan is Rockman, you should check out this free compilation from Chrunchy Records, and enjoy it in its 8-bit glory.