Vanquish - 1/1 (Last post of the year here I come!)

Vanquish - 1/1 - Henry Arrambide

Gears of War meets Bayonetta? I'm in.

    I love Mega Man. There’s like fiftysomething Mega Man games, right? Well, the mechanics of Mega Man are so arcadey and simple yet so open to different play styles that it just makes the game so replayable. Removed from just one game and placed into say the X series or the Zero series or some other franchise, it still works because it’s still the same great mechanics, just with new level layouts and challenges demanding your knowledge of the mechanics. DooM works in the very same manner; Final DooM and DooM 2 are very much the same mechanics in new levels. Gears of War operates on a similar level, which is why Horde is so engrossing. Tetris may be the leanest example of this idea: screw pretty paintjobs and “new” areas, levels, or some bullshit story to string you along. You’re here to stack blocks and so let’s get right to it.

Good or Blog Audio Program 14

Remember when I told you the last episode was the last episode? I lied. So welcome to Good or Blog Audio 14: I am the Wind Waker, It's Me

This is how most our conversations go anyways.

This week is special in that during the entire episode I am bleeding profusely from the mouth! That and no real news has occurred since the previous episode, making this one more of a sendoff to this semester. It plays out like  Christmas Special where I start alone, when suddenly! A knock at the door! It's my guests and they come bearing tacos! We then proceed to talk about video games and also not video games.

We talk about the VGAs, Mortal Kombat, and Grinches, and close out with some festive music. We then speed through the weekly segments talking about creepy poetry and creepy game sales, and finally cap the whole thing off with a bit of music and some thanks, we may also make a dick joke here and there. A class act through and through.

Here is the link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6MUPF1KI

Anywho! Thank you for listening! Thank you for reading! And don't forget to join me next semester for Season 2!

Good or Blog Audio Program 13

For perhaps the last episode of the semester everyone gears up and gets ready for the last challenge, Episode 13: Finals Boss.

So here we are.

With the next week a little unclear we here at Good or Blog decide to go out with a bang and grace your ears with the greatest episode yet. We open with weekly releases from last week as well (having missed it) and talk about such hits as Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, Epic Mickey, Assassin's Creed Broho, and Need for Speed Hot Fursuit (you read that right). Ryan Reynolds is brought up and the whole show becomes sexier for it. Also I make a daring repair rescue while the other guys blather about Wikipedia or something? Pfff, NERDS.

Segment 2 has the usual suspects, free games, no deals, and our deepest philosophy question yet. Turns out, we all die! Don't miss it! (Also you can get the free game mentioned here)

For our last segment we're joined by a guest and break out the imagination box and discuss our hypothetical final boss battles and the soundtracks therein. More last minute repairs follow, and we get some pretty unique pics and I find out how unimaginative I am. CODYBLOPS STOLE MY IDEA.

Anyways, we're gonna try something new and forego Mr. Megaupload, here is a direct link: Good or Blog Audio Program 13.mp3

Good or Blog Audio Program 12

Rescued from the jaws of deletion and disappearance (for better or for worse) comes the fabled Good or Blog Lost Episode: Episode 12: Terribad!

Twelfth time's a charm.

Everyone is mad at everyone! Also this episode marks our first female guest. It only took us nearly a year! After begrudgingly discussing the new releases of the week (two weeks ago), we cover the whispers and rumors of the week in a suitably abrasive manner. Seriously, why everyone so mad?

We don't have time to find out since we jet into the weekly segments where I talk about some free to play MMOs and throw my hands up in exasperation over impending Black Friday madness. Finally we get to philosophy and everyone seems to have forgotten what a narrative is as our guest and audience collapse in on themselves similar to a burgeoning black hole. That's entertainment.

We finish the segment with another first, our first guest caller! Thanks for the support, Chris!

The last segment is the real main attraction here, a collage of terrible music and appropriately angry hosts. Seriously, you'd think this show were some kind of video game talk show reenactment of 28 Days Later given all the raging nerds in one tiny recording room. Thankfully this time we manage to avoid some choice swears, so this time you'll have to complain all the bad music.

As always, here's the download link:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=L820L9YB

Rune Factory 3 Review

Rune Factory 3 is a FarmPG for the Nintendo DS

The games that I enjoy the most seem to ask a certain quality from their audience. They have some laser targeted goal in mind that asks for a part of you in exchange for sharing itself. It's all give and take. Demons Souls asks dedication and knowledge of you, STALKER asks that you buy into some mythology and roleplay a bit, and Ninja Gaiden Black (I've said before, my idea of a perfect game) asks perfection and a honing of the right skills. Rune Factory 3 is something of an anomaly in that respect. It can ask quite a bit from you. If you're business minded, entrepreneurial, curious, eager to explore, or all of the above you can flex every muscle and succeed on a variety of levels. But... you can also take your time in life. You can pick the weeds and grass that naturally grow in your garden for a bit of money talk to some people and live socially, and basically survive on the smallest amount of effort possible.

Seriously. I'm not even fucking trying.

Game Dev Story Review

Game Dev Story is a video game for the iPhone and iPod Touch

I've noticed that iPhone/iPod games tend to fall into a few distinct categories. There are the quirky puzzle games like Picross (which I have reviewed before), and Angry Birds (a puzzle game when reduced to its fundamental parts). There are the first-person shooter attempts and dual "joystick" Robotron clones. Then there is the shovelware crap that the optimist in me attributes to good intentions and how they inevitably pave the road to hell (or poorly integrated touch interfaces).
Game Dev Story falls into none of these categories. In the time honored tradition of business management simulations like Lemonade Stand, Hemp Tycoon, and (grumble) Farmville, the game breaks few molds. It gives you a tiny independent video game development company that you name and control all aspects of. You control the upper most decisions of the company, hiring/firing employees, picking the genres, style, and console of the games that get made, and then rudimentary assigning of tasks during development. It's very simple without being too restrictive, and the standard speed moves at a satisfying clip that works as something to completely hold your attention just as well as something to fondle with absent-mindedness.

Yes, that woman is on fire. Yes that is good.