Engy's Experiment - Video Games

Cool 3D animation

Jason Engstrom — Mon, 01 May 2006 15:29:50 GMT

YouTube's got a great 3D animation of a marble journeying through some classic Nintendo franchises. How many of these have you played?

There's something quite charming about 8-bit audio!

Gaming now and then

Jason Engstrom — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 18:44:23 GMT

Very cool video gaming retrospective posted over at Swedish blog Fosfor Gadgets. Especially cool when you've played games represented in both columns!

Happy 20th, Zelda!

Jason Engstrom — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 18:46:01 GMT

The Legend of Zelda, the first game in the 10-plus game Zelda series, was released 20 years ago today. 1UP has an article detailing the series. I've spent many fantastic gaming hours playing through a multitude of Zelda games, my favorite being the incredible Link to the Past on the SNES. My only regret in ditching my GameCube for an Xbox is that I won't be able to play Twilight Princess, the forthcoming, much anticipated game in the series, supposedly hitting the market alongside the new Nintendo Revolution console. I hate to admit it, but I've never actually played through Zelda I or II. Time to bust out Nesticle ;-)

[via Slashdot]

XBox 360...one month later

Jason Engstrom — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 05:13:50 GMT

So, its been a little over a month since I obtained an Xbox 360....and in my opinion, its as good if not better than all the hype that lead up to the console's release last November.

First...the saga that led up to getting a 360 in my hands was so dramatic I felt it worthy of mention. As I stated earlier, my employer, Magenic Technologies, was kind enough to offer a 360 to every employee in the company as a Christmas gift. That announcement was made December 2nd, two weeks after the console hit the market on November 22. As expected, Magenic had an awfully difficult time in attempting to procure the volume of Xboxes they were seeking, and not until this week did they arrive. I decided back in early December that I would take it upon myself to pick one up as soon as I could find one...I could always return the one I would get from Magenic. And so began the journey with the monitoring of some useful websites, such as this Xbox 360 Tracker. The real breakthrough ocurred when I found out I could monitor 360 inventory levels at local Circuit City and Best Buy stores.

Sure enough, all sites showed no stock of the 360 for all of December and early January. Then, one lucky day, two Best Buy stores showed up bold (indicating stock available!) just as I was leaving work. Luckily, both stores were on my way home...so I made a mad dash onto the freeway and called the first store, where I was told none were in stock. Hmm...a website error, maybe? I called the second store, a good 20 minutes away, and was told 3 were in!! I decided if there was still one available when I exited the freeway, I would make the trip. I called just as I exited and was told 1 was left. My offer to buy the sales clerk lunch if he would hold one for me was declined...I had no choice but to take my chances. I pulled into the lot, ran into the store, and just as I found the first employee in the video game aisle, I saw him hand the last 360 to another customer. This guy wasn't hard core...he was just buying it for his kid! Here I am 5 seconds too late and my 360 hopes were dashed. Or were they? A glimmer of hope remained as the clerk said he "might be able to find 1 more hidden in the back." Seemingly defeated, I waited for what seemed like hours, and sure enough, here comes Mr. Best Buy employee of the decade around the corner with a shiny 360 premium box...the last one in the building! Woohoo! Suprised by the sheer weight of the machine (the box must weigh in around 15-20 pounds) I brought it up to the counter, and after being badgered by at least 2 employees that insisted I buy the 4 year service plan, I politely declined and gleefully left the store, prize in hand.

Arriving home safely, I tore into the box, and noticed that the packaging for the 360 was very well done...the costs of the box and publishing materials alone are probably $20 per unit. After getting everything plugged in, I experienced some initial frustration...for some reason, my gamertag (previously linked to a passport account) wasn't transferring over to the 360. I finally broke down and linked it to a new passport, and all was good.

My biggest complaints with the 360 overall are the bulk of the power supply (it has its own fan) and the sheer amount of noise the fans make when firing up a game. Also, playing the system on a standard TV is not recommended...some of the menus and text are so small (especially in PGR3) that without an HD TV's resolution, they can be hard to read. For that reason, I picked up a 360 VGA cable and hooked up the system to my pc monitor, effectively allowing me to play in HD quality for $40.

Other than these few complaints, the machine is pure joy. The 360 menu "blades" are fantastic, and it has a very simple, elegant, and useful UI. The controller is the most comfortable of any console I've used, and taking a cue from Nintendo, its wireless capability is fantastic.

I initially picked up Project Gotham Racing 3 and Perfect Dark Zero. I've really enjoyed PGR 3, playing through the entire solo career mode and ocassionaly racing online. PDZ took a while longer to warm up to...the online multiplayer has so many features and options that its a bit overwhelming, but I've enjoyed the game none the less. I just recently picked up Call of Duty 2 and have had a great time playing it so far.

The real success story I see in the 360, however, are the new features found in the XBox Live online community. Microsoft has done a fantastic job integrating some very cool ideas. The ability to download game demos, for example, is unprecedented in the console market, and it is very cool to try out a game without having to even drop some dough on rental costs. The concept of gamer points and achievements is incredibly addictive, bringing back the "high score" concept and allowing you to display your bragging rights to the world. I've really enjoyed racking up achievements, and it brings a whole new dimension to video gaming. Chatting with anyone online (not just the people in the game you are playing with) is another interesting feature, as is the new "spectator mode" found in some of the games, allowing you to watch an in-game view of the best players in the world.

Finally, Xbox Live Arcade is simply awesome. Basically, its a feature of the 360 that allows one to purchase old arcade and otherwise "casual" games. These are great little nuggets like Gauntlet, Joust, and Geometry Wars Evolved. Every game on live is downloadable as a demo, and the option to purchase these games for $5-$10 allows you to unlock the full game and its achievements and gamer points. These games are great for the "adult" gamer, since you can pick them up and play for 5 or 10 minutes as you have time. Rumor has it that Street Fighter II will be coming to XBLA soon...how cool will it be to play it again against my old high school buddies despite the fact that many of them live over 500 miles away now! I really think Microsoft is onto something big with XBLA, and I fully expect it to be copied by rivals Nintendo and Sony. ; In fact, one of the core features of Nintendo's upcoming Revolution console will be the ability to download the entire back-catalog of Nintendo games on the system.

It will be interesting to see how the upcoming next-gen console wars playout. After playing around with the 360 for a month now, I can honestly say Nintendo and Sony better bring it...this latest 'box is sweet.

History lesson of the day

Jason Engstrom — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 18:59:13 GMT

This article is an interesting read that touches a little on the history of Microsoft's XBox console. Its an excerpt from the book Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution. Definitely sounds like an interesting read.

I found the motivational aspect of fear to be intriguing while reading this excerpt. Wonder how often a new product comes around simply because a business is afraid they are "missing a piece of the pie." Certainly this has played out in the MP3 player space...the IPod has spawned dozens of off brand competitors. In fact, my Creative Zen Xtra was a MUCH better value compared to the IPod equivalent and has served me well this past year.

[via Joystiq]

XBox 360 it is!!

Jason Engstrom — Sat, 03 Dec 2005 19:42:22 GMT

We received the official word yesterday...the Magenic "holiday" gift going to all employees this year will be the XBox 360!! Not sure if we'll be receiving the core or premium package, but they did say we'd be getting a hard drive and additional controller. Woohoo!

Of course, the big question is when will we actually receive our shiny new boxes. In case you haven't noticed, the 360 isn't exactly available through traditional retail channels. Of course, if you are willing to put out some big bucks, you can find one on Ebay. On average, they seem to be going for $800 or more! I personally enjoyed this listing (check out the buy it now price!)

In the meantime, I'll be keeping my eye on this excellent inventory tracking website to get some idea of when I may expect my 360 to arrive. What games should I get?

Happy 20th, NES!

Jason Engstrom — Thu, 27 Oct 2005 20:34:21 GMT

For any of you that spent your prime childhood years growing up with Nintendo, you might be surprised to know that the system that got many of us into video gaming, the 8-bit grey and black box known as the Nintendo Entertainment System just turned 20 years old this week.

For an excellent trip down memory lane, checkout 1-UP's comprehensive list of articles celebrating NES week. Some fun and memorable moments for sure!

THIS is the revolution?

Jason Engstrom — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 16:20:45 GMT

Like many video gamer geeks out there, I've been following the speculation on the Nintendo Revolution and its highly touted and mysterious controller over the past several months.

The secret is out, as Nintendo revealed the controller yesterday at the Tokyo Game Show. In a nutshell, this thing is supposed to be able to sense motion; ala, the revolution is upon us.

However, its also supposed to allow the Revolution to play ALL past Nintendo games (NES, SNES, N64, etc). At first glance, I can't see how this will be possible. There doesn't even seem to be the necessary X/Y buttons, let alone the C-buttons from the 64. Hmm...I'm skeptical. But it will be interesting to see how this all pulls together.

I stand corrected...360 out 11/22!

Jason Engstrom — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 14:44:32 GMT

Because I am always looking out for my loyal readers, I wanted to make sure you are aware that my previous post about the XBox 360 release date was incorrect! Now you will be able to enjoy 3 additional days of gaming goodness...that's right, it's OFFICIALLY official, the XBox 360 comes out in the US on November 22, with release in Europe on December 2 and Japan on December 10.

Looks like this Thanksgiving holiday will see many American gamers out there that, upon enjoying turkey and mash potatoes, will roll over to their couch, flip on the idiot box, and ~~watch some Football~~ play some Madden on thier new 360!

November 25th is the big day!

Jason Engstrom — Thu, 01 Sep 2005 13:19:05 GMT

Looks like November 25th, aka Black Friday, is gonna be an even BIGGER shopping day this year. That's right, it's confirmed that the day after Thanksgiving will be the debut of the Xbox 360!

As much as I'd love to pick one up, it is unlikely you'll find me waiting in line to drop $400 on one come November. I'm hoping that my employer, Magenic, will pull through and surprise us with one for Christmas this year. Rumor has it that it is unlikely, since an Xbox was given to all employees 4 years ago when it debuted and they try to spoil us with something unique each year.

But hey, I can always return whatever gift I do receive and pick one up instead, right?!

New Halo 2 Maps available!

Jason Engstrom — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 13:18:36 GMT

Hey all you XBox Live users too cheap to pay for the new Halo 2 maps (that's me!)

As of last night, the 5 final maps for Halo 2 are available for free. Log into Xbox Live and grab 'em! I had just enough time to download the maps (took a good 15 minutes!) and preview a few of them. I was able to do a quick walkthrough of Elongation (loving the throwback to Longest..."Get over here, Ganpati, and take your beating!"), Backwash, and Terminal.

Can't wait to find some time (hopefully) to get back into some H2...its like a whole new game for free. Sweet!

Oh, and add me to your friend's list if you haven't already: Engy79

PSP just got a little sweeter

Jason Engstrom — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 12:59:24 GMT

OK, how cool is this? Looks like its only available in Japan. And at $130, looks like I will be figuring out how to hack my Tivo recordings for my PSP first. That is, if Tivo would EVER come out with TivoToGo for my Toshiba box!!