WHUPS - got distracted

Oh dear, very late with this post.

Got really into a new PHP project I'm using to get back up to speed. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would, and before I knew it it was 10pm. Have a quick game on the xbox and then went to sleep, completely forgetting that I have a daily blogging challenge.

Ah well I've not done badly to keep going as long as I did, and I won't give up just cos I missed one!

If you're interested the PHP project is just a simple card game that you can play against the computer, I'm hoping it'll include all the different technologies I want to make sure I remember how to use with PHP. Stuff like XML, Databases, File streaming etc.

Once I get it in a usable state I'm sure you'll see more details about it here :)

Why do we enjoy messing with our heads?

Today I have finished Uzumaki, watched Dead Man's shoes, and nearly finished reading Grotesque. All three with very dark themes making for an uncomfortable read / watch.

I'm certainly not a very dark and gloomy sort of person overall, I'm just as likely to watch Spongebob Squarepants or read a manga involving a kung-fu fighting panda as I am to watch a horror movie, but sometimes I just get in the mood to get all dark.

Why do we enjoy this sort of things? What is it in us that makes us seek out these kind of experiences?

They don't make them like this anymore - EVIL

A friend of mine used my laptop whilst he was over, and when I turned it on I found this on one of the tabs: Rick Dangerous - Flash Remake.

It's incredibly faithful, i.e. totally unforgiving with death often striking from nowhere. There's no way to beat the game but to memorise every trap, every enemy, and get those pixel perfect jumps right every time. Everything that would be flagged up as bad design nowadays.

I love it.

How appropriate, you fight like a cow!

So tonight me and Cat finished playing Monkey Island - Special Edition.

Point and Click adventures are one of the few games that Cat enjoys playing with me, so when Monkey Island appeared in the xbox live arcade I couldn't resist buying it again for us to play. We weren't dissapointed as it's a very good remake. The graphical style works well and is a good bridge into the style used for the 3rd game. It was very clever of them to include the ability to switch back and forth between the original graphics and the new, both for nostalgia's sake and the fact that on some of the screens it's easier to spot items in the old graphics (how did that happen developers?).

As far as gameplay is concerned there's not much to complain about, Monkey Island was always one of the better designed point and click games of the 90s, so there's very few frustrating puzzles and only one part in the game where you can die (and frankly if you do die at that point you deserve it, in fact you actually get an achievement!). There's a couple of bits later on in the game that frustrated us, but luckily the remake contains a very handy hint guide. Try not to rely on the guide too much though, you'll ruin the fun of suddenly getting that light bulb moment!

If you've played it before... well actually I wouldn't recommend it if you don't have someone to it to share it with. It really is exactly the same game. Monkey Island veterans wont find any new challenges, and you'll get diminishing returns on the laughs. Pair that with the fact that we managed to finish it in less than 6 and a half hours with Cat doing the vast majority of the puzzle solving for the first time, and you don't get that much for you moneys. We also came across a couple of weird bugs where dialogue seemed to be left out, and we solved a puzzle without really knowing how it worked or what happened.

Playing it with someone new to the game is where the fun's at, especially if you're patient and let them solve the puzzles. Overall I really enjoyed it and really hope they do a special edition of the sequel as I never managed to finish that when I was younger!

weekend of fun -> so so tired

Not writing much today after a monster weekend gaming (and drinking) marathon has left me exhausted!

Spent this evening brain dead in front of the TV. Luckily had the fun and easy-going Kung fu Panda to watch, and followed it with the awesomely retro and over the top Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain.

Might just watch an episode of Ghost in the Shell before crashing for the night.

GiftTRAP - a brilliant game for friends!

As usual had a fantastic day at Beyond Monopoly in York today, played plenty of interesting and varying games.

Finally though I've visited enough to be able to borrow a game, so grabbed the one I've had my eyes on for ages: GiftTRAP. The reason I've had my eyes on this for ages, yet haven't played it at Beyond Monopoly is it's very much a social game and only really works with people you know.

The whole thing revolves around how well you know people, you have to pick out gifts from the available gifts that round for every player, then rate the gifts, then scoring is done based on how well matched the gifts are with the person.

As you need to both give gifts other players want, and receive gifts you do want to win the game this is a game that totally will not work with people you don't know, and will drag on as you receive heavy penalties if you give presents people don't want.

Amongst friends this game was fantastic. There were plenty of laughs as you can't give everyone everything they want every round, and it leads to some very strange pairings :D. It's a shame it's impossible to get hold of now, and the reprint they're doing has the adult content removed (night with an escort / year supplies of condoms / chocolate boobs - that sort of thing), as those presents probably caused the biggest laughs..

Even with those cards removed though I'm sure it will still be well worth getting. You can do far worse if you want a new party game!