sqlrob

Title: Hellboy : Asylum Seeker
Platform: PS1
Genre: Third person action adventure
Paid: $7.99-10% (used)
Would Pay: $0

This is the first time posting a review for something I haven't finished at least one time through. I may eventually go back and try to finish this, but I'm going to have to be really, really bored to do so.

This game looks and plays like Alone in the Dark. I'm not talking the bastard child "The New Nightmare", but the original Alone in the Dark. The main difference being AITD was actually fun. You know it's bad when a year old game doesn't compare well to a 12 year old game. The model for Carnby could be dropped in as is, and not be out of place. I think Carnby, unarmed, could kick the ass of Hellboy. Hellboy had to be taking some serious drugs to have problems beating an overweight, one armed nurse.

Title: Dog's Life
Platform: PS2
Genre: First/Third Person (Dog?) Action Adventure
Price Paid: $19.99
Would Pay: $19.99

We bought this game for jenbooks because it looked interesting, but considering I like exploring games, it was something I liked as well. This game is pretty much a scavenger hunt to collect bones and scents, spread across three environs with several levels apiece. You can go back and forth at will, something that I appreciate in exploring games like this.

The pace is extremely relaxed, with little need to hurry. The exception to this is the final two levels of the game, where you are constantly chased and under a time limit with unclear objectives. This is incredibly frustrating after the previously relaxed pace.

There are several bugs, with some frame rate flakiness that jenbooks saw in the ice levels, but that for some reason I did not. She also ran into a bug where one of the quest objects was not available, and I had no trouble in the same spot. At times it is also unclear exactly what to do for some missions, which was really apparent in the final level, as well as some of the missions in the city.

I'm going to try to give brief reviews of the games I finish when I finish them. Considering how consistent I am with doing anything in my journal, I don't give much hope of it lasting very long.

Name: Scooby Doo: Mystery Mayhem
System: GBA
Type: 2D Platform
Price Paid: $4.99
Would Pay: $2.99

This is a completely mediocre platform game whose sole distinguishing characteristic is its license. Nothing very memorable about it, and each of the five levels follows the same pattern - find clues, rescue member(s) of the gang,ride a rail, boss battle. Some slight variation of where the clues were with respect to the ride, but not much more than that. It's enjoyable for a couple of save points, but not for any extended play.

There was one inconsistency that bugged the heck out of me. Shaggy's main weapon is only effective against ghosts, a point which they drive home during the first boss battle. Then at one point you need to use it against a non-ghost portion of the environment to solve a puzzle. I was trying various jumps with no success, and as a last resort before going to a FAQ, tried the weapon and it worked. Is it that hard to keep the rules consistent?

OK, thanks to CheapAssGamer, I found out about a decent sale on Final Fantasy X-2 for a nice $16.88 at Target. Since I didn't have it, at that price why the heck not.

So jenbooks and I get some shopping done, snag a few DVDs that were on sale too, and go to the Electronics section for FF-X2. They go into the locked case to get the game (a pet peeve of mine since you can't look at the backs when they're in there, but I knew what I wanted). The guy then has to escort us to the front so we can check out. Now mind you, this wasn't some expensive game, but some cheap one where we had more than that in just as easily stolen DVDs that were freely available. Huh?

Finally have GnuCash installed on 30something's computer. This after many, many tries with many failures. Why oh why can't projects list all dependencies and include freaking versions.

Another one of those so-called journalists blasted a video game that he obviously knows absolutely nothing about. Article is at http://www.nypost.com/seven/12292003/business/14640.htm

My response to the author and editor:

Vice City does indeed engender racial stereotypes. Because of it, I think
Haitians are whiny complainers, can't be trusted to raise seamonkies, never
mind children, and think "context" is grafitti in a jail cell. Oh, have I
mentioned that I have yet to play it? This is simply based on their own
actions with the ignorant condemnation of something they know nothing about.

Apparently, this pasttime is something quite enamored of "journalists" as
well.

"People, this is insane. This is 10,000 times worse than the worst thing
anybody thinks Michael Jackson ever did to a little boy". Uh huh. Let me get
this straight - raping someone that can't defend themselves without their
consent is less reprehensible than something someone does in the privacy of
their own home, of their own volition that affects no one else? How can that
even *REMOTELY* be justified?

"FOR one thing, the age cutoff is totally unenforceable, and everyone knows
it". It's actually trivial to enforce. There's these things called "parents",
maybe you've heard of them? They're supposed to do things like teach and
supervise their children. Yes, they're mythical beasts, but somebody should
be able to find them.

"Besides: By what preposterous reasoning can one argue that once someone turns
17 years of age it magically becomes OK to glorify mass murder?" Very good
question. By what magical process does someone become able to responsibly
drink at 21? There's a hell of a lot more people dying by drunk driving than
by playing video games. Let's ban alcohol too... Wait, we already tried that.
I agree that age is a completely bogus measure, but it's something quick and
easy to test. I know 12 year olds that can play GTA just fine, and 50 year
olds I wouldn't trust near Pac-Man, never mind GTA. If you can come up with
an alternate measure of maturity, good luck.

You are the First Doctor: Irascible, brusque, and
occasionally condescending and rude. You do not
suffer fools gladly, nor do you harbor any
false modesty about your capabilities. You have
a sharp tongue, though you're first-class
company when you're in a good mood.


Which Incarnation of the Doctor Are You?
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