Thursday, 31 December 2009
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Letter from the Editor: A New Year, A New Decade, A New Beginning
Dear readers, fans, casual observers, haters, extraterrestrial beings observing our planet for signs of intelligence and all other concerned parties,
When I first applied to be an intern with Xanga, a site with which I had been familiar with for years, and saw the list of destination sites that were available for which to write, my choice was clear on to what site I wanted to devote the most time. That site was Lovelyish. Kidding! Of course, that site was HardestLevel, which would later come to be tagged impressively as "The Impossible-to-Beat Gaming Source." That desire came from the fact that video games are a significant part of my life, that video games are quite simply something I love.
That sentiment, that pure love for video game-based entertainment, is the glue that has held our little site together. Along with game reviews, game release announcements, head-scratching news on people marrying their in-game characters and Hawt Girls, there have been plenty of personal gaming stories and love letters to specific games and systems to be had on HL. I know I've been Mr. Retrospective when it came to writing for this site, and so it is only fitting I include an SNES reset button for the pic to this post. That will always be my favorite system, hands down.
Back to the point, though. Something I have always valued about HardestLevel.is that users could be featured for baring their E-souls right along with the staff. Sure, we've had to take the good with the bad, but the voices of individual people have been critical to this site and have made it more valuable to me than other gaming sites that focus only on game industry news. Even through our supposed site shift to capture more gaming culture tidbits and material that would appeal to casual and non-gamers, people would consistently write things that appealed to them, no matter what the classification. From a business standpoint, it's not been ideal, but from my personal standpoint, I have respect for the fact that people come from different gaming backgrounds and interests. Tanner and Tiffany (who have been our most productive staff writers and I thank them for getting us through this month), for instance, are their own people with their own gaming and writing and styles, but both can be equally appreciated.
Why talk about the history of the site now, though? How does this relate to future events? Well, you've probably noticed we've been paring down our output very recently; in fact, we missed a day this past week, which still kind of upsets me. If this wasn't any indication, though, our site is winding down. In fact, this post should serve to be the final update for HardestLevel, not just for the year, but for the foreseeable future. HL has continued to grow in the past half a year, but at a rate that's too slow to sustain in its current form. Thus, HardestLevel will continue to exist in its current form, but no further updates will be made to the site. This will not affect current accounts with our site, and you can still access previously posted content. I should remind you you can access these existing posts by tags related to your top areas of interest or by contributor.
And now what about video game blogging on the Xanga Network? Is it, pardon the pun, Left 4 Dead? Thankfully, no. In an effort to bring the type of content you would expect to see on HL to a larger audience, Mancouch will very soon be featuring a tab for gaming content, much in the way Lovelyish has its Beauty, Advice and Style Court tabs. You may have already noticed some posts that originally aired on HardestLevel have been appearing on Mancouch in preparation for the changeover. For some, the mere mention of Mancouch (or Lovelyish, at that) may make your blood boil, but we encourage you to support this new beginning of sorts. The current HardestLevel staff will still be writing for this new tab, including myself, although as more of a now-and-then contributor, much in the way Yuliya has been of late. For the sake of a video game analogy, it's like pressing the reset button on your console, or perhaps better yet, like playing a game on a newer-gen system that has backwards compatibility. There still will be a haven for video game blogging on Xanga!
Still, I guess to have a new beginning, you have to have an end, that being an end to HardestLevel as we know it. So, I'd like to give my thanks. I'd like to give my thanks to everyone I've worked with, if you're reading: Alex, Andrew, Jim, Justin, Konrad, Matt, Tanner, Tiffany, Tim and Yuliya. I'd also like to thank the dragon and the knights for being faithful mascots to our little webpage. We really should've given you fellas names, now that I think of it. Finally, and most importantly, all of us at HardestLevel would like to thank all of you readers and contributors who supported our site, our writing, and made it into a community. After all, that is the essence of sites like Xanga: the community.
In all, thanks for the memories and I hope you'll continue to keep writing and supporting all the destination sites, including our new home. May you have a Happy New Year, a Happy New Decade, and may you never stop gaming.
Sincerely,
Joe A.K.A. awinnerisyou
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
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Thief Caught by Playing Xbox Live
It's kind of hard to feel bad for someone who gets caught after stealing loads of people's electronics. And yet, my sympathies are with Jeremiah Gilliam, whose desire to play video games is what did him in. I understand all too well the pull of video games on a man. My condolences, Jeremiah!
Here's the scoop from The Escapist: Gilliam was playing Xbox Live on a stolen console. The user from whom his Xbox system was stolen logged onto Xbox Live using another machine and saw that his missing console was logged on. From there, he told his parents, who told the police, who traced the system's unique IP address back to Gilliam's location at his grandmother's house. Upon Gilliam's arrest and investigation at the house, GPS devices, PlayStations, video games, credit cards and other valuables were found, and our online gaming lover was charged with grand larceny.
There was no word in the Escapist report on what game Jeremiah was playing when his whereabouts were given away. For the sake of irony, though, I'm hoping it was Uncharted 2.
Thursday, 24 December 2009
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Your First Video Game Christmas Gift
You've probably heard me reminisce about my time playing Super Nintendo far too much over the course of my days with HardestLevel, but dang it, I'm feeling nostalgic lately. In the weeks leading up to Christmas of '92, I was very forthcoming about my desire for the SNES console. In fact, my passion was so intense I was dreaming about getting my grubby little hands on a controller. Just to touch the paddle with L and R buttons ON THE TOP and to witness the 16-bit graphics...the wait was almost too much to take.
When the day finally arrived, it was if angels were singing songs of praise and triumph. OK, not really, but my brother and I were pretty darn ecstatic. "Santa" had brought us a Super Nintendo with Super Mario World and Street Fighter II, and no sooner did we open the packaging that the system was hooked up and the seeds of our video game addiction were planted. Over the next few years, that wondrous little gaming box would yield us hours of fun and even promoted a sense of camaraderie as my brother, my dad and I tackled Bowser's Castle, M. Bison and other final bosses together. Oh, if only I could go back in time and revisit one of those moments, to see us united in our pursuit of some small shred of video game glory. It would warm the cockles of my heart.
What was your first video game gift? Does thinking about it bring back fond memories?
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
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Getting the Wrong Game for Christmas
Not every Christmas present involving video games results in a moment like that of the Internet sensation The N64 Kid. Sometimes you get exactly what you ask for, and you are content. Sometimes you get something you wanted without asking for it, and you are moderately excited.
And then sometimes, you get a game you never would have asked for, and in that moment, your spirit is crushed. Such was the case many moons ago when my Christmas wish list hopes and dreams rested on the acquisition of Chrono Trigger, an SNES classic and popular seller at the time. So, when the time came to unwrap my video game-shaped gift, I was practically salivating. I tore through the wrapping paper, eyes wide and beheld my Super Nintendo gift of that year.
Alas, it was not Chrono Trigger, but Animaniacs. I don't recall if it was the cost or the low supply of Chrono Trigger that my parents explained forced them to go with an alternate title. Not wanting to disappoint, I put on a smile and said I was happy to receive the gift. In reality, though, I was pretty dismayed.
In retrospect, Animaniacs isn't too bad of a game. I found it a lot more challenging than I expected; after all, Animaniacs was intended for children. In fact, I would go as far as to say I like Animaniacs the game. Regardless, however, it must be repeated: alas, it was not Chrono Trigger, but Animaniacs.
Were you ever disappointed with a video game gift you received? What game was the offender and which game were you hoping for? -
Have You Called in Sick to Play Video Games?
Back when I was a lad, I was fully engrossed with the game Donkey Kong Country. The game, a collective purchase between my brother and I, was a joy to play. We were transported to exciting new worlds: jungles, mine shafts, temples, coral reefs, factories. There were a slew of colorful characters (Cranky amongst my favorites), intriguing choices for helpful animals you could ride on (come on, how cool was Enguarde?), silly illiterative names for the stages (damn you, Forest Frenzy!), and all was done with a spirit of whimsy and superb graphics for the time of the game's release. I even would read and re-read the Instructional Booklet that came with the game just to further immerse myself in the experience.
Of course, dedication to a game can have its drawbacks, especially when you are close to the end of it and desperately want to see it to its conclusion. Around the time I had gotten to King K. Rool, I was dealing with the flu and had been out a few days from school consequently. When I actually reached that reptilian menace, though, I was pretty much recovered and only had slight lingering symptoms to contend with. In truth, I really could've gone to school, but I convinced my mom to let me stay home and rest. However, when she saw me up and energetic playing the game and watching a behind-the-scenes video made by Rare about the production of the game, she quickly realized I was not as bad off as I had made it seem. No wonder years later I was forbidden to go to Senior Cut Day. Years later, Mom had exacted her revenge.
Depending on your age and circumstances, you might still have someone call out for you that you are sick, or you may have to use one of your sick days, or you might just be in college and decide to skip class. However you slice it, I'm guessing I am I not the only one who has lied to their school or employer in order to make progress in a title of their choosing or spend a little extra time with their guild. While I don't officially endorse such dishonesty, I'm also of the mindset that sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Have you ever played hooky to play video games?
Saturday, 19 December 2009
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Are There Too Many Wii Fitness Games?
If anyone tells you you don't have options for exercise and weight loss programs through the Nintendo Wii, certainly he or she is a liar-liar-pants-on-fire. Either that, or he or she has failed to stay abreast of the recent rash of fitness-oriented games designed for the Wii. Of course, the Wii's application to a more active lifestyle was apparent early on when Wii Sports – which I submit is still one of the best titles in terms of replay value – was packaged with the system at launch and featured a daily fitness test that assigned you an age based on your performance on a number of assigned Wii Sports training exercises.
Still, lately a handful of Wii games have been released that specifically target weight loss and keeping a handle on your girlish figure. Certainly, it's likely more than a coincidence that they are being released and promoted simultaneously. Nevertheless, it's been said that bad news comes in threes, and while I wouldn't necessarily call these games bad, their combination makes me just a little bit more concerned about the future of the Wii. The possible omens of the Wii Fit-pocalypse:
Released on November 17, this expansion includes 35 new exercises and activities in addition to the ones previously featured in the original Active, which itself only came out in May of this year. There are cool-down and warm-up exercises, new abdominal workouts and even a nutrition book by fitness celebrity Bob Greene (who?). You also still get to use (thank God!) the elastic resistance band on your leg, which is understandably of dubious practicality. It's sort of EA's "Western" answer to the styles of Nintendo's Wii Fit, which also saw a fairly recent expansion with Wii Fit Plus.Capitalizing off the success of the hit NBC show, The Biggest Loser Interactive Fitness Game, released in October, employs the likes of Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, the two current real-life trainers from the show, amidst workout regimes and conventions borrowed from the show (performed either with the Wii Remote or Balance Board) and pertinent nutritional information. Mind-bogglingly enough, there is actually a version for Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, but seeing as you can't actually exercise with it, you might as well bring an ink-and-paper calorie guide instead.
Believe it or not, we have Ubisoft to thank for this production. The most recent release of the bunch, Your Shape's novelty comes from the sheer amount of exercises advertised (about 500) as well as the fact no controller is needed; the accuracy of your performance is measured by a motion-sensing camera. So, if you enjoyed the EyeToy and have a deep-seated desire for Jenny McCarthy to tell you what to do from the comfort of your own home (not projecting at all, am I?), then Your Shape is your ticket to a fun workout!
Don't get me wrong: I think these products have their heart (and perfectly-sculpted bodies) in the right place. Nevertheless, with this preponderance of fitness games and underwhelming revelations like the Wii Vitality Sensor being among its big news at E3, I can't help but worry Nintendo is drifting away from its identity as a video game system first and foremost. With attention divided to things like fitness games and building up the Virtual Console, it's no wonder quality games for the Wii are so few and far between.
Friday, 18 December 2009
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Concerning CNET's Worst Games of the Year
Seeing as the end of the year (and decade, come to think of it) is approaching, everybody and their mother are putting out Best of the [Insert Time Period] and Worst of the [Insert Time Period] lists in an effort to put their stamp on the blogosphere's collective analysis of the world's video game titles. A short time ago, CNET.com published their list of ten "games" they reasoned to be the worst of the year. While they certainly felt these games were underwhelming, so too could their list (which was not even ranked) be considered. The CliffsNotes version, for you lazy readers-and-clickers:
MLB 2K9: Supposedly "failed in almost every aspect," ridden with bugs
Bionic Commando: Falls short of the legacy of fun set forth by the NES original
Wheelman: Bad melee and gunplay
PSP Go: Too expensive, game downloads and transfers are tedious
Brutal Legend: Supposedly "wasn't fun", in spite of Jack Black
The Godfather II: Unfinished feel, repetitive, bad AI
Rogue Warrior: REALLY short campaign, excessive foul language (yes, such a thing exists)
Sonic and the Black Knight: Um, Sonic has a sword
Tony Hawk RIDE: Too expensive, inconsistent function of skateboard peripheral
The Delays: No, that's not a title; it's merely a gripe about how some high profile releases like BioShock 2 haven't come out yet
You'll notice how the word "games" is put in quotes above. While CNET never professes to be offering a Top 10 list, the stickler can't help but be annoyed that two of their choices are not even games. Of course, this is a ticky-tack argument, and there are more serious flaws than those of taking liberties with the concept of a game. For one, some games seem unfairly singled out because they are too expensive. Regarding Tony Hawk, for example, its heavy price tag should not reflect on its quality. By the same logic, we could just as well add DJ Hero to the list. RIDE seems like it would be better situated in a list of games with the worst overall value.
Another problem to take with the list is that certain games seem to be unduly penalized for falling short of high expectations. Granted, it can be argued that a series' reputation (e.g. Bionic Commando) or hype (e.g. Brutal Legend) is a perfectly viable reason to downgrade it when it comes time for a review. But are Bionic Commando and Brutal Legend really worthy of Worst Game of the Year status? Regarding the latter, some would even put the Jack Black vehicle on their BEST of the Year countdown. And then there's the Sonic game. Without playing it, one can only really conjecture about its lack of quality, but seriously, aren't 3-D Sonic games pretty easy targets nowadays?
Certainly, there is a business side of things: CNET's list is meant to garner interest and spur debate, and big profile names are a surefire way of achieving this. Nevertheless, if we are to be purists about the idea of a list of worsts, it would've been entertaining just the same to see a handful of games that didn't just fall short of expectations, but were rather so atrocious that the authors would've had no choice but to poke fun at them, games deservedly under the radar. CNET, you could've done a lot better...er, worse.
Do you take issue with any of the items on CNET's list? Why?
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
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Is God of War III Your Most Anticipated Game?
Whether or not Spike TV's recent 7th annual Video Game Awards Show was entertaining is debatable. The whole shebang, in retrospect, seems most notable for the trailers premiered (such as for the new Prince of Persia) and Stevie Wonder's appeal to game designers to make games more accessible to those with a physical handicap. Nevertheless, some of the category winners, most of you might admit, were pretty interesting. Despite its record sales, Modern Warfare 2 would only win Best Shooter, while Uncharted 2 took the prize for Game of the Year. Rocksteady Studios took the award for Studio of the Year, while its baby, Arkham Asylum, garnered zero wins.
Always looking to the future, I was keen on what voters would select for Most Anticipated Game. To be fair, the choice was a difficult one, especially since you may want none or all of them! Ultimately, God of War III would reign supreme over the BioShock, Mass Effect and StarCraft sequels. The four nominees for Most Anticipated Game are obviously pretty hard to compare as they all are successful, prototypical embodiments of their respective genres. For some, it may just come down to which type of game platform (e.g. console vs. PC) you prefer. Still, in award shows, usually only one can win.
So, if you had to pick one game, which would be your most anticipated? Would it be God of War III or another?
Tuesday, 08 December 2009
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Dragon Age Gay Love Scene Ruffles Feathers
Note: Second link contains content flagged by YouTube community for mature content.
It's oft been said "it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye." In the case of video games, perhaps the phrase should be amended to "it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye...or a man romances an male elf."
Dragon Age: Origins has caught a lot of attention recently for more than just being a well-made game. As a recent New York Times article by Dave Itzkoff notes, there has been a lot of chit-chat and, more often than not, negative reaction to a particular scene in the game. Apparently, as a male character in the game, you can choose to have a romantic encounter with another male character, an elf by the name of Zevran. As Itzkoff explains, "To prompt the sequence — which is far more chaste than scenes in 'Brokeback Mountain' — the player must accept an invitation from Zevran to his tent and prompt him with a few lines of innuendo-laden dialogue. ('I was raised to take my pleasures where they could be found,' Zevran says after the rendezvous.)"
You can imagine which groups might see this as a threat to common decency and which might find this laudable. Itzkoff quotes condemnations from Websites WND.com (a conservative E-publication) and Gawker, while highlighting praise from sites like GayGamer.net for a move towards equality. As for BioWare, the studio that produced the game, they seem to be walking down a diplomatic line, claiming to have no social agenda in including a gay love scene in their game, saying they seek not to shock or make a stance on gay relations, but merely to award the player the choice to play the game and advance the story as he or she sees fit.
The choice of a gay rendezvous does not, in fact, proclude the user from heterosexual or lesbian encounters; if anything is to be attacked by detractors, it is BioWare's decision to make romantic encounters an option in the first place. At the same time, though, such an attack is realistically an attack on realism. Sex and love are a fact of life, and if you don't want want to witness the homosexuality (a small part of the game, in effect), don't play, and furthermore, keep your religion out of the discussion.
What do you think of BioWare's decision to include a gay love scene in the new Dragon Age game?
Thursday, 03 December 2009
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Wal-Mart vs. GameStop: Clash of the Corporations
Q: What does it take to stick a monopolistic video game corporation like GameStop with a loss?
A: A bigger corporation.
The stock market has been none too kind to GameStop Corp. this week. On Monday, shares of the buy/trade/sell magnate took a 3.5% hit based on worries about video game sales for the holiday season. A mere two days later, GameStop's stock fell another 8.3% due to competition from...[cue evil-sounding music]...Wal-Mart! According to this Dallas Morning News article, Wal-Mart dares to crush any video game purveyors who stand in its way by offering up to 20% off Top 25 games through Christmas Eve and $50 gift cards to all Nintendo Wii buyers through December 12.
Will these stock market trends mark the beginning of the end for GameStop? According to some business analysts, probably not, considering GameStop does not deal exclusively in new games. As the Dallas Morning News article details, a whopping 45% of GameStop's profit comes from used games, so the company is better equipped to handle Wal-Mart's holiday sales than other video game retailers. Moreover, on some older titles, GameStop actually now features lower prices than Wal-Mart.
Nonetheless, stock market prices are related to consumer confidence and perception, so while Wal-Mart's seasonal sale won't last, its attitude and the concern of investors might. In a recent Wall Street Journal piece, analyst William Armstrong is quoted (ominously) as such: "In reality, the sale won't hurt [GameStop], but the perception would be that if Wal-Mart is aiming at [the company], that's something to take seriously."
If GameStop were to go under, how you would you react? Would you be dismayed, elated or indifferent?
awinnerisyou
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- Name: Joe Justice
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