Tag / puzzle quest

by DayandKnightly

Space has six sides – Galactrix begins

Originally posted at GameSpot on November 6, 2010

On July 24, 2010 I started PuzzleQuest: Galactrix.

I’m still not that far in the game – only level 17 out of 50 – but I’ve played more recently and (gasp) actually started mining!

According to my wife that’s the way to go – I hadn’t really been doing that much of it before.

For me, it’s been hacking Leap Gates non-stop. The main reason for this is I completed the mission series of finding “The Lost,” which gave me all the Psi symbols. You had to cruise around most of the map to do this, so now almost the entire map is open to me.

So now I can skip the battle with any ship – which is a good thing since I’m too weak to take fools out with ease yet.

I’m still in the MRI Blade (my original ship) as well … definitely looking forward to getting a new ship. I’m savin’ up my credits – it’ll be just like Christmas!

That’s it for now from the hexagon-filled universe.

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by DayandKnightly

The guts of a Lizard King and other stories

Originally posted at GameSpot on October 22, 2010

I don’t remember where she got the idea, but after breezing through the latest Professor Layton and Puzzle Quest my wife mentioned she might like Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story.

Come to think of it, maybe she got the idea from me – I had heard good things, great reviews, and I’m sure I would have mentioned it at least once. What ever the case, I bought it for her (and me, in the future) on March 26, 2010.

Since that time, she’s played the game it a bit – but it hasn’t grabbed her like the others I mentioned above. This is the next step – as I see it – for her in the world of RPGs, so we’ll see what happens. And hey, I’m planning on playing it as well!

This ended up being a bigger day for games then I would have thought – that night was at a friend’s house and several things of comment happened:

  • Finally saw Burnout Paradise in action. I’ve wanted this one for a while; Burnout 3 may have been my favorite racing/destruction/I-can’t-believe-the-sense-of-speed-I’m-feeling games of all time
  • Final Fantasy XIII – graphics were nice, but I’ve just never gotten into the series. That’s my excuse for not really being impressed. Still, I’m sure if I had played through the series – even a few of them – I would be more qualified to actually say how the game looked I think
  • My wife and I remembered the good times of Capture the Flag on Halo: Combat Evolved – she the sniper, I the rocket
  • My friend’s wife watched him play through Lost Odyssey – I thought this one looked good, and that’s solid proof in my book

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by DayandKnightly

Galactrix invades and my wife conquers

Originally posted at GameSpot on August 27, 2010

Earlier this year on January 19, 2010 my wife was deep into PuzzleQuest: Galactrix.

We both really enjoyed the original PuzzleQuest, so getting this one was natural.

What was unnatural was how fast she beat it – conquered by the end of February!

Given that PuzzleQuest thwarted us at Lord Bane (both of us have yet to beat him) the fact that she sailed through this one with relative ease surprised us both.

Is the game easier? Is she that good?

I think both 🙂

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by DayandKnightly

E3 2008

Originally posted at GameSpot on July 21, 2008

In honor of my first new emblem in nearly three years (watching some of the E3 coverage live for one day), I thought I’d do something I’ve never done before – weigh in on the games at E3 that I’m excited about.

While this is something that everyone else is doing as well, it’s still fresh for me – so here we go in alphabetical order:

Crysis Warhead

Since I have chosen to by food instead of a new computer, I haven’t been able to play the first Crysis game; and I probably won’t get to this one anytime soon. Still, based on reviews and just how the game looks it’s one I definitely want to get to someday.

Empire: Total War

This is a no-brainer for me. The Total War series is an all-time favorite, and I’ve been hooked sinceShogun: Total War. Naval battles and guns – the series time-line keeps moving forward. Will it ever come to present-day I wonder? Whatever the answer, I’m happy in the past.

Fable 2

I enjoyed Fable: The Lost Chapters quite a bit – so a bigger, better version is always a good thing. There’s been a lot of talk about having your pet dog run around with you. I have nothing against owning a dog, but will it really be this amazing game play experience to have an animal with you all the time? Dog or not, I’m looking forward to fun game play and a good story from Fable 2.

Far Cry 2

Much like Half-Life, this is a highly rated FPS series that I just haven’t been able to play yet. Will I get around to Far Cry 2 before the inevitable third installment rolls around? Time will tell.

Flower

With all the explosions and gun shots going off around me in these other games, it will be nice to stroll around the grassy fields for a while. I see this game in the same vein as Flow; who knows when I’ll be able to play Playstation games, but I’ll look for this title when I can.

Halo Wars

It’s Halo. It’s war. It’s Halo Wars. I think that pretty much sums it up.

James Bond: Quantum of Solace

Just because I haven’t finished James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing doesn’t mean I can’t want another Bond game! While most of the games involving 007 have been misses, the hits (such as GoldenEye) have been big ones. Let’s hope Quantum is one of them.

Lord of the Rings: Conquest

What’s that? You’re taking the Star Wars Battlefront formula and putting it in the Lord of the Rings universe? I think I’m in some sort of dork heaven right now…seriously, this is easily one of the best games I’ve played – and it isn’t out yet! Yep, it’s that good – I can already tell.

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames

Two words: tactical nukes. I may still get around to the first Merc game, but if I land on this game before so much the better.

Mirror’s Edge

Seems to be some buzz around this one; I do think it looks like an interesting concept but I wonder how truly “free” it is. Can you go anywhere, or is that just an illusion as you move along a linear path? And is that even a bad thing? With anything new, there’s always plenty of room to screw it up – but I’m going to look on the bright side and say this game will turn out just fine.

Prince of Persia

Played Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time; still need to go through the last two-thirds of the modern trilogy. This game is supposed to be completely separate from these three games, so I’m interested to see what will be different. From what I’ve seen so far, it’s an acrobatic Prince looking to save his kingdom (and himself) from certain destruction…which doesn’t sound very different at all. It’s a good formula, however, so we’ll see what happens.

Pure

While I’ve had the privilege to play several fantastic racing games (Burnout 3, Project Gotham Racing 2, Rallisport Challenge, etc.), off-road games seem to have a less stellar track record. Pure looks to change all that, and the videos look amazing.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix

The first Puzzle Questis great, and this is the next one. The first one is good, so this will be good. I think with iron-clad logic like that, it’s hard to argue.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

There is no denying that Bioware puts out quality RPGs (A little game called Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, for example). I’m assuming the same type of quality will shine through in this game, and the unique idea of Sonic in a RPG on the DS looks very interesting. For those reasons, this one should be good.

Sonic Unleashed

And the Sonic love continues. Truth be told, I haven’t really played the big blue hedgehog since mySonic & Knucklesdays – but those were good days. I’m hoping this game will bring Sonic to prominence in 3-D, because I have yet to see a reason to make the transition.

Star Wars Clone Wars: Lightsaber Battles

At last, all the lightsaber battles I had using my old plastic bat during my childhood will finally pay off! Hopefully the moves you make will transfer to the screen smoothly; to have such a sweet concept fall short would be nothing less then the dark side at work.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

An original storyline coupled with amazing game play and graphics? (WARNING: Tired catch-phrase from the Star Wars Universe about to be used!) The force is strong with this one…

Street Fighter IV

I can remember wishing for a Sega Genesis, and the only game I wanted was Street Fighter II: Championship Edition. That wish was granted, and Street Fighter remains my favorite fighting franchise. I want this one to be good – I won’t get to it for a while, but for the good Street Fighter name I want it to do well.

Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.K.

I’ve always been a little wary of flight sims on consoles; but they keep getting closer to the mark and this game could be the best yet. I wonder how this game will stack up against the Ace Combat series?

There it is, my take on what I’m looking forward to from E3 2008. This doesn’t cover everything, and who knows when I’ll actually be playing these games, but they all have great potential.

Potential for what? What else – potential to rock!

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by DayandKnightly

St. Mystere is history / my wife solves the case!

Originally posted at GameSpot on June 27, 2008

This past Monday (June 23) my wife beat Professor Layton and the Curious Village. This was the first time she’s ever beaten a game, and I’m writing to say congrats! I still have yet to finish it, so she is ahead of me for a change.

She told me the ending is wide open, and I guess the sequel is already out in Japan – we’re both looking forward to that.

Kudos to my sweetness!

I hope there is more to come, and keep working on Lord Bane – you’ll finish Puzzle Quest yet!

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by DayandKnightly

Trading in my sword for the good Professor

Originally posted at GameSpot on May 14, 2008

Another lunch, another trade-in at GameStop. While the $1.50 value I got for Soul Calibur II didn’t quite cover it, I purchased Professor Layton and the Curious Village.

I was a little sad about turning in Soul Calibur II; the game and I just didn’t hit it off. Back in the day, fighting games were the reason I wanted a home video game system, but I just couldn’t get into it this time around.

That’s not to say I’ve sworn of the genre – far from it. I just don’t have the time I need to enjoy it anymore. The time it takes to learn the moves, really get good at a few of the characters – I just don’t have it anymore.

It’s a great game – just not for me right now.

That said, I’m looking forward to Professor Layton and the Curious Village. I bought it since it’s something my wife and I will both enjoy. The question is – when will I get to it? I still have Puzzle Quest waiting in the wings…

So, it turns out fighting games aren’t the problem – I don’t have time for anything!

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by DayandKnightly

Shivans, Wizards, and Meta Knights

Originally posted at GameSpot on March 19, 2008

A few notes on what’s going on in my world of gaming:

– Freespace 2: Still plugging away, and getting closer all the time. A couple highlights have really kept me in it; namely destroying the Sathanas. After taking out all the beam cannons of the Sathanas in the previous mission, this mission (“High Noon”) was a piece of cake. The GTVA Colossus just wailed away with its beam cannons while I watched from a safe distance. All this was, of course, followed by a huge, satisfying explosion.

The next mission, “Return to Babel,” started off fast and furious; two squadrons shooting a whole slew of missiles at the Shivan cruisers, and they respond by promptly blowing up. I have to say these recent missions are really showing off the game – saving the best for last, so to speak.

After the discovery of another (or several, I couldn’t see in the nebula) Sathanas juggernaut located around a newly-discovered Knossos portal in the next mission (Mission 33: “Straight, No Chaser”), the enemy toasted the GVD Psamtik and I was jumping out of the nebula. This brings me to Mission 34: “Argonautica,” where I’m trying to save the good ol’ GTD Aquitaine.

Will I be able to do it? Is it possible that I will finish a game that has owned me for nearly ten years? Stay tuned!

– Puzzle Quest: Level seven with my wizard. My wife is currently on the highest level possible (fifty), and I can only hope that by the time our kids have graduated from college that I will have caught up.

I’m stuck on a vampire bat, a bat which my wife’s knight could kill just by looking at it. Whatever level you’re at, the game is fun.

– Super Smash Bros. Brawl: A friend came over last night and brought the Brawl. We had a good time, but let’s just say I have to get used to the idea that winning isn’t everything.

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by DayandKnightly

A big bowl of thanks

Originally posted at GameSpot on March 3, 2008

Being thankful isn’t something I do enough of. I know it’s cliché, but I need to strive at being more aware of the blessings I enjoy each and every day.

This is no different when it comes to video games, and I want take time out with this blog to review what an amazing 4-5 months it’s been in my gaming world.

Due to the generosity of family at Christmas and our tax return, I’ve been able to advance more in my game library is these past few months than I have in quite a while:

Xbox:

Chessmaster

Forza Motorsport

Jade Empire: Limited Edition

Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders

Project Gotham Racing 2

Project: Snowblind

Sid Meier’s Pirates!

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow

DS:

Astro Boy: Omega Factor (GBA)

Diner Dash: Sizzle and Serve

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Mario Kart DS

Mario Party DS

New Super Mario Brothers

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

Risk / Battleship / Clue (GBA)

Star Fox Command

Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (GBA)

TMNT (GBA)

Uno / Skipbo / Uno Freefall

Hardware:

Nintendo DS Lite (2)

Fanatec Speedster 3 Forceshock Xbox Racing Wheel

I look at this list with a sense of awe and intimidation, both excited about the purchases but wondering how I’m going to find time for all of them.

That’s the problem with my gaming hobby – I’m acquiring games faster than I can play through them.

I’m not the first person to have this problem, nor will I be the last – and as far as problems go, I think having an abundance of games is probably the best kind to have.

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by DayandKnightly

I quest for puzzles

Originally posted at GameSpot on February 29, 2008

Puzzle Quest for the DS came in the mail yesterday, and now I have a copy of my own. I originally had a copy, but my wife enjoyed the game – so much so she effectively took it over – and told me to take a hike.

So I did – a hike to eBay, that is, and now we can play each other and I can start the single-player campaign.

Here’s to the Quest!

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by DayandKnightly

Ice crystals cause a gasp!

Originally posted at GameSpot on February 14, 2008

Tuesday, February 12, 2008 – We were sent home from work early because the weather was so bad, and I took advantage of the opportunity to get some gaming in. It was almost a year to the day (Valentine’s Day of last year) that work was cancelled because of the snow, and it still felt just as good as it did then.

Quick hits:

– Got some good time in with Super Mario World and Star Fox Command. I feel like I should give the latter its own entry, but that might come later.

Super Mario World is getting better, and that’s due directly to the fact that I’m actually progressing in the game now. Figuring out the puzzles or hitting a jump right goes a long way in keeping me playing. Just got out of the Forrest of Illusion and it’s on to the Chocolate Island. I get a little tired of the constant Ghost Houses, but I think that’s just because they’re tougher.

Star Fox Command has really impressed me. Any flight sim I’ve played has been on the PC, and while the game isn’t a simulation per say, I’ve never seen flight combat represented so well on any other platform. The DS control handles very well once you get used to it, and pulling out of a drive or making a sharp turn feel like you’re actually doing something.

The difficulty is just right, bordering on easy sometimes – but then a tough boss or missile shows up to even things out. I do enjoy the missile mechanic of the game more than I thought – it ratchets up the tension, knowing that you could have beat the rest of the level but missing one beacon means it was all for nothing.

The story is nothing too special, although the dialogue gets pretty good when the characters have extended interaction. Lines like, “Outta bed and full of beans,” tend to make you smile every time. I do enjoy the story surprises, though – you finish an area and all of the sudden BAM! Team Wolf pops out of nowhere!

– In both games, I’m found something I didn’t know I missed – the gasp! By the “gasp!“, I mean literally sucking in a lot of air – loudly – whenever something happens. In Super Mario World, this is usually when I die on the same jump for the tenth time in a row, or when I actually squeak by a difficult level. On Star Fox Command, it’s when I’m hitting that last beacon to destroy a mother ship or frantically trying to finish a level before time runs out. During these moments, it’s not unusual to hear a gasp! – or several of them.

I think the gasp! has been missing (or at least in the consistency of when I’m now experiencing them) due to the fact that I haven’t really progressed through a game in a long time. I’ve been racing with the new wheel, or just playing through games I’ve already beat when I have time like Star Wars: Battlefront II. But now I’m playing through levels, advancing unknown stories, and playing the DS in short bursts instead of sitting in front of my Xbox for an extended amount of time.

One isn’t better than the other, but I do enjoy this change of pace – and I’m excited about the potential gasps! to follow.

– Three great lines have come from my wife during this week, all related to Puzzle Quest:

“I’ve done this more today than I’ve knitted.”

She has really been getting into the game, and rightly so – it’s a great game! I showed it to her the night I got it, she said it looked cool, and then I left for work the next morning.

Since then she’s picked it up, and can’t put it down! I’m excited that she enjoys it, and so far she’s played it more than me – for the record, she’s on level 17 and I’m at 5.

“This is my kind of Fable”

My wife “played” Fable with me on Xbox, and now she has a version of her own. With the knights, orcs, swords, and other Fable-ish items found in the game, it reminds her a lot of the world of Albion. Seeing her enjoying the puzzle aspect of the game and having her first taste of some RPG elements feels really satisfying – she told me she understands now why I get excited when I level up a character (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic), or want to expand my kingdom as much as possible (Shogun: Total War). Ah, music to my ears! Now she knows why I get excited over the things that I do

“I used yours since my battery died.”

Just as she was about to topple her foe, the DS’s battery died – but instead of quitting and waiting for her battery to re-charge, she finished the game on mine. I think that speaks for itself.

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