Comics And Video Games

Well, comic books have been a part of life since pop culture took off decades ago. In this era of a technology driven, global society, comics have a hand in everything from action figures to blockbuster hits to Gamestop.

It shouldn't come as a surprise the comic books have been the inspiration for tons of video games. There are at least six Spiderman, ten Batman, and four X-men games. Marvel has an entire series of Marvel Alliance games on almost every platform. This doesn't even compare to the number of games inspired by manga or anime, including the popular Naruto series.

What you might not know is that certain video games have been inspiration for comic books. The first-person shooter Halo was an inspiration for a series of comic books. Another series was based off the popular Street Fighter series. While most play the fighting game, they may not know the story behind each of the characters and their relationship with one another. The comic book explores this aspect of the game. In this way, comics can become a second layer of storytelling for video games.

Also there is an entire series of what one blogger calls "meta-video game comics" or comics based on the life of gamers and the industry of gaming. For an example of this type of comic, he recommends VG Cats. WARNING: Graphic language and crude humor in this comic.

As you can see, games are not just inspired by comics but can inspire as well. I have heard good reviews of the Halo and Street Fighter comics and will probably pick one up soon.

Raving Rabbids - Wii vs. PS2

As you know, games are often available in multiple systems. Madden football games are typically played on the Xbox consoles but are available for both Wii and Playstation 2/3. Rayman Raving Rabbids is one such game. I had the opportunity to play the game on both Wii and Playstation 2. I thought I would share some general comparisons between the two systems.

The storyline was the same, of course. Rabbids have taken over the world and Rayman must play in a gladiator-style series of games to defeat the rabbids with plungers and rocking dance moves.

The big difference of course lay in the control style simply because the Wii is more physical than the Playstation 2. Originally, I played on PS2. I sat down with a remote in my lap and my hands did the work. For one minigame, you twirl a cow and release it in the air sending it across a graveyard field. This was especially challenging on the PS2 because the release had to be timed perfectly with where the cow was swinging around Rayman. The release was achieved by pressing a button and if pressed at the wrong time (quite often) it landed to the side.

On the Wii, the throw was achieved while actually circling the remote around your head (not just rotating an analog stick). The release was still a button but you can kinda push the remote forward so the throw was a little easier. The controls reflected what you were doing while on Playstation 2 it was "push this button to achieve this."

One of the big differences I noted, however, was not the controls but the graphics. At the start of each minigame, the Playstation 2 would show Rayman on the left and the control description on the right. The Wii had a specific graphic for each game though. The graphic would be a rabbid showing you how to hold the Wii remote to achieve your goal. For the cow minigame, the rabbid rotated the remote like a lasso. In a different game, you draw the outline of a food item and then the rabbid eats it. On the Wii, it showed the rabbid moving the remote to "draw" the food-even zooming into the paw slowly moving the remote. The PS2 had one graphic for all the games and the Wii had individual graphics for each game menu.

The interesting differences made for an entirely new experience. I knew the goal but it was a different way of achieving it. Owning a Xbox, PS2, and a family Wii, I know that the differences between different systems is a topic discussed both passionately and thoroughly but to try it first hand was an exciting experience.

Wii Bowling

Well, well...its a Friday afternoon and what am I up to on this cold, windy, rainy day?

Instead of going out, I stayed in and joined in a game of Wii Bowling. As an avid bowler when I was younger, I enjoy a game every now and then. I was in leagues until I was 10 years old and actually placed 5th in Texas before moving to Japan (where despite extreme interest in the sport, I was unable to continue playing).

Wii Bowling is one of five games on the Wii Sports package. The game is simply the original sport in digital form. The Wii remote sensors your normal swing and you even have to push the button at a specific time to release the ball (too late and you will lob it down the lane!).

I have to say that one of the best experiences with this game both now and at home is that everyone plays. My parents don't normally join 'the kids' for a game but for bowling--everyone grabs a remote. Another unique feature is that this game can be played with multiple people but only having one remote. I really like this feature for those on a tight budget or on the go.

For this game, though, I had the pleasure of playing with Dr. Greh and Dr. Kenel. This was Dr. Kenel's first time. Watching her play, she concentrates on every throw very hard. Her face lit up when she got her first STRIKE! It was also her first time with the Wii altogether and I was very impressed with how quickly she adapted to the new system. I find Wii is different to learning other consoles simply because of the remote. By all means, there is a skill involved in button mashing but Wii takes physical skill. Swinging the ball, Dr. Kenel had to keep the remote level as well as swing fast and straight. In this aspect, she excelled and she learned quickly how sensitive the sensors can be.

Dr. Greh is an experienced player and swings with fun movements. In particular, she acts like I imagine she would at an actually bowling alley. She moves her body after the toss to guide the ball (a habit that unfortunately does nothing for your skill but even I admit to a personal addiction to this habit).

It was interesting to see from an outside view both an experienced player and a beginner. Dr. Greh gave Dr. Kenel advise and reminisced about different skills and hints she discovered along the way. Bowling is a game I particularly love and the Wii is the best way to experience the sport outside of a bowling alley. Although, it doesn't have the same bowling alley food along with it. :-(

Oh the fun of DaSilva 210...lol

Ubisoft Game Production

I recently purchased a game for PS2 called Rayman: Raving Rabbids. The game is a hilarious series of mini-games that definitely earns the title of "party" game.

When I went onto the Raving Rabbids website, I noticed the game was made by Ubisoft and thus decided what other great games 

they were making (assuming of course that Raving Rabbids was not their only good 

game). As you can see from above, the game is a cartoon-like animation where the rabbits stand on two legs, weild plungers, and love to scream at the top of their lungs. Naturally, I assumed the other games would be similar in design.

How very wrong I was...

 

Unlike the game before, this game is detail-oriented, realistic graphics which if fitting given the game topic. Tom Clancey's EndWar is a game designed to represent World War III, the worst and last world war. Gamers choose a country to represent as they battle their way through nuclear warfare. The game has none of the laughter from Rayman's minigames. It seemed odd how these two very different games could come from within the same company.

Looking on I found this...

Shaun White's Snowboarding video game-a sports game! The production company Ubisoft has a wide variety of games which surprised me because I figured that production houses would specialized in a particular style of design. The more I learn about this industry, the more I find that the companies must have many faces in order to make a profit and be quote-on-quote 'well-known'.

Final Fantasy VII - Watching Someone Play

Well, it was very difficult but I finally sat down and watched someone else play a video game and didn't grab the remote myself! Patrick played Final Fantasy VII at many different points and, while he tried to answer my questions, there was so much to learn I felt my head spinning.

I apologize for any mistakes but this is what I got from the game from my second point of view.

First of all, the story is about a planet that supports life through a "lifestream". A company used this lifestream and channeled it as a power source for the city. There was a Calamity called Jenovah that landed on the planet. Cells from Jenovah were placed in different people and clones of people to make them extra-ordinary (super strength, agility, etc). The company's efforts are going to destroy the planet. A group rises to fight this power and save the planet but in the end, the planet itself is the only thing that can defeat the oncoming threat. The story is a basic good conquers evil and has a heavy religious overtone (although to no specific religion).

Our group includes: a red dog-Red, a cat named Cait, a weapons expert-Barret, a tech expert-Cid, girls named Yuffie, Tifa, and Aerith, and a silent leader called Cloud. He played as Cloud for the story line and going through levels but at the battles, he would take a team and fight as each member. Our main enemy ended up being Sephiroth, the child of Jenovah. The end had has a different setup then most games in that the last enemy has three battles attributed singularly to him.

From my point of view, everything went super-fast. Patrick has played this game many times, to the point where he remembers not only where everything is but most of the dialogue as well. When battling, there is no hints as to what this thing or that thing that you summon is supposed to do. However, he had played enough that he knew what each one would do. My favorite move was the Knights of the Round, where King Arthur and his 13 knights would each take a turn beating down the enemy. The damage destroyed the enemy and the graphics were surprisingly amazing.

I was lucky enough to wrap up my lesson with watching the film that spawned from the movie, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. I had seen clips of this film but the cinematography and graphics are just astounding. It is animated but it is so life-like that at times I forgot it was animation!! From small hair movements to giant explosions, the images were lifelike and realistic. In fact one scene reminded me of a scene from Matrix where Nero bends back under the bullets. The film answered many of my questions, even though the story took place after the video game.

Watching someone play was very difficult. I have not played Final Fantasy other than two days where my boyfriend jammed it down my throat. The experience was boring and tedious because he continued to give me directions and advice to the point where I handed him the remote so he could play. I find this often happens when someone is passionate about a video game and I don't begrudge the experience. However, this time round I wanted to take the remote from him. FF7 was very intriguing and I hope to play it on my own someday when I have the time.

Computer Games-Civilization

Where Puzzle Bobble was an arcade game changed into an online play, Civilization is among many games designed specifically for the computer. After being bugged all summer, I finally agreed to sit down to what was admittedly a fun, but long session of Civilization.

What I found most interesting about the game was the actual setup. Each person would play turns. Certain characters took so many turns before they joined your team. For example, a scout would take 1 turn but a hunter may take 3 turns. Also, the skills necessary to evolve your community took so many turns as well. Farming would take 3 turns, but then your food income would increase. Learning to mine would lead to blacksmithing which would lead to bigger buildings, etc. Also, workers could be building a new facility at the same time.

In one turn, you could learn archery, make a scout, and build a farm (One skill, one person, and one build.) While at first this makes for slow progress, eventually you go from farmers to knights (Middle Ages) to soldiers (1800s) and so forth until you reach the future age with GIs and space flight. Older knights can also be upgraded and earn extra points for battles won.

A good portion of the game is one player. However, the interaction is necessary between either computer or other players. While you are building your civilization, there are three other civilizations being build in your "world". You can trade, make alliances, and go to war with neighboring countries. There are also extra points for starting a religion and then spreading that religion (through missionaires) to other countries.

Certain buildings allow you to build certain objects/people. By learning Buddhism, for example, you become capable of making a Buddhist temple which in turn will become a site that can yield missionairies and such people on its own.

I grant there are a lot of rules to this game. I played twice through and still didn't learn everything there is to know (and I had an expert playing right along with me!). I think the benefits of this game is the fact you make up the story. Yes, the computer similulates the opposing sides but you decide whether its war or peace between your nations, whether you will focus on religion, art, or technology.

It begs the question: What kind of world would you develop? Mine was based around art and sciences with one religion. I allowed missionaries open access to my civilization so that I ended up with multiple religions. I was overall impressed with the game and thought it was much better than I anticipated (just don't tell my brother!).

Nintendo DSi Details!

Nintendo has outrun both Microsoft and Sony sales this past year, according to a top marketing analysis from NPD. The handheld arena is hardly a battle-field with Japanese sales for DS skunking those of PSP. In the U.S., the DS hit 3 million units sold!

And Nintendo does it again! The DSi is due to release April 5th, 2009.

The Nintendo DSi boasts new software that definitely is comparable to that of the iTouch. Here are the major new features.

1. Two new cameras for photo taking
2. Software that includes photo editing to a SD card
3. Music playing capabilities through stereo headphone jack
4. Record, edit, and save music or speech through the microphone
5. Cost is only $170
6. Wifi capabilities
7. DS Download capabilities, including a game shop similar to the Wii Ware

As for games? Rhythm Heaven is the first announced game. RH is a music-based game similar to Guitar Hero. The system will play DS games but it is yet unknown if they will play Game Boy Advance games (but I dare ask-who cares as these games are by far outdated by three generations of DS!).  With similar features to an iPod and digital camera, it is not hard to guess that DSi will outsell PSP even further in 2009.

For more information on game sales in 2008, check out this report.

For more info on Nintendo DSi, read the press release at nintendo.com.