Gameism: The Doctrine of Judging Others Based on Their Gaming Practices

How often have you basked in the all-encompassing, reflected light from a new gaming disc?  To whom do you listen during such great, historical events such as E3 or the GDC?  What are the games in which you are most interested?  Forget those questions for now; they don't matter.  What does matter is how what you do -- how you act -- reflects on you.  If I go around punching children and stealing from blind people, chances are I am not a good person.  If I have a gaming blog and look forward to reading other gaming blogs, I would say it's a safe bet I also play videogames.  Maybe something just as likely is that spend large amounts of time playing these games and forgo anything else.  This is all fine and good, but what about the types of games you buy?  Well, that probably says something about you too.  How about the consoles?  Do you think each console defines who that gamer is?  I hope not.  Don't be a Gameist.

One day, I will punch these children.

Let's begin with real life in a generic sense: type of console.  I have a Wii.  I do not have an Xbox 360 nor a PS3.  Since I have a Wii, maybe you can assume I'm a casual gamer and that I love playing games like Wii Sports or Farmville.  Or that I don't know what I'm doing when it comes to gaming since anyone who owns a Wii is either 73 or 7. If you think these things, you are one of the flawed Gameists.  Similar to Sexists and not as traditional as Racists, Gameists have their own preconceived stereotypes for different kinds of gamers.  For my own sake, I hate games like Farmville.  I could never stand to play any Facebook game and I only play Wii Sports after being dragged into it by the actual casual gamers.  I have Team Fortress 2 and Mass Effect 2 on my PC hard drive.  I love those games.  But there are some people out there who willingly accept Wii gamers as childish and it's almost to the point of defining them as not actually gamers.  Personally, I have not been a victim of this prejudice, but the victims are out there.  Do what you can to help the less fortunate.

When it comes to the PS3, you may guess these gamers are skinny Asians -- or people who wish they were skinny Asians -- who spend most of their time playing expansive and vastly time consuming JRPGs like the Final Fantasy series.  And, of course, these people always have some new JPOP going in the background, right?  Well Think Again!  I have friends who own a PS3; one is white, one is Jewish and another is Mexican.  None of them take more pleasure in Japan than is appropriate.  What is wrong in the minds of these Gameists that such prejudices exist?  Do they just listen to the representatives of the products they own and never hear anything from the other sides of the aisle?  Are these people set on categorizing everyone into these narrow stereotypes that limit other gamers?  It seems like it sometimes, it seems like it indeed.

 One of these people own a PS3, the other owns a Wii.  You Decide.

And what about the Xbox 360 owners?  Are they all shooter-obsessed bros, who buy cases of "amp" and insist every time they die is a lucky shot?  Does each Xbox 360 gamer yell into their headset, swearing and hypothesizing about another's sexual orientation?  Well...  Well, Okay, some are more true than others, but you get the idea.  What console one owns does not, for the most part, determine what kind of a person one is.  But those damn Gameists and their Gameism.  How do they think they can lump so many people together and make them faceless embodiments of a specific type of gamer?  Let the gamer community unite under one flag and realize that, even though we are all different on the outside, we are all the same on the inside.  Every gamer is a gamer because of their love for videogames.  Let us extend that love to one another and Stop this senseless Gameism.  Is this the dream of which Dr. King spoke?  Is this what the honored Veterans have fought and died for?  I can honestly tell you, without a doubt in my mind, that answer is no.  Thank you, everyone, and don't forget to do what's best for the gaming community.

Saving Saves: Taking our Progress for Granted

There was a death in my household last week. It happened without warning in front of my own eyes. I was in a flustered panic; I didn't know what to do; do I call someone? Should I handle the corpse myself? Millions of thoughts raced in my head, but one in particular stood out the most which defined the significance of this demise:“What the f******** is going to happen to my save data?”

Hate to use a tired image, but this is the exact face I made when it happened.

My fat, 60GB PS3 suffered a Yellow Light of Death (or YLOD), and I didn't back up my save data to prepare for it. I was pretty pissed off because that would mean that a) I would have to get it repaired somehow and b) I lost a ton of good save data. I transferred all of my PSX and PS2 save data onto my PS3 for whatever reason a couple of years ago because I thought my PS3 would be a “safe place to put them” (ugh, idiot).

Some really good saves from the PSX like my 200.6% completion of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (yes, 200.6% is a full clear, the Japanese are hilarious) and my autistically-accomplished “did nearly everything possible in the game under 50 hours” Final Fantasy 7 save as well as some good PS2 game saves were nestled in the hard drive of my dead PS3. I felt that the little gamer inside of me, the one that helped create those very save games as I grew up, was going throw a tantrum and beat me to death (but not really since the little gamer me isn't very athletic and has the punching power of cat hair falling on a cotton ball).

When save games get lost, corrupted, or deleted, it's a pretty sh*t*y feeling. It's similar to when you're working on a 10 page paper and your computer crashes, or when you're baking a turkey for Thanksgiving and you leave it in the over for too long, or when you're excavating the cadaver of your dead wife out of loneliness only to find out you dug up the wrong grave – you gotta start over, right? But do you actually suck it up and restart on a new save file, or do you just say f-it and give up completely? With games that have a dreadful first-20 hours of gameplay like Final Fantasy XIII, I wasn't planning on doing the former.

Hell, back in the day, save files didn't even exist (I am now a cranky old man)! Games for the NES (and even some games for the Genesis or SNES) used password systems, with some requiring you to input as many as 40 letters/symbols/bananas to continue your progress. Some games didn't even use a save system! Can you imagine the kids today, who grow up on save states and checkpoints every 10 steps in every modern game, having to play the original Mega Man, Contra, Ninja Gaiden, or even Super Mario Bros without a way to save? They'd break into tears at the title screen ('cuz it has no continue option!!! Get it???)

This is a password screen from the Mega Man series of games. As a kid I didn't know how to read grids so I physically drew this out (by kid I mean senior in high school).

But those save files you keep that have stood the test of time (because your console didn't die, or your cartridge batteries didn't go out, or your niece didn't overwrite your save file) are quite the gems. They're like achievements or trophies in its purest form; it was definitely you and only you alone who beat Chrono Trigger and got all the endings because it was you who named the main character (Crono) “Butt” and the lead woman (Marle) “Boobs.” It's always nice to boot up some old save files and see all that you've accomplished and feel good about yourself. It's also a nice way to add up the total hours played of the save files as a means to contribute to self-deprecating humor.

"Hell yeah dude 24x the space as a normal memory card, AND it's cheaper?? I'm in, bro!!" *all the files get erased after 2 days*

Fortunately, my PS3 ended up working again (thanks to the internet and having friends with the proper tools), and I was able to back up all of its data. I've wondered if this was a sign that my save files will continue to live on, and entertained the possibility that eventually my offspring will venture into my Demon's Souls file and play my New Game+ file with Julio Travesty (the name of my character). Seconds later, I decided not to think about anything ever again. I'm glad I saved myself.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The Wii

For those few of you who do not know, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game recently came out for the PS3, and the Xbox 360 version is not far away with a release date set for the 25th. The design of the game is one reminiscent of 2D, old-school beat'em ups like River City Ransom for the NES or Secret of Mana for the SNES. Both of which are classic titles. I never played River City Ransom, but that won't stop me from using it as a tag for this post. Scott Pilgrim is clearly an accessible game - graphically, at least - for any console. So, why, dear readers, is the Wii the only one left out?

I understand this comes out on the heels of KeepinItFresh's "Open Letter," but I can honestly say that this is the first game in a while for which I've felt genuinely giddy. It's as if Scott Pilgrim: The Game is that sexy girl at work you always have flirtations with, but nothing ever comes of it. That's what it feels like for me. I'm excited for this game; I talk about it with my friends and explain how badly I want it; I've spent a lot of time with Scott Pilgrim (not the game, but the graphic novel), and I want my due payoff. The problem is, of course, that the only system I own is the Wii. Now, I'm sure the decision to keep it off the Wii has some business and marketing decisions behind it, to which the general public are not privy. Does this make it any less heart wrenching? God No. No it... it just doesn't. I want to play this game and I would happily dish out the $10 or $15 to own it, but not the several hundred it would take for me to get a PS3 or Xbox 360 first.

For the most part, the Wii's Virtual Console and Wii Ware games provide more variety and an overall better gaming experience than when compared to the alternatives. The PSN has Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, and Echochrome; the XBLA has Shadow Complex and Castle Crashers. All of which I think are great additions to the system and may even go so far as to call them reasons to buy each respective console. The Wii may have begun with much bigger success than it now holds, even the newest addition - the Wii Arcade - was a disappointment; although, it did show interesting promise. Surely most of the gaming community believe now, more than ever, the recent downloadable games offered by the Wii are nowhere near the quality of other systems. The point is, despite me only buying (or wanting) a handful of titles, I still believe in the service. Even now, while I sit, staring at the lack of Scott and Ramona, I realize I can still go back to the Virtual Console, find River City Ransom, and settle.

IGN has dealt with the decline of the Virtual Console (here you go) and claimed "It must be like jumping through hoops to try to get any game not originally presented by a major Japanese publisher through the submission and approval process to go live in the American Wii Shop." Does this mean that Nintendo doesn't care about white people? Looks like it. I would love to see other titles (IGN makes special mention of Earthbound throughout the article) also put up, but this one takes the cake - most likely because it's in my recent memory, but also because I can't just find a place on the internet to download it illegally like... well like almost every classic game in existence. It seems to be true that "Nintendo of America hasn't been able to fully respond to our requests." But don't get me wrong, I don't mean for Super Dope Game Reviews to take up a war against Nintendo, and I certainly don't plan on doing anything so bold as to sign a petition to get Scott Pilgrim: The Game onto the Wii. I just really want to play this game.

While the previous entry by KeepinItFresh focuses on the faults and betrayals of Nintendo's system, I choose to view these imperfections as what makes the Wii even more beautiful. I know the worn out, scratched up, broken apart Wii has seen better days and hasn't aged as well as other systems (who seem to be just now reaching maturity *cough* PS3 *cough*) or even as well as I had hoped. But all this simply makes me appreciate what the Wii has that other consoles don't. A catalog of games that focus on a fun experience, for instance. Also, what the Wii lacks can be turned into a positive - like the absence of a platform for preteen boys to shout profanity at me through a headset. Maybe I'm more of an optimist, or more of a Nintendo Fanboy (proven by my choice to capitalize that title), than KeepinItFresh, but I'm sure that while I flirt with other games from other systems, I'll always return home to the Wii, who has been there for me through thick and thin, like a loving wife instead of that sexy girl at work.

Wii: It’s You or Me

Dearest Wii,

You know, I use that title loosely now to be honest. When you first came out in 2006, I was teeming with excitement. Adding motion-control to the already interactive medium of videogames seemed like a guarantee for more immersive and enthralling experiences. I believed that Nintendo had proven with their 20+ year track record that they possessed the creativity and developer’s pedigree to make it worthwhile. Coupled with their franchises that I treasure with my childhood heart, I figured my experience with you would be unmatched up until that point in time.

These were gaudy expectations assuredly. Yet with all that said, I didn't own you initially because I had less interest in the launch games than that of parents who abandon their newborn baby in a dumpster (Shockingly, I'm not a Zelda fan. I know that's heresy coming from a self-proclaimed Nintendo fanboy but everyone’s favorite iconic elf has never quite tickled my fancy.). Regardless, I was there with you from your humble beginning thanks to my then-girlfriend's Christmas gift to me in 2006 (Note: It didn't work out and she convinced me that adoption was a better way to “make the problem go away”).

My first game was that of Warioware: Smooth Moves. ‘Twas a novel little title – kinda cute. That's really all I could say about it. A little zany, a little whacky. Kinda like me. Or a drunken Friday night (although I have better memories of playing this game 4 years ago than any particular Friday night I've had in the past year). In all fairness, any game that was to accompany my new ownership of you would pale in comparison to the game that I truly wanted – and that was Super Smash Bros. Brawl. I knew that once Brawl came out that you would prove to be a worthwhile investment.

Indeed, this personal assessment proved to be correct. On the (mid)night that Brawl was finally released in March 2008, I played it for 24 hours straight and logged in a voluminous amount of matches witnessing Bowser violating other characters' dignity and rights as sexual beings (hint: do his down throw). As an added bonus: I basked in the male-bonding friendship that the game fostered betwixt me and my well-groomed college friends. I strongly believe that the rapport and camaraderie that was created amongst my colleagues and I during those long days into nights cannot ever be replicated by any amount of affection, emotional understanding, nor spontaneous gyrating dog piles on other men's beds. I shall spare the details for our dear voyeur reader and insist that the audience just take my word for it. All in all, none of that would have been possible without you, Wii. I deeply thank you for that and the deeper issue that it consequently helped me to resolve.

Aside from Brawl, I have had my little trysts with Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2, Metroid Prime: Trilogy, and Mario Kart Wii. Also, being a huge baseball fan, I picked up Super Mario Sluggers, and both iterations of MLB Power Pros. Not much of a collection but the titles served their purpose for an acceptable duration of time. As you know, Wii, Brawl would continue to garner the majority of gameplay until I sadly, and unwillingly, graduated from college. I guess without others getting in on the action, I felt like the majority of our activities were... well... boring. It was tough to admit but I felt like we had gotten into a rut.

Now here I sit, staring at you collecting dust. That's actually not even true. I don't even take the time to look at you anymore. You're too ugly to me. I stare at you and I'm filled with regret with all the time that we've lost, bitterness over the memories we shared in better times, anger over the unrealized potential that we had, and disgust at the shell of a console that you were. You've seriously let yourself go, Wii, with your missing controller and memory card covers. Sure, you can blame it on me, but you deserved it. I asked to be treated with respect and you shower me with trash such as My Horse & Me and Catz along with upcoming classic releases such as The Bachelorette. I just wanted to be treated with a reverence; something that I felt from all my previous consoles. And it’s terribly difficult to feel that that desire is being adhered to when you're continually attempting to shove piles of recycled s*** down my throat.

But I know I should be more understanding. v_v

Surely, this is just some isolated personal experience – an outlier of an anecdote. Being forced out into the 'real world,’ I now find myself in a whirlwind of desires pulling at me that are not particularly conducive to videogaming, much less spending time with you. There are actually two main things. One of them is called real life. I do my best with trying to cope with having to live out this 'true' world. My primary method of bringing myself solace is in perceiving the parallels between life and videogames. I view each challenge that is presented to me in this annoying realm of reality as a metaphorical videogame task. For instance, I attempt to hone my skills in pursuit of “leveling up” to a better job/career, and physically train rigorously to perform new achievements, conquer new territory, and capture trophies [read: working out, women, and women].

But that's not all that's come between you and I, Wii. I mean, there is another girl in the picture now. That PS3 gal was able to offer me all those true iterations of games that, quite frankly, are always some watered-down, gimmicked cripple of a game on your hardware. I don't know who to blame. I mean, if that's the kinda people that you attract that will buy that sorta thing, then that's cool. It's totally understandable. I know you're just trying to make a living, setting up a good situation for your next kid. You've found your niche and you do it well. I can't hate on that. But the fact of the matter is you couldn't ever run a Madden NFL, Call of Duty, or Dead Space in its true form. Quite simply, you just don't got the goods on the inside. And that's kind of a personal thing.

I guess we just have our fundamental differences, Wii. You’re not everything that I quite envisioned you to be but I know that I should do my best to appreciate the finer things about you. I know that I should be putting in more time with you and be better able to express that warm affection that I still do have for you. But you gotta fulfill your end of the bargain as well. Treat me as an esteemed gamer and not a vapid schoolgirl, or lifeless housewife.

Then again, I guess what does it matter when you’ll just end up in the attic in 2 years?

Just like everyone else I’ve ever loved.

Super Dope Battle: Retail vs. Online

I come to this point, fellow videogame lovers, like many people: after the final straw. Recently I bought Red Steel 2 used from Amazon. It was about $20, so I couldn't pass that up. It's on my "really should play" list. I was mostly looking forward to this game because I have yet to try out the motion plus attachment (I know, I know, but Wii Sports Resort just wasn't worth it for me). Much to my disappointment and infuriation, when I put the game in the disc was "unreadable." So after trying everything I could think of for the next 15 minutes, I surrendered to the faulty game. It had won. I was broken. Forced to retreat to Amazon and appeal for a refund, I found myself trying to remember the last time I had such resentment for a mere merchant.

In my younger years, I would frequent the local Gamestops and Best Buys in order to browse through their larger-than-mine collection of games. At the time I thought this was the only way to buy games. Never would I dare order it online; that would run the risk of being damaged in transit. And how could I ever return it if I got the wrong (or a faulty) item? Now I know that it's very easy to return an item online. Just like when dealing with actual stores, you must keep everything. Luckily, the online version doesn't come with a too-easy-to-throw-away receipt; it does, however, come with a box in which it should also be returned and a processing request which must be printed and shoved into that same, original box. But as we all well know, the worst thing about shopping online is not the hassle of a possible return.

The length of time spent waiting for your shipment is sometimes unbearable. For Red Steel 2, I was bursting with anticipation, which meant the 5-7 business days lasted about 5-7 months. To add to this, I'm just naturally a very impatient person. I'm bothered every morning by how long it takes me to get to work - it's a ten minute walk. But in all fairness, no one in our instant-gratification society of today enjoys waiting a week to use the item just purchased. "I paid for it now, so I should use it now." Not an uncommon opinion.

On the lighter side of online shopping, you can almost always guarantee a cheaper price. I've been to a few Gamestops since I returned Red Steel 2 and the used version is always at least five dollars more than from Amazon. Of course, few need to be lectured on the evils of the greedy Gamestop company. I know I've been rather proud of myself before for deciding not to use that store ever again. Within the last weeks, I've spent an increasing amount of time just browsing their used games. "Maybe I can get a good deal on something that got good reviews. Maybe some obscure, sleeper hit." Good luck with that.

It seems as if it's an even trade off. Pay more for instant gratification. But with pre-orders, you can play the new game the day it comes out and without anyone asking if you'd like to join any newsletters or hear about any kind of "reward card." Does this make stores obsolete? Why would anyone choose to get their videogame from some busy, line-filled mall when you can just sit in your room and have it, literally, hand-delivered? I used to think I had no more use for these shops, now stocked with nostalgia more so than anything I'd want to buy. And yet I come back to them now, as if I never felt ripped off by buying an expensive used game. This is because I'm tired of waiting. I feel now that if I could find a copy of Red Steel 2 that was less than $10 more, it would be spinning in my Wii by the end of the hour.

I realize everything I've said really just applies to the used games. When it comes to new games, I've mentioned the "same day it comes out" pre-order plan. Then with the systems themselves, I can't imagine preferring to buy them online. For those I still have my old paranoia of something, somehow, getting damaged. I want to delicately carry my system, like a newborn, coming home for the very first time. Portable consoles are the same way. I would never rely on the U.S. Mail to hold a 3DS with as much care as someone who wanted one. I can bet the thought, "Well, it's heavy so it's also probably tough" crosses their mind.

Here I am at this impasse. Should I return to the retail gaming world and spend some extra cash? Or can I be patient enough (and cheap enough) to get my games online? Red Steel 2 was the first defective game I've gotten through the internet, out of countless other items that worked perfectly. I've also received a defective game from a mall distributor - for which I lost money since I had thrown away the receipt and they could only return 60% of what I paid the day before. So clearly neither are perfect, but I'm wondering about the opinions of others. Do others have videogame online-shopping horror stories? Does anyone always prefer to walk in and hand their cash over to such an avaricious company? Will one eventually take all the business away from the other? I'll leave you with these questions to ponder while I personally try to get Gamestop to lower their prices by reading customer reviews off of Amazon.

God of War 3... or 2 or 1

I didn't play the 2nd God of War, but I did have the same experience with the first God of War, for the Playstation 2, that I had with this most recent one. In fact, almost the exact same experience. Being a Classics major, I could view this game as a horrible disfiguration of everything I've learned in my college career. I could even write several pages of the gross misrepresentation of the numerous Greek Gods. But of course, that would be silly. To ever judge a game based on its closeness to history, or even reality in general, is a mistake. And, really, aren't games supposed to be an escape from reality?

God of War 3 is the conclusion to Kratos' (ancient Greek for strength... you know, just fyi.) story. From Ares' tool, to a man seeking revenge, to a God, and then back to a mortal, seeking revenge. Kratos has taken out countless monsters and undead, plus one God, but now he's out to kill the rest of the Olympians. The game begins where the last one left off, climbing Olympus on the back of Gaia, the Titan. Soon, because this game can be punishing, you're thrown off her back and into a brawl with the Sea God, Poseidon, just to get you used to the way the game works. Poseidon, of course, doesn't fight you with his fists, but rather becomes a type of crab-horse. Because he can, I guess. Directly after this battle, you're thrown into Hades and spend the rest of the game climbing up to Olympus... with a little sidetracking to a labyrinth and back once more again to Cronus (where Kratos found Pandora's Box in the first game). Of course, all along the way, you kill the Olympians, one by one, while the mortals of the Earth suffer the consequences of the lack of Gods. This doesn't matter to our "hero" since he's just out for the revenge part. I can't help but wonder, though, what was Kratos' plan after killing Zues? Surely he can't go back down to Earth and live in the middle of the giant mess he made. Would he just stay alone in Olympus?

The gameplay is exactly like the two previous God of War games, whether or not you enjoy that you should know by now. It's not a surprise that there isn't any real change in the style or mechanics of the game (why fix it if it's not broken?), but a little something new would have been nice, just to add some spice to the mix. Still, for those in love with the series from the get-go, there's nothing to complain about here. Sure, the story can use a little work; Kratos has his blades of chaos/hades/power or whatever else the variations are called and he rips everyone to shreds with them. The end. The point behind all this is not that Kratos needs his revenge, but rather, it's fun to watch people and monsters get dismembered in some of the most gruesome ways. If this were a film, it'd fit nicely into the pulp genre. I'm A-OK with that. I don't mind a game that succeeds in what it was trying to do and I'm certainly not going to judge a game based on what it wasn't trying to do. What I do mind, is how the game gets repetitive; like so many other "beat'em ups," I grow tiresome of defeating the same enemies, but with minor changes like armor or color. How many of those statue men and minotaurs were killed by Kratos? I honestly lost count. Perhaps even more of a slight was that one of the main draws of the game, the cinematic kills, never changed. Every statue was killed by Kratos smashing them with their own hammer and every minotaur by getting impaled through the throat. If you don't care about the little things like story or repetitive nature, then the last sentence is all you need to read. If you do, then feel happy that the bosses are frequent enough, as well as difficult enough, to keep the game from getting too routine.

Other than that, I'm at a loss for words. There isn't much more to make this a stand out game from the other two. If I didn't know the story and saw clips from each game, I would not be able to tell you which is first or last (except for the noticeable graphic improvement in the PS3). For what it's worth, this game still works. Kratos is not an admirable hero, his quest for revenge is not noble, and he certainly doesn't take the high road... at any point. Which means the player can just sit back and feel good about being so bad. Any actor can tell you it's more fun playing the villain, and any gamer can tell you it's more fun playing as a villain. I've heard the creators of God of War say their game is mainly about "is this fun?" and "how can we make this more fun?" I would have preferred more enemies with more special kills, but I'll take what I got. After all, this game only tries to be fun and does a good job at it. For instance, one can't help but be satisfied at what happens to Hera. She had it coming.

3.5/5 Better Than Average! Almost Dope!