Alright, lets just jump right into it---here are the games I am planning on playing over the next week as I am participating in Retro Revival Week.

Arcade Games

Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong is quickly becoming my favorite arcade game. I used to be terrible at it, but now I have seen my high score and skills improve after having an increased interest in the game due to watching King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters. At the present moment my high score is 29, 430 but I have a feeling that I will be able to beat that this week. If nothing else, this game will be a great break from some of the bigger and more time consuming games I am planning on playing.

Nintendo Entertainment System

Super Mario Bros.

As you probably know, Super Mario Galaxy was the first Mario game I ever beat. Although I would like to say that this will be my second, I doubt that I will be able to beat the game. As Darren can attest, a week ago I beat the first world's Bowser boss fight for the first time in about ten years. I will really try to get better at this game because this was the first game I ever played, and the biggest reason I started playing video games.

My older cousin, who lived with my grandparents and aunt in Florida, received this game for Christmas when it was released. However, he was really never into video games (except Civilization) and he opted for reading and other activities instead (which probably served him well as he was number one in his cl-ass at Harvard). When I was about 7, I asked my grandparents if I could have the system, which they gave me for my birthday. However, I will never forget playing this game with my aunt as a toddler and falling in love with games.

Super Mario Bros. 3

A very recent addition to my games collection, Super Mario Bros. 3 is a game that I have been aching to play for a long time. It is one of the highest selling games of all time and one of more impressive and important games on the NES. My interest in the game spiked again when I rented The Wizard (for some godforsaken reason) and the game looked like a lot of fun. When I went to the Digital Press store (which I talked about a couple of weeks ago) I picked the game up for a couple of bucks. The cashier assured me that it was a good purchase--I think he is right. Like the aforementioned Super Mario Bros. I doubt that I will be able to beat this game, but playing it is important nonetheless.

Super Nintendo Games

Super Metroid

By the time this blog is over, you will have probably lost all respect for me as a gamer. I have never beaten a Metroid game, something that I intend to change starting this week. This c-lassic Super Nintendo game is one that I bought when I was young but never really attempted to play. The difficult puzzles and level design turned me off, but as I am older, wiser (and starting to grow hair in really weird places!) I have decided that I should give this game another go. Who knows, maybe I will turn into the biggest Metroid fan ever.

Donkey Kong Country

I love Donkey Kong Country. It was one of the bigger games that I remember playing very early in my gaming days. I would always enjoy going to my cousin's house as he was lucky enough to have a Super Nintendo, and play this game. When I finally got my own Super Nintendo I bought this game and Super Mario World, and played them both for hours on end.

I have never been very good at the platformer genre, something that I have been trying to reverse lately. This game is just pure fun to me and one that I have a very good chance of finally beating.

Playstation Games

Final Fantasy VII

What can I say? I am a terrible person. I have never beaten this game. So many people say that this is the best game ever created, but alas, as a young lad I did not have the time nor patience to ever beat this game all the way through. The furthest I ever got was about the end of the first disc. I bought the Playstation to play this game after my best friend throughout my life, Mike McKeever, had showed me the game. After playing the game with him, we started imagining that we were Cloud and Barrett (guess who was Barrett?) while we hung out at the country club pool that we both belonged to.

No doubt that I will not finish the game this week, but I am determined to at some point. I think that it is such a revered game throughout the industry that it is important for me to play, and it is shame that I haven't already completed it.

Final Fantasy Chronicles

So you how Chrono Trigger was announced for the Nintendo DS the other day? I was planning on trying to beat Chrono Trigger since the beginning of the summer because it is a fan favorite and is said to be the best rpg of all time, but after it was announced for the DS I questioned that decision. After some deep thought, I have decided that I am going to attempt to beat some of the game, and see how far I get and then maybe I will wait until it is released for the DS.

Chrono Trigger is a game that my friend Mike (yes, the one introduced before) gave it to me for my birthday when I turned 11. He spent $75 at Funcoland to pick it up for me and I really never played it (I hope he doesn't find that out!). However, I did see that the old save on the cartridge was at the final boss, so naturally, the stupid 11 year-old that I was, beat the final boss... Lets just hope that I eventually see every part of this game at some point.

Chrono Cross

Chrono Cross is a game that I never owned until recently. Infamously it is one of the only games to receive a perfect score (and it was perfect as now it is "prime") and a favorite among many gamers. I have never played any of the game, it could be a bit antiquated in its Japanese rpg mechanics, but I am looking forward to playing it nonetheless. This is another game that I will definitely not be able to beat in a week, but one that I would am compelled to see to the end.

Suikoden

This is probably the lowest rated game that I will end up playing this week as it received a 6.5 from Gamespot when it was released. However, some people have suggested that I play it because it is well-known rpg on the Playstation, so I thought I would try it out. The funny thing is that this one of the rarer Playstation games because when it was released, the developers at Konami did not think that it would sell well out of the Japanese market. Being an American gamer, maybe I won't like it, but this is as good a time as any to try it out.

Metal Gear Solid

This is game that I have been longing to beat ever since I heard that Metal Gear Solid 4 was coming out. As previously mentioned, I was not allowed to buy this game when it came out because my parents were incredibly strict on mature content. I was lucky enough to play it a couple of times when I went to, none other than, Mike's house but the unique gameplay proved to be to frustrating for me, and thus I did not really ever play it.

The first time I thought about playing this game was when I purchased Metal Gear Solid 2 (behind my parents back, NOTE: I don't condone this behavior!). Since then, I rarely have gone back and played older games because I am fortunate enough to be able to buy new games on a regular basis. Now that I have decided to scale back on my spending, this game is definitely in my sights.

Nintendo 64 Games

Paper Mario

The only Nintendo 64 game that I am planning on playing this week is a game that I never owned, but one that I have been dying to play. Paper Mario was released incredibly late in the Nintendo 64's life cycle (Feb 2001) and by that time I was busy playing Playstation 2 and Dreamcast games. I have played both of the later Paper Mario games on the Gamecube and the Wii and enjoyed the gameplay and the humor, so I am really excited to play this.

This is also unique because I don't own a physical copy of the game. I will be playing this on the Wii's Virtual Console (which is allowed under the rules), using the c-lassic controller. Again, because it will be on my Wii forever, I think that I will be able to beat this game eventually.

PC Games

Civilization II

The only game on the list that I have really "beaten" over and over again, Civilization II is one of the best games I have ever played. The whole franchise is one of the best in video games, but this one stands out in my mind as one the best of the bunch. I particularly like the caravan system which allowed me to get ahead in technology (such as winning the space race in 240AD) and unfortunately it was taken out of the later games.

Civilization II is also cool because you guys can play it for free. It is available on the Firaxis website, something that I like and would love to discuss in a later blog.

Starcraft

I have never beaten this game, and I really feel embarassed about it. I was never a PC gamer growing up because I really did not have a good computer until I became internet savy. I was given this game by Blizzard a couple of days ago, and I feel that it is my duty to play through the campaign. At school, a Korean kid made me play him in some multiplayer (which I was crushed in) and I really liked the game. With my beta invite to Starcraft II (which I had the luck of playing at BlizzCon last year), I think it is about time that I beat this game.

Diablo

Since Diablo II was released in 2000, I cannot play it this week under the rules. Thus, I am stuck playing Diablo...poor me. I started to play this a bit today and it does feel very old, but still seems like it could be a lot of fun. Thanks to Blizzard, I now own most of their major games. I listened to a Retronauts podcast on this game and it seemed to have a profound effect on many people. I doubt it will affect me as much as it is old, but this is the best time as ever to try it out since Diablo III was just announced.

Grim Fandango

I found Grim Fandango in my closet yesterday while I was cleaning. Mike gave me this for my birthday a while back and I remember liking it a lot. Unfortunately, I also remember getting stuck towards the end of the game and giving up. As I beaten the Monkey Island games, and I remember playing this and really enjoying it, I thought it was necessary to include it on the list. I think this is one of the more manageable games to finish on this list, so hopefully I will complete it.

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So that is the list. Like I said, I do not expect to beat all of these games as many of them (especially my Playstation selections) are very long and difficult games. However, I do expect to have a great time this week as I am going to be playing some really awesome games.

Are you participating this week? What games are you playing ? What do you think of my list?

-Doug

I am a very patriotic person. I love the United States and really appreciate living here especially after living in several countries around the world and visiting countless others, I think that we are all very fortunate to live here (that is, if you do).

July 4th is an important day, not only in American history but in world history. The birth of America started the complete transition from monarchial autocracies, into a more-and-more democratic world.

Today, I like to reflect on all the things this country has given my family and my ancestors. I am made up of people who came from many different European countries. They came to the United States for political and religious freedoms and enjoyed unprecedented economic growth. Like most of you, I am the descendants of peasants. But America gave them a chance--I always like to think about that Europe's rejects now make up the most powerful nation in the world.

I also remember those members of my family who have worked hard to make this country the way that it is and especially those who have died to uphold our way of life. Every person in my family has done something good for this country whether it be participating in the political process or fighting in a war. I try to remember that often, but especially on such a joyous occassion.

This is game site. However, it is important to realize that video games would not exist if it was for the United States (remember, Japan is a follower of the American way). Something I picked up from some of the reading I am doing is that the vast majority of video game companies are American. Besides Sony and Nintendo, most video game manufacturers are American. Video Games are a product of our society. Our freedoms, especially that of expression, allow video games to express powerful feelings and convey powerful ideas.

I hope all of you have a fun and relaxing day with your family and friends. However, I do hope that at some point today you reflect on how lucky we are to live in a country that has been so succesful and has always championed liberty and justice.

Heres to you America

-Doug

Today I received a package in the mail. As of late, this is a rarity as I am trying to save my money and am not ordering much online. When the UPS guy handed it to me I thought it would be for my dad or mom, but luckily it was addressed to me. I opened it up and I read a letter from Blizzard Headquarters.

This is what it said:

Dear Mr. Buffone,

We have been directed to your blog by one of your friends at Gamespot.com who told us about the difficult challenge you are facing. As fellow gamers, we wanted to wish you the best of luck with your battle with cancer (something that we hope is going well). Your work on Gamespot.com is notable and your love for video games is obvious.

As I am sure you are aware, our company has created some of the most succesful franchises including Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo.Although we cannot be there to support you directly, we wanted to show our support by giving you the contents within this package. We hope that they bring you some much needed relaxation and enjoyment in this, most difficult of times. We would also like to extend an invitation to a tour of our headquarters in Irvine California whenever you have time to travel out west.

Best of Luck,

Ron Pardo

Executive Vice-President Blizzard Entertainment

This event obviously made my day. Do you know any other company that would do this? I sure don't. This is one of the most gracious gestures I have ever come across.

The box included:

Diablo Battlechest

Starcraft Battlechest

Warcraft III Battlechest

World of Warcraft Battlechest

Beta Invite for World of Warcraft Expansion

Beta Invite for Starcraft II

Horde and Alliance T-Shirts

All World of Warcraft Action Figures

Blizzard Entertainment Hat and T-Shirt

Signed Copy of World of Warcraft

Whoever brought my situation to their attention--I thank you. If you want to pm me, whoever you are, I would love to thank your in a more personal fashion (over the phone or something).

All I can say is, thank you, and lets hope I get better!

-Doug

P.S. I will post pictures as soon as I get my replacement camera

With the release of the 2.40 update for the Playstation 3, Sony finally has integrated the cross media bar and the trophy system. I downloaded (and installed, it is Sony) the patch, but then I did not know what game to play to get some trophies. If you have been paying attention, I am really over achievements--getting 100,000 will do that to you. In fact, I have even touched my Xbox 360 in about two weeks.

I am not going to go and buy every game again for the Playstation 3 so that I can get the highest level and greatest number of trophies I can. Instead, I am just going to play the games that I want to purchase, and if I get some trophies along the way, so be it. The only problem was there are not many games with the trophy system integrated yet, although Sony has claimed that all of the games on the Playstation 3 will have them. Looking over the list of games, I decided to play some Super Stardust HD.

The game looks crisp, controls, well, and is simple--I like it. I decided to play through the Arcade mode (well, not through, I can only get through the first four planets) and then I decided to pick up the add-on pack which is one of more popular downloads on the Playstation Network. After getting my fill of the shoot 'em up, I checked some of the other features, including the gamercard (probably not called that). The funny thing is that I did not even know that I unlocked any trophies at first because there is no noise or chime when you unlock a trophy. I found that I unlocked a couple of trophies, a few bronze and a couple of silver. I also noticed that the level bar on my "gamercard" is about three-fourth filled, something that seems to take the place of the missing point values for the trophies.

So those are trophies. Frankly, it is about time that they released it and I have to think that Sony would have done much better initially if these features came out when the console launched. Trophies are nice, but I think that until some of the bigger games integrate them, they are meaningless. Actually, they are totally meaningless just like achievements.

If you could not tell by the tone of this blog, I am kind of tired of achievements, trophies, or anything else like them. The only games I am really playing now are old games that I have never beaten and ones which I should have finished. Retro Revival Week is next week, something that I am really looking forward to because I need a big dose of nostalgia.

Are you going to care about trophies?

-Doug

I have found myself with a lot of downtime this summer. Usually I would be thrilled because I could play a lot of games, but instead I have decided to make "good use" of my time and increase my knowledge on the workings of computers. Although I do not know what exactly will come of knowing this information, I feel that it is a nice skill to have, especially in the ever increasing technological world.

Stopping by my local library today, I picked up three guides: Beginning Programming, HTML, and Java for Dummies. I decided to look through the HTML book first as I would probably use some of the skills discussed more than the programming instructions. I have found it pretty helpful, and it seems as though after reading this book that if I ever want to build a website, I will be in good shape to do so.

After I browsed through the HTML book, I read the first couple of chapters in the Beginning Programming. Most of the stuff was basic information about how computers work and the history behind them. It was quite confusing, but also quite fascinating. I had been reading about Bill Gates because of his retirement from Microsoft, and many of the things within the readings were ideas that he came up with.

I have a basic understanding of how to start programming, but much of it still goes right over my head. I was thinking about signing up for some computer science cl@sses at Georgetown, but I will probably hold off until the spring because I need to do well in economics and some other subjects. My dad does not really want me to worry about learning to program. He made some good points that I agree with, such as that I will never really need the skills, especially in the line of work that I want to pursue. Nevertheless, I have found myself with a thirst for knowledge that I cannot quench. I have read more books about a variety of subjects in the last couple of weeks that I find to be very beneficial, but also very fun.

Most of the reading I have done has to do with entrepreneurs, especially within the video games industry and the other technology industries. More and more I find myself more interested in discussing the ever-changing industry more than actually playing video games. Maybe the computer skills will come in handy...

Do you have any suggestions for good programs, books, websites etc. for learning about computers and game design? Let me know, because I am very interested!

-Doug

Here is the "discussion" (I won't say review) of the first of two books I finished reading over the course of my vacation.

The video game industry is a relatively young industry compared to movies, literature, music and art. Yet one can argue that the amount of change video games have undergone in the last 30 years is exponentially greater than in any other artform. Although the movie industry went through periods of transition which changed the initial formula from silent, black-and-white films into the large scale productions that they are today, the changes seem minimal when compared side by side to the video games industry. It is a daunting task to try to catalogue all of the events, discoveries, and people who propelled the video game industry forward from simple sprites into the immersive medium they are today. Despite this seemingly impossible task, Steven Kent is able to give the reader a thorough look at how the industry progressed while keeping a format that is light and enjoyable to read.

Kent, a long time gamer and writer for the technological section of USA Today, writes a narrative that is more like a text book than anything else. Frequent quotes describing first hand accounts of the situations being discussed add merit to the stories that are described, while his infrequent personal commentary allows for a more balanced view of the heated console wars of every generation. There are no favorites in this book, and it is clear that Kent wants to explore the timeline of games more than denoting credit to one individual or company.

The story unfolds interestingly, with many complexities as the "good" company quickly becomes "bad" as they achieve success. At these points, Kent does not put in his own personal opinion but rather brings in sources to bring together a complete picture. Such events as the heated debates in front of Congress in 1993 and 1999 include the perspectives of both the game companies and the anti-game lobbyists, while allowing the reader to decide which rhetoric is more compelling.

As the book is over 600 pages, it includes a detailed account of each generation of games through the Playstation, Saturn and Nintendo 64 era while delving into some of the decisions behind the Playstation 2, Dreamcast, Xbox, and Gamecube. Unfortunately, the book does not go as in depth towards the end of the timeline being discussed, leaving the reader wanting more. The discussion of the earlier companies, especially Atari, are incredibly in-depth. This plethora of knowledge is so impressive that it dwindles the information about the later events in the industry.

If you are a gamer looking for more information about the overall trends of the video game industry, The Ultimate History of Video Games is really your only source, but luckily, a very good one as well. The imbalance of content in the novel is something that is dissapointing but should not stop anyone interested in the subject matter from reading the book. Other recollections and accounts of console launches such as Inside Xbox and Game Over give a more in-depth look at specific companies strategies, but no other book is comparable to the breadth of information in The Ultimate History of Video Games.

Please leave any questions, comments, or suggestions below.

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I guess that kind of turned into a review. It was short and sweet and I hope you enjoyed reading it. I really suggest that you buy the book, espeically because it is very inexpensive (Amazon Link)

Until next time!

-Doug