Sunday, February 24, 2008

Hey, listen!

I've not actually picked up an Xbox controller for over a week. Not because I'm bored with it, but because of a little guy in a green suit. I bought The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for my Nintendo DS.
Now, my DS hasn't seen the light of day for a year or more. It's not one of those Lite versions, I'm still admiring the touch screen on my original DS thank you very much. Heavier (yes), buttons a little cramped (yes), earlier chance of obtaining RSI (yes), but the DS is still a dream machine.
I've seen the ads for Brain Training and Animal Crossing, but what I've been saving for is classic Nintendo, and so far I've got it in shovelfuls.
The music's there, the little jingle when doors open, the fiendish puzzles, the basic sword training from the old guy in the village. It's all here. They've added in touch screen skills, so you can now write notes on your map so you remember those forgotten clues and stab, slice and spin the stylus on the screen to watch Link perform his trademark attack. Hiiiyar!
But what do I find most intriguing of all? The fact that ever since I first picked up A Link To the Past from Dixons at Lakeside (instead of UN Squadron, I'll let you know!) I've always called my character 'Link'. Not 'Tim'. It's always Link. Always will be. More on PH as I play through…
In other developments I've asked the Facilities Manager where I work if I can get hold of the Nintendo magazine archive. It's currently sitting in some damp corner of an archiving warehouse, probably feeling unloved. I thought it would be ace to scan a few pages and add them to my blog. Cue anecdotal annotations…
I also see that Nintendo has announced the forthcoming Wii version release of Mario Kart, now with bikes. With bikes. WITH BIKES. This is Mario KART. Quite frankly, they'll never match the original in my opinion. But by god I need a Wii for this. A mate of mine at work says it's mint.

Hey, listen!

I've not actually picked up an Xbox controller for over a week. Not because I'm bored with it, but because of a little guy in a green suit. I bought The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for my Nintendo DS.
Now, my DS hasn't seen the light of day for a year or more. It's not one of those Lite versions, I'm still admiring the touch screen on my original DS thank you very much. Heavier (yes), buttons a little cramped (yes), earlier chance of obtaining RSI (yes), but the DS is still a dream machine.
I've seen the ads for Brain Training and Animal Crossing, but what I've been saving for is classic Nintendo, and so far I've got it in shovelfuls.
The music's there, the little jingle when doors open, the fiendish puzzles, the basic sword training from the old guy in the village. It's all here. They've added in touch screen skills, so you can now write notes on your map so you remember those forgotten clues and stab, slice and spin the stylus on the screen to watch Link perform his trademark attack. Hiiiyar!
But what do I find most intriguing of all? The face that ever since I first picked up A Link To the Past from Dixons at Lakeside (instead of UN Squadron, I'll let you know!) I've always called my character 'Link'. Not 'Tim'. It's always Link. Always will be. More on PH as I play through…
In other developments I've asked the Facilities Manager where I work if I can get hold of the Nintendo magazine archive. It's currently sitting in some damp corner of an archiving warehouse, probably feeling unloved. I thought it would be ace to scan a few pages and add them to my blog.

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifHey, listen!

I've not actually picked up an Xbox controller for over a week. Not because I'm bored with it, but because of a little guy in a green suit. I bought The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for my Nintendo DS.
Now, my DS hasn't seen the light of day for a year or more. It's not one of those Lite versions, I'm still admiring the touch screen on my original DS thank you very much. Heavier (yes), buttons a little cramped (yes), earlier chance of obtaining RSI (yes), but the DS is still a dream machine.
I've seen the ads for Brain Training and Animal Crossing, but what I've been saving for is classic Nintendo, and so far I've got it in shovelfuls.
The music's there, the little jingle when doors open, the fiendish puzzles, the basic sword training from the old guy in the village. It's all here. They've added in touch screen skills, so you can now write notes on your map so you remember those forgotten clues and stab, slice and spin the stylus on the screen to watch Link perform his trademark attack. Hiiiyar!
But what do I find most intriguing of all? The face that ever since I first picked up A Link To the Past from Dixons at Lakeside (instead of UN Squadron, I'll let you know!) I've always called my character 'Link'. Not 'Tim'. It's always Link. Always will be. More on PH as I play through…
In other developments I've asked the Facilities Manager where I work if I can get hold of the Nintendo magazine archive. It's currently sitting in some damp corner of an archiving warehouse, probably feeling unloved. I thought it would be ace to scan a few pages and add them to my blog.

Monday, February 18, 2008

A.Friend Is Online

My wife calls me a games geek when I have ONE NIGHT A WEEK online with my mates. Tuesday's at 8.30pm if you want to know, usually on Call of Duty 4. If you wanna join in make Tiny1976 your friend on Xbox Live.
Anyway, the week before last there were four of us fragging each other from the rain-soaked ship to that tiny container-infested multiplayer map. It was true carnage.
Last week my gaming buddies couldn't come on, but a mate of mine at work (work, incidently, is Bauer Consumer Media, formerly known as Emap) wanted a game after I barraged him with positive comments about Call of Duty for about three months. He now loves it, and wants to join the party.
Then my bro played CoD4 at the weekend and has got a second-hand one from a mate of his. That's someone else added to the list, followed by someone else I know who will get an Xbox when 'Grand Theft Auto comes out'.
And that's the power I have. Sure I won't convert thousands of people to Xbox, but my good messages about the system have got tons of people I know signing up to the 360. Emails bulging your in-box, TV ads, virals, you name it, but sometimes just word on the street can make a big difference. Hoorar!

Elsewhere in my everyday world, I grabbed a copy of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for cheap on Amazon, so I'm back on the DS for the first time since Trauma Center. And Dan over at Disposable Media sent me the latest issue of Disposable Media. Be sure to get a copy. He asked me to pass it onto friends and family…

Friday, February 01, 2008

Robotron 2?

Last night I lost track of the time playing Call of Duty 4. I'm knackered today, but I feel relieved that I unlocked some new guns and cammo. The bug has bitten me again.
Before I sunk into a world of guns 'n' ammo I actually managed to download Undertow and Sensible Soccer trial games off XBLA. Anyone who reads this blog may remember my delight at the arrival of Sensi. The trial game pitted my Albania side against Switzerland and I lost 2-1, yet the free-flowing game of the 90s was great to enjoy again.
I spent about five minutes on Undertow and I'll probably return to it this weekend. Put simply it seems like a Robotron underwater as you blast enemies and grab power-ups, using both sticks to aim and fire. A difficult thing to get my head around, but once mastered I'm sure it'll be a joy.
Elsewhere I noticed that Wii Mario Kart is going cheap at Play.com on preorder and I also splashed out on a POW T-shirt from videogametess.com. While I was hoping for a sweet Chunk-style piece of thread, it was the usual T-shirt press print, but it made me feel like a king playing CoD4 last night.
So what will I be enjoying this weekend? Swimming with my son, a night on the tiles (the first one with my wife since our son was born last May - thank you in-laws!) and a book sale on Sunday for the missus. See you online!