Three titles are available from the PlayStation Store with the PixelJunk moniker: Racers, Monsters, and Eden. I wasn’t that impressed with the first title. The second was interesting and had some strategic elements that gave it depth. However, the third title in this series is a sight (and sound) to behold.
PixelJunk Eden is a 2D platformer with visually engaging graphics and immersive sound that bely it’s simple premise. The visual experience is a less comical (but every bit as “trippy”) as LocoRoco. This E-rated title is conceptually abstract and involves freeing pollen to grow plants that allow you to access more of the garden and collect “spectra.” Yea, I’ve played the game and that description doesn’t make much sense to me either, but trust me, this is truly worth playing.
Eden also has a number of really unique features too. For example, if you own a PSP, you can play the game on it using the Remote Play feature. It also has multiplayer capability (for up to three people) so that you can share the experience with your friends. And to top it off, the title has a built-in video capture capability that allows you to record sessions to the harddrive and upload them directly to YouTube.
I could go on for a while on this one, but I put it right up there with flOw and Everyday Shooter. It is a simple title that is fun to play with others. Because of the potential for frustration, I wouldn’t recommend it for children under five. But it’s a great title to play cooperatively with up to two others in the household.
Many point to certain titles currently available and identify them as fine examples of gaming as art. This certainly qualifies and does so while still maintaining the emphasis on gaming. Enjoy!
I enjoyed completing Star Wars: Force Unleashed for the PSP this week. It was quite a treat! Having said that, I wouldn’t consider it a game for the young ones.
I remember my parents previewing the original Star Wars (known now as “Episode IV: A New Hope”) back in the summer of 1977 to see if they thought that it would be appropriate fare for my brother (9) and me (11). Ironically, we were at home hiding under the covers because we had been watching the 1953 War of the Worlds. (Man, those aliens were creepy!) As it is, the PG rating seems overprotective for what most see these days. Yet, my parents wanted to be sure.
Fast-forward 31 years and we are looking at a videogame that has gotten a unique George Lucas seal of approval. This title is the official bridge between Episode III and Episode IV. Granted, depending on your choice at the final battle, you can experience either the canon or non-canon ending. But my real question as I was playing it was, “What would my parents have thought?” Honestly, this title is much darker than any of the original trilogy. Episode IV-VI feel much more innocent as they tell the story of Luke Skywalker. Whereas the newer trilogy (especially Episode II-III) have a much more sinister quality in that they document the tragic fall of his father Anakin.
But Force Unleashed tells the story of a boy who Darth Vader turns to the dark side of the Force after killing his father. Even the premise begins darker. As you play this character, you are responsible for slaying Jedi Knights and, in one level, you are expected to kill virtually everyone with whom you come in contact (enemies and allies alike) to eliminate surviving witnesses. Now don’t get me wrong - I really enjoyed the game. However, it is not the story that my parents would have taken my brother and me to see back in the Summer of 1977.
I have had a chance to play the demo for the PlayStation 3 and it is gorgeous. The PSP version is very impressive considering the capabilities of the handheld in comparison. I’ve seen the Xbox 360 version and it appears to be every bit as beautiful as the PS3 version and the Nintendo DS iteration seems to be on par with the PSP. I hear that the Wii takes advantage of the Wiimote for lightsaber control (how cool is that?!?!). I have never played a Star Wars game in which I felt more like a Jedi (or a Sith) than in this title. Sure, the camera can get a little squirrelly and the targeting is less than perfect. However, the immersive experience and the sense of awe that you will have at the power of the dark side is downright intoxicating.
Yet, I must say that the ESRB Teen rating for this is appropriate. This rating expects the player to be at least 13 years of age and considering the lack of respect for human life and the protagonist’s questionable ethical foundation, I would not necessarily want this anti-hero to be a role model for a young child. His actions could be perceived as too exhilarating when, in fact, they are driven by evil and manipulative purposes.
In classic Lucas form, the opportunity for redemption becomes available in the end. However, by that point, I question whether or not the player can be redeemed. I know that after 15 or so hours of playing this character and using the Force Choke and the Force Lightning (both non-Jedi Force powers), I don’t know to what extent I would want to cease using the power of the Force as an offensive tool.
All in all, it’s an excellent story that reveals some interesting information about the time that passes between the two trilogies. I would not recommend it for the younger children. But for the teens and older in your household, it is quite a ride. I also believe that this could provide an excellent discussion tool for ethical decisions for those middle schoolers and high schoolers in your family.
Sackboy (or Sackgirl, depending on gender) is the hero(ine) of an upcoming PS3 game entitled Little Big Planet. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, this promises to be far more than just a videogame.
“Play Create Share” is the tagline for Little Big Planet. The premise is that this title is much more than a game. It is a world building environment. What is particularly impressive about this experience is that the interface with which individuals can create their own levels is not only user-friendly, it’s fun!
Before I get carried away, please understand that Little Big Planet is not the first game to offer this the ability to design levels. I had the opportunity to jump on the game-mod bandwagon for the original Quake a number of years ago. I found great satisfaction in designing my own virtual worlds to share with others. In fact, this isn’t even the first console-based title to offer this option. I enjoyed creating levels in the original PlayStation version of Lode Runner and the PS2 title TimeSplitters. However, the robust toolset and mind-boggling flexibility of the design architecture makes Little Big Planet a true evolutionary step. When one considers the ability to share levels through the PlayStation Network, it offers a venue through which we all can share our creations.
In addition to the tools and textures that are part of the system, one can use the PS3 Eye camera to capture images and map them onto surfaces as well!
Little Big Planet is scheduled for release on October 21st (just over one month away). I know that I have been looking forward to this title for a long time. I hope to create some levels customized for my children that will inspire and motivate them and, eventually, I look forward to helping them discover the wonder of creation for themselves!
What can I say? Is this Sony’s attempt to merge HDTV and the AIBO and hope that it catches on like Nintendogs? We’ll see, but the interactive nature is interesting. The real question is whether or not they have incorporated the AI from the AIBO in the software. If it could develop and learn, this concept could have some merit. Nothing like giving your kids a chance to have a pet that can’t make a mess to see if they will get bored or not.
But no matter how cute or intelligently programmed such a virtual pet is, it can’t curl up on your lap on a cold winter’s night. Though I love my LCD TV, it’s not the same. And though pets aren’t inexpensive, the cost of a PS3, HD display, an EYE camera, and this software can go pretty far to adopting and taking care of a little critter from your local animal shelter.
Still, if you aren’t sure that your kids are quite ready for the responsibility of a pet and you already have the hardware, this might be an opportunity to test the waters. (My daughter really thinks that the reason cats have tails if for her to be able to grab them. I hope that she doesn’t have to learn that lesson the hard way.) Also, if you’re child has pet alergies, (my son appears to be allergic to dog and cat dander), This could give everybody a little pet fix without the Benadryl.
Yet again, this could just be a “gateway pet.” You be the judge!
This weekend we celebrated my son’s fifth birthday and he and I spent some father-son bonding time with Mario Kart: Double Dash. For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, this is a Gamecube title that has been available for a few years. If you have a Wii and you’ve been having trouble tracking down Mario Kart Wii, this could give you a great option for half the price!
Having said that, it plays beautifully on the Wii as well as the original Gamecube and, like many of the Gamecube games, it is capable of displaying at 480p if you have your console connected to an HD television via component cables. Honestly, it looks beautiful and the control is spot on. Yet, what makes this title a real family winner is the two-player options.
My son’s first exposure to this title was at a kiosk while we were at a local GameStop. As with most Mario games, he was drawn to the colorful graphics and humorous sound effects. However, as much as he seemed to enjoy the visuals, he wasn’t quite understanding the racing mechanic itself and when he finally crossed the finish line in eighth place, he seemed discouraged to see that his characters looked sad.
Rather than race head-to-head with him, I chose the 2-player option that allows him to control the second character on my kart. We were able to race as a team against the other characters and while I controlled the vehicle itself, he was in charge of the power-ups. This meant that when we’d pick up a speed boost, he’d ask me when it would help and then press the button. And when we’d pick up a banana peel or other trap/attack device, we’d coordinate on where to use it.
I found this experience far more enjoyable than playing the game against him and I felt that it instilled a sense of cooperation within him while providing a sense of accomplishment when we won the tournament.
Keep in mind that you can play up to four players with this title (4-player split screen or two 2-player teams) on a single machine and it has support for network play using the broadband adapter on the Gamecube. This has some great potential for a family or a small group of kids playing together. I don’t have a problem with competition, but in this case, we enjoyed cooperation and competition together.
I heartily recommend it and as an adult I can say that it’s as much fun for me as it is for my son!
Today is unofficially Grand Theft Auto 4 Day here in the states. And as you know you’re going to be hearing a lot of hub-bub over this game. It’s going to destroy the world and corrupt children. (That was sarcasm in case it didn’t translate well.)
I just read over on Wil Weaton’s site a great post that summarized the absurdity of the whole ‘video games are too violent’ debacle.
“Yeah, it’s always about protecting The Children, which leads me to wonder where The Parents are, and if these people are so serious about making the world better for The Children, why they don’t invest the same amount of energy and resources into securing quality healthcare and world-class education for them as they spend wringing their hands over video games that aren’t even supposed to be played by The Children in the first place.”
I encourage you not only to read his post, but to be active in what your children are watching; and playing. Keep involved and know what it is that you’re providing them with will lead to your children having a successful understanding of all forms of adult media, video games included.
This weekend we celebrated my son’s fifth birthday and he and I spent some father-son bonding time with Mario Kart: Double Dash. For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, this is a Gamecube title that has been available for a few years. If you have a Wii and you’ve been having trouble tracking down Mario Kart Wii, this could give you a great option for half the price!