Tag: Videogames

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I just got back from CES 2012 and I’m off to New York in a few hours. Since I won’t have access to my home consoles, my next few days of gaming will be on my iPad. Of course I’ll be playing lots of Civlization Revolution. I’m also excited to play Run Roo Run!, a new game from 5th Cell, the creators of the phenomenal Scribblenauts. I’ve only played a few minutes and I’m already charmed by this super-cute platformer. I’m actually looking forward to the plane ride to JFK just so I can play more!

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Coffee Talk #440: A New Year, New Videogame Ringtones!

As a few of you know, I’m starting off 2012 with a new computer and a new phone. To keep the whole newness thing going (and hopefully bring me some new luck), I’ve decided to use new videogame sounds on my phone. Previously, I used…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Jessica Biel getting engaged (*sniff*), Brock Lesnar possibly returning to pro-wrestling, or the republican caucuses, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As a few of you know, I’m starting off 2012 with a new computer and a new phone. To keep the whole newness thing going (and hopefully bring me some new luck), I’ve decided to use new videogame sounds on my phone. Previously, my phone had a pair of sounds from Final Fantasy VII: the fanfare riff and a piano version of “Those Who Fight”. They were fantastic as a notification sound and a ringtone, respectively, but it’s time for something new!

For 2012, I’m going with sounds from The Legend of Zelda. Right now I’m juggling three different clips for notifications. The first two are from the original game: the “secret” sound and the fanfare sound. I also have an orchestral version of the fanfare sound from Skyward Sword, but I’m digging the old-school sounds a bit more. As for my ringtone, I’m using a clip of Fredde Gredde’s excellent acoustic Wind Waker medley. (He’s selling MP3s of his various videogame covers using a name-your-price system.) May the Zeldafication of my phone bring me luck in the new year!

Any of you using videogame sounds and/or music on your phone? Want to join me in changing phones sounds in 2012?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I’m going to spend the weekend packing for two trips (Las Vegas and New York) and getting ready for CES 2012. I’m sure I’ll fit in a few games of Civlization Revolution for iPad, but aside from that I plan on playing…nothing! Instead, I’ll live vicariously through you. So how about it? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Coffee Talk #439: Your 2012 Most Wanted Games List

2011 was a fantastic year for gaming and 2012 looks even hotter! What are some of the games you’re looking forward to this year? Is your list full of sequels you expect annually? Perhaps it’s a franchise that’s making a long-awaited return. Or maybe it’s something…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Ricky Rubio’s surprisingly strong play, choosing between Luck and RG3, or your favorite kind of pasta, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

2011 was a fantastic year for gaming and 2012 looks even hotter! What are some of the games you’re looking forward to this year? Is your list full of sequels you expect annually? Perhaps it’s a franchise that’s making a long-awaited return. Or maybe it’s something brand new and exciting. I’d love to see what’s on your 2012 most-wanted list. I’ll kick things off with some of my picks.

  • Diablo III — It’s Blizzard. It’s an action-RPG. This game will own me.
  • BioShock Infinite — I completely expect an epic story with crazy-deep gameplay.
  • Any DLC for Dragon Age II — To be totally honest, I’m more excited for more DA content than Mass Effect 3. I love all BioWare games, but I’m more of a fantasy guy.
  • Sound Shapes — Easily the PlayStation Vita gaming I’m looking forward to the most.
  • The Last Guardian — It’s Fumito Ueda’s last game with Sony and I’m hoping he goes out with a bang.
  • Final Fantasy Versus XIII — The early buzz is that this game will blow XIII away.
  • Final Fantasy XIII-2 — I like moogles. Sue me.
  • Tomb Raider — I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw at E3 2011. There’s a ton of potential with this game and I’m cautiously hoping for another great Lara Croft adventure.

Of course there’s lots of stuff I’m leaving out. Loads of my friends and colleagues are psyched for Overstrike, Grand Theft Auto V, The Last of Us, Borderlands 2, Metal Gear Rising, and more. So how about it?!? What’s on you 2012 most-wanted games list?

Coffee Talk #438: Videogames That Made You Cry

Famitsu (by way of Andriasang) posted a list of videogames that made its readers cry. Several of the usual suspects made list: Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, ICO, etc. With great writing and strong…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Apple designer Jony Ives getting knighted, closing in on one-million miles on United Airlines, or the best kind of sausage, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Famitsu (by way of Andriasang) posted a list of videogames that made its readers cry. Several of the usual suspects made the list: Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, ICO, etc. With great writing and strong characterization, it’s not unusual for players to get emotional about deaths in videogames. Today I want to know about any games that made you cry or get emotional.

As for me, it’s definitely Crisis Core. The ending was so well done. It implemented Zack’s relationship with Aerith as well as elements from FFVII. It made the Digital Mind Wave gameplay feature powerful; throughout the game it’s used for special attacks, but at the end it’s used to show Zack’s last memories. It’s one of my favorite scenes in videogames and it hits me every time I see it.

*sniff* *sniff* I’m getting misty. Please share the games that made you cry (physically or emotionally) in the comments section. I’m going to find some tissues.

Best of 2011 Wrap Up

In case you missed any of the “Best of 2011” stories, here are links to your fellow RPadholics’ picks for the best game, videogame graphics, videogame sound, movie, and gadget. While you’re here, feel free to leave any “Best of 2011” choices that weren’t covered last week. From your favorite comic book, Netflix rental, TV show, sports team, coffee, fast food, WWE Superstar, and more, use this post to get 2011 out of your system (please)!

Coffee Talk #437: Your 2012 Gaming Resolution

Since it’s the start of a new year, I wanted to see if any of you have made any gaming resolutions for 2012. Are there any genres or developers you usually ignore that you want to give a shot this year? Perhaps you’ll…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Verve’s El Salvador La Roxanita, Lady Gaga’s New Year’s Eve performance, or Planetary Design’s awesome Airscape coffee jar, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Happy new year to you all! I’m super looking forward to 2012. Momentum is building, things are looking brighter, and I’m feeling good that this year will be better than my last two. Since it’s the start of a new year, I wanted to see if any of you have made any gaming resolutions for 2012. Are there any genres or developers you usually ignore that you want to give a shot this year? Perhaps you’ll try to be a more competitive gamer in 2012? Or maybe you won’t run away on trolleys when challenged in Mortal Kombat. Whatever the case may be, I’d love to hear about your 2012 gaming resolutions.

As for me, I’m going to make an effort to hold more RPad.tv Invitationals. Juggling and struggling with new work has caused me to totally drop the ball on these online gatherings. I miss them and I’m going to do something about it. With your help, hopefully we can make these a monthly event, at the very least.

Let’s start with this week! For old time’s sake, let’s kick off 2012 with some Uno. I can play on Wednesday or Thursday. Please let me know which day and what time works best for you. I’ll go with the majority. In the future, I want to try the PlayStation Home poker that N8R recommended. Let’s keep the RPad.tv Invitationals going!

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I hope everyone has a super fun and super safe New Year’s Eve! As 2011 wraps up, I want to know what games are going to close out your year and kick off the new one. As for me, I think this is the weekend where I finally give Skyrim a good chunk of time. With my luck, it’ll probably take an entire day just to install and patch the sumbitch. Ha!

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Best Videogame Sound of 2011

Now it’s time to sound off on the best videogame sound of 2011! Whether you’re talking about soundtracks, sound effects, or voice acting, I want to hear about your picks. For me, this was an easy choice: Portal 2. It had an amazing triumvirate of a great soundtrack, sharp sound effects, and wonderful voice acting. The super-cool part is that you can download the soundtrack for free!

I also have to give a shout-out to Bastion, which had a great soundtrack and an excellent narrator.

Kindly share your picks for the best videogame sound of 2011!

Best Videogame Graphics of 2011

Following up on your choices for the best game of the year, I’d love to hear about your picks for the best videogame graphics of 2011. A lot of people were high on Battlefield 3, while others raved about Rage. LA Noire won over fans with its realistic faces and incredible detailed version of 1947 Los Angeles. What videogame visuals stuck out to you?

As for me, I’m going with an unusual choice — Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP. Obviously the visuals aren’t the most technically impressive in the world, but I love the style and feel. More than any other game I played in 2011, the graphics in Sword and Sworcery stuck in my head. There’s a lot to be said about videogame art that truly resonates with you and stays in your mind long after you’ve played the game.

Now it’s your turn! What’s your choice for the best videogame graphics of 2011?