Trom's Weekly Video Game Review Thread

Darklove666 said:

Ever seen the Robot Chicken pokemon sketch?

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Nope. Don't watch TV.

Darklove666 said:

Ever seen the Robot Chicken pokemon sketch?

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Probably. I remember a couple. Anyways, it should be easy enough to find on youtube.

Trombonus said:

Probably. I remember a couple. Anyways, it should be easy enough to find on youtube.

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It's the one where Squirtle starts lecturing kids on reading a book instead of watching pokemon.

Darklove666 said:

It's the one where Squirtle starts lecturing kids on reading a book instead of watching pokemon.

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"Quiet Squirtle, or you'll get the gas!" Or did she call him Earl? I thought it was Earl.

Trombonus said:

"Quiet Squirtle, or you'll get the gas!" Or did she call him Earl? I thought it was Earl.

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LOL. That's the one.

Darklove666 said:

LOL. That's the one.

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Haven't seen that one I don't think...but I've seen quite a few lol!

As for which to start with, you can probably pick up and of the GBA ones used as a good place to start...to be honest they're all pretty much the same skill-wise...Just learn what type each pokemon is and what type attacks do/do not work against them...for that you need a good pokedex

Going to rant here, because I'm pissed.

What I dislike about most video games is that there seems to come a point in all of them where the program declares, "Game's over. I won."

Diablo II just did that to me. I had just enough time to go .

I hate that.

rgraham666 said:

Going to rant here, because I'm pissed.
What I dislike about most video games is that there seems to come a point in all of them where the program declares, "Game's over. I won."
Diablo II just did that to me. I had just enough time to go .
I hate that.

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How did it do that? I do agree that there are times when some games seem to suddenly jump magnitudes of difficulty levels...GTA often does that...

deathlynx said:

How did it do that? I do agree that there are times when some games seem to suddenly jump magnitudes of difficulty levels...GTA often does that...

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Eh. I've calmed down. My fault, went forward when I should have retreated.

Turned out the room was full of a nasty critter that gives off sparks when it's hit. My golem and skeletons charged into the fray. Two seconds later the room is wall to wall sparks. I lost 170 hit points in less time than it take to say '170 hit points'.

Luckily I wasn't playing hardcore and got my character back.

Still, was a wee bit pissed at the time

rgraham666 said:

Eh. I've calmed down. My fault, went forward when I should have retreated.
Turned out the room was full of a nasty critter that gives off sparks when it's hit. My golem and skeletons charged into the fray. Two seconds later the room is wall to wall sparks. I lost 170 hit points in less time than it take to say '170 hit points'.
Luckily I wasn't playing hardcore and got my character back.
Still, was a wee bit pissed at the time

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Understandable...I tend to notice that some games have very challenging missions, while others (or even the same ones) have nearly impossible ones!
There's a difference when it's a question of skill and one of simple luck...

deathlynx said:

Understandable...I tend to notice that some games have very challenging missions, while others (or even the same ones) have nearly impossible ones!
There's a difference when it's a question of skill and one of simple luck...

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Stalker is doing that to me right now. At first, I found it incredibly difficult, but doable. Then it got really easy for the middle part of the game (though the underground missions scare the shit outta me). Now I'm at the end and it feels damn near impossible. It's really starting to get to me...

deathlynx said:

Haven't seen that one I don't think...but I've seen quite a few lol!

As for which to start with, you can probably pick up and of the GBA ones used as a good place to start...to be honest they're all pretty much the same skill-wise...Just learn what type each pokemon is and what type attacks do/do not work against them...for that you need a good pokedex

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Excuse my lack of knowledge but what's a pokedex?

Darklove666 said:

Excuse my lack of knowledge but what's a pokedex?

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A pokedex is like an encyclpedia of Pokemon. You get one at the beginning of the game and it keeps track of all the Pokemon you've seen and caught.

Trombonus said:

A pokedex is like an encyclpedia of Pokemon. You get one at the beginning of the game and it keeps track of all the Pokemon you've seen and caught.

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Ah ha. I thought it may have been a play on words about a deck of pokemon cards or something. (Don't laugh please, this has been the one major video game franchise I've never touched.)

Darklove666 said:

Ah ha. I thought it may have been a play on words about a deck of pokemon cards or something. (Don't laugh please, this has been the one major video game franchise I've never touched.)

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No worries.

So roughly how much time do you invest in a pokemon game. Like 20 hours or does it work out to be more?

Darklove666 said:

So roughly how much time do you invest in a pokemon game. Like 20 hours or does it work out to be more?

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It depends. If you go through the story mode and don't stop to catch every available Pokemon or raise them up you can get through fairly quick. I myself am one of those guys that tries to catch all the available Pokemon, and raise them evenly. This sucks up a huge ammount of time since there are so many of them.

Trombonus said:

It depends. If you go through the story mode and don't stop to catch every available Pokemon or raise them up you can get through fairly quick. I myself am one of those guys that tries to catch all the available Pokemon, and raise them evenly. This sucks up a huge ammount of time since there are so many of them.

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That's probably the way I would play too. I like leveling up and mastering new abilities.

Darklove666 said:

That's probably the way I would play too. I like leveling up and mastering new abilities.

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lol, then you're in for a long haul.

rgraham666 said:

Eh. I've calmed down. My fault, went forward when I should have retreated.

Turned out the room was full of a nasty critter that gives off sparks when it's hit. My golem and skeletons charged into the fray. Two seconds later the room is wall to wall sparks. I lost 170 hit points in less time than it take to say '170 hit points'.

Luckily I wasn't playing hardcore and got my character back.

Still, was a wee bit pissed at the time

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The Necromancer in Diablo II was probably the most challenging character, because he's more of a general that relies on his minions. I was always partial to the Barbarian or Paladin, big tanks that charged right into the thick of things. I suppose the Sorceress was a lot of fun too, simply from her raw power at later levels.

Ah, Diablo II. Good Times.

Trombonus said:

A pokedex is like an encyclpedia of Pokemon. You get one at the beginning of the game and it keeps track of all the Pokemon you've seen and caught.

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Now that he's given the in game answer, the IRL answer is a guidebook that details all of the pokemon available and tells you what abilities they gain at what level, what they can be trained to do, and where to find them (and in which game)...

JamesSD said:

The Necromancer in Diablo II was probably the most challenging character, because he's more of a general that relies on his minions. I was always partial to the Barbarian or Paladin, big tanks that charged right into the thick of things. I suppose the Sorceress was a lot of fun too, simply from her raw power at later levels.

Ah, Diablo II. Good Times.

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Get the expansion pack. They really improved the Necromancer. Mostly by improving the skeletons. Skeletons now have enough hits points and fighting power to remain useful through the whole game.

Two new character classes, Assassin and Druid.

I like the Assassin. Druid's kind of a cross between Necromancer, Barbarian and Sorceress.

There are now class specific items that are a very big help.

I love Diablo II.

Read any reviews for FFXII: Red Wings for the DS yet?

Week 4: Tetris DS

I've played over 100 video game sin my short lifetime, but NONE have taken up more of my free time than Tetris. It is arguably the most addictive game ever created. Tetris has appeared in many forms, but the most popular by far is the original. When I heard it was coming out for the Nintendo DS, and that it would feature many of the classic NES characters, I knew I had to pick it up. I was not disappointed. Here's my review for Tetris DS.

Tetris DS
System: Nintendo DS
Genre: Puzzle

Nintendo DS has several different modes of play, and is divided up into 6 different categories, with each category having 1 - 3 versions of play, and each variation has a tutorial you can watch to show you how to play.

The first category is Standard Tetris. Obviously this is the old school Tetris we all know and love. There are three ways to play in Standard mode. The first is the Marathon mode. You have 20 levels of Tetris to clear, and each level features certain Nintendo characters, starting with Super Mario Bros. and ending with several more obscure games. If you can, you might want to check the top screen of the DS. It features an animation of The characters interacting with their game environments. Of course, the chances of you being able to do this and focus on the game at the same time are pretty bad. Once you clear the 20 levels, you then have the option of choosing an endless marathon. The second mode of play in Standard mode is Line Clear. You choose a level and height to start off with, and from there you have to clear however many lines they assign you. The last mode is Vs. CPU, which pits you against an computer opponent. Clear multiple lines to send garabage blocks to your opponents screen, but watch out, they can do the same to you. There are five levels and each one is significantly harder than the last.

The next category is Push. The goal here is to push your opponents stack of blocks past a certain line before he does it to you. You build lines from the top of the playing area, while your opponent does it from the bottom.You can push him down by clearing multiple lines. This category features Donkey Kong, and only has one mode of play.

The third category is Touch, features Balloon Fight and has two modes of play. The first is Tower. In Tower, your goal is to shift tetrads that have been stacked high with your stylus and clear lines so that you free up enough room for a cage full of balloon to hit the floor. In early levels you can rotate the pieces, but in later levels you can't. This means you have to use more strategy. The second mode is Touch Puzzle. You have to figure out where to move certain pieces in order to clear the task they've given you.

The Puzzle category has one mode of play and features Yoshi's cookie. Select from a set of pieces they give you and pick which direction they will face when they fall. When you pick a piece, it MUST clear a line, or you will not be able to use it. There are 200 puzzles available for you to clear.

The Mission category has two modes of play, and features The Legend of Zelda. The first is Marathon. You are given a certain task to perform, and must perform it within a certain time limit. These vary a great deal, and really test your playing skills. It forces you to play Tetris in a completely different way than you're used to, and it does take a while to adjust. The Time Trial mode is much like the Marathon mode, exceot you are trying to clear a certain stage in the fastest time possible, rather than completing a level and moving on to the next when you're done.

The final Category features characters from Metroid, and has one mode of play. Rather than controlling the tetrads as they fall, you are given a "core." which you must rotate and move in order to catch the tetrads and build it up. You want to try to build a square of 4 x 4 or larger. When you succeed, you have 10 seconds to detonate it. the blast will clear tetrads and any enemies that might be in the way. You have an energy meter, and you lose energy if tetrads fall to the bottom, enemies touch your core, or you destroy a block by rotating your core into it. Lose all your energy and the game is over.

There's really no story to speak of, it's just Tetris after all, so lets move on to Graphics. Many of the graphics are based off the old 8 bit games, but have been mixed in with some crisper modern graphics. All in all they got together very nicely. Nothing spectacular, but nothing bad either. The music is also based on the old 8 Bit games, but have also been remixed to be more modern. They sound pretty good, but again, nothing spectacular.

Gameplay has always been a strong point with Tetris, and this game is no exceptions. Controls are very responsive in general, although the Touch versions can take some getting used to. That's pretty typical for DS games though. Whatever mode you play, this game can keep you occupied for hours., which is why it is one of the few games that survives the test of time.

If you have a DS or plan to get one, I STRONGLY suggest picking this game up. You wont regret it.

Graphics: 94
Sound: 94
Gameplay: 100
Storyline: N/A
Overall: 96

I was addicted to Gameboy Tetris for a few years. I played it everywhere I could, and had a power adapter for at home too. I played it so much that one day I woke up and decided that I could never play it again, or I would never stop playing it. It's been about five years since I beat my addiction (which still plagues me, I still feel the need when I see a gameboy). I have to keep my wits about me...