A Collector's Exhortation; or me getting irrationally upset at a buzzfeed list

Hello internet!  Justin here.  By now you've probably realized that when I claimed I would try to post something "every week" I obviously meant "every month."  Sorry about that, but genius (or mediocrity, in my case) can't be rushed and all that jazz...  

I started seriously collecting games during college.  It started small - a PS2 game here, a Gamecube game there; but quickly became a bit of an obsession of mine.  Today, I own somewhere in the neighborhood of 800 games spanning multiple generations, from the most common of PS2 to the rarest of Sega Saturn.  Point is, I know a bit about collecting old games and, side note, a crack addiction would probably be cheaper.

Pictured - Obsession

 Keeping this in mind you can imagine the horror on my face when I saw this posted to Facebook -


32 Of Your Childhood Toys That Are Worth An Absolute Fortune Now!
(Yes, even the prepositions and possessives are capitalized...  Godless heathens...)

Now, the article is clearly clickbait, as most buzzfeed articles are, but there is so much wrong and misleading with it that I can't let it slide (aside from calling video games "toys").  Of course, there are items outside of video games listed, but I imagine they are just as wrong.  The list seems to infer that getting rich is as easy as finding an old game and selling it, and many of the people I see posting it are making comments like "Oh why didn't I save those?!" or "I think I might have some of that stuff!"  I'm sorry to dash your dreams of owning a yacht with a pool so big it can fit another, smaller yacht (doubleyacht!), but this list is woefully inaccurate.  So before you go dig up your old copy of Brutal: Paws of Fury with dollar signs in your eyes let me clarify a few things and give you a bit of insight into my world.

On second thought, dig it up anyway

1 - The author doesn't seem to know how selling things online     works

Perhaps the most difficult thing about buying and selling old video games is pricing.  There's no stock market/hive mind tracking the value of video games that are no longer in production (obviously MSRP dictates the prices of those that are), so really the best we can do is follow trends - What are other people selling it for?  Is there any reason its value will depreciate in the near future?  Is there demand for it for some reason?  Was it recently discovered it cures cancer?

There are numerous reasons why a video game's value will change, and even why one becomes rare in the first place, but they are far too numerous to list here (maybe later).

Anyway, the point of this tirade is that everyone who has ever sold anything online knows that the sellers name their own price.  It would be one thing if the author was able to produce several listings at extremely high price point, but he literally just posted  single listings with an exorbitantly high prices, most likely listed by a crazy person (more on that later).  Simply traveling to Ebay and typing in "Game Boy Color" will debunk that ludicrious $1,689.89 price point.

2 - Condition is King

Okay, so you're doing research on the pricing of a game...  Let's say Aero the Acrobat.  You plug it into Amazon and immediately go "holy crap, people are selling this for $90!"  You create a listing for it and people start laughing at your price point, because you failed to take into account the fact that you played the hell out of it when you were younger.

Oh Aero, you truly were the red headed stepchild of the 90's "Heros with an attitude"

 "New" is a word that carries very specific meaning in the world of video game collecting.  It doesn't mean "looks like new," nor "I played it once and put it back in the box forever," nor even "I took it out of the box" (tisk tisk Gamestop).  New means never played, factory sealed and never opened.  You'll notice that the extremely expensive listings in the list are marked as new, but the author never points this out.  In fact, he encourages you to search your mothers basement, but unless your mother was a weirdo that bought you games she'd never let you play you're probably out of luck.  Also note that although being new adds maybe a couple hundred dollars to a games value, you'll almost never see anybody buying one for over $500 unless it is both new and super rare - M.U.S.H.A., PDS and Earthbound immediately come to mind.

So why do games in new condition fetch such a high price point?  Novelty really.  You own something nobody has ever used before, and there are very few games that exist in this state.  Only a select few will pursue a collection comprised of new games, as it forces the condition that actually playing them greatly depreciates their value.  Therefore, most of the people who buy them do so as an investment, not a hobby.  Sadly, because of this there are more than a few con artists with shrink wrap machines that list clearly used games as new, to the point where there are guides dedicated to telling the difference by how they are wrapped.  My rule of thumb is to always buy my games in person if possible, as even used listings online can be deceptive.

So how should you sell your old cartridge?  Or, if you're crazy like me and want to start a video game collection, what should you look for?  This sounds like a segue into an overly detailed explanation!  Well, there are several categories used games can fall into...

Cart(ridge)/Disc Only - By far the most common, both online and in brick and mortar stores.  Usually the product of people reading lists like the one this article is based around, or  people just wanting to make a quick buck by selling the old stuff just laying around.  When I look at a game in this state I consider a couple things.

•  How much would having the box/manual really add to its value?  An older, common game wouldn't gain much.
• What is the condition of the cartridge/disc itself?  For cartridges, are screws loose?  How does the board (the part you can actually see inside the cartridge) look?  Any stains? (Smoke?  Marker?  Blood?!)  For discs, are there scratches?  Foil damage?  Chips/Cracks? (Why are you trying to sell it at all then?!)
• Most importantly, does it look like it's going to work?  This and the above point usually go hand in hand, and if it's questionable I test it immediately when I arrive home.  Obviously collectors want games that work, so if your old copy of Chameleon Twist only sometimes works when you blow in it six times, angle it slightly to the right, spin around three times and sacrifice a baby goat to Shigeru Miyamoto, you better make a note of it and adjust the price accordingly.

I hear he prefers foals anyway...

Case, no manual - the second most common state.  Many people throw away, misplace, or otherwise lose manuals for games.  As a child, I would keep manuals in a drawer in my room and just read them every once and while (I was a weird kid), but most of them were lost in the great purge of 2003 (my mother donating most of my old games). This is far more common with discs than with cartridges, owing to the general flimsiness of cartridge boxes, with the notable exception of the Genesis shell cases, those will outlast humanity, and as a result the value of cartridges with boxes appreciate far more than their disc based brethren, even more so if the game has particularly memorable (read: bad) coverart, such as the infamous Mega Man 1 and 2 boxes.  Obviously, I do all the checks listed above, but now I have to check the condition of the case.

• For cartridges - Is there any notable staining or discoloration on the box?  Is the box ripped/torn in any way?  Is that weird little white, game holding insert present for Nintendo games?
• For discs - Is the jewel case cracked anywhere? This, thankfully, is easily remedied, as replacement jewel cases identical to the originals are easily available.  If there is a cover/back insert that is not the manual, is it present/a reproduction/a piss poor black and white printer reproduction cut out with rusty scissors?

Manual, no case - the third most common.  Exercise caution, as this type is very likely to be a previous rental and therefore subject to the torment of all the demon 90's children like my former sel).  The state of the manual is obviously paramount here.  Are there any tears/pages missing?  Any water damage or discoloration?  Are there passwords listed in the notes section in the back?  If so, hell yes, time to skip ahead!

Complete in Box (CIB) - Oh yeah, here we go, this is what I'm talking about.  This is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, this is free season passes to your favorite sporting event, this is whatever else makes you incredibly excited (naked ladies or something?) - the elusive complete in box used game, what every collector seeks to find.  Obviously these are the rarest and most expensive, but rightfully so.  While all the usual checks for quality are encouraged, you usually don't have to worry about it, as the previous owner(s) was almost assuredly either a person keeping it in good condition with the goal of selling it or a fellow collector needing extra money or seeking to escape the game (spoiler - you never truly escape).

JUST LOOK AT HOW PRETTY IT IS!

3. Crazy People

So what were we talking about again?  Oh, right, that list.  I mentioned listings by crazy people earlier, and its a surprisingly common phenomenon I've witnessed several times on online vendors like Ebay, Amazon, Etc..  If a game is even somewhat rare, there is this one guy that lists is at an extremely high price point like, $10,000 or something, sometimes even disc/cart only, and just sits on it...  Forever...  Its like he believes that any day now humanity is going to be enslaved by Russian Nazi Zombie Velociraptors, and the only way to liberate our race will be defeating the RNZV Overlord in a game of Yoshi's Cookie, and dammit, when that day comes they will gladly pay the price for the last one left on the Earth!

I spent entirely too much time on this...

So yeah, those are the reasons why that list is unbelievably stupid as well as a small glimpse inside the world of video game collecting.  See you all next time!

UFGTX Preliminary Pools - Musing on how screwed I am

First off, I love fighting games, I always have.  The sense of competition, the thrill of victory, the saltiness of defeat; it gives me that same sort of rush I get from performing.  Growing up, I was the big dog at the Peoria arcade, and I started seriously studying and practicing fighting games in College.  For the past three years I have made a pilgrimage to Chicago to attend the biggest fighting game tournament in the Midwest - Ultimate Fighting Game Tournament.  I did at fairly well last year, 2/2 in AE, 2/2 in Mystery Game, and 7th in Divekick.

The preliminary pool list came out for this year (UFGTX), and as it stands I'm pretty well screwed.  Below are some of my thoughts and potential strategies looking at who I have to face in my pool.   

Street Fighter Arcade Edition 2012

WARNING - TECHNICAL JARGON INCOMING
As some of you may know, I play Chun Li in AE 2012, and those of you who play the game might be asking "why?" right now.  Indeed, Chun is sadly not a very good character AE 2012.  She doesn't have a vortex, has no real way to rush down, relies on frame traps and risky high/low mixups for pressure, and has an absolutely abysmal defensive game - her only reversal option is EX Spinning Bird Kick (SBK), which is beaten by many, many airborne offensive options and, if all else fails, crouching with about 80% of the cast, so it's easily baitable.  Adding to that, her antiair options are unreliable at best, and you need to quickly react with the right button to specific situations - no catch all like a DP, no sir.  Basically, if she get's knocked down, it's bad news.

WHY AREN'T YOU BETTER IN THIS GAME?

So what is Chun good at?  Footsies.  Chun has arguably the best normals in the game, so her footsie game is incredibly strong.  Pokes like St. HP, St. MP, Cr. MP, Cr. MK and Cr. HK (as long as you're not predictable with it) are all fantastic, so she is terrific at mid range on the ground.  Hosenka (Ultra 1) is good as an anti fireball tool, and Kikosho (Ultra 2) is free damage after her really easy bread and butter combo if she ever somehow gets a jump in. 

So let's look at my pool competition to see how screwed I am!

EG Ricky Ortiz

O_O

Yup...  Game over man...  Great Tournament Great Experience.

So...  Ricky Ortiz...  There's a lot to say about him, but here's all you really need to know - He won AE at the last US major (ECT), has ranked in top 8 at EVO just about every year in SF4 and is widely considered the best Rufus in the world. Here's his EG profile.

Yup.  So, onto the subject of Rufus - Rufus is arguably Chun's worst matchup, the only real competition being Akuma.  Why, do you ask?  Well, Rufus' main tool is his divekick, and Chun has absolutely no good way to deal with it.  Here are the options -

1.  Attempt to Anti Air -With normals at best, you'll trade.  At worst, you'll get stuffed and eat a full combo.  If the opponent is carelessly using it as a movement option and enters your range without actually hitting you, you can tag them with a St. FP or a Cr. HK, but that's fairly unlikely.

A properly timed EX SBK will actually beat Rufus divekick, but you've got to be sure they've committed and it takes meter.  This is a useful option to escape the corner and stupid Rufus mixup (detailed later).

2.  Focus - This actually seems to be a popular option against Rufus divekick in general, and probably the best option.  Since divekick only ever hits once, the focus will absorb the hit, and immediately releasing the attack will beat anything he tries to do afterwards.  Obviously most Rufus players will block, but hey, you're not losing anything and will gain at least a little ground.  The danger here is that if it starts to get predictable they'll start using other jump ins that get the second hit quicker, and now you're back in a bad situation.

3.  Meet in the air - So, the third option is to preempt the divekick entirely and meet Rufus in the air.  Generally speaking, Chun has better air to air options - jump LK, HK, HP and air throw are all good options in this situation, but there is one exception, and one thing that stops this from being a practical strategy - Rufus jump HK.  If you get hit with it, you're eating at least a Snake Strike, EX if he has the meter, and that hurts.

So yeah, as Chun no option is particularly good, so you're often forced to take the mixup.

The stupid Rufus Mixup

Many people consider Rufus to be an "autopilot" character, and there is a grain of truth to this, as his mixup is incredibly simple, but also effective.  It starts with a divekick.  If the divekick hits, combo into Galactic Tornado, then restart.  If the divekick is blocked, these are the follow up options -

1.  Go low - Rufus doesn't have much of a high low mixup, so they'll mostly go for a cr. LK in this scenario.  This can be beaten by quick attacks if the divekick makes contact too high, but is generally a blockstring.

2.  Walk up throw - expecting a block string, the opponent gets thrown instead.  The logical solution to this situation is crouch tech, but that is risky because -

3.  Low dive kick - this blows up crouch tech, along with any other standing/crouching attacks or pokes that you might throw out.

Remember when I said Chun's strength is footsies?  Well, since she doesn't have a way to deal with divekick Rufus doesn't even have to worry about playing footsies.  He doesn't care about your footsies, he'll just jump over them and kick you in the face.

So what are Rufus' weaknesses?  Well, ironically, much like Chun he has a horrible wakeup game (arguably worse, actually).  His only reversal option is EX Messiah Kick which is also pretty baitable, and extremely unsafe on whiff or block.  He also has low stun, so the best strategy is to somehow knock him down and pressure him on wakeup.  Unfortunately, as mentioned before, Chun has no vortex, so any and all pressure is pretty meter dependent.
/TECHNICAL JARGON

Anyway, that's enough on Rufus, let's see who else is in the pool...

TFA|RZR omg itZ Andre

So, he's a bit less intimidating than Ricky.  He's mainly known for Marvel.  I don't even know who he plays in AE...  Rose I think?  If so, Rose is actually not a bad match for Chun.  Anyway, I'm less worried about him, but he's still there.  There's also a member of team CORN, but I don't recognize the name.

Ultra Street Fighter 4 Preview Tournament

UFGT is having a special preview tournament event with the latest build of Ultra Street Fighter 4, and I'm pretty psyched about it.  Chun is getting significantly better in this build - she's getting her df LK antiair back, EX hazanshu is going to focus break, and EX SBK is getting it's hitbox extended downwards so it can't be crouched as easily.  I am pretty excited.  So here is who is in my pool -

Floe

*facepalm,* another Rufus!  Fantasitic!  A former EG, Floe is actually who knocked me into losers last year (and wrecked me in the process)...  So yeah...  Df LK might give me a little bit of a better tool against divekicks, but it's still gonna be a bad match.

Besides that CORN Alucard is in my pool, but he's also more famous for Marvel.  I think he plays boxer, which isn't a terrible matchup.

Killer Instinct

So I bought an Xbone last winter, and therefore dabbled in KI.  I'm fairly okay at it - I can do a couple manuals.  It's a fairly new game, so the playing field is still kinda even, and my fundamentals are pretty strong so unless I'm facing someone like Justin Wong I should probably do at least kinda well.  Let's see who's in my pool -

EG Jwong

OH COME ON!  So yeah, Justin Wong is in my pool.  His Sabrewulf with eviscerate my Jago.  End of story. Here's his EG profile.

Divekick

So, some of you may know I took 7th in Divekick last year.  I consider myself at least pretty good, so I should stand a chance...  Right?  Right?

Chris G

REALLY?  REALLY? 

So for those of you who don't follow the fighting game scene, Chris G is the best Marvel player on the planet.  He knocked me into losers in Divekick last year.  This makes me sad.

Also in my pool is Dave Lang, notable because he is a bigwig at Iron Galaxy Studios, the company that makes the game.  Yeah...

Mystery Game Tournament

So, a small solace, I don't really have any famous names in my mystery game pool.  So yeah, I might do fairly well in that...  Whoo... 

So there it is, a list of the killers in my pool.  Really, I had no illusions of winning any tournaments this weekend, but I would've liked to at least get close to getting out of pools.  Regardless, I'm sure I'll have fun this weekend, but damn I got a bad hand.  Who knows, maybe I'll get an upset...  I wouldn't bet on it but the possibility is still there.  Also, these are preliminary pool assignments, so they might change...  Maybe I'll get lucky and get transferred to a pool filled with monkeys or something...  That'd be great...

Dark Souls - Prepare to D- *YOU DIED*

So, with the release of Dark Souls 2 right around the corner, I thought I'd write out my thoughts on the original Dark Souls.  Touted as the spiritual successor to PS3 exclusive and cult hit Demon's Souls, it was released for PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2011, and later (somewhat questionably) ported to PC in 2012. Following its release it quickly amassed a very large fanbase well eclipsing that of it's spiritual predecessor, and would continue on to become one of the most highly revered games of the seventh generation.  I myself am a self proclaimed Dark Souls fanatic, and my obsession with the series can be described generously as "hardcore," and ungenerously as "unhealthy."

Using the Japanese box art, because I am a hipster

But what is it that makes Dark Souls so enticing?  What is it that gives myself and a legion of other players the urge to dive back into the dark, uncompromising land of Lordran?  I've been thinking about it, and here's what I've come up with...

Difficult, but Fair

Yep, that's a boss...  Ironically one of the easier ones...

Much has been said about the difficulty of Dark Souls - beating the game and the degree to which one beats the game (trophies, completion, self imposed challenge, etc.) are held in high esteem as proof of "Gamer Cred" (and perhaps, in the latter cases, of a lot of spare time).

However, a distinction must be made.  While Dark Souls is frequently difficult, it is very rarely unfair.  Why, then, are there so many people who deride the game as "cheap," often accompanied with swearing and broken controllers?  In my personal opinion, this has to do with the type of difficulty present in Dark Souls.

In the video games of our day and age, a lot of focus is put upon skill of execution; meaning button sequences, timing, aiming, etc..  In Dark Souls, while execution certainly helps, the game tends to reward those who play the game intelligently - No matter how good you are, charging into an enemy group with no plan and the thought that your skill will get you out alive is generally a one way ticket to the last bonfire you visited.  Things like kiting, hit and run tactics, evasion, patience and general caution are all important, especially early on.  As enemies always have the same placement and general mannerisms, the game is clearly trying to teach the player how to deal with enemies and enemy groups, and urges you to take advantage of the myriad of tools at your disposal.  I personally believe that victory in Dark Souls is determined 60% by planning and preparation, 30% by execution, and 10% will of God.

Granted, there are some instances where it seems the game deliberately tries to trick you, but even these are generally constructive.  A good example is near the very beginning of the game, and I'll impart my personal experience with this section.  After leaving the Undead Asylum which functioned as the tutorial, I found myself at a bonfire in small clearing near a dilapidated church.  My attention was immediately drawn to the only human in the vicinity, the Crestfallen Warrior, who gave me a general idea of my objective (ring the two bells) but gave me very little information in terms of the direction I should travel.  My gamer sensibilities rationalized that the way forward must be through the large building behind him, so I made my way through to the graveyard whereupon I was promptly murdered by skeletons.  Of course, at first I took this as an example of "One of Vile's Henchmen, you must be on the Right Track!" (meaning the presence of enemies is generally a sign of the right direction).  I started to learn where the skeletons would spawn, how to separate them, how to fight them individually, and prayed to God they didn't dodge my attacks.  Eventually after many, many failed attempts, I made it to the Catacombs, and the extremely dark atmosphere and the fact the Crestfallen Warrior didn't say nothin bout no Catacombs started ringing alarm bells in my head, and I thought "maybe I'm not going the right way after all."

So I started searching for alternate routes, and found a staircase leading down along with a cool pressure sensitive elevator.  I arrived in New Londo, and when I tried to progress I was promptly murdered by ghosts I couldn't hit.  "Okay, now I'm definitely going the wrong way..."  So I looked around for more paths, and then I finally found the inconspicuous staircase leading to the Undead Burg, the real first section of the game.

So what does this tell us?  Well, first I like to tell stories, but more importantly, the game stresses exploration, a large portion of the world is immediately open to you, and the solutions to problems may not be immediately apparent.  Plus, I absolutely curbstomed the Undead Soldiers with the battle tactics I learned from fighting skeletons.

A Mysterious World

Lordran is not a happy place.  It is, however, an interesting place, and at times it can even be a beautiful place.  Part of the joy of Dark Souls is discovering the new and varied environments, marveling at their beauty, and growing suspicious of the horrors lurking therein.

In terms of design, the world is completely interconnected, and can arguably be considered the natural evolution of the "Metroidvania" format.  As mentioned above, most areas are open to you at the outset, and, with the right items and a fair amount of know how, you can get very powerful equipment very early.

I mentioned the varied environments above, and I just want to take the time to stress how incredibly imaginative and awe inspiring some of these locales are.  Anor Londo is pictured above, and that's probably the first "Wow, this is pretty" moment for most players, but you also can't help but marvel at areas like the Moonlit Forest and the Demon Ruins.  Even in the case of less loved areas like Blighttown, it's impossible to deny that the concept is definitely cool, and it certainly conveys a feeling of grief and suffering.  There are even areas that are completely optional, some of which would be really hard to find if you're not looking for them *cough* Ash Lake *cough*, adding a sense of mystery and intrigue to the world as a whole.

Special mention must go to the characters here.  There really aren't that many non-aggressive characters in the game, but the ones that are present are endearing, memorable, and really make the world feel "alive" (or undead, as the case may be).  Some characters, such as Solaire of Astoria and Siegmeyer of Catarina have extremely large followings despite having relatively minor roles in the actual story;  the latter of these two is actually very easily missable!  Of course, the (many) things trying to kill you in the game are impressive as well.  Who wasn't shocked when they first ran into the cat-alligator-porcupine things in the woods, or the menacing Gaping Dragon pictured near the beginning of this article?
 

The aforementioned Solaire of Astoria who has an...  Err...  Somewhat offputting obsession with the Sun.

Of course, the thing that is really interesting to examine in this game is the lore, and how it is, or perhaps more appropriately isn't, given the player.  The game spoon-feeds very little story and lore by default, even by WRPG standards.  In fact, it is really quite easy to get through the entire game having little to no idea exactly why and who you're murdering.  That's not to say there is no story; on the contrary, there is an amazing amount of depth and detail to both the story and the lore, but details given directly to the player are quite sparse, so if the player wants to get a bigger picture of the world and quest, they have to seek it out from less conventional sources.  Item descriptions, spell descriptions, optional dialogue - these types of things are the main sources of lore in the Dark Souls universe.  Even after gathering all the pieces from different sources, there are still some missing;  much of the game's lore is intentionally vague.  Many of my fellow Video Game Scholars have dedicated a large amount of time to creating theories about the lore of Dark Souls, one of the most notable being Epicnamebro.

Freedom and Flexibility

When I ponder about the character creation system in Dark Souls (as I am wont to ponder such things more than any sane person), I generally wonder why they bothered adding a class select.  Sure, stats are slightly different, there's different starting equipment and I suppose it helps with immersion, but in the grand scheme of things your starting class (with the exception of the thief, due to master key, and even then the master key can be selected as a starting gift) really makes no noticeable difference to how your character will end up.  Every skill is available to every character with the correct prerequisites, and any weapon can be wielded by any character regardless of starting class assuming they have the stats required to do so.

This, of course, leads to people making interesting and varied character builds.  Want a bulky warrior who smashes things with a hammer, but throws lightning bolts on the side?  Sure.  Want to play as a squishy mage who wields a scythe because you just replayed Chrono Trigger?  Go ahead.  Perhaps you'd prefer to be a mostly naked barbarian who only attacks by spinning around a spiky wagon wheel?  First, seek help, then play that character.

This is gonna be AWESOME

This freedom also extends to exploration and general movement.  I mentioned earlier that most of the areas in the game are open to you from the very beginning, and this is true, but there's another element.  There are almost no invisible walls present in the game at all.  With good enough spacing and dexterity, you can get almost anywhere in the environment.  This leads to a sense of "I wonder what would happen if I did this..."  Of course, this often leads to hilarious death, but sometimes it leads to more interesting results such as sequence breaking, which is part of what makes Dark Souls a very popular speed running game.

Let's look at perhaps the most famous sequence break in the game - the Duke Skip.  Early in the are known as the Duke's Archives, you are required to take an open air elevator that leads to an unwinnable battle, after which you find yourself in a prison.  However, the elevator passes by a balcony on it's way up and down.  With a well timed roll, you can jump on top of the rails of the elevator, and with another well timed roll, you can actually roll onto the balcony, skipping the unwinnable fight and the whole prison sequence.  This, of course, would be impossible in a typical action RPG due to invisible walls.

A Clear Feeling of Progression

In terms of Gameplay and progression, I would actually liken the game to a roguelike of all things.  The farther you get without dying, the higher the tension gets as one false move can lead to your death and loss of precious resources.  Where Dark Souls is a bit more forgiving than a traditional roguelike, and what I believe is really the best design decision in the Souls series, is the fact that you can recover your resources if you make it back to where you died from the last bonfire (checkpoint) you activated.  Not only does this add an extra layer of tension and cause the player to err towards caution (if you die again those resources are gone for good), but it also stimulates the "must beat high score" part of gamer brains.  The desire to get farther and beat your previous position is constant, and the fact that you must proceed with caution and intelligence makes the experience feel all the more rewarding once you reach that next bonfire and can finally spend your spoils you worked so hard for.

As you get farther in the game, you will notice a very clear feeling that you are getting better at it, and I've found that many people reach a point where the game really starts to "click" for them.  Traps don't fool you as often, enemies don't seem quite as daunting, the environment doesn't seem quite as oppressive, and after Sen's Fortress you better believe you are striking every treasure chest before attempting to open it.  Part of this will be that you are getting more savvy to the games tricks, and part of it will be your character's increased stats and better armor.  Very few things are more satisfying than revisiting an area (or even replaying an area with new knowledge) and thinking "I thought this was hard?"

Of course, the game constantly finds new things to throw at you to prevent any feelings of complacency.  Anor Londo is a good example of this.  You reach there about halfway through the game, right about the time you're starting to feel comfortable, and immediately throw in things designed to disrupt your balance.  The first boss reappears as a normal encounter, you're forced to walk across thin beams while dodging knives, and you are presented with a very...  Trying scenario involving two archers (those who've played it know the one).  If that wasn't enough, this section concludes with one of the hardest (not to mention most epic) boss fights in the game!  But the sense of accomplishment once Ornstein and Smough finally go down is palpable, and for that moment you will feel like the King of the World.

Seriously, these guys are dicks

Interesting Online Integration

Try saying that three times fast...  In Dark Souls you are automatically connected to the games online servers as long as your system has a connection, but while being connected is compulsory, direct interaction with other players is not.  By default, you're connected with other players in a very passive way - every once and a while you'll see a ghostly shadow of another player, you might receive a bonus from another player kindling a bonfire near you, or you might hear someone ringing a bell nearby in their world.  This passive interaction is also present in bloodstains that mark where another player died.  By interacting with the blood stain, you can see the other player's last moments which often serve as vital clues to the dangers lying ahead.  This system is interesting because it produces a feeling of camaraderie and isolation at the same time.  You see others going though the same struggles, but often have no way of helping them directly, or at least not immediately.

In general, there are three major ways to directly interact with people online in Dark Souls:  aiding, invading and trolling.

Once you receive the white soapstone from Solaire of Astoria early in the game, you gain the ability to travel to other worlds as a benevolent phantom.  If you so choose, there is also a covenant you can join in game that specializes in this (Sunbros 4lyfe!).  There are very specific spots people can summon you, most often near bonfires or right before bosses, the connection between players is somewhat random and phantoms are immediately dismissed after boss battles, so coordinating a cooperative run with a friend can be an exercise in frustration, but, in my opinion aiding people through difficult passages and bosses is an immensely rewarding in both a material and emotional way.

PRAISE THE SUN!

 Of course, invading is much more highlighted in the game, and remains a popular pastime even today.  There are several ways to invade another player, but the most basic involves using a red eye orb of some kind.  This places you at a random point in another player's world, and the object is to fight to the death.  There are several covenants dedicated to invading, and some of them have really cool concepts like Blade of the Darkmoon that strives to punish players who act less than gentlemanly/womanly, or  the Forest Hunters that will summon you to defend the forest from invaders. 

A large PVP community for the game has sprung up, and tend to seek matches in very specific areas of the game to avoid getting matched with lower level players.  While a PVP arena exists in the DLC, it seems like it's rarely used; players prefer to find matches "in the wild."  Due to the fact evasion and positioning is very important in the battle system of Dark Souls, PVP matches tend to look a little...  Well...  Silly.  Expect people to be rolling all over the place, desperately retreating and repositioning in hopes for a backstab or favorable positioning.

Dark Souls PVP.gif

 The last type of interaction, trolling, is done mainly through the messaging system.  Yes, messages can sometimes be helpful, but that's definitely the exception, not the rule.  In Demon's Souls, you actually received benefits if somebody liked your message, but no such system exists in Dark Souls, so people are free to make troll messages as much as they like.  Interestingly, this sometimes comes full circle and makes them helpful again if the player starts assuming the messages are trying to troll them.

And with that, my long winded post has come to an end.  I will always fondly remember my journeys in Lordran, but highly anticipate the adventures to come in the new land of Dark Souls 2 and all the horror, hardships, and degrees of withdrawal from society so intense that people will assume me dead that will come of them.  This is Justin, signing off and wishing all of you fortune in your future video game endeavors.

Soul of the mind, key to life's ether,

Soul of the lost, withdrawn from thy vessel,

Let strength be granted so the world might be mended,

So the world might be mended.     

Inagural Post + Start of New Series

Hello everybody, and welcome to my shiny new blog!

For those of you who already know me and my writing, thank you for following me here!  I feel like a blog like this will be a much better vehicle for expressing my ideas rather than having to wrestle with the formatting issues of Facebook, and I will have access to a larger potential audience.  I've been in a bit of a slump creatively lately, but my last post reinvigorated my mind and soul for videogame writing (Though I apologize that it didn't flow very well). To that end, I would  like to try to write something at least once a week, maybe more so I don't lose my edge.  I enjoy different opinions and enjoy an audience, so if you enjoy what I write for some reason I encourage you to share it! :)

For those of you I don't know who arrived here due to sharing, word of mouth, or pure serendipity - Welcome!  I like to keep things relatively low key and try not to take myself too seriously.

The primary focus of this blog is articles on Video Game History, Video Game Analysis, Video Game Reviews, Video Game Culture and any other random things having to do with Video Games, but I may once and a while post articles on a different topic such as Music, Movies, Anime, Food or Travel.

So, without further ado, let's get started!

I really don't want to start out with anything too dense or heavy, so let's go with a staple of light video game writing - Top X Lists!

Ah yes, the Top X List.  Easy to write, easy to read, so everyone wins!  I've encountered several lackluster "Top Ten X" lists in my life, so I'm going to strive to make mine high(ish) quality with attention to detail.

A few ground rules:

• Every game on the list is one that own and am familiar with.  Nothing annoys me more than lists including games the author obviously hasn't played.  If your favorite game isn't on the list, it's possible I haven't played it, and I encourage you to recommend it to me!  I'm always looking to expand my video game horizons.
• Every list will include a concrete description of the genre or category I am making a list about.
• Limit one game per series per list.  This will prevent things like "Top 10 2D Platformers" from becoming "Top 10 2D Mario Games."
• Every list is my personal opinion, and it may differ from yours.  This is not meant to be an end all list pertaining to the quality of all games in a genre, nor do I feel myself qualified to make such a judgement.

Alright, with that out the way, on to the list!

So, those of you who know me are probably reacting with surprise right now.  I am in no way, shape or form a racing game aficionado, but I can certainly appreciate them.  That being said, this causes me to judge the merit of a racing game based more on fun factor as opposed to technical merit, but I feel like it will still make a good list.  Plus, I wanted to say I wanted to keep this first entry light; entries within my specialties like my top RPGs or top Fighting Games will probably be the length of a short novel.

Anyway, to qualify for this list, a game must fit into the following criteria:

1. The Primary Gameplay Goal is to cross a finish line or other predetermined point before the other participants.  Note that doing this is some games reward you with objects to advance the plot, making collecting these items the Primary Goal, but the Primary Gameplay Goal needed to collect these objects remains the above listed.  Secondary goals, such as gaining points, collecting objects, etc. are not mandatory but do not disqualify a game from this list.
2. The game must contain multiple closed courses.
3. The game must have some kind of multiplayer component.  While single player racing games do exist, they are much more of a niche genre and may be interesting for a future list.

So I mentioned above that I am not a racing game aficionado.  It is curious then that number five on my list is the latest entry in the quintessential racing aficionado series.  Such is the power of Forza.

A racing game that accompanied the release of Microsoft's Xbox One, Forza 5 prides itself in being arguably the premier realistic racing simulation game at the time of writing.  It's only real competition in the field is Gran Turismo, though that series seems to be petering off as of late.  Out of box, the game boasts 200 cars from 50 different manufacturers, as well as the digital realization of 14 real life international courses to race them on.

Yeah, that's a screenshot

Turn 10 Studio's attention and dedication to detail is as exquisite as it is mind boggling; every single vehicle and track is lovingly rendered to a point  that it can only adequately be described as "car porn."  I never really got the obsession that some guys have with cars, but I will admit that some of the montages in Forza 5 game me a tingly sensation.  The game also has numerous car customization options; allowing you to micromanage separate parts inside and outside your vehicle or create works of art to adorn your car with.

Doing it right

One thing I personally appreciate about Forza 5 is the fact that it caters to players of all skill levels.  I am terrible at simulation racing games, so I appreciated the option to rewind and correct my (numerous) mistakes, as well as the numerous options to facilitate driving such as suggested lines to follow and the game automatically slowing me down if it sensed I was going to fast approaching a curve.  Of course, if you're hardcore all of these handicaps can be switched off for extra rewards, as well as the satisfaction of knowing you are superior to plebeians like myself.


Another system of note unique to Forza 5 is the "Drivatar" system.  An amalgamation (nailed it) of Driver and Avatar, the game studies the way you drive and creates an AI racer based on your tendencies.  You can sort of think of it as an always active time trial ghost.  This fosters an interesting competitive online element, as people on your friend list automatically have their Drivatars added to your races, allowing you to compete with them in a more indirect way.

Of course, there is one issue I have with the game; it is number five after all.  While the courses are gorgeously rendered, there just doesn't seem to be a lot of variety to me.  Part of this I'm sure is due to the fact that I am not familiar with the real life courses, nor am I a fan of professional racing, but it's my opinion.

How you can play this : Sadly, the price of entry is kind steep at the moment as it is an Xbox One exclusive.  If you have an Xbox One and don't have it for some reason I urge you to purchase it.  If you don't and can't afford it, just come visit me :p.

Okay, I'll admit my bias here.  Cruis'n USA was the first racing game I really got into, and I have fond memories of driving through the desert, redwood forests, and other various locales in both the arcade and sitting on my butt at home.  Of course, I have less fond memories of that damn blue car, I set a curse upon him and his house.

In my mind (and I'm sure in the mind of many others in my generation), Cruis'n USA really codified the simulation racing genre.  Developers finally had the power to create fully 3D environments and car models, and Cruis'n USA brought that effort into the mainstream.  Featuring high energy racing, unique courses and a high degree of scantily clad individuals, the game was a powerhouse of the mid nineties.

In retrospect, the fact this didn't really titillate me was probably my first clue

Like many racing games of the era, Cruis'n USA also utilized a system known as "Rubber Band AI."  Meaning, if you got too far behind the  other cars would slow down to allow you a chance, but if you got too far ahead the cars would magically become faster to try to catch you.  As infuriating as it could be, it did add a good degree of challenge, and the controls were precise enough (by the days standards at least) that the game rarely felt unfair.

One of Cruis'n USA's best strengths lies in it's course variety.  Even today I can picture some of the courses - that's major impression power.  Of course, it had the benefit of using recognizable locations is the US, such as San Francisco.

I mean, you get to drive through a tree!  How cool  is that?

One of my fondest childhood memories is playing Cruis'n USA at Owen's Center Skating Rink in Peoria while waiting for my sister to finish her figure skating (I took lessons too, so sue me).  The other kids and myself would compete with each other for better times, and our minds were absolutely blown when we figured out how to access the secret cars like the police cruiser.

How you can play this: Cruis'n USA is available as both a relatively cheap N64 game as well as on the Wii's Virtual Console.  If the arcade experience is more your style, they have a full body arcade machine at Galloping Ghost Arcade in Bolingbrook, IL, though it is a little small.

Yes, another N64 game, though a significantly more obscure one.  Snowboard Kids 2 is the second installment in the Snowboard Kids franchise, and would be followed by the good but not great SBK for DS.  Definitely the most unique racing game on this list, Snowboard Kids is exactly what it says on the tin - Snowboarding Kids, albeit with monsters and demons and the like.  While the tone and general mechanics are similar in both games, Snowboard Kids 2 is significantly more refined than it's predecessor.

Snowboard Kids 2 plays quite a bit like a typical racing game - you start at the beginning of a course and strive to be the first to reach the bottom, but there are a couple of ripples.  The most notable is the ability to perform tricks to earn coins that go towards improving a character's board.  Similar to many "Mascot Racers," there are items picked up on the course via tiny presents that can help you or hinder your opponents, but in this game you can actually use well timed tricks to deflect malicious items.  This makes the game feel much more fair and can result in many epic and heated multiplayer matches.

This game absolutely oozes with personality.  Every character is developed and likable, if in a very cartoonish way.  Most of this development takes place in the Story Mode, which chronicles the rivalry between the Snowboard Kids and the Evil(?) Damien.  The story is, of course, lighthearted and often indulges in humor, so it's perfect for me. :p

In terms of courses, there is a lot of variety and imagination at work here.  In fact, the game seems to revel in taking you out of environments you would expect to snowboard in.  One level takes you to a tropical island, while another shrinks you down to microscopic size.

And, of course, SPAAAACE

How you can play this:  Sadly, as is the fate of many obscure good games, Snowboard Kids 2 is kind  of uncommon.  The going price on Amazon seems to  be ~$35 at the moment, but if you want a CIB you'll probably have to  pay more.

And another N64 game.  At the time of it's release, Diddy Kong Racing was somewhat maligned as a "follow the leader" during the time when Mascot Racing games were all the rage.  Thankfully, it proved us wrong with a host of innovations for the genre, a veritable trove of secrets to uncover, and some of the tightest gameplay available.

The first and most apparent innovation are the various vehicle types available.  In addition to the  standard go kart, you also had access to a high flying plane and an incredibly awkward hovercraft.  This adds a significant amount of variety to gameplay, as your approach to any given course can change dramatically depending on what vehicle you are piloting.

Said vehicles are bestowed unto you by a stereotypically Indian elephant genie...  Yup...

The game also had a story mode featuring a hub world design that was incredibly unique for a racer at the time.  Essentially, the player has a map they are free to drive/fly/hovercraft around in, and it's up to the player to find the entrance to the various courses.  Winning courses awards the player with Golden Balloons, which they use to access subsequent courses, in a somewhat similar fashion to Mario 64's progression system.

Of course, the game also featured attack and support items as expected of it's game type, but it added an extra twist to this system.  Which item you would pick up was designated by different colored boxes, and picking up boxes of the same type in a row would power up your weapon.  For example, a red box gets you a standard missile, running into another red box upgrades it to a homing missile, and collecting a third red box upgrades it to ten standard missiles that you can rapid fire.

In addition to the racing, there are also several party type minigames available to play with friends, perhaps the most infamous being the dragon eggs minigame.

Much like Snowboard Kids, Diddy Kong Racing has personality in spades.  Even though there isn't a tremendous amount of lore on the game's universe, there are still die hard fans of Timber the Tiger, Tiptup the Turtle...  I didn't even have to look up their names!  The courses are colorful, varied and imaginative, and Whizpig makes a wonderful bad guy.

Also, he races you on a rocket...  IN SPAAAACE!

As a testament to how well the gameplay holds up, Diddy Kong Racing is a very popular Speedrunning game.  If you're looking for a racing game speedrun, I would highly recommend googling Toufool's runs, as they are very entertaining to watch.

How you can play this: Diddy Kong Racing is available as both an N64 cartridge as well as on the Wii's Virtual Console.  The game was also remastered for the DS, but that version is a bit maligned.

So yeah, I apologize for all these N64 games, but I didn't put a limit on systems and it's my list, so there!  Really though, I can't think of any of game that could possibly deserve the number one spot.  This game basically spawned the subgenre of "Mascot Racer" (while the original was obviously one, it didn't really explode until 64 released) and is fondly remembered by gamers everywhere who were fortunate enough to grow up in the 90s.

The controls are really just about perfect, and take full advantage of the N64's...  Unusually designed controller.  The game is designed so well that it gives you an unmistakable sense of speed, yet you never feel out of control, and every mistake you make is clearly your fault.

Personality wise, the game is populated by characters we all know and love, so it doesn't have to work very hard to grab our attention.  The levels are all incredibly creative, well designed, and based off of properties just about every gamer is familiar with.  Who can forget the first time they played Rainbow Road, or the first time they drove off Royal Raceway to find the complete Mario 64 Castle?

It is said that there are only two games that can irreparably destroy a friendship - Mario Party and Mario Kart 64.  It's kind of interesting that what many people find most endearing about Mario Kart 64 is something most gamers would hate normally - the game is just about as much about luck as it is about skill.  You could be in last place, but get a star, a super mushroom or (dare I speak it's name) the dreaded blue spiny shell and you've won yourself a potential ticket to first place.  Nintendo obviously realized this, as this is kind of the basis of Mario Party and is definitely present in future Mario Kart titles (though I would argue they swayed way too far in the luck direction in recent installments), but the balance that is present here is so remarkably perfect that I doubt we'll see another game strike that perfect balance in a very long time.

Destroyer of Worlds, Devourer of Dreams

In addition to races, the game also features an addictive battle mode that drops you into brilliantly designed multiplayer courses.  As a child I enjoyed experimenting in these courses almost as I enjoyed playing against others.  One of my favorite pastimes was 'confusing'  red shells - that is, going to double decker and shooting a bunch of red shells into the lower level.  The auto target system would try to seek out a racer, but it wasn't sophisticated enough to deal with multiple levels, causing them to fly around randomly or in circular patterns.

As far as production values, the games visuals have aged with surprising grace, and the audio, while definitely not orchestral quality, still remain catchy and recognizable.

How you can play it:  Mario Kart 64 is available as both an N64 cartridge as well as on the Wii's Virtual Console.

So that's it, there's my list...  I hope you found this post entertaining and informative.  Do you agree?  Disagree?  Have any games you would recommend to me?  Let me know in the comments below!