Tag Archives: fun

#985 – Creating a Super Mario Maker level that is actually fun to play

5 Nov

Super Mario Maker is a dream come true for those of us (basically everybody) who have ever wanted to partake in the creation of Nintendo’s magic. Think about it in another way; imagine if you had the opportunity to help create the latest Disney or Pixar movie, the films those studios create are literally what happiness is made out of. The only thing is without a background in film or connections in the industry, that will probably never happen (and if it does just remember who came up with the idea first!). SMM at least makes game creation a reality, but creating something worthwhile is a hefty task.

  
After playing and watching hundreds if not thousands of levels online, you realize that most of your own levels suck. I thought it was cool at the time to put 30 goombas on top of each other only to find out… that it’s not. It gives you a greater respect for those people who created the legendary Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, they not only made wonderful levels but also had to program it all, it wasn’t as easy as these tools make it out to be. So after frustrating creation after frustrating creation, I came up with something actually… decent. Notifications start popping up that people are playing my level and are actually commenting with positive criticism. I know I’m far away from Shigeru Miyamoto status, but this made me feel all awesome inside.

No doubt that creating something is fun, but creating something that is actually fun is even better. Give someone the proper tools and they can create a masterpiece. Don’t give up just because your first 723 attempts failed, you may finally hit the fun jackpot with number 724.

AWESOME!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

#997 – Being scared to death by P.T.

24 Oct

As a kid I hated anything that was remotely scary, so horror video games were something I stayed very, very, very far away from. With age though came more courage (very little, but at least more) and thus my appreciation for those types of games rose. But to be honest I don’t think my body was ever ready to experience the nightmare that is or should I say was P.T.

For those who are unaware, P.T. stood for Playable Teaser and was a glimpse into next Silent Hill title, so it was more of a demo than an actual full game. But the experience was not a mere demo, it was something that changed me and possibly thousands if not millions of others. Not knowing what to expect, I was hit with jump scares, grotesque sights, psychological scars, and yet… I loved every second of it.

P_T_Lisa

I covered my eyes everytime I turned a corned, but I could not turn away and put down the controller for good. The way it pulled me in is so hard to explain. I was too intrigued by the atmosphere created by Hideo Kojima and Guillermo Del Toro that it scared me in a way that I wanted to be scared. This world is meant to be experienced. Unfortunately, the game/demo is no longer available due to the cancellation of Silent Hills and thus many people might miss out on this one of a kind experience.

If you have a chance to play P.T., make sure to shut off the lights, crank the volume, and kiss your life goodbye because you might very well die of fright. Believe me though, you might be cussing my name after but I know deep inside you thoroughly loved it.

AWESOME!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

#998 – Getting your name on a high score board

23 Oct

Gamers are a very competitive breed. It’s all about winning and we stop at nothing to be the best at the games that we love. So when your hard work pays off and your name appears on a high score board, the euphoric feeling is indescribable. If you don’t believe me, just look at the amazing documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. It’s all about two guys who battled to have the highest score in the original Donkey Kong.  Now not all of us can get the highest score on a game, but just having our name on the board should be enough to get you excited. Today almost any game that is connected to the internet has some sort of high score board or leaderboard. Technically, even getting an extremely low score on any mobile game will net you a spot somewhere on that list. And before you go sulking that you’re ranked 30,251st, just know that there are 7 billion people living on this planet, so you are actually ranked pretty high if you ask me. You might not be the best at the game, but there are people who are far worse at it. Your name will probably move down the board over time, but it will always be there for you to go back and reminisce. And it is always there for motivation so you can keep trying and beat that score.

Having your name on a high score board is like placing your signature on a piece of digital entertainment history. When future generations of gamers look back, they can see that “rickytheleaf” played Pac-Man Championship Edition DX. To be forever immortalized in a video game should put a smile on anybody’s face.

AWESOME!

Tags: , , , , , ,

Welcome To 1000 Awesome Game Things

19 Oct

Hello and welcome to what is bound to be the greatest list of video gaming goodness you have ever encountered! When you see that four digit number listed in the title, you might be thinking, “How can one person possibly list the greatest 1000 video games ever made?” You would be correct to ponder this, fine guy or gal that is currently reading this, but you would also be misinterpreting what this blog is all about. I’m not here to countdown the best video games ever made, I’m here to countdown some of the most awesome things in gaming. And when I say things, it can be anything game related, not just the ‘killed that huge boss’ moments, I’m trying to find the little things in gaming that we might take for granted but are still awesome!

Before I go any further, I have to give full credit where credit is due. The main inspiration for this blog comes from Neil Pasricha’s awesome blog (pun intended) 1000 Awesome Things. Here is the best explanation of it straight from the source material, “1000 Awesome Things is just a time-ticking countdown of 1000 awesome things. Launched June, 2008 and updated every weekday.” From popping bubble wrap to getting your ID checked when you are way over the legal age, Neil appreciates the finer things in life and it really is a boost especially when life has got you down.

Now my blog will follow the same type of format (I’ll try my best to post everyday, no particular order, etc.), but of course it will be game related only. Why is that? Because I am an avid gamer in every sense of the word. I don’t just love video games, I love the industry and culture surrounding it, more than just a hobby, it is a way of life. So I hope that my passion for gaming can turn this blog into something awesome!

Now sit back, grab your controller, and game on! But don’t forget to drop by once in a while to see what awesome gaming thing I’ll be talking about next!

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Newer Entries →