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Castle Crashers Demo (360)

2008-08-27T16:47:00.001+01:00

In short - I like it, but I'm worried about the bosses.

Galaga (360)

2008-08-27T16:46:00.001+01:00

Not sure why I played this. It hates me and I'm not overly fond of it.

Should probably have played the Galaga Legions demo again instead.

Fable 2 Pub Games Demo (360)

2008-08-26T22:35:00.002+01:00

I decided to play this, given I got sent a code to download it and all.

I entered a Spinner tournament, which consisted of pressing the A button one hundred times. Not in a rhythm, not with any timing, just whenever I felt like it I could press A. Once I'd done that a hundred times and the random numbers had been generated the tournament was over. As it happens, luck was with me and I won some money and a special apple pie for Fable 2.

I mean, what?

Bionic Commando Rearmed (360)

2008-08-26T22:31:00.002+01:00

Completed!

Okay, so it's only on Easy and I haven't found many secrets or done the tunnels or the vast majority of the challenge levels... but, still, completed!

The last level is incredibly long and difficult - even with what I assume are added platforms for Easy mode - but I got there in the end.

Fantastic game. I plan to play it more, but I'm not sure I could ever finish it on Normal mode. However, I may try.

Bangai-O Spirits (DS)

2008-08-26T08:56:00.001+01:00

I finished the Treasure's Best levels last night - hooray! The last one, level 27, The World, took me quite a while. I spent ages experimenting with different weapon loads, then once I'd settled on a good combo it took me a fair few goes to actually beat the stage. I really loved it. An excellent balance between thinking and shooting. Quite possibly my favourite level so far. And it's so simple - just you, six big enemies and a fully destructible representation of the world in the middle.

I just love the game. I've put hours and hours into it now and I've enjoyed it immensely. I may find that the Treasure's Best section had the best levels in it, but I hope not. If the other levels can keep me going as these have, I'll be very happy indeed.

It's a wonderful game. It's odd how half the people that play it love it and the other half hate it. I guess there's just a clicking point that some people reach and others don't. Or something. It's very strange. I'm just glad I'm in the "love it" camp.

Bionic Commando Rearmed (360)

2008-08-26T08:54:00.003+01:00

I think I'm over half-way through this now, but if I have the time I'd love to run through it on Normal once I've finished Easy. And I've only done two challenge levels.

Apparently, this has been a big success for a downloadable title and it fully deserves it. More games should have this much care, polish and understanding pumped into their development.

I enjoyed Braid, but it was just a good game - Bionic Commando takes that extra step into something special, for me.

Bangaio-O Spirits (DS)

2008-08-24T21:14:00.001+01:00

Level seventeen, name of MIP, done!

Now on to level eighteen, MIP2.

Oh, how I love this game.

I sigh happily when I think of it.

Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)

2008-08-24T17:38:00.001+01:00

My wife's new town, Arkham, seems to be built on magical treasure-generating land. She keeps digging up shirts, furniture, etc. Oddly, new digging spots only seem to appear when I'm visiting...

Weird.

Bionic Commando Rearmed (360)

2008-08-24T17:34:00.002+01:00

Got stuck for a fair while on a secret bit of a level which was very hard indeed, but since then I've been more or less sailing through the game. The bosses are especially easy, which is nice. I know I'm playing on Easy mode, but it's nice that it actually is.

It's really, really good, this. I'm very impressed.

It's pretty much the perfect remake, I think, taking the original and modernising it with skill, not a sledgehammer.

Bionic Commando Rearmed (360)

2008-08-23T14:30:00.002+01:00

This how good this is.

When I finished the first level, instead of going to the next one, I decided to play through it again, boss and all, because it was just so much fun. (And I was hoping I might find one or two secrets, but I didn't.)

I'm playing on "Easy", which seems to translate into "Mostly Possible", and I am having a great time.

TIP: The Advanced Tutorial and gun upgrades found in level 00 are both very, very useful.

Soul Calibur IV (360)

2008-08-23T14:28:00.001+01:00

I played this for a long time today. I enjoyed myself. I found it difficult to stop playing. I played with different characters, in different modes. I spent a fair while editing a character. It was good.

But I'm just not getting better. I'm not improving one little bit. I have my skill level and it seems to be completely fixed. It makes the whole experience feel a bit empty, fun as it is.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Demo (360)

2008-08-23T14:22:00.002+01:00

Played this again this morning, just to check I was right about it first time.

It turns out I was. It's great, chaotic fun, but it's a bit too hard to choose exactly which object you want to use the force on. If anything, I enjoyed it more the second time through, due to knowing what I was doing.

I also started noticing the little things more. Like a Stormtrooper putting his hand on a container to steady himself when getting up off the floor. Or a rebel soldier doggedly hanging on to another container I was waving around the room. (There are a lot of containers in this game. Well, I assume they're containers, they're basically just big blocks for you play with using the force.) Small interactions like that are genuinely impressive and, even when you're not consciously noticing them, they should help the world feel more solid.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Demo (360)

2008-08-21T19:06:00.002+01:00

PURE AWESOME.

I mean, it appears to be a good game, maybe not great, certainly more than decent, but it's also PURE AWESOME.

I like Star Wars, you see.

And this is very, very Star Wars.

Galaga Legions Demo (360)

2008-08-20T23:33:00.001+01:00

Seems... all right.

Purchase depends on Castle Crashers next week.

Braid (360)

2008-08-20T23:32:00.000+01:00

I just finished this with all 60 puzzle pieces.

It's a game, but as for the story I DON'T GET IT. YES, IN CAPS.

I mean, I like arty. I often don't see pretentiousness in places others claim to see it. But Braid? I don't get it.

Bangaio-O Spirits (DS)

2008-08-19T23:14:00.001+01:00

Yes, level seventeen of the Treasure section is just like level thirteen - lots of very easy bits making an impossible whole.

OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast (PSP)

2008-08-19T09:23:00.002+01:00

Five minutes of failure with OutRun was the only gaming I got done last night.

When I say failure, I mean it. I was racing a rival and he killed me on stage four, leaving me with an E grade for the race I attempted. And it was a very easy one - the first race in the second set of stages. Dear me.

I suppose I could explain that in greater detail, but everybody's played OutRun 2006, right? Right?

If you haven't, you should have done. It's one of the best games ever, you know.

Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)

2008-08-18T09:32:00.000+01:00

Oh yay, I won the Bug Off! Take that, Peanut!

Bangai-O Spirits (DS)

2008-08-18T09:21:00.002+01:00

Levels 14,15 and 16 of the Treasure section were relatively easy, but now I'm on level seventeen, which is another long, long level made up of bits that aren't too hard individually, but which can kill you dead if you're not careful. It's a big pit and I have a horrible feeling that there's a nasty surprise at the bottom, but I've not got that far yet. Gulp.

Bangaio-O Spirits (DS)

2008-08-17T19:30:00.001+01:00

Ha ha! I did level thirteen!

(I'm glad nobody reads this, so I won't be getting comments from people telling me they did it first time.)

Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)

2008-08-17T14:44:00.001+01:00

Well, I'm currently winning the Bug Off with a 68mm robust cicada. I'll try to remember to play again later to try to get a better bug and see the results.

Also, I shot down two presents today and got given two shirts by other residents of Venture.

Braid (360)

2008-08-17T14:41:00.002+01:00

I polished off World 5. Needed a bit of luck to get the final puzzle piece, as it relied on enemy behaviour I'd never paid any attention to before.

Now on to World 6. I'm stuck on a puzzle where I know what to do, but just can't do it. It's been annoying me, but I had to stop for Eastenders.

Bangaio-O Spirits (DS)

2008-08-17T14:39:00.002+01:00

Nope, level thirteen of the Treasure levels is definitely impossible, despite being made up of a lot of fairly easy bits.

No, it doesn't make any sense.

Bangaio-O Spirits (DS)

2008-08-16T21:34:00.001+01:00

After a few easy levels, Treasure level 13 is impossible. Annoyingly, it's impossible for no reason, as each part of the leve is perfectly easy. I don't get it.

Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)

2008-08-16T13:51:00.002+01:00

Agent S moved out a few days ago, nobody else yet moved in. Does Venture smell or something?

Anyway, I just popped in at lunchtime, I'll play more later when the fireworks are on and KK Slider is playing.