tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40963405861477574492024-02-19T00:16:43.649-06:00Critical Hits!RPG gaming from the old skool.JDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07468586709952502011noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096340586147757449.post-76864706478486481032012-11-28T03:12:00.002-06:002012-11-28T03:12:29.665-06:00Shelving.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My current game library, for the most part. Still have some tomes scattered about or in storage, but that's the lion's share. <br />
JDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07468586709952502011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096340586147757449.post-16950889681781749602010-10-27T05:13:00.003-06:002010-10-27T05:34:49.844-06:00My latest haul...I don't mind saying, one of the reasons I am an oldskool gamer is because I'm cheap. One of the great things about older games is that they can now be readily found in used bookstores, on Amazon and eBay, etc. for very reasonable prices. Here's a veritable shitload of CoC stuff I picked up from my local Half-Price Books the other day.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4NEDrISgCpk9K_MSW71jpR4yIhqV2pM7tgf3bz7h164N3LR3daVdYR2hWPPIz3NEsGlQj-V8wvIevanFJexxi6PRAHo5aKVxeYDG5pN8yWW3Oa222uohgL1fyJTT3iQfNUwHcWDv2wGs/s1600/lot.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4NEDrISgCpk9K_MSW71jpR4yIhqV2pM7tgf3bz7h164N3LR3daVdYR2hWPPIz3NEsGlQj-V8wvIevanFJexxi6PRAHo5aKVxeYDG5pN8yWW3Oa222uohgL1fyJTT3iQfNUwHcWDv2wGs/s320/lot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532683158407517650" border="0" /></a><br />Note the vintage copies of Shadows of Yog-Sothoth and Nightmare in Norway (both $5.98). I have lots others, all picked up on the cheap. Just the other day I also got a copy of the D&D Rules Cyclopedia for $12 and the Delta Green: Countdown sourcebook for about $20. Indeed, I love not only finding a good copy of an old gaming book I've been looking for but also getting a bargain on it, it's fun. <br /><br />My point here is that you can get quality gaming material at reasonable prices for relatively little effort. Compare that to outfitting oneself with the latest edition of WotC's transmogrified D&D. Their hardback books start retailing at $35 and go up from there. Now the print quality is definitely good (the content quality another matter entirely), but really, there is just no way I would shell out that kind of cash for a new game book, sorry. I know some people will, but I would guess they are a minority. I know it is a different time now but when I first got into gaming new game books went for about $20, $25 tops, and sourcebooks about half that. <br /><br />One of the interesting things about this hobby is that the game itself is largely unaffected by advancements in technology in recent years. While the internet has allowed us innumerable ways to support and feed into our habit via forums, webstores and blogs like this one, playing the game itself is still a matter of gathering your friends and sitting down with dice, paper and pencils. This is why games that came out 20 or 30 years ago still hold up just fine. This is in stark contrast to other areas of gaming and entertainment in general, such as video games. What this means is that if a company like WotC wants to put out a compelling product it really comes down to the strength of the writing and game design - areas in which they frankly have failed to meet much less exceed our beloved games of yore.JDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07468586709952502011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096340586147757449.post-69986291126155719522010-07-16T06:18:00.002-06:002010-07-16T06:20:58.816-06:00...And Cthulhu Called<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjne5SCVeRkWOiQ9H0pubZMu27Q0Vfrrs0juuFie8Oo9SFQb4ilV4kSsvmKT1vAF6y0QlPIFVsECPHjB1qdLkgVhOVro_nQ0ZiLQlLyFfzioqK5Y6kg4L8sQilK8Ttlz_VbaO_DOTNdS0sq/s1600/cthulhu02.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjne5SCVeRkWOiQ9H0pubZMu27Q0Vfrrs0juuFie8Oo9SFQb4ilV4kSsvmKT1vAF6y0QlPIFVsECPHjB1qdLkgVhOVro_nQ0ZiLQlLyFfzioqK5Y6kg4L8sQilK8Ttlz_VbaO_DOTNdS0sq/s320/cthulhu02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494477733611207778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />So last weekend my number came up and after some 10 months since last helming the GM's chair it was my turn. We had a break in our regular game and decided to try something different. On a lark I tossed out the idea of running Call of Cthulhu, which although we all fondly recalled, hadn't seen any of our tables in years. In fact I'm pretty sure it had been well over a decade since I last played it, much less ran it. Not that I was concerned, I still know BRP pretty well.<br /><br />At first I planned to run my own session and figure out a 20's scenario about the KKK. Being short on time though I decided on a published module a few days before game time. Now, this was an exception for me, as I normally dislike published adventures, but the module was well-designed and non-linear enough to accomodate flexibility on the part of the Keeper and players (Age of Cthulhu's Death in Luxor, if you're wondering). It also featured the baddies I wanted to use (a Shoggoth - always a hoot - and a Star-Spawn).<br /><br />One tactic I use in the Keeper's chair is to never announce to a player how much SAN they just lost from failing a sanity check, I just let them know on a note or something. That way the only way the other players can know just how batshit crazy that PC is going is by how well he's roleplayed. Indeed, subtly disguising the mechanics of the game makes for a more immersive experience.<br /><br />Anyway the adventure was great. I had forgotten how much CoC is such a roleplayer's game, since combat and tactics (something I can admit to fixating on more than not) tends to take a backseat when facing down the horrors of the Mythos. It has a different pacing, and structure then other RPGs and a GM can pick up a lot of useful techniques and tricks applicable to other games. Presenting the flavor and culture of a historical setting is a lot of fun too. All in all, a welcome break from the sometimes board-game like mechanics of traditional FRP's. A game of CoC takes a bit more of a time commitment than other games, but it's far worth it. In this instance, half the party croaked - but everyone still had a good time. Not many games work that way.<br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" href="http://www.librarything.com/topic/61539">link</a> for the day - love this one...<br /><br />Cthulhu fhtagn!JDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07468586709952502011noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096340586147757449.post-15541998924721981762010-07-07T11:08:00.005-06:002010-07-16T06:29:03.842-06:00Holy SnikesCheck <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Keith-Parkinson-Original-Gamma-World-TSR-/320449571310?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4a9c4869ee">this</a> out. I was on ebay last night looking around for old gaming stuff, as I am wont to do, did a quick search for Gamma World, and look what popped up.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TvltVpTws3xMNXQz-mCnuJ-bzDp1t8RmMs4IVjQxVcc7j9us0iKdCt7Qo58Xea-B77UGPkLVFOdcQvJp4fFk07xMuSgUjGT9vzdNo1DgbjybNAJaiXzgxG3W6BzHgCGCN4yhouTN5b0j/s1600/keithgammaworld3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TvltVpTws3xMNXQz-mCnuJ-bzDp1t8RmMs4IVjQxVcc7j9us0iKdCt7Qo58Xea-B77UGPkLVFOdcQvJp4fFk07xMuSgUjGT9vzdNo1DgbjybNAJaiXzgxG3W6BzHgCGCN4yhouTN5b0j/s400/keithgammaworld3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491212901644460146" border="0" /></a><br />This, it is claimed, is the original painting for the cover of 2nd ed Gamma World by the late, insanely great Keith Parkinson. All I can say is wow. Parkinson was, as far as I'm concerned, <span style="font-style: italic;">the </span>fantasy artist of an entire age. I wouldn't have ever looked twice at Rifts if not for his righteous cover art. This piece in particular, although the title escapes me, is one of my very favorite Parkinson works. The rider and his gleaming alloy armor and weapon, the cyborg bearcat, even the background landscape and blue sky come together for a very striking piece. I always wondered what the story was behind this figure and his ultra-cool riding beast was.<br /><br />What's also intriguing is this is located in my own backyard, well, somewhere in the middle of Texas anyway. Which means even if i did pony up the $6300 the seller is asking they'd hit me for sales tax too (nice way to hook up your 'fellow texans' there bub). I'll be watching this one for sure and it will be interesting to see if a buyer steps up. Over 6 large is steep but a fair price I'd say, maybe even a bargain, for a Parkinson original like this one.<br /><br />UPDATE: Looks like it sold for the asking price after all!JDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07468586709952502011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096340586147757449.post-25525560475821945372010-07-03T18:39:00.002-06:002010-07-03T18:46:37.444-06:00Just clearing out the closet, and some of these have to go<br /><br /><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190413183989&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT">link action yo</a><br /><br />I really wish I could just keep all my gaming books and stuff, and I probably would if I could suitably store a large collection, but I can't so periodically stuff has to go. Although I've read quite a bit my actual gaming library is rather modest, maybe 100 books all told, spread over about 30 games. The auction linked above are a bunch of 2e box sets, mainly Forgotten Realms stuff. It was actually fairly easy to put that up for sale because I hadn't really had them that long, they all came from a massive lot I got on the cheap from a guy clearing out his storage space. Seems the longer I hold on to something though the harder it is to get rid of it. Which is why I still have quite a few of the books I bought back in the 80's/90's. Except the Palladium books - got rid of those long ago!JDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07468586709952502011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096340586147757449.post-26595167861207100552010-07-01T00:37:00.004-06:002010-07-01T01:04:35.109-06:00An Indispensable Guide<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpY33mrgnpv5t-XAttm9TXR8cqA05qNe1avU0k7pJPsUEfxWlgea5DpM0_fHekW33sVw_Py4hnSRKHsC5qUR5d04Q_JXKxGdeTVmRODuzH1U3z-0F0Kd9K_i87dSggBRSjuotjXKwodDL/s1600/completeguidetorpg.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpY33mrgnpv5t-XAttm9TXR8cqA05qNe1avU0k7pJPsUEfxWlgea5DpM0_fHekW33sVw_Py4hnSRKHsC5qUR5d04Q_JXKxGdeTVmRODuzH1U3z-0F0Kd9K_i87dSggBRSjuotjXKwodDL/s320/completeguidetorpg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488827271509824882" border="0" /></a><br />Picked this one up a few weeks ago at the local Half-Price Books (which is, btw, an excellent resource for OOP games). I'll admit, I hadn't ever seen or heard of this handy tome before, but I'm sure glad I found it.<br /><br />For the old-school gamer, this is <span style="font-style: italic;">the </span>pocket game reference. <span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Pretty much every RPG made from the hobby's genesis until 1990. And let's face it, it was all done by 1990. Every thing after that was varations on established themes. Rick Swan, the author, goes to some lengths to point out in the introduction that he couldn't possible cover every single game made but it's pretty comprehensive to me, and hits every title I played growing up, plus dozens more I had never even heard of (or didn't remember). Suffice it to say it is worthy of the title <span style="font-style: italic;">The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games. </span><br /><br />Swan's a good writer too, and puts it from the gamer's perspective. Each game is catalogued, rated, and neatly critiqued. Cover art by Phil "Goblin Digging Team" Foglio seals the deal. Though long OOP, it is still readily available through the usual used book channels.JDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07468586709952502011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096340586147757449.post-31594196697942319162010-06-30T16:32:00.008-06:002010-06-30T22:03:54.380-06:00Original artwork from Villans & Vigilantes 2.1 on the bay<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegAMTPpWhNVmJ5DyulCzmHyMOupr8ILHoEI-M8EL966Eq9Zjxx16AEPm_FfQMuS-d-izN4a5pY771bb-1cVgZnyMu2sLDBFQijvqFTndWTJRDT-9ONyC_keYBMjolqHLtGW_RBaSX3-WG/s1600/Picture+2.png"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegAMTPpWhNVmJ5DyulCzmHyMOupr8ILHoEI-M8EL966Eq9Zjxx16AEPm_FfQMuS-d-izN4a5pY771bb-1cVgZnyMu2sLDBFQijvqFTndWTJRDT-9ONyC_keYBMjolqHLtGW_RBaSX3-WG/s200/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488701287108908242" border="0" /></a><br />My friend and gaming legend Jeff Dee has completed the newest edition of Villans and Vigilantes - check it out <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=81970">here</a>. The system is still the same as the original 1982 version, so the old school aspect is all there for me.<br /><br /><br />Not only is Jeff an accomplished game designer, he's an artist too (Fiend Folio anyone?) and is letting go of some of the original illustrations from the new edition on teh ebay - Rad!<br /><br />So<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjpBtkwV5YLa1WuZ9Jy9UPCOZbxANOybMa9RXtBEMOfbVssXH6ICDeWkgVmbZJnYIgiax6CiD1HFC3gL_4EOvVlJ4_rcZIUgxJmHruGJxk9GE7OFMUggNqO1MMBdkkNfm0SVGPttJD2_U/s1600/Picture+1.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjpBtkwV5YLa1WuZ9Jy9UPCOZbxANOybMa9RXtBEMOfbVssXH6ICDeWkgVmbZJnYIgiax6CiD1HFC3gL_4EOvVlJ4_rcZIUgxJmHruGJxk9GE7OFMUggNqO1MMBdkkNfm0SVGPttJD2_U/s200/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488701404815719010" border="0" /></a> if you are into collectable RPG art I can't imagine a better deal, especially for fans of the old school superhero games.<br /><br />Check out the auctions for the two pieces now up!<br /><br />There is <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Shatterman-and-Condor-Subternia-V-V-2-1-p-6-/130405598118?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Art_Drawings&hash=item1e5cc783a6">Shatterman and Condor</a> and <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Pharaoh-vs-Ebony-Angel-V-V-2-1-p-36-/130404915353?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Art_Drawings&hash=item1e5cbd1899">Pharoah vs Ebony Angel</a>JDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07468586709952502011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096340586147757449.post-42468838026328694702010-06-30T06:02:00.005-06:002010-06-30T06:39:37.821-06:00In the beginning there was Palladium<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rOq20EoFC6cs03YWKcBEh2ruTogBzs58hmnukI6OLpY1Xo4mnMSNOblyPKBdV5_prFDbG1gfp6lgvFphf1ZaDbv9-Eb40Qug31IFh1lR6oer_CK5Q8DBT3mBNDaMpwxX1aMfQnDfopQA/s1600/%5Bsmall%5D%5BAnimePaper%5Dscans_Macross_Roy626(0.76)__THISRES__154473.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rOq20EoFC6cs03YWKcBEh2ruTogBzs58hmnukI6OLpY1Xo4mnMSNOblyPKBdV5_prFDbG1gfp6lgvFphf1ZaDbv9-Eb40Qug31IFh1lR6oer_CK5Q8DBT3mBNDaMpwxX1aMfQnDfopQA/s400/%5Bsmall%5D%5BAnimePaper%5Dscans_Macross_Roy626(0.76)__THISRES__154473.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488544608254376978" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Ha, well, my beginning anyway. More specifically, Robotech, which Palladium had (shrewdly) acquired the gaming rights to. As a kid in the 80's Robotech was the shit, miles ahead of other cartoon tripe... though personally I don't think it aged all that well.<br /><br />I was dimly aware of D&D and its ilk at the time, but I grew up in a crap small town and didn't know anyone who played until later school years. I also wasn't quite old enough to catch on to 1e in its heyday of the early 80's... sometimes I resent missing out on that; by the end of the decade the gaming landscape was a little different. So in 6th grade I picked up the Robotech RPG and sat down to puzzling out Palladium's system. I remember it being only slightly absurd and just wondered why insanity and the like was being covered in the first few pages. Of course having nothing to compare the system to I couldn't complain. The mega-damage concept seemed imminently reasonable to me. At first I just ran combat simulations with the dice, having no-one to game with, but convinced a friend of mine to try it out and had a reasonably good time of it, as much as you can have with two players anyway. I realize now the game is pretty one-dimensional. It's basically all about the cool mecha and really doesn't lend itself to real role-playing or character development at all. It wasn't until later I played in a proper group (AD&D) and got to enjoy the real deal, which of course was a vastly superior experience.<br /><br />I look back on my first RPG with a bit of fondness still and enjoyed Palladium's quality artwork and treatment of the source material. In that respect they (well, Kevin Seimbeida) did a bang-up job. But now I know the system was just crap, and still is. It wasn't til a bit later and giving <span style="font-style: italic;">Rifts</span> a go that I realized how unwieldy it really was. I know Palladium still has a fanbase that play it and that's great for them, but it doesn't work for me.<br /><br />A little while back in my local gameshop I noticed some new Robotech RPG books. Palladium evidently acquired the license and put out some new content. Well, I say 'new' loosely because after flipping through the book for old times' sake it was evident that the content <span style="font-style: italic;">was exactly the fucking same as it was 20 years ago.</span> I mean, there was maybe some new text that acknowledged the latest episodes but for the most part the artwork, layout, fonts, everything was exactly the same with huge chunks of stat blocks reprinted. It still baffles me that KS is unable to move into the modern era of desktop publishing.<br /><br />At any rate all things Palladium quirkiness have been hashed out ad nauseum on other gaming blogs and forums; this is just my take on it. Robotech was my first introduction to <span style="font-style: italic;">the game</span> and I'll always have a soft spot for it.JDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07468586709952502011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096340586147757449.post-63551512355187690722010-06-27T02:06:00.002-06:002010-06-27T02:17:14.594-06:00Greetings.And welcome to the current incarnation of <span style="font-style: italic;">Critical Hits</span>. Long dormant, this blog domain shall now resume, and the astute among you can likely guess this will concern RPG and tabletop gaming. As the title states, I strongly favor the 'old school' gaming of yore, so don't expect to find anything dealing with a certain bloated trading card company or its current incarnation of gaming's most popular franchise, now twisted beyond recognition as far as I'm concerned. But if names like 1e, Call of Cthulhu, Top Secret, Rolemaster, Gamma World, CyberPunk, and Pendragon tickle your fancy, I invite you to step in. <br /><br />Before going any further let me extend a genuine thanks to Patrick, the original admin of this blog, who graciously and unselfishly handed over this blog's domain name when I asked. In this day in age where squatters hold onto even marginally viable domain names like their balls, it was a most courteous gesture, and I'll be leaving up the original two posts in his honor. Thanks!JDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07468586709952502011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096340586147757449.post-8153795959053964142010-06-22T09:19:00.001-06:002010-06-22T09:19:29.050-06:00Under constructionstay tuned...JDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07468586709952502011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096340586147757449.post-47079328961622667652007-02-24T01:15:00.000-06:002007-02-24T01:30:24.853-06:00The Legend of Zelda<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkHsTwsNNIZ3mNRWS9BrXIx1G4T4vqCSfhSiZBc1re5buL-HAR59fINwgUN2lJEHxlZ0XkWhXvo7X4aKGc_NzWEDaBzu7_rRMuTz1xuDkaWeIrafe9RAMeJakxop5SWRizarZzs78AIQ/s1600-h/tloz_title_screen.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkHsTwsNNIZ3mNRWS9BrXIx1G4T4vqCSfhSiZBc1re5buL-HAR59fINwgUN2lJEHxlZ0XkWhXvo7X4aKGc_NzWEDaBzu7_rRMuTz1xuDkaWeIrafe9RAMeJakxop5SWRizarZzs78AIQ/s200/tloz_title_screen.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034964120976143218" /></a><b>Released:</b> 1987<br /><b>System:</b> NES<br /><b>Played On:</b> Wii Virtual Console<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda">More Information</a><br /><br />So how does one review the first game of arguably the most revered video game franchise of all-time? A game which is considered to have set the standard for action-adventure titles? A game which named one of Robin Williams's kids? Well, let's get the complaints out of the way.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCAfq_5-eUW56sBrnHKdx3z5p1JfbjnfNUwcL74Td-jzsK95xVIKkfo8UBXOPMTwP9QS3XBlxI_oR5BfHw9DP5nOA00-W1kgUh_eAh8iDaixcEfIPCgvVBmbFah7aXwA6BpncA8JM6Wg/s1600-h/tloz_old_man.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWCAfq_5-eUW56sBrnHKdx3z5p1JfbjnfNUwcL74Td-jzsK95xVIKkfo8UBXOPMTwP9QS3XBlxI_oR5BfHw9DP5nOA00-W1kgUh_eAh8iDaixcEfIPCgvVBmbFah7aXwA6BpncA8JM6Wg/s200/tloz_old_man.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034985411129029538" /></a><br />First and foremost, this game is big. A huge overworld and a bunch of dungeons make for a great environment to walk around. Unfortunately, it might be too big, considering the only "map" you get for navigating the overworld is a solid gray rectangle with a pink block which represents your position. There are 128 different screens to explore in the overworld and, without a decent map, it's all too possible to get completely lost. This gets old really fast, especially when you start trying to decrypt what the game means when it tells you to "meet the old man at the grave" or that "there are secrets where faeries don't live".<br /><br />Also, the money system is a source of frustration. You collect rupees in increments of 1 or 5, sometimes earning them for slaying enemies. You're limited to 255 rupees which is fine except in one situation: at some point during the game, you'll buy a magical shield which costs you a cool 250 rupees. In some of the dungeons there's an enemy which, if it attacks you, destroys your magical shield and, in turn, hugely hinders your ability to stay alive for very long. If you end up losing your magical shield a couple of times in a row, you'd better add another 20 minutes to your quest so that you can go seek out some enemies that'll help fund your next one.<br /><br />With the complaints aside, though, the game is a real joy to play. The combat system is simple but effective: the A button swings your sword and you pick an action (e.g. bombs, arrows) for the B button. This system would prove to be the model for nearly every other game in the series and also serve as a fine template for countless other games (especially beat-'em-ups). Enemies are, for the most part, balanced in terms of difficulty although you will certainly want to be upgrading your sword and your armor as you go. During my playthrough of the game, I only ever felt like the Darknuts were excessively difficult to kill and it's rare that you have to kill them to progress.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_VxrFEE93Ux2M0VTyXDnYHarKqj-YETeJPQSKBSumXBPXuiEaW2GgTj4w-4XrErvrRHbhqbUPccKovte-A_d9vpneMpS2JIhKep7hjHzM-ociDsS739gEk65eQhXtsHoHbphXj8qyJ8/s1600-h/tloz_combat.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_VxrFEE93Ux2M0VTyXDnYHarKqj-YETeJPQSKBSumXBPXuiEaW2GgTj4w-4XrErvrRHbhqbUPccKovte-A_d9vpneMpS2JIhKep7hjHzM-ociDsS739gEk65eQhXtsHoHbphXj8qyJ8/s200/tloz_combat.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034989787700704178" /></a><br /><br />The nonlinearity of this game is arguably its biggest influence on the gaming world. You are free to complete the game's dungeons (with the exception of the final one) in any order you like as well as travel anywhere you want at any time you want. As we all have gotten used to with the <i>Legend of Zelda</i> series, each dungeon has a map and a compass which help you locate the boss and most of the dungeons will have special items that facilitate later parts of your quest. You are not required, however, to visit every single room or defeat every enemy you encounter. A great deal of choice is afforded to the player and this remains one of the most important paradigms established by <i>The Legend of Zelda</i>.<br /><br />Although <i>The Legend of Zelda</i> is phenomenally important, most of the flaws in the game all go back to the lack of a good navigation system. The portions of the game when the user is not lost or grinding out to buy a high-priced item are fantastic fun but are too frequently interrupted to garner a perfect score.<br /><br />The bottom line: 4 out of 5.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4096340586147757449.post-12679491172341849102007-02-22T22:25:00.000-06:002007-02-22T23:48:48.167-06:00Press StartSo here's the deal.<br /><br />I love video games but I've missed a lot of the great ones. At some point, I made a huge list of games that I intended to play through and I've been doing that for the past few months. A friend suggested that I keep a log to track my progress through the list and so that's what this is.<br /><br />For the most part, the posts will be horribly written reviews of the games that I play but I'll do my best to change it up from time to time. The scores given will be 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, <i>X-Play</i> style. Also, for the sake of trying to keep the thing interesting, I'm wiping the slate completely clean: every game I review will be one that I've gone through very recently.<br /><br />I'm gonna try to keep it objective and within context, giving each game a fair shot. I'll also try to include pictures so this doesn't become yet another boring text-only blog. You'll probably notice that the games I'll be playing will exhibit heavy Nintendo bias. That's simply because I grew up a Nintendo kid and so those are the games that I know the most about. I'll diversify as time goes on, though.<br /><br />I think this has the potential to be fun and I hope you enjoy following my journey. I didn't sufficiently waste my childhood so I'll have to just waste my adulthood to make up for it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0