AI Episode 1: The Eternal Video Game : Crimson Monkey

AI Episode 1: The Eternal Video Game

Monday, October 17 2011 - Artificial Intelligence - by: sean_cm

THE ETERNAL VIDEO GAME: Gaming's Place in Your Life and Why They'll Live Forever

Recently purchased a GameCube, which 10 years ago was also the first console I ever purchased with my own "money" (a.k.a. first, quickly maxed out credit card, which included free regret and hard lessons learned), and have since discovered that there is a wealth of legacy video games and systems out there for purchase. And some of them, especially the big titles of the past (like Zelda and Mario titles), are still making some people money. So other than becoming re-addicted to eBay and random stops into GameStop - this led to a pretty remarkable realization: video games will not die easily, if ever, if at all.

Some of you may not remember a time before video games, but I recall the birth of the NES before it swept across the world, and I have seen the transformation of video games from toys to an industry.

The culture of video games, and the way you experience them for yourself (versus watching a movie), is akin to a reader's interpretation of a book. The visual artistry is akin to the tapestry of a good film, or in some cases, the wonder of a cartoon. This means that even the old 8-bit cartridges from 25+ years ago can hold a lot of entertainment. The fact that so many people are starting to experience these for the first time, and generations of gamers are starting to lead to more generations of gamers (for the first time ever), the phenomenon continues to grow. I know I want to pass along the traditions of Mario and Sonic, while still experiencing the new adventures of Nathan Drake and Solid Snake, and that is a very common feeling. Retirement homes have Wiis, you can find abandoned older PC games free on the internet (http://www.abandonia.com/), you can find games on your phones, your social network, and they are not going away. Cloud gaming like Onlive (not to mention the cloud updates to PSN, Xbox Live, and iOS) just make all of it easier and more portable, and I don't think that's a trend that will die, either.

LAST WORD: Welcome to Artificial Intelligence, where we will continue to honor the now immortal video game.

QUICK RANDOM REVIEWS: Games I've Just Played And You Probably Already Forgot About

Just Cause 2 (360, PS3)
Synopsis: An open world where destruction is the plan, and some quirky bugs cannot distract you from having a blast. Also, this damn thing is huge, I played for over 30 hours before finally finishing the story, only to find out I was only 27% through the game. You can use your grappling hook on just about everything, can drive or fly just about anything, and the game is gorgeous, even a year later.

Should You Play It: Yes, absolutely. The game shines as a quick distraction, where you only plan on sinking about 20-45 minutes of time into gaming, because you can just pick it up, blow some stuff up, feel completely satisfied, and let it sit until the next craving.

Should You Buy It: Yes, I also think you should purchase this game, because if you do like I mentioned above, the game will last you, like it did me, over a year in entertainment value. However, if you want your games to be played in longer sessions, this one will wear on you quickly, as it is very repetitive and the difficulty spike towards the end is more frustrating than fun.

Phineas & Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension (PS3)
Synopsis: A licensed kids game! Ahhh!! RUN AWA---- Wait, this one isn't so bad. Original voice actors and music, a story that adds to the movie, and good fun for the right audience.

Should You Play It: This is answered by this question: have you watched and enjoyed the Disney cartoon?

Should You Buy It: No, it is overly simple, short, and has very little replay value. However, if you have a fan of the show in your house, it makes for a fun few hours of co-op, with a few laughs and surprises thrown in.

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (PSP)
Synopsis: An updated version of the turn-based strategy classic that led to my favorite strategy game of all time (Final Fantasy Tactics). Some of the same love given to FFT's similar remake (War of Lions), and an even better story and game play.

Should You Play It: My love for strategy is probably higher than the normal consensus out there (especially judging by sales figures), but this is an amazing title worth sinking many, many hours into.

Should You Buy It: If you play it and like it, you can't NOT buy it - for one, it'll take you a really long time to beat and master this one, and for two, you'll want to hold on to this one to revisit later. It is that good.

Killzone 3 (PS3)
Synopsis: A very beautiful shooter that I honestly bought just to have something to do on my 3D TV and with PS Move. I have no idea what is going on in the story, who these people are, and I don't need to to have a blast.

Should You Play It: Yes, the tech in this game is really fun, especially if you have all the Sony bells and whistles to go along with it.

Should You Buy It: I really think that depends on if you really love the universe and if you have the add-on peripherals, if not this is actually a shooter that doesn't really separate itself from its competition.

iOS Recommendations:

Anomaly HD, Chaos Rings, Another World, Monster Dash

THIS WEEK'S RELEASES: Only What You Should Care About

Obviously this week we're all going to be playing Batman: Arkham City which already ranks among the highest rated video games since MetaCritic started (currently at a 98/100 on PS3 and 95/100 on 360), so on the video games front, not much else competes. The Xbox 360 port of awesome PC city sim Tropico 4 underwhelms, as does a surprisingly lackluster Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. Rocksmith tries to help you out with your growing plastic guitar problem by letting you plug in a real one, but without any help from the media or its own publisher, is destined to flop terribly. Probably was a good idea 3 years ago. On the downloadable front, Dungeon Defenders and Payday: The Heist hit, and will find a home in those who like quirky RPG/strategy titles and team-based shooters (respectively).

Coming to the silver screen from the hills of Hollywood this week in limited release is Kevin Smith's Red State, which I personally am very interested in seeing. As with everything these days, the rest look like sub-par sequels and remakes: The Three Musketeers, Paranormal Activity 3, and Johnny English Reborn. Full disclosure: I'm not a fan of needless sequels and cash-in remakes, so I will very likely not be hitting cinemas this weekend.

LAST WORD: Get Arkham City and ignore the rest.