WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Ceres, Tombstone, Greg Rucka

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres, Toneman from Bowtiecat

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Ceres, Tombstone, The Girlfriend, Milan

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres, Manny from Wonder NW

As some of you listeners of the Dangerous Kids PoDKast may know, I am a big fan of indie games (the Jacks amongst the beanstalks, if you will). This could stem from my perennial cheering for the underdog, or it could be part of my search for varied experiences (which once led me to a plate of fried bull’s testicles–but I digress).

I also love a good story, but that’s kind of redundant, isn’t it? Everyone loves a good story. As we video game enthusiasts know, a story is like milk: it often turns into cheese, or even worse, sours to the point that it is unpalatable. Now, I’m not some purist that says every game has to have a solid narrative to be fun. I grew up in the era of the video game arcade. If you wanted a game with story, you had to turn to one with funny-shaped dice and graph paper. And I still enjoy games like Dungeons of Dredmor or Baby Maker Extreme 2, which have shorter introductions than Bad Dudes.

This was the plot to every movie in 1988 as well.

That being said, powerful story-telling can really draw you into a game. It can make you identify with the protagonist and care about what happens in the world you’re playing in. It can even have unforeseen results in real life, like say, convincing your friends that the world is going to end (a story I will have to save for another time).

I recently played the indie jewel I Am Alive, and the experience was not so bad–at first. I was drawn into the story of a protagonist who has just arrived back in the town he left his wife and daughter in before a global event sent civilization into a new dark age. The gameplay, while a little wonky in the climbing controls, was forgivable. The story made the grainy visuals make sense (dust in the air from frequent earthquakes and manmade structures falling apart). I thrilled at running around a post-apocalyptic landscape with but a single bullet in my gun at any one time. Everything was going smooth until the end of the game.

At this point I should warn my readership that I am about to spoil the story, but trust me–I couldn’t spoil it any more than the creators of this little gem already have. I mean, we’re talking about levels of narrative cluster-fuck that make the original ending to Mass Effect 3 look like Shakespeare.

Throughout the entire game the protagonist’s main drive is to find his wife and daughter. He rescues another little girl, reunites her with her mother, helps them and a wheelchair-bound survivor get through the city, but then they get separated. An empty wheelchair is found where a local gang has kidnapped the man, so you send the mother and child away on a ship with the promise to find your family and the kidnapped member of your group. Cutscene: a woman is watching the video diaries you have been making along the way and crying while your equipment lies on a table nearby. End of game. No shit. Not so much deus ex machina as big-ol’-deuce ex machina. The ending to Waiting for Godot made more sense. Needless to say, when an engaging game has an ending this poor, it’s like having relatively enjoyable sex (maybe not the weird stuff, but enjoyable nonetheless) and your partner suddenly starts punching you in the junk. It ruins the climactic build-up that has led up to this point. Then again, some folks didn’t mind the ending. What can I say? Some people like getting punched in the junk.

For the sake of full disclosure, I realize that I Am Alive is a formerly shelved project that was brought back to the marketplace not quite as fully developed as originally hoped. But that doesn’t explain why a nonsensical ending was left in–or worse, added on. They could have faded to black after the ship took off and it would have been better. Maybe not satisfying, but at least I wouldn’t be left with that “WTF?!?” feeling (which must be the same as that “not so fresh” feeling I kept hearing about on TV years ago). Here’s my advice to game developers: if you lack the literary talent to end your epic well, email me. I’m cheap. To gamers: If you insist on playing I Am Alive, set the language setting to something you don’t actually speak. That way you can pretend it’s one of those fancy art films that you’re not supposed to understand anyway.

The junk you save may be your own.

This would have been a better ending to I Am Alive and would have made about as much sense. Seriously.

Be prepared for a lot more from DK this year! – Switch

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

How does the latest Assassin’s Creed stack-up against the others in the series? Read on to find out.

Title: Assassin’s Creed III

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Release Date: October 30, 2012 (NA), October 31, 2012 (EU)

Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3 (Reviewed), Wii U

I’m a huge proponent of research. Research can not only make you a more well-rounded, better-informed person, but it can also help with creative projects. The massive development teams behind the Assassin’s Creed series obviously agree with me, as they’re probably the most well-researched games on the market, and as well they should. While the games are historical fiction, every date, event, person and locale is heavily researched and then summed up in database entries written by the snarky English character that made his first appearance in Assassin’s Creed II. It’s this attention to detail that really grabbed me while playing through almost every game in the series, with the first installment being the lone exception; the improvements made in Assassin’s Creed II render the original game, which was repetitive and somewhat boring, almost unplayable.

The historical research isn’t just present in the database entries, either, as the games are filled with missions that take place during an important event that actually happened. Of course, the whole bit about the Assassin’s Guild and the Templars fighting over these magical Pieces of Eden is entirely made up, but having that fictional story take place within a nonfictional story makes for some interesting gameplay and storytelling.

The combat in Assassin’s Creed III is, for the most part, more fluid and fun then in previous games.

All of that being said, I do have some gripes with the Assassin’s Creed games, including Assassin’s Creed III, which is probably the best in the series. For one, I’ve always found the gameplay to be a bit clunky. When it works it’s brilliant, but when it doesn’t it’s frustrating. There is nothing more annoying than chasing after an enemy through crowded streets only to have game decide to make you climb a building instead of turn a corner. The combat can also be a nuisance when the kill-chain combos don’t kick in, or you get surrounded by guards but can’t do anything because the game thinks you’re not in combat. Getting beat up by 15 guards because the controls won’t work properly is not my idea of fun. Thankfully, some of this has been remedied in Assassin’s Creed III. Granted, there is still the problem of climbing when you don’t want to climb, but the movement is more graceful and the combat isn’t nearly as broken.

At least you get some cool missions this time around, Desmond. This makes two games in 2012 that had stages set in a Brazilian sports arena.

My other major complaint is Desmond. Desmond just isn’t that interesting of a character. This is partially the writers fault, but Nolan North didn’t help things with his half-assed approach to voicing Desmond. You’d think the guy that brought Nathan Drake to life would put in a better effort, but unfortunately this isn’t the case. What makes things worse when it comes to Desmond is how unfocused his story is. There are numerous plot twists that happen out of nowhere, some of which happen without the player knowing about them until later in the game. The stories involving Altair, Ezio and Connor suffer from similar flaws, but have a much tighter narrative.

Like I mentioned earlier, Assassin’s Creed III is the best in the series. Connor’s story is the most interesting, despite him being less fleshed out than Ezio. Connor is not only new to being an assassin, but is new to this concept of America. His people know close to nothing about the colonials and the on-going feud between the Patriots and the Loyalists. What they do know, though, is that both sides have been exploiting them and are attempting to take their land. This puts Connor at a bit of a quandry, and often struggles with which side he’s really on. However, Connor understands that the real threat is the Templars, who have infiltrated the ranks of the Loyalists and the Patriots. This political aspect of the game’s story is the most intriguing, especially when you factor in Connor’s relationship with his father. The father-son bonding found in both Connor’s story and Desmond’s story is a nice touch.

The Frontier in Winter is absolutely stunning.

Perhaps the greatest achievement in Assassin’s Creed III is how open it is. Yes, the other games are sandbox adventures, as well, but this latest game adds even more immersion. Building a Homestead from the ground up is very satisfying, primarily because of all of the little stories that take place during these side missions. The Homestead represents the true freedom the Patriots should be seeking, with everyone living peacefully and working together regardless of their race or social status. Hunting on the Homestead or in the Frontier is also a welcome task, not only because it helps acquire money and materials for the Homestead, but it allows you to explore the lush landscapes Ubisoft created. If only Boston and New York could have been this exciting, as they’re fairly bland, but that was to be expected; the bleak surroundings provide an excellent backdrop for the nefarious life of an assassin.

Gracefully climbing and running through the trees is simply wonderful.

The naval battles and side missions are also stellar. The battles at sea are intense, and are so much fun that they could probably work as a stand-alone game. Traveling by ship to other locales to find treasure is also fascinating, and gives the game an Uncharted feel. These treasure hunts often involve climbing puzzles and chase sequences, and are typically very rewarding. Indeed, to say Ubisoft added more value to the side quests in their latest installment of Assassin’s Creed is an understatement.

Some of the most fun you’ll have in Assassin’s Creed III.

As much as I love the extra curricular activities Assassin’s Creed III has to offer, they did pose a problem – they rendered the primary missions less enjoyable. Political intrigue aside, the gameplay in most of the main story missions is everything we’ve seen before in an Assassin’s Creed, yet with more of them involving stealth. The stealth mechanics in the Assassin’s Creed games have never been good (or really necessary), and they’re perhaps even worse in Assassin’s Creed III because they don’t really work that well. The missions that require Connor to “eavesdrop” on conversations are the best example of this problem, especially when you factor in the “sub-objectives” you’re required to meet in order to accomplish full synchronization. These “sub-objectives” are not impossible by any means, and aren’t required to successfully complete a mission, but they’re difficult for all the wrong reasons.

Overall, I was quite pleased with my time spent in Assassin’s Creed III. The primary missions, even with their flaws, are interesting enough that they don’t feel repetitive, and the optional content more than makes up for any other shortcomings found in the game. I feel that it’s a game worth revisiting, especially with some interesting DLC on the horizon. Despite some similar flaws, it’s a vast improvement over the previous titles. I’m glad that Ubisoft has finally ended the Desmond story (his ending is rather trite), and I’m looking forward to see what they have in store for future games.

Survey Says:

8

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Ceres, Tombstone

Just how good is Far Cry 3? Is it truly one of 2012s best games, or is it a good yet disappointing effort?

Title: Far Cry 3

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Release Date: November 30, 2012 (EU), December 4, 2012 (NA), March 7, 2013 (JP)

Platforms: PC (Reviewed), Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Far Cry 3′s main protagonist is one Jason Brody. He’s just your average, white affluent trust fund kid from L.A. Some may call him a “dudebro”, a “brodude” or just a “bro”. He enjoys spending time with his brothers and his girlfriend. He recently took up extreme sports as a hobby. One day he and his girlfriend, along with his brothers and a couple of friends, decide to take a vacation to the Rook Islands to partake in some sky diving, hang gliding and surfing. Everything was going so well until pirates crashed their beach party and kidnapped them. Damn. “Paper Planes” was just getting to the good part, too. Pirates are such buzz kills.

Bro-down.

The opening sequence in Far Cry 3 is one of the game’s highlights. It begins right after Jason and his friends are kidnapped by named Vaas and his henchmen. Vaas is standing outside a cage where Jason and his brother Grant are being held. He’s watching vacation footage Jason recorded on his tablet.

“Did I ever tell you that I’m the only interesting character in the game?” No, but you should have told that to the writers.

“Grant and Jason from California, huh? Huh? Well, I hope your mama and papa really love you, because you two white boys look really expensive. And that’s good because I like expensive things. I’m sorry. What did you say? What did you say? Did you want me to slice you open like I did your friend? Shut the fuck up, okay?”

Vaas hates you. In fact, he hates everyone. He’s second-in-command for a major human trafficking operation. He’s a native to the Rook Islands but has been away for many years, recently returning with a gang of pirates in tow. They specialize in drug smuggling and kidnapping the rich people that come to the Islands on vacation. Vaas is a compelling villain. He’s a smart leader willing to take risks, and is also certifiably insane. He’s the perfect example of how important good voice acting is in modern games, and how it can sometimes be more effective to have a strongly written villain as opposed to a hero.

After breaking out of Vaas’s camp, and losing his brother in the process, Jason finds himself waking up in a native village. A man his giving him a tattoo. Jason, immediately viewing this man as a threat, reaches for a knife. The man explains what has happened, and that he’s here to help. His name is Dennis, and he moved to the island because it “chose” him. He’s fallen in love with the Rakyat (the native tribe) and their culture, and feels that the Island chose Jason to save them from Vaas and his pirates. Citra, the Rakyat leader, eventually summons Jason and tells him of the Rakyat prophecy that a Warrior from the North will save them from their oppressors, and that she feels Jason is that Warrior.

Dennis – A man so sure of himself, yet utterly clueless.

This aspect of Far Cry 3 is the most controversial, as it’s playing on the white colonization trope found in numerous stories, including films like Dances With Wolves and Avatar. Numerous people found the “white guy saves noble savages” aspect of Far Cry 3 to be offensive, and I can understand that. However, it’s pretty obvious as the game progresses that this was not the intention of Far Cry 3′s writers. They were attempting to create a satire of sorts, or perhaps a parody. Sadly, it doesn’t work completely. The writing becomes muddled during the third act, and the cliché decisions made during the game’s final moments seem to undermine whatever satire they were trying to accomplish. In order to have a satire, you need to be saying something in an ironic manner in order to prove a point. While there are signs of this during the first half of the game, it just doesn’t work out in the end.

Outpost liberating is one side activity you don’t want to skip out on.

Botched storytelling aside, Far Cry 3 is a beautiful game to explore. The islands are vibrant and are filled with dangerous obstacles that Jason must either avoid or clear. Pirates have set up outposts around the islands, and it’s up to Jason to liberate them. This was probably the most fun I had in the game, aside from a few very well designed story missions. There are numerous ways to infiltrate the outposts, each one of them offering up different challenges. For example, you can scout an outpost from a distance and mark the location of all the guards. Then, using a silenced sniper rifle, take out the control panels for the alarm system (there can be up to three) and then rush in fearlessly since the pirates have no way to call for reinforcements. Also, some of the outposts have wild animals locked in cages. Freeing these animals (from a safe distance, of course) not only provides for a great distraction, but for some solid comedy, as well.

Yes, sliding down a zip line and blastin’ pirates is as fun as it looks.

There are plenty of other activities to do while you explore the islands, like hunting, jet skiing, hang gliding and herb gathering. These are all things that you should be doing, as they greatly help you during your adventures. Using jet skis and hang gliders are great ways to travel quickly, hunting will help with upgrades and gathering herbs is necessary to create various potions that will help you survive. There are side missions to do, as well, which are a nice way to make some extra money and get to know the natives.

Sorry, Citra. You had such great potential, but it was wasted with mediocre storytelling.

While I did enjoy the gameplay in Far Cry 3, the story just doesn’t hold up. Ubisoft was definitely attempting to craft a story that explores the idea of insanity, and to create an island that doesn’t seems to be magical and not quite real, but completely missed the mark. Far Cry 3 is a disappointment to me, but I think that’s partially because I love the severely underrated Far Cry 2 so much. Far Cry 2 is one of my all-time favorite games and, unlike Far Cry 3, it doesn’t feature much of a story. That may sound boring, but it actually works beautifully. Far Cry 2 is a game that’s all about confusion, being lost and feeling alone. The difficulty can be punishing at times, but that helps hammer the point home. I really haven’t played another game like it.

In the end, Far Cry 3 isn’t great but it is an enjoyable game and definitely worth your time and money. You may not get much from the story, but you’ll be able have some great moments exploring the Rook Islands.

Survey Says:

7.5

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Ceres, Wrex

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres, Matt from A Jumps B Shoots

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tombstone, Ceres, Toneman from BowtieCat

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

Is Sleeping Dogs one of the “sleeper” hits (rim-shot) of 2012? Read on to find out.

Publisher: Square Enix

Developers: United Front Games, Square Enix London Studios

Release Date: August 13, 2012

Platforms: PC (Reviewed), PS3, Xbox 360

John Woo approved.

When I first heard about Sleeping Dogs it was called True Crime: Hong Kong. For those that don’t know, the True Crime series (True Crime: Streets of LA and True Crime: New York City) are open-world action games in which the gamer plays as a cop as opposed to a criminal. The games focus on melee combat and gun-play. Sadly, like most other GTA-influenced games, neither of the games live up to their premise and are mired with repetitive gameplay and uninspired storytelling (SPOILER: The final bosses in the first game are a pair of dragons. Yes, dragons.) So, of course, True Crime: Hong Kong was announced I couldn’t have cared less. Even when Square Enix purchased the rights from Activision, changed the name to Sleeping Dogs and claimed they were taking the game in a new direction, I was still skeptical. Then the game was released. Then I played it. Then I realized I just played one of the best games of 2012, despite its flaws.

The protagonist for Sleeping Dogs is Detective Wei Shen. Shen was born in a Hong Kong ghetto, but moved to America at a young age and eventually became an undercover detective in San Francisco. He moves back to Hong Kong to work with the Hong Kong police in an attempt to thwart the organized crime syndicate known as the Triads. Shen has ties to the Triads, as many of his childhood friends are now members. There’s a growing rift between the different Triad families, and it’s up to Shen to infiltrate them and put their leaders in prison. Naturally, Shen struggles with living this double life, and finds it increasingly more difficult to perform his duties as a police officer as he dives deeper into the criminal underworld and develops friendships amongst some of the Triad members.

While the story is a common one that’s been told in numerous crime movies and TV shows (and a few video games), it’s nice to see it implemented so well in a sandbox action game. Not only is the story a good character study of Wei Shen, and features some decent intrigue, but it works with the gameplay. The fact that Shen is a cop makes it more believable that he would be willing to partake in criminal activity on his own as he has to ensure that everyone believes he’s a Triad, especially since Shen is finding the lines to be blurred between his life as an officer of the law and a player in a major organized crime unit. These primary story missions feature a nice mixture of car chases, shoot-outs, beat ‘em up action and escort missions. They’re fairly typical for this type of game, but they’re varied enough that they don’t become redundant.

Visually, Sleeping Dogs won’t blow any minds, but the textures are quite smooth and the city is gorgeous to look at. Hong Kong is filled with vibrant colors and features many scenic vistas to explore. The characters are detailed and move fluidly, as well. While the different areas of the game suffer from the “sameness” that other open-world titles suffer from (think Just Cause 2), United Front made sure to have at least one or two unique landmarks in each area that are worth visiting.

What’s that you say? Bright visuals in a “serious”, “realistic” game? Get outta here.

The streets are busy with street vendors that shout out sales pitches (“A man without a pork bun is never a whole man!” is one of my favorites), people talking and texting on their smartphones, couples kissing in the park, friends taking pictures of each other and lots of that lovely Hong Kong traffic. There’s even a few karaoke bars that Shen can hang out in and butcher classic songs. United Front did a pretty damn good job of making Hong Kong feel alive and the exploration rewarding.

Wei Shen destroys songs like he destroys gang hideouts.

The music adds even more to the atmosphere, as the score makes the more emotional moments of the story pack more of a punch and the radio stations pump out music that’s excellent for racing, cruising and car chases. Radio stations have been a staple of urban sandbox games ever since the original Grand Theft Auto and, while Rockstar still does it best, Sleeping Dogs does a serviceable job of recreating Hong Kong radio and introducing American and European gamers to some great Hong Kong music.

Like any good urban-action sandbox game, there are plenty of side-missions, activities and random events. The random events build up Shen’s reputation, or “face” as it’s called in the game. This adds an RPG element that allows for the Shen to unlock new clothing sets and vehicles. Unlike other GTA-esque games, however, the clothing sets actually provide boosts to things like melee damage and bonuses to “face” experience points.

C’mon, lady. Can’t you see I’m trying to drive on the sidewalk here?

The other RPG component of Sleeping Dogs lies within a collecting sidequest, one that involves Shen finding twelve statues that are hidden throughout Hong Kong. Each statue unlocks a new melee ability that Shen can use to overpower his opponents. While these gathering quests are very prevalent in other games like Sleeping Dogs, this sidequest offers a twist: finding the hidden statues actually fleshes out the story. Early on the game Shen meets up with his old martial arts instructor, and it’s this instructor that tasks Shen with finding his statues that someone has stolen from him. Every time you find a statue, you bring it back to the instructor where he’ll teach you a new melee ability. Upon delivering the statue, a cut scene plays where the instructor talks to Shen about his past, particularly about his experiences in America and what it feels like coming back “home”, a concept that Shen isn’t too familiar with. It’s this type of character development that really makes Sleeping Dogs stand out, and it really adds to the overall experience in a postive way.

It’s not just the statue fetching that unravels the story, either. The side-missions that involve Shen working directly with the police department reflect the overall narrative, plus they add an interesting detective component that’s a nice break from going to point a to point b beating people up or chasing them down on foot or in a vehicle. The random events, or “face” missions, add more to the narrative, as well, as most of them require Shen to help out one of his friends or a citizen of Hong Kong. This really strengthens the immersion and makes you feel part of the city.

Health shrines scattered throughout Hong Kong refill health and increase Shen’s health bar when enough of them are found.

The activities, though, are a disappointment compared to the other missions in the game. They’re all fairly generic (car boosting, debt collection, races, gambling activities, fight clubs), and don’t really add anything to the plot or reward the player with much other than extra “face” experience. Perhaps the most asinine activity is the “drug bust”, which requires Shen to go all over Hong Kong to break up drug circles by infiltrating gang territory and planting a bug on a security camera that is conveniently placed wherever these drug deals go down. Initially it’s kind of fun, but having to run back and forth form the drug deal locations to Shen’s apartment to access the security cameras becomes very repetitive.

While street racing adds nothing new to the genre, it is kinda fun.

The “dating” aspect of Sleeping Dogs is also a letdown. The women Shen goes out with (including an American girl voiced by Emma Stone) are in and out of the story instantly, with maybe one or two exceptions. A couple of the girls Shen dates I found to be rather interesting, and I wish the writers would have had them stick around longer. I suppose it is kind of nice to hang out with Shen as he gets used to his new/old surroundings in Hong Kong. It’s just a shame that the dates were only used for Shen’s character development, and not for adding more to the overall narrative. United Front really missed an opportunity, here.

Yes, that is a man getting shoved into a fish tank. Just another Tuesday for Wei Shen.

Other than the story and the detective side-missions, the best part of about Sleeping Dogs is the controls. The melee combat is finely-tuned, and makes you feel like a complete badass taking down six thugs at once. The driving is also fantastic, which is probably due to the fact that a few of the developers that worked on the game are veterans of the Need for Speed franchise. Elements from Assassin’s Creed and Just Cause are present, as well, with the parkour style running and jumping and the cinematic “action hi-jack” that allows you to jump from one car to another at high speeds. The gun-play is pretty good, though maybe a little clunky. It’s pretty much like the gun-play found in the original True Crime games, as it’s very “John Woo” (I’m pretty sure there’s even an action sequence involving doves) with its emphasis on bullet-time, including jumping over obstacles in slow motion while blasting away bad guys. Seriously, as much as I love GTA, Rockstar could learn a thing or two about driving and combat mechanics from United Front Games.

Sleeping Dogs has a strong focus on melee combat, and it’s very satisfying.

Despite the bland nature of some of the activities and the predictable story, Sleeping Dogs is a gem. While it’s similar to other games of its ilk, it sets itself apart by delivering a solid character study set in a city that I feel is underused in video games, and by providing gamers with very solid, very fun controls. I’m pleased that United Front and Square Enix decided to take True Crime in a new direction, and deliver an exciting new property that is definitely one of best surprises of 2012.

Survey Says

8.5

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

I recently got the hankering to play some old point-and-click adventure games. While I’ve been known to devour many of the classic Sierra games (especially Gabriel Knight), I’ve always preferred the flavor of LucasArts adventure titles. Sure, Sierra games were much more difficult, but LucasArts games just seemed to have better writing, art design and puzzles. Lucas games were vibrant, and the writing was filled with tongue-in-cheek humor and pop-culture references. Also, there seemed to be more exploration involved with LucasArts games than with Sierra. Sierra did create some outstanding titles, and had many great people working for them. However, when it came to adventure games, LucasArts just did things better.

The first game on my adventure game to-do list is the first adventure game I ever played: Maniac Mansion. Since I played the watered-down NES version when I was kid, I decided to give the original PC version a whirl. There are numerous differences between the NES port of Maniac Mansion and the versions available on the Commodore 64, Apple II, Amiga, IBM and Atari ST. Instead of going over those changes in detail, I’ll direct you to an interesting article written by Douglas Crockford, one of the programmers that worked on the NES port. It’s a great insider look at Nintendo’s censorship policies and explains how the console porting process works. It’s also interesting to note that the porting process is pretty much reversed these days, with games being developed for consoles first and then ported for PCs and Macs.

The character selection screen for Maniac Mansion (DOS version).

Most adventure games still hold up even by today’s standards, and Maniac Mansion is no different. Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick created a fascinating, and humorous, point-and-click adventure title that features memorable characters and unique puzzles. The premise of the game is that Dave Miller’s girlfriend Sandy Pantz has been kidnapped by the evil Dr. Fred Edison. Dave recruits five of his best friends to help rescue Sandy, who is being held hostage at the creepy Edison family mansion.

After the initial cut-scene, the player gets to select two of Dave’s friends to help him solve the numerous puzzles that are in the mansion. Each character has a “special ability” that allows them to solve certain puzzles that other characters can’t, which in turn determines what end-game puzzles you’ll be able to solve in order to beat the game. This is perhaps the best aspect of Maniac Mansion, as many of the puzzles can be solved in different ways and what occurs during the final cut-scene changes depending on which character is used to solve the final puzzle, which can be different depending upon whom the player selects to be in their party. For example, Bernard (who later becomes the main protagonist in Day of the Tentacle, Maniac Mansion’s sequel) is the nerd of the group and knows how to fix and operate certain objects in the house, one of which can be used as the final puzzle to beat the game.

Remember, Green Tentacle: It's down the road, not across the street.

There are also “timed” events that occur periodically, like when the doorbell rings because Weird Ed’s package has arrived, or when Dr. Fred has to cut power to the house for a few minutes. These events are key in solving certain puzzles but don’t necessarily leave the player at a disadvantage if they miss an opportunity. This is probably the biggest difference between LucasArts adventure games and Sierra adventure games: With some exceptions, no puzzle becomes unsolvable because the player misses an item, becomes trapped or dies. Even if all of the playable characters get caught wondering the mansion and are thrown into the dungeon, it is still possible to finish the game (most of the time). Some gamers might find that makes LucasArts games too easy, but I completely disagree. LucasArts developers put in plenty of insanely difficult puzzles that could take a player an hour or more to complete if they’ve never played the game before and/or aren’t using a guide. LucasArts adventure games don’t punish players for exploring, and that’s a good thing.

Maniac Mansion is not without its flaws, and is by no means a perfect game (though it does come close). Some of the objects in the game can be difficult to click on, and there are too many useless verbs to select from. One would assume that selecting “fix”, then clicking on the broken telephone, then selecting “tools” would fix the telephone. However, that’s not the case: you just need to click on “tools” and click on the “telephone” in order to solve the puzzle. In fact, I don’t even recall ever having to use the “fix” command. A couple of the puzzles seem a bit unfair, as well, and I don’t understand how really anyone was able to solve them without using a guide or calling the now defunct LucasArts hint line, especially for solving the puzzle that involves an envelope and a jar.

Bathtub mummies are all the rage.

I’ll admit, I did use a guide to solve some of the puzzles in the game. I was fortunate to never get stuck (there are only seven dead ends in the game, but some are humorous and are worth checking out) and have to restart the game, but I did play through the game a couple more times to see the other endings and to hunt for some Easter eggs, which are always plentiful in LucasArts adventures. It’s things like that that keep coming back to Maniac Mansion, and why it still remains one of my favorite adventure games of all time.

Survey Says:

9

Notable Puzzles

• Ringing the doorbell to annoy the hell out of Weird Ed.
• Helping Green Tentacle get a record deal.
• Using the telephone to prank call Nurse Edna.
• Using the telescope to see some odd things.
• Two words: Microwave. Hamster.

Trivia

• Eugene Levy turned Maniac Mansion into a sitcom for Canadian television. The show featured comedians from the classic Canadian sketch comedy show SCTV, and lasted for three seasons from 1990 to 1993.
• Tim Schafer, who would later create some brilliant adventure games for LucasArts himself, was one of the testers for the NES port.
• Maniac Mansion contains the first appearance of “Chuck the Plant”, a “character” which became a running joke and was featured in a few other LucasArts games.

I’m obsessed with gaming. I was born with a controller in my hand and have enjoyed playing games on every system that has been released since the Atari 2600. I’m a collector, as well, and am constantly trying to find rare games on eBay. No, not to buy – but to drool over. If I had the money (and the space) I’d definitely be buying, but just looking at vintage rarities that have been lost in the depths of video game history give me the same chills that Nathan Drake feels when finding some amazing treasure. This is why I absolutely love the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. It’s like a flea market but instead of having to trudge through the dreck in order to find something awesome, the awesome is right in front of you. Virtually every vendor at the PRGE have all of their rarities, obscurities and most expensive games front and center on their table. Back when I could actually afford to collect, I found some serious deals at the PRGE. However, the ability the PRGE has to satisfy my video game obsession is not the only reason I love it, as its attention to keeping classic gaming relevant is just as important.

Numerous classic consoles and video games are available to play at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo.

The Portland Retro Gaming Expo is a thing that needs to exist. It’s important to preserve video gaming history, and the PRGE does it in such a way that appeals to gamers of all stripes. The PRGE is a great place to build up your library, revisit games from your childhood and discover old games that you somehow missed. Homebrew enthusiasts can discover a wealth of clever homemade games printed on working cartridges for systems like the Atari 2600 and the NES. For those that are interested in gaming history, not only can you sift through classic games and even play them, but developers from the early days of Activision and Atari make regular appearances for panels and Q&As. Of course, collectors will probably find the most joy in the PRGE as not only can they find rare, expensive games and consoles, but YouTubers like Roo, Pat the NES Punk and The Game Chasers are there providing tips for collecting and regaling attendees with their adventures in finding classic gems. Into arcade gaming? PRGE has you covered, there, too – in a big way. Every year they always have a free-play arcade area with some of the best arcade games ever made. This year, though, they have 20,000 square-feet of arcade awesomeness called the Mega-Cade. Ground Kontrol, RecycledGamer and Game Haven (among others) have provided the PRGE with a huge collection of arcade cabinets that are available to play for everyone attending.

Other than the Mega-Cade, the Portland Retro Gaming Expo has other tasty treats this year. It’s obvious that it’s becoming a huge deal, and not just because this year (for the first time ever) it’s in the Oregon Convention Center. The PRGE is becoming a huge draw for some big names in retro gaming, including David Crane (co-founder of Activision and Pitfall! creator), Garry Kitchen (30 plus year veteran developer and designer of the Donkey Kong port for the Atari 2600), Joe DeCuir (one of the lead engineers behind the Atari 2600), Tod R. Frye (developed Pac-Man and the Swordquest series for the Atari 2600), Bob Smith (wrote the classic Riddle of the Sphinx and designed Dragonfire for the Atari 2600) and former Microsoft executive Ed Fries who ported Halo (yes, that Halo) to the Atari 2600 in 2010. All of these great developers will be doing panels for the PRGE and are definitely worth listening to.

Another example of the Portland Retro Gaming Expo becoming kind of a big deal is the third annual Tetris World Championships. This tournament is becoming quite popular  in the world of competitive gaming, and is sure to bring some excitement and drama to the PRGE. The best Tetris players are coming to Portland to duke it out to become champion of the greatest puzzle game ever made, and I couldn’t be more excited. There’s also a special screening of Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters, a documentary about the founding of the Tetris World Championships and chronicles the passion and the skill of the world’s best Tetris players. There are other tournaments, as well, and more info can be found here and here.

Being able to record the 100^th episode of the Dangerous Kids podcast at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo means a lot to me. I love pretty much all of the conventions in Portland, but the PRGE is the most near and dear to my heart. As a gamer, as a history geek and as a collector I just love what the PRGE brings to the table as far as conventions are concerned. This is more than a flea market or an expo, it’s an experience for everyone. It brings in friends, families and people from different walks of life to enjoy a great hobby: gaming. For all of the controversy that surrounds video games (violence, sexism, obesity, etc.), the PRGE takes all of that behind the barn and proves that not only are video games relevant, but that there can be a culture devoted to the joy of gaming without all of the baggage.  Join me at the PRGE and you’ll see what I mean.

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Toneman from BowtieCat

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Andy

GameStar, a fast expanding mom-n-pop game store has been making some noise lately. Their Gresham store, one of 6 stores now open, hosted an amazing Nintendo Super Smash Brothers Melee tournament with over 50 participants. This tiered tourny was put on by the great guys at Game Truck. The participants fought 1 on 1 using any character they liked, but only fought on the Battlefield level. (Hard much?) The winners continued on to compete until there were only 3 standing. They went head to head to head with only 1 coming out on top.

While the intense competition brewing inside the Game Truck, the other attendees were entertained by family-friendly music from our very own DJ Switch and balloon “anythings” from Mr. Dominic of Joy Entertainers. Mr. Dominic has a very amazing talent of being able to make almost anything from a picture or even from memory.

Overall we spent a very fun afternoon with the GameStar folks. They have anything you could be looking for with a price you could never argue with. Make sure you check your local GameStar for upcoming events!

~The Girlfriend

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres

WARNING: EXPLICIT (that means we say bad words sometimes)

Kids in this episode: Switch, Tayo, Tombstone, Ceres