More video games exist than can be played in a lifetime, so every gamer has to choose what is most enjoyable to play. The big question is how to make this decision. Here are some of the things I consider when selecting what games to play, and I hope you might find them helpful, too.
1. The Series: I’m a huge Mario fan, and chances are I will race to pick up the latest release featuring the famous plumber. Whether or […]
Learning Through Video Games
I bet most gamers don’t expect to have an educational experience while playing, unless they pick up Math Blasters or Carmen Sandiego. After all, the word “game” often implies something done for fun and relaxation. But learning in game play is not restricted to Edutainment video games marketed at young children and their parents. From blasting monsters in Halo to helping Mario rescue Princess Peach, gamers learn many useful skills for everyday life.
Of all the concepts learned from games, the […]
Looking Forward to the 2011 Video Game Line-up
A new year is upon us, and that means it’s time to think about what video games might dominate in 2011. Here is a list of the games I’m most looking forward to.
Game #1: Star Wars: The Old Republic
Publication Info: Developed by BioWare and published by EA Games
Genre: MMORPG
Platform: PC
Star Wars games have a great track record, as The Force Unleashed I and II most recently proved, and now players can once again experience the saga in MMO format. Gamers […]
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Final Fantasy Video Game Concert Series
Recently, my husband and I made our way through the crowded hallways of the Sony Center in Toronto to hear Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy. As we took our seats in the mezzanine, musicians on the stage below tuned instruments and briefly practiced music. I sat back in my seat and watched the crowd stream in—women in evening gowns, men in suits, teenage girls in elaborate Gothic Lolita dresses, and others in full video-game-character cosplay outfits. My crowd-watching ceased […]
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The Changing Face of Winning in Video Games
As a child, how often did your parents remind you that how you play a game is more important than winning? I’m betting pretty often. And while that sentiment is true, let’s face it—we wanted to win. It’s human nature. But in the video game world, just beating the game isn’t always the goal. Instead, many gamers chase after that most elusive of prizes: The High Score.
The first video game to track a player’s high score was Sea Wolf, a […]
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Video Game Horrors: Surviving Resident Evil
It’s nearing midnight, the witching hour, on October 31. The Hunter’s Moon is shining brightly through your curtains, providing the only light in an otherwise dark room. The house is silent, except for the occasional sound of an owl hooting outside your window. You feel like the only person alive in the world.
No, this isn’t the opening of a horror story, but is the best setting in which to play one of the greatest survival horror video games of all […]
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Paper to Video: A Puzzling Game
Recently, as I competed in a group online challenge, a player presented me with the following puzzle:
Blank Picross Puzzle
I had no concept or instructions of how the puzzle worked, so I turned to my husband and asked if he had any idea. He exclaimed, “It’s Picross!”
Picross, short for picture crossword, is a Japanese logic puzzle game known also as a griddler or nonogram. Each puzzle contains a hidden picture revealed only after the player fills in squares based on […]
Killer Video Game Apps
Space Invaders. Tetris. Mario Brothers. Sonic the Hedgehog. Final Fantasy VII. Halo.
Whether you’ve played these games or not, you recognize them as some of the most influential titles ever released. They are killer applications—the type that lead gamers to shell out big bucks for a brand new system just for the opportunity to play one game. A killer app can provide stability to a fledging game publisher for years or cause a new video game console to excel.
Space Invaders proved […]
Video Game Villains Countdown 5: The Most Evil of Them All
Here’s what you’ve all been waiting for—the top five most iconic video game villains of all time.
Donkey Kong from Wikipedia
#5: Donkey Kong: King of video game gorillas!
Donkey Kong is known as one of the first games to have the semblance of a plot—rescue the Lady from the evil ape! Though the original Donkey Kong may not have had much of a personality, you can’t ignore the thrill of battle as you navigate the hero Jumpman through the treacherous levels of […]
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