Monday Memories - Earthbound

Within the collage of memories in my brain, there is not one video game that comes up the most, in my passive recollections, than Earthbound for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). I believe to think my passion for this game made a lasting impression to the capability of what a game can really creatively expand in depth within a 16-bit console. Any memory before this game would probably be the simplicity of Super Mario Brothers for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).

I was young, it was 199X, and games were to these standards, shitty. No matter how much effort a developer would put into a game, most games seemed to have the same concept and simple dimensions, with a few exceptions of course. This game defied all the measures of simplicity in the heavy contents of the game that is Earthbound. This game was a roller-coaster ride of emotions with mesmerizing 16-bit music madness that will blow your brain out.

Earthbound, from what I remember it, embarks you on a journey most epic about a young boy, Ness, whose journey was foretold by an alien bee who had crash landed on a meteor from the future on Earth. He would be told he was defender of Earth along with 3 trusty companions who all have too been destined to defend the Earth. You leave your home to see evil forces are at at hand and quickly begin to engage in a role playing situation where you would have the options to fight, your powers, or run, similar gaming structure to that of Pokémon. You will face a number of unique enemies who plan on stopping Ness from accomplishing his destiny. Almost every new location you will have to explore has difficult mini-bosses to which you must acquire a certain level of experience to become more powerful. After defeating a spot, you will unlock the door to a sanctuary location, to which you must collect 8 sanctuary sounds to get to the final boss "Giygas". As you progress through the game, you will find your companions and followers, Paula, Jeff, and Poo. Every character is uniqe and come from different backgrounds. There is a number of places to go through, ensuring a time devoted game.


Although this is a game you probably have never played or ever even heard of, this game is definitely worth a mention in video game history. Although the story line seemed basic and straight forward, the games value really goes to the social interaction within the game. Every character you run into will have unique dialogue and talk about the strangest things. The silent hero, Ness, never speaks throughout the game, and you really begin to feel some sort of empathy between you and Ness.  

For it's time, this game was legendary to my eyes. I cannot think of a better game SNES game than Earthbound.

Clint Mansell and Mass Effect 3

Clint Mansell, an english musician and composer, has been called to score the new Mass Effect game. Mansell is more known for his work in the filming industry having scored many noticed and acclaimed movies such as: Requiem for a Dream, Moon, Smokin' Aces, The Wrestler The Fountain, and more recently, Black Swan.

Mansell's work has gotten my attention after having been emotionally scarred from watching Requiem for a Dream. His music and composing can alter many significant moods in the ambience of a movie or suspense in a TV show.

Considering his filmography and recent works, Clint Mansell will most definitely be a great choice for the Mass Effect's astronomical soap opera's continuing series.

Mass Effect has had it's way with me through roaring visual imagery and ambient musical accompaniment. I am having high doubts for Mass Effect 3 and look forward to adding it to my collection. Good Luck Clint Mansell, I know you'll be great for this.

Review: COD: Black Ops - First Strike DLC

First Strike is the very 1st Downloadable Content for the newest Call of Duty: Black Ops.  If you have yet to put your thumbs on COD: Black Ops, I have no sympathy for you, for this DLC actually has quite a handful to offer the many true players of the ongoing series. Although, it may be apparent that Activision is very interested in our moneys by the way they have given us the same videogame for the past five years, all with rapid succession, there should not be anything holding you back from giving them more moneys by downloading a very fun  and time consuming DLC.

The DLC was released February 1, 2011 and features an assortment of content:

• 4 New Multi-player maps
• Kowloon
• Berlin Wall
• Stadium
• Discovery
• 1 New Zombie map
• Ascension

Kowloon

When I first got a preview of this map, I was excited for the zip-lining mayhem, yes, a zip-line.  The map is themed to be on an urban area rooftop of Kowloon in Hong Kong. The zip-line in Kowloon is a new element Treyarch introduced for players to use strategically and get from one half of the map to the other. The map is themed to be on an urban area rooftop of Kowloon in Hong Kong.To my surprise, using the zip-line isn't worth the life someone will take as your swinging by the map defenseless. You will get used to just avoiding the cable and actually have very much excitement by shooting someone else coming down the zip-line. 

Though the zip-line seemed to be the eye pleaser of the map, I learned that it may also be one of the more exciting ones. Being that your on top of tall buildings stacked close to each other, there are a number of routes someone can take to get around the area. The map is so compressed that speed and lighter guns might be the best solution to getting around in this map. Windows are awkwardly placed in right spots, but since the map is varied in routes, it is easy to sneak up behind someone who camps behind a window. A round's fate can be tactfully altered with an appropriate and successful swing in the zip-line as it will put you behind enemy lines and closer to the enemy.

Berlin Wall

This map will have you paranoid and anxious as there are many things to look out for in this real life Germany area that is the Berlin Wall. It is a medium-large map with automated turrets set up to go off upon player's entering of a restricted area, highlighted in red on the map, know as, "No-man's Land."

My first time around, I had to run through the "No-man's Land" just to see if the automated turrets were at work. Just as I expected, upon entering the red area, I heard the noise of a turrets barrel rolling as a stream of bullets strayed and lined up on my body as I dolphin dove to the ground with regret.

The map focuses more on long range combat, so having a sniper or a scoped assault rifle would be preferred. There are many windows to look out from and long stretches of land. There is a small get through area in the middle of "No-man's Land" where most of the action always seems to be placed. Running through "No-man's Land" may get you killed, but will also prove to be a great get away if you have a smoke grenade which will cover you from being seen by the turrets.

Stadium

Stadium is more of a tedious map and will take some time to warm up to. The map is very typical so expect many campers and being spawn-killed. This small-medium map is themed to be in New York at a Hockey Stadium and the environment seems to be more of a pavilion. Throwing a grenade at the beginning of a game towards the globe in the center will more than likely earn you a kill. Yes, this map is too typical.

I would recommend suppressers and accurate guns in this map as it is easy for someone to run away with all the planters and offices nearby. There are many spots, which become apparent, in which you can camp and see almost the whole layout. These spots are so typical that shooting a grenade launcher at random into the spot will most definitely get you a kill. This map may be down to earth and plain but will have you jerking at your controller and yelling obscenities often. 

Discovery

This German outpost in Antarctica is quite large and more vivid as you can see the Northern Lights to the north in a distance. 

This map will allow snipers to be able to pick off distant enemies as well as allow heavy close combat in all the buildings in between. You can easily fall of a cliff in this map and it doesn't help that some of the environment begins to get destroyed making it easier for people to fall down the conspicuous abyss. This map has quite a variety, so look out for all sorts of different classes.

Ascension

This portion of the DLC might have been the most anticipated of the map pack. Zombie fans of the COD series will find themselves in what seems to be some sort of base as the same heroes from "Kino Der Toten," the American Dempsey, the Russian whiskey drinking Bellinski, the Japanese Masaki, and the German Doctor Richtofen. 

This map is a bit confusing at first and can be overwhelming. Making sure that you don't stop running will guaranty you a longer survival period as there is many ways to get away from a swarm of zombies. There are 2 soda machine perks, the PhD Flopper and the Stamin-up. There are also two new weapons, the zombie-sucking Gersch Device and explosive Matryoshka Dolls.

Overall

With all the exciting content Activion's Treyarch has to offer, a lot is to be considered of this map pack. This ongoing series has been known to put out expensive DLC on the marketplace, and although I am a frequent buyer of these DLC's, this one definitely stands out the most. With a new original Zombie map and 4 new Multi-player maps, this DLC is quite a step up from Infinity Ward's 3 overpriced multi-player maps.

This DLC gets a:

 9/10

The Future of VG Journal

For the next following couple of months, I will be working on building my career portfolio. I hope to make it into the game industry as a Video Game Journalist and will hope to achieve this with the consistency of writing personal opinions, writing reviews, and writing about anticipated games I will soon play.

This will be my first time ever creating a blog for videogame specification. I have minor experience as a writer but have always hoped on becoming a well known one. I have written an assortment of poetry, short stories, and attempted to write a novel, all very irrelevant to what I hope to achieve here and in the future.

As a future Gamer Journalist, I hope to bring the most of my blog to the reader's pleasure by posting daily opinions about news that pertain to the video game industry. If a new game is in the works, I will write about it to keep a reader informed, as well as express an opinion. If a new gadget or tech device is mentioned or brought out about, I will do the same with an expressed opinion.

I will also write a number of reviews of an assortment of games from possibly the late 80's to the most recent game being released. I will give a reader all he needs to know about a game before he lays a thumb on a joystick with future regret.

I will also write about my anticipating of playing a future game or rejection of a bad idea future game.

I hope this blog will be informative to my readers who also have a similar passion for playing videogames as a hobby.