Be kind, rewind

Braid is the videogame title I missed when it launched but the innovation in that title alone, has been a staple sorely missed from my recent gaming experiences. I will be writing a deeper account of my impressions of Braid very soon - look out for my own 'videogames of the decade' list to be posted before the year end.

Whilst I'm on the subject of innovation and Braid, these are the times when I feel I was born in the wrong country.

MIA

Two bloggers I've missed since they became MIA:

Foton - last seen April 1st 2008 @ AFK Gamer

Was the blog I read to balance out all the dry, ridge posts made by other MMO bloggers back around the time I played WoW. Although I don't play MMOs now, I still keep AFK Gamer in my feed reader in the hope new posts will arrive.

Foton's self-indulgent introduction post from 2004.

Dave Yeager - last seen July 31st 2009 @ Soul Kerfuffle

The post that hooked me into Soul Kerfuffle? Take a read through The View From The Top - it gave me time to pause and consider my own thoughts on the time I spent, trapped in the MMO grind. Still in my reader, Soul Kerfuffle was one of the blogs that inspired me to write online. Not a gaming blog or an MMO blog - Just one man doing his part to add more background noise to the internet.

I sent Dave Yeager a email question(as I also did with Foton) as, being a curious fella, I wanted to know what was keeping him away from blogging:

Since your last blog post, what have you replaced that time with and do you miss blogging?

Since my last post I have purchased my first home with my wife, but otherwise I don't think much has changed really. This is a good thing mind you, but I have filled the time with things like work, friends, some amusing community sports such as dodgeball, wiffle ball, and kickball, and plenty of video games to be sure. Neils Clark's book, Gaming Addiction, came out and really I wondered what I could possibly do for an encore in the realm of relevance in the gaming community lol.

There was a time when I looked to redefine the purpose of the blog as a source of good news, but really Happy News does that already and better than I ever could anyway. I actually intend to do some "Best of the Decade" posts with a couple of my friends, but even those take a back burner to other things. I do not particularly miss it, only because there is so much terrific content out there that I don't see that I can add much to the discussion anyway - and if I do wish to add something, I can always comment. ;-)

Of course, since Mr Yeager sent me his reply to my question, new posts are beginning to surface at Soul Kerfuffle! Sod's law..!

So, my readers, if you had the power to bring a retired/MIA blogger back to entertain you with their wise words, who would you pick?

Tibet brings out the beast in Nate

I've now played through both Uncharted games and I have to say that I'm truly impressed with the experience that both games gave me. Not even Assassins Creed II or MW2 could sway me from completing the single-player mode in Among Thieves - I'm now playing Drake's Fortune through for a second time but on the hard mode setting.

I've recently reviewed Uncharted 2 over at Caught in the Crossfire - close to perfect as a gaming experience can be and probably my game of the year. The excellently paced action-stained storyline has some stand-out moments but the one that engaged me the most was the Tibetan village 'down-time' of chapter 16.



I love videogames for moments like these when they are unexpected but fit in so well with the mood the game has set. The scene comes just after the cinematic chase over the outside of a moving train(chapters 14/15) and the video above highlights a few of the subtle moments that made it a highlight for me - the beast mode medal is something I initially missed. Playing ball with the children and discovering others hiding from you are very nicely scripted.

I do hope there's to be an Uncharted 3,4 and 5!

A gamer's gluttony

2009 has been a year where I've crowned my gaming with a big fat 'g'. Yes, I've felt overwhelmed by the wealth of videogame that has been played on my consoles - I also fear/giggle with glee that 2010 will see a sharp increase over the catch of 2009.

From the releases of 2009 that I rented, owned or borrowed, only 3 titles have I completed ☑ - none of which have been a favorite ♥ for single-player storyline experience. Of course, the very newest releases could well be the titles that I will yet complete - even if it's in the early part of 2010:

Assassin's Creed II
Batman: Arkham Asylum♥
Borderlands
Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin☑
FIFA 10♥
Ghostbusters
The Godfather II
GTA IV
Halo 3 ODST
Infamous
Lord of the Rings Conquest
Left 4 Dead 2
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Prototype
Resident Evil 5☑
SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
Section 8
Street Fighter IV
Terminator Salvation☑
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves♥
Wolfenstein

In 2010, and as early in as January, Bayonetta looks a very tempting 'first game purchase' of the New Year. It has all the ingredents to blow away, the final remaining cobwebs of 2009.

The World according to Snoopy

• Snoopy must get at least one nap per play.

• If Snoopy cries then your not paying the right attention to her.

• Snoopy will hide in the most out-of-the-way places. Causing panic to all those around her.

• Tails are to be chased and bitten.

Finally, after 12 years without a cat, an 8 week old female kitten has joined the Osbon clan. This is our first ever kitten(only previous cat was adopted at a few years old), so all is new to us. I spent most of the early morning sleeping with her on the living room sofa!

We decided on the name Snoopy because of her markings and her sometimes timid, sometimes understated character but all very cute.

And then there were three...