Antichamber gives Portal a run for its money

Platform: PC
Released: January 31, 2013
Genre: Puzzle-platform

I've been playing Antichamber lately, which is one of those puzzle solving games that make you feel super smart at times and want to kick in the screen at others. It pretty much makes every other puzzle solving game feel like child's play.

It is very weird. Things are not what they seem. Sometimes backwards is forwards, sometimes down is up.

If you like Portal, you will likely enjoy Antichamber. I don't love it as much as Portal because the sarcastic GLaDOS is not present, but I am having a lot of fun with it.

This game is puzzle solving at its finest. Check it out. It's even on sale on Steam right now!

Video Game Review: SKYWARD SWORD

Platform: Wii
Series: Legend of Zelda
Released: 2011

Many of you already know that Ocarina of Time is one of my favourite games of all time, Majora's Mask not far behind, and that I love the Zelda series. So it was with excitement that I put the disc into my Wii and began playing many months ago.

When you begin the game, you are introduced to Link's new home of Skyloft, which was new and interesting--plus, Link gets to ride around on his big red bird, a Loftwing, which is pretty fun.

Skyward Sword stays true to the Zelda formula, introducing the villain who forces Zelda to go on the run and Link, the foretold hero who will save Hyrule. Link proceeds to undergo a series of dungeons and tasks while chasing after Zelda, who he never quite catches up to.

There are three regions of Hyrule to explore on the land below Skyloft, and instead of moving on to new places once he's finished their dungeons, Link keeps returning to those regions and as the story progresses, they expand.

Link is also accompanied by the spirit of his sword, Fi, who is sometimes almost as annoying as Navi. I know my Wii remote batteries are low, Fi, quit telling me! I know my hearts are low, Fi, that's what the annoying beeping is for! Oh well, she does have a useful dowsing ability that allows you to find certain objects.

The puzzle-solving element is why I love the Zelda games so much, and Skyward Sword does not disappoint. The dungeons were a lot of fun. The bosses all had their interesting tricks to beat them using the newest item you'd found. The story was nothing new, but I wasn't expecting to be blown away by it. The Wii remote controls were also super fun to use.

Warning: This game goes on forever. I kept thinking that I was near the end, and then I'd get thrown another task to do. Think you're on your way to see Zelda? Think again! You have to save this flying whale. Oh wait, you saved him? Well now you have to collect four pieces of a song. Done that? Time to collect the pieces of the triforce! This game will tease you with hints of victory and then dance away out of reach time and again.

That being said, it was a lot of fun, and I highly recommend for a very enjoyable playing experience. It's no Ocarina of Time, but it's a welcome addition to the Zelda franchise!

Gameplay: 8.5/10
Story: 6/10
Graphics: 7/10
Music: 7.5/10
Overall fun rating: 7.5/10

To-Play List

I gave you my to-read list the other day, so I figured I would share with you the video games that are on my list to play next. (Summaries from Wikipedia.)

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Released: November, 2011

Skyward Sword follows an incarnation of the series protagonist Link who was raised in a society above the clouds known as Skyloft. After his closest childhood friend, Zelda, is swept into the land below the clouds by demonic forces, Link does whatever it takes to save her, traveling between Skyloft and the surface below while battling the dark forces of the self-proclaimed "Demon Lord", Ghirahim.

I am actually well into Skyward Sword already. No Zelda game has beat Ocarina of Time in my humble opinion, but this one is still pretty darn fun. Full review to come.

The Last Story

Released: August, 2012 

Set on the fictional Lazulis Island, the game's story focuses on a group of mercenaries from a desolate continent as they seek work, discovering the world's slow destruction in the process.

I'd never heard of this before a friend mentioned recently how good it was, comparing it to Final Fantasy and insisting the story and gameplay are matchless. How have I not heard of this before? I'm playing it next, because it sounds fantastic.



Chrono Trigger

Released: March, 1995

Chrono Trigger takes place in a world similar to Earth, with eras such as the prehistoric age, except that humans and dinosaurs share the earth; the Middle Ages, replete with knights, monsters, and magic; and the post-apocalyptic future, where humans and sentient robots struggle to survive. The characters frequently travel through time to obtain allies, gather equipment, and learn information to help them in their quest.

Considered by some as one of the greatest games of all time. I know, I know. How is it I have not played it yet? It's on my to-do list.


Bioshock

Released: August, 2007

BioShock is set in 1960, in which the player guides Jack after his airplane crashes in the ocean near the bathysphere terminus that leads to the underwater city of Rapture. Built by the business magnate Andrew Ryan, the city was intended to be an isolated utopia, but the discovery of ADAM, a plasmid which grants superhuman powers, initiated the city's turbulent decline. Jack tries to find a way to escape, fighting through hordes of ADAM-obsessed enemies.

Some of my friends rave about this one. Some of them don't care for it. I haven't quite decided if I'm going to play it or not--it sounds kind of dark, but apparently the storyline is amazing.

Played any of these games? Thoughts? What's on your to-play list?

Level Up! Blogfest: Citadels

I am a gamer in every sense of the word--I love everything from Zelda, Mass Effect, League of Legends and Mario Kart, to Dutch Blitz and Poker, to Ticket to Ride and Settlers of Catan, to Mafia and Dictionary, to Kick the Can and Capture the Flag. So you can understand how hard it was to pick only one game for this blogfest!

Since I talk about video games a lot, I decided to go with a "real" game (as my non-video gamer friends like to call them). But have no fear, this game is plenty geeky and plenty awesome.

Citadels is a card game, which I love because it doesn't take long to set up (and it's not expensive). You can also play with 2-8 players, and I find games are so hard to find that are for more than 4, so this is even more of a bonus.

The goal of the game is to build 8 district cards and make a citadel. The district cards cost gold to build, and at the end of the game are worth that amount of gold in points. Bonus points are given to those who have built the maximum 8 districts, the one who built 8 first, and to those who have a district of each possible colour.

The fun of the game is the characters. There are eight character cards that you shuffle, and every person selects one at the beginning of each round. Every character has different abilities--for example, the assassin can kill another player, the thief can steal from another player, the magician can take new cards or switch cards with someone, the king gets to go first the next round and gets bonus gold if he has a yellow district, etc.

Oh, the things you can do to make each other mad in this game. There's nothing like waiting until your neighbor has stockpiles of gold and then stealing it all from him as the thief. Of course, you have to guess his character correctly in order to do so.

I find Citadels requires the perfect amount of strategy and wiliness, as all games should. You have to think about what characters other people are going to choose, and be careful about who you choose in case they mean you harm, which they probably do. So much fun.

Thanks to all who have joined in the blogfest, and to Jamie for co-hosting this shindig with me! I'm excited to visit everyone and read about all your favourite games. Play on!

Announcing the Level Up! Blogfest!

Save the date, folks! Jamie from Mithril Wisdom, a totally awesome fellow geek, and I have put our heads together and are hosting our first blogfest on Wednesday, February 20. Woohoo! And since we love fun and games, and we know you do too, that's what it's all about.

Share your favourite game with us! It can be a video game, a board game, a party game, a card game, a childhood playground game--you name it. Let us know how it works and why you love it. I still can't even decide which category of game I want to pick, because there are so many good games to choose from under each. Video games are obviously close to my heart (I can't wait to hear about your favourites), but I often post about them, so maybe I will share a board game favourite this time.

Sign up on the list below if you want to join in on the fun! Feel free to spread the news and use the amazing blog button above that Jamie whipped up. It's gonna be legendary.

Looking Forward to 2013

I posted about my favourites from 2012 last week, so I thought I'd share the books, video games, movies, and tv series that I am most looking forward to in 2013.

Books

Fantasy - Bloodfire Quest by Terry Brooks
Pub Date: March 12, 2013

Long ago, many dangerous creatures were locked behind a magical barrier, bringing peace and prosperity to the land. But now those barriers are eroding, and generations of embittered prisoners are about to escape. War seems inevitable...unless a few brave souls can stem the tide. While some venture into the forbidden lands, others must undertake a perilous quest-a quest whose success will mean the death of a young girl who has barely even begun to live, but whose failure will have unimaginable consequences. From riveting start to cliffhanger ending, this is an epic for the ages! (synopsis from Goodreads)

Sci-Fi - The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord
Pub Date: February 5, 2013

A proud and reserved alien society finds its homeland destroyed in an unprovoked act of aggression, and the survivors have no choice but to reach out to the indigenous humanoids of their adopted world, to whom they are distantly related. They wish to preserve their cherished way of life but come to discover that in order to preserve their culture, they may have to change it forever.

Now a man and a woman from these two clashing societies must work together to save this vanishing race—and end up uncovering ancient mysteries with far-reaching ramifications. As their mission hangs in the balance, this unlikely team—one cool and cerebral, the other fiery and impulsive—just may find in each other their own destinies . . . and a force that transcends all. (synopsis from Goodreads)

YA Fantasy - Pantomime by Laura Lam
Pub Date: February 5, 2013

R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada. (synopsis from Goodreads)

YA Sci-Fi - Dualed by Elsie Chapman
Pub Date: February 26, 2013

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her. (synopsis from Goodreads)

Video Games

Mistborn: Birthright
Developer: Little Orbit
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, Windows, Mac
Release Date: Fall 2013
Genre: Action-RPG

This game is a prequel to the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson, and the story and dialogue were written by Brandon Sanderson. I've heard great things about the Mistborn series though I've never read it. This game looks promising. 

Star Wars 1313

Developer: LucasArts
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: 2013
Genre: Action-Adventure

I get to play as a bounty hunter instead of the usual Jedi? Yes, please. (Not that being a Jedi isn't fun, but, you know, it's been done.) This game sounds more gritty than past Star Wars games, as you navigate Coruscant's underworld trying to uncover a mystery using bounty hunter gadgetry and weapons. Sounds like fun times to me!

Movies

Iron Man 3
Release Date: May 3, 2013

Star Trek Into Darkness
Release Date: May 17, 2013

Ender's Game
Release Date: November 1, 2013

Thor: The Dark World
Release Date: November 8, 2013

TV Shows


Doctor Who, Season 7.5
Airing: April, 2013

Fringe, the End
Airing: January, 2013

Warehouse 13, Season  4.5
Airing: April, 2013

Woo! And there is my long list. Any of the above look good to you? What are you looking forward to in 2013?

2012 Highlights

Happy new year, everyone! I hope your new year's eve was filled with fun and cake. What, cake's not a new year's thing? Well, it should be. I thought I'd share with you my highlights from 2012 in books, video games, movies, and TV series.

Book: Wards of Faerie by Terry Brooks

I am a huge Terry Brooks fan, though some of his later books I'm not enjoying as much as the older ones. But I am loving this new series. The second book in the Dark Legacy of Shannara is on my Kindle waiting to be read and reviewed, and I can't wait to get to it. You can read my review of Wards of Faerie here.

Video Game: Mass Effect 3

I am cheating a bit with this one as I haven't actually gotten to play it yet, but I will say it has been my most anticipated to play game that came out in 2012, and I can't wait to get to it.

 Movie: The Avengers

I don't think this one needs an explanation. There was action. There was humour. There was Joss Whedon directing. It was a masterpiece. (My short review is here).

TV Show: Eureka

On it's final season this year, Eureka did not suffer from the "too many seasons" syndrome, where the show gets boring (Terra Nova), old (How I Met Your Mother), or just weird (Lost). The characters were great, the plots appropriately wacky, and the funny parts made me giggle. It was a satisfying end to a satisfying show. I love it when a show ends well.

 
 You can also check out my list of Top 5 Sci-fi/Fantasy TV Shows of 2012 on TV Geek Army.

Tribute to the Commodore 64

The first computer my family owned was a Commodore 64. I still remember having stacks of those floppy disks and having to type in LOAD"*",8,1 into the main screen before starting a game. Those were the days. The C64 was my introduction to gaming, where my love of solving puzzles and juking a joystick all began.

Here are some of my favourite C64 games:

Jumpman
The title is self-explanatory. Jump around the levels collecting coins and avoiding bullets! I still remember the chest-pounding feeling when you heard the sound of the bullet being shot at you.
 

Archon
Like chess but so much cooler! You control fantasy creatures on a chess-like board, each with their own special abilities, and when two enemies occupy the same square the game shifts to a battle board and you fight in real time! I really think they should make an updated version of this game.
 

Winter Games
Is it my failing memory, or were a lot of these Olympic games all about mashing buttons and jerking the joystick back and forth? Whatever, they were still super fun. Also, it dawns on me that Commodore 64 games didn't come with manuals or instructions--or at least, we didn't have any. Sometimes it took forever just figuring out what you were supposed to do.

Caveman Ugh-lympics
Another Olympics game, but caveman style. My favourite event was fire making, where you had to frantically rub two sticks together in the effort to make sparks and start a fire, bonking your opponent on the head whenever you could to prevent him from beating you.

Quest for Tires
This was a family favourite. Ride along on your little stone wheel and hop over boulders and other obstacles in order to rescue your girlfriend who has been captured by a dinosaur.

Do you remember the Commodore 64? If not, what system introduced you to gaming and what were your favourite first games?

Video Game Review: LEAGUE OF LEGENDS

League of Legends is my most recent addiction. It is an online multiplayer game developed by Riot Games, free to play. If you've played Warcraft III Defense of the Ancients maps, it is similar to those, but much more awesome.

The gist of the game is that you play as a champion defending your nexus from the opposite team and trying to destroy their nexus. The two team's lanes are connected by lanes, and minions periodically spawn at the bases and fight each other down the lanes. You can push your minions forward by destroying the other team's minions.

There are about 100 champions to choose from, and each have their own special abilities and strengths. The classes are assassin, fighter, tank, mage, and support, or a combination of the above. The fun of the game is learning your particular hero and figuring out how to itemize and strategize against other heroes, as well as learning how to play as a team.

You can play either 3v3 or 5v5. You can invite friends to play with you, or the client will match you with random teammates. I find it much funner playing with friends. The downside of playing LoL on your own is that you can get stuck with teammates who are either terrible or annoying (or both). You'd be surprised how many gamers out there are whining complainers. Riot wisely installed a mute button for just this situation, however. Myself, I just like to have fun! I do not speak for everyone, of course; I have played rounds with nice people and good losers too.

Riot was really smart in how they released this game because although LoL is free to play, the free heroes change each week, and you really want to get to know a hero well to play with at first. I ended up loving the game and then spending ten bucks on riot points to unlock a couple heroes I liked. You also build up influence points as you play, and can unlock heroes and runes with those.

If you are looking for a super fun game to play with gamer friends, test this one out. Do try to get all your friends addicted at once, though, because it is hard to play with lower level friends once you reach the higher levels.

Played League of Legends? Addicted like me? What champions do you play as?

Upcoming Posts

I apologize for my absence from the blogosphere lately. I am moving in the next month or two, and am busy trying to find a job and an apartment. I will try to post twice a week, and I do have some exciting reviews and posts upcoming.

Upcoming Book Reviews

White Raven: The Sword of Northern Ancestors (White Raven #1)
Author: Irina Lopatina
Publisher: Light Messages
Pub Date: July 30, 2012
Read the synopsis for White Raven on Goodreads here.

I am part of the TLC book tour for this one. I was interested by the synopsis and the author's background. She is from Russia and says she was inspired by visiting archaeological sites of ancient settlements on mountain plateaus and reading Russian fairy tales as well as books by J.R.R. Tolkien and Ursula Le Guin. I have only read the first few pages just today, but the introduction has already intrigued me. We'll see if it continues to hold my interest.

Shadowfell (Shadowfell #1)
Author: Juliet Marillier
Publisher: Knopf Books
Pub Date: September 11, 2012
Read the synopsis for Shadowfell on Goodreads here.

A land where magic is forbidden? A tyrannical king? A group of rebels fighting for freedom? These are plot devices used again and again, but if written well, I will still enjoy them every time. I've read the first few chapters of this one and the writing is captivating. I am interested in Neryn, her unique gifts, and the stranger who helped her out of a bad situation. I look forward to reading more of this first installment from Marillier's new series.

The Assassin's Curse (The Assassin's Curse #1)
Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Pub Date: October 2, 2012
Read the synopsis for The Assassin's Curse on Goodreads here.

Ananna is the daughter of a high ranking family and escapes an arranged marriage, only to have to run from an assassin they hire to kill her. She ends up allying herself with said assassin after she saves his life. I am excited to read this one because I am a sucker for bad guy turned good, and the story sounds fascinating. It seems (and the cover looks) like it has an Arabian feel to it, and I love fantasy that focuses on another culture. It's also got some great reviews already.

Upcoming Movie Review

Yes, I saw The Amazing Spiderman this past weekend, and yes, it was awesome. I will tell you precisely why it was awesome very soon.











Upcoming TV Show

Season 4 of Warehouse 13 premieres on July 23. Who wants to watch it with me? If you have never seen the show, it is a great series that follows Secret Service Agents Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) and Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock), who are assigned to work for Warehouse 13, which is located in the middle of nowhere, South Dakota. Myka and Pete's job is to find dangerous artifacts that have magical properties, bag 'em and tag 'em. The show has great characters; you gotta love them. Season 2 has been my favourite so far, and I'm hoping this next series will be a similar fun and wild adventure.





Upcoming Random Posts of Geeky Subject Matter

Stay tuned for my number one video game in my Top 10 Video Game Countdown post series.

Who's old enough to remember the Commodore 64? (You can't have to be that old, because I remember it.) I'm going to take a trip down nostalgia road and remember some of my faovurite C64 games, where my love of gaming all began.

Just can't get your kid interested in reading? I'm going to let you in on my Childhood Favourite Fantasy and Sci-Fi Books, guaranteed to get them interested in the written word. And if not, well, you will probably enjoy these books too, because they are wonderful. Who says adults can't read kid books? I certainly don't.

What's the deal with Gamer Names? Haven't thought too much about this post topic yet, but I think it might be fun to discuss.

A new and totally awesome progressive metal band has emerged, releasing their first album this past Monday. And it is free to listen to! I will let you in on who they are and the link to download their debut album.

So, any of these upcoming posts sound interesting to you? If none of them do, I'm not sure what you're doing here. Happy Wednesday to one and all!

Top 10 VG Countdown - #2: PORTAL

Portal and Portal 2 are first-person puzzle solving games developed by Valve. Portal was released in 2007, and Portal 2 in 2011. In Portal, you find yourself in an enclosed room where an artificial intelligence named GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System) tells you what to do. Your sole purpose is, apparently, to solve puzzles using a portal gun in the Aperture Laboratories. Left-click with the mouse and your portal gun will shoot a blue portal. Right-click and your gun will shoot an orange portal. Walk in the blue portal and you come out the orange, and vice versa. Solving puzzles using these portals is challenging and messes with your mind. My favourite trick is using momentum to get past the puzzles. In GLaDOS's words: "Momentum, a function of mass and velocity, is conserved between portals. In layman's terms, speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out." There's nothing like jumping down one portal on the floor and come flying out another to get over a chasm or other obstacle.

I love these games for two reasons: 1) the challenging and innovative puzzles. 2) the dark humour. GLaDOS is sarcastic and hilarious. Pretty early on you realize she is an evil liar out to torture you (that's not really spoiler. Come on... a robot making you do tests? She had to be evil.) If you don't burst out laughing for most of her lines, I don't know what's wrong with you.

Portal 2 continues the story from the first game, but it is longer and adds a few more elements including lasers, tractor beams, light bridges, bouncy sludge and zoom goo. Now aren't you intrigued just from that list of stuff? I mean, who can resist zoom goo?

Portal 2 also has a two player co-op mode. And it is awesome. I played it through twice. That's how awesome it is. You and a friend play as two robots who have to get through testing rooms together. Puzzles that require four portals to solve instead of two are that much more challenging and exciting. You really do have to work together to get through the levels, sometimes timing things just right or relying on your partner to get you through an area. You can also interact with each other by high-fiving, hugging, waving while you careen to your death off a chasm, or pulling the other's head off and smashing it on the ground; I'm not gonna lie, there's just something satisfying about that last one. This is another one of those games that you might enjoy even if you are not a gamer, and one of the funnest games I have ever played.

 

If you've played Portal or Portal 2, what did you think? If you haven't, what are you waiting for?

Quantum Conundrum Preview

Quantum Conundrum is an upcoming video game to be released by Square Enix on June 21, 2012. I'm looking forward to trying it because it is designed by Kim Swift, who was the lead designer for Portal. It looks like it has a lot of fun puzzle-solving, like Portal does. And it looks a little crazy too, which I like. The story is about a boy visiting his scientist uncle when an explosion occurs and his uncle disappears, so he has to navigate a mansion of puzzles, experiments, and even more cool, dimensions, to find out what happened to him.

Check out the preview below:

Looks like some fun times, right? Though it's hard to tell what gameplay will be like from this trailer, so if you are interested in seeing the actual game being played, check out this one:

If it turns out to be good, the only thing I'll be disappointed about is that it does not have a co-op mode.

Top 10 VG Countdown - #3: OCARINA OF TIME

We have a guest poster with us today to tell us about the awesome Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Welcome, Jamie Gibbs!

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In my humble opinion, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time revolutionized the console RPG and enabled those with a joypad rather than a keyboard and mouse to enjoy an immersive experience in a rich and detailed world. Back in 1998, you had to be a PC gamer to have access to any RPG worth its salt, and then Ocarina of Time entered the scene and changed all that for the better.

Ocarina of Time is the fifth installment of The Legend of Zelda series, which was exclusively available on the N64 at the time. Nowadays you can get it on the collector’s edition of Wind Waker for the Gamecube, download it on the Wii store, and get the remake for the 3DS. In it our hero Link is summoned to protect the land of Hyrule from the evil Ganondorf, collect the relics that form the Triforce, and rescue the princess Zelda. Throw in some hefty dungeon crawling, side quests and an excellent system of in-game time travel, and you’ve got yourself a winner right there.

Ocarina of Time doesn’t exactly have the best graphics in the world, and they’ve not aged well. Granted, there is a definite nostalgic retro charm about it, but you can’t overlook the blocky characters and blurry textures. Nintendo had a more powerful console than its rivals, but were limited by the capacity of the cartridges. Given the massive, sprawling scale of Ocarina, something had to give, and the visuals ended up lacking somewhat.

However, just as a person with no sight is better able to use their other senses, Nintendo mastered the other aspects of gaming with Ocarina of Time. The music score, for one thing, is nothing short of a thing of beauty. I’ve got The Legend of Zelda official soundtrack, and the songs from Ocarina perfectly capture whatever area or dungeon Link is in. You’ve got the playful tunes of Kokiri Forest, the sweeping epic overture of Hyrule Field, and the downright haunting Song of Storms. You could play Ocarina with your eyes closed and know exactly where you were in the game. That’s storytelling.

Speaking of storytelling, Ocarina of Time was a game that got you involved with the story. The entire scene with the Great Deku Tree is pretty heavy for your standard adventure game (I know a fully grown man who openly admits to weeping when he played that scene). It’s a game that makes you emotionally invest in the characters, even if that emotion is a murderous rage (the words “Hey, listen!”still bring out the veins in my forehead to this day).

The gameplay managed to combine the action/adventure genre with elements of an RPG that hadn’t really been seen on a console before, at least in the West. Final Fantasy brought the 3D RPG to us a year before, but Ocarina’s real-time combat and in-depth story made it a favourite amongst non-gamers as well as the hardcore. On the surface, Ocarina of Time is your basic dungeon crawler - find three magical objects to save the world and blah blah blah. But look deeper and you find that the beauty of Ocarina was that the gameplay was to an extent non-linear. You could choose to go off the beaten path at any time and explore Hyrule if you wanted, or you could spend your time running errands for the Happy Mask Shop, or finding the gold skulltulas that are tucked away in the far flung corners of the world. It was this aspect that had you coming back to Ocarina time and time again, losing sleep, weight and friends in the process. For me, it was my Skyrim before I’d even heard of The Elder Scrolls, and it was beautiful.

If you still have the means to do so, dust off that old N64, give the underside of the cartridge a gentle gust of air to bring it back to life, and settle yourself in for a few hours of pure gaming bliss. Ocarina of Time defined a generation of gamers, and it’s no small wonder that it’s been given the title of ‘greatest video game of all time.’

Jamie Gibbs is the caffeine addled bibliophile from the fantasy blog Mithril Wisdom. When he’s not nose deep in a book, he’s usually rocking out to fantasy-inspired heavy metal and playing with Lego like all grown ups should.

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Thanks for stopping by, Jamie, and putting to words what makes this game so wonderful! I have such great memories of Ocarina of Time. I've gotta get this for my Wii and play it again now.

Top 10 VG Countdown - #4: WARCRAFT III

No, I do not mean World of Warcraft, I mean the lesser known and much more awesome Warcraft III. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos is a real-time strategy game released by Blizzard in 2002. An expansion, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, was released in 2003. It is probably my favourite game for LANing with friends, and because it is older, most computers and slower internets can handle it without lagging.

The game has four playable races, and they are each unique with their own strengths. They are human, orc, undead, and night elf. In multiplayer, you set up a base and pump out troops with the objective of destroying your enemy's army and base. You collect three resources to build your base and buy troops: gold, lumber, and food. You also hire heroes to lead your troops into battle, and each race has four unique heroes to choose from.

The fun thing about Warcraft is learning your race and what it can do. You can develop strategies according to your troops or hero abilities. What happens with me and my friends is that one of us will come up with a new strategy that will destroy the other, and then the defeated party will figure out a way to combat that strategy (sometimes by cheating and googling the solution), and it all begins again.

The campaign is also very fun with an interesting story that continues in Frozen Throne. It is a good place to start if you are just learning the game, because it teaches you how to use all four of the races slowly, so you won't be overwhelmed. The first couple levels introduce you to your hero and units, the next level will show you how to build a few basic buildings, and so on.

If you like real-time strategy games similar to Age of Empires or Starcraft, try this one out.

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There is also still time to enter my giveaway to win a book by Terry Brooks! I will be drawing the winner tonight. Enter by commenting on the post below.

Top 10 VG Countdown - #5: FINAL FANTASY IX

We have a guest poster visiting today to tell us about one of my favourite games, Final Fantasy IX (which is, incidentally, where my avatar comes from). Big welcome to Jeremy from Geeky Tendencies!

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Final Fantasy IX is a fantasy role-playing game, and the ninth game in the series. It was released in 2000, and was the third and last Final Fantasy game in the main series released for the PlayStation. This one is my favorite of the Final Fantasy games.

The main protagonist is Zidane Tribal; a thief, member of the Tantalus Theater Troupe, and womanizer. At the start of the game, the Tantalus group is hired to kidnap Princess Garnet til Alexandros XVII. Zidane, in charge of the kidnapping, finds that Princess Garnet is more than willing to go with the theater group. Garnet is worried about her mother, Queen Brahne, and the wicked changes the queen is going through, and seeks help from her "Uncle Cid," who hired the Tantalus Theater Troupe to kidnap her. During the operation, Vivi Orunitia and Adelbert Steiner become involved, much to Steiner's disdain.

When trying to escape, the Tantalus airship, the Prima Vista, is shot out of the sky and lands in the Evil Forest. This begins the group's quest to find out what is behind the Queen's changing personality, and to try to stop a full-out war.

Each character has a character class and a unique set of skills that can be learned. For instance, Vivi is a black mage and Freya is a dragoon. You can expand on their classes by equipping new objects to characters. Objects carry abilities, and equipping them makes the abilities accessible. By battling, you earn ability points (AP). If you earn enough AP while an object is equipped, the character masters the ability, and doesn't need the object anymore in order to use it.

I love this game because it was made to be a salute to the Final Fantasy series as a whole. The creators have included multiple references to past Final Fantasy games, and it was meant to have the Final Fantasy feel that the earlier games provided. It was also a delightful step back to the fantasy genre after the past two games had more of a sci-fi feel to them.

Although the art style and gameplay has reverted to that of earlier Final Fantasies, the storytelling has not. The plot explores many emotions and ideas such as fear, death, hope, and my favourite, the nature of existence.

Overall, I loved the storyline, the ability system, and the labyrinth-like dungeons. There is not much you can complain about in this game except for the graphics, but they were terrific for its time. Final Fantasy IX is a must play for any RPG fan.  

Jeremy is a science fiction and fantasy addict. If he is not nose deep in a book, you can usually find him playing video games or practicing juggling.

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Thanks for stopping by, Jeremy! Inspired to play some Final Fantasy now? I certainly am.

Top 10 VG Countdown - #6: DUNGEON DEFENDERS

If you are looking for an incredibly fun multiplayer game, look no further. Dungeon Defenders is a tower defense and action RPG released on October 19, 2011, by Trendy Entertainment. It was quite successful when it released, selling over 250,000 copies during the first two weeks. And I can see why. Some of my friends and I got a little bit obsessed with this game and played many, many hours of it because it is so addictive.

The game involves setting up towers and traps to defend against hordes of monsters that try to destroy a crystal you have to protect. Along with the towers, you also control a character that does melee or ranged damage, and can get armor, weapons, and familiars. There are originally four character classes (more were added later): the squire, who uses a sword and can set up barriers (don't ask me why he's not wearing pants. I really don't know); the apprentice, who uses a magic staff and sets up towers; the huntress, who lays down traps and uses a crossbow; and the monk, who puts down auras and uses a melee staff.

You can run through the campaign levels with a maximum of four players, and new maps and challenges have been added (like Capture the Flag!! Who can resist Capture the Flag?) that allow you to play with eight players. A neat feature of this game is that it is updated regularly, with new challenges, heroes, and downloadable content made available, which keeps it interesting. I used to play with the monk all the time, which I really enjoyed (he's really fast, and I like speed), but my new favourite hero is the Series EV, a robot that can lay down damaging beams and make a double of herself to attract and fool enemies.

Though my addicted craze over this game has faded now, it brought me hours of fun with friends and I still maintain it is a great game. Try it out with some buddies and you'll see what I mean.

Top 10 VG Countdown - #7: MYST

Myst is an oldie but a goodie--a first-person adventure game released in 1993. I played it when I was young and loved it. I played it again more recently and still enjoyed it a lot.

In the game, you play as a stranger who has traveled to the mysterious island of Myst. There, you find a series of books that an explorer named Atrus has left on the now uninhabited island. These books allow you to travel to other worlds, and each world provides you with clues about what has happened to the game's characters.

Myst is a thinking game. This is one of those games, that after staying up for hours struggling through a puzzle, you shout "YES!! I'VE FIGURED IT OUT! I AM AWESOME!" in satisfied glee after finally getting it, thoroughly startling your roommate (or parent, or sibling, or dog, etc.) who had been sleeping in the next room. And no, using a walkthrough is not allowed.

Though the graphics aren't that great now, they were pretty awesome at the time. I still think the island and the different ages you visit are beautiful and convincing in their other-worldliness.

This is another one of those games that both gamers and non-gamers would enjoy. It is unusual in that there is no objective laid out for you at the start; you are free to wander around and figure out what you have to do. There is no time limit. There is no apparent enemy for you to fight and no violence. Myst is about enjoying a fascinating story as it unfolds through your discovery, observing, critically thinking, and puzzle solving.

I am not alone in my appreciation of this game either, as Myst was a hit when it came out, becoming the best-selling PC game until The Sims surpassed it in 2002. It has also gotten four sequels, which I have yet to play, but am looking forward to when I can find the time.

Played Myst? Going to play it now? It is relatively inexpensive on Steam, if you are interested in challenging your mind with this great game.

Top 10 VG Countdown - #8: MARIO KART

The latest version of this much-beloved game brings to the table new tracks, characters, and controller options. For those of you who have never played Mario Kart (and I am sad for your childhood), it is a racing game filled with Mario characters and crazy tracks where you can not only pick up boosts and other useful assists, but can deter your enemies by dropping bananas or throwing brightly coloured shells at them. Sounds childish? Well, this is Nintendo, remember, and Nintendo knows how to do things fun and colourful.

Mario Kart Wii, in my opinion, is the ultimate party game. I love it because non-gamers can have a ton of fun playing it even if they have never gamed before (note: I didn't say they'd be good at it, I said they'd have fun. The game does take some skill and practice to get good at, for you gamers who like a challenge).

The Wii version doesn't mess too much with the Mario Kart formula (which is fine with me), and just adds a few bells and whistles to enhance the play. You can use motion-controlled steering so it seems like you are using an actual wheel as pictured above (I find this incredibly difficult and prefer to use a Nunchuck, however I know lots people who like it). There are a total of 32 tracks, half of which are from previous games. You can use bikes in addition to karts (and they are awesome. The mach bike and the dolphin dasher are my favourites). There are also a few new items, like a lightning bolt that gives you a boost and then shrinks you if you don't bump into an enemy and pass it on, and a POW block that spins everyone out and gets rid of their items.

There are some super fun tracks, including the difficult Maple Treeway and Rainbow Road. And I thought the Rainbow Road track was fun in the Nintendo 64 version... they have improved it in this one by taking away the walls! (heheh yes, that was irony. Most of my friends hate that track because it is so hard.)

The AI is especially challenging in single player mode on 150cc, reacting to both your position in the race that you are playing and your overall number of points towards winning the cup. Get ready for a challenge if you want to unlock everything in this game!

Well, Nintendo, I applaud you for reviving one of my favourite games from the 64 in such a spectacular manner. If you love racing games with incredibly fun multiplayer modes, this one's for you!

Top 10 VG Countdown - #9: HEROES OF MIGHT AND MAGIC V

Heroes of Might and Magic V is a fantasy strategy turn-based game, the fifth in the series. It was released in 2006. My brother and I have played this game to death (in other words, it is great fun multiplayer). This one is my favourite of the Heroes games so far.

The object of the game is to build up your army, gain experience for your hero and conquer the other heroes and armies on the map. There are six different factions to choose from: Haven (the humans), Inferno (the demons), Necropolis (the undead), Academy (the wizards), Dungeon (the dark elves), Sylvan (the light elves--also, my faction of choice. I know, I am such a girl in this case. I like fairies and unicorns and ents and dragons, okay? Well I guess the ents and dragons aren't so bad). Additional expansion packs add two more factions: Fortress (the dwarves) and Stronghold (the orcs). Each faction is unique and comes with different abilities, which is a big part of why I love this game; you have to play according to the strengths of your faction.

You also customize your heroes. As you play and win battles, you choose what skills to give your hero. There are many options, from logistics (allowing your hero to move farther), to luck (giving your troops bonus damage), to attack (increasing your troops' attack), to light magic (allowing your hero to cast light magic spells). There are more abilities available than your hero has slots for, so choosing them wisely is part of the fun.

There is a huge difference in the quality of graphics from this game and the previous ones--I love the intricate city designs and the detail of the troops and landscapes. Though I'm not sure how practical it is to be able to zoom around your castle and check out the pretty buildings, it does add to the fantasy ambiance. This game is really nice to look at.

Gameplay is turn-based, which can get annoying when you are playing with other people (especially if you are playing with more than one other person), because the turns can take a while. Battles are fought using the grid method, where some creatures can move farther than others, and some get turns more often than others. I am very impressed with the variables in this game; not only are your heroes customizable with their abilities and artifacts you collect, most creatures have different special abilities you can use in battle too. With all the variables it may sound a bit overwhelming to learn, but it is really what makes the game fun and challenging, and if you love strategy, you will probably love this game.

Played any of the Heroes games? I don't hear much about them very often, so I feel like I am a niche player where this game is concerned.

Top 10 VG Countdown - #10: JEDI OUTCAST

That's right, it's time for another top 10 countdown! For a look at my previous countdown where I discussed my favourite genre TV shows, check out the recap here or click "Top 10" under Labels. This month, our countdown is about my all-time favourite video games. I will be discussing some fabulous video games, new and old, and even have a couple guest posters planned to join in the fun. Now without further ado, let's get down to business. I can't have a video game countdown without at least one Star Wars game on the list, so #10 is Jedi Outcast.

Jedi Outcast is a first- and third-person action game, released in 2002. The story takes place two years after the game's predecessor, Mysteries of the Sith. You play as Kyle Katarn, a former Jedi who stopped using the force after he almost turned to the Dark Side.

At the start of the game, Kyle Katarn and his partner (also love interest) Jan Ors explore an Imperial base on the planet Kejim, which turns out isn't abandoned like they originally thought. They force their way through the outpost to discover the Imperials are researching lightsaber crystals. Following a lead, they travel to an Imperial mining base on another planet, where the miners are innocent people forced to work and be the subjects of cruel testing. Here, they meet the dark Jedi Desann and his apprentice, who easily thwart Kyle as he no longer has Jedi abilities, and Desann orders his apprentice to kill Jan while Kyle is helpless.

They leave Kyle still alive, and on a quest for revenge, he travels to the Valley of the Jedi to get his Force abilities back, and then to the Jedi Academy to retrieve his lightsaber from Luke Skywalker. Thus begins Kyle's quest to track down and destroy Desann and his apprentice.

I love good action, but I also love puzzles, and Jedi Outcast gives you both these things. In addition to shooter and later lightsaber combat, you have to think your way through a variety of puzzles to get through the campaign. The combat is real time, and I enjoyed jumping around and slashing my lightsaber to attack with its realistic sparks and flashes; you can choose between three lightsaber styles and use combos restricted to that style. You also get to use force powers like Pull, Heal, Jump, or Lightning. When you first get your lightsaber, you only have access to a few powers, and as the game progresses you gain more abilities and levels.

Game Over Online called Jedi Outcast "an intriguing juxtaposition of pieces of incredibly intense FPS action that had me on the edge of my seat combined with puzzle-like sections of such opacity that they made me want to kill myself." Lots of reviewers complained about the puzzle-solving in this game, but I love that feeling of achievement after spending some mind-grinding time trying to figure them out.

The game is consistent with the Star Wars universe, and you get to see some familiar faces like Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian, and Mon Mothma, as well as visit some well known places like the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4 and Bespin on Cloud City, and as Game Over also comments, "that distinctive Star Wars architecture that seems to consist primarily of narrow catwalks without railings over 10,000 foot drops" that are just so fun to push a storm trooper over.

Overall, I loved the storyline, the combat, the puzzle-solving--I really can't complain at all about this game. Well, I suppose I could complain about the graphics now, but they were pretty good for 2002. Jedi Outcast is great fun, and if you haven't yet played it, I suggest that you do.

What's your favourite Star Wars game?