overidon.com Central Database for Overidon Omnimedia

Okay, so I got Starcraft 2 and loaded it. It was so awesome with the music and everything. My computer is a beast now. It is 6-core AMD monster and I have a dedicated hard-drive just for big progs like starcraft 2 etc.

I especially wanted to test it because I wanted to stay on top of the current trends in computer gaming technology. But seriously, it said that I should run the game on ULTRA settings because of my video card and CPU capabilities.

So I’m running this puppy and it is HUGE on the impressive and epic scale. Everything is futuristic and the interface definitely feels like they did years of work perfecting it.

There’s only one problem:

The game is gnarly on my fan. I mean, I was on headphones and I could hear my fan. I was like, “What the heck?” Not even Fallout 3 is this demanding on my computer. It blew me away.

My computer has several fans and enough CPU’s to handle intense video encoding for HD. Running a PC game shouldn’t make me “worried.” But that’s exactly how I felt. I felt like I need to wait till I get my next-gen computer in a few years before trying the run the game again.

This is a serious departure from Warcraft 2 and Starcraft…maybe even Warcraft 3. When you loaded Starcraft on your computer, it didn’t matter if you were top of the line. It pretty much ran on a basic computer. That was because it was 2D sprites happening on a battlefield. But Starcraft 2 is totally 3D with homies talking and throwing Molotov cocktails like it’s going out of style.

I think what’s happening is that Starcraft 2 was meant to be played on “Normal” settings. But, the game is already a year or so old. I don’t get it.

Now that I think about it, Fallout 3 is actually much older than Starcraft 2. So comparing the two doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Fallout 3 was 2008 and Starcraft just came out in 2010. Even though this is only a two-year gap, it means a tremendous amount when you factor in technology leaps.

Honestly, I doubt I would be as stressed about running this game if I had an extra solid-state drive. But I can’t risk putting this bad boy on one of my solid states because I’m using them for my OS and the other one is for my music video project.

So, what I’m thinking, is that I’ll hold off on Starcraft 2 and wait till my next computer that will pretty much have solid state drives for everything.

It is so funny how PC games work. It’s almost like they are already doomed because the new ones require a computer that isn’t affordable until 2 years later. Also, with patches and bug fixes, there is no real reason to jump out and buy a new game for the PC right when they come out.

Also, with the advent of Console gaming requiring an internet connection, programmers get a free-life. I say this because they can always use the HD-system for console games to require a patch.

This wasn’t possible back in the days of NES and SNES. All bugs had to be worked out before the release date. If that didn’t happen then they would have to live with the bugs in the game. I never heard of recalls of cartridges. I only remember that there were different versions of the battery system for Zelda.

All-in-all I’m actually glad about this. It was extremely satisfying to wait so long for Fallout 3 to come out and then get completely blown away when exiting the vault. I can’t express how huge that felt.

I had a similar pumped feeling when digging into Starcraft 2, but the fan sound really did pull me back. So in a couple years I’ll jump back into it on a more powerful machine with some dedicated solid states and hopefully I’ll be able to do a real review at that time.

-Tyler

Legendary Wings score

Beating the game Legendary Wings again was a blast from the past. I can’t imagine how I was able to do it previously without a TURBO button. Because this time I had zero qualms about using the turbo button against the bosses. The hilarious thing about this game is that you fight the same boss literally five times in a row. The only difference is the number of eyeballs that fly at you. And the miniboss that protects each palace to the boss of each stage…you guessed it, it is exactly the same for every 5 stages in the game. The only difference is the color of the miniboss. The only real rewarding part of the game is seeing the interesting mythology-inspired settings for each overworld and palace stage.

The strange thing about this game is that it is actually harder in a 2 player setting than solo. The reason for this is because the powerups are the only thing that makes the game bearable. It isn’t like Contra where your basic weapon can easily destroy any major target. In Legendary Wings you need either level 3 powerups or have maximum powerups in order to be effective versus the bosses. When I play two player games I always like to split the powerups but this game punishes you for doing that. The reason for this is that every time you get hit you loose a powerup level. So the higher your powerups are, the more damage you can take.

If you don’t use the turbo button then prepare yourself to receive gamers thumb to the max. This game is repetitive and will make your thumbs melt off.

The easiest way to beat the game is to learn and memorize the locations for the secret zone or “LUCKY” area in each overworld stage. You can only access them by using your secondary bomb weapon to destroy the ground based targets that look like little metal mine things. Usually, a crater will appear when you destroy one of these ground targets, but if you hit the right one, then some smoke will come and take you to the LUCKY bonus stage. This is where you can fill up on powerups and points which give you extra lives.

power up 1 give double shot
power up 2 gives thick single long laser
power up 3 gives triple ball shot – one fires straight the other 2 zig – zag
power up 4 gives you a wave cannon and turns you into a phoenix looking dude and you look like a thug

Here’s a quick break down on the extra life information that happen based on your score:

First free life at 50K
Second free life at 150K
Third free life at 300K

Legendary wings level 4 Boss

I love the idea that you fly around with wings in this quasi-futuristic and yet mythological environment. The designers did a great job making the settings compelling. That is why I don’t mind how repetitive the boss battles are. But that being said, I’m not going to replay this game anytime soon. This is the kind of game I’d more likely replay if I was on a dare…and if the controller had a turbo button.

In each overworld stage, there is a face that spits smoke at you. Try and avoid this smoke if you can because the mini-stages that you enter as a result do not give you very many points or any powerups. So they are just a waste of time. The face on stage 4 and 5 spits out much faster than the others so don’t feel bad if you get hit by it. But if you get hit by the smoke on levels 1 – 3 then you might want to work on your eye-thumb coordination.

Remember not to dodge the smoke if you get it when you blow up a ground mine, that is the LUCKY stage.

Legendary Wings final boss form 2

When you fight the last boss there is a simple strategy. You need to have level 3 or ultimate level powerups and get close to it when it is about to show its brain stuff and blast it like crazy. The closer you are the more damage you can dish out. When the boss explodes and you enter the other side, the fight its final form. This thing isn’t that hard if you are patient and just stay below it when it appears. Then dodge the 4 corner weapons as they fly from the diagonals of the screen. Try and get a few hits in before it disappears. This may seem annoying but if you are patient you will win. Too bad all you get is a lame message and then the game starts all over again.

On the overworld for stage 5. there is a tricky part with lots of walls and enemy turrets that you won’t be able to hit no matter what. The only way I recommend getting through this part is to have stayed powered up so you can take a few hits from the enemy. If you hang back too long you will get stuck and die and lose all your powerups. So be bold and aggressive and get through this proverbial gauntlet of turrets. This is pretty much the hardest part of the game right here and it is primarily psychological. If you can get through this part the boss and final palace stage will be a piece of cake.

-Tyler

Faxanadu Battle

A meteor has landed. The dwarves have been mutated by the strange properties of the meteor. The elves and dwarves who used to be friends now are odds with each other…and now the dwarves are twisted beyond imagination. Welcome to a word of danger and despair, a world where a traveler must speak to the King and save the land. Welcome to the ever stretching and tangled world tree…of Faxanadu. The game for the NES called, Faxanadu is more than just an action adventure game. It is a side scrolling epic that rewards aggressiveness and perseverance in a similar way that Rygar does. This game is interesting because it has “levels” for the character that are reached by gaining EXP. But they are actually Titles of Rank that determine the amount of money that is in your account after you die and are revived at a Guru’s shrine. Levels or Ranks in this game do not affect stats like how they do in Zelda 2 or Rygar.

The most important thing to know about Faxanadu is that about 70% of the conversations that happen between you and townsfolk can lead to important clues to advancing in the game.

Exploration is the key. One must double check every single area in the outer-world, town and castle areas.

When I first played through the game, I thought the graphics were strange and muddy looking when compared to other games. But after a few minutes my eyes adjusted and the graphics were quite immersive and enthralling. You get completely sucked into the game after you purchase the initial dagger which helps you fight the first monster that is guarding the exit.

A complete guide or walkthrough to this game is not necessary because it is more about patience and exploration than actual tricky things. But there are some tips that can help you defeat the Evil One. The last boss named the Evil One is actually extremely easy to beat if you have enough potions. You just need to keep jumping and slapping him in the face with your sword. It’s that simple.

The jump attack that is so often used in Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link is extremely useful in this game. This is because enemies cannot defend against attacks, since they have no shields.

Dragon Slayer sword acquired: Click for expanded view

Actually, the second to last boss that is the Dwarf King, is much harder than the final boss. The Dwarf King looks like a big dragon and he spits a great deal of fireballs at you when he gets close to the ground. The easiest way to beat him is to have a pair of winged boots, activate them, and then fly up at hit him while he is flying. You should try and use all the magic/sword slashes you can in order to keep hitting him over and over again. Eventually, he will swoop down, but try and continue to attack him why he flies again in the air. You may need to drink potions during this process. Eventually, you will be able to beat him. And when you do, the Dragon Slayer sword will be yours.

Once you equip the Dragon Slayer sword, you will be able to also use the Battle Helmet and Battle Armor that you found. This setup makes you a rolling powerhouse. It is probably one of the most satisfying armor moments in NES adventure/RPG history. The look of your hero when you put on the armor setup is beyond thug mansion-style.

A good thing to remember is that you need to talk to your Guru in a town in order to rise in rank. So, I just made sure to visit town every once in a while to make sure I got the appropriate title. Dying and then being revived with a ton of gold makes the game a lot less frustrating in the later stages. This is because you can spend money on different setups in order to try different item strategies.

One thing to consider is that in the early areas you need to use the winged boots a great deal. But the higher Rank you are, the shorter the effective duration of the flying boots. So you will have to buy more than one pair of winged boots in order to find one of the fountains of water.

Another thing to consider is that you don’t die from falling. Sometimes falling into a pit is the only way to continue progressing through stages.

The most important items in the game are the swords, shields and armor. The magic is not as big of a deal. Although if you get the “Death” magic earlier it can make some mini-boss fights much simpler. I didn’t even bother buying “Tilte” magic and I was able to beat the game a few days ago with no problem.

This game is no way near as frustrating as Zelda 2 and requires much less grinding. The only actual tricky part is your limited inventory and how you can only carry so many keys. And if you use a key, it is gone and if you need to revisit a place, you need to replace that key. But honestly, the silly Key system in the game adds to its charm because it trains the player to prepare more and to use a little inventory strategy when preparing for adventures.

“Should I brink a Mattock just in case? Or should I pack an extra Red Potion so I’m ready for a boss fight?”

The hilarious thing is that not all of the key makers sell or purchase the same types of keys. So if you have an extra “Jack” key when you reach the later stages, you will need to walk all the way back to a town that sells Jack keys in order to make space in your inventory for better items.

The Evil One

The cool thing about Faxanadu is that all the monsters have somewhat unique patterns to their movements. This is especially true for the ones that don’t shoot magic. Some enemies run around, others jump in strange patterns. It is quite enjoyable getting used the the different enemies and deciding whether or not to be aggressive toward them or avoid them all together.

My recommendation is that when you come to a town that sells a new type of armor or sword. Save up and make sure to buy it as soon as possible. The swords in the game scale extremely well with the monsters and bosses. So skipping a type of sword in order to save up for a better one is completely unnecessary and wil probably make the game less enjoyable.

HINT: Even though smokers in the game usually talk about boring stuff. They sometimes have extremely valuable information. And if you are a SOLDIER, you may actually get something fashionable from a conversation.

Memorization is the key in Faxanadu. Some of the levels require you to be very careful in where you jump. A false step can lead to wasting 5 minutes of time because of needed to back-track. A simple rule of thump would be to not use the flying winged boots when you can easily use a ladder and are in a danger area.

-Tyler

Screen Size Comparison - CLICK for enlarged view

Portable gaming systems have been an important part of the technological revolution. Before there were PDA’s and iPads there was the original GameBoy. Most games for the Gameboy were created specifically for that system. Yet others were ports of other popular games. Killer Instinct the Gameboy version is an example of a Gameboy port of a SNES game that was a port of an Arcade Game. After detailed inspection of gaming on these small screens, I noticed something when playing a retro NES game on the GameBoy Advanced. There was a problem playing NES games that required more hair-trigger response reflexes. It seemed that the small screen somehow made it harder to avoid damage and hit the correct areas that I wanted to. This was compared to playing the game on a larger screen.

What could be doing this? There was no way that the smaller screen affected the actual pacing of the game. So, the only thing that could actually be changing in this situation was the human player him or herself. When we look at a screen on a television there is sort of sweet spot for viewing distance. This actually is different for each person, but generally the larger the screen, the farther back the viewer sits in order to have a comfortable view without going cross-eyed.

The people who sit close to large television screens have to move their eyes more in order to make sense of what is going on the screen. The farther back you sit, the more one can absorb the entire screen without moving the eyes. The drawback is that it is harder to pick out details in the periphery if you eyes are stationary. Also, the eyes can get tired depending on what kind of visual gamer one is. Arcade machines tend to but the gamer at a slight distance by the very wooden box itself. The designers understand that people can hurt their eyes by getting to close to machine and try to create an apparatus to compensate for that, without sacrificing visual pleasure enticed by the moving colors and text.

Zelda 2, when played on a GameBoy advanced simply did not work for me. It felt like I had to work twice as hard to not get hit by small monsters like slimes and bouncing skulls. Also timing jump hits and being more adventerous with jumping down-thrusts in order to play with style was reckless when doing so on the GBA. So the experience of playing Zelda 2 on a small screen had some serious disadvantages. I don’t even want to imagine what it would have been like to try and play Ninja Gaiden 2 or Zanac if they were released as part of the Classic NES Series for the GBA. It probably would have been some sort of quasi-nostalgic nightmare state.

A game that translated well to the small screen was Metroid and especially Metroid Fusion. Wow, I had such a great time playing Metroid Fusion. It actually was the reason why I purchased the GBA SP in the first place. But that game had a different feel than Super Metroid or the original. The bright colors seemed to work in order to make threats more visible. And the mission objective system made pacing the game simple enough to keep one’s interest while waiting for someone to finish shopping for shoes.

-Tyler