Article: Top Ten Starter Games

The Top Ten Starter Games:

The Gamer Girlfriend's top games for the girlfriend who wants to start playing...

10. Virtual Villagers (PC) tied with Endless Ocean (Wii)

9. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)

8. Wii Play/Sports/Sports Resort (Wii)

7. My Sims (Wii and DS)

6. Guitar Hero/ Rock Band (PS3, XBox 360, Wii, DS)

5. Mario Kart (Wii)

4. Mario Party (Wii and DS)

3. Spore (PC)

2. My Life as a King (Wii Downloadable)

1. Persona 3 (PS2)

Gamer Speak: Game Systems

This article is a brief overview of the six current major game systems. The information provided is based on fact, but is indeed my opinion. I don't know much about all the technical workings of the machinery. What I do know is that I have seen games played on each of these systems, and sometimes I have seen the same game played on different systems. With the exception of the PSP and XBox 260, I have played games on the other four systems.

This isn't meant to be the end all be all of system reviews. Like all Gamer Speak articles, this is intended to give a little bit of insight into the world of the gamer. Hopefully, this helps some non-gamers out there to understand these systems a little bit better.

The six major game systems right now are the Wii, the Playstation 3, the XBox 360, the DS/DSi, the Playstation Portable, and Personal Computers.

Wii:

Created by Nintendo and originally released in 2006

My favorite Wii game: Mario Party

My Gamer's favorite game: Wii Sports Resort

Pros:

The Wii has a host of family-friendly and casual games. The system can also play Gamecube games and you can download several older Nintendo games for the virtual console. The Wii also excels in the new craze of fitness games. Nintendo's reputation for being easy to use right of the box is still seen with the Wii. The unique control system allows for people of all ages and skill levels to be able to play, and they offer a classic style controller for playing the virtual console games.

Cons:

The Wii has mostly casual games, therefore the serious gamer may have difficultly finding games that would interest them. You will need to find an appropriate place for the Sensor Bar and the controls do take some getting used to at first. Also, there have been several instances of people letting go of the Wii-mote and it flying into their television and causing damage. Also, the Wii can only play games. It cannot double as a cd, dvd, or blu-ray player.

Playstation 3 (PS3):

Created by Sony, originally released in 2006.

My favorite game: inFAMOUS

My Gamer's favorite: Metal Gear Solid 4

Pros:

Sony is known for creating high quality electronics and the PS3 is one of them. The PS3 can also double as a Blu-ray player and is one of the cheapest blu-ray players on the market. PS3 games come in the Blu-ray format. The PS3 can also play PS2 and PS1 games. The Playstation 3 also has far superior graphics. There are also opportunities for online play.

Cons:

The PS3 is expensive. While the PS3 can play older games, not all of the older accessories will work and memory cards will need to be converted. Sony has released accessories that will compensate for these downfalls, but they must be purchased separately.

XBox 360:

Created by Microsoft, released in 2005.

My favorite game: Fallout 3

My Gamer's favorite: Left 4 Dead

Pros:

This system is cheaper than the Playstation 3 and plays DVDs. The system can also be set up to receive movies from Netflix. The Xbox 360's greatest advantage is the amount of opportunities brought about through the internet connection. Online play is very popular with 360 owners as is XBox Live. 360 games also tend to receive more downloadable content and the 360 does have some exclusive games such as Halo.

Cons:

The fail rate is enough to make most people reconsider buying another system. Depending upon who you ask there is between a 30-80% fail rate. Microsoft does offer a warranty, but once the system shows the red-ring-of-death, game play usually must be halted until the system can be repaired. And here is where we enter the realm of my opinion... The 360's graphics are obviously worse than those of the PS3. The experts would disagree with me and say that it's a matter of priorities, but I have watched the same game (Fallout 3) on both the 360 and the PS3 and there is an obvious difference. Some may prefer the 360's look, but the PS3 has a sharper and more realistic image.

DS/DSi:

Created by Nintendo, the original DS was released in 2003, the Lite in 2005, and the DSi was released in 2009.

My Favorite game: My Chinese Coach

My Gamer's Favorite: (tie) Trauma Center or The World Ends With You

Pros:

The DS/DS Lite can play Gameboy Advanced games. There are also a slew of family- and kid-friendly games available. Many of the DS games are very unique, as is the Pictochat feature. The DS line is the only line of handhelds that currently has a touchscreen and some games are equipped with voice recognition software. The DSi also has a camera and internet capabilities. Like the Wii, the DS line also holds to the Nintendo ease of use.

Cons:

While serious games do exist for the DS, they are often drowned out by all of the children's games. The DSi does not play any Gameboy games, and none of the DS's can play Gameboy Color games. The touch screen needs to be properly protected or it will scratch and many people have trouble with loosing the stylus.

Playstation Portable (PSP):

Created by Sony, the original PSP was released in the USA in 2003.

My favorite game: UMD movies

My Gamer's favorite: Crisis Core

Pros:

The PSP has much better graphics than the DS line. The PSP also has more of a serious gamer set of games and can receive downloadable content. The PSP can also play UMD movies and if the owner chooses the void their warranty, the system and can be modified to perform other tasks and play older games.

Cons:

Some people have experienced slow loading times and there aren't a lot of UMD movies available. The PSP only has one screen compared the the two found on the DS.

Personal Computer:

Created by various companies and originally released sometime in the 1980's.

My favorite game: Spore

My Gamer's favorite: World of Warcraft

Pros:

Personal computers can perform a variety of tasks and there are computers in every style and price range. Many PCs are now portable and some PC games can be accessed by any PC, not just one. Online play is a very big selling point, and many PC games receive regular, or semi-regular, downloadable content. Also, some games from older systems can be accessed.

Cons:

Some games will require large amounts of memory. In order to play a game, you must have the system requirements and this is not guaranteed as it is with other systems. For Mac users, many games are not Mac-compatible, but the newer Macs can run Windows and games can be played that way.

Each system has its merits and its downfalls. While I can say which systems I like the best, not every gaming need will be met with any single system. There is no consensus about which system is better than the others and there never will be. The best thing to do is to evaluate the system based on the gamer's priorities and go from there.

Gamer Speak: World of Warcraft

Here are some of the more common World of Warcraft terms and shorthands that might be helpful in following a WoW conversation.

• Alliance

I accidentally ended up in the middle of Alliance territory.

The Alliance is one of the two political sides of World of Warcraft. The Alliance is stereotyped as being the “good” people.

• AFK

Sorry, I was AFK.

AFK stands for Away From Keyboard and is used when a player stays in the game, but leaves their controls.

• Blizzard

Blizzard’s taking forever to fix that glitch.

Blizzard is the game developing company that produced World of Warcraft. They maintain the game and will occasionally update areas or add assets to the game.

• Class

The character I’m working on right now is a priest, but I wish I had chosen another class.

The class a player chooses will determine what types of weapons and skills that can possess. The classes in WoW are: Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rouge, Shaman, Warrior, Death Knight, and Warlock. www.wowwikki.com.classes gives a description of each class.

• Char/Toon

I’m starting a new char next month.

Char, and sometimes Toon, are used as a shortened term for character. The player’s character is the person they play as in the game.

• Drop

This creature only drops the item I need every 5-6 times.

When a player kills a creature (Mob), or finds a chest, they can find items. A creature drops items after they are killed, and the player searches the dead creature’s corpse to find the items left behind.

• Dungeon

I’ll meet you I the Dungeon at 10:15.

A dungeon is an underground area in which the players can fight. The term dungeon can also be loosely applied to any area in which the players start an instance.

• Elite

I can’t take on an elite for another two levels.

An elite form of a creature is one that is particularly strong. These creatures are more difficult to beat.

• Grinding

I spent all day grinding and I only gained two levels!

Grinding is the process of working towards a higher level. Grinding often requires performing mundane or repetitive tasks to gain experience.

• Guild

My guild’s name is “The Evil League of Evil,” and you can’t join our guild if you’re Alliance.

People who play World of Warcraft create guilds. These are groups of players who normally have something in common. Some guilds will have events in real life that they do together, or the guide might all play at an appointed time or in the same place.

• Horde

This town is controlled by the Horde.

The Horde is one of the two political sides to World of Warcraft. A player chooses to be in the Horde or not. The Horde is stereotyped as being “bad” or “dark.”

• HP

My HP is too low to start a fight.

HP measures a creature or player’s health points. When a person is out of health points they are dead.

• Instance

We’re waiting for John to begin the Instance.

An instance is a part of the game where a group of players can play privately. This allows a group (usually members of the same guild, or friends from outside of the game) to play without being interrupted by other players or happenings.

• Manna

After that fight, I’m in desperate need of manna.

Manna is what allows a player to cast spells. Spells can be used to attack, defend, or heal.

• MMORPG

World of Warcraft is a very popular MMORPG.

MMORPG stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game. These are games that are played by a large number of people over an Internet connection during which players play as if they are a certain character.

• Mobs

This quest requires me to find a certain type of mob, and it is really rare.

A Mob is an entity in the game that is not played by a person, but moves about in the game. The purpose of Mobs is to give players something to kill, usually for the purpose of gaining XP or completing a quest.

• Pets or Mounts

At the next level I can get a new pet/mount.

A pet or mount is a creature that is associated with a character. The character usually will have to earn the pet/mount. These creatures can have various benefits based on the type of creature.

• Pots

I’m looking for a certain Pot.

“Pots” is short for potions. This term isn’t used too often, but potions are a common part of WoW. Each potion has a different affect on a character. Potions can be bought or found, and some characters can make them.

• PvP

This is a PvP area.

PvP stands for Player versus Player and marks areas where two players of any type can fight one another.

• Quest

I have to go and turn in this Quest.

A quest is a task that a player completes to gain some sort of reward. The reward can be experience points, skill levels, or items.

• Race

I chose to play on the side of the Alliance because they had the race I wanted.

The races in WoW are the types of creature/people that the player can be. There are five races for both the Horde and the Alliance. The races are: Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, Gnome and Draenel for the Alliance; and Orc, Undead, Tauren, Troll and Blood Elf for the Horde.

• Raid or Raid Party

We need one more person for a raid.

A raid or raid party is a group of at least 6 players that complete tasks together under the leadership of a raid leader.

• Rez

I’ll be there in ten minutes, I gotta rez.

Rez is short for resurrection. When a player in WoW dies, they have the ability to be resurrected by other players, by returning as a ghost to the body, r by a Spirit Healer.

• WoW

I’ve played WoW for seven years now.

WoW is short for World of Warcraft which is a popular online game.

• XP

I’m 1,500 XP from the next level.

XP is short for experience points. In Warcraft, a player gains XP by killing certain creatures or completing quests. As the player gains XP they gain levels.

For more in depth information I recommend www.wowwikki.com

For the review of World of Warcraft see here.

Afternoon Quickie: Chain Rxn

Played on: PC (Facebook Application)

Chain Rxn is a game where you try to create the largest chain reaction (hence the name). You place a single circle in part of the board and try to get as many of the other balls to collide with your circle as possible.

It's a highly addictive game. The balls are all different colors and the game is fun to watch. When a ball collides with a circle the game chimes. It can be a very nice relaxing sound. However, if the player does not get enough balls to go on to the next level there is a loud buzzer noise.

The game is basically the same thing over and over again, just with more balls and collisions. It can be fun to watch, but I got bored after a little while. However, the game is very simple and can be fun for girlfriends as well. It takes very little skill and you can compare your high scores and have a little competition.

I prefer to play this game rather than watch it, but it still passes the Wifey-Watchability test.

Review: World of Warcraft (WoW)

Played on: PC

World of Warcraft is an online game where players create characters. These characters can be different species and the player can choose to play for one of two main groups, The Horde or The Alliance. Players complete tasks and quests to gain levels and skills. Each expansion to the game has added more to the story line with the latest expansion adding the pursuit of the Lich King.

Visuals:

The game is graphically very well done. It looks like a video game, but generally plays smoothly. Some of the scenery can be quite beautiful. Due to the way the game is set up, players often have to do much of the same task, or use the same skill many times in order to gain levels and progress to the next part of the game. For some players this "grinding" can be a very positive characteristic of the game as it is a great way to waste a few hours, however, it can be excruciating to watch.

Audio:

There isn't much to the game as far as soundtrack. There are sound effects that are associated with many parts of the game, but they are not necessary for the success of the player. The game can easily be played on mute.

Involvement:

There is no opportunity for involvement from a girlfriend who does not wish to play the game. The game's chat features can be a way to communicate with friends, but this will be done mostly by the player. Some girlfriends do play World of Warcraft on their own so that they may play a character with their boy, but I would not suggest WoW for a non-gamer, or even a very casual gamer.

Overall:

There is a reason the term "WoW Widow" exists. WoW is not a good game for girlfriend watching and players tend to play for hours on end. I might find some enjoyment in watching it for a few minutes, but it quickly becomes boring. If WoW is to be played in the presence of the girlfriend, mute your computer and let her choose a movie to watch as you try to reach level 70. If your girlfriend is into games, and not just casually, you might be able to convince her to start playing, but don't push it. For most girlfriends, I would recommend leaving the WoW playing for when she goes with her friends.