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Jun142015

The Future of Dragonball Z – Resurrection of F, Super, and Beyond

Akira Toriyama has provided us with quite the roller coaster since we met Son Goku when the Dragonball manga was first released in 1984. Two animes based off the original 42 volumes, 19 feature films, countless video games, trading card games, the infamous GT, and the remake of Z known as Kai, have been the highs and lows of that thrill ride. While highlights such as the Frieza and Android saga offset the dips of GT and some questionable films, fans are here… over 20 years later, wanting more.  dbz1

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Jun112015

Hungry & Fit Gamecast: Launched on YouTube

This is an exciting moment for Team H&F and the Nerdy Neanderthal for taking the lead in creating and hosting the Gamecast. Just as the blog was a work in progress in the beginning (and it still is) this podcast will also see significant changes and improvements over time. We’ve introduced Scott, known as the Nerdy Neanderthal, before but here is a re-introduction. You better get used to him, since you’ll be hearing a lot more from him! 

The Gamecast will be a little on the nerdy side, discussing various types of gaming, but we will let you know what the topics discussed are so you know if you want to listen. These are a great way to pass time during commutes, long sessions on cardio equipment, or wherever you fancy. The best part is… they’re free! We’ll have guests, different speakers, will invite our followers (YOU) to participate remotely so this will be a blast. They will be posted on our YouTube channel for now, until they are more developed. At that time, we’ll deliver them to you through downloadable files, on iTunes and such. (Still free, always!)

Here is the first one, a little sample, mostly for testing purposes but full of amazing information and discussion about gaming in 2015. Alana and Chris aren’t in this one but please give Scott your attention. Here are some fun cards to get a better idea about who you’ll be listening to. Credit for these amazing character sheets goes to Nerdy Neanderthal, all this was his hard and high quality work, as an important member of the team!

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Jun052015

The #3 Greatest Video Game of All Time

We have now come to the top THREE greatest video games of all time! Can you feel the heat? I don’t want to blab too much in the introduction so we can get right down to the fun stuff!  If you missed the others on our countdown, please check them out: #25,#24,#23,#22,#21,#20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, and #4.  

Kai – Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri – Alpha Centauri is my favorite strategy game of all time.  It does a fantastic job combining strategic depth and science fiction theme.  It takes place in the near-future, after a colony ship from Earth is sent to Alpha Centauri.  During the journey, the colonists lose contact with Earth, the captain is murdered, and the colonists break into 7 ideological factions.  The game does an amazing job conveying the transition from small compound in an alien wilderness to a planet-wide technological utopia.

In terms of gameplay, it was an enhanced version of the earlier Civilization games.  Its biggest addition was customizable units (a base body with added components/weapons/armor).  It still suffers from the Stack of Doom mechanic of the earlier Civ games, but the other elements definitely make up for it.
 
Firaxis created a pseudo-sequel with Beyond Earth, but it’s more of a mod than a real standalone game.  If you feel the need to spend a weekend colonizing an alien planet, Alpha Centauri is your game.
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May052015

The #7 Greatest Video Game of All Time

Number 7. Hungry and Fit’s favorite number! This is a big one for the Greatest Video Game of All Time countdown.  If you missed the others on our countdown, please check them out: #25, #24,#23,#22,#21,#20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9, and #8. 

#7 Greatest Video Game of All Time

Kai – Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – One of my favorite RPGs ever, KOTOR and KOTOR II are two of the finest Star Wars games.  They capture the core of Star Wars, making you feel like you’re really living in the space opera’s universe.

It’s a fairly linear RPG, with most of the exposition happening in dialogue and resolved in combat (with force powers, sabers, and blasters).  There’s also card games, pod races, and space travel.  You pick up all kinds of interesting allies along the way who serve as the party members on your adventures.
 
Perhaps the most innovative component to KOTOR is the dark side/light side aspect.  As you play, the choices you make affect your character’s force attunement, changing how people treat you and the types of force powers you can use.  I never managed to be much of a Sith, but there are real moral choices to be made.
 
If you’re looking to live in the Star Wars universe for a week, I can’t recommend anything other than KOTOR and KOTOR II.  Their graphics may not be quite up to par, but the story and characters are well-written and well-acted, so it still really holds up today.

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Apr272015

The #8 Greatest Video Game of All Time

We continue our way down the top 25 video games of all time! Our choices are weighed quite heavily now as these games that have been in our hearts for many years must be decided upon. You have now seen the same game pop up for multiple people. I can’t wait until the end when we list them all out for everyone and see what stacks where. We could even weigh the games with the most and highest picks! And if you missed the others on our countdown, please check them out: #25, #24,#23, #22,#21,#20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, and #9.

Kai – Rise of Nations – My favorite RTS (real-time strategy) game ever, Rise of Nations is a historical RTS spanning all of human history.  You pick a civilization and start with a small settlement in the Ancient Age, build farms and buildings, conduct diplomacy and trade, raise armies and research technologies, and eventually end up in modern times with stealth bombers and nukes.  

Rise of Nations combines a great theme with really solid mechanics, getting rid of a lot of the tedious elements of earlier historical RTS games.  In addition to fun multiplayer, the Thrones & Patriots added some fun historical campaigns, allowing you to play as either side of the Cold War or Alexander the Great.
 
My best memory of Rise of Nations is my friend Jason and I stay up all night playing game after game (each one lasting 45 to 90 minutes).  We put in dozens of hours in both multiplayer skirmishes (usually allied against the AI) and single player campaigns.
 
 I haven’t played it in years, but I can’t imagine it’s any less fun now than it was then.  There’s a new “Extended Edition” on Steam, so there’s no excuse not to pick it up and give it a try if you’re looking to spend an afternoon taking over the world.
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Apr082015

#10 Greatest Video Game of All Time

We’ve finally cracked the Top 10 of our 25 Greatest Video Games of All Time list! How exciting! This list comprises all of our favorite games from 5 different people with different backgrounds. If you are unfamiliar with this list, then check the following out:  #25, #24,#23, #22, #21, #20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15, #14, #13, #12, and #11. Let the top ten start…now!

Kai – The Secret of Monkey Island: Monkey Island – Monkey Island is hilarious.  Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer created a world that is a parody of every pirate movie ever made.  As the best game released during the “golden age” of (now defunkt) LucasArts’ point and click adventures, Monkey Island is a perfect representation of the fun, laid back attitude of those SCUMM-based games.  

In terms of gameplay, you have a set of adjectives you can apply to the environment and anything you pick up along the way.  It’s a puzzle/exploration game that forces you to try and think logically about the world and come up with interesting solutions.  
 
It has a great theme as well, with wonderful writing and expressive 2D pixel art.  Maybe it’s because of when I played it (I was 9 or 10), but the game is iconic in a way that few games have replicated.  So many distinct images and moments stick with me from it.  Each character made an impression, despite being a collection of pixels and a few written sentences.  
 
If you’re looking to spend a week in a hilarious pirate adventure I can’t recommend Monkey Island highly enough.
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Mar172015

#12 Greatest Video Game of All Time

I know we are one day late, but hey, we are still in the same week! Three weeks in a row–yes!! This countdown is on a roll and dangerously close to the top 10. As a refresher, this is the video game brain trust’s list of the top 25 greatest video games of all time and we are now down to #12! These are the ones you’ve missed so  far: #25, #24,#23, #22, #21, #20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15, #14, and #13. 

Kai – Master of Orion II – In my opinion, Masters of Orion II is the best space-based 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate) ever made.  I love science fiction and this game really makes you feel like you’re running an alien empire, but doesn’t overwhelm you with options.  There’s lore, multiple victory conditions, colonization, building, and space battles.  You design your ships, decide which technologies to research, and can even create your own alien species.

It’s a turn-based game like Civilization and definitely shares that “one more turn” compulsion.  It still holds up today as nothing in the genre has really come close (the sequel was probably the most disappointing game of all time for me).  If you’re looking to conquer the galaxy in an afternoon, I can’t recommend anything other than Masters of Orion II.

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Mar022015

#14 Greatest Video Game of All Time

Yet, again, there has been a big gap between this series! We apologize, as sometimes it takes a bit to get everyone’s entries in. If you are new to this countdown, it’s just a top 25 list of our most favorite video games!  These are the ones you’ve missed so  far: #25, #24,#23, #22, #21, #20 #19, #18, #17, #16, and #15. Let’s dive into #14!

Kai – X-COM – I’ve played three versions of X-COM: The original, X-COM UFO Defense, the third version X-COM Apocalypse, and the latest offering from Firaxis XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Within.  The original was revolutionary in scope, with everything from morale to technology research, and still holds up very well today.  

X-Com is half real-time strategic base management and half turn-based top-down tactical squad management.  The basic story is that aliens are real and are terrorizing human cities.  You’re put in charge of defending earth from this alien threat.

During the base management phase, you train/recruit soldiers, build weapons/vehicles, dispatch people on missions, and research alien artifacts to get new technology.  When a mission happens, it switches to the tactical mode, where you explore alien wrecks, kill/capture alien soldiers, and rescue civilians.

The games are difficult but addictive, enticing you to complete just one more mission with your squad of veteran troops.  You care deeply about your veteran soldiers as you’ve played with them for multiple hours and it’s very painful to lose one (or a whole shipful).  The theme is well-integrated and the gameplay is very tight, where every action you take is meaningful and possibly dangerous.  If you’re looking to blow an afternoon tracking down aliens and defending earth, I highly recommend picking up something from the X-COM series.

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Aug182014

#21 Greatest Video Game of All Time

Finally, #21 is here! We apologize for the hiatus, we’ve been busy with the move and settling in. However, we are now back on track! If you have no idea what I’m talking about, look at this post here. Please meet our Video Game Brain Trust before you continue on. We put this together as a somewhat weekly display of what our favorite video games are. What we love about it is the variety between all of us and what we prefer. If you missed it, please see #25, #24, #23, and #22! Let’s get started.. 

#21 Best Video Games of All Time

Kai — Gunpoint – A much more recent game than those I’ve listed so far, Gunpoint is a stealth puzzle game with great atmosphere.  You play a private detective in a noire style adventure.  Although short, the story is really interesting and ties in great with the gameplay.  It doesn’t feel like you’re figuring out puzzles, it feels like you’re trying to move the plot forward.  The difficulty curve is very good, challenging but not overwhelming, unveiling various mechanics and techniques as time goes on.  My only real complaint is that the game is short and not very replayable, but definitely worth the price ($10).  If you’re looking for a game to while away a rainy day, I’d recommend Gunpoint.

Po — Super Mario 64 (N64) – Brought 3-D gaming to the mainstream. I’ll never forget the first time I walked through a door and entered a new room — it blew my mind.

Andrew — Ninja Crusaders (NES) – Really nothing much to say here other than that I spent countless hours playing this with my brother. YOU COULD TURN INTO A DRAGON. Top 5 NES Game. 
 

Alana (Fit) — Yoda Stories – For me, this is an absolute classic. It’s a LucasArts game not many know about, but it holds a very special place in my heart. Released in the 90s, this game has no ultimate goal. It’s simply a collection of various levels you have to play through. So when you start the game, you could be doing one of the various Hoth levels, Endor levels, Death Star levels, Tatooine levels, and so forth. There were tons of different “levels” aka scenarios, each one with different surroundings and plots. Sometimes you’d meet Boba Fett, sometimes Vader, sometimes the Wampa. I remember my cousins, brother and I would always crowd around the computer playing and laughing at the subtly funny LucasArts writing characters said.

You usually played as Luke Skywalker, out to save the day or escape or something of that nature. You also could gain other weapons like a lightsaber and find hidden things behind boxes. It’s really a puzzle game in order to find the objective. This game was basically just the arrow keys and that’s all it really needed. It was a blast to play any of the levels over and over. I think I will play it again today. 

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Chris — Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2) – Vice City is close behind on my list of favorite GTA games. While I typically enjoy some of the earlier entries in a franchise, the expansiveness and ability to do so many ridiculous things makes San Andreas my favorite. I might have enjoyed the story in Vice City a little bit more, the game based on Los Angeles takes the cake over the game based in Miami. However, San Andreas really is one of those games that I put on that highest level of near perfection. 

Simply, the graphics, soundtrack, and controls were all top-notch at the time. The story was what you would expect from a GTA and as I mentioned before, they expanded on what the player could do a million fold. One example is the ability to get in a plane, jump out, and go skydiving. Every vehicle was an option and if you had the money, you could customize your really fast cars however you wanted. 

But this is a favorite list and not a list of the best games, so what really makes San Andreas stand so tall. Completion. This game truly had an RPG feel to it and I put in hundred of hours in order to get to a 99.9% completion rating. I never got to 100% but it always offered enough mini-games and side quests to keep my attention and that replay value in a game like this is untouchable.

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 That wraps up our picks for #21 Greatest Video Game of All Time. Stay tuned for next week’s #20 and read up on the previous ones if you haven’t already! We are having a blast doing this. I hope you’re having fun as well looking at what we have to bring to the table. And as always, stay hungry and fit!

*Question of the Day: Have you played any of these games? Do you like them?

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